psychosis (sīkō`sĭs), in psychiatry psychiatry , branch of medicine that concerns the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, including major depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety.
..... Click the link for more information. , a broad category of mental disorder encompassing the most serious emotional disturbances, often rendering the individual incapable of staying in contact with reality. Until recently, the term was used in contrast with neurosis neurosis, in psychiatry, a broad category of psychological disturbance, encompassing various mild forms of mental disorder. Until fairly recently, the term neurosis was broadly employed in contrast with psychosis, which denoted much more severe, debilitating mental
..... Click the link for more information. , which denoted the "mild" mental disorders which did not interfere significantly with the ability to function normally, or severely impair the individual's conception of reality. In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association made sweeping changes in its classificatory system for psychological disorders, and the opposition between neurosis and psychosis became obsolete. The former classification included functional psychoses including schizophrenia schizophrenia , group of severe mental disorders characterized by reality distortions resulting in unusual thought patterns and behaviors. Because there is often little or no logical relationship between the thoughts and feelings of a person with schizophrenia, the
..... Click the link for more information. , paranoia paranoia , in psychology, a term denoting persistent, unalterable, systematized, logically reasoned delusions, or false beliefs, usually of persecution or grandeur.
..... Click the link for more information. , bipolar disorder bipolar disorder, formerly manic-depressive disorder or manic-depression, severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression.
..... Click the link for more information. , and involutional psychotic reactions, where no brain change was detectable with available tools. Today, there are separate categories for schizophrenic disorders, mood disorders (which include bipolar disorder and major depression depression, in psychiatry, a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection. The two major types of mood disorder are unipolar disorder, also called major depression, and bipolar disorder, whose
..... Click the link for more information. ), and other serious mental disturbances such as delusional disorder. Symptoms of these disorders may include hallucinations and delusions; severe deviations of mood (depression and mania); lack of, or inappropriateness of, emotional response; and severe impairment of judgment. Another type of psychosis involves brief episodes, characterized by an acute onset lasting no longer than a month, usually resulting from situational circumstances such as an earthquake or flood. Nonspecified psychotic disorders include psychotic symptoms, e.g., delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized behavior, that cannot be classified in any other disorder. Drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy electroconvulsive therapy in psychiatry, treatment of mood disorders by means of electricity; the broader term "shock therapy" also includes the use of chemical agents.
..... Click the link for more information. have been successful in the treatment of many patients with serious psychological disorders. Organic psychoses, so called because of the structural deterioration of the brain, include senile dementia dementia [Lat.,=being out of the mind], progressive deterioration of intellectual faculties resulting in apathy, confusion, and stupor. In the 17th cent. the term was synonymous with insanity, and the term dementia praecox was used in the 19th cent.
..... Click the link for more information. and Alzheimer's disease. Occurring in middle to old age, these disorders involve progressive, nonreversible brain damage. Organic brain damage may also result from toxic reactions to such substances as alcohol, PCP, amphetamines, and crack cocaine. In criminal law, the term insanity insanity, mental disorder of such severity as to render its victim incapable of managing his affairs or of conforming to social standards. Today, the term insanity is used chiefly in criminal law, to denote mental aberrations or defects that may relieve a person from
..... Click the link for more information. can be applied to most forms of psychoses, although defenses based on insanity have been relatively rare.

psychosis

Serious mental derangement characterized by defective or lost contact with reality. The primary psychoses are schizophrenia and the delusional disorders (e.g., megalomania), but extreme cases of depression and bipolar disorder, substance-induced delirium, and certain varieties of dementia are also understood to share important features with the psychoses. The major symptoms, aside from delusions and hallucinations, are disorganized speech and behaviour and, often, mood disturbances. Treatment usually consists of medication and counseling in an institutional setting. Compare neurosis.

psychosis

any form of severe mental disorder in which the individual's contact with reality becomes highly distorted

psychosis [sī′kō·səs]

(psychology)

An impairment of mental functioning to the extent that it interferes grossly with an individual's ability to meet the ordinary demands of life, characterized generally by severe affective disturbance, profound introspection, and withdrawal from reality, formation of delusions or hallucinations, and regression presenting the appearance of personality disintegration.

