maniac.

DELUSIONS
= false beliefs strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence

- paranoid delusions, or delusions of persecution, for example believing that people are "out to get" you, or the thought that people are doing things when there is no external evidence that such things are taking place.
- delusions of reference - when things in the environment seem to be directly related to you even though they are not. For example it may seem as if people are talking about you or special personal messages are being communicated to you through the TV, radio, or other media.
- somatic delusions are false beliefs about your body - for example that a terrible physical illness exists or that something foreign is inside or passing through your body.
- delusions of grandeur - for example when you believe that you are very special or have special powers or abilities.

Delusions are firmly held erroneous beliefs due to distortions or exaggerations of reasoning and/or misinterpretations of perceptions or experiences. Delusions of being followed or watched are common.



Hallucinations are distortions or exaggerations of perception in any of the senses, although auditory hallucinations ('hearing voices' within, distinct from one's own thoughts) are the most common, followed by visual hallucinations.


DISORGANIZED SPEECH
= These are also called "word salads". Ongoing disjointed or rambling monologues - in which a person seems to talking to himself/herself or imagined people or voices.

Also described as 'thought disorder' or 'loosening of associations', is a key aspect. Disorganized thinking is usually assessed primarily based on the person's speech. Therefore, tangential, loosely associated, or incoherent speech severe enough to substantially impair effective communication is used as an indicator of thought disorder by the DSM-IV.