What is psychosis and how does it manifest itself? Psychosis: symptoms and treatment. Pathologically low mood

Acute psychosis is associated with special mental condition a person in which he is not able to adequately perceive the surrounding reality. The patient's thinking is impaired, memory problems are possible, and hallucinations appear.

A person is not able to assess his condition and realize that he is sick. He does not consider it necessary to go to the hospital. Meanwhile, the disease progresses, the patient’s consciousness deteriorates more and more, and every day it becomes more and more difficult for him to adapt to the world around him.

The sick person begins to self-isolate and separate from people. He rejects the help offered by others and does not want to hear about visiting a doctor.

And if treatment is started earlier, you can avoid various problems in the near future, including irreversible ones. pathological processes in the psyche.

What are the causes of the disease and its types

Various forms of psychosis most often affect women. The reasons for the development of its acute form are of three types: endogenous, exogenous, organic.

It develops due to some disturbances in the body itself. These could be diseases endocrine system, neurological diseases, hereditary factors, schizophrenic disorders. This group also includes, since it occurs as a result of age-related changes in the body - usually after 60 years due to existing diseases (hypertension, atherosclerosis, etc.).

The causes of exogenous psychosis lie in external factors. First of all, these are severe stresses experienced by a person. Can also cause psychosis infectious diseases– tuberculosis, influenza and others.

In addition, exogenous psychosis can be caused by drug use. But the most important reason, according to doctors, is alcohol. It is its abuse that weakens even the most stable nervous system. Lead to organic psychosis various lesions brain cells caused by injury or tumors.

In some cases, the root cause of psychosis is difficult to identify, since it can begin due to an external factor, and gradually an internal one arises.

Acute psychosis can take many forms, the most common of which are the following:

Manic-depressive. This is a fairly severe form. With it, depressive periods are replaced by excessive excitability. During the depressive phase, the patient is indifferent to everything, but as soon as the manic period sets in, he does not sleep for several days, constantly doing something.
Manic. This condition is characterized by constant agitation of the patient.
Reactive. Usually develops against the background of some stressful situations in the life of the sick person (for example, a fire or earthquake). This psychosis has the most favorable outcome. It usually goes away as soon as the cause of its occurrence is eliminated.
Polymorphic. This form is usually characteristic of teenagers 10-15 years old. This is believed to be the onset of schizophrenia.

All forms of psychosis are known only to psychiatrists. They are the ones who diagnose the disease, identify its form, prescribe treatment, and if it is not started in a timely manner, the psyche changes irreversibly, the disease becomes chronic stage, and the person’s personality is distorted beyond recognition.

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What are the symptoms of this disease

At the initial stage of the disease, some signs of psychosis are in many ways similar to those that occur with genetic disorders. But usually psychosis begins like this:

others notice that the person’s behavior has changed;
the patient ceases to perceive reality properly;
emotions do not manifest themselves in the way that a certain moment requires.

A little later symptoms appear more and more acutely. Doctors call the special thinking of a sick person psychotic. The patient has his own opinion on everything that surrounds him, which differs from the generally accepted one. At the same time, he tries to assure everyone that he is right. All this takes the form of delirium, which doctors divide into the following types:

depressed - with it the patient is sure that he has done something bad, committed a sin;
somatic – the patient feels that his body goes the stench and it decays;
delusions of grandeur - a person is sincerely confident that he is a VIP person;
mania of persecution - the patient believes that he is being persecuted with the aim of causing offense;
relationships - the sick person is sure that some things concern him personally, for example, a television program is a kind of message to him personally from some world.

Symptoms of acute psychosis are also expressed in hallucinations. A person hears or sees something that is not really there. The same applies to smells. Auditory hallucinations are more typical for psychosis.

The patient sincerely believes that he hears a certain voice that gives him an order to perform some action.

In rare cases, hallucinations may be related to sensations. For example, the patient begins to feel pain that has nowhere to actually come from.

The next sign of the disease is disturbances in the emotional state. Emotions can change very quickly: from depressive thoughts to extremely high spirits.

The patient has problems with communication. Sometimes he cannot explain to others what he needs. The patient speaks chaotically, sentences remain unfinished, and the patient is unable to express thoughts. He begins to help himself by using gestures.

The last symptom is called the final symptom. This is a state when the personality disintegrates completely. There is no connection between the patient's thoughts, emotions and actions. A person cannot work, it is difficult for him to live in society, he cannot take care of himself. If all this lasts more than 3 weeks, then it can be said that the person is suffering from psychosis.

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How to treat the disease

Many initial signs diseases appear long before diagnosis. They are difficult to recognize at that moment. But some changes in character, excessive nervousness, excessive anxiety, bad dream and appetite, a strange appearance can alert loved ones.

A thorough examination to make a diagnosis is carried out by a doctor. To do this, he uses high-tech techniques.

When close people of a sick person ask a doctor whether acute psychosis can be cured, the doctor will answer that it is possible, but this is done in a hospital. It is impossible to provide qualified assistance at home.

The only exception is the attack of which will go away on its own once the cause of its development is eliminated. In other cases, hospitalization is necessary. The patient cannot control his own actions, and is capable of causing harm to himself or others.

Before treating acute psychosis, a specialist must identify the severity of psychosis, the patient’s personality characteristics, and the state of physical health.

The patient is prescribed medications psychotropic type. These can be neuroleptics and tranquilizers. General strengthening drugs and, if indicated, antidepressants are prescribed.

The modern pharmaceutical industry produces drugs that can treat a patient from a very specific type of psychosis, that is, they act strictly selectively. The doctor approaches all patients individually. The patient’s existing diseases, his age and many other factors are taken into account.

By the term “psychosis,” experts understand a group of diseases in which a person loses an objective perception of the world and a critical assessment of events, hallucinations, delusional states, etc. occur.

One of the forms of such a disease is acute psychosis. Although a person has symptoms of a distorted perception of reality, it can be very difficult to diagnose the disease and convince the patient that treatment is necessary.

