Paranoid schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that causes a person to interpret reality in an abnormal way. Some of the most common characteristics of this condition include believing things that are not real which is also referred to as having delusions as well as hearing things that aren’t there which is known as auditory hallucinations.
Although this type of schizophrenia often allows an individual a better ability to function in daily activities it can still have serious effects on the person affected by it including suicidal tendencies however with the proper treatment an individual faced with this disorder can lead a productive life.
A person who is affected by this condition may show signs and symptoms such as hearing voices that aren’t there, the belief that people are out to get them, anger, anxiety, thought of suicide or actual suicide attempts and acts of violence.
‘Positive symptoms’ is a phrase that is used to describe symptoms that show the existence of thoughts or beliefs that are often indicative of having lost contact with reality. Examples of positive symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.
With this particular type of mental disorder most delusions center on the belief that someone is after you specifically. In most cases there is little that can be done to lessen these beliefs even with physical evidence showing this is not the case and in most case these delusions result in acts of violence because a person believes they must defend themselves from those they believe are trying to cause them harm.
Hallucinations commonly occur in the auditory sense meaning it is something that is heard and often is in the form of voices. These voices can only be heard by the individual and no one else and may talk directly to the person or even to each other and in most cases are unpleasant to hear. In many cases these voices direct the individual to do things that are dangerous to themselves or other people and may seem very real to that person making it difficult if not impossible to distinguish between what is reality and what is not.
Doctors are unsure at this point what actually causes paranoid schizophrenia however evidence suggests that it may be caused by dysfunctions in the brain such as imbalances of certain chemicals as well as possible genetic and environmental factors.
If you experience any of the signs or symptoms that are known to be associated with this condition you should seek the advice of a licensed mental health care provider promptly as this condition will not improve by itself and in most cases will only get worse without the proper diagnosis and treatment however with the necessary treatment it is often possible for individuals affected by this disorder to lead normal and productive lives.