What is the Difference Between Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Psychosis and schizophrenia are two related mental conditions. This is because psychosis can be a symptom of schizophrenia. They both have a major impact on mental health. Moreover, both these conditions cause people to experience and function in the world differently than an average person. However, they have different aetiologies and may not be the same,

The key difference between psychosis and schizophrenia is their symptoms. Psychosis is a condition that results in disconnection from reality, while schizophrenia is a condition that distorts how a person thinks, acts, feels, and behaves.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Psychosis 
3. What is Schizophrenia
4. Similarities – Psychosis and Schizophrenia
5. Psychosis vs Schizophrenia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Psychosis vs Schizophrenia
7. FAQ – Psychosis and Schizophrenia

What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is a condition of the mind. It results in difficulties in determining what is real and what is not real. Psychosis can be caused by mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and other triggers such as a traumatic experience, drug misuse, alcohol misuse, etc. The main three symptoms of psychosis include hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thinking and speaking.

Figure 01: Psychosis

Psychosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, and psychological investigations. Furthermore, treatment options for psychosis can depend on the cause and involve a combination of antipsychotic medicine, talking therapies, and social support.

What is Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric condition.  This condition disrupts how the brain works, which leads to interfering with things like thoughts, memory, senses, and behaviors. The five main symptoms of schizophrenia are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized or incoherent speaking, disorganized or unusual movements, and a reduction or loss of your ability to do things as expected. Moreover, schizophrenia can be caused by imbalances in chemical signals the brain uses for cell-to-cell communications, brain development problems before birth, and loss of connections between different areas of the brain.

Figure 02: Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia can be diagnosed through physical examination, psychological evaluation, imaging tests (CT scan, MRI), blood tests, urine tests, cerebrospinal tests, and electroencephalogram (EEG). Furthermore, treatment options for schizophrenia may include medications such as antipsychotics, medications to reduce the side effects of antipsychotics such as tremors, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Similarities Between Psychosis and Schizophrenia

1. Psychosis and schizophrenia are two related mental illnesses.
2. Psychosis can be a symptom of schizophrenia.
3. Both conditions may have similar characteristics, such as delusions and hallucinations.
4. These conditions can be diagnosed through physical examinations, blood tests, and psychological evaluation.
5. They can be treated through medications and therapies.

Difference Between Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Definition

1. Psychosis is a condition that results in difficulties in determining what is real and what is not real.
2. Schizophrenia is a condition that affects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, and perceives reality.

Causes

1. Psychosis can be caused by a mental or physical condition, alcohol or drug use, or a traumatic event.
2. Schizophrenia can be caused by imbalances in chemical signals in the brain, brain development problems before birth, and loss of connections between different areas of the brain.

Symptoms

1. The symptoms of psychosis include hearing voices that aren’t there, seeing things that aren’t there, false beliefs, and thinking that the thoughts and behaviors are being controlled by something or someone else.
2. The symptoms of schizophrenia include experiencing paranoia, hearing or seeing things that aren’t there, thinking in an unusual way, having and expressing muted emotions, difficulty in making decisions, becoming socially withdrawn, and difficulty in paying attention.

Diagnosis

1. Psychosis can be diagnosed through questionnaires, medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and psychological investigations.
2. Schizophrenia can be diagnosed through physical examination, psychological evaluation, imaging tests (CT scan, MRI), blood tests, urine tests, cerebrospinal tests, and electroencephalogram (EEG).

Treatment

1. The treatment options for psychosis are taking antipsychotics like Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Abilify and psychotherapy.
2. The treatment options for schizophrenia are taking antipsychotic medication, psychotherapy, family therapy, and art/expressive therapy.

The following table summarizes the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia.

Summary – Psychosis vs Schizophrenia

Psychosis and schizophrenia are two related mental illnesses. Psychosis affects the way the brain processes information and causes people to lose touch with reality, while schizophrenia disrupts how the brain works and interferes with things like thoughts, memory, senses, and behaviors. This summarizes the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia.

FAQ: Psychosis and Schizophrenia

1. What are the signs and symptoms of psychosis?

• The signs and symptoms of psychosis include suspiciousness, paranoid ideas, or uneasiness with others, becoming socially withdrawn and spending more time alone, trouble thinking clearly, unusual or overly intense ideas, strange feelings, decline in self-care or personal hygiene, disruption in sleep patterns, difficulty telling reality from fantasy, confused speech, and sudden drop in grades or job performance.

2. Which doctors treat psychosis?

• A diagnosis of psychosis is best made by a mental health professional (like a psychiatrist). Psychiatrists take information from the person, including examining medical and family history and doing a physical examination to diagnose the state.

3. What is the best therapy for psychosis?

• The best therapy form for psychosis is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It helps to understand how people make sense of their experiences and why some people become distressed by them. The other treatments include taking antipsychotic medications.

4. What are the main symptoms of schizophrenia?

• The main symptoms of schizophrenia can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble in processing information and thinking, and lack of motivation.

5. Is schizophrenia treatable?

• Lifelong treatment with medicines and psychosocial therapy can help manage the symptoms of schizophrenia, but there is no proper cure for it. The other treatments include family therapy, art/expressive therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

 Reference:

1. “Psychosis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment.” WebMD.
2. “Schizophrenia: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Depressed Woman” (CC0) via Pexels.com

2. “Schizophrenia” By NIH Image Gallery (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr

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