What Is a Psychotic Disorder?
A psychotic disorder is a mental illness that causes abnormal thinking and perceptions. Psychotic illnesses alter a person’s ability to think clearly, make good judgments, respond emotionally, communicate effectively, understand reality, and behave appropriately. People with psychotic disorders have difficulty staying in touch with reality and often are unable to meet the ordinary demands of daily life. The most obvious symptoms of a psychotic disorder are hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are sensory perceptions of things that aren’t actually present, such as hearing voices, seeing things that aren’t there, or feeling sensations on the skin even though nothing is touching the body. Delusions are false beliefs that the person refuses to give up, even in the face of contradictory facts. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder.
