Psychotic depression is the most serious type of depression. Most of the time people that have psychotic depression end up hospitalized to try and control their symptoms and keep them from harming themselves or others. Of the people that are admitted to the hospital for depression every year, one in four of those people are usually suffering from psychotic depression.

What makes psychotic depression so serious is the intensity and scope of the symptoms. A person that has psychotic depression will suffer from the well-known symptoms of depression like feeling sad and hopeless, feeling anxious or scared, feeling lonely and so on but will experience those feelings very intensely, almost to the point of being overwhelmed and debilitated. The person can even experience violent episodes.

In addition to the serious clinical depression that they feel, people who have psychotic depression also experience symptoms associated with psychosis that can be made worse by the depression they are already experiencing. Psychosis is dangerous and can lead to very serious problems not just for the person suffering it but to those around them.

The symptoms of psychosis that are associated with psychotic depression include:

• Being highly agitated most of the time

• Experiencing hypochondria

• Experiencing extreme paranoia and anxiety

• Being unable to think or speak clearly

• Having extreme insomnia

Because of the seriousness of the illness most people that have psychotic depression need to be hospitalized and receive regular doctor’s care to make sure that they don’t hurt themselves or someone else.

Diagnosing psychotic depression can be hard because, in many cases, people that suffer from the symptoms of this disorder know that their thoughts are irrational or that they are depressed and they are ashamed and want to hide their illness rather than get treatment for it. But because of the extreme nature of the illness, getting regular treatment is the only way to manage psychotic depression.

Having a psychotic depression also makes a person more likely to develop bipolar depression and major depression.

It is a very serious condition and even when the symptoms are managed the person needs to be closely monitored. It is still possible for a person suffering from psychotic depression to return to a somewhat normal life.