disorders of volition, and passivity experiences

Last reviewed 01/2018

Much of the handicap of chronic schizophrenia appears to reflect a disturbance of will-power, resulting in either apathy or negativism. In both acute and chronic cases, the patient may have the experience of being under the control of alien influences.

Three characteristic disturbances, which are first rank symptoms, are:

  • made feelings - patients have emotions which they experience as not being their own

  • made impulses - the patient experiences the external imposition of an impulse to act, but if performed, the act is experienced as the patient's own

  • made acts - the patient experiences his body executing acts under external control