People suffering from this disease often go into self-isolation, rejecting the help and advice of others. However, it is early diagnosis and timely treatment can give the most favorable prognosis, because as the disease develops, the adequacy of the sick person constantly decreases, and irreversible consequences for the psyche arise.

Causes of development and types of acute psychosis

Statistically, women are more likely to develop various forms psychosis than men. Based on the causes of the disease, acute psychosis can be of the following types:

Endogenous psychosis. The causes of the disease in this case lie in the human body itself: endocrine or neurological disorders, genetic predisposition, schizophrenia. This group also includes senile psychosis– in this case, the cause of the disease is age-related changes in the human body after 60 years (hypertension, atherosclerosis).
Exogenous psychosis. Its cause is external factors - severe stress, infectious diseases (influenza, tuberculosis, syphilis, and others), drugs. Alcohol ranks first among external causes - alcohol abuse can undermine even the most stable psyche.
Organic psychosis. In this case, the disease leads to organic disorders brain, due to traumatic brain injury or tumors.

Sometimes it can be quite difficult to determine the initial cause of the development of the disease: the impetus could have been an external (exogenous) factor, which later led to the emergence of an internal (endogenous) cause.

In addition, there are many forms of acute psychosis; each form can be identified by specific symptoms of the disease. Below are just some of the most common forms of the disease:

Acute manic-depressive psychosis (or bipolar disorder). It is considered one of the most severe forms of the disease, in which the patient alternates between periods of severe depression (depressive phase) with periods of excessive excitability, when the patient does not sleep for days and does something tirelessly (manic phase).
Acute manic psychosis. The patient is in a state of chronic overexcitation.
Acute reactive psychosis. It occurs as a reaction of the human body to super-stress that threatens its life and health (earthquake, fire, etc.). This form of acute psychosis has the most favorable prognosis, and is most often eliminated with the disappearance of the traumatic situation itself.
Acute polymorphic psychosis. Its symptoms usually appear during adolescence (around 10-15 years), and can be a sign of incipient schizophrenia.

Once again, it must be emphasized that only some forms of acute psychosis are listed here. Their detailed classification is the domain of psychiatrists. Medical diagnosis and timely treatment are necessary for any form of psychosis. If we talk about acute psychosis, any acute condition is always easier to eliminate than a chronic one. In the absence of timely measures, the psyche receives irreversible consequences: a distorted perception of the world becomes chronic and becomes, in fact, part of a person’s personality.

Signs of the disease and treatment methods

To make it easier to determine the development of the disease in time, it is important to know how exactly, progressively, signs of acute psychosis arise and form. At a very early stage, the following symptoms of the disease occur:

a person’s character changes: he becomes more irritable, nervous, his sleep is disturbed and his appetite decreases, he loses interest in life;
performance decreases: it is difficult for a person to concentrate, he is distracted by everything, he gets tired quickly, and reacts sharply even to minor stress;
mood swings occur, depression and fears appear;
the attitude towards others changes: problems arise in communication, distrust, a desire for self-isolation;
the perception of the world changes: color and sound are perceived as too harsh or distorted, there is a feeling that someone is watching, watching the person.

Unfortunately, it is very rare that the patient or his relatives seek help at this stage of the disease, attributing everything to stress, fatigue and other unfavorable factors. When treatment is not started in a timely manner, the symptoms of the disease gradually worsen. And after some time, the disease already manifests itself with obvious, pronounced signs:

Hallucinations (various visions, sounds or sensations that are perceived by the patient as reality). Pseudohallucinations – involuntary fantasies – may also occur.
Depersonalization: a person ceases to be adequately aware of himself, loses his sense of his own personality.
Derealization: the patient “goes” into his fictional world, breaking away from the real, and lives inside his world of illusions.
Delirium: incoherent speech whose logic and meaning are significantly distorted.

Symptoms of acute psychosis do not appear or disappear instantly; they can accompany the patient for several weeks or even months. The sooner the patient or his relatives seek medical assistance and the person receives treatment, the more positive the prognosis will be. Quality treatment received at early stage illness, helps prevent the development of chronic mental disorders.

Most often, when treating acute psychosis, hospitalization of the patient is necessary. This is due to the fact that, being in a state of distorted perception of the world, the patient can unknowingly cause harm to himself or others. The need for hospitalization is determined by the doctor based on the patient’s condition, the severity of the disease, and its symptoms. It is important for family members of the patient to understand that a person whose psyche is significantly impaired cannot fully bear responsibility for his actions and decisions, therefore, sometimes forced hospitalization is necessary, with the consent of the patient’s relatives and friends.

Treatment of acute psychosis is carried out using the following methods:

Drug treatment. Usually prescribed psychotropic substances(usually antipsychotics). Antidepressants and tranquilizers are also used. If acute psychosis is caused by intoxication, therapy to cleanse the body and general restorative measures are also used. Drugs are prescribed only by a doctor, based on the individual picture of the disease.
Psycho therapeutic treatment. At first, psychological help is aimed at creating an atmosphere of trust in order to convince the patient of the need for treatment, that it will not bring him harm (after all, the patient himself may resist treatment, suspects others of wanting to cause him harm, etc.). In the future, the specialist teaches the patient to react differently to the world, develop new forms of behavior. This helps the subsequent successful socialization of a person.
Electroconvulsive therapy. Used when certain types acute psychosis. With this method, electric current directly affects the subcortical centers of the brain, and as a result, metabolic processes change nervous system person.
Physiotherapy. These include acupuncture, reflexology, electrosleep, and physical therapy. Spa treatment and occupational therapy are also used. This treatment helps relieve excessive psycho-emotional stress, improves stress resistance and performance.

For quality therapy, a set of measures is necessary. The doctor selects this complex individually for each patient.

Timely treatment greatly increases the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Symptoms, signs and causes

People with psychosis have different symptoms and signs. It is impossible to list everything. But they highlight group of main features that occur in patients:

With psychomotor agitation the patient is constantly in motion and can talk incessantly. Often imitates the voices of animals, grimaces, and mimics human speech.

