Psychosis

Epic card · No. 13750

In psychopathology, psychosis ( ) is the inability to distinguish what is or is not real. Examples of psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized or incoherent thoughts or speech. Psychosis is a description of a person's state or symptoms, rather than a specific mental illness, and it is not related to the personality construct of psychopathy. Common causes of chronic psychosis include schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and brain damage (usually as a result of alcoholism). Acute psychosis can also be caused by severe distress, sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, some medications, and drug use and withdrawal (including alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, and stimulants). Acute psychosis is termed primary if it results from a psychiatric condition and secondary if it is caused by another medical condition or drugs. The diagnosis of a mental-health condition requires excluding other potential causes. Tests can be administered to check whether...

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