What is an Acute Psychotic Break?

psychotic breakAn acute psychotic break is a sudden break from reality for a person. Normally triggered by acute stress, this is a mental disorder that has baffled scientists for a very long time. This is also the direct outcome of severe mental illnesses such as delusional disorder, chronic depression, bi-polar disorder, and schizophrenia.

What Are The Causes Of Psychotic Break?

Besides the causes that are outlined above, there are many other reasons why people’s mind suddenly snaps. Here are some of the leading causes and triggers:

  • Misuse And Overuse Of Psychiatric Medication – sometimes, people take a linking to some medicines, while a dislike to others. They tend to take the medicines that they “feel” are doing them good, instead of the medicines that were prescribed by the doctor. Sometimes, people take more than necessary; and sometime they stop medication leaving the mind vulnerably to a relapse into the mental illness that the treatment was attempting to bring under control. The result is that the mind suffers an acute psychotic break.
  • Substance Abuse – very often abuse of drugs – which somehow go hand in hand with schizophrenia – are the root cause of the psychotic break. Substance abuse – which often is alcohol and illegal drugs – are one of the major reasons why recovery from schizophrenia is slow or difficult.
  • Wrong Over-the-Counter Medication – another major reason why people suddenly develop the acute psychotic break is wrong self-medication. There many drugs that are bought over the counter to help combat depression and related issues; unfortunately these drugs taken without any real knowledge of what they contain and/ or do, cause more harm than help.
  • Relapse Of Severe Mental Illness – sometimes, people who suffer from serious mental illnesses – such as bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, chronic/ acute depression – are able to gain control on their lives with the help of medication. The vision of themselves in between sane moments and schizophrenia moments, is capable to push a person over the edge.

People who snap from reality do so because they feel they are unable to cope with the stress of the present or future. This feeling, coupled with the helplessness they feel while fighting with such serious mental problems, often drive them over the edge.

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