quick questions....

[confusedmama]

Is there a difference between psychosis and psychotic episodes?

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi Confused,

There is a difference psychosis and psychotic episodes.

Having a psychosis is having an ongoing mental illness in which you are have symptoms that cause you to be out of touch with reality.

A psychotic episode is just what it says: Its a short period of time in which a person experiences psychotic symptoms. It can be symptomatic of a deeper mental illness or it can be an extreme response to stress. If the cirumstances are right, anyone can have a brief psychotic episode.

Hope this helps

Allan:)

[Luna-]

I became psychotic when I had lithium toxicity.

[confusedmama]

I guess the question I have is she is not "psychotic" all the time, only when she has these breakdowns as I call them. Now even tho she tests ormally while she is medicated and semi normal does not mean she would test the same if they took her off the anti psychotics and mood stabilizers. Could they be. Getting this wrong??

[mscat]

if the meds she is taknig has helped her become stablized then this is a good thing.

I am also on anti depreassants, mood stabilizer, and just begun taking An anti psyhotic.

[confusedmama]

But they are now saying she ISN'T psychotic. So why the antipsychotics?

[mscat]

Is her behavior calmer and stable while taking the medicine? i thought in one of your earlier posts she did need them ? Did abothr Dr, say she does not need the medicine ?

not all antipsuchotics work the same for each person, esp. in a child. I would talk to her Pdoc and ask ... is she is a danger to herself and to others while not on them , thn perhaps that is why ?

[confusedmama]

I feel she needs them. Without them she is suicidal and homocidal. But they r telling me now she doesn't need them. Its like they want her to lash out so she does something that can't be taken back or undone.