Psychosis

A generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People experiencing psychosis may report hallucinations or delusional beliefs, and may exhibit personality changes and disorganized thinking. This may be accompanied by unusual or bizarre behavior, as well as difficulty with social interaction and impairment in carrying out the activities of daily living. People with schizophrenia have terrifying symptoms such as hearing voices, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. They typically have enduring problems with memory, attention, and problem solving. Other less obvious symptoms are social isolation, problems understanding social interactions and knowing how to behave in social situations, and unusual speech and behavior.