29/04/2025
Psychosis refers to a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. During an episode of psychosis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disrupted and they may have difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not.
People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them). Other symptoms can include incoherent or nonsense speech and behavior that is inappropriate for the situation.
However, a person will often show changes in their behavior before psychosis develops. Behavioral warning signs for psychosis include:
Suspiciousness, paranoid ideas, or uneasiness with others
Trouble thinking clearly and logically
Withdrawing socially and spending a lot more time alone
Unusual or overly intense ideas, strange feelings, or a lack of feelings
Decline in self-care or personal hygiene
Disruption of sleep, including difficulty falling asleep and reduced sleep time
Difficulty telling reality from fantasy
Confused speech or trouble communicating
Sudden drop in grades or job performance
Studies have shown that it is common for a person to have psychotic symptoms for more than a year before receiving treatment. Reducing this duration of untreated psychosis is critical because early treatment often means better recovery. A qualified psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker can make a diagnosis and help develop a treatment plan.
Treatment of psychosis usually includes antipsychotic medication. There are several different types of antipsychotic medications, and they have different side effects, so it is important to work with a health care provider to determine the medication that is most effective with the fewest side effects. (National Institute of Mental Health ❤️)
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