Psychosis is a complex condition; identifying the cause that provoked this disease is very difficult.

The reasons may be external or internal. External reasons- this is stress (loss loved one, property), mental trauma, infectious diseases (tuberculosis, syphilis). This also includes drug poisoning and alcohol abuse.

Internal reasons are disorders of the nervous system and endocrine balance. In this case, endogenous psychosis occurs. This is often associated with age-related changes body. Endogenous psychosis is long-lasting and there is a possibility of relapse.

One of the causes of psychosis may be a genetic predisposition. People with poor heredity in most cases develop psychosis.

There is a concept of acute psychosis. In acute psychosis, symptoms appear brightly and suddenly, and the course of the disease itself progresses rapidly. Before acute psychosis will become severe, the following symptoms are possible: loss of appetite, irritability, fear, indifference, apathy, sleep disturbance.

The signs of acute psychosis are completely different. These are psychotic disorders with symptoms of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorders, paranoid acute psychosis.

Risk category

Psychosis is possible in both adults and children. Moreover, in children the disease is more complex and requires long-term treatment.

IN different period Throughout life, different types of illness manifest themselves. For example, during adolescence, a hormonal explosion occurs, it is likely psychoses with manifestations of schizophrenia.

Manic-depressive manifestations of the disease most often occur in young people during periods of active activity. At this age, many fateful decisions occur that put pressure on the psyche (university, work, starting a family).

In old age, changes occur in the nervous system. Improper blood circulation destroys nerve tissue, and this, in turn, leads to senile psychosis.

Certain forms of the disease primarily affect women. For example, manic-depressive psychosis occurs 4 times more often in women than in men. This usually occurs during menstruation, during menopause, and after childbirth. This is due to hormonal fluctuations in a woman’s body.

And also the causes of psychosis in women can be social factor : unsuccessful marriage or his complete absence, unfulfillment of oneself as a mother, failures in the career field. And many other social reasons.

In addition, women are susceptible to postpartum psychosis. This usually appears in the first month after childbirth. The reason for this may be pain shock and postpartum complications. Symptoms and signs of afterbirth psychosis may include: crazy ideas, loss of appetite, insomnia, anxiety, hallucinations. A woman in this condition is prescribed psychotherapy and inpatient treatment. In some cases, drug therapy may be prescribed, but under the mandatory supervision of a doctor. It is absolutely impossible to leave a woman in this state alone with the baby.

A disease such as psychosis and its symptoms needs to be treated inpatiently. After all, patients in most cases cannot control themselves, thereby causing harm to themselves and others.

After an accurate diagnosis, therapeutic treatment is prescribed. Taking into account the severity of the disease, the patient is prescribed medication, including psychotropic drugs, antidepressants, tranquilizers, as well as drugs for general strengthening of the body.

After drug treatment to the patient psychotherapy is prescribed. This significantly increases the effectiveness of psychosis treatment. Thanks to psychological methods treatment, the patient begins to correctly perceive reality, his self-esteem increases, and the possibility of exacerbation of the disease decreases.

Psychological treatment sessions can be individual or group. Generally, group therapy is more effective. In addition, the group is led by a person who has successfully overcome this disease. This fact gives patients confidence in themselves and sets them up for recovery.

Positive results in treatment help to achieve such psychological methods:

art therapy
psychoanalysis
occupational therapy
family therapy.

Prevention

There is a possibility that people who have experienced this disease may experience an exacerbation of it. Therefore, it is important to take some time after hospitalization necessary medications prescribed by a doctor. And also attend psychotherapy classes.

In addition, it is necessary to lead a measured pace of life, follow a daily routine, and refuse bad habits, eat a balanced diet and exercise moderately.

Author of the article: Maria Barnikova (psychiatrist)

Psychosis: causes, types, signs and methods of treating the disorder

06.04.2017

Maria Barnikova

Psychosis is a pronounced severe disorder of the psychotic level. Causes, types, symptoms and methods of treatment of psychoses.

IN modern psychiatry the term is understood deep, severe, pronounced mental disorder. In psychosis, the reactions demonstrated by the patient clearly contradict the actual situation, which manifests itself in gross violation perception of the surrounding reality, severe disorganization of the patient’s behavior.

Psychoses are characterized by the occurrence of abnormal, incomprehensible, illogical phenomena, such as: hallucinations, delusional components, psychomotor dysfunction, affective defects. With psychosis, a person loses the ability to adequately perceive the real picture of the world, he cannot interpret the situation objectively, he is deprived of the ability to conduct a logical analysis. A patient with psychosis completely loses the ability to critically assess his condition and cannot comprehend the existence of the problem.

Disorders from the psychosis group are quite common diseases. According to the World Health Organization, about 2% of the entire human population suffers from some type of psychosis. So, according to Russian institutes psychiatry, the prevalence of schizophrenia alone is 2 cases per 1000 people. However, providing accurate data on the incidence of psychosis is a difficult task due to the existence of different diagnostic approaches, the rather low quality of work of Russian psychiatric services, personal characteristics patients and the existing misconceptions that many people have regarding psychotic disorders.

Also, due to the existing diversity of psychoses, it is quite difficult to indicate the age range corresponding to maximum number cases of these disorders. It should be borne in mind that anyone can develop psychosis, regardless of their gender, age, level of education, financial situation, or social status. It was found that about 20% of patients who were diagnosed with a disease of the psychosis group had a fairly early onset of the disorder - from 15 to 25 years. However, there are also forms of psychosis that are more typical for elderly and senile people.

Psychosis: types and classification

There are several different approaches to the classification of types of psychoses. The most accurate systematization of these disorders is based on the principle of dividing them into groups depending on the etiological causes and conditions of their occurrence, and the pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of the disease. So, psychoses that arise are classified into types:

endogenous – conditions that developed due to damage, defects, diseases internal organs in the absence of brain damage;
exogenous – ailments that manifest themselves as a result of negative influences external factors, for example: intoxication.

