Schizophrenia June 2, 2011 Candace Mills Paul Felker Temple University - Harrisburg

Churly, M. (2011, Spring). Seeing isn't always believing: hallucinations and delusions are very real for people with schizophrenia. SZ Magazine, 20-23. This article spoke about hallucinations and perceptual disturbances that can affect the five senses; such as, sight, hearing, taste, smell, or touch. These types of sensory experiences are internal and other people cannot recognize them. Visual hallucinations occur when you see things that are not there and olfactory hallucinations occur when you smell something that other do not. Hallucinations require more careful investigation in diagnosing because they could be part of an underlying condition such as epilepsy, head trauma, or metabolic disturbances and are not always an indication of a mental illness. Hallucinations can also be the key factor in diagnosing a mental illness. Hallucinations are common in persons having schizophrenia and the presence is actually a diagnostic, because if you are not having hallucinations or delusions the likelihood of having schizophrenia is very low. Auditory hallucinations are common to people who experience schizophrenia and hallucinations are in any sensory modality but they almost always hear voices. Most times they are not sure what is happening, but they do believe it is real. They can be vary in intensity and form, may sound like a whisper or be really loud and distracting, and almost always are derogatory or negative sort of voices that may be giving commands to do things which can cause the sick person to act out of character. Distinguishing between delusions and hallucinations can also be confusing especially when they occur together. Persons having hallucinations and delusions can be treated and live a normal life by taking medication that alleviates hallucinations and delusions and combining them with cognitive behavioral therapy.

It is stated in Fauman (pg. 145-146) that the core concepts of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders is the presence of one or more symptoms: a significant distortion in the perception of reality; an impairment in the capacity to reason, speak, and behave rationally or spontaneously; and an impairment in the capacity to respond spontaneously with appropriate affect and motivation. It goes on to state that if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consists of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the persons behaviors or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each, only one symptom is required.