What
are the Signs and Symptoms?
The main
symptoms experienced by people who have schizophrenia fall into
two categories (DSM IV, 2000):
Positive Symptoms: distorted
or
exaggerated normal functions
Negative
Symptoms: a loss of
normal functions
- Affective
Flattening:
limitations in intensity and range of emotional expression
- Alogia : limitations in
fluency and production of thoughts and speech
- Avolition :
limitations
in the initiation of goal-orientated behavior
*If
you
want to know more about any of these symptoms, click on the desired
symptom for
a more in depth overview.
Associated Symptoms and Features
- Inappropriate
Affect: Smiling, laughing etc. in the absence of a suitable stimulus
- Anhedonia:
Lack of pleasure/interest
- Dysphoric
Mood: Depression/anger
- Disturbances
in Sleep Pattern
- No
appetite/Lack of Interest in Eating
- Problems
with memory and attention
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Life expectancy is shorter. (10%
of
people with schizophrenia end up committing suicide and 20-40% attempt
to.
Also, 80-90% of schizophrenics smoke, leading to early deaths from lung
cancer and emphysema).
This pictures was taken from http://www.photoreview.org/Contest_Photos/2003/full/Watanabe.jpg