ABSTRACT
Experiencing psychotic symptoms can be terrifying for the patient that is attempting to cope with them and can be draining on the family, which is attempting to support the patient through this experience, as a unit. The most commonly reported tactile hallucinations that patients present with in an emergency department (ED) setting are the sensation that insects are crawling on or in the patient's skin, which is known as delusional parasitosis. Delusions may or may not lead to impairments in the patient's ability to care for themselves or others, but thought disorganization, for most patients, creates a barrier to self-care and the ability to plan for discharge from the ED. Behavioral disturbances, like perseveration, which manifest in psychotic patients can be present in patients presenting with catatonia. Schizoaffective disorder (SAD) can be characterized as the marriage of a mood disorder with a psychotic disorder.
