Cause | What is schizophrenic psychosis?

Cause

A schizophrenic psychosis can occur in a known or as yet unknown schizophrenia and can be caused by various triggers, which may or may not be obvious. Basically there are people who are more prone to psychiatric illness and others who do not have this characteristic. Often, an inherited predisposition or drug use plays a role in the development or “outbreak” of the disease.

A wrong upbringing as a trigger could not be proven so far and is considered rather unlikely. One approach to explain the cause of the disease is the vulnerability stress- coping model. The name alludes to the sequence of the different phases.

At the beginning there is a certain vulnerability or susceptibility to schizophrenia due to genetic, neuropsychological reasons or disease. If there is a stress-inducing factor within the body or through the environment, this can be a possible trigger for an outbreak. These include hormonal changes as well as drug use. If the stress situation is not adequately controlled (coping), the stress is sufficient to cause the disease to break out.

Is a schizophrenic psychosis curable?

The goal of treatment for schizophrenic psychosis is to combat acute psychosis and to reduce its frequency. A cure for schizophrenia does not exist at this time. The success of therapy is also difficult to predict and depends on various factors. With the help of the right medication and other measures, it is possible to lead a life with few complaints.

What is the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia?

Psychosis and schizophrenia are two different terms that are not synonymous. A psychosis is a psychic syndrome, with different symptoms, in which reality is perceived distorted. The word “psychosis” is a generic term that includes various diseases whose symptoms are similar but have different causes.

Not only schizophrenia but also other diseases can manifest themselves as psychosis. Thus, a psychosis is conceivable as a side effect of drugs such as steroids or through drugs. Other causes are infections, brain tumors, metabolic disorders or other causes affecting the brain structure. Schizophrenia, on the other hand, is an illness that manifests itself in the form of psychosis.