Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe chronic brain disorder which causes psychotic thoughts and behavior. The disorder can be very debilitating even with treatment. Schizophrenics have problems distinguishing between reality and their own delusions and hallucinations, which makes it very difficult for them to behave normally.

Delusions

• People with schizophrenia commonly have highly-irrational delusions. A schizophrenic might believe his neighbors are trying to poison him, or conversely, might believe he is the emperor of another planet.

Hallucinations

• Schizophrenics may have audio hallucinations, and some patients experience visual ones as well. A voice may sound like it is inside the person's head, or it might emanate from an object that cannot actually speak.

Speaking Style

• Schizophrenics may speak in nonsensical rhymes or curse continuously. They tend to ramble from subject to subject without any sort of coherence, and may speak in total gibberish.

Behavior

• A person with schizophrenia tends to behave in bizarre ways. She laughs loudly at inappropriate moments or shouts at people for no apparent reason. She may grimace repeatedly or make odd mannerisms. Schizophrenics commonly lose interest in personal hygiene.

Catatonia

• In catatonic schizophrenia, a patient may be completely unresponsive. He may refuse to move, and if someone physically moves him, he stays in that position.

Treatment

• Medication with anti-psychotic drugs is the primary treatment for schizophrenia. However, patients tend to stop taking their medication and the psychotic symptoms then return. They need a support system, which may include psychotherapy, to ensure they continue with their treatment plan.