Advocacy Policy Platform. Advocacy Crisis Intervention. Advocacy State Fact Sheets. Advocacy Public Policy Reports. Causes We are still learning about how and why psychosis develops, but several factors are likely involved. Several factors that can contribute to psychosis: Genetics. Ongoing studies will help us better understand which genes play a role in psychosis. A traumatic event such as a death, war or sexual assault can trigger a psychotic episode.
Substance use. The use of marijuana, LSD, amphetamines and other substances can increase the risk of psychosis in people who are already vulnerable. Physical illness or injury. Mental health conditions. Sometimes psychosis is a symptom of a condition like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or depression.
Diagnosis A diagnosis identifies an illness; symptoms are components of an illness. Treatment Early or first-episode psychosis Early treatment of psychosis, especially during the first episode, leads to the best outcomes. Psychosis treatment Traditional treatment for psychosis involves psychotherapy and medication. In a crisis,. Antipsychotic medication. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth.
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I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Can Psychosis Go Away? Schizophrenia Is Not "Split Personalities" Though a common misconception, people with schizophrenia do not have "split personalities.
Consult Your Healthcare Provider Never stop taking an antipsychotic medication without consulting your healthcare provider. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Related Articles. What Is the Schizophrenia Spectrum? What Is Psychotic Depression? How Is Childhood Schizophrenia Treated? What Causes Psychosis? When Do Schizophrenia Symptoms Start? Schizoaffective disorder Schizoaffective disorder is a mental illness that can affect your thoughts, mood and behaviour. Drug induced psychosis People who use or withdraw from alcohol and drugs can experience psychosis. Depression with psychotic symptoms You may experience psychosis if you have severe depression.
If you have a diagnosis of depression you may: feel low, lack motivation, lack energy, feel guilty, lose your appetite, and sleep poorly. Postpartum psychosis If you have psychotic experiences after giving birth, this is known as postpartum psychosis. If you experience postpartum psychosis you may: experience psychosis, feel confused, be suspicious, talk too quickly, think too quickly, and show signs of depression.
Delusional disorder You may have a delusional disorder if you have a single firmly held belief that is not true. Brief psychotic episode You will experience psychosis for a short period of time. You can find more information about: Schizophrenia by clicking here.
Bipolar disorder by clicking here. Schizoaffective disorder by clicking here. Depression by clicking here. Personality disorders by clicking here. Hearing voices by clicking here. Post-traumatic stress disorder by clicking here. Causes What causes psychosis? Researchers also believe that genetics may affect who develops psychosis. Life experiences There is evidence that stressful life experiences can cause psychosis.
Other life experiences can cause psychosis or make your psychosis worse. These include: stress, anger or anxiety, drugs and alcohol misuse or withdrawal, homelessness, delirium. This is a state of mental confusion which may follow a serious physical illness or an operation, grief, divorce or separation, childbirth racism, and tiredness. Genetic causes Research suggests that mental illness can run in families. Brain Chemicals Research suggests that changes to your brain chemistry can cause psychosis.
You can find more information about: Does mental illness run in families? Drugs, Alcohol and mental health by clicking here. Cannabis and mental health by clicking here. How to cope by clicking here. You may decide to get help for your experiences. Your GP should not give you antipsychotic medication without first talking to a psychiatrist.
A secondary mental health team will usually be called the: early intervention team EIT community mental health team CMHT , or crisis team. You can ask your GP for their details. You can call NHS Use an internet search engine. There is more information about this in the section below. It could also include: a combined healthy eating and physical activity programme. How can adult social services help me?
For example, you may need support so that you can: get out of the house, keep in touch with friends and family, get a job or take part in education, clean your house, prepare meals or go shopping, keep safe, manage your money, take part in leisure activities, or contribute to society. For example, volunteer, or be in a group. What other help is available?
You can look on their websites to see what support they offer in your area. Self-help There are things that you can do to help manage your mental health. Care Programme Approach by clicking here. Social care assessment - under the Care Act by clicking here. What treatment should the NHS offer me? Medication Antipsychotic medication can help with psychosis. Talking therapies There are different types of talking therapies recommended for people who have psychosis. It is there to try and help you to: understand links between your thoughts, feeling and actions, understand your symptoms and how they affect your day to day life, and look at your perceptions, beliefs and reasoning.
CBT aims to: help you to be aware of signs that your thoughts, feelings or behaviours are changing, give you a way of coping with your symptoms reduce stress, and improve your functioning. Family intervention can be used to: learn more about your symptoms, and improve communication among family members. Family intervention could help you and your family to: learn more about your symptoms, understand what is happening to you, improve communication with each other, know how to support each other, think positively, become more independent, be able to solve problems with each other, know how to manage a crisis, and improve mental wellbeing.
Art therapy aims to help you to: learn new ways of relating to other people, show how you are feeling, accept your feelings, and understand your feelings. You can find more information about: Antipsychotics by clicking here. Choice and managing problems by clicking here. Talking therapies by clicking here.
