Psychosis is a pronounced form of disorders that have a mental type. The companions of psychosis are delusional states, abrupt mood changes, hallucinations, states of arousal, uncontrollable or depressive behavior, a violation of the thought process and a complete lack of the ability to critically assess one’s condition.
Causes of psychosis
The occurrence of psychosis is facilitated by causes that have a variety of characteristics. The causes of psychosis are primarily classified according to internal and external factors. The presence of external factors leads to the development of an exogenous type of psychosis. External sources of psychosis are: various infections (flu, syphilis, typhus, tuberculosis, and so on), alcohol and drug addiction, poisons of industrial origin, any stress or trauma of a psychological nature. The leader of external causes is alcohol, its abuse results in alcoholic psychosis.
Internal factors that influence the development of psychosis lead to the manifestation of an endogenous type of psychosis. The sources of this type are predominantly impaired functions of the nervous system and imbalance of the endocrine system. Endogenous psychosis is closely related to age-related changes occurring in the body, the so-called senile psychosis. It develops as a result of hypertonic processes, with lesions of the brain vessels by atherosclerosis and with schizophrenia.
The difference between endogenous psychosis is the duration and the possibility of repetition. This psychosis causes a complex condition in which it is problematic to establish the true causes of its occurrence. Sometimes the primary source may lie in external factors, and then it is supplemented by internal problems. Senile psychoses require allocation in a separate group. As a rule, they appear no earlier than 60 years of age with endomorphic disorders and a state of clouding of consciousness, but without the development of complete dementia.
Psychosis can occur in a reactive and acute form. The reactive form includes psychoses that occur in the form of temporary reversible disorders of a mental nature and arising from any type of mental trauma. The acute form of psychosis occurs suddenly and develops rapidly. Any unexpected news, for example, about the death of a close relative or the loss of something, can serve as an impetus for development. Observations show that women are more susceptible to psychosis than men, and this does not depend on race and financial situation.
Symptoms of psychosis
The rich human psyche enables psychosis to manifest without limit. The main symptoms of the disease include hallucinations, the occurrence of delusional ideas, motor disorders and mood disorders. Hallucinations are auditory, olfactory, visual, tactile and gustatory. Their manifestations can be in a simple (call, call) and complex (speech) form. The most common hallucinations are auditory in the form of voices sounding in the head of the patient or coming from outside.
Ideas of delusional content constitute judgments and conclusions that do not correspond to reality. They completely capture the consciousness of the patient, while it is impossible to dissuade him or explain anything to him. The most common are delusional ideas about persecution (surveillance, intrigue), about negative impact (special services, aliens, damage, and so on), about causing damage (surviving from an apartment, stealing things, poisoned food), about a terrible deadly disease. Sometimes there is delusions of grandeur, jealousy, love, and so on.
Disorders of motor functions are manifested by lethargy (stupor), when the patient maintains one position for a long time, is inactive, his gaze is directed to one point, he does not answer the questions posed and stops eating. The other side of motor disorders is the patient’s being in a state of excitement, when he is constantly on the move, speaks non-stop, sometimes makes faces, mimics the interlocutor, is possibly aggressive, can commit an unmotivated act.
Disorders in the mood of the patient are expressed by states of a depressive or manic nature. Depression can be seen in a lowered mood, manifested in the form of longing, depression, mental retardation, a pessimistic assessment of the past and future, suicidal thoughts. The manic state is assessed by an unreasonably elevated mood, by the acceleration of thinking and speed of movement, by planning unrealistic (fantastic) prospects, by lack of sleep, by abusing something.
A person in a state of psychosis changes in behavior, emotional manifestations and thinking. Such metamorphoses testify to the loss of the ability to really perceive the world around, which is affected by the complete lack of awareness of what is happening and the inability to assess one’s altered psyche. Patients with altered consciousness, who are in a depressed state, resist treatment and hospitalization.
Diagnosis of psychosis
When making a diagnosis, the doctor takes as a basis the features of the symptoms and the nature of the dynamics of this disorder. Many symptoms of psychosis occur in a mild form long before the onset of the disease and are serious precursors of the disease. The first signs of psychosis are very difficult to recognize. These include changes in character, when a person shows excessive irritability, nervousness or anxiety, his sleep is disturbed, his appetite disappears, his appearance can be described as strange or unusual.
A sign of incipient psychosis may be a change in working capacity, which is expressed in a decline in activity, and in a sharp form, reduced resistance to stress, and the inability to maintain attention. Feelings can change: mood swings, the appearance of fears, depression due to trifles. Another sign is a change in habits manifested in isolation, distrust, problems in communication, complete withdrawal into oneself. The onset of psychosis can be indicated by a sudden change in interests and perceptions (colors, sounds).
Signs of a mental disorder cause anxiety in the patient’s relatives, who begin to suspect schizophrenia, although psychosis has other causes. Therefore, it is very important to conduct a timely, thorough examination of the patient in order to avoid serious consequences that manifest themselves as a psychotic state, stroke, and so on. The real cause of psychosis is found out by a qualified psychiatrist using complex high-tech methods.
Treatment of psychosis
Treatment of reactive psychosis at the first stage requires the elimination of the cause of the disease where possible. The reaction of affective shock, in the absence of its transition to a different state, does not require the help of a doctor. All other types of psychosis require rapid hospitalization of the patient, since the presence of psychosis does not allow him to control his actions and threatens to cause unconscious harm to himself or others.
For treatment, a clinical justification is necessary – the correct diagnosis, reliable identification of the severity of the disease, psychopathic symptoms, individual characteristics of the patient’s personality and his physical health. In drug therapy, psychotropic drugs are used, mainly antipsychotics, sometimes tranquilizers. To them are added medicines of general strengthening action, if necessary – antidepressants.
To date, drugs have been created that can act selectively, only on a certain type of psychosis. In the case of psychosis, which appeared as a result of intoxication, drugs are used that help cleanse the body. In any case, the appointment of drugs takes into account an individual approach, a professional specialist. The doctor takes into account the causes of the disease, the age of the patient, other existing diseases and contraindications.
Drug treatment, as a rule, is carried out in parallel with the rehabilitation of a psychological nature. It is necessary to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. The task of the psychiatrist is to find contact with the patient and inspire him with positive thoughts about recovery, about the need to take medication, about his soon return to normal life. The patient is guaranteed complete anonymity of treatment.
The rehabilitation course also includes training programs. They help patients develop a different reaction to the world around them, teach a new form of life behavior. After the completion of the rehabilitation program, the patient must establish himself in a sense of his equality in society, have a better attitude towards himself and other people who also feel their inferiority due to their psychosis and those who deny their disease.
Physiotherapeutic methods relieve emotional overstrain. Promote better metabolism, increase the ability to work. They are prescribed as an addition to the main treatment and include such procedures as physiotherapy exercises, reflexology with needles, electrosleep, sanatorium treatment. If necessary, electroconvulsive treatment is carried out, which causes convulsive seizures by an artificial method using alternating current. It effectively affects certain areas of the brain.
Timely treatment to a greater extent increases the receipt of a positive result and quickly normalizes the patient’s condition.