5 symptoms of schizophrenia
5 symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- Delusions: Believing things that aren’t true
- Hallucinations: Seeing or hearing things that others don’t see or hear
- Disorganised speech: Speaking in a confused or jumbled way. It may sound like rubbish
- Disorganised behaviour: Acting in an unusual or disorganised way
- Lack of motivation: Not wanting to do everyday activities.
Positive and negative symptoms
Symptoms can be divided into ‘positive’ (e.g. 1 and 2 above), and ‘negative’ (3-5).
Other symptoms include:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling disconnected from emotions
- Avoiding people
- Poor hygiene
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in body language
- Depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
It is a type of psychosis, meaning that a person may not be able to distinguish their own thoughts from reality.
If you are experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. The earlier schizophrenia is treated, the better.
The cause of schizophrenia is unknown, but most experts believe it’s caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
