Psychotic Depression Psychotic Depression is primarily defined in terms of depressive symptoms that come along with psychosis. Psychosis is the condition wherein a person either has an indistinct view of reality or loses connection with reality. Although depression is not as common as melancholic or non-melancholic depression, it is quite severe. One may evaluate the severity of psychotic depression from the fact that around one-fourth of people suffer from the problem of psychotic depression out of all the patients admitted to the hospital for depression. The propensity to develop psychotic depression increases in an individual who has a family history of it. Normally during this depression, people begin to suffer from various unusual and extremely odd behavioral changes. They begin to hallucinate and develop irrational fears and thoughts. Their delusions have the potential to drive them crazy. In acute cases, they become paranoid and start hearing things and seeing things that are n...
An intrusive thought is an unwelcome, involuntary thought, image, or unpleasant idea that may become an obsession, is upsetting or distressing, and can feel difficult to manage or eliminate. (source: Wikipedia ) Common examples of intrusive thoughts include unwanted, intrusive thoughts about the safety of oneself or others, causing distress, and thoughts of performing dangerous actions. These thoughts may lead to negative behaviors, which may increase vulnerability to future experiences of trauma. Intrusive thoughts have been linked to recent life stress, sleep deprivation, prior anxiety, and childhood abuse. The state of depression , suicidal ideation, or anxiety may also be caused by the release of stress hormones. Analysis of studies in subjects who had experienced prolonged periods of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found that intrusive thoughts and flashbacks are associated with greater than 50% of symptoms, especially memory fragmentation. Intrusive thoughts often occur ...