As mental health professionals, board-certified psychologist Dr. Trey Cole and our team at Quandary Peak Counseling often find ourselves facing stigma and misinformation when it comes to mental health.
A perfect example of this is psychosis, which is a constellation of symptoms that affect a person’s perception and thoughts.
Unfortunately, true psychosis has been clouded by common, and often wrong, portrayals of psychosis. Not to mention that the word “psychotic" has entered our language as something unhinged and often bad.
So let's set the record straight when it comes to psychosis with some background information and a look at some early signs.
Psychosis is not a condition, but a group of symptoms that can indicate a mental health condition like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, though psychosis can develop outside these conditions.
Each year, about 100,000 young people experience psychosis in the United States and about 3 out of 100 people will experience an episode of psychosis at some point.
Psychosis most often develops in people in their late teens and 20s, which is likely tied to hormones and brain development. Outside of developmental changes, psychosis may be tied to trauma, substance use, and genetics.
As with any health condition, intervening during the early stages can improve the trajectory of the issue, and this is certainly true of psychosis.
With that in mind, here are some early red flags that psychosis may be present:
Psychosis can hijack reality and cause you to hear, see, taste, and smell things that don’t exist, but you believe that they’re there. Hallucinations are common, and you can see, hear, and even feel them.
People might experience heightened emotions or a lack of emotions during a psychotic episode.
Strong delusions that often have some degree of paranoia are typically part of psychosis. For example, you might believe that someone else is controlling your life or the world or that you’re a messenger from a higher power.
These delusions might convince you that you have special powers or that you’re being watched or hunted.
We’ve listed symptoms of psychosis that the person feels, but we also want to list some warning signs that someone looking from the outside might see. So if you suspect that a loved one is dealing with psychosis, be on the lookout for:
If you notice any of these signs, seek our help as soon as possible. Research has proven time and again that early intervention can make a meaningful difference with psychosis.
Through an approach like Coordinated Specialty Care, we can help families and individuals better navigate the challenging waters of psychosis and bring everyone back to a better reality.
If you have questions about recognizing psychosis or you’d like an evaluation, we’re here to help. To set that in motion, please call our office in Denver, Colorado, at 720-675-7918 today. You can also request an appointment through our online system.
