Factors of Schizophrenia

Early warning signs for schizophrenia may include visual or auditory hallucinations, a constant feeling of being watched, a peculiar or nonsensical way of speaking or writing, strange body positioning, feeling indifferent to important situations, deteriorated work or academic performance, change in personal appearance and hygiene, personality changes, increased social withdrawal, irrational, angry, or fearful response to loved ones, inability to sleep or concentrate, or bizarre or inappropriate behavior (Walker, 2014)
             Disorganized speech includes loose associations and the rapid shifting from topic to topic with no connection between one thought in the other. There can also be made up words that only have meaning to the patient, repetition of words or statements, and the meaningless use of rhyming words. These symptoms are referred to as "positive symptoms" because they are easily observed. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are less readily observed, and include symptoms such as withdrawal from society, the inability to show emotion, the inability to feel pleasure or pain, total apathy, and a lack of facial expressions (Piotrowski, 2014). The presence of hallucinations or delusions and a loss of contact with reality are referred to as psychosis, and are often present in schizophrenia, but psychotic symptoms can be observed in other mental disorders as well (Walker, 2014). .
             Types of Schizophrenia.
             There are 4 main types of schizophrenia; Catatonic, disorganized, paranoid, and undifferentiated. Catatonic schizophrenia is mainly characterized by abnormal motor behavior. The patient may be completely catatonic and unresponsive with a marked reduction in movement, and is often times mute. Other patients with catatonic schizophrenia adopt an unusual rigid posture, called catatonic rigidity, which they will maintain despite efforts to move them from this posture. The subject may exhibit agitated, purposeless movement and may be almost immovable.