A beautiful mind
WHAT IS SCHIZOPHRENIA?
The modern definition of schizophrenia describes it as a long-lasting psychotic disorder (involving a severe break with reality), in which there is an inability to distinguish what is real from fantasy as well as disturbances in thinking, emotions, behavior, and perception (Cicarelli, p. 557).
SYMPTOMS
Schizophrenia includes several symptoms. One common symptom is delusions, which are false beliefs that the person holds and that tend to remain fixed and unshakable even in the face of evidence that disproves the delusions (Cicarelli, p. 557).
Other common symptoms include speech disturbances, in which people with schizophrenia make up words, repeat words or sentences persistently, string words together on the basis of sounds, and experience sudden interruptions in speech or thought. The thought patterns of those with schizophrenia are also significantly disturbed, as they have difficulty linking their thoughts together in logical ways (Cicarelli, p. 557).
Individuals with schizophrenia may also experience hallucinations, in which they hear voices or see things or people who are not really there. Hearing voices and emotional disturbances are key symptoms in making a diagnosis of schizophrenia. An emotional disturbance known as flat effect is a condition in which the person shows little or no emotion. For example, emotions can be excessive and/or inappropriate - a person might laugh when it would be more appropriate to cry (Cicarelli, p. 557).
A person with schizophrenia might also exhibit disorganized and extremely odd behavior.
For example, some forms of schizophrenia are accompanied by periods of complete immobility, whereas others may involve weird facial grimaces and odd gesturing. Attention is also a problem for many sufferers of schizophrenia, as they seem to have difficulty “screening out” irrelevant information and stimuli, rendering them unable to focus on information that is relevant (Cicarelli, p. 557).
TYPES OF
The modern definition of schizophrenia describes it as a long-lasting psychotic disorder (involving a severe break with reality), in which there is an inability to distinguish what is real from fantasy as well as disturbances in thinking, emotions, behavior, and perception (Cicarelli, p. 557).
SYMPTOMS
Schizophrenia includes several symptoms. One common symptom is delusions, which are false beliefs that the person holds and that tend to remain fixed and unshakable even in the face of evidence that disproves the delusions (Cicarelli, p. 557).
Other common symptoms include speech disturbances, in which people with schizophrenia make up words, repeat words or sentences persistently, string words together on the basis of sounds, and experience sudden interruptions in speech or thought. The thought patterns of those with schizophrenia are also significantly disturbed, as they have difficulty linking their thoughts together in logical ways (Cicarelli, p. 557).
Individuals with schizophrenia may also experience hallucinations, in which they hear voices or see things or people who are not really there. Hearing voices and emotional disturbances are key symptoms in making a diagnosis of schizophrenia. An emotional disturbance known as flat effect is a condition in which the person shows little or no emotion. For example, emotions can be excessive and/or inappropriate - a person might laugh when it would be more appropriate to cry (Cicarelli, p. 557).
A person with schizophrenia might also exhibit disorganized and extremely odd behavior.
For example, some forms of schizophrenia are accompanied by periods of complete immobility, whereas others may involve weird facial grimaces and odd gesturing. Attention is also a problem for many sufferers of schizophrenia, as they seem to have difficulty “screening out” irrelevant information and stimuli, rendering them unable to focus on information that is relevant (Cicarelli, p. 557).
TYPES OF