When a person experiences hallucinations or delusions, this is considered psychosis. Hallucinations and delusions are misperceptions of reality.

Most people think of hallucinations as being visual, but hallucinations can be auditory, olfactory, or tactile. A person may hear, smell, or feel things that are not present in the environment.

Delusions are thoughts that are not based in reality. The difference between a mere unrealistic thought and a delusion is the degree to which the thought is unconnected to reality. For example, someone may think they want to become a professional football player though they have not played well in high school. Though it may not be realistic, it is probably not a delusion by psychiatric standards. A delusion is more extreme. The person may think they have been chosen by God, are being stalked by the FBI, or have superpowers.

Schizophrenia is the mental illness with which psychotic symptoms are most often associated. However, bipolar disorder and depression can cause hallucinations.

There are different types of schizophrenia, largely categorized based on the types of psychotic symptoms the person experiences. For example, paranoid schizophrenia often causes delusions of being watched or monitored. Some psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia can seem random.

Psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression are related to the mood disturbance. Psychotic symptoms of depression or depressive episodes can be much more severe than suicidal thoughts.

A severely depressed person may have auditory hallucinations of voices telling the person that they are going to kill themselves. The person may have homicidal delusions of perceiving earth as hell and the need to save a loved one by killing them and sending them to heaven.

The euphoria and grandiosity of mania can cause psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder. Psychotic symptoms of mania may cause the person to have delusions that they have superpowers, are immortal, or have been chosen by God.

Psychotic symptoms are not common symptoms of bipolar disorder or depression. People may experience psychotic symptoms only during the worst depressive or manic episodes of their lives and will not experience them again.

Treatment for psychosis typically includes anti-psychotic medication such as Haldol. If the person is resistant to taking the medication regularly, Haldol injections may be prescribed. Often, a Haldol injection is only needed on a monthly basis.

The psychotic symptoms of bipolar disorder typically subside once the bipolar disorder or depression is stabilized. It may be hard for people to understand that the hallucinations and delusions are realistic to the person at the time they are experienced. If the person is having periods of psychosis and periods without psychosis, the person may develop anxiety and be fearful and frustrated about the psychotic symptoms.