Schizophrenia is a single disorder which manifests itself in different ways. There are 5 types of schizophrenia disorders in all. These classifications are based on the specific symptoms of the condition. However, the symptoms of the condition change over a period of time and due to this, it is possible that a single person may experience various different subtypes of this condition in a lifetime. Some of the symptoms may even be similar to symptoms of multiple personality disorder. The different types of schizophrenia include:
This is a condition in which the primary symptoms are hallucinations – both auditory and visual, along with delusions. Paranoid type schizophrenia is the most common type of schizophrenia experienced by people all over the world. The behavior of the person may completely change and the hallucinations and delusions may cause a complete disruption of the person’s day to day life. Persons experiencing paranoid schizophrenia may have delusions of grandeur. They may also have strong feelings about people surrounding them. They feel that their family, friends and other acquaintances are trying to poison them, are cheating them, harassing them or spying on them. They may also begin to feel that the government or some unknown entities are plotting against them and their families or other people that they care about. They also have auditory hallucinations in which they hear voices that are commenting on the patient’s behavior. These voices may also order them to do things that they otherwise may not do. In most cases, these voices warn them of any kind of impending catastrophe or great personal risk and danger.
Disorganized type Schizophrenia is another type of schizophrenia which affects the thought process and the thinking abilities of people. Disorganized thinking may take on certain dramatic forms in this condition. The person may have a difficult time having reasonable thoughts. They also may not be able to organize their day to day thoughts. It is also possible that the person may not be able to connect different thoughts logically. This causes the person’s speech to be completely garbled so that people around them have a hard time understanding what they are saying. There are blockages in the thought process as well. This causes the person to stop abruptly while speaking because their chain of thoughts is abruptly disturbed or blocked. This condition also causes the person to have disorganized behavior. The behavior is rather flat and the person may experience all emotions with a flat facial expression and a completely monotonous voice.
People who have Catatonic type schizophrenia are usually very clumsy. The condition is characterized by a difficulty in coordination. There are also a lot of involuntary movements that the person may exhibit. Apart from these, there may be a lot of unusual mannerisms along with grimacing and unusual facial expressions. The person may also become catatonic. There are long periods of complete immobility during which the person may not seem to move even a single muscle. Fortunately, this is a very rare condition.
People who have long term schizophrenia are most prone to developing this kind of schizophrenia. This is a type where the person may show severe symptoms of the condition, after which the symptoms are completely in remission and the person may pick up their life and attempt at normalcy. Residual type schizophrenia is characterized by very mild symptoms of the condition. You may need to have regular consultations with the doctor because the symptoms of this condition are usually very difficult to understand and identify. The condition is diagnosed by a complete lack of pleasure of everyday life. There may be a diminished ability to sustain any kind of planned activities as well.
When a person is diagnosed with undifferentiated type schizophrenia the person is known to show inconsistent symptoms. Though the person would be suffering from schizophrenia, the symptoms would be a competition of all the other types.