Psychosis; Early Signs, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Psychosis is a condition that affects the individual’s ability to distinguish reality and imagination. The individual has hallucinations and delusions, which affect feelings, thinking, and behavior.
Early Signs of Psychosis
The early psychosis symptoms are:
- The individual suffers from hallucinations. They hear and see unreal things. It affects their behavior, and the caregivers may notice that the individual’s behavior is unusual in social gatherings.
- The person stringently believes in unreal things, even when others provide evidence against them.
- The person suffering from psychosis appears emotionless and expressionless in front of people.
- Close friends and family members can notice that the individual becomes socially absent even after committing. Also, the individual deliberately avoids self-care.
- Psychosis causes the individual to suffer from confusion. Lack of concentration and inability to focus causes anxiety.
Known Causes
The known causes of psychosis are:
- Traumatic Event: Past or childhood trauma can cause the individual to suffer from a psychotic episode that affects their personal life and overall health. Sexual assault, bullying, the death of a close family member, and survival in wars can cause the person to suffer from psychosis and related complications.
- Physical Injury: Brain injury can cause a change in the brain’s chemicals and increase the risk of suffering from psychosis.
- Medical Conditions: Individuals diagnosed with HIV, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia suffer from psychosis, which affects their quality of life.
- Mental Health Illnesses: People suffering from schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder exhibit symptoms of psychosis. Early diagnosis and timely treatment help prevent the worsening of the condition, which deteriorates physical and mental health.
- Family History: Genes play a vital role in the development of psychosis. The changes in the brain chemistry can cause the individual to become delusional and suffer from hallucinations, which affect feelings and behavior.
- Substance Abuse: Excessive use of alcohol, marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines causes multiple physical and mental health problems, including psychosis.
Diagnosis
The tests that enable the specialist to diagnose the client with psychosis are:
- Psychological Assessment: The specialist will conduct a psychological assessment to detect the cause and evaluate the severity of the condition according to DSM-5 criteria.
- Family History: The specialist will ask the individual about their family history. People with close family members suffering from a psychotic disorder are at a higher risk of exhibiting signs of psychosis and suffering from it along with correlated complications.
- Patient History: A previous injury or infection can cause psychosis. Hence, the patient must let the specialist know of existing medical conditions.
- Imaging Tests: The patient with a history of brain injury is more likely to suffer from psychosis and related complications. Imaging testing allows the specialist to understand the changes in the brain functioning and confirm the cause of psychosis.
Effective Treatment Options
The effective psychosis treatment options for individuals suffering from psychosis and related disorders are:
- Rapid Tranquilization: It helps the patient to calm down.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: The therapy aims to change the thought process. It helps the individual to have a positive approach toward life.
- Medications: Antipsychotics help the patient manage the symptoms of psychosis.