Schizophrenia symptoms have a wide range. Positive symptoms are symptoms that shouldn't be there. Negative symptoms describe missing things that should be there. Disorganized symptoms refer to disorganized thoughts and speech.
Delusions
A delusion is a positive symptom of schizophrenia. A person suffering from delusions will often have irrational beliefs that seem to have no basis. Some common delusions are religious in nature. Delusions can be grandiose, such as a schizophrenic thinking he is the president, or a schizophrenic might think people or aliens are out to hurt him.
Hallucinations
A hallucination is also a positive symptom of schizophrenia. Auditory hallucinations, or hearing something that isn't there, are the most common. Schizophrenics often hear voices. Sometimes hallucinations will manifest visually, through smell or through touch.
Affective Flattening
Schizophrenics suffering from negative symptoms may have affective flattening, or loss of apparent emotional response.
Lack of Interest
Other negative symptoms include a general lack of interest in life, low energy, social isolation, and withdrawing from things that used to make the schizophrenic happy.
Disorganized Behavior
A schizophrenic may speak random-seeming words in long sentences, called "word salads." His thoughts may also be disorganized and he could have a hard time figuring out things the way he used to.
Catatonia
In extreme cases, a schizophrenic might go catatonic, either staying in one position for long periods of time or being especially limber.
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