Psychosis is a type of disturbance related to the perception of reality. Examples of these include unreal beliefs, seeing and hearing things that do not exist, and the inability to distinguish between what is real and what is not. When these types of thought disorders occur, people cling to them very tightly and do not believe or change their minds even if the thought disorders are proven otherwise. Such thoughts are called delusions. These delusions are often compared to people from the same culture. This is very important because what is unusual to one culture may seem extremely normal to another culture. There are several types of reference to distinguish them
The first type is the "delusion of reference". These delusion symptoms can be said to be the person's belief that every event that happens has a reason and associating it with himself. For example, a person may develop beliefs that people talk about him, constantly gossip about him, and that newspaper articles talk about him. He evaluates every event he sees around him as a clue, a secret message related to himself or the subject he is obsessed with, and searches for hidden meanings.
The second type of delusion is the "grandiose delusion" type.Delusion of grandeur. Also known as. The person; The delusion of believing that oneself is very strong, very knowledgeable and talented. There are two types.
Grandious delusion of ability: believing that one has special powers or abilities.
Grandious delusion of identity. It is the belief that one is very famous and well-known.
The third type is the paranoia type of delusion. People with this type of delusion are constantly paranoid and suspicious. Patients believe that they are being harmed or watched by some people. For example, they think that a car in front of the house is following them and that they are in danger.
Another type of delusion is the delusion of control. The person believes that another person or creature controls people's emotions and thoughts. For example, they think that aliens control the world.
Finally, erotomonic delusions: the person thinks that others are in love with him. These people are generally high-level rich or famous people.
Psychosis is diagnosed. People with the disease may also experience hallucinations. These can be not only visual but also auditory. The most common type is auditory hallucinations. Visual hallucinations may include sudden flashes of light or seeing non-existent people.
Another type of symptom in psychosis patients is behavioral and thinking disorders. These can be easily observed. Thinking disorders are a little more difficult to observe than behavioral disorders. The symptoms are; The person does not give much information when speaking, does not have continuity while speaking, or talks too much. He/she may deviate from the topic while answering and may not be able to answer the question asked. There are also symptoms such as sudden silence. In some cases, words are put together without searching for meaning. For example, they may say sentences such as "donkey man", "fast house". Such patients have obsessions such as fixating on the first response.
Epidemiology of Psychosis
The incidence of psychosis is considered the same all over the world and does not vary according to culture or society. Its incidence is 0.35. The lifetime risk of getting sick varies between 0.40-2.70%. It usually begins at the end of adolescence or the beginning of adulthood. It is seen at an earlier age in men than in women.
Etiology of Psychosis
There may be underlying reasons that trigger psychosis in the person. These may be psychiatric or medical conditions such as schizophrenia. Alcohol use and substances containing (LSD) and some medications can cause psychotic symptoms. These may also be levodopa or antiviral medications. If psychosis is left untreated, the person may experience feelings such as aggression, tension and anxiety. People showing symptoms of psychosis should receive psychological treatment as soon as possible. If they do not receive it, they may even become a serious danger to themselves or the people around them.
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