Terms to Know
Since you are going to be speaking with healthcare professionals, it will help to be familiar with some of the terms they may use. The list below contains some of the common terms you should know.
Choose a category—Symptoms,* Behaviors, and Feelings , Treatments/Medications , General Terms —or simply scroll through the list.
Symptoms,* Behaviors, and Feelings:
Active listening: A way of listening in which a person shows interest in what another person is saying and shows that he or she understands the other person’s point of view
Affective flattening: This is when a person doesn't have an emotional response, or has an inappropriate response, to what's going on around him or her
Agitated: Feeling restless and anxious
Alogia: Not talking a lot, and not being able to think clearly. It's when someone has difficulty speaking with others or sometimes just gives short answers
Avolition: This is when a person doesn't feel like doing anything at all. A person may sit for long periods of time and show little interest in participating in work or everyday activities, like bathing or getting dressed
Catatonic behavior: Not being active in any way at all, as if in a stupor or a trance. May appear as one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Delusions: Strongly believing in ideas that are false; for example, believing that a light bulb is sending secret messages or that the FBI can read one’s thoughts. May appear as one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
✶Please discuss your symptoms with your healthcare professional. He or she will review your symptoms and may consult the established guidelines, which are available in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, where applicable.
Disorganized behavior: Behaving in a way that seems unpredictable or silly to onlookers. May appear as one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Disorganized speech: Ongoing, rambling speech that does not make any sense. May appear as one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Hallucinations: Hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, or smelling something that other people aren't experiencing. The most common hallucinations are those that affect hearing, such as hearing imaginary voices. A person with schizophrenia may be seen talking to imaginary people. May appear as one of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
Impulsive: Doing something without thinking about it first
Negative symptoms: A lack of behaviors or feelings that are normally present, such as losing interest in everyday activities, feeling out of touch with people, lack of feelings and emotions, having less ability to experience pleasure
Positive symptoms: Extra feelings or behaviors that are usually not present, such as seeing, feeling, hearing, or tasting things that other people aren't experiencing; believing things that are not true or real; exhibiting disorganized speech and behavior
Psychotic episode: An often sudden appearance of symptoms during which a person is not able to tell the difference between what is real and unreal. Contact a doctor for more information
Sensory overload: When too much is happening at once around a person, causing him or her to feel overwhelmed
Treatments/Medications:
Atypical antipsychotic: A class of drugs developed and first used in the 1990s that can help control the symptoms of schizophrenia
Long-acting antipsychotic injectable medication: A type of medication that is released slowly in the body, allowing the medicine to work for weeks at a time. As a result, the medicine does not need to be taken every day
Oral medication: A type of medication taken by mouth that comes in a variety of forms, including tablet, capsule, and liquid forms
Typical (or first generation) antipsychotic: This class of drug has been used for over 50 years to help control the symptoms of schizophrenia
General Terms:
Caregivers: People who take care of a family member or friend in need of help
Healthcare professional: Someone who is professionally trained to treat people with schizophrenia and/or other diseases
Motivation: A person’s real reason for doing or saying something
Peer support: A group of other individuals with schizophrenia or a group made of people who care for people with schizophrenia. They meet to socialize and support each other because they have a better understanding of what each other is going through
Personal hygiene (self-care): Keeping your body clean, including taking showers, grooming hair, and brushing teeth
Recovery process: An ongoing personal process of working to achieve your goals even though you have an illness
Relapse: When the symptoms of schizophrenia come back or worsen after a person in treatment has been feeling and appears to be getting better for a period of time
Schizophrenia: A mental illness that can affect a person's ability to think clearly, manage feelings, make decisions, and relate to others. The condition has no cure, but can be manageable
Self-care (personal hygiene): Attention to personal grooming, such as brushing or combing hair, bathing, and getting dressed
Treatment plan: A comprehensive medical care plan for an illness that can include medication, therapy, and support