As the name suggests, brief psychotic disorder is a short-term
illness with psychotic symptoms. The symptoms often come on suddenly, but last
for less than one month, after which the person usually recovers completely.
There are three basic forms of brief psychotic disorder:
Brief psychotic disorder with obvious stressor (also called brief
reactive psychosis): This type, also called brief reactive psychosis,
occurs shortly after and often in response to a trauma or major stress, such as
the death of a love one, an accident or assault, or a natural disaster. Most
cases of brief psychotic disorder occur as a reaction to a very disturbing
event.
Brief psychotic disorder without obvious stressor: With this type,
there is no apparent trauma or stress that triggers the illness.
Brief psychotic disorder with postpartum onset: This type occurs in
women, usually within 4 weeks of having a baby.
What Are the Symptoms of Brief Psychotic Disorder?
The most obvious symptoms include:
Hallucinations: Hallucinations are sensory perceptions of things
that aren't actually present, such as hearing voices, seeing things that aren't
there or feeling sensations on your skin even though nothing is touching your
body.
Delusions: These are false beliefs that the person refuses to give
up, even in the face of contradictory facts.
Other symptoms of brief psychotic disorder include:
Disorganized thinking
Speech or language that doesn't make sense
Unusual behavior and dress
Problems with memory
Disorientation or confusion
Changes in eating or sleeping habits, energy level, or weight
Inability to make decisions
What Causes Brief Psychotic Disorder?
The exact cause of brief psychotic disorder is not known. One
theory suggests a genetic link. This is based on the fact that the disorder is
more common in people who have family members with mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder. Another
theory suggests that the disorder is caused by poor coping skills, as a defense
against or escape from a particularly frightening or stressful situation. These
factors may create a vulnerability to develop brief psychotic disorder. In most
cases, the disorder is then triggered by a major stress or traumatic event.
Childbirth may trigger the disorder in some women.
How Common Is Brief Psychotic Disorder?
Brief psychotic disorder is uncommon. It generally first occurs
in early adulthood (20's and 30's), and is more common in women than in men.
People who have a personality disorder—such as antisocial personality
disorder or paranoid personality disorder—are more prone to developing brief
psychotic disorder.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to communicate and pay attention. Symptoms of psychosis appear in men in their late teens and early 20s and in women in their mid-20s to early 30s. With treatment involving the use of antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatment, schizophrenia patients can lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment may incorporate mood stabilizer medications, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has many symptoms, signs, and causes. Therapy is one treatment option for antisocial personality disorder. It is closely related to other personality disorders (PD), such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
Depressive disorders have been with mankind since the beginning of recorded history. In the Bible, King David, as well as Job, suffered from this affliction. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that described the basic medical physiology theory of that time. Depression, also referred to as clinical depression, has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression.
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