Psychosis A person with psychosis is someone who suffers from delusions and hallucinations with no awareness of his or her

break with reality. A psychotic person is not, by definition, a danger to himself or society. However, if that person thinks that he is being told to kill or harm others, then he will become a danger when he acts upon those delusions. In court, he (or she) will likely be found criminally insane and not responsible for his (or her) actions due to this delusional state.

Delusional Disorder is an example of a psychotic disorder. People with Delusional Disorder, have non-bizarre beliefs that are not based in reality. For instance, they may believe that a famous celebrity is in love with them, even though they have never met that celebrity. (Compare that with a bizarre belief such as aliens have implanted a radio in my brain and are telling me to dance naked in public.)

Your Thoughts
Psychotic:

A danger to society? What do you think now that you know?

Psychopathy A person labeled as a psychopath lacks empathy or concern for other people, yet can often seem charming and highly intelligent (see Skye on the right). They are distrustful and cold-hearted when it comes to the welfare of others. These people lie, murder, steal and worse. These are the serial killers you see on the news. Very smart and in touch with reality, a psychopath has no moral convictions and finds a thrill in committing violent crimes, usually serial murders.