Positive Symptoms: Delusions And Hallucinations

The term “positive symptom” symbolizes the existence of symptoms that are not usually present, such as psychotic behaviors. In order to diagnose someone with schizophrenia, they must have at least one symptom from the positive symptoms category which includes delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech. Therefore, I would prefer to explain delusions and hallucinations, hoping to help them gain the maximum amount of awareness.

Delusions are strongly held false beliefs that are not consistent with the client’s culture. Culture is an important element because we define abnormality or deviance as being outside of the cultural norms. When delusional, people often perceive their image to be better or more important than it normally is (grandeur).

He did not consult a therapist’s help because voices in his brain kept telling him that he is not worthy of healing. Voices also tell him that his wife is cheating on him with his brother who has a better job and higher income. He doesn’t want to believe in these voices but he swears that he can smell his brother’s perfume on his wife. He also heard his wife talking on the phone about leaving him, but when he checked his wife’s phone records, he couldn’t find such call. Sergio demonstrates a good example of auditory and olfactory

Avolition is a negative symptom of schizophrenia that is characterized with feeling drained of energy, lack of interest in normal goals, and being unable to start or follow through a course of action. Patients experiencing avolition are often uninterested in daily activities. They are unable to initiate and participate in any activity or task which is goal-oriented, such as dressing themselves, performing a work-related functions, or preparing a meal. Avolition is also known as the “loss of volition”. This problem is particularly common with people who have had schizophrenia for many years (Comer, 2015). After years of suffering from the symptoms of schizophrenia, people often become uninterested in performing necessary tasks.

For example, a college student named Samuel was diagnosed with Schizophrenia when he was only 15 years old. After long years of dealing with his symptoms, Samuel lost his interest in participating in college activities such as going to classes, parties, and doing homework. Instead, he just stays in his dorm room for days without leaving his bed. His roommates constantly advises himself to go and take a shower, but Samuel resists. Samuel demonstrates clear signs of