Types of schizophrenia: Characteristics of each one

Symptoms and signs define the types of schizophrenia and the degree of mental disorder. Schizophrenia is a psychological illness manifested by the interruption of thinking and by changes in mood and behavior of the person.

The term schizophrenia means ‘split mind’. Schizophrenia can appear at any age, usually in adolescence or youth, and may do so either underhand or sudden, as well as at different times. The most common symptoms of schizophrenia are:

• Delusions
• Hallucinations
• Language impairment
• Altering the feeling about himself
• Not distinguish between him or her and others
• Negative affectivity
• Social and personal isolation

Types of schizophrenia

The different types of schizophrenia can share symptoms, being essential to have a medical diagnosis to apply the treatment that achieves a great improvement of the symptoms.

Paranoid schizophrenia

• The person with paranoid schizophrenia has misconceptions, such as that they persecute or harm him. Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common.
• He may believe that he hears voices (auditory utterances) or that he has been specially chosen for a secret mission, among the false beliefs they may have.

Hebephrenic or disorganized schizophrenia

• The main symptom of hebephrenic schizophrenia is disorganized or incomprehensible speech and lack of fluency in language.
• This type of schizophrenia is also characterized by the incoherence of thoughts, which causes these people to maintain a conversation change from one subject to another without any relation.
• They often have exaggerated or inappropriate emotional responses (e.g., laughing at bad news).
• They may manifest certain childhood behaviors and apathy.

Catatonic schizophrenia

• The main characteristic of catatonic schizophrenia is the alteration of motor activity, which in turn may be excessive or produce catalepsy (withdrawal of motor activity).
• Excessive motor activity generates excitement and sleep problems. Otherwise, the person remains rigid and refuses to move.
• In the phases in which the symptoms appear they can refuse to talk and even to eat.
• They tend to be very negative.
• Negative thoughts generate anxiety and frustration.
• They tend to adopt strange body postures, staying in the same position for a long time.

Undifferentiated schizophrenia

• Undifferentiated schizophrenia can produce delusions or hallucinations (perception of something that does not exist, voices, faces …).
• Disorganized thinking and incoherent behavior.

Residual schizophrenia

• With residual schizophrenia is defined the type of schizophrenia that has manifested itself in one or several episodes in the past, presenting no obvious symptoms but some effects or sequels, such as emotional coldness or lack of interest or indifference.
• People with this type of schizophrenia tend to have some negative symptoms, those that notice others and that translate into loss of ability to feel, do or think things normally.

Simple Schizophrenia

• The loss of capacity is not preceded nor by delusions or hallucinations.
• Patients tend to be overwhelmed by negative thoughts.
• Negative symptoms predominate.