Psychosis: Symptoms, Causes, Types, and Effects

What do you understand by psychosis?

Psychosis is a severe mental health condition. It can be a symptom of another mental health condition, or it can be the main disorder. In either case, psychosis can prevent you from relating to other people or the real world around you correctly. Psychosis includes delusions and hallucinations and can affect your ability to manage everyday life and behavior.

A hallucination is a type of sensory experience that occurs within the absence of an actual stimulus. For example, someone may hear their mother yelling at them when their mother is not around or see a person in front of them who is not there.

A person experiencing psychosis may have thoughts that are contrary to actual evidence. These thoughts can be considered delusions when they are based on incorrect perceptions and are not part of an individual’s normal mental functioning. Three main types of delusions include hallucination, which is seeing or hearing things that are not there; delusional perception, which means experiencing something as real when it is not; and delusion of control, in which an individual believes someone or something else is controlling their behavior.

Psychosis is a common symptom of serious mental illness. Psychosis makes it hard for people to tell what is real and what is not. These experiences can be frightening. They may also cause people who are experiencing psychosis to hurt themselves or others. Asking for help as quickly as possible can help manage symptoms during an episode and lead to better treatment.

How to Recognize the symptoms of psychosis

Sometimes, people with psychosis will have periods of time when they have no symptoms. But when symptoms do develop, it is important to know the warning signs so that treatment can begin as early as possible.

Warning signs that can be seen before psychosis develops include:

• If you are struggling to focus, have difficulty concentrating, and are forgetful when it comes to your schoolwork or job performance, our brain formula can help you get back on track.
• If you are experiencing feelings of paranoia or suspicion of others, you may be suffering from delusions of persecution. This is a type of delusion in which the person believes that others are plotting or intend to cause them harm. You may feel withdrawn from friends and loved ones and have an influx of strange new feelings or no feeling at all.
• Due to the severity of their symptoms, people with schizophrenia often have trouble taking care of themselves. The most commonly have difficulty maintaining their personal grooming, keeping food in their diets, and managing their medications around others. They may also be unable to separate reality from non-reality, which can make it difficult for them to communicate effectively.
• If you or someone you know is experiencing an episode of psychosis, the main symptoms include Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behavior (behavior that does not seem to make sense, or that is impulsive), negative symptoms (having no emotion, lack of interest in activities previously enjoyed, and ungroomed appearance), and catatonia (a “frozen” appearance).

Confused and disturbed thoughts

Psychosis is known as a symptom of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which may include confused and disturbed thoughts. Those who experience psychotic episodes may often have rapid speech patterns or switch topics mid-sentence without explanation. Psychosis can also present itself through random pauses, or by freezing abruptly in conversation.

What are delusions and hallucinations?

Delusions and hallucinations are different symptoms that can be experienced by people with psychosis. Delusions seem real and true to the person experiencing them, while hallucinations occur when something seems real and not real at the same time, such as seeing or hearing things other people do not see or hear.

What are the Causes of psychosis?

The causes of psychosis can be different for everyone. The exact cause is not always clear, and there are many different types of psychosis. Illnesses that cause psychosis include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and some brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Other common triggers include drug use, lack of sleep, and other environmental factors. In addition to these factors, there are also certain situations that may lead to specific types of psychosis developing such as childhood trauma or abuse, extreme stress, or traumatic events.

In general, some of the factors involved in psychosis are genetics and trauma. Some people who have experienced trauma, such as a death, sexual assault, or living through a war, may develop symptoms of psychosis. Certain drugs like LSD and amphetamines have been linked to instances of psychosis in some people. In many cases, mental health conditions like schizophrenia play a role in psychosis.

What are the Risk factors for developing psychosis?

While we cannot predict who will develop a psychotic disorder, research shows that genetics might play a role. For example, people are more likely to develop a psychotic disorder if they have a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, who has one. The most common type of genetic change found in people with psychosis involves the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome gene. This genetic mutation is also more common among people with autism spectrum disorders.

Different Types of psychosis

There are many kinds of psychosis. Some types of psychosis are brought on by specific conditions or circumstances, while other types of psychosis have no obvious cause.

Organic psychosis

Organic psychosis is a mental disorder caused by brain injury, illness, or infection. It can cause symptoms of psychosis-like schizophrenia, such as extreme paranoia and hallucinations.

Brief psychotic disorder

Brief psychotic disorder, sometimes called brief reactive psychosis, can occur during periods of extreme personal stress like the death of a family member. It is believed to be caused by an abnormal reaction to stress hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain.

Drug- or alcohol-related psychosis

Drug- or alcohol-related psychosis can cause a person to hear voices, see things, and lose touch with reality. It is a typical symptom in the early phase of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Some psychotic symptoms can be triggered by alcohol or drugs (including stimulants like methamphetamine), including hallucinogens like LSD.

Psychotic disorders

Psychotic disorders are mental illnesses that cause you to lose touch with reality and experience voices, hallucinations, or delusions. Stress, drug or alcohol use, injury, or illness can trigger psychotic symptoms that may appear as:

Delusional disorder

A person with delusional disorder strongly believes in things that are not real, even when presented with opposing evidence. People with this disorder also have an inability to discern what is real and what is not.

Bipolar disorder

When someone is living with bipolar disorder, they may experience extreme mood changes. When their mood is high and positive, they may have symptoms of psychosis. They may feel extremely happy or grandiose. When their mood is more depressed, the person may have symptoms of psychosis that make them feel angry or sad.

Psychotic depression

Psychotic depression is major depression with symptoms of psychosis. Psychosis can manifest as auditory hallucinations, paranoid delusions, or disorganized thinking and speech. Symptoms of psychosis must be present for approximately one month to fulfill the criteria for a psychotic major depressive episode. A person with psychotic depression may also have symptoms of melancholic or atypical depression.

Schizophrenia

Symptoms of schizophrenia can be difficult to recognize and understand because they are a wide range of abnormal behaviors. Schizophrenia affects males more frequently than females.

How to diagnose psychosis?

To diagnose psychosis, a doctor will conduct a psychiatric evaluation of the person. This may involve asking questions about what they are experiencing and watching their behavior. Sometimes medical tests or X-rays may be done as well.

Diagnosing psychosis in children and teenagers

The symptoms of psychosis in adults are not often the same as those in children and adolescents. For example, young children often have imaginary friends with whom they talk. But it is best to describe their behavior to a doctor if you are worried about psychosis in a child or adolescent.

Treatment of psychosis

Many people can improve their symptoms of psychosis with a combination of medications and therapy. While it can be difficult, it is important to stick with treatment so that your symptoms can come under control.

Medication

Medication can be helpful in treating symptoms of schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medications like risperidone and olanzapine help reduce hallucinations and delusions. Sometimes, these medications are prescribed along with other treatments such as psychotherapy to help people manage their condition in the long term.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of mental health therapy. It works by changing your thinking, emotions, and actions to feel better. Your therapist will meet with you regularly to talk about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Together, you can work to fix unhealthy patterns that contribute to your symptoms. CBT is effective in helping people better manage their mental health conditions.

Rapid tranquilization

Rapid tranquilization is a safe and effective way to calm and soothe someone having a psychotic episode. The rapid tranquilizer works by blocking neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for producing hallucinations, paranoid delusions, and other symptoms of psychosis.