Neurology, Addiction and Psychiatry Conference

Psychosis: Recognizing Symptoms and Understanding Treatment

The term psychosis describes a clinical presentation of a disconnection from reality, which is manifested with symptoms of delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking. Consequently, life experiences of people suffering from psychosis cannot differentiate between what is real and what they only imagined, thus greatly affecting their performance, relationships, and overall quality of life. For this purpose, getting to know psychosis is essential for early intervention and adequate treatment so that one can control the severity of symptoms and regain control over life.

Symptoms of Psychosis

The symptoms of psychosis typically both include positive symptoms-those added to normal behavior-and negative symptoms-that reflect a loss of normal functioning. Common signs include:

Delusions: Strongly held false beliefs that are not based on reality, such as believing one has special powers or is being persecuted by others.

Hallucinations: Perception of a stimulus that is not available to the senses. These are most typically voices, but they may be an auditory, a visual, a tactile, or an olfactory hallucination.

Thought disorder: Inability to think and speak logically, speaking incoherently, or rapidly switching between unrelated ideas.

Disorganized behavior: Actions or behaviors which seem inappropriate, such as neglect of personal hygiene, erratic movements.

These include apathy, avolition, and social withdrawal where one becomes unable to initiate activities during the regular course of life or maintain relationships.

Psychosis Causes

Psychosis can be a symptom of any type of mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. It can also be due to substance abuse, head injuries or even medical conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Sometimes, the psychosis is a result of extreme stress or trauma. Genetics, brain chemistry and environment are all factors known to contribute to psychosis.

Treatment and Management

Psychosis is always medically treated with medication, therapy, and supportive care. The foundation of treatment primarily consists of antipsychotic medications, which dampen the intensity of delusions and hallucinations by interfering with neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. CBT and family therapy can help individuals cope with the symptoms for improvement of their coping skills as well as assist in addressing the emotional and psychological challenges presented by psychosis.

Early intervention is necessary for improvement in long term psychosis. Long term outcomes in psychosis are best optimized by such programs providing intensive support at the onset of an initial psychotic episode, which subsequently lowers the rates of relapse and promotes recovery.

Conclusion

Psychosis is very complex, and so is its treatment. The response of treatment should be multifaceted: proper care, based on prescription antipsychotic medication, therapy, and early intervention. Such treatment can help those suffering through psychosis and can help them stabilize and develop with meaningful lives. Improved awareness and understanding of psychosis must be first established to increase chances of dismantling the stigma and ensuring victims are offered proper care.