The mental illness known as psychosis is characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia. In more simple words, it is a condition in which the person has lost contact with reality. Patients suffering from psychotic disorders have varying degrees of thought impairment and personality changes. Depending on the severity, the patients may have abnormal behavior and difficulty in dealing with social challenges or carrying out day-to-day activities.
6 Main Causes of Psychotic Disorders
- Heredity
- Trauma
- Other coexisting mental disorders
- Common mental disorders
- Alcoholism
- Medications
Types of Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that Eugene Bleuler first described in the early 20th century. The term split personality disorder should not be confused with the word schizophrenia, which literally means “Split mind.”
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Symptoms associated with schizophrenia can be broadly classified into two categories:
- Positive Symptoms: When there is an addition to existing behavior or personality. Examples include delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and talkativeness.
- Negative Symptoms: When the patient loses a part of their behavior or personality. Examples include demotivation, social withdrawal, anhedonia, flattened affect, and cognitive disturbances.
4 Stages of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a progressive mental disorder, and the symptoms progress from mild to moderate over time. The majority of patients with schizophrenia go through one of five distinct phases.
- Risk stage
The patients in this stage don’t have the disease, but they have an increased risk of getting the disease in the future. Researchers have discovered that factors like favorable family history, perinatal infections in children, and cannabis consumption in adults all play a part in the etiology of schizophrenia. Partially preventing the disease at this stage or lessening its severity is also possible.
- The Prodromal Stage
Patients in the Prodromal phase have mild symptoms. No impairment or loss of function exists at this time, and a careful inspection and analysis can determine the condition. Prodromal symptoms include modest social exclusion, poor academic or professional performance, and strange thinking.
- The Psychotic Stage
The disease at this stage has reached a point where there is a loss of reality, delusions, and hallucinations. The patient is unable to work or function properly. There are frequent episodes having both positive and negative symptoms.
- Chronic Disability Stage
The disease’s favorable symptoms are completely replaced by its negative ones when a patient experiences it for a long time. The patient is completely alone and unresponsive to social or emotional cues. At this point, the goal of treatment is to lessen the severity of the illness and enable the patient to manage it easily.
Other Important Types of Psychotic Disorders Include
- Psychotic Depression: Psychosis accompanied by the symptoms of depression is called psychotic depression.
- Schizoaffective Disorder: When the symptoms of schizophrenia are present along with the symptoms of mood disorder, it is called Schizoaffective disorder.
- Drug-Induced Psychosis: Different drugs like methamphetamine, LSD, and MDMA can result in Psychosis.
How To Classify a Psychotic Disorder As Schizophrenia
- The patient needs to have at least one episode of Psychosis.
- Lack of ability to function socially and occupationally.
- The condition should at least last six months.
We Can Help You!
Dr. Nibras at the Novus Beginning Psychiatry has extensive experience in treating patients with psychotic disorders. The treatment approach includes the use of traditional and atypical antipsychotic drugs, use of mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
We at the Novus Beginning Psychiatry have personalized plans for a wide range of patients. We can deal with the challenges of psychotic disorders in children, teenagers, young adults, and couples.
