Schizophrenia is Characterised by:

Distortion of thinking. 

  • Delusions – fixed, firm and false belief held contrary to any evidence provided.

Distortion of perception. 

  • Hallucinations.  These could be auditory which are most common, i.e. hearing voices. Could also be visual, olfactory (smell, taste or tactile hallucinations).

Negative symptoms. 

  • Social withdrawal.
  • Isolation.
  • Apathy.

Symptoms may also include: 

  • Delusions of control or influence, thought insertion (thoughts being inserted into the brain from outside) and thought withdrawal (thoughts being withdrawn from one’s brain from outside).
  • Incoherence or irrelevant speech.
  • Inappropriate and incongruent behaviour.

Treatment 

  • Antipsychotic medications.  This could be in the form of tablets or long acting injections (Depot Injections).
  • Patients with schizophrenia may need support in housing, benefits and other areas of life.