Psychosis is a break with reality. Psychotic disorders are rare but serious conditions that cause psychosis and other symptoms. They’re ongoing and often severe and disabling.

Psychosis symptoms include:

• Delusions: Thoughts or false beliefs that aren’t based in reality. You may believe a celebrity is in love with you or aliens are trying to contact you.
• Hallucinations: These are false perceptions. Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there. You may hear voices bullying you or telling you what to do.
• Speech issues: During a psychotic episode, you may use made-up words or your speech may not make sense.
• Unusual behavior: You may not act like yourself or say or do things that go against social norms.

Psychotic disorder or psychosis makes everyday life extremely hard. School, work, and family life are a struggle. It’s difficult to see that you need help and to stay on treatment.

Schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder. It often starts between the ages of 16 and 30.

Along with psychosis, schizophrenia symptoms include:

• “Negative” emotions: You may feel depressed, withdrawn, or have problems showing emotion. Doctors may describe this as catatonic behavior.
• Cognitive symptoms: You may have problems thinking or processing information. You may have trouble paying attention or making decisions.

Other types of psychotic disorders include:

• Schizoaffective disorder: You have schizophrenic symptoms along with depression, mania, or both.
• Schizophreniform disorder: Symptoms of schizophrenia that last 1 – 6 months.
• Brief psychotic disorder: One or more symptoms of psychosis start suddenly. They last up to 1 month and then go away for good. Often triggered by severe emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one.
• Delusional disorder: When you have one or more non-bizarre delusions. These are false beliefs that could happen in real life.
• Substance-induced psychotic disorder: Mind-altering drugs or medicines can bring on psychosis. Uncontrolled substance use disorder plays a role, too. Symptoms of psychosis often go away when you get and stay sober.

There’s no specific cause for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Genetics, brain chemistry, and environment may all play a role. People without a psychotic disorder may also develop symptoms of psychosis.

Medical causes of psychosis include:

• Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or dementia
• PTSD and trauma
• Severe (psychotic) depression and bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Postpartum psychosis
• Brain tumors
• Traumatic brain injury
• Stroke

When psychosis may be due to a health issue, we find the best doctors to help. For example, people with psychosis related to an age-related health issue may get referred to Carilion’s Center for Healthy Aging.

How we treat psychosis depends on its cause. Before we start any treatment, we run complete mental and behavioral tests to determine the cause of your symptoms.

Treatments may include:

• Medicines: Antipsychotics can help you get better. They come as a pill or a shot. If you don’t respond well to antipsychotics, your doctors may try other medicines.
• Outpatient therapy: Outpatient therapy for psychotic disorders includes family therapy and support groups.
• Procedures: Brain stimulation procedures can help with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. They disrupt the brain activities that cause mental health symptoms. They’re an option when other options don’t work or stop working.
• Emergency care: A mental health crisis needs emergency care. Someone with psychosis may harm themselves or others or misuse alcohol or drugs. Carilion’s emergency departments have an emergency psychiatry team ready.
• ED bridge: Our ED Bridge to Treatment can provide on-the-spot care for a substance use disorder. We connect you to outpatient care to start you on the road to recovery.
• Inpatient care: During a crisis, you may need to stay in the hospital. We'll keep you safe, help you heal, and create a care plan. We help you move toward your goals so you can return home as soon as possible.

If you or a loved one is in crisis or has thoughts of self-harm or suicide, call Carilion CONNECT at 540-981-8181 or toll-free at 800-284-8898. You can also call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.