Endogenous types of psychoses include:

manic-depressive disorder, also called bipolar affective disorder or endogenous depression;
senile – acute disorder mental activity in elderly people;
schizophrenic – a deep personality disorder, characterized by a significant distortion of thinking and a disturbance of perception with the presence in the patient of a feeling of influence of extraneous forces;
cycloid, characterized by constant sharp changes in mood, rapid changes in motor activity;
symptomatic – conditions caused by the progression of the underlying somatic illness.

There is also a syndromic classification of psychoses - a division of disorders in plain sight depending on the patient’s dominant symptoms. According to this division, the most common forms of psychoses are paranoid, hypochondriacal, depressive, manic, depressive-paranoid, depressive-hypochondriacal types of disorders.

It is also customary to divide psychoses into types:

organic – disorders that started after traumatic brain injuries, neuroinfections and other painful conditions of the structures of the cranium, including neoplasms;
functional – states that arise under the influence of external psychotraumatic factors.

Based on the intensity of symptoms and the pace of their development, psychiatrists distinguish types of psychoses:

reactive – reversible mental pathology, which started as a result of exposure to intense, long-term traumatic factors;
acute – pathological mental defects that developed suddenly and rapidly.

It is not possible within the scope of this article to describe all existing and studied types of psychotic disorders that have specific symptoms and arise for established natural reasons. However, we point out that The most common types of psychoses are:

metal alcohol, which are divided into delirium (delirium tremens), hallucinosis (acute, subacute, chronic), delusional states (delusions of persecution and paranoia), encephalopathies (Gaia-Wernicke, Korsakoff psychosis, pseudoparalysis) and pathological intoxication (epileptoid and paranoid forms);
disorders that have developed as a result of drug use and substance abuse, such as: hashish psychotic disorders with manic, hallucinatory-paranoid, depressive-hypochondriacal content; psychotic episodes when using LSD, phenamine; cocaine, amphetamine psychoses and others;
traumatic – mental disorders that occur in the acute, remote and late period after injuries to cranial structures or damage to the central nervous system;
senile – severe changes in the mental sphere that occur in older people;
manic-depressive – an anomaly characterized by the presence of depressive inclusions and episodes of mania;
epileptic – ictal, postictal and interictal types;
postpartum mental disorders;
vascular – psychopathological conditions associated with pathogenic vascular processes;
schizophrenic – abnormal mental states, which are divided into affective, delusional, hallucinatory (usually pseudohallucinatory), hebephrenic, catatonic, oneroid clouding of consciousness;
hysterical - disorders subdivided into the syndrome of delusional fantasies, pseudodementia (false dementia), mental regression syndrome (the phenomenon of “wildness”), puerilism (a manifestation of childishness in adult patients), psychogenic stupor, Ganser syndrome (the syndrome of “mimic speech”).

Psychosis: causes of the disorder

The rapid development of medicine has led to the fact that today many theories have been formulated and enough hypotheses have been considered about the causes of psychosis. However, at present, neither genetic, nor physiological, nor social, nor psychological research can indicate the exact the real reason, according to which psychotic disorders arise and develop in all people without exception.

That is why the world's leading psychiatrists recognize a multifactorial system of mechanisms that gives rise to psychotic disorders. This model implies that the same type of psychosis can start in different people according to various reasons. In this case, most often the disease develops due to the existence and layering of several predisposing and provoking factors (biological prerequisites and psychosocial reasons).

One of these systems is a model conventionally called “stress-vulnerability”. This theory is based on the following: there are certain genetic factors that predispose an individual to the formation of psychotic disorders. The presence of such a conditioned tendency to psychosis, coupled with a specific characterological portrait of the individual, serves as the basis for a person’s high susceptibility to the effects of stress factors, both positive and negative. At certain stages of life, for example: during puberty or pregnancy, the subject becomes especially vulnerable to the onset of traumatic events due to his tendency to excessive mental reactions and inability to withstand stress. This moment is the starting point for the formation of psychosis. At the same time, factors that have a protective effect (for example: a person’s financial stability and a happy marriage) cannot always counteract traumatic circumstances. In some situations, when the intensity of stressors is too great, such “defenders” only postpone the moment of development of psychosis and soften the severity of the symptoms demonstrated.

If we consider each of the versions proposed by scientists separately, we should highlight the most proven theories describing the causes of the development of psychosis.

Reason 1. Biological (chemical)

One of the leading causes of any psychotic disorders is a failure in the production and exchange of neurotransmitters, one of the functions of which is to ensure the transfer of information between the structural units of the nervous system. A special role in the neurotransmitter system is assigned to the catecholamine dopamine, tryptamine serotonin, and 2-aminopentanedioic (glutamic) acid.

Thus, excessive dopamine activity in the mesolimbic tract provokes an increase in positive (productive) symptoms of psychosis, for example: the appearance of motor affective reactions, the occurrence of delusional judgments and hallucinations. On the contrary, a decline in dopamine activation in the mesocortical system gives rise to the development and aggravation of negative (deficient) symptoms of psychosis, provoking apathy, poor speech, attention deficit, and lack of working memory.

Reason 2. Genetic

A family predisposition to psychotic reactions is one of the leading causes of the development of psychosis. Individuals who have close relatives suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder are at high risk of developing psychosis.

If both mother and father suffered from psychotic-level disorders, then the probability of developing psychosis in their offspring is 50%. If only one parent has symptoms of mental disorders, then the risk of developing psychotic reactions for the child reaches 25%.

Reason 3. Personal constitution

Character traits and certain personality traits can cause psychosis. For example, people suffering from schizophrenic psychoses are often introverts. They are distinguished by egocentrism. Thus, a person of the cycloid type is prone to manic-depressive psychosis. A person with a hysterical constitution is more likely to experience hysterical disorders than others.

Reason 4. Social factors

A person’s presence in a negative emotional climate is one of the leading causes of psychosis. Regular stress, frequent psychotraumatic situations act as the basis for the emergence of psychotic disorders. Certain people also lead to psychosis life circumstances: low economic status, poor social status, inability to repay loan obligations, lack of own housing, poor family relationships.

