Types of Schizophrenia

There are several different types of schizophrenia, with paranoid schizophrenia being the most common. The specific symptoms a person experiences, such as hallucinations, disorganized thinking, or a lack of pleasure in everyday life, differentiate the various types of schizophrenia and allow the healthcare provider to make the proper diagnosis.

 

An Introduction to the Types of Schizophrenia

There are several different types of schizophrenia, each based on the specific symptoms a person is experiencing. Since the symptoms of schizophrenia can change over time, it is possible for a person to have more than one type of schizophrenia during his or her lifetime.
 
Types of schizophrenia include:
 

Types of Schizophrenia: Paranoid Schizophrenia

Paranoid schizophrenia is the most common form of schizophrenia. For patients with this type of schizophrenia, the primary symptoms are delusions or auditory hallucinations. People with paranoid schizophrenia usually do not have thought disorder, disorganized behavior, or affective flattening.
 
People with paranoid schizophrenia have grandiose delusions. For example, they may believe that others are deliberately:
 
  • Cheating them
  • Harassing them
  • Poisoning them
  • Spying upon them
  • Plotting against them or the people they care about.
     
Auditory hallucinations can include hearing "voices" that may:
 
  • Comment on the person's behavior
  • Order him or her to do things
  • Warn of impending danger
  • Talk to each other (usually about the patient).
     
(Types of Schizophrenia Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD