If psychosis is defined as a mental break with reality that is sometimes accompanied with delusions of grandeaur -- just as in society -- there is a psychotic vein that runs through the chess community.  Everyone plays to win, it is natural and logical.  And, it is better to win more games that you lose.  But as in most other things in life -- sometimes you skate and sometimes you fall.  If one loses a hard fought game there may be a bruise to the mind for a short time  -- so what.  Chess starts becoming psychotic when to lose a game is like losing a limb.  Or if a game seems to not be going your way -- hide from the world and morph into an Ostrich -- become a mole instead of a human.  For a short time such behavior can stretch out the doom. But why you you want to?

"As in no other game, or even mode of combat, defeat at chess tracks the ego to its final lair."  – Vladimir Nabokov

 I can attest from personal experience that this is true.  I am a person who enjoys all sorts of games, but I freely admit that only in chess do I take a win with exultation and a loss with despair.  Why?  I have no explanation other than that of Nabokov.

What a quote!!

I am finding that resigning early on a clearly lost position is a great form of therapy.  I despise myself less, appreciate my opponent more, and save us both some grief.

zygnite wrote: I am finding that resigning early on a clearly lost position is a great form of therapy.  I despise myself less, appreciate my opponent more, and save us both some grief.

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if I get far enough behind I will do the same.  But I sometimes hang on for a mistake on the other side.  Not to an extreme, but with enough pieces on the board anything may happen

I do the same thing.  If the position looks clearly lost, and I am playing against a guy I know has skill, I will resign.  However, if I am playing against a novice or a more casual player, I will hold on until my opponent creates a clear mate in x.  This strategy has paid off more than once as a lot of causal players underestimate the subtleties of the endgame.