Social reasons for the development of psychosis also include an unfavorable period of growing up - a situation where a child was raised in an incomplete or problematic family, excessive severity or complete inattention of parents. Psychiatrists indicate that the risk of developing psychosis in adulthood is very high in those people who experienced sexual abuse in childhood , physical or mental violence. The chance of developing psychotic disorders is present in those people who were treated inappropriately and cruelly in childhood. High degree the development of psychosis is present in children abandoned by their parents and who went through a “street upbringing.” Very often, people who were rejected or bullied by their peers in childhood become victims of psychosis.

Reason 5. Biological (intrauterine development abnormalities)

Factors predisposing to the onset of psychosis include problems intrauterine development person. Infectious diseases of the mother, poor quality or insufficient nutrition during pregnancy, alcohol abuse, and drug use have a negative impact on the development and functioning of the central nervous system of the unborn baby. Prematurity, oxygen starvation, which arose during childbirth, are the cause of the formation of various psychotic disorders, including psychoses.

Reason 6. Anatomical

A common cause of psychotic conditions is abnormalities in the structures of the brain resulting from trauma to the structures of the cranium, due to vascular pathologies, infectious diseases with a predominant localization of the focus of the disease in the parts of the central nervous system.

Bruises and concussions, closed and open head injuries can trigger a cascade of psychotic reactions both a few hours later and several months after the injury. Moreover, the more severe the damage to the skull, the stronger the symptoms of psychosis will be.

Psychosis is often a companion or a consequence of:

chronic autoimmune disease – multiple sclerosis;
epilepsy;
acute disorder of cerebral blood supply - stroke;
senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type - Alzheimer's disease;
shaking palsy - Parkinson's disease.

Psychotic reactions can occur in the presence of cysts, benign and malignant tumors in the structures of the skull. The cause of psychosis may be bronchial asthma with severe debilitating attacks.

It can be argued that any somatic pathology accompanied by intense pain is a source severe stress for a person, as a result of which the onset of psychosis is possible.

Reason 7. Intoxication

A common cause of psychosis is abuse. alcoholic drinks, uncontrolled reception pharmacological agents, substance abuse. Quite often, a consequence of the use of cannabinoids in adolescence is the occurrence of psychotic disorders. The development of some symptoms of psychosis is provoked by taking:

NMDA receptor antagonists, for example: ketamine, dextromethorphan and phencyclidine;
anticholinergic drugs, for example: alkaloids atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine;
glucocorticoids, for example: cortisol;
adrenocorticotropic hormone;
dopamine agonists, for example: tubazide;
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example: dikloberla;
sympathomimetics, for example: ephedrine;
antidepressants, for example: Prozac;
neuroleptics, for example: haloperidol.

Reason 8. Perceptual-cognitive and neuropsychological factors

It has been established that psychosis is very often recorded in people who have problems in neuropsychological development and have a low coefficient of intellectual potential. In such patients, the processing of visual and spatial information, sensory-motor dysfunctions are determined, associative thinking is weakened, and the ability to recognize presented stimuli is impaired.

Psychosis: symptoms of the disorder

Due to the existing diversity of psychotic disorders, it is impossible to describe in one publication all the symptoms demonstrated in psychosis. It can be argued that the manifestations and signs of psychosis are limitless, just as the human psyche is multifaceted and unique. However, symptoms that may indicate the onset and development of a psychotic disorder have been studied and described.

You should know that the first symptoms of the disease can be detected in a person long before the onset of psychosis. Such conditioned signals include any changes occurring in a person’s mental activity that arise spontaneously and unexpectedly in the absence of adequate reasons. Precursors of psychosis include:

excessive nervousness, causeless irritability of a person;
sudden and sudden change mood, its fluctuations from a state of deep sadness to euphoria;
psychomotor agitation and motor restlessness;
significant slowness of reactions, inhibition of the subject;
the appearance of problems with sleep;
sudden change in eating behavior;
a significant decline in performance, inability to perform usual professional duties;
the emergence of irrational fears and illogical anxiety;
sudden change in habits;
voluntary isolation of a person from society;
groundless change of interests and hobbies.

All symptoms of psychosis are divided into two conventional categories: positive signs and negative signs.

Positive symptoms of psychosis

To the number Positive symptoms of a psychotic disorder include:

Verbal, visual, olfactory, gustatory, vestibular, visceral, tactile hallucinations of simple and complex forms. Most often, the individual hears “voices” coming from outside. Bright and distinct sounds may come from the patient's head. The perceived message from the “voices” may have a neutral color, but most often the patient is threatened, humiliated or accused, or ordered to perform some action. When experiencing verbal hallucinations, the subject may talk to himself. A person may suddenly become wary and begin to listen carefully to something. He may start crying a lot or laughing for no reason.
Delusional inclusions are diverse ideas, reasoning, conclusions, conclusions that do not reflect the actual picture of reality and cannot be corrected with the help of beliefs and explanations. The most common type is delusion of persecution, when a person is sure that he is being watched, intrigues are being woven against him, there are conspiracies to injure or kill him. Delusions of influence are also widespread - a phenomenon when a patient is convinced that he is being influenced by some otherworldly forces or other structures, for example: special services, using classified equipment.
A common symptom of psychosis is damage delusions., characterized by a person’s conviction that they want to harm him. Symptoms of psychosis also include hypochondriacal delusions - a phenomenon when the subject is sure that he is sick with some kind of illness. incurable disease. Another symptom of psychosis is no less common - delusions of jealousy, when an individual is sure that his other half is cheating on him. Other delusional ideas may also occur, for example: delusions of grandeur.
Movement disorders of akinetic-rigid types and hyperkinetic forms, manifested in diametrically opposite phenomena - in the form of stupor (retardation) or motor excitation. In the first case, the individual looks inactive, his body takes on a static and unnatural position, he seems to freeze in one position. A person can remain motionless for hours, staring at one point. He does not respond to requests addressed to him and stops giving answers to questions. When psychomotor agitation the subject cannot be without movement. His actions are chaotic and inconsistent, impulsive and unmotivated. His speech is verbose and illogical. There is a noticeable increase in gesticulation, the person vigorously waves his arms and grimaces.
Mood disorders are mood instability in the form of depressive episodes and manic states. Symptoms of a depressive nature in psychosis are a melancholy mood, depression, a pessimistic outlook on life, the emergence of ideas of self-blame, and suicidal behavior. Symptoms of a manic state are excessively elevated mood, a tireless thirst for activity, overestimation of one’s own capabilities, disinhibition of drives and impulses.

