[newtus]

im not really suicidal/homicidal

but my question is if you are hearing voices and paranoid does that mean you are psychotic or not? for me its both right now.but also inside my head its like going going going going talking hearing people talking. not me talking though. its different voices inside my mind.

i forgot everything i talked about so i was wondering this.

or is there another thing involved in it?
or when you hhave those symptoms does it automatically mean you are psychotic?

i got other things but
im extremely restless all day. i cant eat. i sleep very little. i cant sit still. i cant use the bathroom. all because the restlessness.

[faerie_moon_x]

I think the problem is "psychotic" is a word that has multiple meanings.

According to the dictionary:

psy·chot·ic

/saɪˈkɒt ɪk/ Show Spelled [sahy-kot-ik] Show IPA
adjective 1. Psychiatry. characterized by or afflicted with psychosis. Synonyms: (in nontechnical usage) insane, psychopathic, lunatic, mentally ill; mad, disturbed, deranged, demented, non compos mentis. Antonyms: sane; compos mentis, clearheaded, lucid.

2. Psychiatry. of or relating to psychosis: psychotic symptoms; psychotic delusion.

3. (loosely) mentally unstable: The man who threw a stone through the convenience store window must be psychotic. Synonyms: loony, crazy, nutty, nuts, bonkers; kooky, cuckoo, daft, batty, screwy, potty.

4. intensely upset, anxious, or angry; crazy: My dad gets so psychotic when I come home even a little bit late. Synonyms: crazed, furious, enraged, wrathful, irate, incensed, infuriated; livid, pissed off.

So, yes, having symptoms of psychosis like hallucinations or delusions is being psychotic, but not in the media terminology of violent or anything like that.

[costello]

Originally Posted by newtus

im extremely restless all day. i cant eat. i sleep very little. i cant sit still. i cant use the bathroom. all because the restlessness.

I'll second dark heart's answer. Sorry to hear you're restless and not eating or sleeping, newtus.

[newtus]

thank you
i appreciate your responses darkheart and costello

[sorter]

"pyschosis" covers almost all extreme mental states.
It's a question of degree. Every "normal" person is a little psychotic and in different way.
When anyone is exposed to extreme and overwhelming stress or fear, different people react differently.
Some might completely numb their feelings and emotions and dry to deal with the stress in a calcualted and unfeeling way (a sociopath).
Others might hear "voices". They can't indentify with or tolerate the unusual thoughts that are produced by the stress.

But what difference does it make? A rose is a rose. If you're experiencing a mental state that causes pain or difficulty with living,
you need effective ways to deal with. It doesn't matter what you call it. It only matters to doctors and insurance companies.

[costello]

I tend to use psychosis to mean that the person is experiencing a different version or reality from the consensus. They're delusional or hallucinating.

I think to a certain extent we're all delusional. None of us is completely in touch with real reality. Sometimes we're closer, and sometimes we're further away. But I would use psychosis to describe someone who is experiencing a version of reality that's all their own or nearly all their own. Or if they're having a hard time functioning because their view of reality is so far off the mainstream of their society or culture.

[Gr3tta]

i get what you're saying costello, but psychotic is not necessarily the same as delusional, and it's definitely not defined solely by seeing or hearing things.
i agree with sorter that it's more a question of degrees. which does make it more difficult to define. it's not very clear cut in my opinion.