Brief psychotic disorder and schizophreniform are both classified in the DSM-5 as Psychotic Disorders. Whether you or someone you love is experiencing symptoms, it is critical to understand the symptoms, treatment, and diagnosis to better understand possible solutions. Keep reading to find out more about brief psychotic disorder and schizophreniform.

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Brief psychotic disorder is a sudden, short-term display of psychotic behavior, such as hallucinations or delusions, which occurs with a stressful event. A key part of this diagnosis is that the behavior and brief psychosis, as the name suggests, occurs for a brief period of time and the patient can return to their normal selves after that brief period of time.

Brief Psychotic Disorder Symptoms

Symptoms for brief psychotic disorder vary by the patient. It should be noted that not all symptoms are due to any substance use. Symptoms may last longer than a day, but do not last longer than a month. This follows the brevity requirement of this diagnosis.

Symptoms include:

• False ideas about what is taking place (delusions)
• Hearing or seeing things that aren’t real (hallucinations)
• Strange speech or language
• Behavior that is odd or out of character

Brief Psychotic Disorder Treatment

Treatment for brief psychotic disorder is multifaceted, generally consisting of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Antipsychotics are critical to help alleviate some of the immediate symptoms. A brief psychotic episode can be highly disruptive to the affected person’s life and the lives of their family and loved ones. Psychotherapy can help reintegrate and rebalance the individual that has experienced a brief psychotic episode.

Schizophreniform

Schizophreniform disorder is a psychotic disorder that affects how you act, think, relate to others, express emotions, and perceive reality. Unlike schizophrenia, it lasts one to six months instead of the rest of your life.

Schizophreniform Symptoms

Schizophreniform disorder is a short-term type of psychotic disorder, a serious mental condition that can distort the way you:

• Think
• Act
• Perceive reality
• Relate to others

Like schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, schizophreniform disorder is a type of mental illness — called a psychosis. When experiencing this psychosis in which you cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. Although schizophrenia is a lifelong illness, schizophreniform disorder lasts between one and six months.

Schizophreniform Treatment

Like brief psychotic disorder, schizophreniform is treated through a combination consisting of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. Antipsychotics are critical to help alleviate some of the immediate symptoms of schizophreniform. Psychotherapy can help reintegrate and rebalance the individual after experiencing one to six months of symptoms that schizophreniform is characterized by.