If schizophrenia and psychosis aren't multiple personality disorders, what is?

Question

I've been asked many times to define schizophrenia and i really honestly don't know. I asked my dad and he said psychosis is a multiple personality disorder. I honestly don't know, can you help?

Answer 1

There are a "ton" of different psychoses. Type DSM IV TR into Yahoo! web search for a manual giving criteria for all disorders. "Schizophrenia" is not "split personality". Many schizophrenics (which is not a single disese but a spectrum of disorders) live a fairly normal productive life after the initial shock of onset and with TLC and Medications.

Multple Personality Disorder, MPD, or "Dissociative Identity Disorder," DID, as it is now called, is a rare and quite different disease; it is not a psychosis. Type the words in quotes into Yahoo! web search for much info and description of this condition.

Good luck in your research, good mental health, peace and Love!

Answer 2

When a person has blocks of time which they are unable to account for, finds notes at home in a different handwriting (if single) and/or gets billed for things they don't remember purchasing, there is a good chance that they are suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly Multiple Personality Disorder, or, more commonly, split personality. Such people may have alters who even have a different sexual identity, or preference, but this doesn't occur with the other disorders. See schizophrenia, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris for the DSM4 classification, etc. Psychosis: This psychotic mental disorder is diagnosed when evidence indicates that delusions or hallucinations developed as the physiological result of a general medical illness which must be specified separately. Delusional and hallucinated subtyping indicates the predominant symptom.

Diagnostic criteria for 293.xx Psychotic Disorder Due to...[Indicate the General Medical Condition]
(cautionary statement)
A. Prominent hallucinations or delusions.

B. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder.

D. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of a Delirium.

Code based on predominant symptom:
.81 With Delusions: if delusions are the predominant symptom
.82 With Hallucinations: if hallucinations are the predominant symptom

See http://psychosis.researchtoday.net/about-psychosis.htm

Answer 3

Info on schizophrenia here:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+schizophrenia.htm

Info on psychosis here:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+Psychotic+Experiences.htm

Info on personality disorders here:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+personality+disorders.htm

That should clear things up.