I was diagnosed with Major Depression disorder with psychotic features for about 2 years (2006-2008).
Basically, I never really believe I was psychotic, because all I used to do was hallucinate, and that was when I would go days drinking and not doing anything else. Ate seldomy, no real excercise, just drinking.
But after feeling suicidal and telling my therapist about it, I ended up in the psych ward. Now I hadn't use any drugs or alcohol in about 2 weeks prior to this placement in an institution. But I had to anger outbreaks in that psych ward, and the next thing I know im diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Basically they said something about my violent outburst, my sucidal ideation, and depression was a form of schizophrenia.
So, have I had psychotic breaks? Yes and no. I have heard things and seen things only after drinking so much.
but I never felt paranoid or thought about things that didn't exist. Even though I would see things and hear things, I lways felt stable.
Btw, before I went into the psych ward that time, I had just done a 10 day bid in the same ward AFTER using too much drugs and becoming very homicidal and suicidal. They let me out, and I remained clean for 2 weeks., but somehow ended back up in the ward, that's when I was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
So with two weeks clean, I go from mdd with psychotic features, to schizophrenic. Not sure if it was the drugs or not.
But apparently there have been psychotic breaks.
But to me, anyone is liable to hallucinate. It's just how often and how sever each episode is that counts.
I bought the mdd with psychotic features, but I don't believe Im schizophrenic. Doesn't matter because u treat both with the same type of meds.