<h2>Short answer</h2>

<p>Because <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/20296">some neuroses can involve psychotic episodes</a>, it depends on the cause of the psychotic behaviour.</p>

<h2>Longer Answer</h2>

<p>When looking at the difference between neuroses and psychoses, <a href="https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/20296">although BPD, Bipolar Disorder and PTSD are generally neuroses, they can involve psychotic episodes in some cases</a>.</p>

<p>For example, with Bipolar Disorder (<a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-moods-symptoms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mind, 2018</a>):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Psychotic symptoms can include:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>delusions, such as paranoia</li>
  <li>hallucinations, such as hearing voices</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Not everyone with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder experiences psychosis, but some people do. It's more common during manic episodes, but can happen during depressive episodes too. These kinds of experiences can feel very real to you at the time, which may make it hard to understand other people's concerns about you.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Psychotic episodes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can involve flashbacks (the sense of being back at the traumatic event) through hallucinations affecting touch, taste, smell, sound and sight either affecting one of the senses or a combination of them.</p>

<p>Once the PTSD or Bipolar Disorder has been resolved through the relevant treatment required, the psychotic effects will not return as the underlying cause has been sorted, and the person will "go back to their pre-psychosis self".</p>

<p>If the psychosis is a "pure" psychosis such as Schizophrenia, the problem cannot be cured, but the psychosis can be managed with medication and psychiatric help (<a href="http://www.schizophrenia.ca/faq.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Schizophrenia Society of Canada, n.d.</a>).  Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, even when symptoms have subsided (<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mayo Clinic, 2018</a>).</p>

<p>Minimizing the impact of the illness depends mainly on early diagnosis and, appropriate psychosocial treatment and medication.  One problem with this is that people with schizophrenia sometimes lack insight into their illness, and therefore do not see the need for medication or other mental health help. Also, medication sometimes has unpleasant side effects and this may discourage individuals from continuing to follow their prescription.</p>

<h2>References</h2>

<p>Mayo Clinic (2018). Schizophrenia Diagnosis &amp; Treatment[Online]<br>Retrieved from: <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449</a></p>

<p>Mind (2018). Bipolar Mood Symptoms [Online]<br>Retrieved from: <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-moods-symptoms" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-moods-symptoms</a></p>

<p>Schizophrenia Society of Canada (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions [Online]<br>Retrieved from: <a href="http://www.schizophrenia.ca/faq.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.schizophrenia.ca/faq.php</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-28T12:56:12.300Z
2018-07-28T12:56:12.300Z
Chris Rogers
<p>A little response from my current courses in psychopathology (please don't hit me, I study in France and our courses are not as good as in anglo-saxon countries) :</p>

<p>Schizophrenic patients tend to have some cognitives consequences, consecutive of a previous psychotic episode, even between two psychotics crisis.</p>

<p>There is some case of isolated psychotics episodes when the subject doesn't suffer from any consequences after that.</p>

<p>In Bipolar disorder, in type I where the subject can experiment delusion and sometime hallucination during both maniac and depressive period, he can recover completly (?!) during the period called euthymia.</p>

<p>I omitted the fact that having a first psychotic experience improve the "chance" of having another one, which is a kind of consequence.</p>

<p>If someone has some cognitive test references in order to improve my poor intervention it would be welcome !</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-26T16:16:39.747Z
2015-09-26T16:16:39.747Z
Kurt
<p>A lengthy and thorough definition of "psychotic episode" would be needed here, but by definition, if it isn't what is termed chronic or life-long, it is this, From WebMD: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[...] brief psychotic disorder is a short-term illness with psychotic
  symptoms. The symptoms often come on suddenly, but last for less than
  one month, after which the person usually recovers completely. There
  are three basic forms of brief psychotic disorder:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>Brief psychotic disorder with obvious stressor (also called brief >    reactive psychosis): This type occurs shortly after and often in<br>
  response to a trauma or major stress, such as the death of a loved<br>
  one, an accident, assault, or a natural disaster. Most cases of brief 
  psychotic disorder occur as a reaction to a very disturbing event.</p></li>
  <li><p>Brief psychotic disorder without obvious stressor: With this type,    there is no apparent trauma or stress that triggers the illness.</p></li>
  <li><p>Brief psychotic disorder with postpartum onset: This type occurs in women, usually within 4 weeks of having a baby.</p></li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-26T01:41:06.157Z
The question is not so much on the nature of a psychosis, but on the aftermath. The definitionof a psychosis can be found in DSM. This does not answer the question. -1
AliceD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-26T02:15:27.567Z
@AliceD: Couldn't the question be rephrased as "are there examples of psychotic break that end up being temporary, i.e., followed by a return to normality?" If not, then I guess you're right. But of course I'm willing to argue that you're not right. I cannot use DSM in my answer (for ethical reasons), but a reference to WebMD seems fitting, at least.
CRGreen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-25T23:32:48.870Z
2015-09-25T23:32:48.870Z
TheGreenie
<p>Do people who experience a fully blown psychotic episode ever go back to their pre-psychosis self?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-25T20:57:19.097Z
100% normal? Never.
user5402
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-09T01:42:21.180Z
@whatever Could you expand on that, please?
Charmed Quark
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-09T18:17:22.963Z
I'm not an expert but I view a mental disorder as an irreversible process.
user5402
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-16T01:54:31.097Z
Do people who have any memorable experience ever go back to their pre-experience self?  That is the nature of experience: that it changes you.
honi
<abnormal-psychology><clinical-psychology><psychosis>
Do people who experience a psychotic episode ever go back to normal?
Charmed Quark
# Do people who experience a psychotic episode ever go back to normal?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-25)

Do people who experience a fully blown psychotic episode ever go back to their pre-psychosis self?

