Overview

Psychotic disorders are serious mental health disorders that arise due to a disconnection from reality and result in significantly impaired thinking and abnormal behavioural patterns. It may cause delusions, abnormal speech patterns, distorted thinking and behaviour. Those with psychosis lose touch with reality and believe people are plotting against them. They may become excessively paranoid and fear for their life and safety. These disorders, characterised as a collective, severely impact your quality of life and affect day-to-day functions. You may lose your sense of control and power, feeling helpless in the face of the effects of the disorder. Therefore, you lose touch with reality, question your sanity and find it challenging to trust others and form meaningful relationships.

Forms of Psychotic Disorders

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that, if identified and treated early, can be managed effectively. It leads to hallucinations, disorganised thinking and behaviour, as well as delusions. It may affect social interaction, lead to withdrawal, and significantly affect one’s quality of life.

Schizoaffective Disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is a combination of a mood disorder and schizophrenia. It is often characterised by symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar or depression.

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Brief psychotic disorder occurs from the sudden onset of symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, which last under a month.

Delusional Disorder

The delusional disorder develops when people develop false beliefs. It occurs when they adopt untrue, excessively false beliefs, which influence their life significantly.

Schizophreniform Disorder

Schizophreniform disorder, similar to schizophrenia, presents with brief episodes of psychotic symptoms.

Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder

Substance-induced psychosis occurs from the excessive use of alcohol or drugs. An individual who develops an addiction to a particular substance or experiences symptoms of withdrawal may develop signs of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions.

Treatment of Psychosis

A psychiatrist treats psychosis through prescription antipsychotic medications, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychotherapy. Treatment predominately depends on the type of psychosis and its severity.