Psychosis refers to a loss of contact with reality, during which hallucinations or delusions may occur. It occurs with some mental illnesses. Treatment is available.Whatispsychosis?MedicallyreviewedbyMarneyA.White,PhD,MS—WrittenbyMarkusMacGill—UpdatedonSeptember29,2020Whatispsychosis?SymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentTypesTakeawayPsychosisinvolvesalossofcontactwithrealityandcanfeaturehallucinationsanddelusions.Itisasymptomofschizophreniaandbipolardisorder,buttherearemanyothercauses.Inthisarticle,learnmoreaboutpsychosis,includingwhatcausesitandthetreatmentoptionsavailable.Whatispsychosis?ShareonPinterestCreditImage:Motortion/GettyImagesPsychosisaffectshowapersonthinksandtheirperceptions.Theirsensesmayseemtodetectthingsthatdonotexist,andtheymayfinditdifficulttodeterminewhatisrealandtrue.Peoplewithpsychosismay:hearvoicesseepeopleoritemsthatarenottheresmellodorsthatotherpeoplecannotdetectTheymayalsobelievethattheyareintrouble,someoneischasingthem,ortheyareveryimportantwhenthesesituationsarenotthecase.Apersonmaynotbeawarethattheyhavepsychosisbecausethedelusionsfeelrealtothem.Psychosiscanbeoverwhelmingandconfusing.Sometimes,thesymptomscancausethepersontoharmthemselves.Inrarecases,theymayhurtanotherperson.Psychosisisoneofthekeysymptomsofschizophrenia.SymptomsofpsychosisThesignsandsymptomsofpsychosisinclude:Hallucinations:Thepersonhears,sees,smells,tastes,orfeelsthingsthatdonotexist.Delusions:Theindividualbelievesthingsthatarefalse,andtheymayhaveunfoundedfearsorsuspicions.Disorganizedthinking,speech,andbehavior:Thepersonmayjumpbetweenunrelatedtopicsinspeechandthought,makingconnectionsthatappearillogicaltootherpeople.Theirspeechmaymakenosensetoothers.Catatonia:Thepersonmaybecomeunresponsive.Unusualpsychomotorbehavior:Thepersonmakesunintentionalmovements,suchaspacing,tapping,andfidgeting.Thepersonmayalsoexperience:moodchangesdifficultyfocusingsleepproblemsDependingonthecause,psychosiscanappearquicklyorslowly.Itcanalsobemildorsevere.Insomecases,itmaybemildwhenitfirstappearsbutbe