The main causes and factors for the development of reactive psychoses. The clinical picture of this mental disorder and its types. The main approaches to treatment. Reactive psychosis is a mental disorder that manifests itself as a result of a strong emotional shake, a traumatic situation or other factor that unsettles life. Its manifestations can be completely different, depending on the individual characteristics of a person's personality, his character and temperament.
Description and mechanism of development of reactive psychosis
In response to any important factor in life, which is a strong mental shock, reactive psychosis can develop. Thus, the subconscious reacts to external circumstances in the most acute way.
It must be emphasized that not every person develops a similar response. For some people, a certain situation will actually be a shock, while for others it will be just an event in life. Also, a person's psychological reactivity plays an important role, that is, his ability to emotionally react to important events.
People who have other mental illnesses or disorders are also prone to this. They are more sensitive to psychological and behavioral issues in their lives.
In fact, the most important component in the pathogenesis of reactive psychoses is mental asthenization. At its core, this is a process of exhaustion, which can be provoked by psychogenic and somatogenic factors. A person literally does not have enough resources to form the correct reaction to an event in life, and therefore reactive psychosis develops.
For the development of delusional symptoms, the environment and conditions in which a person lives are important. Against the background of increased stress, certain ideas begin to form that do not have a specific meaning, but are very sharply evaluated by a person. In addition, these delusional ideas are emotionally saturated and have a specific affective connotation - anger, grief, fear.
The main causes of reactive psychosis
The causes of reactive psychoses can be a lot of factors that are individual in each case. There are predisposing conditions in which the development of this disorder is more likely:
- Psychopathic personality … Characterological features in the form of hysterical, emotionally unstable components.
- Infectious diseases … Past infections, especially those that affect the brain, can leave residual changes in the tissues.
- Trauma … Traumatic brain injuries cause organic changes in the brain.
- Intoxication … Poisons, heavy metals can negatively affect the human psyche.
- Overwork … Mental or physical exercise depletes the body's capacity and disrupts brain function.
- Hormonal changes … In adolescence or with menopause, hormonal changes are observed. At the same time, fluctuations in the emotional state of a person are noted.
The specific factor that causes reactive psychosis can be any psychological shock. Most often this is a loss, namely the death of a loved one, divorce or separation. It can also be an arrest, fire, flood or other element. After the shock, the person can suffer reactive psychosis.
Almost all important events in life can be a prerequisite for the development of this disorder, even if they are not so negative. For example, it can be an upcoming wedding celebration, the birth of a child. In addition, information about somatic disorders plays an important role. The moment when a person learns about a terrible illness, disability or other factor can be the starting point for a psychopathological reaction.
Age and gender should also be considered. For example, adolescents are more vulnerable to reactive psychosis because they are more sensitive to events in their lives. They are characterized by hysterical features and a tendency to worry hard about any problem. Compared to men, women are much more likely to develop this mental disorder. They react in a special way to everything that happens and tend to interpret everything in their own way.
Signs of a person's reactive psychosis
A feature of reactive psychosis is its course. That is, it arises due to a specific event in life and passes without a trace after a while. This disorder is characterized by an acute onset, which occurs immediately after a traumatic situation. Before this, specific changes in the psyche do not occur, the person behaves absolutely normally and does not reveal any emotional and behavioral symptoms.
After the development of a specific clinical picture, psychosis lasts for some time. Reactive psychosis is a reversible disorder that is completely reduced. Most often this happens after reducing the intensity of a traumatic situation, resigning to it, or looking for distractions.
The famous psychiatrist Karl Jaspers in 1913 identified a triad of signs of reactive psychosis:
- The reactive state of a person is caused exclusively by a traumatic situation;
- This situation is reflected in the clinical symptoms and their content;
- The reactive state of a person is reduced as soon as the cause disappears.
The specific clinical picture develops depending on the type of reactive psychosis. For example, depression will manifest as low mood, general apathy, and slow thinking and movement. The paranoid version of reactive psychosis will be characterized by the presence of delusional ideas and even hallucinatory symptoms.
Varieties and forms of reactive psychoses
The symptoms of reactive psychosis may differ from person to person due to the characterological characteristics of each person. Depending on the variant of this disorder, the clinical picture of the disease will change. Distinguish between hyperkinetic and hypokinetic forms of reactive psychoses.
The first of them is manifested by psychomotor agitation, increased motor reactions and productive symptoms. The person is in a state of hyperactivity and is in constant motion.
The hypokinetic form is manifested by a characteristic stupor and inhibition of psychoemotional reactions. In some cases, numbness is observed, which is due to psychological factors. Speech impairment is also possible.
Sometimes these two forms alternately change, causing cyclical changes in the psyche and behavior of a person. At the same time, a clouding of consciousness is observed. For the entire period of reactive psychosis, retrograde amnesia can develop, which manifests itself in partial or complete form.
Distinguish the following classification of disorders depending on the duration of exposure to the traumatic factor:
- Acute reactive psychosis … This is an extremely acute shock reaction to a traumatic factor that develops immediately after its impact. Most often observed with a direct immediate threat to a person's life.
- Subacute reactive psychosis … This type of reaction is characterized by a less immediate onset. The person has little time to think about the event and form a ready-made reaction. It manifests itself most often in the form of paranoid, reactive depression or hysterical psychosis.
- Prolonged reactive psychosis … This condition is formed with prolonged exposure to a traumatic factor. In conditions of constant chronic stress, a person begins to develop a variety of delusional ideas, to experience depressive states.
