What is Psychosis and What are its Symptoms? – Webtekno

We use some medical terms incorrectly in daily life. For example, it is easy to say to someone, ‘You are schizophrenic!’ We can say that, but what we are talking about is a very serious psychological disorder. Psychosis suffers a similar fate. We can use it in unexpected ways because we are used to hearing it, but when we get deeper into it, it actually means psychotic state We see that it is more complex than we thought.

It is considered normal that we experience psychological problems at different intensities due to life conditions, but sometimes the problems come to a point where they disrupt the connection between us and reality, and that’s where psychosis occurs. Psychosis can occur due to many different reasons. and is generally associated with psychological disorders. In some cases, it is temporary and can be easily treated.

Let’s start by briefly defining it for those who don’t know: What is psychosis?

Psychosis, in its most basic definition, It is a state of losing one’s connection with reality to some extent. The person experiencing psychosis loses his perception of reality to a certain extent, if not completely. In addition to symptoms such as thinking disorder and perception disorder, it may also occur with different symptoms such as seeing and hearing hallucinations.

Some of the symptoms of psychosis that occur in such a situation:

• Be suspicious of other people
• Don’t get paranoid thoughts
• feeling of restlessness
• Inability to think logically
• social shyness
• Increased desire to be alone
• Intense occurrence of unusual thoughts
• Feeling strange feelings
• lack of emotion
• Not paying attention to personal care
• difficulty falling asleep
• Decrease or increase in sleep time
• Difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy
• Having difficulty in conversation
• Difficulty focusing at work or school
• Persistent feeling of anxiety
• lack of motivation

In general, these are some of the most common symptoms that occur when a person develops a psychotic state. When we look at it this way We see that these symptoms have similarities with other psychological disorders, but the most dangerous symptom of psychosis is actually hallucinating.

Hallucinating is one of the most severe symptoms of psychosis:

We had to open a separate heading for hallucination because it is one of the symptoms that most clearly distinguishes psychosis from other psychological problems. In its most general definition, hallucination is It means accepting things that do not exist as if they were. Although it is a situation experienced entirely in the mind, the person cannot resolve the difference between reality and reality due to psychosis. There are different types of hallucinations:

• Auditory hallucinations in which voices are heard when no one is around
• Tactile hallucinations that present as unexplained sensations
• Visual hallucinations in which objects and people that are not there are seen or objects and people that are there are seen incorrectly
• Olfactory hallucinations in which smells that no one else can hear
• Taste hallucinations in which you taste even though your mouth is empty
• Delusions in which you think that you are controlled by others, that there is a greater meaning behind everything, that you have special powers

Psychosis is experienced in three basic stages:

Prodrome:

In the prodrome phase, your mind has just begun to enter a psychotic state and You will see minor symptoms that are not taken seriously. During this stage, sleep problems, sadness, anxiety, loss of concentration, loss of motivation, alienation from friends and family, skepticism, and strange beliefs may occur.

Acute:

In the acute stage, psychosis becomes fully evident and The symptoms are clearly visible from the outside. At this stage, confusion, delusions, hallucinations, behavioral changes, and personality changes may occur.

Improvement:

Recovery is the final stage of psychosis. Even if some of the symptoms associated with psychosis persist It does not cause as much trouble as it does in the acute phase. At this stage, the person can now return to their old daily routines. With the right treatment, you can get on with your life without ever experiencing psychosis again.

So what causes psychosis? Here are some of the psychological disorders known to cause psychosis:

• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• severe depression

As we mentioned in its definition, psychosis is not a psychological disorder, but actually a kind of symptom. This symptom can be caused by different psychological disorders. Unless the disorder is treated, psychosis continues to occur in attacks and at different intensities.

There are also types of psychosis that occur for different reasons:

• postpartum psychosis
• postictal psychosis
• myxedema psychosis
• Korsakoff psychosis
• menstrual psychosis

Postpartum psychosis:

In women who have just given birth, sometime between a few days and a few weeks after birth It is the type of psychosis that occurs. It is estimated that it occurs due to lack of sleep, hormone changes and genes. There may be symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and mood changes.

Postictal psychosis:

Postictal psychosis refers to the psychosis that occurs in patients with epilepsy. If you have epilepsy has epileptic seizures repeatedly Postictal psychosis may occur. The risk of occurrence is much higher in epilepsy patients with a history of mental illness.

Myxedema psychosis:

In cases such as hypothyroidism, where the thyroid gland does not function properly, myxedema psychosis occurs because Thyroid hormones directly affect the brain. In such a psychosis, a person may experience symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. It is treated with thyroid hormone supplements.

Korsakoff psychosis:

Korsakoff psychosis, which is also associated with alcohol addiction, It is a psychosis condition that occurs due to vitamin B1 deficiency in our body. It has symptoms such as memory problems, disorientation, and emotional changes. It is treated with healthy nutrition and B1 supplements.

Menstrual psychosis:

It is a rare condition, but some women experience menstrual periods. It may occur before or a few days after it starts. Menstrual psychosis, which occurs due to hormone changes, can manifest itself with symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations, and believing things that are not true.

There are some situations that trigger psychosis:

• Traumatic experiences
• intense stress
• drug use
• excessive alcohol use
• Misuse of prescription drugs
• Glioma
• dementia
• head injuries
• Birth

When should you see a doctor? How is psychosis treated?

The person experiencing psychosis often does not realize it, so In such a case, he should be warned by those around him. People showing symptoms of psychosis should be examined by a specialist physician as soon as possible. In addition to antipsychotic medications, therapy can also be used in the treatment of psychosis.

A condition that distorts a person’s perception of reality What is psychosis and what are its symptoms? We answered frequently asked questions such as: What we say is for informational purposes only. Remember that, as with all health issues, you should get the most accurate and personalized information about psychosis from a specialist physician.