ABSTRACT
The term psychosis invokes fear and stigma, not surprising given that a dictionary definition is fundamental mental derangement, characterized by defective or lost contact with reality (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2009). Derived from the Latin and Greek word psychosis, or principle of life, psychosis affects the very core of a person’s life, the sense or experience of self. Psychotic disorders include a number of mental health conditions ranging from schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder to psychotic disorders that are relatively brief, substance induced, or due to a general medical condition (American Psychiatric Association (APA), 2000). The overarching description covers several dimensions, including, first, psychotic symptoms, particularly delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech that are reflective of a distorted reality; second, interference with ability to function at school, work, at home; and third, documented duration of symptoms (APA, 2000).
