Psychosis occurs when a person has trouble telling the difference between what is real and what’s not. A person with psychosis may have delusions and hallucinations that cause strange behavior and changes in personality. The condition may be caused by alcohol or drug abuse, a brain tumor, dementia, stroke, depression, or other serious illness.

Symptoms of psychosis include confusion, disorganized thoughts and speech, mania, depression, and paranoia. Psychosis may be a temporary symptom of an illness, infection, or injury or it may be the primary indicator of a chronic psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia. Scientists hypothesize that these disorders develop because the brain overreacts to certain neurotransmitter chemicals and sends the wrong signals. Doctors identify causes of psychosis by reviewing drug records and family history, testing for syphilis (one potential cause of mental illness), and performing brain scans and blood tests. Medications such as opioids, benzodiazepines, and digoxin may also be to blame, and some psychotic disorders tend to run in families. Even extreme stress or sleep deprivation can cause temporary psychosis.

A person with schizophrenia may develop psychotic symptoms as a young adult or during middle age. Many people with psychotic disorders, however, first develop symptoms during old age. As many as 1 out of every 50 elderly people has a psychotic disorder. Though many people function quite well in spite of having a psychotic disorder, others may become withdrawn, hostile, or depressed. They may believe that friends and family are plotting against them or lose the ability to take care of their personal hygiene.

People with psychosis often respond well to treatment with antipsychotic drugs, which can reduce auditory hallucinations (voices in a person’s head) and delusions and help control thinking and behavior. Group or individual therapy may also be helpful. When psychosis develops as part of another problem, such as depression or sleep deprivation, appropriately treating that condition may lessen or stop the psychosis.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Temporary psychosis can be triggered by excessive alcohol use. If heavy drinking continues over the long term, psychosis can become chronic.
  2. People with psychosis living in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes have better control of their symptoms when the staff remind them of who everyone around them is and reassure them of their safety.
  3. Antipsychotic medications can have many side effects, including sedation, muscle stiffness, tremors, weight gain, restlessness, and increased risk of stroke. They may also cause tardive dyskinesia, a disorder in which a person exhibits one or more types of involuntary movements, such as puckering of the lips or writhing of the arms and legs.