There is some overlap between neurosis and psychosis, and there has not always been a clear distinction between the two terms.
Psychosis is a mental health symptom that can arise as part of another disorder, as well as standing alone in some patients.
It is commonly linked to schizophrenia, though many people without schizophrenia experience psychotic episodes.
Neurosis is not a clinical term.
When you hear people referring to neurosis, they are usually describing mental health conditions that are associated with stress, anxiety, depression, and/or obsession.
However, as there is no diagnosis of ‘neurosis’, the term is used loosely.
To learn more about the difference between neurosis and psychosis, contact our experts on 0800 140 4690
The causes of neurosis and psychosis vary widely. However, they can be summarised as:
It’s very common for people to not know why they developed one of these conditions, as there are several possible causes.
There also doesn’t need to be just one cause, so all three factors contribute to neurosis or psychosis in some people.
When neurosis or psychosis is caused by a mental health condition, we can explore the reasons for the primary condition developing. Again, this is usually related to genetics, environment, and/or brain chemistry.
Some people experience psychosis due to drug or alcohol use. This is known as substance-induced psychosis.
It usually occurs with severe addiction and/or regular use of drugs, but it can sometimes happen after a one-off experience taking drugs. [1]
It’s also possible to develop symptoms of psychosis as a result of a physical health condition. For example, slow-growing brain tumours have been linked to psychotic symptoms. [2]
If you want to learn more about the causes of neurosis and psychosis, call our team today on 0800 140 4690
When someone is in a psychotic episode, they lose their grip on reality.
This can last days, weeks, or even months.
Some people experience these episodes frequently, whereas others can have just one psychotic episode in their entire life.
Common symptoms of psychosis include:
Neurosis, on the other hand, does not have a fixed list of symptoms.
This is because it isn’t a recognised mental health disorder, but rather an experience that is common as part of various conditions.
We describe some people as ‘neurotic’, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are dealing with neurosis.
Most people with neurosis are diagnosed with a common mental health disorder such as OCD, generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder or depression.
Some symptoms linked to neurosis are:
If you’ve started to spot the signs of neurosis and psychosis – either in yourself or a loved one – make sure that you get the right help by calling us on 0800 140 4690
Psychosis and neurosis can be treated with medication, therapy, and relaxation exercises.
Neurosis is only treated with medication if it’s a symptom of another mental illness.
If a patient is experiencing neurosis as part of bipolar disorder, a GP may prescribe a common treatment for bipolar, such as an antipsychotic, anticonvulsant or lithium.
The same process can be applied to any mental illness that involves neurosis.
Antipsychotics are also used to treat psychosis [3]. Clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone are some common treatments offered in the UK.
As for mental health treatment, the specific treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms.
Some people are hospitalised and receive daily treatment, whereas others go to therapy once a week for their issues.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is one of the best psychological treatments for psychosis and neurosis.
With neurosis, if a co-occurring mental health condition is identified, there may be another type of therapy that works better.
To give an example, EMDR therapy is very successful for people with PTSD. If a PTSD patient is experiencing psychosis, their doctor may advise that they get EMDR therapy first.
Experience the various different treatments for psychosis and neurosis by giving our expert team a call on 0800 140 4690
We know that people can experience psychosis without having another diagnosed health disorder.
However, there are some illnesses that are strongly linked to psychosis, such as:
Conditions that are linked to neurotic symptoms include:
If you happen to be suffering from any other conditions alongside psychosis or neurosis, call our team on 0800 140 4690
Yes, you can have both conditions at once.
A 2014 study [4] found that psychotic symptoms are a common feature of neurotic disorders, so lots of people are dealing with both at the same time.
While we don’t like to rank mental disorders, it is definitely more concerning to have psychosis than neurosis.
One in four of us in the UK [5] experiences a mental health problem each year, and neurosis is closely linked to most common mental illnesses, so it isn’t as rare or severe as psychosis.
The distorted reality that comes with psychosis is something that damages many people for the rest of their lives.
As harmful as neurotic symptoms can be, neurosis does not share the same symptoms of complete delusion.
