When being treated in intensive care treatment for the mentally ill patient,
I came across the term psychotic. Thinking the worst of this particular word,
I would rebel against treatment and even be more effusive against having the
word psychosis within my diagnosis.
After many years of treatment, I finally looked up what it actually is as
defined for my disorder. The term, "psychosis" is actually used for
different symptoms. Consequently, it has different meanings depending
on the diagnosis described.
The different applications to different diagnosis were described in the
surgeon general's 1999 report on mental health issues. Apparently listed
as the first ever report on the subject. The link found to further study is:
As was read within the first and second set of twenty-five pages in
the 494 page report.
On page 42, it mentions psychotic symptoms to be- manifestations of
disturbances in the flow, processing and interpretation of information in the
central nervous system.
Close by, within this report, there is also differing explanations pertaining to:
schizophrenia- psychosis is disturbances of thought and perception.
interpreted by me, this translated into
the patient sees things differently.
bipolar or depression- psychosis is severe disturbances in expression
of affect and regulation of mood.
interpreted by me, this translated into
the patient reacts to things differently.
again, out of curiosity and hearing in lecture-
the difference between positive symptoms and negative symptoms-
in the report, it mentions:
positive symptoms are often acute...
whereas, negative symptoms are often chronic/long-term
Further study showed no known pathology and etiology explainations for
mental illness. So there are diagnoses not diseases. Clinicians have been
using a particular manual with explicit diagnostic criteria called the DSM-IV.
Sort as a compendium of all mental health disorders.
Internationally there is the ICD-9CM that the World Health Organization
and the Health Care Financing Administration use as their "official classification".
Yet, now I hear that just last year, a new set of standards has been passed
about. The DSM-5 and the ICD-10CM
To touch on a few frequently asked questions about the DSM-5 one can
use the following:
Just at a cursory glance, there are new names for classifications that might
have before sounded discriminatory and demeaning to the mental health patient.
This DSM-5 compendium manual of disorders is critical since it is rare
for a new manual to come out redefining diagnostic criteria for doctors and
clinicians.
These links are hopefully helpful for your curiosity.