Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder of psychosis that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia may have perceptions of reality that are strikingly different from the reality seen and shared by others around them. Their behavior may seem odd, unusual or even bizarre at times People with schizophrenia may hear voices other people don’t hear or they may believe that others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them The severity of the symptoms and the long-lasting, chronic pattern of schizophrenia often results in disability, and many individuals need ongoing assistance to manage the most basic functions of independent living.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia are following:

The symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories:

• Positive symptoms are unusual thoughts or perceptions and usually involve a loss of contact with reality. Positive symptoms are also referred to as psychotic symptoms. They include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and disorganized behavior. Positive symptoms can come and go. Sometimes they are severe and at other times hardly noticeable, depending on whether the individual is receiving treatment.
• Negative symptoms refer to reductions in normal emotional and behavioral states. Negative symptoms include flattened affect, Anhedonia (
  Patients may fail to experience or express pleasure in things that they once found enjoyable), Reduced speech, Lack of initiative (Also called avolition). These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for laziness or depression.
• Cognitive symptoms are subtle and are often detected only when neuropsychological tests are performed. Cognitive symptoms are problems with attention, certain types of memory, and the executive functions. Cognitive deficits can also be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder but are the most disabling in terms of leading a normal life.