(psychosis) A condition characterized by changes in personality and thought patterns, often accompanied by hallucinations and delusional beliefs, is known as psychosis.

(psychosis) A mental disorder characterized by personality change, impaired functioning, and loss of touch with reality.

(psychosis) A mental state characterized by impaired reality which may include perceptual disturbances, abnormal beliefs and disorganized thinking.

(psychosis) A severe mental disorder in which a person loses the ability to recognize reality or relate to others. The person is not able to cope with the demands of everyday life. Symptoms include being paranoid, having false ideas about what is taking place or who one is, and seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there.

(psychosis) Severest class of psychological disorders, characterized by one or more of severe affective disturbances, profound introspection, withdrawal from reality, hallucinations, or regression.

(mental disorder) Psychiatric illness or disease whose manifestations are primarily characterized by behavioral or psychological impairment of function, measured in terms of deviation from some normative concept; associated with distress or disease, not just an expected response to a particular event or limited to relations between a person and society.

Disorders in which there is a loss of ego boundaries or a gross impairment in reality testing with delusions or prominent hallucinations. (From DSM-IV, 1994)

Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that someone is plotting against you or that the TV is sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as hearing, seeing, or feeling something that is not there. Schizophrenia is one type of psychotic disorder. People with bipolar disorder may also have psychotic symptoms. Other problems that can cause psychosis include alcohol and some drugs, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke. Treatment depends on the cause of the psychosis. It might involve drugs to control symptoms and talk therapy. Hospitalization is an option for serious cases where a person might be dangerous to himself or others.

(psychosis) A disorder characterized by personality change, impaired functioning, and loss of touch with reality. It may be a manifestation of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or brain tumor.

Mental disorder, any illness with significant psychological or behavioral manifestations that is associated with either a painful or distressing symptom or an impairment in one or more important areas of functioning. Mental disorders, in particular their consequences and their treatment, are of...