Psychosis

Psychotic disorders affect fewer than 1 in 100 people in the UK in any given year. 

In this article, we explore what psychosis is, the symptoms, the causes as well as the treatment. We will also provide the best ways to support a loved one suffering from psychosis.  

What is psychosis? 

Sometimes known as a ‘psychotic episode or experience’, psychosis is when a person may perceive reality differently from the people around them. Someone in psychosis may describe it as ‘losing touch’ with reality.  

Some of the typical experiences of psychosis include delusions, disordered speech and thinking, and hallucinations.  

Each person’s experience of psychosis will differ – some may experience it very little, some a few short episodes and some may live with it all the time. 

Symptoms of psychosis 

The symptoms of psychosis can vary from person to person but as above there are three main symptoms: 

Hallucinations  

This is when a person will see, hear and may even taste, smell or feel things that live within their mind. Hallucinations can feel real to the person – most people will hear voices. 

Delusions 

This is when a person will strongly believe something that others do not. One of the most well-known delusions is that a person may believe others have a conspiracy to hurt them. 

Disordered speech and thinking 

This is when a person’s thoughts appear quickly, which can cause them to be perceived as confused or frantic. 

If you combine hallucinations and delusional thinking, this can cause severe distress and behavioural changes. 

Causes of psychosis 

Psychosis can be triggered for many reasons.  

The most common reason can be a mental health condition, such as the below: 

• Schizophrenia – this a condition that causes a range of psychological symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions 
• Bipolar disorder – this is a mental health condition that affects mood; a person with bipolar disorder can have episodes of low mood (depression) and high mood (mania) 
• Depression – some people with severe depression also have symptoms of psychosis when they’re particularly depressed 

It’s believed that psychosis can also be triggered by events, such as the below: 

• A traumatic experience 
• Stress 
• Drug misuse 
• Alcohol misuse 
• Adverse side effects of prescribed medicine 
• A physical condition, such as a brain tumour or dementia 
• Head trauma 
• Childbirth 

The number of times and how long an episode lasts will depend on the cause. 

Treatment for psychosis 

For the majority of people, there won’t be a quick and easy solution.

With the correct support, the symptoms can become easier to manage and eventually recover from. 

As the symptoms may ease, this does not mean that psychosis will disappear – recovery isn’t linear. There is a chance that a person may still experience symptoms throughout and after treatment.  

The treatment itself will focus on giving a person ways to cope so that it becomes less distressing and life-altering. 

A person with psychosis may be offered the below treatments: 

• Talking therapies – this form of treatment helps a person understand their experiences and develop coping strategies to deal with them. A person may also be offered ‘cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis’ (sometimes called CBTp). This is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for people experiencing psychosis specifically
• Medication – antipsychotic medication is offered to people with psychosis as a way of managing the symptoms. A person may also be offered other drugs (for example antidepressants or mood stabilisers) if they experience mood-based symptoms, as well as additional medication to help reduce the side effects caused by the antipsychotics
• Family intervention – this focuses on helping family members talk to each other about what helps, solve problems and plan for a crisis. A person’s GP will be able to find out if this is available in their area

How to support a loved one suffering from psychosis 

It can be extremely difficult to know how to care for a loved one with psychosis. Episodes can be frightening and confusing for those witnessing them, but there are some simple things to remember to help your loved one when they are having a psychotic experience. 

• Speak to them slowly – if they are having a psychotic episode, speak to them calmly and slowly. They may not understand your usual tone, such as humour or sarcasm, so keep it simple and maintain a calm voice
• Stay optimistic – people with psychosis often suffer from low mood so it’s important to keep them positive. Try to offer comfort if you notice they are low, angry or upset
• Treat them the same – the person is still your loved one, so remind them of that. Their mental health struggles do not make them any less of a human being, so be sure to stick by their side and give them love
• Encourage them to get help – a person suffering from psychosis will need intervention from a GP, or specialist mental health provider, so try to help them get medical support

Further Information 

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog post. 

For more information, Mind, a mental health charity, has further advice on their website. 

Other organisations that offer support to individuals can be found here, Rethink Mental Illness and The Mental Health Foundation. 

You can find our blog post about how to support a loved one on their recovery journey here, for more tips. 

Connect with us on social media, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram. 

References:

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/psychosis/overview/#:~:text=Psychosis%20is%20when%20people%20lose,(disordered)%20thinking%20and%20speaking. 

https://mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/psychosis/about-psychosis/  

https://patient.info/news-and-features/how-to-support-someone-with-psychosis 

Image by Dasha Yukhymyuk on Unsplash.