Schizophrenia, the Mayo Clinic reports, is a group of several brain disorders. In general, schizophrenics do not interpret reality in the same way as most people, and therefore, have an abnormal sense of it. These disorders are severe and tend to get worse if not treated. The Mayo Clinic reiterates that schizophrenics do not have multiple or split personalities. The medical community places symptoms in four categories.
Negative Symptoms
These types of symptoms may go unnoticed for some time and typically precede the more traditional forms of schizophrenia symptoms. They also are symptoms of mental depression, so it may be difficult to tell the two apart. Negative symptoms include such things as not having motivation to do anything and not participating in social events or circumstances. You may display no emotions to those around you, and you may not be interested in doing normal things that you normally would do daily. You may not pay attention to how you look, and you may not bathe, clean your teeth or brush your hair. You also may find it difficult to plan things in advance.
Positive Symptoms
Positive symptoms of schizophrenia are those that distort or exaggerate reality. For example, if you have schizophrenia, you may show behavioral disorganization, which may manifest itself along a range that can include agitation that is unpredictable to acting silly like a child. Your thoughts also may not have regular order. For example, your thoughts and speech may be disorganized, and you may have speaking difficulties. A schizophrenic also may have hallucinations. These may include any sense, not just sight. They may materialize as phantom smells or believing someone is speaking inside your heard. You also may see or hear things that are not real. Delusions also are considered "positive" symptoms of schizophrenia. These may include delusions of grandeur, in which you may think you are someone important when you are not. You also may believe people are thinking or talking about you when they aren't.
Cognitive Symptoms
If you suffer from schizophrenia, you may have problems with your mental faculties other than those considered negative or positive symptoms. For example, you may have difficulties remembering even common things. You may not be able to understand what information you are given, and you may not be able to concentrate.
Affective Symptoms
Affective symptoms are similar to depression, too, in that they can involve wide mood swings. Depression also can be a symptom of schizophrenia. The Mayo Clinic reports that isolation from other people also may occur because the schizophrenic may seem unusual and act inappropriately.
