Reviewed by: Xueling Yang (Pearl River Hospital, Southern Medical University)
Transient psychosis is a symptom described by a doctor as sudden but lasting only a short time, i.e. less than 1 month. After that, there is usually a full recovery.
There are three basic types of transient psychotic disorders:
Transient psychosis (also known as transient reactive psychosis) with a significant stressor: usually occurs shortly after trauma or major stress, such as the death of a loved one, an accident, an attack, or a natural disaster.
Usually a response to a major stressful event.
Transient psychotic disorder without obvious stressors: may occur in the absence of significant trauma or stress triggers.
Transient psychiatric disorders that occur in postpartum episodes: this type occurs only in women and usually occurs within 4 weeks of delivery.
1, Symptoms
The most notable symptoms include:
Hallucinations: Perception may arise when hearing or seeing things that do not exist, or even when nothing is touching the body.
Delusional: Refusal to let go of false beliefs, even if they are aware of their wrongfulness.
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Other symptoms are:
Disorders of thinking;
Words or language have no meaning;
Unusual behavior and dress;
Memory problems;
Disorientation or confusion;
Changes in dietary or sleep habits, energy levels, or weight;
Unable to make a decision.
Second, the reason
It is unclear what causes transient psychosis to occur. Experts believe there may be a genetic relationship because the disease is more common in people with a family history of psychosis or mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorders).
Another theory is that poor coping styles can trigger illness when defending against or avoiding extremely fearful or stressful events.
Most often, the disease is triggered by a major stress or traumatic event. For individual women, childbirth can be a trigger.
How common are transient psychosis?
Transient mental disorder is rare. It generally occurs in people aged 20 to 30 years, and is more common in women than in men.
People with conditions such as antisocial personality disorder or paranoid personality disorder are more likely to develop the disease.
4. Diagnosis
If symptoms develop, doctors take a medical and psychiatric history, and perform a simple physical examination, possibly a blood test and a urine test to rule out other causes (such as substance abuse such as alcohol). In rare cases, if the doctor thinks that there may be a brain structure abnormality based on the results of the physical examination, a brain imaging test (such as magnetic resonance imaging) may also be required.
If no physical cause of symptoms is found, a psychiatrist or psychologist may use specially designed interview and evaluation tools to determine whether there is mental illness.
5. Treatment
Transient psychotics may receive medication to treat psychotic symptoms and may also receive psychotherapy (a type of talk therapy).
If symptoms are severe or there is a possibility of harming yourself or others, you may need to be hospitalized for a period of time. The earlier the treatment, the better the outcome.
Medication: Doctors may prescribe antipsychotic medications to relieve or eliminate symptoms to treat transient mental disorders.
Psychotherapy: Also known as "talk therapy". The goal is to help patients identify and manage the condition or event that triggers a mental disorder.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any drugs specifically for the treatment of transient psychosis. Doctors often prescribe antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia, including:
Chlorpromazine;
Fluphenazine;
Haloperidol;
Loxapine;
Fennei jing;
Triflurazine;
Thioritidazine;
Thiothixene。
Newer drugs that doctors call "atypical antipsychotics" include:
Aripiprazole;
Clozapine;
Lurasidone；
Olanzapine;
Paliperidone;
Quetiapine;
Risperidone;
Zilasidone.
If there is significant anxiety or sleep problems, the doctor may prescribe tranquilizers such as diazepam and lorazepam.
Sixth, the ending
By definition, a transient mental disorder lasts less than 1 month, after which most patients make a full recovery.
The disease is extremely rare, but in individual patients, multiple episodes may occur.
If symptoms persist for more than 6 months, doctors may consider having schizophrenia.
Can transient psychosis be prevented?
It can't be prevented, but early diagnosis and treatment helps get life, family, and other relationships back on track as quickly as possible.
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