Psychotic disorders involve psychosis, or a mental health condition that causes difficulty recognizing reality. Delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing something not there) are common forms of psychosis.

Psychotic disorders are caused by inherited traits and hyperactive chemicals in the brain. Common psychotic disorders include:

• Brief psychotic disorder: short-term psychosis, lasting less than month, due to a stressful situation
• Delusional disorder: delusions, like someone or something will cause harm, lasting a month or more
• Psychotic disorder due to a medical condition: psychosis caused by brain tumors, brain injury, or other illness
• Schizophrenia: sudden changes in behavior, emotions, and thinking for six months or longer
• Schizophreniform disorder: schizophrenia that lasts less than six months
• Schizoaffective disorder: schizophrenia with a mood disorder, like depression
• Substance-induced psychotic disorder: psychosis caused by withdrawal from alcohol or drugs

If you or someone you love has delusions or hallucinations, we can help. Contact a psychiatrist at the University of Miami Health System at 305-243-0214.

Treatments

Biofeedback and Stress Management
Biofeedback is a non-invasive treatment that trains your mind to control the physical effects of stress or a health condition, including brain activity, blood pressure, muscle tension, body temperature, and more. Biofeedback involves sensors (electrodes) placed on your body, and special therapies taught by a certified biofeedback therapist.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
ECT uses a small amount of electric current that is believed to reverse symptoms of mental disorders. The current, delivered through sensors (electrodes) on the scalp, causes brief, controlled seizures that change brain chemistry. ECT requires six to 12 treatments, performed in an outpatient setting under general anesthesia.

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, explores how a health condition affects your thoughts, emotions, behavior, and mood, and how to cope. There are many forms of psychotherapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to change your thinking or behavior, and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) to improve your relationships. Psychotherapy is offered in groups or individually.

Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology is the study of the use of medications in treating mental health disorders. Psychiatrists prescribe medications to improve symptoms of mental health disorders. Common medications include one, or a combination of, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotic drugs, anti-anxiety medicines, and stimulants. Our psychiatrists study these medicines to understand how they work and affect the body, and skillfully apply this knowledge in their daily practice.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
This non-invasive form of brain stimulation treats depression and anxiety that does not respond well to medicines or psychotherapy (talk therapy). It involves a head coil that delivers magnetic pulses to brain cells. These pulses change specific areas in the brain responsible for mood, memory, addiction, and more. rTMS is performed without anesthesia, in daily outpatient sessions for four to six weeks.

Why Choose UHealth?

Leading research in psychotic disorders. As an academic and research medical center, we’re actively looking for better ways to diagnose and treat psychotic disorders. Recent studies involve psychosis in older adults, and the effectiveness and tolerance of medications for schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder.

Specialized care for women, kids, older adults, and patients with co-existing medical conditions. We offer special psychiatry services for women, children and adolescents, older adults, and people with mental illness related to complex medical conditions and surgeries. You get care from a team experienced in managing your specific condition.