Psychotic disorders symptoms include a disruption in perception, thought, and emotion that can severely disrupt the person’s daily life. The most common symptoms are hallucinations and delusions, which can make a person feel as though they are hearing, seeing or feeling things that don’t exist.
Symptoms can also include changes in mood, anxiety and other mental health problems, such as mania or depression. People suffering from psychotic disorders can find it difficult to maintain relationships and employment, which may lead to a decline in their overall quality of life.
Early detection of psychosis is the key to successful treatment. This can include medication to control the symptoms and talk therapy to help a person work through their thoughts and feelings.
Diagnosis is made by a doctor who takes a careful medical history and performs a physical exam. The person’s family, personal and social history can also be helpful in determining the cause of psychotic symptoms.
A variety of factors, including genetics and brain chemical changes, can contribute to the onset and course of psychosis. Traumatic events, drug or alcohol misuse, and underlying health conditions can also trigger psychotic episodes.
Symptoms often appear in adolescence and young adulthood, but they can start earlier in life as well. Researchers are working to identify children with a greater risk for developing schizophrenia as they develop.
Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are the most common types of psychotic disorders, but there are many other illnesses that can cause psychotic symptoms. Bipolar disorder, which causes extreme mood changes, is another type of illness that can lead to psychotic symptoms.
Persecutory (paranoid) delusions are the most common form of delusional thinking. These are beliefs that someone is trying to hurt you, or that you are being controlled by others with special powers.
Auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations are also possible with psychosis. Examples of auditory hallucinations include hearing someone say something that isn’t there or seeing unusual lights or shapes.
Delusions are irrational, fixed beliefs that a person believes to be true even when there is clear and convincing evidence against them. These beliefs can be very threatening, and they can also be very confusing to the person who is experiencing them.
These irrational beliefs can have serious consequences and can be dangerous for the person who is experiencing them, as they can believe that their lives are threatened or that they are being manipulated by others.
The most common symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations and delusions, but other signs can include withdrawal from friends and family members, trouble thinking clearly and an increase in self-care needs.
Those who suffer from psychosis are often not aware that they are experiencing these symptoms, so it is up to their loved ones to recognize the signs and encourage them to seek help. It is also important for friends and families to be patient as they support their loved one through the process of recovery.
There is no cure for schizophrenia, but treatment can help reduce the frequency of psychotic episodes and prevent them from occurring. It can involve medication, talk therapies and other treatments that are tailored to the specific needs of the person.
