When you speak to your GP about your experiences and symptoms, your GP may make a referral to a psychiatrist, who is a medical doctor specialised in mental health. Psychiatrists diagnose mental health conditions, and you may be given a diagnosis. A diagnosis is made based on whether or not a person has certain experiences or symptoms set out in guidelines known as ‘diagnostic criteria’. In Scotland, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) is the main diagnostic tool used.
People who have experience psychosis might receive one of a range of diagnoses. Schizophrenia is one of the most well known of these, but other related diagnoses might include Schizoaffective Disorder, Delusional Disorder, Psychotic Depression, Bipolar Disorder or Schizotypal Disorder. Other terms like ‘Paranoia’ or ‘Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder’ or ‘Drug Induced Psychosis’ might also be used.
It can be confusing to receive one of these diagnoses or understand the differences between them. Indeed not all health professionals agree on how these are diagnosed or how useful these diagnoses are. Similarly, there are many people who might experience things such as hearing voices or unusual beliefs, but who do not need, or look for, help from health services. Indeed these experiences can perhaps be best thought of as on a continuum from ‘normal’ experiences, to more severe ‘symptoms’. For example, one in 10 people may hear voices at some point in their life, but the vast majority of those people do not need a diagnosis or any professional help. These unusual experiences are more common than you think.