Throughout history, the disorder has been confused and misunderstood by the general public. Schizophrenia is a disorder that affects about 1 in 100 people at different stages in their lives and is very difficult to diagnose. Signs of Schizophrenia can be misread and sometimes overlooked due to the amount of other disorders that share many of the symptoms.
Autism is one example.
Negative symptoms could be seen as those that are absent but should be present. Positive symptoms are those that should be present but are absent. It is thought that hallucinations are the result of an over-sharpening of the senses and of the ability that the brain has to appropriately interpret and respond to incoming messages. Hallucinations could include hearing voices, both complimentary and threatening, that are perceived to be inside or outside the person's body. They could also include seeing something that is not there or experiencing unusual sensations on the body.