Ötypes of psychotic disordersThe main ones are schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, brief psychotic disorder, organic psychosis, postpartum psychosis, substance-induced psychosis, psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, and dementia.
Psychosis refers to a loss of touch with reality in which people have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is not. This is called a psychotic episode.
Psychosis usually appears in late adolescence, around the age of 20. According to statistics, about 3 out of 100 people will experience a psychotic episode in their lifetime.
It occurs in both men and women and in every race or culture. In general, a psychotic episode is often frightening, confusing, and upsetting for the sufferer because it is such an unusual and unfamiliar experience.
12 types of psychoses
The following list contains all the disorders that occur in psychosis.
1- Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia refers to a type of psychosis in which psychotic symptoms persist for about 6 months. They have a marked decrease in the judgment of those who suffer from it. Symptoms and duration vary from person to person. Symptoms include disorganized thoughts and behaviors with delusions and hallucinations.
2- Schizophreniform Disorder
This type of psychosis is the same as the previous one, but differs in that the symptoms last less than 6 months. The disease resolves completely or may progress to other diagnoses, such as B. a schizophrenic disorder or a bipolar disorder.
3- Schizoaffective Disorder
In this disorder, a person experiences the symptoms of schizophrenia and the symptoms of a mood disorder simultaneously or alternately.
4. Delusional Disorder
In delusional disorders, there are very strong and false beliefs. Hallucinations do not usually occur with this type of disorder. It is a disorder in which psychosocial functioning is not usually very altered and behaviors are notoriously odd.
5- Brief psychotic disorder
The psychotic symptoms of this disorder appear suddenly in response to a very stressful life event, such as B. the death of a loved one who was the victim of a violent crime...
Symptoms can be severe but short-lived, usually lasting from a day to a month. The person may or may not be aware of their behavior.
6- Organic psychosis or due to a general illness
This type of psychosis can occur as a result of physical illness, brain damage or epilepsy, brain tumors, trauma, infections...
A full medical examination should be performed to rule out or confirm the nature of the psychosis. Tests used include brain scans or electroencephalograms.
7- Postpartum Psychosis
This can be done within six months of delivery. It's usually part of a serious mood disorder.
Symptoms of hallucinations and delusions (mainly religious) often occur when they believe their son is the savior of the world or that he is possessed.
Other symptoms include confusion, paranoia, mania, depressed mood, irritability, or insomnia. They also often have auditory hallucinations that can tell them they are hurting the baby, disorganized speech, and loss of touch with reality.
It is very important to identify the symptoms of postpartum psychosis early to ensure prompt treatment and the safety of the newborn.
8- Substance-induced psychosis
Both consumption and withdrawal from alcohol and drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, LSD or amphetamines can lead to psychotic symptoms.
After the effects of the drugs or alcohol wear off, the symptoms of psychosis usually go away.
9- Psychotic Depression
It is a depressive disorder accompanied by delusional ideas and perceptual hallucinations.
The types of delusions usually revolve around the depressive state the patient is suffering from. Acoustic hallucinations, the content of which is closely related to the psychological state of suffering, occur most frequently. For example: Hearing voices that disparage or criticize you may encourage you to commit suicide.
10- Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is also known as manic depression because it is an illness in which severe episodes of mania and depression occur. Psychotic symptoms tend to coincide with the patient's current mood.
For example, if you are depressed you may hear voices urging you to kill yourself, but if you are in the manic phase where your mood is high you may pretend that you are capable of incredible things, or even believe that you are special beings. . .
11- Dementia
Psychotic symptoms can also occur with dementia, memory disorders or with physiological impairment of the brain, such as e.gHOW, Alzheimer's disease or a brain tumor.
12- Major Depression
In more severe depressive disorders, episodes of psychosis are not uncommon. Major depressive disorder is characterized by a depressed mood with loss of interest and pleasure in almost all activities for a period of at least two weeks. Symptoms include trouble sleeping, changes in energy levels, difficulty concentrating...
symptoms of psychosis
- The milder initial symptoms are usually: feelings of suspiciousness, distorted perceptions, depression, suicidal thoughts, obsessions and sleep disturbances.
-Changes in thought patterns, such as B. Difficulty concentrating, paying attention, holding a conversation or remembering things. This leads to disorganized thinking with strange connections between thoughts, such as B. jumping from one idea to the next or not having an answer.
- False beliefs or also called false illusions. The person may be completely convinced that their beliefs are not shared by others, but even if they make a logical argument, it says they cannot change their mind. Examples of this type of belief include delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur, or even the belief that your thoughts are being controlled by an outside force.
- Changes in perception: During psychosis, people may hear, see, smell, and even taste or feel things that aren't really there. These changes in perception are called hallucinations.
- Mood and emotional swings: Mood swings are common after a psychotic episode.
Behavior Changes: After the episode, people may behave differently than before. Like spending more time alone, laughing at inappropriate moments...etc.
In the case of suicidal thoughts, careful evaluation should be carried out in addition to working with the family as they may need supportive help in these situations.
Psychosis as a symptom is common in some of the mental illnesses.
causes
In most cases, it is difficult to know what caused a first psychotic episode, although current research suggests it may be due to a combination of biological, genetic, or social factors.
Depending on the cause causing it, psychosis can come on quickly or slowly. After experiencing a psychotic episode, it is important that the person undergoes a thorough medical evaluation to rule out any type of physical illness that could be causing the psychosis.
Treatment
Psychosis can usually be treated, and many people recover very well.
Research suggests that early detection will improve treatment outcome.
Therefore, the sooner help is sought, the better, although at the onset of psychosis people may be confused as to whether such symptoms will go away on their own. That means they don't know what's happening to them, so they don't need immediate treatment.
After a full assessment of the patient, it is determined what type of psychosis he suffers from and its possible causes. Treatments usually consist of medication and psychosocial interventions.
Medications are considered fundamental in the treatment of psychosis, as they relieve symptoms and prevent new episodes of the disease from occurring. Drugs used to treat psychosis are called antipsychotics or neuroleptics. They, in turn, are divided into typical and atypical antipsychotics.
Typical ones used include: chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, haloperidol, or thiothixene. Atypical agents include: clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone. The side effects are annoying, but usually not serious. Side effects include: fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, stiffness, swelling, constipation, weight gain, etc.
In relation to psychosocial interventions we have:
-CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
This therapy has been shown to be useful for a variety of disorders, including those associated with psychosis. It helps to understand the disease more deeply, treat it more effectively, find new solutions, etc.
-Fallmanagement
This type of treatment provides emotional support, education about the disease and its treatment to the person and family. This type of treatment helps the patient return to routine.
-group therapy
Group therapies are a great way to help anyone who has been through an episode of psychosis because they help with many issues related to the illness.
-supportive psychotherapy
After an episode of psychosis, having someone to talk to to continue the recovery process, cope with the illness and move on with life is a very important part of treatment. This supportive psychotherapy requires an appointment with the appropriate specialist.