Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

σχιζοφρένεια

We could say that the main feature of this category of mental disorders is that the sufferer has lost control of reality. The clinical picture shows great diversity and is characterized by positive symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behaviour, as well as negative symptoms such as affective flattening, illogical behaviour, lack of will and anhedonia. The symptoms of psychotic disorders usually affect social and occupational functioning negatively.

We call “illusions” the existence of perceptual experiences without external stimuli. For example, one can hear or see things that are not really there.

We call “delusions” the false belief of an individual, based on the wrong interpretation of external reality, in which the individual remains committed, despite the existence of objective and obvious proof or evidence to disprove it. Such ideas may have a persecutory content (i.e. that the person is being prosecuted by others), a jealousy content (that their partner is cheating on them), grandeur, control by others, erotomania, etc.