Psychosis Symptoms, Causes, and Effects

Psychosis is a medical word that refers to a group of severe mental disorders. As a result of the sometimes highly uncomfortable symptoms of psychosis, many persons who are plagued with psychotic disorders find themselves alienated or depressed.

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is characterized by a loss of touch with reality, as well as hallucinations and delusions. It is a sign of schizophrenia and bipolar illness, although it can also be caused by a variety of other conditions.

Psychosis is defined by a distorted perception of reality. It’s a sign of a significant mental illness. People suffering from psychosis may have hallucinations or delusions.

  • hear voices
  • see people or items that are not there
  • smell odors that other people cannot detect

Symptoms of psychosis

The following are some of the indications and symptoms of psychosis:

  • Hallucinations: Hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, or feeling things that do not exist are referred to as hallucinations.
  • Delusions: The person believes erroneous information and may have unwarranted concerns or suspicions.
  • Disorganized thinking, speech, and behavior: The individual may hop between unrelated issues in speech and mind, finding connections that others find irrational. Others may not understand what they are saying.
  • Catatonia: occurs when a person becomes unresponsive.
  • Unusual psychomotor behavior: Pacing, tapping, and fidgeting are examples of involuntary motions.

Causes of psychosis

The specific causes of psychosis are unknown, although they may include:

  • Genetic factors: Schizophrenia and bipolar disease may have a same genetic basis, according to research.
  • Hormones: After giving delivery, some women have postpartum psychosis. Because of this, and because the earliest indications of psychosis commonly appear in teens, some experts have speculated that hormonal variables may play a role in individuals with a hereditary predisposition.
  • Brain changes: Differences in brain chemistry, especially the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, have been discovered in persons who suffer from psychosis, according to tests.

Types of psychosis

Psychosis can be caused by a variety of illnesses and circumstances other than schizophrenia. Among the several varieties are:

  • Schizoaffective disorder: This illness is comparable to schizophrenia, but it also involves mood swings.
  • Brief psychotic disorder: Symptoms of brief psychotic illness appear in reaction to a stressful life event, persist less than a month, and then disappear.
  • Delusional disorder: A person with the delusional disorder has a strong belief in something unreasonable and frequently odd that has no basis in reality.
  • Bipolar psychosis: Bipolar psychosis occurs when a person with bipolar illness is in an extremely high or extremely low mood.
  • Severe depression: Major depressive illness with psychotic characteristics is sometimes known as severe depression.
  • Postpartum (postnatal) psychosis: Postpartum (postnatal) psychosis is a kind of psychosis that can occur after a baby is born.
  • Substance-induced psychosis: Misuse of alcohol, some recreational drugs, and some prescription medicines can lead to substance-induced psychosis.

Addiction and psychotic illnesses are frequently observed in the same patient. It’s fairly unusual in these dual diagnosis instances for the patient to start taking the addictive substance as a form of self-medicating to control the symptoms of the psychotic disease. Individuals with a dual diagnosis will need to be treated for both disorders at the same time, since one may promote and exacerbate the other.

Psychosis is one of the most common symptoms of schizophrenia, however, it can also be caused by other factors.

It can cause anxiety in the individual and others around them, but therapy is available to assist individuals who are at risk manage psychosis.

To avoid a return of symptoms such as psychosis, it is critical to stick to the treatment plan for schizophrenia and other mental health issues.

If anybody suspects a person is suffering from psychosis, they should transport them to the nearest medical facility or phone 911.