Psychosis is a mental disorder that significantly disrupts an individual's ability to handle daily life demands. More specifically, it represents a severe disturbance in thought processes where the ability to distinguish reality is significantly compromised. Symptoms may involve hallucinations—seeing, hearing, smelling, or tasting things that aren't present—paranoia, and delusional thinking. The persistence of these symptoms varies depending on the underlying condition, as they can be either continuous or intermittent. Psychosis can arise from brain injuries or diseases and is notably associated with conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. While drug use might lead to psychotic-like symptoms, this does not constitute true psychosis. Diagnosis involves both observation and interview. Treatment typically involves medication, including modern, safer antipsychotics such as risperidone (Risperdal) or older ones like haloperidol (Haldol). For cases unresponsive to medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can sometimes be effective.
