In common vernacular, “psychotic” is typically used to describe unstable or irrational behavior, most frequently as a joke or an insult. Psychosis, however, is a real and diagnosable medical condition that has been heavily stigmatized by the misuse and misunderstanding of the term. Psychosis can have severe consequences on a patient’s quality of life, due not only to the psychological symptoms but also to the social challenges they face as a result of having what is frequently branded as a dangerous illness. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to learn about psychosis and psychotic disorders: what they actually are, who they affect, and what those individuals face.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, psychosis is a set of symptoms which affect the mind and cause some loss of contact with reality. People undergoing psychosis tend to experience false or alternate versions of reality, such as hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) and delusions (false beliefs, such as that someone is watching or trying to hurt them, or they are receiving secret messages). Psychosis is a component of multiple disorders, commonly schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Psychosis can also be caused due to old age, Alzheimer's, prescription drug use, and severe sleep deprivation. There are multiple different treatments available to manage psychosis, and it is entirely possible for patients with psychosis and related disorders to lead productive and fulfilling lives.
Fear surrounding psychosis has become incredibly commonplace, and this impression has not been helped by the media. Individuals with mental illnesses are most commonly depicted as isolationist and beyond saving, and those with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia are most often depicted as being violent and aggressive to those around them. Even in the news, stories involving individuals with mental illnesses are often presented so as to reinforce these negative stereotypes, in part due to the profit that comes with sensationalism.
However, a lot of these stereotypes are untrue and misleading. Psychosis may make someone hard to reason with- the affected person is witnessing a disparate version of reality, and they may be understandably bewildered or upset upon being told that what they are experiencing is not real. Put yourself in their shoes, reader- if you were certain that there was music playing somewhere in your house, music that you could hear with one hundred percent clarity, but someone told you the house was silent, how would you react? Would you believe your own senses, or the person telling you they are false? However, this inability to perceive the truth of reality does not make them inherently dangerous or destructive. People with serious mental illness are in fact more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence, and are also more likely to face verbal abuse and ostracism as a result of stigma. There can be material consequences as well- discrimination against some mental health conditions can create a barrier in finding employment, accessing public facilities and services, and securing housing.
It is also worth mentioning the racialized aspects of psychosis and related disorders. In the United States, Black and Hispanic patients are far more likely to be diagnosed with these disorders, particularly schizophrenia, than White patients. Given that schizophrenia diagnoses come with massive social burden- schizophrenia has been reported by multiple studies to be the most stigmatized psychiatric diagnosis- this causes already disenfranchised groups to suffer even more. There is no evidence to suggest that this disproportionately high rate of diagnosis is due to anything other than preexisting negative stereotypes surrounding these communities.
Negative stereotypes surrounding those affected by psychosis have turned them into the film industry’s favorite boogeymen and has reinforced the public opinion of psychosis as something deadly, dangerous, and frightening. In reality, people with psychosis are just people, and they are going through something difficult. They deserve empathy, support, and, crucially, respect. The best way to eradicate this fear is through educational outreach, which has been an ongoing effort from mental health institutions worldwide. Hopefully, with enough knowledge and compassion, we can find better words to describe someone unstable or irrational than the outdated and inaccurate label of “psychotic”.
References
7. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1098292/full Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
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