WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Brief psychotic disorder (also known as brief reactive
psychosis) is a short-term break from reality. The disorder
usually strikes people between 20 and 30 years of age. With
treatment, symptoms usually disappear within a month. However,
a short hospitalization may be necessary.
Causes
A brief psychotic episode is usually triggered by a
traumatic event such as a death, assault, or rape. Previous
emotional problems increase the possibility of an episode. Some
women develop the problem after giving birth. The disorder is
NOT brought on by physical illness, and is not a reaction to
drugs.
Signs/Symptoms
This illness usually begins abruptly and disappears
within a month. Friends and family may recognize a problem
before the victim does. Warning signs
include:
-
Changes in eating or sleeping
habits, energy level, or weight
-
Confusion
-
Inability to make
decisions
-
Hallucinations
-
Delusions
-
Ideas that do not connect or
make sense
-
Repetitive
actions
-
Hours of
immobility
-
Strange statements and
behavior
Victims' reactions may not match the situation, For
example, they may laugh at bad news. Or they may fail to show
any emotion at all. Often, they stop socializing, going to work
or school, and caring for personal
hygiene.
Care
Antipsychotic medications will usually bring an end to
the episode. However, a short hospital stay may be necessary.
Shock treatments (electroconvulsive therapy) may be in order if
medications fail to bring the victim back to
reality.
Risks
Although the illness is usually brief, it can be
dangerous. Suicide is a threat, and the victim may harm others.
Early treatment can spare the patient and family much needless
hardship.
IF YOU'RE HEADING FOR THE
HOSPITAL...
What to Expect While You're
There
Treatment for an acute attack can require full-time
hospitalization in a locked inpatient unit. As symptoms
subside, you may be transferred to a partial care program in
which you are able to return home after each day's therapy.
Inpatients may wear their own clothes, but are customarily
searched for sharp objects such as scissors or nail files,
which are held in a staff office. Patients who present a danger
outside the hospital can be involuntarily hospitalized for up
to 3 days by the police or a doctor. While hospitalized, you
may encounter the following procedures.
-
Group Therapy: These meetings are somewhat like a
support group session, allowing patients to share coping
strategies. The meetings are run by medical
staff.
-
Individual Therapy: This is a time for you to meet
alone with your therapist to discuss ways of dealing with
the illness.
-
Family Meetings: In these sessions, medical staff
will prepare you and your family for your return
home.
-
Time Out: If you become unable to control yourself,
the staff may separate you from the other patients, either
in your own room or---if you seem violent---in a "safety
room."
-
Restraints: Patients who pose a danger to themselves
or others may be physically restrained with leather
bands.
-
Electroconvulsive (e-LEK-tro-kun-VUL-siv) Therapy:
For patients who become severely withdrawn or depressed,
this form of treatment can help speed recovery. Also known
as ECT or shock therapy, it applies a mild electric current
to the brain. Although the treatment temporarily disrupts
the memory, full recall typically returns within 2
weeks.
WHAT YOU SHOULD
DO
-
Be sure to take your
prescribed medication regularly. Since antipsychotic
medications can make you drowsy, be cautious when using
machinery or driving until you know how the drug affects
you. Check with your doctor before taking any other drugs,
either prescription or over-the-counter.
-
Avoid alcohol and
recreational drugs. They can interact with your medication,
causing extreme drowsiness and other potentially serious
effects.
-
Since it's hard to avoid
stress, learn to control it with such techniques as deep
breathing, relaxing muscles, meditation, or biofeedback.
Try not to bottle-up your feelings; talk to your doctors,
family, or friends and let them help you. You may also want
to join a support group.
-
Encourage those close to you
to talk to your doctor. He can give them tips on how to
respond to the situation.
Call Your Doctor
If...
-
You're unable to sleep well
or find that you are sleeping more than
usual.
-
You undergo a change in
appetite.
-
Your medicine makes you
drowsy, dizzy, or sick to your stomach.
-
You develop any twitches or
involuntary movements.
Seek Care Immediately
If...
-
You begin to have thoughts of
suicide or homicide.
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