[kaceybleu]

Hi all
I was diagnosed with severe depression a few months ago. While I was depressed (actually, I still am just slightly better now), I had a few strange experiences which caused me doctor to refer me to a psychatrist with possible psychosis. The thing is, I really don't think I have it but to be honest I don't know much about it and how it begins. However, since my doctor believed I may be developing it I am now constantly looking for signs of whether I'm about to have a psychotic break or something, which is just tiring me out. Here a few things I have experienced in the past few months:
- Hearing voices. They were violent but I have only heard them a few times and they were very brief. I knew they weren't real and don't hear them anymore.
- Seeing shadowy figures - again, I only saw them briefly, understand they were not real and don't see them anymore.
- Random words and phrases that pop into my head and I cannot get rid of, especially violent ones. Apparently this is associated with anxiety but I don't have anxiety.
- Mild paranoia. For a few weeks I believed that I may have been being watched. I don't really remember why I thought this or who I thought was watching me, but I believed it enough that I begun shutting the drapes in my house during the day and covering my laptop camera. However, I was never scared or upset about the idea that people were watching me, just found it annoying. It's only looking back I found this kind of strange behavior

Anyway, this all happened over a period of about six weeks and has resolved as my mood improved. My question is, are these warning signs of something else to come (schizophrenia?) and how did your psychosis develop?

[Sometimes psychotic]

There is something called psychotic depression....since your symptoms cleared up with your mood I would think that or bipolar is more likely than sz. Try not to worry too much...whatever it is there are meds to treat it......

[neil w]

welcome kacey!

[franz kafka]

Psychotic symptoms can accompany severe depression. You don't to have a schizo-spectrum disorder to experience psychotic depression. Your doctor is in the best position to diagnose you and let you know what's going on.

[kaceybleu]

Thanks for the response guys, very helpful. I guess I was just wondering about whether it would get worse because I haven't lost touch with reality and understand these experiences were abnormal...

[franz kafka]

If your psychotic symptoms are attached to your mood, then they should subside when your mood improves. If they aren't, then they might not.

[joshuas-mommy]

Maybe you have delusional disorder?