What is a Psychotic Break?

There are several states of mind..."normal", meaning consistent over time and situations; "disorganized", meaning a little scattered, unfocused, fragmented; "disturbed", meaning a state of mind leading to behavior that is socially unacceptable and potentially harmful to self and others; "disordered", meaning a display of clinically definable and diagnosable symptoms that are clustered under one primary heading (Depression, Borderline, Kleptomania, etc.); and "dissociated", meaning a collapse of the "ego integrity", a state of mind where the person is unsure of who they are, where they are, what they are doing and how they should be behaving - a pervasive and overall loss of "identity" and "sense-of-self".

The last, "dissociation" is generally considered a "psychotic break". In other words, a person is so overwhelmed by either internal or external turmoil that what we generally think of their "ego" just plain collapses.

Apparently psychotic breaks are common in young men 20-23 within high achieving families. He fits the profile. He isn't responding to the medication and he is throwing his food across the room.

This isn't him. He is incredible; straight-A's at Cal Poly, Electrical Engineering major, never done drugs, doesn't drink, has his black belt, runs marathons, cares about the environment, etc. etc. Will he ever be the same?

He is hearing voices.

I don't know how to feel. Pray for my family. Especially my step-dad who can't sleep or stop crying. Also that the judge (tomorrow) shows mercy and we can move him to Northern CA and that we get the letter from the doctor in Northern CA saying they can handle him. Pray for a diagnosis. Pray. . . .