Types of Psychosis: Exploring the Spectrum

Different types of psychosis prevail in the world of mental health disorders. Psychosis is a mental health disorder that affects an individual's sense of reality. Individuals experiencing the symptoms of psychosis may act strangely, and they are likely to hear voices or see things that don’t exist in the real world. They are often scared, confused, and need help.

The longer the condition remains undiagnosed and untreated, the more disruptive it will be to the patient's ability to lead a normal life. Each condition is unique and can have varying degrees of impact on the inidviduals.

We are yet to get a complete understanding of types of psychosis. While mental health research is expanding, there is a long way to go.

It is important to identify different types of psychosis to understand their individual impact on our mental health. (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

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Understanding Psychosis: What is it?

Types of psychosis lie on a continuum, no one is more severe than the other. (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

Psychosis is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms, including psychotic disorders, that limit a person's ability to perceive reality in its true sense. They may see, hear, and act strangely because of the things they perceive that do not exist in real life. This disassociation from reality can happen due to the intervention of mental as well as physical conditions.

Different types of psychosis can significantly impact a person's day-to-day ability to lead a normal life and relationships, making it crucial to seek professional help as early as possible.

Factors or circumstances that can cause psychosis include psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, misuse of alcohol, medications, and recreational drugs, severe head injuries, traumatic experiences, and major depressive disorder.

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Types of Psychosis and their Manifestations

Do you recognize any of the following types of psychosis? (Image via Rawpixel/ rawpixel)

There are different types of psychotic disorders with distinct symptoms and characteristics. Let's look at some of them below in detail:

1) Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is the most well-known among psychotic disorders. Individuals with schizophrenia experience a set of symptoms that may include hallucinations and delusions, which usually last more than six months and start in early adulthood, affecting their relationships with people.

The causes of schizophrenia are believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

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2) Delusional Disorders

The main signs of delusional disorders are having fixed or false belief systems, like real-life scenarios that are not true at all like being chased by someone, or being plotted in a conspiracy, and having a deadly disease. These delusions usually last for a month at least. Treatment may involve therapy and medication to deal with the set of symptoms.

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3) Schizoaffective Disorder

What do we know about schizoaffective disorder? Is it one of the major types of psychosis? (Image via Freepik/ Freepik)

In this type of psychosis, the symptoms usually present themselves in the form of schizophrenia as well as mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorders. People with schizoaffective disorder have a combination of mood disturbances along with hallucinations and psychotic symptoms.

Mood stabilizers as well as antipsychotic medication have been used to treat this type of psychosis.

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4) Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder

Substance-induced psychotic disorder is caused by the usage of or withdrawal from substances, such as hallucinogens and cocaine, which results in hallucinations, delusions, or disoriented speech and verbal capabilities.

Symptoms usually disappear when the patient stops or withdraws completely from using the substances.

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5) Brief Psychotic Disorder

This is a condition that has a short life span typically less than a month. Individuals with this disorder have a short burst of psychotic symptoms, also known as a psychotic episode. This usually is a strong reaction to a major life-turning event; like a death of a loved one.

Signs involve disorientation, disorganized behaviours, and delusions. Identification of underlying stresses and supportive therapy are key to effective recovery.

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The different types of psychosis are treated with a combination of treatments that include medication (antipsychotics) and psychotherapy (CBT and individual, family, and group therapy). Each individual may respond differently to the treatment options and may start to see results at their own pace and time.

It is crucial to remember that psychotic disorders cannot be prevented or cured; the sooner the treatment process starts for you, the better it will be for your well-being. The key to recovery from various types of psychosis is early intervention. Many individuals take charge of their lives and are able to lead effective lives with ongoing treatment.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.