Prolonged extremes of depression and elation are not uncommon. Some schizophrenics experience hallucinations. The most common form of hallucination is the hearing of voices. Schizophrenics also suffer from delusions - false or irrational beliefs. Some can be quite bizarre, for instance that people on television are broadcasting the sufferer's thoughts aloud to other people.
Paranoid schizophrenics believe they are being persecuted.
Often a schizophrenic patient's thinking is affected by the disorder. The person may not be able to think straight, or to concentrate. People with schizophrenia also have trouble expressing their emotions. They may appear inconsistent, manic or emotionally stunted. Although news and entertainment media tend to link mental illness and criminal violence, studies show that mentally ill people are no more prone to violence than the general public.