"Negative" or non-psychotic symptoms

What are your experiences with the non-psychotic, "negative"
schizophrenic symptoms?

Examples:

apathy
lack of initiative
loss of interest
lack of pleasure
flattened affect
concentration difficulties or attention deficit
impaired working memory
impaired executive functions (planning, problem-solving)
social withdrawal
social anxiety
emotional detachment
psychomotor slowing
poverty of quantity or content of speech
impaired nonverbal communication by facial expression, eye contact, voice modulation, and posture

Are there significant differences between these symptoms as
associated with residual or "simple" schizophrenia, and similar
symptoms that occur in other disorders, such as depression and
schizoid personality disorder?

http://www.mentalhealth.com/icd/p22-ps01.html#Head_7 (residual and simple schizophrenias)
http://www.mentalhealth.com/icd/p22-pe02.html (schizoid personality disorder)

I find negative symptoms tend to hang around longer than positive ones with treatment. I have no real social life at all, find it hard to get enthusiastic over things, don't really have much to say. People tend to describe me as 'quiet', or withdrawn. I lack motivation a lot of the time, even when it's over something I enjoy.

I don't know how what I feel differs from the same type of symptoms in other disorders. I did however read a study online not that long ago which compared negative symptoms in schizophrenia to the same kind of syptom in depression, and a control group. It showed that patients had the same kind of symptoms in both schizophrenia and depression, but that the schizophrenia group were less likely to report tham as a problem while the depression patients saw them as symptoms. The schziphrenia group under-reported symptoms and were not always as distressed; the depression group almost over-reported them and were much more distressed by negative type symptoms.

I can relate to that; I'm a lot more comfortable with negative symptoms than my family are. The lack of motivation can get a bit much at times, but not having much to say and having no social life is ok with me.

I have been diagnosed as sz for 4 years. Right now I am having some new symptoms. They can be related to flu-like symptoms. I have aches in every bone of my body, I lack motivation and engery, and my body feels like I have tingles (is this a word?) all over. I don't have a fever, sore throat or swollen glands. Is it possible that these are negative symptoms? I am hoping to get through this without a medication increase. Any suggestions or comisoration is welcome.

subtalus wrote:I have been diagnosed as sz for 4 years. Right now I am having some new symptoms. They can be related to flu-like symptoms. I have aches in every bone of my body, I lack motivation and engery, and my body feels like I have tingles (is this a word?) all over. I don't have a fever, sore throat or swollen glands. Is it possible that these are negative symptoms?

"I lack motivation and engery" are typical negative symptoms -
the other ones are not.

My experience with the symptoms mentioned. I have schizoid
personality disorder, although in theory, I suppose that it could be
argued that I have simple schizophrenia (which has no psychotic
symptoms).

These make my life really difficult:

apathy
lack of initiative
loss of interest
lack of pleasure
concentration difficulties or attention deficit
impaired working memory
impaired executive functions (planning, problem-solving)

Due to the above, I'm not up to any tasks that require more than
a few minutes of concentration. I can post to forums, or play
Minesweeper, but Solitaire is almost too demanding. I most
definitely can't engage in computer programming, which I used
to enjoy in the good old days.

These are somewhat irritating at times:

social anxiety
psychomotor slowing

And these don't bother me at all:

flattened affect
social withdrawal
emotional detachment
poverty of quantity or content of speech
impaired nonverbal communication by facial expression, eye contact, voice modulation, and posture

I have them all. I'm diagnosed with simple schizophrenia. The severe blunted affect of my simple schizophrenia is annoying. I can't stand the feeling of having very low emotions, the feeling of not feeling much. It's like you are deprived of something.

inability to experiance pleasure...anyone agree?

These symptoms I have the most:

apathy
lack of initiative
lack of pleasure
social withdrawal

These to a lesser extent:

loss of interest
emotional detachment
impaired nonverbal communication by facial expression, eye contact, voice modulation, and posture
psychomotor slowing
poverty of quantity or content of speech
social anxiety
flattened affect

And these barely at all:

concentration difficulties or attention deficit
impaired working memory
impaired executive functions (planning, problem-solving)

The symptoms that most concern me are:

flattened affect
emotional detachment
apathy
social withdrawal

In that order of importance.

A symptom not mentioned, which also greatly disturbs me, is loss of creativity.

I have most of the symptoms you list. I cannot be bothered to do anything complex. I make plans for writing books and articles, but that 's as far as it goes. I sit at home wondering what the hell to do with myself. I have great ambitions, but no motivation. I drink coffee in cafes, watch TV for hours on end, talk on the telephone, read a few pages at the most. I used to be a promising PhD candidate at a renowned university. Now I mostly tend to my bodily functions and mild entertainment to keep me occupied.

i have all of those apart from the social withdrawal.

it makes my life hell, especially studying or meeting new people who arent used to me. They just think im mental and dont really want to know.

gah.

Moose xxx