In the international classification, reactive psychoses are not classified under one heading. Since the clinical picture can manifest itself in different ways, the disorder is attributed to different categories of psychiatric diseases:
- Reactive depression … The constitutional personality traits of some people predispose to the development of depressive reactions to various traumatic situations in life. For this variant of the disorder, depression, a feeling of hopelessness and hopelessness in the near future will be characteristic. Sleep disturbances in the form of insomnia are common. At this time, there is an influx of thoughts that are focused on the events that have occurred. All attention is fixed on the past, a person constantly remembers what happened, and dwells on it. The problem is that reactive depression becomes the main idea and dominant feeling over time. Unlike the endogenous process, there is no daily mood swings in this disorder.
- Ganser syndrome … Reactive psychosis can develop in the form of a hysterical twilight clouding of consciousness. In addition, there is a loss of human orientation in space and time. He behaves defiantly, demonstratively. The questions posed are answered incorrectly, even if they are elementary and simple. Speech is characterized by absolute absurdity and illogicality. From the outside, it may seem as if the person is mimicking the symptoms of a severe mental illness. Can talk about hallucinations and other signs. Very often, after the end of a specific period of hysterical twilight clouding of consciousness, partial or complete amnesia occurs.
- Pseudodementia … This condition is also called false dementia. In this case, the orientation in time and space is grossly violated. A person gives deliberately incorrect answers to questions. Behavioral disorders are also observed, that is, there is illogicality, facial expressions do not correspond to the situation, grimaces are noted. In fact, all the signs of dementia are observed, only they develop very quickly. The speech is not connected with each other, the articulation is lively. Sentences are constructed in violation of grammatical and semantic content.
- Hysterical stupor … It is a type of reactive hysterical psychosis. It is manifested by general lethargy and a stopping state. In this case, there is a strong tension in all the muscles of the body. Even changing the situation is not easy at all. A person catches in one position and does not give in to external influences. A mimic mask forms on the face, which can cause grief, grief, or other feelings of suffering. After the situation is resolved, there is a gradual disappearance of all symptoms. In this case, even partial pseudoparalysis or tremors in the limbs may be noted.
- Paranoid … Another name is reactive delusional psychosis. It develops in the form of a system of delusional ideas, when a person argues illogically and draws the wrong conclusions. The fact is that in this case, a person's thinking changes. Over time, all his ideas and judgments begin to acquire a paralogical connotation. However, he cannot critically perceive his own behavior.
Features of the treatment of reactive psychoses in humans
For reactive psychosis, treatment must necessarily be supervised by a qualified specialist. When the first symptoms occur, you should seek help from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist. The earlier treatment is started, the faster reactive psychosis is reduced. To begin with, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the disease, then proceed to drug and psychotherapeutic treatment.
Drug treatment
Pharmacological drugs for reactive psychosis are used in the form of symptomatic therapy. With their help, specific signs of the disease are eliminated, which are individually manifested in each person.
Basically, several groups of drugs are used:
- Antipsychotics … They are powerful antipsychotics that can eliminate delusional ideas, hallucinatory experiences. Most often, Haloperidol, Triftazin, Klopiksol are prescribed.
- Tranquilizers … With their help, psychomotor agitation with motor reactions is eliminated, which are observed in the hyperkinetic version of reactive psychosis. They remove anxiety and fear, which is often observed in the clinical picture of this disorder. The most commonly used drugs are the benzodiazepine series.
- Antidepressants … These funds are used exclusively in the presence of depressive symptoms as part of the symptom complex of reactive psychosis. Their appointment must be strictly adjusted due to the biochemical characteristics of interaction with drugs from other groups. The most commonly used drugs are Amitriptyline, Clomipramine, and Fluoxetine.
Important! The appointment of a specific psychotropic drug should be carried out by a psychiatrist. Self-medication can have an extremely negative effect on a person's mental state.
Psychotherapeutic treatment
In fact, psychotherapy remains the main method of therapy for reactive psychosis. In the absence of productive psychotic symptoms in this disorder, using several sessions, you can get rid of the consequences of the reaction to a traumatic situation.
An experienced psychotherapist will help identify specific causes from the past on which a person's attention is fixed. First, the main factors that support the symptoms are examined. It is to them that specific psychotherapeutic assistance will be directed.
A specialist will help you develop the right protective responses against stress. The main task of the sessions is to help a person adapt to everyday life. The psychotherapist focuses his activities around excessive concentration on problems and transfers it to more important and relevant moments in the patient's life.
Prevention of reactive psychosis
It is very important, after the completion of reactive psychosis, to prevent its relapse. If a person came out of this state, measures should be taken that would not allow him to get sick again.
To do this, you need to adhere to some rules:
- Microclimate … Stress and traumatic situations should be avoided.
- Support … It is very important to feel support from loved ones.
- Mode … You need to adhere to a certain routine of sleep and wakefulness. Overwork should be avoided and proper rest should be ensured.
- The diet … A prerequisite for the prevention of reactive psychosis is proper nutrition. It must contain all the necessary vitamins, nutrients, trace elements.
How to treat reactive psychosis - watch the video:
Reactive psychosis is a mental shock that, with inappropriate treatment, can spill over into more serious disorders. If the slightest signs of this disease appear, you should seek qualified help. For reactive psychosis, the symptoms of the disease are serious risk factors for other mental illnesses.
