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Symptoms And Delusions Of Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia is described by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history” (n.d.). The most recognizable symptoms of schizophrenia are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations involve experiencing sensory stimulation (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.) when there is no stimulus present. Delusions are false beliefs. Common types of delusions experienced by people with schizophrenia are delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur, delusions of reference, and delusions of control (Smith & Segal, 2014). Delusions of persecution involve the belief that a person or someone they love is in grave danger, or someone is out to get them. Delusions of grandeur are beliefs that someone is famous or highly important, or they possess unique powers. Delusions of reference are characterized by the belief that mundane occurrences such as a commercial or dogs barking carry a special message meant for them. Delusions of control are beliefs that a person’s thoughts or behavior are being controlled by outside sources. Other symptoms of schizophrenia include disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and a variety of negative symptoms (Smith & Segal, 2014). Disorganized speech includes loose associations (each thought only slightly related to the next, if at all), neologisms (made-up words), clanging (unnecessary use of rhyming), and word salad (jumbled speech without an organizational pattern). Signs

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