Difference Between Neurosis and Psychosis

Neurosis and psychosis are two distinct types of mental disorders. Neurosis is a minor disorder that is characterized by physical and mental disturbances. Psychosis is a major disorder related to personality characterized by emotional and psychological disruptions. 

Neurosis

Neurosis is a set of mental disorders that involve chronic distress, but they do not include delusions and hallucinations. Neurosis is also known as neurotic disorder or psychoneurosis and is of different types:

• Hysteria.

• Impulse control disorder.

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• Anxiety.

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

Neurosis involves sadness, depression, irritability, anxiety, anger, confusion, and so on. We can say that neurosis is the inability of a person to change their life pattern and the inability to develop a more complex, satisfying personality.

• Neuroses are generally rooted in ego defense strategies, but both are not the same. Defense strategies are a common way of maintaining a sense of self. The thoughts that give rise to struggle or difficulties can be called neurosis.

• A person suffering from neurosis faces an unconscious conflict and emotional distress, which leads to different mental problems. The person might also be neurotic due to some natural disaster that he witnessed and cannot overcome the thoughts leading to emotional instability.

• Neurosis can happen to a person who has been through a traumatic event, and the thoughts of the events make it difficult for him to forget the incident and cause anxiety, which is a primary symptom of neurosis.

• Every person constructs his ideal image by the experiences he has gone through, his needs, fantasies, and the facilities given to him. A person tends to get into ego defense mechanisms at times and when these mechanisms lead to emotional distress, we call it neurosis.

• Psychologists and psychiatrists conduct the treatment of neurosis in various ways. Helping the ill person to start being aware of feelings, traumatic memories, repressed impulses that cause the symptoms, and then helping the person to have a growth in his personality by deeper self-understanding can cure neurosis. 

• A person can also be cured by watching or learning from examples. Discussing thoughts that contribute to the symptoms of neurosis and gradually replacing those thoughts with better interpretations of surroundings can be quite useful in curing neurosis.

• The conventional way of providing medicines can also work for a neurosis patient. Shock therapies can resolve some cases. Most therapists go with a combination of all the different treatments to help the person get better with the conditions.

Psychosis

A serious mental illness that causes hallucinations, delusions, faults in judgments, and other such processes is called psychosis. The term refers to the Greek word psyche, which means soul or breath. In other words, psychosis happens when a person has forgotten the essence of his life, and the person has designed their view of life, which is not shared by others.

• The primary symptoms of psychosis consist of delusions and hallucinations. That means a person is in a state of imagination, and he thinks that he is living in that image rather than actual reality.

• A person who has psychosis tends to commit suicide or have suicidal tendencies. The change in the function of the brain usually causes delusions and hallucinations.

• Psychosis is of two types:

1. Functional psychosis.

2. Organic psychosis.

• The most common and severe psychosis is Schizophrenia. The symptoms appear in the teen years. Disorganized speech, lack of emotional expression, and lack of energy are the major symptoms besides hallucinations and delusions.

• The above symptoms, which lasted for more than six months, can disable a person's functioning. The duration of the disease is not constant. Clinical scans and history are vital in the diagnosis of psychosis. Early detection of the disorder can help in improving the outcomes in the long term. Later discovery can affect and cause acute phases of psychosis.

• The diagnosis of psychosis is done through scanning and also questioning the family about the behavioural changes. Many diseases can show symptoms of psychosis, such as brief psychotic disorder, Schizophrenia, delusional disorder, bipolar psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, depression, and postpartum.

• The traditional curing or treatment methods include antipsychotic drugs. A stay in the hospital is a must when the phase of the ailment is acute. At times when a patient goes out of control, tranquilization is used for immediate relaxation of the person so that he does not harm himself.

• The use of psychotherapy will also help in treating residual symptoms and cognitive symptoms of psychotic disorders.

• If the patient is in the phase of maintenance, the family and the surroundings need to see that no interventions are happening; it can cause a psychotic episode.

• Sometimes psychosis can be secondary and a hint to a bigger problem such as brain tumour, Alzheimer's disease, some kinds of epilepsy, and HIV.   

Neurosis and Psychosis Difference Table

Conclusion

Neurosis and psychosis are not similar types of mental disorders. Neurosis is less significant and only a mental impact that can be cured by support from peers and also discussions with experts. Psychosis is a severe ailment that is both emotional and functional. The person with psychosis has a madness and can harm himself if not cared for properly. Hospitalization is a must to some extent in neurosis and a greater extent in psychosis.