Psychotic Depression

There are different types of depression, one of which is psychotic depression. Also referred to as psychotic major depression or PMD, this type of the illness is one that affects an estimated 0.4% of the population. PMD is hard to treat because it can be mistaken for other psychotic disorders, such as non-psychotic major depressive disorder or NPMD, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and others. PMD is considered episodic, with episodes lasting for a specific period, but there have been recorded cases that proved it can also be chronic.

Psychotic depression is characterized by varying symptoms. Patients with this type of depression generally house feelings or beliefs that are unsupported, unreasonable, and downright untrue. These are referred to by mental health specialists as delusions. In fact, the most common psychotic symptoms that are carried by PMD include paranoid delusions as well as delusions of guilt.

Patients who suffer from episodes of delusions of guilt strongly believe that they are somehow being punished for the wrongdoings or misdeeds they have committed in the past. They also believe that they are being held responsible for problems they shouldn’t be held responsible for. Other usual delusions that patients of PMD suffer from include worries about their health and their surroundings.

Aside from delusions, patients of psychotic depression also experience hallucinations, which means that they hear or see things that other people do not. The most common hallucinations are auditory ones or those related to sound. Still, there have been reported cases where patients touch or smell things that are do not really exist or are not really there. Other symptoms of PMD include frequent awakenings during the night and overall difficulty falling asleep, agitation, and irritability. Patients of PMD, compared to patients of other types of depression, are more likely to commit or attempt suicide and have higher degrees of cognitive deficits.