**Tags:** abnormal-psychology, clinical-psychology, psychosis

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 100% normal? Never.  
> **username_0**: @whatever Could you expand on that, please?  
> **username_1**: I'm not an expert but I view a mental disorder as an irreversible process.  
> **username_2**: Do people who have any memorable experience ever go back to their pre-experience self?  That is the nature of experience: that it changes you.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-28. Score: 3

## Short answer

Because [some neuroses can involve psychotic episodes](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/20296), it depends on the cause of the psychotic behaviour.

## Longer Answer

When looking at the difference between neuroses and psychoses, [although BPD, Bipolar Disorder and PTSD are generally neuroses, they can involve psychotic episodes in some cases](https://psychology.stackexchange.com/a/20296).

For example, with Bipolar Disorder ([Mind, 2018](https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-moods-symptoms)):

> Psychotic symptoms can include:
>
> * delusions, such as paranoia
> * hallucinations, such as hearing voices
>
> Not everyone with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder experiences psychosis, but some people do. It's more common during manic episodes, but can happen during depressive episodes too. These kinds of experiences can feel very real to you at the time, which may make it hard to understand other people's concerns about you.

Psychotic episodes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can involve flashbacks (the sense of being back at the traumatic event) through hallucinations affecting touch, taste, smell, sound and sight either affecting one of the senses or a combination of them.

Once the PTSD or Bipolar Disorder has been resolved through the relevant treatment required, the psychotic effects will not return as the underlying cause has been sorted, and the person will "go back to their pre-psychosis self".

If the psychosis is a "pure" psychosis such as Schizophrenia, the problem cannot be cured, but the psychosis can be managed with medication and psychiatric help ([Schizophrenia Society of Canada, n.d.](http://www.schizophrenia.ca/faq.php)). Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment, even when symptoms have subsided ([Mayo Clinic, 2018](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449)).

Minimizing the impact of the illness depends mainly on early diagnosis and, appropriate psychosocial treatment and medication. One problem with this is that people with schizophrenia sometimes lack insight into their illness, and therefore do not see the need for medication or other mental health help. Also, medication sometimes has unpleasant side effects and this may discourage individuals from continuing to follow their prescription.

## References

Mayo Clinic (2018). Schizophrenia Diagnosis & Treatment[Online]  
Retrieved from: <https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354449>

Mind (2018). Bipolar Mood Symptoms [Online]  
Retrieved from: <https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-moods-symptoms>

Schizophrenia Society of Canada (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions [Online]  
Retrieved from: <http://www.schizophrenia.ca/faq.php>


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-09-26. Score: -1

A little response from my current courses in psychopathology (please don't hit me, I study in France and our courses are not as good as in anglo-saxon countries) :

Schizophrenic patients tend to have some cognitives consequences, consecutive of a previous psychotic episode, even between two psychotics crisis.

There is some case of isolated psychotics episodes when the subject doesn't suffer from any consequences after that.

In Bipolar disorder, in type I where the subject can experiment delusion and sometime hallucination during both maniac and depressive period, he can recover completly (?!) during the period called euthymia.

I omitted the fact that having a first psychotic experience improve the "chance" of having another one, which is a kind of consequence.

If someone has some cognitive test references in order to improve my poor intervention it would be welcome !


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-09-25. Score: -3

A lengthy and thorough definition of "psychotic episode" would be needed here, but by definition, if it isn't what is termed chronic or life-long, it is this, From WebMD:

> [...] brief psychotic disorder is a short-term illness with psychotic
> symptoms. The symptoms often come on suddenly, but last for less than
> one month, after which the person usually recovers completely. There
> are three basic forms of brief psychotic disorder:
>
> * Brief psychotic disorder with obvious stressor (also called brief > reactive psychosis): This type occurs shortly after and often in  
>   response to a trauma or major stress, such as the death of a loved  
>   one, an accident, assault, or a natural disaster. Most cases of brief
>   psychotic disorder occur as a reaction to a very disturbing event.
> * Brief psychotic disorder without obvious stressor: With this type, there is no apparent trauma or stress that triggers the illness.
> * Brief psychotic disorder with postpartum onset: This type occurs in women, usually within 4 weeks of having a baby.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: The question is not so much on the nature of a psychosis, but on the aftermath. The definitionof a psychosis can be found in DSM. This does not answer the question. -1  
> **username_7**: @username_6: Couldn't the question be rephrased as "are there examples of psychotic break that end up being temporary, i.e., followed by a return to normality?" If not, then I guess you're right. But of course I'm willing to argue that you're not right. I cannot use DSM in my answer (for ethical reasons), but a reference to WebMD seems fitting, at least.  

---

