Difference between Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Steel Maiden · 02-05-2010, 05:29 PM

I have found many people diagnosed with psychosis or schizophrenia here. I know the ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria and differences between the two, but I would like your views on what the differences are.

If you have psychosis, do you believe you have schizophrenia or is there a difference?

Sorry if this post is stupid. Its just that I have had diagnosis ping pong for a few years until they landed on paranoid schizophrenia.

Bear · 02-05-2010, 06:47 PM

I was diagnosed with psychosis first and then schizophrenia.
I actually asked my fiance this a while ago (she's a mental health nurse) and she said that schizophrenia is a specific kind of psychosis. Psychosis is a broader term which covers different illnesses.
At least thats what I think she said, I didn't quite understand to be honest.

(BTW, I love the term diagnosis "ping pong", not heard that one before!)

mikey · 02-05-2010, 06:54 PM

I always thought that psychosis was a feature of schizophrenia, but suffering from psychosis did not necessarily mean that you are schizophrenic.

Bear · 02-05-2010, 07:04 PM

I think I'm mixing up psychosis and psychoses...

Zurg · 02-05-2010, 07:35 PM

When i was first hospitalised they thought i had developed psychosis due to severer depression. The 2nd time i was hospitalised i was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic.

I've met people who had psychosis but not schizophrenia. The difference to me seemed like that when they were not psychotic they seemed not to suffer with negative symptoms and the like......

dark faery princess · 02-05-2010, 07:48 PM

I dont actually have either, but I think what you said bear is about right. Also psychoses is just the plural of psychosis so you're still right.
x

02-05-2010, 09:36 PM

yeah i've always understood it as psychosis is just one aspect of schizophrenia. Like psychosis can be an aspect of bipolar disorder, psychotic depression, schizoaffective disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and so forth. The labels of course get confusing, but basically kind of like how both a person with bipolar and a person with depressive disorder can both be depressed, but their illnesses affect their life quite differently. Many illnesses share symptoms. So yeah that's my understanding of it.

Steel Maiden · 02-05-2010, 10:20 PM

These posts are all very good and intruiging.

I was diagnosed with psychosis NOS and then a few other things, then eventually paranoid schizophrenia when they realised I wasn't recovering as well as I used to between relapses.

I think you all have good points. I attribute my para schiz diagnosis due to the fact that when I am ill, I am floridly psychotic, but in between I show negative symptoms as well as moderate psychotic symptoms. I never really recover you see.

Thank you to all.