How does a psychotic break affect us?

I feel like I was bipolar for a long time before being diagnosed.  It wasn't until I had a psychotic break that I was diagnosed.  It seems that after I was diagnosed (after my break) that I haven't gotten back to the "pre-break" feeling.  (I stay in the depressed more than the mania) I know part of that is because of medications and we don't always want/need to get back to the "pre-break" feelings, but I am wondering...

Does a psychotic break change our disorder to a permanently detiorated state?  Does it just get worse on it's own?  I

So many people on here have mentioned that they were diagnosed after a psychotic break.  I am just curious how you think it does affect us.

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes there is some research that expresses that concern so that is why there are studies to have anti-psychotics be used in children who may be exhibiting potential signs of psychosis although this is clinically controversial. I now know I always had behavior that was unusual and somewhat abnormal since I was a child, first started having psychotic thoughts when I was 13 and then at the age of 18 had a full psychotic break. I never really felt like myself until I started that treatment in clinical study but once I did could look back and see that I always had behavior patterns and obsessions that were markedly abnormal. A psychotic break does potentially set off a series of permanent brain changes although ones they are just learning about and as newer and safer treatments are developed medication will probably be initiated early to prevent this from happening. I still experience mood swings but with a working mood stabilizer in addition to an antipsychotic (needed for schizoaffective) I can recognize them for what they are and not let them affect judgment or action.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Well I heard classically this happens in schizophrenia but I think it also can happen in bipolar disorder where you stay in a deteriorated state as mentioned although a doctor mentioned that people with psychosis in other mental disorders generally recover back to baseline classically after the psychotic break is over.  I guess it all depends on the severity of the psychotic break and other such factors.  I like ILADVOCATE had symptoms since I was a small child and had my first full blown psychotic break about a year and a half ago or longer, I'm not sure I can't keep track of this crap like this.  But after I had it I have never got back up to baseline yet since and I seem to relapse easily to varying extents.