Mental Illness: Shared Psychotic Disorder

Wikipedia defines a mental illness as a psychological or behavior pattern that is associated with distress or disability. This pattern of behavior or behaviors is not related to normal or typical development or culture. The psychiatric diagnosis of Shared Psychotic Disorder fits the definition of mental illness because it creates a pattern of abnormal thinking and perceptions that interfere with typical or normal development and functioning and is not a part of any cultural patterns.

Mental Illness: Characteristics of Shared Psychotic Disorder?

When someone is living with the mental illness of Shared Psychotic Disorder, they exhibit impaired abilities related to being able to: think rationally, make sound judgments, respond appropriately to emotional situations, communicate successfully, discern reality from non-reality and use appropriate behaviors in personal and social situations. Hallucinations and delusions are the most common characteristics of the mental illness of Shared Psychotic Disorder. These characteristics of the mental illness of Shared Psychotic Disorder make it impossible for an individual to function successfully in daily routines and activities.

Mental Illness: What are Hallucinations and Delusions?

Someone who has hallucinations believes they see, hear and feel things that are not real. They hear voices, see things that aren't there and may feel like things are on their skin when in reality nothing is there. Delusions differ from hallucinations in that they are false beliefs that the individual is unable to let go of such as: someone is following them, people are out to get them and that they are God or some other famous person. Schizophrenia is the metal illness that these characteristics fall under.

Mental Illness: How Does Shared Psychotic Disorder Play Out?

The diagnosis of Shared Psychotic Disorder is a rare mental illness. It is sometimes referred to as folie a deux which means the folly of two. What this means is that an individual with normal functioning who does not have mental illness becomes wrapped up in, and believes, the delusions of someone who has schizophrenia. An example of this mental illness is... someone who is having delusions about someone trying to kill them convinces the person who has normal mental health that this is true... so, they share the psychotic delusion.

This kind of mental illness only occurs in long-term relationships and typically when the individual with Shared Psychotic Disorder is the dominant individual in the relationship and the normal person is passive in the relationship. This mental illness can occur with groups of individuals who are involved with an individual who has a mental illness involving delusions.

Mental Illness: Shared Psychotic Disorder Treatment

Shared Psychotic Disorder is treated by separating the two individuals and stabilizing the individual who does not have a mental illness from the one who does have a mental illness. In circumstances where separation is not possible other forms of intervention can be tried such as: psychotherapy, family therapy and medication. The risk of not getting the individual who has normal mental health back to reality is that the mental illness of Shared Psychotic Disorder can become chronic and go on and on. The prognosis for the individual sharing the psychosis is good with treatment.

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