Psychosis

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Psychosis, also called delirious mania, causes a break from reality — a symptom, not a standalone condition. When combined with the emotional instability of bipolar disorder, psychosis can be frightening. Where mania affects energy, psychotic episodes affect both thought and mood — and likely involve:

• Hallucinations: Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t there (voices or visual disturbances)
• Delusions: Strongly held false beliefs (having superpowers or someone is about to harm you)
• Disorganized thinking: Incoherent speech, jumping between unrelated topics, confusion, paranoia, feelings of being persecuted

In the context of bipolar disorder, psychosis usually occurs during a manic or depressive episode. When a person becomes so detached from reality that their thoughts or behavior are affected, they need immediate intervention from a psychiatrist or mental health clinic.