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Psychotic Symptoms Of Bipolar Disorder And Depression
Filed Under (Depression) by Guest Author on 13-10-2009
When a person experiences hallucinations or delusions, this is considered psychosis. Hallucinations and delusions are misperceptions of reality.
Hallucinations can be visual, auditory, olfactory, or tactile, though most people associate hallucinations with visual hallucinations. In addition to seeing things that are not present, hallucinations can involve hearing things, smelling things, and feeling things that are not truly there.
Delusions are thoughts that are not realistic. A person may have the delusion that their identity or purpose is supernatural. Paranoid delusions can be of being watched or monitored by the government or others.
The psychiatric illness that is most often associated with psychosis is schizophrenia. Psychotic symptoms can also occur with bipolar disorder and depression.
With schizophrenia, the hallucinations and delusions may be of paranoia or being persecuted. Sometimes, the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia can seem random.
Psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression are related to the mood disturbance. Psychotic symptoms of depression or depressive episodes can be much more severe than suicidal thoughts.
A severely depressed person may have auditory hallucinations of voices telling the person that they are going to kill themselves. The person may have homicidal delusions of perceiving earth as hell and the need to save a loved one by killing them and sending them to heaven.
Mania causes hallucinations and delusions related to euphoria and grandiosity. The person may have a delusion that they have superpowers or have been chosen by God or another supernatural being.
Psychotic symptoms are not common symptoms of bipolar disorder or depression. People may experience psychotic symptoms only during the worst depressive or manic episodes of their lives and will not experience them again.
Treatment for psychosis typically includes anti-psychotic medication such as Haldol. If the person is resistant to taking the medication regularly, Haldol injections may be prescribed. Often, a Haldol injection is only needed on a monthly basis.
The psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder typically subside once the bipolar disorder or depression is stabilized. It may be hard for people to understand that the hallucinations and delusions are realistic to the person at the time they are experienced. If the person is having periods of psychosis and periods without psychosis, the person may develop anxiety and be fearful and frustrated about the psychotic symptoms.






