Williamson D.

Turner

12/8/14

English 1010

Mr.

Shade
Various Forms Psychosis
Psychosis is a medical condition that has been studied for centuries in the
medicinal community. There are several definitions of psychosis; however, none of the
definitions have been universally accepted in the medical field. The most general
definition of psychosis is as follows: a mental state in which the subject has an impaired
sense of reality. The most distinctive symptoms of psychosis are hallucinations and
delusions. Hallucinations are defined as when a subject perceives sensory stimuli that
doesnt manifest from any external source. They fall under any of the senses and have
been reported as voices, visions, smells, and complicated tactile projections. Delusions on
the other hand, are classified as false beliefs that the subject is adamantly attached to.
These beliefs can be based on plausible realities or on a more fantastical basis. Psychosis
can be a result of a number of factors; though, every case has its own unique
circumstances. It can be a result of various types of illnesses like Parkinsons disease,
dementia, STDs, epilepsy, and stroke all of which can directly affect brain function.
Other things that can cause contribute to the condition are environmental risk factors such
as, an abusive lifestyle, traumatic events, or a problem with drug use both legal and
illegal. While psychosis does have specific descriptions, there are several types of the
condition that fall under the umbrella of the term (.
Psychosis is classified into three separate categories of effect: brief reactive
psychosis, drug or alcohol-related psychosis, and organic psychosis. Brief reactive

psychosis is characterized as a cognitive response to extreme personal stress. These bouts

of psychosis are usually caused by traumatic events like family deaths, car accidents, or
the witnessing frightening situations. The subject begins to exhibit signs of psychosis
soon after the inciting incident, will usually recover in a matter of days. Drug and
alcohol-related psychosis is caused by the abuse of these substances. Subjects who use
these substances sometimes exhibit symptoms of psychosis while under the influence. In
the case of addiction, subjects may also exhibit signs of psychosis whenever they have
been deprived of substance and have entered a state of withdrawal. The symptoms can be
permanent or temporary but tends to differ on a case-by-case basis. Organic psychosis is
described as being caused by an illness or head injuries. Illnesses that directly affect the
brain such as, Parkinsons disease, dementia, HIV, syphilis, can damage the brain and
subsequently cause psychosis. Similarly, both major and minor head injuries can cause
serious damage to the brain and cause psychotic symptoms as a result. The previously
discussed categories are separated by the triggers of psychotic symptoms; but each
category has its own set of related psychotic disorders (Carey).
Bipolar disorder-also known as manic-depressive disorder- is characterized by
discernable mood swings in a subject. These mood swings usually include both
depression and mania. Depression is associated with extreme sadness and hopelessness.
Subjects of depression are often debilitated by the intensity of their emotions, which
sometimes results in self-destructive actions. Mania is associated with feelings of extreme
happiness or nostalgia. Subjects of mania often find themselves doing things that they
normally would not. Many cases have sent subjects on huge shopping sprees that end up
causing exorbitant amounts of debt in the process. In subjects with the disorder, shifts

between these two extremes can occur without warning several times over the course of a
year, a month, or even a day. While the premise of the disorder remains the same, there
are several subtypes associated with it. The bipolar I variant, has a tendency to put strain
on both working and personal relationships, and usually results in very dangerous bouts
of mania. The bipolar II variant, is significantly less severe than bipolar I disorder. There
are slight mood changes; but they usually do not affect a subjects daily routine. Periods
of mania are less pronounced than in bipolar I and do not last as long (hypomania).
Depression lasts longer in bipolar II than it does in bipolar I and tends to be more severe.
The cyclothymic variant is the mildest of the three forms of bipolar disorder. In
cyclothymic disorder, hypomania and depression both have the capacity to be a problem
but are not as severe as bipolar I and II. Symptoms of bipolar disorder are drastically
different from case to case; but on average, depression is the most problematic issue for
the majority of subjects. However, sometimes, paranoia can manifest into a complication
of the disorder (MayoClinic).
Delusional disorder is characterized by the extended presence of delusions both
bizarre and non-bizarre in a subject. The non-bizarre delusions tend to be related to things
in the subjects everyday life. For example, some subjects of delusion disorder believe
that their significant other is adulterating or that someone is out to get them. These things
are possible; but in cases of the disorder, the subject, often has proof that these things are
untrue but continue to believe them anyway. The bizarre delusions tend to be based on
situations that are extremely unlikely to happen in everyday life such as, a person
believing that their organs have been stolen and replaced. For a subject to be considered
delusional, the delusions must last for more than one month, as isolated delusions are

