Positive Symptoms
Perceptions that occur without external stimuli
Hallucinations
Limited emotional expression, where a person may seem emotionally "flat" or unresponsive.
Flat affect or emotional blunting
Beliefs that one is being targeted, harassed, or persecuted by others.
Persecutory
Examples are antipsychotic drugs, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants
Medication
Maria has been acting strangely lately. She keeps saying that she can hear someone whispering her name, even when she’s alone in her room. She insists that the voices are giving her instructions about what she should do next.
Auditory hallucination
Strongly held false beliefs that are not based in reality, held despite evidence to the contrary
Delusion
A person may show little interest in activities that were once enjoyable or essential
Avolition (lack of motivation)
Beliefs that one has exceptional abilities, fame, wealth, or power.
Grandiose
Examples are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and family therapy.
Psychotherapy
John believes that everyone in his workplace is secretly plotting to get him fired, even though there’s no evidence of any such conspiracy. He is convinced that his boss is trying to sabotage his career.
Persecutory delusion
Thoughts may be fragmented, incoherent, or difficult to follow.
A person might switch from one topic to another abruptly or speak in a way that doesn't make sense.
Disorganized thinking
The inability to experience pleasure or interest in activities that once were enjoyable or exciting.
Anhedonia
Beliefs that someone, often of higher social status (like a celebrity), is in love with them, even when there is no evidence to support this.
Erotomanic
For severe cases requiring intensive care and monitoring.
Hospitalization
Sarah hasn't been going to her yoga classes or meeting her friends for weeks. She used to love exercising and socializing, but now she’s indifferent and spends most of her days lying in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Avolition (lack of motivation)
Behavior may appear unusual, unpredictable, or inappropriate for the situation.
Disorganized or Abnormal Behavior
Reduced speech output, where the person might have difficulty starting or maintaining conversations
Alogia (limited speech)
Reference - Beliefs that common elements of the environment (such as news articles, TV shows, or events) are directly related to the individual, often in a personal or special way.
Reference
Programs that assist with reintegration, life skills, and employment.
Community Support
Jill is speaking to her therapist and starts jumping from one topic to another without finishing a sentence. She talks about her dog, then suddenly mentions her favorite TV show, then shifts to describing a dream she had without any logical connections between the topics.
Disorganized thinking/speech
What are positive symptoms?
Things that are present that shouldn't be
What are negative symptoms
Things that are absent but should be present
Beliefs that the world, oneself, or others do not exist or are coming to an end.
Nihilistic
Treatment focused on an individual's use of substances and maintaining sobriety.
Substance use treatment
Chris is watching a news broadcast and suddenly believes that the anchor is speaking directly to him. He thinks the news stories are personal messages meant for him, even though no one else seems to notice it.
Delusions of reference