What Are Psychotic Symptoms?

Psychotic symptoms are severe mental disturbances that affect a person’s thinking, emotions, and perception of reality. They can include:

  • Hallucinations: False sensory perceptions, like hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there.
  • Delusions: Strongly held false beliefs, often paranoid or grandiose in nature.
  • Disorganized thinking: Difficulty organizing thoughts, leading to incoherent speech or irrational ideas.
  • Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior: Exhibiting unusual, unpredictable behavior.
  • Negative symptoms: Reduced emotional expression, social withdrawal, and lack of motivation.

Psychotic symptoms can be associated with conditions like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or severe forms of bipolar disorder, and they typically require medical evaluation and treatment.