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Pennkid: I am now sure that I have some kind of psychosis. I just learned that Schizophrenia is a kind of psychosis.

My own definition of psychosis is that of ego collapse. When I say "ego" I'm referring to one's personal sense of identity. Our sense of personal identity is largely drawn from the roles we play and the relationships we have with the larger world around us.

There are times in our lives when our sense of identity may be naturally worn a little thin because we are already in a time of transition. For example, given your age, you're probably going through a transition into independant adulthood and there would likely be some stress associated with this transition no matter what. In your case, you have some additional stressors such as depression and quite likely, others that you've not spoken of. I don't know if what you're experiencing is psychosis or not but I think it would be fair to say that you find yourself in a difficult place at the moment.

A helpful tool I often recommend to individuals in the aftermath of their experience of psychosis is a timeline. Just draw one out on a piece of paper and then place two circles upon it: the first one represents your birth, the second one represents where you are now. Then, begin filling in the blanks. It's been my experience that every individual I've spoken with who underwent a break, that break was first preceded by a triggering event or combination thereof. Often the most vital question we can ask is not, "Are you psychotic?" but rather, "What is going on in your life or has gone on that is causing you distress?"

I recommend that exercise to others as a means of understanding what happened to them, but in your case it's possible that you could use this same information, perhaps to prevent a full-scale erosion of self-identity. Ideally, you'll be able to identify the crisis points that are causing you the most distress. If you can identify the problems, you can then begin to look for solutions.

Some people are capable of working out their solutions on their own, others find it helpful to have some assistance -- either from a professional or a friend. Therefore, I also suggest that you take some time now to explore support options in your personal social circle and community so that if you need to reach out for additional assistance, you'll already have some resources at hand.

As you noted, stress can also play a role in the development of psychosis so it can be helpful to do what you can to destress your life as much as possible. I know this is always easier said than done, but perhaps there are some things you can simply let go at this time. If you still live with your family or roommates, it might be helpful to solicit some assistance from them as well.

As a final note I would urge you to seek professional assistance immediately if you feel you need it; if you want to hurt someone else, or if you want to hurt yourself.