There is a wide range of psychotic disorders. Each disorder comes with its own variety of symptoms ranging in levels of severity.
Here are 4 examples of psychotic disorders:
Schizophrenia. This is a chronic brain disorder that affects less than 1% of the U.S population. Patients with schizophrenia can experience a variety of symptoms when the disorder is active. Individuals will experience a change in their behavior, including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking, and a lack of motivation.
Schizoaffective disorder. This is a chronic mental health condition characterized by an uninterrupted period of illness that includes major depressive, manic, or mixed episode along with symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations. It's common for people with this disorder to get misdiagnosed with either bipolar disorder.
Schizophreniform disorder. This disorder is similar to schizophrenia in that it is a psychotic disorder that affects how you act, think, express emotions, and perceive reality. But unlike schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder is a short-term disorder that does not last the rest of your life. Instead, this disorder typically lasts between one month and six months. It can be caused by genetics, brain chemistry, or environmental factors.
Brief psychotic disorder. This is a sudden, short-term display of psychotic behavior. This may include hallucinations or delusions, which generally occur during a stressful event. A stressful event can be anything from a traumatic accident to a loss of a loved one. Once the episode is over, the individual will return to their previous level of function. It's possible that the individual may not be aware of their behavior.