ENGL 302 - N07
Example Revision
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that starts after the age of 15 and affects 1% (1 out of every 100 people) of the population. The term comes from the Greek words, schizo, "to split," and phren, “mind.” Although it literally means ‘split mind,’ [??do not mistake it for??] it has nothing to do with another disorder called split personality disorder. Schizophrenia affects cognition of the brain and creates problems with behavior and emotions. Its symptoms are varied and are categorized into two groups: Positive symptoms and Negative symptoms. Positive symptoms include delusions, auditory hallucinations and thought disorder and are regarded as manifestations of psychosis. Negative symptoms are considered to be the loss of normal traits or abilities.
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Positive symptoms are very easy-to-spot on a person who has schizophrenia and these symptoms are not seen on normal healthy people. They can range from being very severe to extremely mild and can include hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders, and disorders of movement.
Hallucinations are things that a person can hear, feel, smell, and sees that no one else can hear, feel, smell, and see. Voices are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia (NIMH). The “voices” can talk to the person or to each other about the person, warn the person of impending danger, comment on the person’s behavior, and even order him/her to do things. It usually comes from outside of the person and can originate from a particular object. The voice or voices can also be pleasant, but “are often rude, critical, abusive or just plain irritating” (Royal). Hallucinations also include seeing people or objects that are not there, smelling odors that no one else can smell, and feeling things like invisible fingers touching their bodies when no one is near.
Delusions are false personal beliefs that the person displaying these symptoms holds with complete conviction, even when other people present proof that the beliefs are not real and are based on a misinterpretation of a situation or event. People with schizophrenia can have delusions that are quite bizarre, “such as believing that neighbors can control their behavior with magnetic waves, people on television are directing special messages to them, or radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts aloud to others” (NIMH). They may also have delusions of grandeur and think they are famous historical figures. Another type of delusion is called delusions of persecution which cause people with paranoid schizophrenia to believe that others are deliberately cheating, harassing, poisoning, spying upon, or plotting against them or the people they care about. The person may feel that the government is spying on them or that their partner is being unfaithful.
Thought disorder can be common in people who show the symptoms of schizophrenia. One form of thought disorder is a person displaying disorganized thinking in which a person has difficulty relaying his/her thoughts in a logical order and their thoughts can seem scattered. It can seem problematical to finish reading an article, keeping up with studies, or focusing on work. A person’s speech can seem illogical and hard to understand and they might even “start to make up unintelligible words” (NIMH). Another form of the disorder is called ‘thought blocking’ in which the person stops in the middle of the thought and if asked where the thought went, can claim that the thought was taken out of their head.
Disorders of movement include clumsiness and uncoordination. In some cases, the person may exhibit a lot of involuntary movement and in other cases, the person can display catatonia (which is the state of immobility and unresponsiveness) (NIMH). Many times, a person may feel that his/her body is being taken over and that he/she is being controlled like a puppet or robot. They may believe that it is due to some sort of technology, or they may believe that a device has been implanted in them. Others may blame witchcraft, spirits, God, or the Devil (Royal).
Negative symptoms are not so easy to spot and are not always obvious as the positive symptoms. These symptoms “refer to reductions in normal emotional and behavioral states” (NIMH). This can include lack of pleasure in everyday life, immobile facial expressions, monotonous voice, and infrequent speaking. A person’s interest in life, energy, and enthusiasm drain away and it’s hard to feel excited about anything (Royal). People who exhibit these symptoms also tend to ignore personal hygiene and are usually perceived as lazy and lethargic.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that can seem frightening because of the surreal symptoms that people tend to display in the onset of the disorder. Although it is often difficult to distinguish schizophrenic negative symptoms, the positive symptoms are very evident as the mental disorder affects a person’s ability to distinguish reality versus fiction, foe versus friend, and even good versus evil.
Royal College of Psychiatrists. “Symptoms of Schizophrenia.” Updated October 2006. Accessed 22 October 2006.
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health). “Schizophrenia.” Updated 2006. Accessed 22 October 2006.