2. 1. Prodromal Phase
• The prodromal phase refers to the period
before the full onset of psychosis. During this
phase, individuals might exhibit subtle
changes in behavior, thoughts, and emotions.
These changes are often nonspecific and can
be mistaken for other issues such as stress or
depression.
3. Characteristics of Prodromal phase
• Social Withdrawal: The person may start to isolate
themselves from friends and family.
• Changes in Sleep Patterns: Insomnia or excessive sleeping
could occur.
• Deteriorating Performance: Decline in work or academic
performance.
• Suspiciousness: Unwarranted suspicion of others' motives
or intentions.
• Example from the documentary "The Center Cannot Hold":
"In the prodromal phase, John began avoiding his friends
and spending most of his time alone. He started missing
classes and became increasingly suspicious of his
classmates, thinking they were talking about him."
4. 2. Acute Phase
The acute phase is when full-blown psychosis occurs. Symptoms become
severe and impair daily functioning. This phase often requires
immediate medical attention.
• Characteristics:
– Hallucinations: Hearing voices, seeing things, or feeling sensations that
others don't.
– Delusions: Strongly held false beliefs that are resistant to reason or
contrary evidence.
– Disorganized Thinking: Incoherent speech, rapid or disjointed thoughts.
– Impaired Insight: Lack of awareness that one's experiences or beliefs are
abnormal.
• Example from the documentary "Living with Schizophrenia": "During
the acute phase, Sarah was tormented by auditory hallucinations,
hearing voices that constantly berated and threatened her. She
became convinced that she was a spy working for a secret government
agency, despite all evidence to the contrary."
5. 3. Residual Phase
• After the acute phase subsides, individuals enter the residual phase.
In this phase, some symptoms of psychosis may still be present, but
they are less severe. The person might struggle with ongoing
cognitive deficits and social withdrawal.
• Characteristics:
– Negative Symptoms: Loss of motivation, reduced emotional
expression, social withdrawal.
– Cognitive Impairment: Difficulty concentrating, memory problems.
– Mood Instability: Fluctuating moods, depression, or anxiety may
persist.
• Example from the documentary "A Mind That Found Itself": "In the
residual phase, despite receiving treatment, Mark continued to
experience social withdrawal. He found it challenging to
concentrate on tasks, and his motivation to engage in activities he
once enjoyed remained low."
6. Types of schizophrenia
• Paranoid Schizophrenia: This subtype is
characterized by prominent delusions and
hallucinations. People with paranoid
schizophrenia often have false beliefs that
others are plotting against them or
persecuting them.
7. Disorganized Schizophrenia:
• This subtype involves disorganized speech and
behavior. People with disorganized
schizophrenia may have difficulty organizing
their thoughts and may display unpredictable
or inappropriate behavior.
8. Catatonic Schizophrenia:
• Catatonia involves disturbances in movement.
People with catatonic schizophrenia may
exhibit a decrease in motor activity (catatonic
stupor) or excessive and peculiar motor
activity without an obvious purpose (catatonic
excitement).
9. Residual Schizophrenia:
• This subtype refers to individuals who have
had a history of schizophrenia but are
currently not displaying prominent positive
symptoms (such as hallucinations or
delusions). However, they may still show some
mild symptoms or impairment in functioning.
10. Undifferentiated Schizophrenia:
• This category is used when a person exhibits
symptoms of schizophrenia that do not clearly
fit into one of the above subtypes.
