The Difference Between Schizophrenia and Psychosis...and types of Schizophrenia

Hello everyone. Today I will be discussing the difference between Schizophrenia and Psychosis.  I am explaining this via the excellent resource: "Diagnosis Schizophrenia": A Comprehensice Resource, which is an excellent place to find out about schizophrenia,as well as hear others feelings about their bout with schizophrenia. 
O.K. So, the difference between schizophrenia and psychosis is this: Schzophrenia is a type of psychosis, whereas Psychosis is a general term to describe psychotic symptoms. 
Psychotic symptoms include: confusion; inability to think clearly; rapid thoughts that are hard to follow; inability to pay attention or concentrate; disorganized behavior; hallucinations (hearing voices, smelling certain odors that are not actually present, absence of stimuli); extreme fear caused by a strong belief that you and your life in in imminent danger, though reasoning behind this belief is not found...and several more symptyoms as well. 
Several disorders of the brain can lead to the presence of psychotic symptoms. Some include strokes, tumors, illegal drug use, and infections.  People who are elderly may develop psychosis who have dementia. Those afflicted with BiPolar Disorder may also become psychotic.
Many psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, may display the same symptoms, and include these psychotic symptoms.
Types of Schizophrenia include:
- Paranoid type (which is the type I have been diagnosed and live with), which display frequent audiotory or one or more delusions.
- Disorganized type, which displays disorganized speech and behavior, and flat, inappropriate affect.
- Catatonic type, which displays extreme motor immobility; purposeless, excessive motor activity; inappropriate pghysical postures; and repeating words or behaviors. ( Now, I will say that I also display(ed) some of these symptoms or sihnals as well, especially the repeated words, behaviors, as well as excessive motor activity.  However, my paranoid type symptoms and behaviors are/were more prominent, there fore the diagnosis of PS).
- Undifferentiated type, which meets the general category of schizophrenia but does not fall into any of the other types (many people may fall into this category, in my opinion, based on what I have learned in talking to others afflicted with schizophrenia).
- Residual type, in which, one or more episodes of schizophrenia have occurred in the past, however, the current illness is essentially negative symptoms and mild positive symptoms. (I want to comment on this type: after being on medication, many will seem to fall into this category, as the medication (anti-psychotics, etc) begins to work, the negative symptoms still seem to occur, as well as bouts with mild positive symptoms.  However, the diagnosis you receive is when you are not on medication, and you have that type of schizophrenia, however, after medication, time, and therapy, you may find youself feeling you belong to this category, however, were you to stop (which is like suicide) taking your meds, you would end up back in your original category of diagnosis).
There is also Schizophreniform Disorder.  Meets all the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, except for duration of the symptoms is displayed. (DS:ACR). This means if the symptoms have been displayed over one month, yet less than six months, then this diagnosis is generally made. Should the symptoms last longer than a period of six months, then the diagnosis of schizophrenia is made.
There is also SchizoAffective Disorder. This can be a difficult diagnosis to determine. The person must meet all of the criteria for schizophrenia and have significant mood symptoms. ( I am very familiar with this diagnosis, as my son has been diagnosed with this disorder).  Also, the fact that the psychotic sysmptoms are not caused by the mood symptoms also must be determined.  Careful history is taken here.
Tomorrow, I will discuss, among other things, schizophrenia versus mood disorders, such as BiPolar disorders. 
On a personal note, I have had a medication change. Yesterday, I began my new medicine, as I also have a co-diagnosis of ADHD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, and working with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) diagnosis possibility as well.  The med change was for ADHD.  I will be discussing in my other blog on blogspot, http://www.mentalillnessawareness.blogspot.com/ the differences between ADHD/ADD and the medications Adderall and Ritalin, as well as the non-stimulant, yet generally less effective, medication.  So, I experienced some schizophrenia symptoms, as the medication seems to assist in quelling some of my negative as well as positive symptoms of my paranoid schizophrenia.  I am today feeling better, as I know I did not blog yesterday due to several things, but am finding this new med working well. If you need to contact me about schizophrenia, please feel free to do so...my email is listed on here!!!! Til tomorrow-