Positive vs. Negative Symptoms

I always get the difference between positive and negative symptoms mixed up. Typically those struggling with schizophrenia will experience both positive and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms are those like hallucinations or delusions, ones that add to the normal experience of life, even if they are distorted experiences.

Negative symptoms are something that takes away from normal life experience. Like apathy, social isolation, or lack of interest.

Remember that delusions and other positive symptoms can be very upsetting and not "positive" at all. When describing these types of symptoms, it's good to think of a plus and minus sign (adding to and taking away from normal functioning) rather than the ideas of being positive/good or Negative/bad.

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