Positive Symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning. Positive symptoms include: (1) delusions, or false beliefs about reality; (2)  hallucinations, or false sensory perceptions; and (3) severely disorganized thought processes (thought disorder), speech, and behavior.

Negative Symptoms reflect a restriction or reduction of normal functions, such as greatly reduced motivation, movement, emotional expressiveness ( flat or blunted affect), or speech (poverty of speech).

Delusions: Falsely held beliefs that persist in spite of contradictory evidence.

• Delusions of Grandeur: Sufferers believe they are extremely powerful, important, wealthy, or famous. People may believe they are the reincarnation of some famous or powerful person, such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, Satan, Marilyn Monroe, or Elvis Presley.

• Delusions of Persecution: Sufferers believe that others are plotting against them or trying to harm them. For example, sufferers might believe that the CIA is after them, that aliens are harming them with "cosmic rays", or that family members are trying to poison them.

Hallucinations: False or distorted perceptions that seem vividly real to the person experiencing them. Over 60% of schizophrenics report auditory hallucinations; 30% report visual hallucinations; 15% report tactile hallucinations; and about 10% report gustatory and/or olfactory hallucinations.

Chronic (or Process) Schizophrenia: Symptoms develop gradually, emerging from a long history of social inadequacy. Those with chronic (process) schizophrenia have a much poorer prognosis. Recovery is unlikely. (While not a hard and fast rule, these individuals tend to exhibit more of the "negative" symptoms described above.)

Acute (or Reactive) Schizophrenia: Symptoms develop suddenly, seemingly as a reaction to stress. Those with acute (reactive) schizophrenia have a better prognosis. They tend to respond more positively to drug therapy. (Again, while not a hard and fast rule, these individuals ten to exhibit more of the "positive" symptoms described above.)

[Home]        [SYLLABUS]        [CALENDAR]       [STUDY GUIDES]       [REVIEWS]     [LINKS]  [HOMEWORK]     [HANDOUTS]           [UNIT CONTENTS]            [RESEARCH]