A psychosis is an illness or episode characterized by a loss of perception of reality, often manifesting as delusions, hallucinations, and disruptions of typical behaviors and emotions. Psychosis may result from some disease or abnormality of the brain- even a high fever can bring on psychosis- or where there is no identifiable structural or organic causes, it is termed a functional psychosis.
A neurosis is sometimes thought of as the lighter, less intense manifestation of psychosis, but this isn't entirely accurate. A neurosis may cause some amount of distorted perception of reality, but people are largely able to regain objectivity in their actions and understanding of the world. A person suffering from neurosis may feel anxiety, depression, or anger, all of which cause problem in a person's life, but they are not disabling in the same sense as an episode of psychosis. Neuroses can stem from structural or functional abnormalities in the brain which create anxiety, depression, etc, or they may be the result of traumatic experiences.
In short, a neurosis can alter a person's understanding of reality, while a psychosis occurs when a person is unable to distinguish reality from their perceptions.
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