Psychosis Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Psychosis is a mental health disorder that causes a person to perceive and interpret things in an unusual way. This perception is often contrary to the normal perception of other people around them.
In short, psychosis is characterized by an unfavorable perception of reality. Those with psychosis may exhibit symptoms in the form of hallucinations or delusions.
These experiences can be frightening, and it is also possible that someone with psychosis can injure themselves or others. Therefore, someone who experiences this condition is strongly advised to get treatment immediately.
Symptom
The two main signs and symptoms of psychosis are:
- Hallucination is a condition when a person feels they hear, see, or in some cases, feel, inhale, or taste things that are not real. One of the most common types of hallucinations is hearing voices that aren’t real.
- Delusion is a condition when a person has certain beliefs that are not real in the eyes of others. One type of delusion that often occurs is someone who believes that there are people around him who are conspiring to harm him.
The combination of hallucinations and delusions can cause severe distress and changes in behavior. Some other signs and symptoms that can accompany psychosis are:
- Concentration difficulties
- Depressed mood
- Excessive or insufficient sleep
- Anxiety / high anxiety
- Suspicion
- Withdrawing from family and friends
- Speech that is not coherent, for example changing the topic suddenly
- Feeling of wanting to kill myself
Reason
Psychosis can be caused by many things. However, the exact cause is still not fully known. There are several diseases that can trigger psychosis. In addition, there are several factors driving the emergence of psychosis from certain conditions, such as the use of illegal drugs, lack of sleep, and other environmental factors.
Certain situations can also lead to the development of specific types of psychosis. Types of diseases of the brain such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s disease, certain chromosomal abnormalities, and brain tumors, can also cause psychosis.
This is coupled with the causal factors of several types of dementia which can cause psychosis. For example, as occurs in Alzheimer’s disease, brain infections, some types of epilepsy, and stroke.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of psychosis can be determined from a doctor-patient medical conversation and a complete psychiatric evaluation. This examination is carried out by the doctor by observing the behavior of the individual concerned and asking questions about the things that are experienced.
Certain investigations can also be carried out to determine if there are other health problems underlying the causes of signs of psychosis.
Treatment
Treatment of psychosis involves a combination of medication and therapy. Most individuals will experience improvement in their condition through drug therapy.
Some types of treatment that can be done are:
- Fast treatment. Some people with psychosis may experience agitation and are at high risk of harming themselves or others. In these conditions, it is very important to calm the patient quickly. Doctors can provide treatment by injection so that the patient is immediately in a calmer condition.
- Drug therapy. Psychosis sufferers can show a good response to antipsychotic medication. This treatment aims to reduce hallucinations and delusions to help sufferers to think more clearly.
The type of treatment prescribed by the doctor depends on the symptoms experienced. In some cases, only a short period of anti-psychotic consumption is needed to control symptoms. However, in psychosis due to schizophrenia, treatment is generally carried out for the long term.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy involves regular meetings with a doctor or psychologist with the aim of changing the patient’s mindset and behavior.
This approach has been shown to be effective in helping someone with psychosis to undergo permanent change and more effectively deal with the problem. This therapy is effective for psychotic symptoms that cannot be completely treated with medication.
Prevention
Because the cause of psychosis is not known with certainty, there are no prevention methods that have been proven to be fully effective in preventing this condition from occurring.