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Definition of Schizophrenic Psychosis

Psychosis is a break with reality; it is the inability to distinguish what is real from what is illusory. According to Schizophrenia.com, several types of mental disorders feature psychosis, and it is the main feature of schizophrenia. Psychosis is considered a "positive" symptom of schizophrenia; that is, it is characterized by perceptions, behaviors and thoughts that are present only in people who are mentally ill and do not exist in the mentally healthy. Schizophrenic psychosis can present in different forms: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and speech, grossly disorganized behavior and catatonic behavior.

  1. Hallucinations

    • Hallucinations can occur through any or all of the five senses. Auditory hallucinations, the most common type, produce voices that give instruction, make commands, criticize you, mock you, offer a running commentary on your activities or even speak among themselves. You may also experience hallucinations that are visual (seeing things that aren't there), tactile (feeling things or being touched by something that isn't present), olfactory (smelling things that aren't there) and gustatory (tasting things that aren't there).

    Delusions

    • Delusions are strongly held false beliefs. If you are delusional, you may experience paranoid delusions (the belief that people are trying to hurt you or undermine you), somatic delusions (false beliefs about your own body, like an illness or the presence of a microchip), religious delusions (the belief that you have a special relationship with God or that you are a holy figure), referential delusions (the belief that people, situations or objects in your environment have some relation to you when they do not), delusions of grandeur (the belief that you are famous, or that you posses special powers or abilities), or erotomanic delusions (the belief that you have relationships that you do not have).

    Disorganized Thinking and Speech

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, this feature is characterized by disorganized, illogical thought processes that reveal themselves through incoherent communication to others (garbled speech, jumping from one topic to another, made-up words) and by talking to yourself or to imaginary people (hallucinations).

    Grossly Disorganized Behavior

    • Grossly disorganized behavior is characterized by behavior that feels normal to the schizophrenic but that appears bizarre to to other people, and can vary in degree from childlike and silly to aggressive and violent. You may dress inappropriately, engage in public sex, exhibit sudden anger or laughter, or confront people for no apparent reason.

    Catatonic Behavior

    • Catatonic behavior is characterized by the absence of awareness or reaction to the world around you. If you are catatonic, you may avoid eye contact, lack facial expression, appear stiff and motionless, assume bizarre positions or exhibit strange bodily movements. You may also react to situations in an inappropriate manner, such as laughing at a funeral.

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