Akin’s clinical history strongly implies that he might have psychosis. Although it is not evident if it is the main diagnosis and there is room for something else, analyzing its features and comparing them with the case might clarify the issue. This essay will address the current definition of psychosis, explain its primary aspects, and highlight the relation between the diagnosis and the patient’s clinical history.
Psychosis has a long history, but its name is relatively recent. It was known as insanity, later described as a “defect in reality testing,” until redefined as something that interferes with one’s ability to “meet ordinary demands of life” (Moscowitz et al., 2019, p. 10). The recent definition of psychosis links it with the presence of certain symptoms, which include hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorder (APA, 2016). Hallucinations can vary from visual to tactile, affecting all five senses, while delusions are deeply rooted beliefs with a varying degree of plausibility (Tsola & Anastassiou-Hadjicharalambous, 2012). Thought disorder is associated with planning problems, attention switching, and working memory deficits (Meaden & Hacker, 2010). Thus, these are the key symptoms of psychosis that allow the clinician to identify it.
Several facts from Akin’s history reflect the features of psychosis. For example, he’s talking to himself could be an auditory hallucination. The patient’s belief that he is controlled by energy waves from the television is an instance of delusion. His thought process might also be affected, which is apparent from his poor work performance and could be further established during the interview. The patient’s heavy use of cannabis may suggest susceptibility to psychosis (Soneson et al., 2020). However, psychosis does not manifest by itself; it is indicative of another mental disorder, such as schizophrenia (Moscowitz et al., 2019). Still, it appears that delusions and hallucinations may be common among people without psychosis (Wright et al., 2014). Therefore, a thorough analysis of the clinical history is required to determine whether the patient is indeed mentally ill.
To summarize everything, this paper presented psychosis and its general features, through which it is defined. They are hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders that should all be present to give a proper diagnosis. The patient’s record indicates that he is affected by all of the aspects of psychosis, which allows the clinician to suspect a psychosis disorder. In the end, the patient might suffer from any illness from the group, including schizophrenia.
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