Psychosis (patient information)

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Psychosis

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Psychosis?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Psychosis On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Psychosis

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FDA on Psychosis

CDC on Psychosis

Psychosis in the news

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Directions to Hospitals Treating Psychosis

Risk calculators and risk factors for Psychosis

Editor-in-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S.,M.D. [1] Phone:617-632-7753; Associate Editor-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Overview

Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality, usually including false beliefs about what is taking place or who one is (delusions) and seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations).

What are the symptoms of Psychosis?

Psychotic symptoms may include:

  • Disorganized thought and speech
  • False beliefs that are not based in reality (delusions), especially unfounded fear or suspicion
  • Hearing, seeing, or feeling things that are not there (hallucinations)
  • Thoughts that "jump" between unrelated topics (disordered thinking)

What causes Psychosis?

  • A number of substances and medical conditions can cause psychosis, including:
  • Psychosis is also part of a number of psychiatric disorders, including:

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider or mental health professional if you or a member of your family is losing contact with reality. If there is any concern about safety, immediately take the person to the nearest emergency room to be seen by a doctor.

Diagnosis

  • Psychiatric evaluation and testing are used to diagnose the cause of the psychosis.
  • Laboratory testing and brain scans may not be needed, but sometimes can help pinpoint the diagnosis. Tests may include:
  • Blood tests for abnormal electrolyte and hormone levels
  • Blood tests for syphilis and other infections
  • Drug screens
  • MRI of the brain

Treatment options

  • Treatment depends on the cause of the psychosis. Care in a hospital is often needed to ensure the patient's safety.
  • Antipsychotic drugs, which reduce hallucinations and delusions and improve thinking and behavior are helpful, whether the cause is a medical or psychiatric disorder.

Where to find medical care for Psychosis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Psychosis

Prevention

Prevention depends on the cause. For example, avoiding alcohol abuse prevents alcohol-induced psychosis.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

  • How well a person does depends on the cause of the psychosis. If the cause can be corrected, the outlook is often good, and treatment with antipsychotic medication may be brief.
  • Some chronic conditions, such as schizophrenia, may need life-long treatment with antipsychotic medications to control symptoms.

Possible complications

Psychosis can prevent people from functioning normally and caring for themselves. If the condition is left untreated, people can sometimes harm themselves or others.

Source

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001553.htm

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