Psychosis (or psychotic disorder) is a mental illness which corresponds to a loss of contact with reality. There are several types. The person suffering from psychosis is generally not aware of their delirium at the time of the active phase.
What is the definition of psychosis?
Psychosis is defined as a loss of contact with reality whose most obvious symptom is the delirium, “that is, the development of ideas that other people do not validate as credible and coherent“, explains Dr. Guillaume Fond, psychiatrist. The person suffering from psychosis is generally not aware of their delirium at the time of the active phase., she can however partially criticize it and accept the idea. More rarely, psychosis can be accompanied byhallucinations (perceptions without objects). The most classic mode isacoustic-verbal hallucination (“hearing voices”). They are more rarely visual, olfactory or sensory.
What are the symptoms of psychosis?
Psychosis manifests itself by:
- of the delusional ideas, not corresponding to reality,
- of the personality disorders,
- of the thought disorders which thus appears disorganized,
- emotional disorders
- strange behavior with mood changes
- sometimes by an impulse of violent gesture against yourself or others
- difficulties with social integration and a deterioration in the quality of daily life.
All these symptoms are absolutely not recognized by the patient, who is not aware of these disorders.
What is the difference between a neurosis and a psychosis?
The term neurosis was abandoned more than 30 years ago in the classifications because it was not based on any scientific data. Formerly, the distinction between neurosis and psychosis was based on awareness of the disorders (neurotics were aware of their disorders unlike neurotics). “This was abandoned because it was found that a significant proportion of psychotics were also aware of their disorders, in the same way that some “neurotics” could ignore them.“, adds our interlocutor.
What is childhood psychosis?
Childhood psychosis is extremely rare. It should not be confused with theintense imagination and magical thinking. Formerly, childhood psychoses could include autism spectrum disorders but this classification is completely abandoned today.
What is puerperal psychosis?
This is a psychotic episode occurring in the days following childbirth and whose central theme is the child (for example with a denial of parentage or a delusion as to the origin of the child’s conception). “This is an emergency requiring the child to be protected (by temporarily separating him from his mother because the risk of infanticide is not negligible) and the mother to be hospitalized, most often under duress.“, insists the specialist. The treatment is the same as for other psychoses. Breastfeeding is contraindicated.
What is chronic psychosis?
When a psychotic disorder lasts more than 6 monthsWe are talking about chronic psychosis. “Schizophrenia is the most common form of chronic psychosis, it now includes chronic hallucinatory psychosis (a formerly described form of late-onset psychosis in women with a predominance of auditory hallucinations)“, continues the doctor.
What are the causes of psychosis?
Psychosis mainly comes from a disruption of brain neurotransmittersamong other things dopamine. Antipsychotic treatments aim to regulate dopamine. Other neurotransmitters can also be targeted (serotonin, glutamate for example). The causes of these disturbances are multiple:
► Genetic causes: deficient gene…
► Environmental causes: oxygen deprivation of the child’s brain during childbirth, consumption of cannabis, tobacco, exposure to infections affecting the brain such as toxoplasmosis, brain inflammation, etc.
The diagnosis of psychosis will be based on the observation of clinical signs and the exclusion of differential diagnoses (such as the effects of a drug for example). A certain number of additional examinations, such as a blood test and sometimes a brain scanwill be carried out to eliminate an organic origin for these symptoms.
Treatment of psychosis must be early for greater effectiveness. Treatments for this type of disorder are based on a combination of medications, antipsychotics and psychiatric care. This support often extends to family members as well. An individual who has suffered from psychosis for a long time can, after a long period of treatment, manage their illness with regular monitoring. Often, depression is ignored even though it is present in half of cases. It is treated like any other depression. Its improvement is crucial for the prognosis of the disease.
Are there any prevention tips to avoid falling into psychosis?
Certain signs suggestive of a possible evolution towards psychosis can be detected in childhood. An early diagnosis allows for faster treatment. “Preventing tobacco and cannabis consumption as well as Toxoplasma gondii infection seem to be the priority public health actions to prevent the appearance of psychotic episodes in the population”concludes Dr. Fond.
Thanks to Dr Guillaume Fond, psychiatrist, teacher, researcher and author, Assistance Publique des hospitals de Marseille, “I am making my Life a Great Project” (Flammarion).