There are many possible symptoms. They are often classed into positive, negative and cognitive. Positive symptoms are those that show abnormal mental functions. Negative symptoms are those that show the absence of a mental function that should normally be present.
Delusions: These are false beliefs that a person has and most people from the same culture would agree that they are wrong.
Hallucinations: This means hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, or tasting things that are not real. Hearing voices is the most common
Disordered thoughts: They have unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking and have trouble organizing his or her thoughts or connecting them logically. They may talk in a garbled way that is hard to understand. Person may stop speaking abruptly in the middle of a thought.
Lack of motivation: Tasks are not completed, concentration is poor, there is loss of interest in social activities and the person often wants to be alone.
Few spontaneous movementsand much time doing nothing.
Facial expressions do not change much and the voice may sound monotonous.
Changed feelings: Emotions may become flat. Sometimes the emotions may be odd, such as laughing at something sad.
People with negative symptoms need help with everyday tasks. They often neglect basic personal hygiene. This may make them seem lazy or unwilling to help themselves, but the problems are symptoms caused by the schizophrenia.Cognitive symptoms Cognitive symptoms are subtle. They are mostly detected only when other tests are performed. Cognitive symptoms include:
Poor "executive functioning" (the ability to understand information and use it to make decisions) Trouble focusing or paying attention Problems with "working memory" (the ability to use information immediately after learning it). Cognitive symptoms often make it hard to lead a normal life and earn a livelihood as they limit productivity.Substance use People who have schizophrenia are much more likely to have a substance or alcohol abuse problem than the general population. Substance abuse can make treatment for schizophrenia less effective. Some drugs, like marijuana and stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine, may make symptoms worse.
Schizophrenia and smoking Addiction to nicotine is the most common form of substance abuse in people with schizophrenia. They are addicted to nicotine at three times the rate of the general population
Medication: The main medicines used to treat schizophrenia are called antipsychotics. They work by altering the balance of some brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). Antipsychotic medication is used to relieve the symptoms. Antipsychotic medicines tend to work best to ease positive symptoms and tend not to work so well to ease negative symptoms. Antipsychotic medicines are also used to prevent recurring episodes of symptoms (relapses). Therefore, antipsychotic medication is usually taken on a long-term basis. There are various antipsychotic medicines and different ones may be used in different circumstances. A good response to antipsychotic medication occurs in about 7 in 10 cases. However, symptoms may take 2-4 weeks to improve after starting medication and it can take several weeks for full improvement. Even when symptoms ease, antipsychotic medication is normally continued long-term. This aims to prevent relapses, or to limit the number and severity of relapses. However, if a patient had only one episode of symptoms that cleared completely with treatment, one option is to try coming off medication after 1-2 years.
Psychosocial measures: Psychosocial treatments can help people with schizophrenia who are already stabilized on antipsychotic medication. Psychosocial treatments help these patients deal with the everyday challenges of the illness, such as difficulty with communication, self-care, work, and forming and keeping relationships. Learning and using coping mechanisms to address these problems allow people with schizophrenia to socialize and attend school and work. Patients who receive regular psychosocial treatment also are more likely to keep taking their medication, and they are less likely to have relapses or be hospitalized.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT): CBT helps patients with symptoms that do not go away even when they take medication. The therapist teaches people with schizophrenia how to test the reality of their thoughts and perceptions, how to "not listen" to their voices, and how to manage their symptoms overall. CBT can help reduce the severity of symptoms and reduce the risk of relapse.
Family education: People with schizophrenia depend on their families for care. So it is important that family members know as much as possible about the disease. With the help of a therapist, family members can learn coping strategies and problem-solving skills. In this way the family can help make sure their loved one sticks with treatment and stays on his or her medication.
Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation emphasizes social and vocational training to help people with schizophrenia function better in their communities. Rehabilitation programs can include job counseling and training, money management counseling, help in learning to use public transportation, and opportunities to practice communication skills. Programs like these help patients improve their functioning.
Integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse: Substance abuse is the most common co-occurring disorder in people with schizophrenia. When schizophrenia treatment programs and drug treatment programs are used together, patients get better results. Quitting smoking may be very difficult for people with schizophrenia because nicotine withdrawal may cause their psychotic symptoms to get worse for a while. Quitting strategies that include nicotine replacement methods may be easier for patients to handle.