Reality is an interesting concept to discuss. Some may say that nothing is real, or that reality is different depending on the person.
However, there’s a difference between getting philosophical and having psychosis.
This is when someone has a rocky relationship with reality. In this post, we will explain what psychosis is and what you can do to treat it.
What is Psychosis?
This is a disorder where someone has a difficult time staying in reality.
Two examples of what psychosis symptoms are include delusions and hallucinations.
Hallucinations
This is when someone sees, hears, smells, or experiences something that isn’t there. Someone who is hallucinating may hear voices in an empty room or see someone who is not there.
These may be triggered by sleep deprivation or from drug use, but someone with psychosis will have hallucinations without these.
Hallucinations that are triggered by drugs go away with time, and a good night’s sleep can fix sleep deprivation hallucinations.
However, someone with severe psychosis may experience hallucinations all the time. It can make someone be unable to determine what is real and what is fake. In severe cases, it can cause someone to lose everything. It’s important to seek treatment in that case.
Delusions
This is when someone believes something that does not exist and doesn’t budge when contrary evidence is shown.
Many of us believe in things that have little to no evidence. You may believe in something that gives you more luck. You may have dogma and faiths you believe in. This is not a sign of a delusion.
Sometimes, the line between these tends to be blurry, so let us clarify a little. A delusion tends to happen suddenly. For example, a person who seems reasonable suddenly believing that space frogs control the sun.
Other Symptoms
People with psychosis may also experience several other symptoms, too.
Symptoms of depression or anxiety tend to come with psychosis. A person may be unable to organize their words or thoughts, or experience a reduction in social skills. In some cases, they may feel withdrawn or have suicidal thoughts.
What Causes it?
As said before, psychosis symptoms can happen due to drugs or sleep deprivation.
However, developing psychosis can be due to various reasons. Someone who has had a brain disorder, dementia, or stroke may have psychosis. A person who has experienced trauma can develop psychosis.
Trauma-based psychosis, just like taking a drug, is temporary and tends to go away after a while. However, more severe episodes may require mental health treatment.
As you may have imagined, psychosis can be a genetic disorder. A person who has had a family member experience psychosis may be more likely to develop it on their own.
Bipolar disorder is another condition that can lead to psychosis symptoms as well.
Before we move onto the next section, we should mention that someone who is diagnosed with psychosis tends to be an adult.
If you see a child who has a delusion, like an imaginary friend, that’s normal behavior for a child. With that said, it may be worth it to take them to the doctor if you suspect anything.
Diagnosis and Treatment
You will need a psychiatric evaluation, and there may be other medical tests done to rule out any other illnesses. Then, a doctor can make a determination if you have psychosis or if it is some other disorder.
Now, let’s discuss treatment. Like most mental disorders, there is no straight cure, but there are different ways that one may be able to treat psychosis. Usually, it’s a combination of medicine and therapy.
Medicine
For medication, anti-psychotics tend to do the job. They can help a person reduce the amount of delusions and hallucinations one has.
Another medication that one may use is a tranquilizer. This is usually administered by a doctor when a person with psychosis is having a violent episode where they are a danger to others or for themselves.
Therapy
Therapy can help a person with psychosis come back to reality.
One approach may be cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps to break the link between psychosis symptoms and behaviors. This can help a person manage their psychosis quite well.
Another approach may be to practice mindfulness. Being aware of the present may prevent someone from drifting into any delusional thoughts or beliefs.
Luckily, psychosis is treatable. However, just like most disorders, catching and treating it early on is the key.
Seeking Help
If you suspect you may have psychosis, or you have a loved one, it’s important to seek help.
The first step is to get yourself diagnosed. Thanks to online health resources, it’s much easier to do so. One way you can do it is to click this link below:
https://www.mind-diagnostics.org/blog/psychosis
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