Psychosis Symptoms and Causes

Psychosis Symptoms and Causes Addiction Addictive Behaviors Print Psychosis Symptoms and Causes By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on July 23, 2019 Marga Frontera/Getty Images More in Addiction Addictive Behaviors Caffeine Internet Shopping Sex Alcohol Use Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Psychosis is a serious mental health condition in which a person loses touch with reality. The extent to which the person is affected by psychosis varies greatly, with some people appearing to be quite normal, but experiencing some difficulties with their inward thoughts or perceptions, to others barely being aware of their surroundings. People experiencing any level of psychosis are said to be psychotic. The word psychotic is often used incorrectly, for example, to refer to people who are violent. Most people who are psychotic are not, in fact, violent, but psychosis may carry a serious risk of harm to oneself or others, particularly when there is potential for people who are psychotic to misinterpret other peoples intentions as harmful or threatening. Therefore, it is important for people who are developing symptoms of psychosis to be assessed for risk of harm by a mental health professional as soon as possible. Symptoms Here are the common symptoms of psychosis: Problems With Thinking People with psychosis believe things to be true that other people of the same culture do not believe to be true. This doesnt mean anyone with unusual beliefs is psychotic or that having an unusual belief that your friends dont have means you are psychotic. Being psychotic is more severe in that the person cant figure out what is or isnt real. These problems with thinking are called delusions. Problems With Perception   Commonly called hallucinations, people with psychosis see, hear, feel or otherwise perceive things that arent really there. They might hear voices that they cant distinguish from their own thoughts or the voices of other people. These are called auditory hallucinations. Or they might see and feel bugs that arent really there crawling on them and harm themselves trying to pick them off. Seeing things that arent there are called visual hallucinations, and feeling things that arent there are called tactile hallucinations. Someone with psychosis cant tell the difference between a hallucination and really perceiving something. This isnt the same as a trick of the eye or mishearing or misinterpreting something someone says; the voices are heard when no one is speaking and are very real to the person with psychosis. Causes Psychosis is a symptom of several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, if you or someone you care about appears to have the symptoms of psychosis, it does not necessarily mean one of these mental illnesses is the cause. A psychiatric assessment will determine whether or not this is the case. There are certain psychiatric conditions involving psychosis that can occur in the post-partum period, although this is very unusual, and new mothers often feel and behave differently than usual as they adjust to this life change. Again, a psychiatrist can tell whether there is a problem with psychosis or whether the mother is experiencing another type of difficulty. Heres the problem for people who use drugs. Psychosis can be caused by drugs such as cocaine, LSD, meth, marijuana  and even large quantities of alcohol. So when someone develops psychosis, it is very important to be honest about any drug use, as the treatment for substance-induced psychosis is very different from the treatment of psychosis that has other causes. People who use drugs and people with psychosis may both have difficulty trusting healthcare professionals. They may fear getting in trouble for using illicit drugs, or they may fear that treatments will be forced on them by the medical profession. They may have bizarre beliefs about other people around them generally or healthcare professionals in particular, and this may be part of the psychosis. But  it is important to give your doctor a chance to help you to feel better. The symptoms of psychosis are treatable, and those who are treated can have full and happy lives, particularly if they receive early treatment that is based on accurate information. A Word From Verywell If you or any people you know are at risk of harming themselves or someone else, encourage them to see a doctor as soon as possible. If necessary, they can have a psychiatric assessment against their will, although this would only occur if the person was at imminent risk of harming themselves or someone else.