#1) What is the best way to describe the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Answer: The positive symptoms of schizophrenia are Delusions. This are firmly held erroneous beliefs due to distortions or exaggerations of reasoning and/or misinterpretations of perceptions or experiences. Hallucinations, this are distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, although auditory hallucinations ("hearing voices" within, distinct from one’s own thoughts) are the most common, followed by visual hallucinations. Disorganized speech/thinking, also described as "thought disorder" or "loosening of associations", is a key aspect of schizophrenia. Grossly disorganized behavior includes difficulty in goal-directed behavior (leading to difficulties in activities in daily living), unpredictable agitation or silliness, social disinhibition, or behaviors that are bizarre to onlookers. Catatonic behaviors, this are characterized by a marked decrease in reaction to the immediate surrounding environment, sometimes taking the form of motionless and apparent unawareness, rigid or bizarre postures, or aimless excess motor activity. Other symptoms sometimes present in schizophrenia but not often enough to be definitional alone include affect inappropriate to the situation or stimuli, unusual motor behavior (pacing, rocking), depersonalization, derealization, and somatic preoccupations.