Negative symptoms of psychosis

TO negative signs psychotic disorders include those phenomena that are characterized by global change character and personal qualities of a person, the loss from the mental sphere of a huge part of the processes that were previously inherent in it. Negative symptoms psychosis are:

decline in human energy potential;
reduction and subsequent complete disappearance of desires;
lack of motivation, motivation, aspirations;
the emergence and increase in dullness of the emotional response;
social isolation of a person, voluntary isolation from society, reluctance to communicate in the human community;
the disappearance of moral and ethical standards, the appearance of rudeness, vulgarity, aggressiveness;
impoverishment of speech and thinking;
behavior that is dangerous for the patient and others;
rigidity, emptiness of thinking, lack of focus;
loss of work skills and ability to self-care.

It is worth pointing out that mentally ill people cannot eliminate the symptoms of psychosis through willpower or coercion. Therefore, the understanding and support of loved ones is extremely important for them; consultation with a doctor and subsequent treatment are vital.

Psychosis: phases of disorder

As a rule, psychoses have a periodic course with sudden or naturally occurring attacks. However, psychotic pathologies can become chronic, acquiring continuous flow with persistent symptoms.

The phases of any type of psychosis include:

prodromal stage – the period from the manifestation of one-time symptoms to their subsequent constant demonstration;
stage of untreated psychosis – the interval from the onset of constant demonstration of symptoms of psychosis until the start of treatment for the disease;
acute phase – the stage characterized by the peak of the disease and the maximum intensity of the symptoms of the disorder;
residual phase - a stage of decreasing intensity of symptoms of psychosis, lasting several years.

Psychosis: treatment methods

All people who notice symptoms of psychotic disorders and people who suspect that their relatives have problems should visit a treatment facility as soon as possible. It should be remembered: these days, a visit to a psychiatrist is not fraught with publicity and does not have any unpleasant consequences. Visiting a doctor remains voluntary and anonymous. Therefore, timely consultation with a doctor is the only chance for choosing the right program for treating psychosis and ridding a person of painful symptoms disorders.

Need to know: symptoms of psychosis can be successfully treated exclusively with pharmacological therapy. No miraculous herbs, visits to healers, or psychological beliefs can help overcome serious disease mental sphere.

How to react if you close relative Are there symptoms of psychotic disorders? It is important to observe the following:

Do not ask, do not clarify, do not be interested in details regarding the details of his hallucinations.
Do not try to find out the essence of his delusional statements.
Do not enter into debates with the patient.
Do not prove that his beliefs are false and illogical.
You need to try to calm him down and redirect his attention.
If a person is inclined to talk, you need to listen to him carefully.
The patient should be motivated to see a psychiatrist.
If there are suspicions that a person has decided to do so, it is necessary to call a medical team as an emergency.
In cases of demonstration of aggressive socially dangerous behavior, it is necessary to immediately seek medical help, since acute symptoms psychosis can be stopped only in a hospital setting.

Although psychoses are a very broad and difficult group of disorders to overcome, the principles of drug treatment for all diseases of this series are the same. However, when carrying out drug therapy An unconventional, purely individual approach to choosing a treatment program for each individual patient is required. Before prescribing drug treatment, the doctor takes into account a number of different factors, such as: age, gender, general health of the patient, the presence of somatic ailments, features of the course of psychosis, existing risks and contraindications.

The basis of pharmacological therapy for the treatment of psychosis is drugs from the group of antipsychotics, otherwise called antipsychotics. The main property antipsychotics is their ability to have an effective impact on the productive symptoms of psychosis. In addition, some atypical antipsychotics are often used to treat the deficit symptoms of the disorder.

In modern psychiatry, two types of antipsychotics are used: atypical and typical antipsychotics. Atypical antipsychotics are highly active against productive disorders. Typical antipsychotics include:

with a sedative effect that has a clear inhibitory effect;
with a strong incisive (antipsychotic) effect, eliminating persistent personality changes, delusions, hallucinations, mania, increasing interest in the environment;
disinhibiting properties, showing an activating effect.

The prescription of antipsychotics should be accompanied by a guarantee of the implementation of appropriate treatment and control measures due to the high risk of developing extremely life-threatening side effects.

The psychosis treatment program can also include benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Facilities of this class have a sedative effect, eliminate anxiety and promote sleep restoration.

Also used in the treatment of affective disorders mood stabilizers - mood stabilizers. These drugs exhibit tranquilizing properties, reduce anxiety, and improve the mental well-being and mood of patients with psychosis.

If there are depressive symptoms, they include in the treatment program antidepressants. However, the use of antidepressants for the relief of bipolar affective disorder is associated with a high risk of phase inversion - the development of a hypomanic or manic state.

For elimination side effects caused by taking antipsychotics can be treated with anticholinergics. These drugs eliminate extrapyramidal disorders, dyskinesias, and akinesias caused by treatment with neuroleptics.

To increase the effectiveness of drug therapy, it is advisable to carry out parallel rehabilitation of a psychological nature. The most commonly used methods are cognitive behavioral therapy, a short-term, intensive treatment aimed at changing painful patterns of thinking and behavior. A variety of training programs help patients with psychosis develop other adequate reactions to environmental phenomena.

To prevent relapses of psychotic disorders and to avoid the formation of any diseases, each person should lead an orderly lifestyle. It is necessary to set aside time for regular physical activity. Receive reasonable and high-quality rest in sufficient quantities. Stably follow the routine. Eat regularly and balanced. Required complete failure from taking drugs and alcoholic beverages.

