Positive symptoms of psychosis are experiences that represent a departure from typical functioning, essentially adding or distorting a person's normal way of experiencing the world.
According to the provided reference, positive symptoms are those that add to or distort the person's normal functioning. They are not behaviors or feelings that are absent, but rather experiences that are present and not based in reality.
The main positive symptoms include:
Key Positive Symptoms
As defined by the reference, the primary positive symptoms are:
- Delusions: These are defined as false beliefs that are firmly held and are out of keeping with the person's culture.
- Examples of Delusions:
- Believing one is being followed or conspired against (paranoid delusions).
- Believing one has special powers or is a famous historical figure (grandiose delusions).
- Believing that external forces are controlling one's thoughts or actions (delusions of control).
- Believing that random events or messages have special meaning directed at oneself (delusions of reference).
- Examples of Delusions:
- Hallucinations: These involve hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling or feeling something that is not actually there.
- Types of Hallucinations:
- Auditory Hallucinations: Hearing voices or sounds that aren't real (most common).
- Visual Hallucinations: Seeing things that aren't there.
- Olfactory Hallucinations: Smelling odors that aren't present.
- Gustatory Hallucinations: Tasting something that isn't in the mouth.
- Tactile Hallucinations: Feeling sensations on the skin or body that aren't real (e.g., feeling bugs crawling).
- Types of Hallucinations:
Positive Symptoms at a Glance
Here's a summary based on the reference:
| Symptom | Description (from reference) |
|---|---|
| Delusions | False beliefs that are firmly held and are out of keeping with the person's culture |
| Hallucinations | Hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling or feeling something that is not actually there |
These symptoms represent an excess or distortion of normal functions, which is why they are termed "positive" symptoms, contrasting with "negative" symptoms which represent a loss or absence of normal functions.
