Psychotic Depression
Psychotic major depression (PMD) is a type of depression that can include symptoms and treatments that are different from those of non-psychotic major depressive disorder (NPMD). PMD is estimated to affect about 0.4% of the population (or one in every 250 people).
PMD is sometimes "mistaken" for NPMD, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. Bipolar patients may experience PMD during depressed states. PMD is usually episodic, lasting for a defined amount of time, but in some cases can be chronic. PMD has unique biological features, which have led to innovative treatments. While PMD is often treated with a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics, researchers have been developing new treatments that address the pathophysiology of PMD more directly.
Read more about Psychotic Depression: Symptoms, Course, Diagnostic Criteria, Differential Diagnosis, Pathophysiology, History of Treatments, Established Treatment Strategies, Experimental Treatment Strategies
Famous quotes containing the words psychotic and/or depression:
“Some parents were awful back then and are awful still. The process of raising you didn’t turn them into grown-ups. Parents who were clearly imperfect can be helpful to you. As you were trying to grow up despite their fumbling efforts, you had to develop skills and tolerances other kids missed out on. Some of the strongest people I know grew up taking care of inept, invalid, or psychotic parents—but they know the parents weren’t normal, healthy, or whole.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“The term clinical depression finds its way into too many conversations these days. One has a sense that a catastrophe has occurred in the psychic landscape.”
—Leonard Cohen (b. 1934)