That all said, there is plenty of misinformation about psychosis making all patients extremely dangerous, and neurosis hardly has an effect.
It is true that psychosis often requires life-long treatment, and the risks of harm are higher, but this doesn’t mean that neurosis is never just as damaging.
Many people with neurotic symptoms are also on medication for life and are at a high risk of harming themselves or others.
Equally, some people with psychosis are not in treatment for their entire life, as their symptoms are short-lived and they don’t return.
Don’t let your mental health conditions control your life – get the support you need by calling our team on 0800 140 4690
People who experience neurotic symptoms are at a higher risk of developing an addiction [6].
In fact, people with any mental health issue are more prone to suffering from a substance use disorder than the average person.
One study into patients [7] with cocaine-induced psychosis found that neuroticism was a significant factor in the development of the subjects’ psychotic symptoms.
When someone is misusing drugs or alcohol, they may experience neurosis for the first time.
This can either be a result of being under the influence (e.g., cannabis causing anxiety), or having long-term addiction symptoms.
If you think that you might be suffering from addiction and neurosis, give our team a call on 0800 140 4690
There is a strong link between addiction and psychosis.
We know that drug use can lead to psychosis even when there is no genetic risk for psychotic symptoms [8].
Studies have also shown [9] that psychosis is prolonged and worsened when the patient is using substances.
Some people with psychosis try to manage their symptoms by self-medicating, and this often leads to addiction.
Yet, we cannot claim that psychosis is the sole cause of addiction in all of these cases, as many other factors are often at play.
Do you believe that your struggling with both psychosis and addiction? Talk to our experts on 0800 140 4690
Yes, you can treat addiction, neurosis and psychosis at the same time.
The priorities may shift according to which symptoms are the most severe at the start of treatment.
For example, someone with neurosis may go straight to therapy, but they may not need medication or highly frequent therapy sessions.
On the other hand, someone with addiction issues and psychosis may need to go to inpatient rehab and receive medication and psychiatric treatment as soon as possible.
If you go to residential rehab as a psychosis or neurosis patient, your treatment plan will be crafted to fit all of your conditions.
The therapy that you have will be compatible with neurosis and psychosis.
However, patients experiencing severe psychosis are usually not allowed to attend drug and alcohol rehab. In this scenario, the patient would need to be treated for the psychosis before admitting themselves to rehab.
Ensure that your treatment is as effective as possible by giving us a call on 0800 140 4690
As you can see from the differences in causes, symptoms and treatments, neurosis and psychosis are not the same.
They needed to be separated so that they could each be treated more effectively.
Yes, you can suffer from neurosis or psychosis despite being rational in your ordinary state.
Mental health symptoms don’t discriminate, so it is not only people who are already seen as ‘neurotic’ that go on to develop one of these symptoms.
Most people with psychosis don’t know they are unwell as their symptoms include a lack of awareness and a loss of reality.
Even patients who know they are ill may not realise the full extent of it.
Neurosis doesn’t affect the patient’s understanding of reality to the same extent.
They may not completely identify the severity of their problem, but they will be aware of their condition. Some people with neurosis are acutely aware of every symptom they have.
If you have any further questions about psychosis or neurosis, call us today on 0800 140 4690
At Rehab 4 Addiction, we understand the difficulties of dealing with psychosis or neurosis alongside a substance use disorder.
We also know that identifying a suitable treatment isn’t easy.
There’s nothing worse than facing an information overload when you’re just trying to survive.
Thankfully, we have a solution.
If you tell us about your symptoms, we can deal with the referral.
Our contacts include a range of brilliant treatment centres in the UK and beyond, so you don’t need to worry about dealing with unreliable providers.
Our staff work tirelessly on a daily basis to complete quick referrals, so they will jump into your referral with ease.
Ensure that you get the right help for treating your psychosis, your neurosis or any other conditions by calling us on 0800 140 4690
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8732862/
[2]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1064748121001184
[3] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3932099/
[5] https://www.mind.org.uk/media-a/2958/statistics-facts-2017.pdf
[6] https://neurosciencenews.com/sud-personality-22150/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177812/
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5326711/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK109796/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
