What is Psychosis?
Psychosis is a mental health condition that involves hallucinations, dizziness, and delusions. It can damage your mental health and cause a lot of symptoms that come with it. There are several treatments that can help identify the cause of the problem along with medications that may help ease off the effects.
Psychosis makes a person believe that what they are seeing is real, even though there is nothing shown in front of them. These are known as delusions. Schizophrenia is also a condition with similar health symptoms.
Psychosis can cause various psychological problems that can affect your health, it can become long term or short term.
Anybody can suffer from psychosis however they mostly occur in young people and can have very triggering side effects. Most people tend to think that psychosis is an illness but is a symptom that can affect your mental health in different ways.
Delusional behaviour and hallucinations can change a person’s attitudes and behaviours in any given situation. This can result in stress and crippling depression causing the person to lose themselves. Having the symptoms of psychosis can often diagnose people with psychotic behaviour.
Cause and effects
Firstly, there are different causes that can trigger psychosis. It is easy to identify the different causes, such examples and causes include delusions and hallucinations which is known as schizophrenia. Other conditions may involve bipolar disorder, severe depression, or major anxiety.
Major symptoms include:
- Trauma
- Abuse
- Pain
- Substance abuse
- Stroke
- Stress
- Medication
Secondly, Psychosis contains elements of thoughts and feelings which determine how severe the condition is. A person may not be in the right state of mind and would not know what they are doing as they may feel disconnected or disjointed from the real world.
The condition can last for a long time but solely depends on how bad the condition has gotten. Therefore, it is best to seek help immediately.
Treatments
There are different ways in treating psychosis from prescribing medication to providing therapy as well as other useful resources and facilities.
There are different medicines and treatments that include a combination of both medicinal and behavioural cues such as:
- Antipsychotic drug/medicines
- Behavioural therapy
- Support facilities
- Social activities
The treatments listed can help relieve the symptoms of psychosis and help people get back on their feet which can motivate people to reduce pain and suffering.
Depending on the condition some people take antipsychotic medicines for a long period of time as it helps reduce the negative side effects of psychosis.
However, this is not suitable for all people as some may feel having a limited amount of dosage of antipsychotic medicines can also help relieve them of the pain and symptoms they are facing from the medical condition.
If a person with psychosis stops taking their treatment, then it can disrupt their behaviours and attitudes causing them to go into a complete state of panic. This would bring back the symptoms and cause so much emotional stress on a person making it unable for them to handle their condition.
By not taking your medication you are triggering the symptoms of psychosis making it harder for you to get rid of the condition.
Psychosis can start in your late teen years and develop into early adulthood. Anybody that suffers from the condition should seek medical attention immediately as it is the most effective method of help.
Psychosis can make a person feel useless and worthless in every aspect of their life. This could be making important decisions or working towards a goal or achievement.
Getting help
Also, it is recommended to see a doctor if you have been diagnosed with psychosis. If a doctor is not available or you cannot visit the hospital then dial 999 for advice on how to manage and control the symptoms.
However, if your condition starts to worsen it is necessary to go to A&E or contact the helplines that may offer advice on how to manage psychosis.
Not reaching out to someone about your condition can cause a greater risk to your health. Making it difficult for you to cope with the symptoms.
There are different ways in which you can help support someone with psychosis. Talking to them clearly and using short sentences helps keep them calm. Ensure that you are not threatening or aggressive in any way as that could make them scared of you.
Feeling sympathetic and listening to the person can help them trust you and encourage them to hear and comprehend your beliefs and views without getting triggered.
Difficulties of Psychosis
Those that suffer from psychosis may have a substance misuse, alcoholic problem, or both. This may prove useful as it can be a coping mechanism.
There are also many struggles that come with psychosis that can worsen the condition such as bullying and anxiety. Also, it can lead to self-harm or suicide.
People who suffer from psychosis will try to end their life quicker to get rid of the pain. If this is the case visit your local GP or call the helplines at Samaritans on 116 123 for support. Alternatively, you could contact mental health charities that deal with similar issues and may provide outcomes and solutions.
There are different signs and behaviours others can look out for if they think you have psychosis. Such examples include self-harming, cutting of wrists, bruises, and damage to the skin. In fact, People who suffer from psychosis can undergo unusual circumstances such as disorganised thinking and slurred speech.
People who self-harm themselves may end up covering themselves up to prevent them from thinking about their scars. They would usually cover up in the summertime as it makes them feel safer.
In some cases, most people are more likely to have alcohol or drug problems, this is because they may feel that drugs are a coping mechanism that helps them move away from stress.
In conclusion, psychosis is a condition that should not tread lightly as it can damage your mental health. Therefore, dealing with the condition one step at a time maintains progress.