quite common among the general populous. Additionally, the subject must also not have
been using/abusing drugs or alcohol. States of delusional disorder are classified by the
theme of the subjects delusions. The erotomanic type specifies that another person is in
love with the delusional subject. The grandiose type is characterized by delusions of
elevated knowledge, status, or power. The jealous type is geared fear that the subjects
spouse is unfaithful. The persecutory type includes delusions that the subject-or someone
that is close to them- is being persecuted. The somatic type involves a belief that the
subject has a physical ailment that isnt present. Mixed type is characterized by a
combination of two or more of the preceding (PyschCentral).
Schizophrenia is arguably the most well known form of psychosis to the general
public and is widely considered to be the most severe of the various types of psychosis. It
is a brain disorder that creates distortion in a subjects thought processes. As a result, a
subjects behavior can become erratic as their emotions, actions, perception of reality, and
relationships become affected by the disorder. Schizophrenia is not a split personality
disorder as many people have been led to believe. Instead, the subject has an extremely
difficult time telling what is real and what isnt which sometimes results in psychotic
episodes that resemble a split personality. Like most other forms of psychosis, the
severity of the disorder is extremely variable from person to person. In some cases, the
psychotic episodes are isolated and the subject can lead a normal life between incidents.
Other cases are debilitating to a subjects health as the condition may worsen over time
and affect daily function. In either case, the condition last a lifetime with no regard to the
degree of severity because schizophrenia currently does not have a cure. Subjects who
develop the condition are forced to cope with it for the rest of their lives. Similar to most

forms of psychosis, schizophrenia is also classified into several subtypes with differing
symptoms and degrees of severity. Paranoid schizophrenia is usually accompanied by
delusions similar those of the persecutory type of delusional disorder. The subjects
believe that something or someone is trying to cause them harm. Other than that, subjects
with this variant are fairly normal in their thoughts and emotions. Disorganized
schizophrenia usually causes a subject to become largely incoherent and impairs their
ability to learn or function socially. Their demeanor often becomes difficult to discern as
their mental state becomes less and less stable. Catatonic schizophrenia causes a subject
to become almost completely desensitized to the world outside world. They often become
completely immobilized for long periods of time, as the brain does not register any
reason for moving due to deep feeling of futility. Undifferentiated schizophrenia is
characterized by a showing of schizophrenic symptoms that do not directly point to any
of the preceding variants. Subjects often experience symptoms of all three subtypes.
Residual schizophrenia is the term used for when subjects have begun to show a decrease
in the severity of their symptoms. Many of them are still present; but the intensity has
diminished (WebMD).
Treatments for the various forms of psychosis range from behavioral therapy, to
psychoactive drugs and other medication, and sometimes even tranquilizing agents
become necessary if a subject gets out of hand though it is usually a last results. Most
commonly however, doctors will use a combination of psychotherapy and psychoactive
drugs to rehabilitate subjects of psychosis. Usually, the subjects will recover or improve
as a result the tailored treatment. While the use of therapy and drugs will allow many
subjects to recover, each case is different and the subjects may not always respond to the

prescribed treatment as the medicinal community still does not fully understand how
psychosis works in it entirety (Carey).

Works Cited
"Bipolar Disorder." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research,
1998-2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Carey, Elea. "Psychosis." Healthline. Healthline Networks Incorporated, 2005-2014.
Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
"Delusional Disorder Symptoms." Psych Central.com. Psych Central, 1995-2014. Web. 8
Dec. 2014.
"Mental Health and Schizophrenia." WebMD. WebMD, 2005-2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. Psychosis : Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment. New York,
NY, USA: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2012. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 11
December 2014.