What if I am not happy with my treatment? If you are not happy with your treatment you can: talk to your doctor about your treatment options, ask for a second opinion, get an advocate to help you speak to your doctor, contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service PALS and see whether they can help, or make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below. Treatment options You should first speak to your doctor about your treatment. Second opinion A second opinion means that you would like a different doctor to give their opinion about what treatment you should have. Advocacy An advocate is independent from the mental health service. They give information and support to patients. You can find out more about: Medication - Choice and managing problems by clicking here.
Second opinions by clicking here. Advocacy by clicking here. Complaining about the NHS or social services by clicking here. Support groups You could join a support group. Peer support through the NHS Your doctor may offer you peer support. They should be able to offer advice and support with: side effects, recognising and coping with symptoms, what to do in a crisis, meeting other people who can support you, and recovery.
Self-management techniques Managing your condition on your own is called self-help. You can try some of the suggestions below to manage or cope with upsetting experiences. Speak to a supportive, friend, family member or someone else who has psychosis. Try relaxation techniques, mindfulness and breathing exercises. Do things that you find relaxing such as having a bath Try a complementary therapy such as meditation, massage, reflexology or aromatherapy. Stick to a sleep pattern, eat well and look after yourself.
Set small goals such as going out for a small amount of time every day. Reward yourself when you achieve a goal. Do regular exercise such as walking, swimming, yoga or cycling. Taking control of the voices If you hear voices, you could: talk back to them, distract yourself, keep a diary, or use a mobile app. You may want to keep a record of the following: How many voices you have? How often they talk to you, or each other?
What are they saying? How they make you feel? What you do to cope with each voice? A diary may also help you to talk about your voices with your therapist. You can find more information at: www. Complementary and alternative treatments by clicking here. Different views on psychosis You may feel that a mental health crisis linked to your psychosis is part of a spiritual crisis.
Information for carers, relatives and friends Information for carers, friends and relatives It can be very distressing if you are a carer, friend or relative of someone who has psychosis. How can I get support for myself? You can do the following. Speak to your GP about medication and talking therapies for yourself. For more information about family intervention please see the section above.
Ask for a carers assessment. Join a carers service. They are free and available in most areas. Join a carers support group for emotional and practical support.
Or set up your own. How can I support the person I care for? Read information about hearing voices or psychosis. Ask the person you support to tell you what their symptoms are and if they have any self-management techniques that you could help them with. Encourage them to see a GP if you are worried about their mental health. Ask to see a copy of their care plan. They should have a care plan if they are supported by a care coordinator.
Help them to manage their finances. There is no definition for what high risk means. It could include: not being aware of hazards because of delusional thoughts or confusion, refusing to eat for fear that food is contaminated, or threatening to harm others due to delusions or severe paranoia.
Think about the following questions: Who is in danger of being harmed? What evidence do you have of this? Have they done it before? How has their behaviour changed?
When did their behaviour change? Are they aggressive? If so, how? If your loved one is thinking about harming themselves or others or attempting suicide, seek help right away:. Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions.
The goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.
Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct many studies with patients and healthy volunteers. We have new and better treatment options today because of what clinical trials uncovered years ago. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you.
Unless otherwise specified, NIMH information and publications are in the public domain and available for use free of charge. Citation of the NIMH is appreciated. Statistics NIMH statistics pages include statistics on the prevalence, treatment, and costs of mental illness for the population of the United States. Help for Mental Illnesses If you or someone you know has a mental illness, there are ways to get help.
Clinical Trials If you or a friend or family member are thinking about taking part in clinical research, this page contains basic information about clinical trials.
Stakeholder Engagement Find out how NIMH engages a range of stakeholder organizations as part of its efforts to ensure the greatest public health impact of the research we support. Education and Awareness Use these free mental health education and outreach materials in your community and on social media to spread the word about topics like eating disorders, autism awareness, and suicide prevention.
Application Process Explore the NIMH grant application process, including how to write your grant, how to submit your grant, and how the review process works. Small Business Research Learn about funding opportunities for small businesses. Meetings and Events Details about upcoming events — including meetings, conferences, workshops, lectures, webinars, and chats — sponsored by the NIMH.
Multimedia NIMH videos and podcasts featuring science news, lecture series, meetings, seminars, and special events. Press Resources Information about NIMH, research results, summaries of scientific meetings, and mental health resources. Innovation Speaker Series NIMH hosts an annual lecture series dedicated to innovation, invention, and scientific discovery. Gordon, M. Advisory Boards and Groups Read about the boards and groups that advise and provide guidance to the Institute.
Share Page. Overview Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Several factors contribute to the risk of developing schizophrenia. Treatments include: Antipsychotic Medications Antipsychotic medications can help reduce the intensity and frequency of psychotic symptoms. Psychosocial Treatments Cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral skills training, supported employment, and cognitive remediation interventions may help address the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Family Education and Support Educational programs for family members, significant others, and friends offer instruction about schizophrenia symptoms and treatments, and strategies for assisting the person with the illness. Coordinated Specialty Care Coordinated specialty care CSC is a general term used to describe recovery-oriented treatment programs for people with first episode psychosis, an early stage of schizophrenia.
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