Psychosis is a mental disorder where the person loses contact with reality it is characterised by hallucinations where the person may see or hear things that aren't present as well as experiencing delusions where they have unusual thoughts and feeling about the world. The disorder has been suggested to be caused by a variety of different factors ranging from biological to social which raises the debate of nature versus nurture in respect to the origin of psychosis in sufferers. some researchers have found a strong genetic link however others suggest environmental factors are important. It is frequently associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well as other personality disorders.
Psychosis may manifest as a result of a physical or mental health problem so brain conditions like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, dementia can give rise to hallucinations and delusions, symptoms of psychosis. However it is more strongly linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder although they are not 'genetically distinct' but some genes make people more susceptible to these disorders that involve symptoms of psychosis. It is believed that some of these condition specific genes when combined with environmental factors it can lead to the mental illness. The genetic aspect can also be seen in
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Studies show that too much dopamine in the brain can lead to the symptoms of psychosis such as hallucinations and delusions. Those believed to be at risk have increased levels particularly prior to their initial experience. Other research has found that abnormalities in glutamate levels have an effect on a person's dopamine levels prompting psychosis symptoms. However it has been found that drug use, more specifically cannabis and stress can be affector to increased activity of the neurotransmitter, this suggests that there are environmental influences on neurochemical