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In acute psychosis, there is a clear disturbance of the human psyche, expressed in an inadequate perception of what is happening around. Often occurs against the background total loss control over yourself and your actions.

Physiotherapeutic methods can be used, which include acupuncture, reflexology, exercise therapy, and electrosleep. Additional methods are occupational therapy and sanatorium-resort treatment.
Thanks to an integrated approach, it is possible to remove psycho-emotional stress and increase the body’s resistance to stress.

Emotional activity or loss of energy is a consequence of psychosis. The condition occurs as a result of heredity, injury, or due to serious illness. A patient with psychosis requires urgent treatment, since prolongation of the illness leads to long-term therapy. The task of loved ones is to monitor a person prone to illness and respond in a timely manner. What are the symptoms and types of psychosis?

Psychosis - what is it?

In a state of psychosis, real life is replaced by fictional stories. Obsessive ideas, fear for life, fears, or vice versa, emotional upsurge. At the same time, the person retains the abilities acquired during life. He retains the ability to think, analyze, and evaluate the situation. The only difference is the strong influence of suggestions imposed by psychosis.

Patients believe in secret intelligence services, aliens who hunt humanity or convince others of incredible abilities. Psychosis also extends to feelings. Patients choose an object of love, pester the person, pursue, impose feelings, and become jealous.

You cannot argue with someone with psychosis or discuss their condition. Such behavior worsens a person’s health and delays treatment.

You should not treat the patient as a hopeless person. The disease manifests itself cyclically. After treatment there is a long interval, accompanied by excellent health. But then an exacerbation comes, hallucinations appear, delusional ideas arise. In rare cases, the disease is completely cured and complete mental recovery occurs.
Types of psychoses

Despite the varied symptoms and behavioral styles of patients, doctors have identified two large groups. Under them, various types of psychoses were combined. There are the following categories:

Organic psychoses. They arise as a result of sexually transmitted diseases (syphilis), infectious diseases (meningitis). Also, illnesses that impair cerebral circulation (atherosclerosis) lead to an unstable condition. In other words, organic psychoses develop as a result of physical pathologies.

Functional psychoses. The formation is influenced by a person’s behavior in society and psychological state. At the same time, the brain remains healthy, but obsessions arise, in the form of persecution, belief in superpowers.

Psychosis should not be considered as a consequence of other diseases or an accidental coincidence. In many cases, the disease appears as a result of head injuries, alcohol or drug abuse, after childbirth, or stressful situations. Let's look at the most common types of psychoses.

Symptoms of manic psychosis

Relatives of a person prone to mental disorders should closely monitor him. There are a number of signs that indicate an exacerbation of the disease. Please note that the patient will hide his condition, so a careful analysis of the person’s behavior will be required. Symptoms of manic psychosis:

Positive attitude. Sometimes completely unreasonable. Whatever happens in personal life, a person’s mood does not deteriorate at work. Manic psychosis is accompanied by a rise in all areas. The patient is optimistic, emotional, cheerful, confident in his strengths and talents. The exacerbation is characterized by increased sociability and the acquisition of new friends.

Be careful. A positive attitude is deceiving. It will be followed by outbursts of anger, fights and quarrels. Especially if you contradict a patient.

Fast speech and accelerated thinking. At manic syndrome activation of individual points of the brain is triggered. As a result, a person thinks, decides, acts and speaks faster. Pay attention if the patient's speech has become loud, expressive and confusing. Creative manifestations have been noticed: composing songs, writing poetry, drawing pictures. During this period, many patients decide to leave work and go traveling or decide to take up the work of their whole life. Women are characterized by the following symptoms: changes in appearance, new haircut, revealing clothes. A person takes on several things at the same time. But none of them are completed, because attention is scattered.

Constant movement. Motor symptoms are added to a good mood and loud speech. It is difficult for a person to stand still. The patient constantly moves, shifts from foot to foot, and actively gestures. Manic psychosis is characterized by sudden attacks, waking up early. The patient sleeps no more than 5 hours a day, and is full of energy.

If you identify the described signs, do not convince the person that he is sick. Otherwise you will encounter aggression. The best way out is to consult a psychologist.

Depressive psychosis: symptoms

The disease is characterized by slow development. A person gradually falls into a sad state, gnawing at himself for every action. The patient’s thoughts boil down to the fact that he is a loser, a bad person, a lousy spouse, and cannot cope with work or raising children. Nothing good is expected in the present, past and future, only pain and remorse.

Depressive psychosis is accompanied by the following symptoms:

You won’t be able to recover from depressive psychosis on your own. All attempts to shake a person up, pull him out onto the street, show how others live, lead to the opposite result. The patient becomes even more convinced that he is bad and good for nothing. Depressive psychosis requires treatment with medications. Often there is a confusion of symptoms and behavior of the patient. This condition is called manic-depressive psychosis.

Alcohol psychosis

Alcohol abuse leads to a painful condition. It should be understood that wine on holidays does not lead to alcoholic psychosis. This diagnosis is faced by people at stages 2–3 of alcoholism. Symptoms do not appear immediately and intensify as a result of external and physiological circumstances: serious injury, infectious diseases.

Alcoholic psychosis is divided into acute and chronic types. Characterized by the following symptoms:

hallucinations;

crazy ideas;

depression;

memory impairment;

the patient is poorly oriented in time and space.

The initial stage of alcoholic psychosis is treatable. The chronic form is accompanied long-term therapy. In this case, all body functions are not restored: problems with memory and perception remain.

Signs of postpartum psychosis

The disease occurs rarely and differs from depression by dangerous symptoms. In addition to the depressed state, the woman has a desire to harm herself and the baby. Symptoms appear within 1–1.5 months. after the birth of the child. Postpartum psychosis is recognized by the following symptoms:

sudden mood swings;

delusional states;

unreasonable anxiety;

constant feeling of anxiety.