Psychosis

Any disorder of higher mental processes of such severity that judgments pertaining to the reality of external events are significantly impaired. A wide range of conditions can bring about a psychotic state. They include schizophrenia, mania, depression, ingestion of drugs, withdrawal from drugs, liver or kidney failure, endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, and Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and other neurologic dysfunctions. The dreams of normal sleep are a form of psychosis.

Psychotic alterations of beliefs are called delusions. Psychotic alterations of perception are referred to as hallucinations. Psychotic states that are due to alcoholism, metabolic diseases, or other medical conditions are frequently accompanied by general mental confusion. On the other hand, psychiatric illnesses and drugs can produce hallucinations and delusions in the absence of general confusion. Few of those symptoms are unique to a particular illness, which can make proper diagnosis difficult and challenging. Correct diagnosis, however, is critical so that appropriate treatment can be provided. See Addictive disorders, Affective disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Paranoia, Schizophrenia

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No references found			Washington, Oct 1 (ANI): Pregnant women who smoke put their children at increased risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years, says a new study. Smoking during pregnancy 'puts kids at risk of psychotic symptoms' by Asian News International Children who were repeatedly bullied by their peers when they were 8 or 10 years old were almost twice as likely to exhibit psychotic symptoms at age 12 years, based on data from more than 6,000 children. Peer bullying in childhood is a predictor of psychotic symptoms in ... by Splete, Heidi / Clinical Psychiatry News UNIVERSITY researchers have found children who are bullied at school are more likely to develop psychotic symptoms. Psychotic symptoms 'more likely' in bullied kids by Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)			psychomotor performance psychomotor task Psychoneuroimmunology psychopath psychopathic personality psychopathology Psychopathy Psychopharmacology Psychophysical methods Psychophysical Problem Psychophysics psychophysiologic nervous system reaction psychosexual development psychosis Psychosis, Senile psychosomatic psychosomatic disorder Psychosomatic disorders psychosomatic medicine Psychosomatics psychosomatograph psychosurgery psychotaxis Psychotechnology Psychotherapy psychotic psychotomimetic Psychotomimetic drug psychotropic Psychotropic Agent psychrograph psychromatic ratio Psychrometer psychrometric calculator psychrometric chart Psychrometric Formula psychrometric tables psychrometry psychrophile psychrophilic Psychrophilic Microorganism psychrophobia Psychrophyte psychrosphere Psyllidae psyllium seed Psylloidae psyton pt PT boat PTA			psychotherapeutically psychotherapeutically psychotherapeutically psychotherapeutics psychotherapeutics psychotherapeutics psychotherapies psychotherapies psychotherapies psychotherapist psychotherapist psychotherapist Psychotherapists Psychotherapists Psychotherapists Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility Psychotherapists Training Institute Psychotheraputic Psychotheraputic Psychotheraputic psychotherapy psychotherapy psychotherapy Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia, Inc. Psychotherapy and Hypnosis Training Academy Psychotherapy and Hypnosis Training Association psychotherapy group Psychothymia Psychothymia Psychothymia psychotic psychotic belief psychotic depression psychotic depression psychotic depression psychotic depression psychotic depression Psychotic disorder Psychotic disorder Psychotic disorder Psychotic disorder Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified Psychotic disorders Psychotic disorders Psychotic disorders Psychotic Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified Psychotic episode Psychotic episode Psychotic episode Psychotic episodes Psychotic episodes Psychotic episodes Psychotic illness Psychotic illness Psychotic illness psychotic insight Psychotic Men Slayerz psychotic person Psychotic Reaction

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psychosis
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