Is schizophrenia psychosis

Answer 1

Technically no. The two are closely related but not the same thing. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder and the symptoms of schizophrenia fall into three broad categories: * Positive symptoms are unusual thoughts or perceptions, including hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder, and disorders of movement. *

* Negative symptoms represent a loss or a decrease in the ability to initiate plans, speak, express emotion, or find pleasure in everyday life. These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for laziness or depression. *

* Cognitive symptoms (or cognitive deficits) are problems with attention, certain types of memory, and the executive functions that allow us to plan and organize. Cognitive deficits can also be difficult to recognize as part of the disorder but are the most disabling in terms of leading a normal life. The terms positive and negative do not infer they are beneficial or not. Positive symptoms simply refer to symptoms people with the disorder exhibit that those without it do not. Negative symptoms refer to symptoms people with the disorder do not possess that those without generally do.

Psychosis on the other hand is defined as a state in which reality testing is grossly impaired. Symptoms can include seeing, hearing, smelling, or tasting things that are not there; paranoia; and delusional thoughts.

So schizophrenia is a chronic condition which may include episodes of psychosis over the course of the illness. However, one can still be schizophrenic and not currently psychotic, especially if they are being treated appropriately. Medications for treating schizophrenia are particularly good at treating psychosis, but have more mixed results in treating the negative and cognitive symptoms.

Alternatively, one can be psychotic for a number of reasons which do not include schizophrenia, in conditions such as mania, depression and drug intoxication.