The woman imposes incredible hypotheses on others: the child has been replaced, the baby is terminally ill. The child's mother withdraws into herself and does not let anyone near the baby. The condition is worsened by hallucinations, which lead to sad consequences. Therefore, it is important to react in a timely manner and take the woman in labor to the doctor.

Psychosis is treatable. Acute phases require drug intervention. After dangerous symptoms subside, therapy flows into communication with a psychologist. Strict intake of medications, walks, and adherence to the hospital regimen will give a positive result.

Psychoses are mental disorders that are characterized by productive symptoms.

Pathologies of this group are manifested by conditions that are characterized by true and false hallucinations, delusions, and illusions. Also, people suffering from psychosis experience disorders such as depersonalization and derealization.

Psychoses are expressed by a clear disturbance of mental activity, as evidenced by a disorder in the perception of reality and disorganization of behavior. Patients are characterized by an inadequate reaction, which grossly contradicts the actual situation.

Classification

If we talk about what types of psychoses there are, then we can distinguish two main categories of mental diseases:

Organic origin.

Functional origin (endogenous).

Organic psychoses arise as a result of damage to the brain matter during the development of diseases such as meningitis, syphilis and similar infectious pathologies. The cause of these types of psychoses can be atherosclerosis, leading to blockage of blood vessels and impaired cerebral circulation. Risk factors include stroke, which has more severe consequences than atherosclerosis.

Functional psychoses progress in the absence of the above diseases, that is, in conditions when the brain is physiologically healthy and complete. This category of mental disorders includes schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, affective disorders and their psychotic forms, as well as conditions when personality changes occur caused by paranoid phenomena.

Classifying mental illnesses according to their etiology and pathogenetic mechanisms of development, they distinguish not only organic and endogenous types of psychoses, but also:

intoxication;

reactive;

senile;

traumatic;

affective.

According to the characteristics of the clinical picture and the predominant symptoms, mental disorders are divided into the following types:

paranoid;

depressed;

hypochondriacal;

manic.

Patients can be diagnosed with both independent and combined forms of neuroses - manic-depressive, depressive-hypochondriacal, depressive-paranoid, etc.

Let us consider the main, frequently occurring types of psychoses, their characteristic signs and features.

Intoxication

This group includes alcohol and withdrawal mental disorders that arose against the background of poisoning of the body with various toxic substances. In most cases, the cause of the development of the disease is alcohol abuse; in this regard, as a rule, experts consider alcoholic psychosis, manifested in such forms as:

Hallucinosis.

Delirium.

Paranoid.

Alcoholic hallucinosis is often a consequence of drinking surrogate alcohol, which causes intoxication of the body. Patients are worried visual disturbances and auditory hallucinations of a condemning nature, occurring mainly in the evening and at night. Periods of physical activity may be observed, provoked by the desire to hide from others and get rid of intrusive voices.

Delirium tremens is better known as delirium tremens. This form of intoxication psychosis is the most common. Signs of mental disorders appear when you stop drinking alcohol after a long binge. Patients experience various hallucinations, mostly frightening in nature, very realistic and frightening. At the same time, consciousness becomes darkened, motor activity increases and persecution mania disturbs.

Alcoholic paranoid manifests itself suddenly, mainly during a period of prolonged drinking. The main symptom is delusion of persecution, when patients feel that they want to encroach on their lives and cause harm. The condition may worsen and be accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations. People with this illness are afraid of everything and everyone, and often turn to law enforcement agencies asking for help and protection.

If alcohol is consumed constantly and in large quantities, then acute intoxication psychosis passes into the chronic stage, its clinical picture becomes more vivid and pronounced. Chronic forms of alcoholic psychosis:

Delirium of jealousy.

Hallucinosis.

Pseudoparalysis.

Korsakov psychosis.

Alcoholic delusions of jealousy develop at the stage of personality degradation. Patients, often representatives of the stronger sex, lose contact with loved ones, especially with their other half and children. A firm conviction arises that the spouse is cheating, and there are even false confirmations of this. Over time, interest in children also disappears. Men delve into the past, trying to find facts of betrayal, further heating up the situation.

Chronic alcoholic hallucinosis has symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia. This form of the disease progresses against the background of repeated attacks of hallucinosis and delirium. Personality degradation is not observed in this case. When you quit alcohol, the symptoms lose their severity and may completely recede.

Pseudoparalysis develops mainly in men and is manifested by a decrease in muscle strength, impaired motor reflexes, and involuntary vibrations of the limbs (tremor). Disorders also occur in the functioning of the central nervous system. Representatives of the stronger sex who abuse alcohol are in euphoria and feel omnipotent (delusions of grandeur).

Korsakov's psychosis is expressed by memory impairment and signs of delirium that occur against the background of damage to nerve fibers due to taking large doses of alcohol.

Jet

Such mental disorders are the result of psychological trauma. Depending on the period after which signs of the disease appeared, acute and subacute are distinguished. The main symptoms are attacks of hysteria, disordered agitation, increased emotional sensitivity, fear, and the desire to hide and hide. At the same time, pathology can drive patients into a stupor and make it impossible to think normally.

Senile

Mental disorders caused by age-related changes in the body are observed in men and women aged 65 years and older. The main cause is the course of atherosclerosis, which affects the vascular system of the brain. This disease is characterized by pronounced manifestations of the character of patients or, conversely, a complete decrease in skills and disappearance of interests. Over time, memory impairment occurs, and mild signs of delirium may appear. The pathology progresses slowly and often has irreversible consequences.

Traumatic

These types of psychoses develop as a result of severe trauma. Most often, the predisposing factor is the presence of victims in a coma. This disease is characterized by an acute short-term course, vivid hallucinatory phenomena, increased motor activity and severe fear.

Affective

Mental disorders of this type are represented by manic-depressive syndromes. Signs of psychosis occur periodically, and attacks are characterized by increased mobility. The desire for action is sharply replaced by apathy and passivity. In rare cases, personality changes occur.

All described types of psychoses adversely affect the state of the nervous system and the body as a whole, and therefore require mandatory adequate treatment!