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Symptoms And Symptoms Of Schizophrenia

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Symptoms

The symptoms of schizophrenia are wide and varied, typically falling into three main categories, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Each of these symptom types affect the patient in different ways, and in different degrees of severity. The symptoms may range from mildly irritating, to severe and debilitating. Positive symptoms are behaviors not normally seen in healthy people. Negative symptoms are behaviors that are usually exhibited in healthy people but are lacking in the patient. Cognitive symptoms are subtle symptoms that affect the patient’s thought processes and cognitive functioning.

Positive Symptoms

Positive symptoms are the symptoms that are most commonly associated with schizophrenia. The first, and most common of these symptoms is hallucinations. The most commonly experienced hallucinations are auditory hallucinations, in which the patient hears voices speaking to them, sometimes asking them to do things, or warning them of danger. Other forms of hallucinations can be experienced with every sense. Visual hallucinations may cause people to see people or objects that aren’t really there. Olfactory hallucinations cause people to smell odors that other people can’t detect. Somatic hallucinations make the patient feel like they are being touched when they are not. Finally, kinesthetic hallucinations cause the patient to feel like they are moving against their will.

The second most common positive symptom is delusions.

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