1. Hallucinations: People with schizophrenia may see, hear, smell, or feel things that no one else can. These hallucinations can be terrifying and may make the person feel out of control.
2. Delusions: People with schizophrenia may have false beliefs that are not based in reality. For example, they may think that other people are trying to harm them or that the government is spying on them.
3. Disorganized thinking: Schizophrenia can make it hard to think clearly, process information, and follow conversations. A person with disorganized thinking might also speak in a jumbled or incoherent way.
4. Negative symptoms: Negative symptoms are characterized by a loss of interest in life and a withdrawal from social interactions. People with negative symptoms may seem flat or emotionless and have difficulty initiating or sustaining activities like work or hobbies.
5 .Cognitive deficits: Cognitive deficits refer to problems with memory, attention, executive functioning (e.g., planning and decision-making), and social cognition (e..g understanding others’ perspectives). These difficulties can make it hard to function in daily life.
Hallucinations. These usually involve seeing or hearing things that don’t exist
Delusions. These are false beliefs that aren’t based in reality and can be very difficult to let go of.: Disorganized thinking. This means a person may have trouble organizing their thoughts or connecting them logically.: Disorganized behavior. This can show up as unpredictable or random actions.: Negative symptoms. These include reduced emotions, speaking problems, and a lack of motivation.
Disorganized thinking (speech)
Disorganized thinking is a symptom of schizophrenia in which a person’s thoughts are jumbled and they may have difficulty speaking coherently. This can make it hard for them to communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly. People with disorganized thinking may also have trouble organizing their thoughts logically, making it difficult to follow a conversation or train of thought. In severe cases, disorganized thinking can lead to incoherent speech that is hard to understand. Disorganized thinking is often accompanied by other symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions and hallucinations.
Negative symptoms
Avolition: A general lack of motivation or interest in activities. This can manifest as difficulties planning and carrying out daily tasks, such as personal hygiene, cooking and cleaning.
• Alogia: poverty of speech. This refers to a reduction in the amount of speech output, as well as the content of speech being less relevant to the current conversation. For example, a person may answer questions with one-word responses or make irrelevant comments.
• Anhedonia: inability to experience pleasure from activities that are usually enjoyable, such as sex, hobbies or social interactions.
• Affective flattening: reduced intensity and range of emotions experienced. This can make it difficult for the person to express their feelings or respond appropriately in different situations. For example, they may speak in a monotone voice and have reduced facial expressions (“masked facies”).