Schizophrenia is often incorrectly said to involve people with a split personality. As if they are two people in one. Schizophrenia is a serious condition in which the sense of reality is disturbed and the unity of thinking, feeling, willing and acting is or is lost.
Characteristics of schizophrenia
- Develops gradually,
- Every patient is different,
- Psychotic and calm times alternate,
- Content and formal thought disorders,
- paranoid delusions,
- Hallucinations,
- Illusions,
- Dysregulated mood and emotion.
Delusions
Delusions are erroneous beliefs that belong to the substantive thought disorders. A delusional person is absolutely certain that what he thinks is true, no matter what you say to the contrary.
Illusions
A real object is perceived by someone, but its features or meaning are misinterpreted.
Hallucinations
With hallucinations, nothing is perceived, but one only has the idea of perceiving something, so it is not really there.
Explanations for schizophrenia
Biological factors as well as psychological and social factors play a major role. It has been shown that heredity is an important explanation, but social factors probably also play a major role.
Different types of schizophrenia
1. Paranoid type
Delusions and voices control a patient’s life.
2. Disorganized or hebephrenic type
Incoherent in thinking, complaints about physical illnesses, flattened or misplaced feelings, various behavioral abnormalities and often living in social isolation.
3. Catatonic type
Especially psychomotor disorders.
4. Undifferentiated type
These are patients who are clearly schizophrenic, but do not fit into the above 3 types.