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How Common Are Psychotic Disorders?
About 1% of the population of the world suffers from psychotic disorders. These disorders most often first appear when a person is in the late teens 20s or 30s. Men and women are affected equally.
Doctors perform a complete medical history and physical exam to find out the cause of the symptoms. There are no laboratory tests to diagnose psychotic disorders except those that are associated with a physical illness; the doctor may use diverse tests, such as blood work and X-rays, to rule out a physical illness as the cause of the symptoms.
If there is no physical reason for the symptoms, a psychiatrist or psychologist, who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses must be consulted. Psychiatrists interview a person to evaluate a person for a psychotic disorder.
Most psychotic disorders are treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy. The main medications used to treat psychotic disorders are called antipsychotics. These medicines are not a cure for the illnesses, but are very effective in managing the most disturbing symptoms of psychotic disorders, such as delusions, hallucinations and thinking problems. Antipsychotics include older medications such as Haldol, Thorazine, and Mellaril and newer medications (often called atypicals) such as; Zyprex, Risperdal, Seroquel, Clozaril, Abilify, and Geodon. The newer medications --sometimes referred to as atypical antipsychotics these are the drug of choice because they have fewer side effects.
Various types of psychotherapy, including individual, group and family therapy, may be used to help assist the person. Most patients with psychotic disorders are treated as outpatients. Severe symptoms, those in danger of hurting themselves or others, or those unable to care for themselves because of their illness may require hospitalization to stabilize their condition.
Each person being treated for a psychotic disorder responds to medications and therapy differently. Some show improvement quickly. For others, it may take weeks or months to become stabilized and for the symptom to be relieved.
Some people may need to continue treatment for an extended period of time, and those who have suffered several severe episodes, may need to take medication indefinitely. In these cases, the medication usually is given in as low a dose as possible to control side effects.
The prognosis varies depending on the type of psychotic disorder and the individual. These disorders are treatable and most people have a good recovery with treatment and follow-up treatment. Some people need medication for life in order to control the psychotic symptoms depending on the disorder.
There is no known way to prevent psychotic disorders, but the symptoms can be prevented with early detection and treatment. Seeking help as soon as symptoms appear can help decrease the disruption to the person's life, family and friendships. Avoiding drugs and alcohol can prevent psychotic disorders caused by these substances
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