Psychosis is a mental health condition characterised by a disconnection from reality, leading to significant changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Individuals experiencing psychosis may have distorted perceptions of the world, marked by hallucinations -seeing, hearing, or feeling things that others do not-and delusions-strong persistent beliefs that are not based in reality.
This altered perception often results in impaired judgement, making it challenging for individuals to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
Psychosis can be associated with various mental health disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and requires prompt evaluation and intervention by mental health professionals.
Signs
The signs of psychosis can vary but common indicators include:
- Hallucinations – Experiencing sensations that are not based in reality such as hearing voices, seeing things, or feeling sensations that others do not.
- Delusions – Holding strong and persistent beliefs that are untrue or irrational, often contrary to evidence or common sense.
- Disorganised Thinking – Difficulty organising thoughts, leading to incoherent speech, jumbled ideas, or trouble connecting thoughts logically.
- Impaired Judgement – Making decisions or taking actions that seem unusual or irrational due to distorted perceptions of reality.
- Changes in Behaviour – Sudden and unexplained changes in behaviour, mood, or social interactions.
- Social Withdrawal – Isolating oneself from others, avoiding social situations, or displaying a decline in interpersonal relationships.
- Difficulty Concentrating – Trouble focusing, remembering things, or following a train of thought.
- Emotional Disturbances – Experiencing heightened emotional responses or showing lack of emotional response.
- Sleep Disturbances – Changes in sleep patterns, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Treatment
- Medication – Medication can help manage symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and disorganised thinking.
- Psychotherapy – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help individuals identify and challenge distorted thought patterns and develop coping strategies for managing symptoms.
- Family Education and Support – Involving family members in the treatment process helps them understand the condition, provide support and contribute to recovery.
- Rehabilitation Programmes – The programmes focus on developing or redeveloping skills for daily living, vocational training and social interaction.
- Self-help groups – If experiencing psychosis, you may benefit from being around other people who’ve had similar experiences.
Support Services
Rochdale and District Mind – https://www.rochdalemind.org.uk
01706 752338
NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Talking Therapies – https://www.thebiglifegroup.com/service/hmrtalkingtherapies
hmrtalkingtherapies@thebiglifegroup.com
01706 619020
SANE – https://www.sane.org.uk/home
020 3805 1790
Hearing Voices Network – https://hearing-voices.org