Psychotic Illnesses include more serious mental illnesses because they impair a person’s ability to evaluate reality. “Schizophrenia”, which almost everyone knows, is the most important illness of this group. Schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder.
Another psychotic disorder is “ Brief Reactive Psychosis ”. If the psychotic symptoms that occur following significant psychosocial stress do not last longer than a few hours to two weeks, this acute psychotic picture can be diagnosed as “brief reactive psychosis” . The onset is acute , but since it occurs in people who have previously had serious personality and adaptation problems , it would be more accurate to call it a chronic structural disorder . The behaviors during a psychotic episode are often strange and incomprehensible.
“Paranoid Disorder” is a psychotic disorder, characterized by suspicions at the level of delusions, rather than significant affect and thought disorders . They are angry and tense individuals who constantly perceive others as threats . These patients, who have psychiatric needs but do not realize it, do not want to get help. Even if they accept, they argue that the source of the problem is definitely others. They do not trust those who want to help them anyway.
Schizophrenia:
Schizophrenia is a brain disease. The prevalence rate in society is approximately 0.8% to 1% . The rate of men and women being affected is equal. The age of onset is usually between 18 and 35. It may start a little later in women than in men. Schizophrenia affects the ability to evaluate reality, control emotions, think clearly, make judgments and communicate. It is not related to intelligence level . The symptoms of schizophrenia are generally classified as positive and negative.
Delusions :
These are false beliefs that a person holds firmly despite the lack of concrete evidence. It is not possible to change them with persuasion. A delusional person may believe that he or she is being tortured, that he or she has special powers or abilities , or that his or her thoughts and behaviors are under the control of an external force.
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Hallucinations :
The most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia is auditory; the person thinks they are hearing imaginary voices. Sometimes the schizophrenic patient speaks to these voices for a long time, and the voices may give the patient commands regarding movements. In less common types of hallucinations, events such as seeing, feeling, tasting or smelling that do not actually exist but seem completely real to the patient may occur.
Thought Disorder:
A person with a thought disorder is confused about what he/she says and how he/she says it. The person’s speech is difficult to follow because he/she jumps from one topic to another and has weak logical connections. There may be interruptions in the thought process, which only make sense to the speaker.
Conduct Disorder:
Some people with schizophrenia may have behavioral problems that interfere with their social and occupational functioning, such as wearing the same clothes for long periods of time, refusing to wash, etc.
Dullness in Expression of Emotion :
People with schizophrenia often feel emotionally “dead” and unresponsive to what is happening around them. They are unable to express their emotional reactions by changing their facial expressions, behavior, or tone of voice.
Loss of Motivation:
Schizophrenia reduces a person’s motivation, making it difficult for them to participate in work or social activities. Patients avoid daily tasks such as laundry and cooking , and in extreme cases, they cannot maintain personal hygiene and take care of themselves.
Withdrawal from Society:
People with schizophrenia have difficulty maintaining friendships with people. Their interactions with people are short-lived and superficial. In some cases, the person cuts off all social contact.
Poverty of Thought:
In some schizophrenia patients, thinking is reduced in quantity and content. They rarely speak, give short answers to questions, and do not give details. In extreme cases, the person’s speech is limited to short sentences such as “yes,” “no,” and “I don’t know.”
