PTSD and psychotic Symptoms can co-occur. In clinical terms, PTSD is described as consisting of three clusters of symptoms: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms. However, some mental health professionals believe that the experience of psychotic symptoms should be considered as an addition to that list, given that they commonly occur among people with PTSD.

Psychotic Symptoms

Before the relationship between PTSD and psychotic symptoms is discussed, it is first important to describe what would be considered a psychotic symptom.

Psychotic symptoms can be divided into two groups: positive symptoms and negative symptoms.

Positive symptoms are characterized by the presence of unusual feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. Positive symptoms include such experiences as hallucinations or delusions. A hallucination could be hearing voices that no one else can hear, or seeing things that are not really there.

Delusions are ideas that a person believes are true despite the fact that they may be unlikely or odd. For example, people with delusions may believe that the CIA is spying on them, or that aliens are controlling their behaviors or thoughts.

Negative symptoms are characterized by the absence of experience. For example, a person with negative symptoms may not be emotionally expressive. She may have difficulty speaking, may not say anything for days on end, or be unable to persist at simple tasks or activities, such as getting dressed in the morning.

These positive and negative symptoms are often associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia; however, they are also seen in other disorders, such as PTSD.

Psychotic Symptoms in PTSD

Researchers at the University of Manitoba, Columbia University, and the University of Regina examined the data on 5,877 people from across the United States in order to determine the rates with which people with PTSD experience different psychotic symptoms.

They found that, among people with PTSD, the experience of positive psychotic symptoms was most common.

Approximately 52% of people who reported having PTSD at some point in their lifetime also reported experiencing a positive psychotic symptom.

The most common positive symptoms were:

Believing that other people were spying on or following them (27.5%)

Seeing something that others could not see (19.8%)

Having unusual feelings inside or outside of their bodies, such as feeling as though they were being touched when no one was really there (16.8%)

Believing that they could hear what someone else was thinking (12.4%)

Being bothered by strange smells that no one else could smell (10.3%)

Believing that their behaviors and thoughts were bring controlled by some power or force (10%)
The researchers also found evidence that the more PTSD symptoms a person was experiencing, the greater the likelihood that they would also experience positive psychotic symptoms.

To take their study a step further, the researchers also looked at what traumatic events were most commonly related to the experience of psychotic symptoms. They found the following to be most strongly connected:

Being involved in a fire, flood, or natural disaster

Seeing someone get seriously injured or killed

Experiencing tremendous shock as a result of a traumatic event that happened to a close relative, friend, or significant other

http://ptsd.about.com/od/relatedconditions/a/Psychosis.htm

polite_gandalf wrote on Jan 5^th, 2016 at 12:03am:

he has a personality disorder, this is not an illness but a condition. people with these types of ASPD's always twist the story to suit. Who knows what could have triggered a killing spree. he was probably itching to kill a few people and used the fact his mate was killed as an excuse.

I dont know about your study mothra, but its a load of horse puckey.

ian wrote on Jan 5^th, 2016 at 12:11am:




No. It's not. Hallucinations and flashbacks can present as psychotic type behaviour.

Think of the not few returned service folk who have come home and beaten the crap out of or killing theor [partners and children. They refer to being out of their minds when they did it.

Psychotic Symptoms in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder


Abstract
Positive psychotic symptoms may be relatively prevalent in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD with secondary psychotic features (PTSD-SP) is an emerging diagnostic entity. Phenomenological, epidemiological, and biological studies support the potential validity of PTSD-SP. Clinicians should inquire about positive symptoms of psychosis not only during an initial diagnostic interview but also during follow-up sessions because many patients are embarrassed about these symptoms as well as about other facets and consequences of the traumatic experience and may need some time in a trusting relationship to disclose these symptoms. More studies are needed to investigate, in particular, the longitudinal course and treatment of psychotic features. Genetic studies may shed light on differentiation of PTSD-SP as well as other PTSD comorbidities. The DBH candidate gene in particular may help shed light on this biological differentiation. Treatment of psychotic symptoms associated with PTSD may involve a combination of an antidepressant plus an antipsychotic agent, analogous to the treatment of major depression with psychotic features. The purpose of this article is to introduce the clinician to the potential for psychotic symptoms to occur as a comorbidity of chronic PTSD. This article will review a definition of psychotic symptoms in the context of PTSD and discuss the relevant literature exploring whether the presence of these symptoms might represent a unique subtype of the disorder. The development of a definition for a psychotic subtype of PTSD might facilitate research of treatment approaches. Regardless, the practicing clinician should be aware of the potential for psychotic symptoms to be part of the complex clinical picture of PTSD.



http://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/foc.9.3.foc278

ian wrote on Jan 5^th, 2016 at 12:09am:


There are a lot of people with personality disorders - many times more than the number of people who rape and murder entire families. If nothing else, the law of averages tells us that this guy probably wouldn't have gone on a rape and murder spree if he wasn't sent into a warzone. Besides that though we also have his own testimony about the war causing this horrific act - for what its worth - but its still more evidence than there is to support the view that he would have engaged in rape and murder if he didn't go to Iraq.

British soldiers could face prosecution for crimes committed during Iraq conflict, investigators confirm
Jonathan Owen Saturday 2 January 2016

British soldiers who have served in Iraq may face prosecution for crimes including murder, the head of the unit established by the Ministry of Defence to investigate allegations of torture and unlawful killing in the war-torn country has said.

In his first major interview, Mark Warwick, a former police detective in charge of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat), told The Independent that he believed there would be sufficient evidence to justify criminal charges.

“There are serious allegations that we are investigating across the whole range of Ihat investigations, which incorporates homicide, where I feel there is significant evidence to be obtained to put a strong case before the Service Prosecuting Authority  to prosecute and charge,” he said.

Ihat’s caseload of allegations of ill-treatment or unlawful killing by British forces in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 has risen tenfold since it was established. In 2010, it was dealing with cases involving 152 victims. It is now dealing with more than 1,500 victims, according to Ihat’s latest quarterly update. Of these, 280 are victims of alleged unlawful killing by British forces in Iraq, but more than 200 of these cases have yet to be investigated, with just 25 under investigation.

Of 1,235 alleged cases of ill-treatment, including accusations of rape and torture, only 45 are under investigation.

Ihat’s initial target for completion of its investigations was 2016 but this will not be met. And, although the unit is funded until 2019, its work may not be finished by then.



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-soldiers-could-face-prose...

ian wrote on Jan 5^th, 2016 at 12:34am:




No. They're not.

Hvae you ever experienced a flashback? Hallucination? Dissociation?