Psychotic Disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affects the mind. They make it hard for someone to think clearly, make good judgments, respond emotionally, communicate effectively, understand reality, and behave appropriately.

When symptoms are severe, people with psychotic disorders have trouble staying in touch with reality and often are unable to handle daily life. But even severe psychotic disorders usually can be treated.

Types:

There are different types of psychotic disorders, including:
Schizophrenia: People with this illness have changes in behavior and other symptoms — such as delusions and hallucinations — that last longer than 6 months. It usually affects them at work or school, as well as their relationships.

Schizoaffective disorder: People have symptoms of both schizophrenia and a mood disorder, such as depression or bipolar disorder. It is better to learn more about the symptoms of schizo-affective disorder.
Schizophreniform disorder: This includes symptoms of Schizophrenia but the symptoms last for a shorter time: between 1 and 6 months.
Brief psychotic disorder: People with this illness have a sudden, short period of psychotic behavior, often in response to a very stressful event, such as a death in the family. Recovery is often quick — usually less than a month.

Few other types of psychotic disorders include:

Delusion:

The key symptom is having a delusion (a false, fixed belief) involving a real-life situation that could be true but isn’t, such as being followed, being plotted against, or having a disease. The delusion lasts for at least 1 month.

Shared psychotic disorder:

This illness happens when one person in a relationship has a delusion and the other person in the relationship also starts showing the symptoms.

Substance-induced psychotic disorder: 

This condition is caused by the use of or withdrawal from drugs, such as hallucinogens and crack cocaine that cause hallucinations, delusions, or confused speech.

Psychotic disorder due to another medical condition: 

Hallucinations, delusions, or other symptoms may happen because of another illness that affects brain function, such as a head injury or brain tumor.

Para-phrenia: 

This condition has symptoms similar to schizophrenia. It starts late in life, when people are elderly.

Symptoms

The major symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations, delusions and disordered forms of thinking.

Hallucination means seeing, hearing, or feeling things that doesn’t exist. For instance, someone might see things that aren’t there, hear voices, smell odors, have a “funny” taste in their mouth, or feel sensations on their skin even though nothing is touching their body.

Delusions are false beliefs that don’t go away even after they’ve been shown to be false. For example, a person who is certain their food is poisoned, even if someone has shown them that the food is fine, has a delusion.

Other possible symptoms of psychotic illnesses include:

• Disorganized or incoherent speech
• Confused thinking
• Strange, possibly dangerous behavior
• Slowed or unusual movements
• Loss of interest in personal hygiene
• Loss of interest in activities
• Problems at school or work and with relationships
• Cold, detached manner with the inability to express emotion
• Mood swings or other mood symptoms, such as depression or mania

People don’t always have the same symptoms, and they can change over time in the same person.

Causes

Doctors don’t know the exact cause of psychotic disorders. Researchers believe that many things play a role. Some psychotic disorders tend to run in families, which mean that the disorder may be partly inherited. Other things may also influence their development, including stress, drug abuse, and major life changes.

People with certain psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, may also have problems in parts of the brain that control thinking, perception, and motivation.

In schizophrenia, experts believe that nerve cell receptors that work with a brain chemical called glutamate may not work properly in specific brain regions. That glitch may contribute to problems with thinking and perception.

These conditions usually first appear when a person is in their late teens, 20s, or 30s. They tend to affect men and women about equally.

Diagnosis

To diagnose a psychotic disorder, doctors will take a medical and psychiatric history and possibly perform a brief physical exam. The person may get blood tests and sometimes brain imaging (such as MRI scans) to rule out physical illness or drug use like cocaine or LSD.

If the doctor finds no physical reason for the symptoms, they may refer the person to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These mental health professionals will use specially designed interview and assessment tools to decide whether the person has a psychotic disorder.

Treatment

Most psychotic disorders are treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy, which is a type of counseling.

Medication: The main type of drug that doctors prescribe to treat psychotic disorders are “antipsychotics.” Although these medicines aren’t a cure, they are effective in managing the most troubling symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as delusions, hallucinations, and thinking problems.

REFRENCES:

•  Kelly EB (2001). Coping with schizophrenia (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Pub. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-8239-2853-8. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
• Maio VD, Franscell R (2016). Morgue: A Life in Death. St. Martin’s Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-4668-7506-7. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
• Bogousslavsky J, Boller F (2005). Neurological Disorders in Famous Artists. Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers. p. 125. ISBN 978-3-8055-7914-8. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-06-25.