Q. I had a "brief reactive psychosis" & was hospitalized. I have now been diagnosed with "psychosis NOS? with affective instability, predominantly Dysthymia - mixed personality disorder with paranoid features". I don't know whether that is in the category of manic-depressant (bipolar), schizophrenic or what? I also don't know what personalities comprise the mixed personality. From the diagnosis, can you tell me what category that is in? I'm on Fluxanol but therapist thinks I should be on something else.

  A. There is not enough data to tell what you have, but dysthymia in and of itself argues almost exclusively for the use of an antidepressant. The reactive psychosis is usually not schizophrenia or even in that category of disorders. If you have a mixed personality disorder, it basically means you have symptoms of many of the personality disorders listed in DSM-IV, but not enough to diagnose one specifically. Talk it over with your therapist and doctor and see what they think. If you send us more data about yourself--anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, social functioning, appetite, sleep, etc. I can give you a better opinion.