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Reactive psychosis is a short-term psychotic disorder that may appear in response to severe stress caused by, for example, illness, accident, death of a loved one. Symptoms of reactive psychosis resemble schizophrenic states - the patient has hallucinations and delusions, but unlike chronic schizophrenia, these disorders disappear spontaneously after the stress factor subsides. See what the symptoms and causes of reactive psychosis are.

Reactive psychosisbelongs to a wide spectrum of psychotic disorders, i.e. those in which there are thoughts, feelings and emotions unrelated to reality. At the same time, this type of psychosis is reactive in nature, which means that the basis for its development is a sudden, strong stress reaction (psychological shock) caused by some traumatic event.

In the ICD-10 disease classification, reactive psychosis has the symbol F23.9 - "Acute and transient psychotic disorders, unspecified."

Reactive psychosis - causes

Reactive psychosis is caused by reactive factors, ie situations in which there is a risk of losing or losing some values ​​that are valuable to the patient. They concern the he alth and life of one's own and loved ones, personal freedom, accumulated material goods, social position, etc. If a person is deprived of them or there is a high risk of losing them, such a situation strongly affects his emotional sphere and leaves a permanent mark on the psyche.

In practice, the factor triggering reactive psychosis may be the death or illness of a loved one, a traffic accident, being a victim of a crime, dismissal from work, loss of property or the current social position. All the above-mentioned events may cause a psychological shock, which in turn leads to the development of psychotic symptoms.

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Reactive psychosis and schizophrenia

What distinguishes reactive psychosis from schizophrenia is the duration of the symptoms of the disease - in the case of psychosis it is short and ranges from a few days to 1 month. Schizophrenia is a chronic disease and is diagnosed when psychotic symptoms persist for more than a month.

The treatment of both conditions is also radically different - schizophrenia requires pharmacological treatment for at least 1-2 years(and in the case of relapse, 3-5 years). Reactive psychosis usually does not require treatment - it goes away on its own and does not come back again.

Reactive psychosis - symptoms

In the course of reactive psychosis, there are disturbances in the perception of reality in the form of hallucinations and delusions, which are characteristic of the entire group of psychotic disorders. They appear suddenly, within a few days (maximum 2 weeks), and are acute.

Hallucinationsare sensory experiences (regarding sight, hearing, smell, touch) that are not related to reality, but are felt by the patient as real. For example, a person with psychosis may see people or objects that are not there, hear imaginary sounds, smell non-existent smells, etc.

Delusionsrelate to the realm of thinking and consist in having beliefs and judgments that are not confirmed by reality. Even though they often sound absurd, the patient is convinced that they are true. Common delusions include the belief that you are being followed or that others have bad intentions towards you.

Reactive psychosis is a single psychotic episode that does not recur after symptoms have disappeared. If it occurs a second time, schizophrenia is suspected.

In addition to the symptoms listed above, the symptoms of reactive psychosis may be:

  • tendency to panic runs
  • memory impairment
  • states of immobility
  • indifference, emotional coldness
  • mutism (the patient does not make any sounds and does not communicate with the environment despite the proper speech apparatus)
  • thinking disorder
  • fainting.

Reactive psychosis - treatment

Reactive psychosis is seen as one of the milder forms of mental disorders, both in terms of its course and degree of recovery. It usually lasts from a few days to one month and clears as the stress factor disappears. During this time, it is worth providing the sick person with psychological support, which may accelerate the return to a state of mental equilibrium. Relatives should remain calm and not get into quarrels about their he alth - accusing them and pointing out symptoms of psychosis can only worsen their condition and hinder recovery.

Pharmacological treatment is indicated when the symptoms of reactive psychosis persist for a very long time, over a month. Then there is a suspicion that the symptoms observed so far did not concern reactive psychosis, but some more advanced form of mental disorders. In such a situation it appliestherapy with antipsychotic drugs.

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Category:

Psychiatry