Complex Psychiatric Conditions

Complex Psychiatric Conditions services offered in Cherry Creek, Denver, CO

Complex psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and personality disorders require expert diagnosis and ongoing treatment. At Paramount Health Directions in Denver, Colorado, the board-certified psychiatrists offer exceptional care and support to people struggling with severe mental health problems. If you or someone you care for experiences symptoms like psychosis and suicidal thoughts, call Paramount Health Directions to schedule a complex psychiatric condition evaluation or book a consultation online today.

What are complex psychiatric conditions?

Complex psychiatric conditions are mental health problems that cause severe symptoms and have significant effects on your daily life. They’re often challenging to treat and frequently cause problems like suicidal thoughts and psychosis.

Patients with psychosis experience difficulties retaining their grasp of reality. The problem manifests as delusions and hallucinations.

Delusions

Delusions are ideas and beliefs that have no evidence to back them up. For example, you might be sure you’re under surveillance, and people follow you wherever you go.

Hallucinations

Hallucinations may be visual and/or aural. You might see people who aren’t there or hear voices in your head that don’t seem part of you.

What are the most common complex psychiatric conditions?

The most common complex psychiatric conditions include:

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is well-known for causing psychosis and severe mental health problems. It typically develops in early adulthood and usually affects people with a family history of the condition.

Bipolar I disorder

Bipolar disorder patients continuously cycle through different moods. In bipolar I disorder, the phases are mania, where patients feel powerful and elated, and deep depression, where they may feel suicidal and can barely care for themselves.

Schizoaffective disorder

Patients with schizoaffective disorder experience symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood disorder like major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.

Personality disorders

Personality disorders have numerous forms, the most well-known being borderline personality disorder. They cause long-term problems affecting thought patterns and behaviors that are often unhealthy and unshakeable.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can develop after a short-term trauma such as armed combat or other life-threatening experiences. Complex PTSD affects people who endure years of abuse, torture, and other long-term traumas.

The most severe cases of conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, depression, and substance use disorder can also be complicated to manage.

Another problem that makes psychiatric conditions complex is comorbidity, where a patient has two or more mental health problems. Common examples include substance use disorder with depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with anxiety, but any combination is possible.