How to manage and live with the symptoms of psychosis?

Psychosis is a disorder that can affect anyone, regardless of gender, education level, or nationality. Whether or not a person develops psychosis depends on various factors, including genetic predisposition, traumatic experiences in childhood or adolescence, drug use, education level, and stress. This model can also be applied to other medical conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.

But anyone can experience hallucinations and delusions. Around 28% of the general population may experience delusional thoughts, and 10-15% may experience hallucinations. Not everyone who has these experiences develops psychosis; in 80% of cases, they will be transient experiences that have no impact on the person's life. But in the remaining 20% of cases, these experiences will cause distress and interfere with daily life, and it is in these cases that seeking help is crucial.

I believe that the vast majority of these hallucinations can be attributed to childhood sexual abuse, bullying, psychological abuse, and various forms of violence. Hallucinations are a symptom of extreme suffering. Sometimes we need to "create" another reality to take refuge in when our own reality hurts.

Well, delusions are beliefs that a person is convinced of but for which there is no proof that they are true, or they are not shared by others.

Paranoia is a type of delusion that involves other people. For example, distrusting people because you believe they want to harm you, laugh at you, criticize you, watch or control you, or try to deceive you.

Hallucinations are perceptual experiences without a justifying stimulus or that other people do not experience. They can be experiences that affect any sensory modality: sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste, or bodily sensations.

The level of impact can vary greatly from person to person. Primarily, psychosis can cause distress for the individual and those around them, and can also interfere with their daily life. However, there are many things that can be done to reduce these symptoms as much as possible. Seeking professional help is extremely beneficial.

Alice

Person with personal experience of psychosis

"I had to build a new version of myself"

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I would say that there's an endless spectrum of emotions, ranging from nothing to a lot. There are also times when the level of impact varies considerably. The important thing is to develop tools that allow us to manage and normalize it in our daily lives.

That's the million-dollar question. I use logic: Are my neighbors interested in my life? What's the point of them spying on me or talking about me? How is it possible that I can hear them criticizing me through the walls? Am I so important that people I pass on the street spy on me and follow me? Out of billions of people on Earth, how is it possible that extraterrestrials chose me?

Visual hallucinations always move with your eyes; that is, if you see them to your right, they will always be to your right, no matter how much you move trying to see them straight on. This is why we have the sensation of seeing shadows, beings, or insects moving from one side to the other, or why, when we go to look for them, they hide, only to startle us later. The more you strain your eyes to "see," the more you will "see" it; conversely, if you relax your eyes, you will help it "vanish." Natural light helps dissipate visual hallucinations, while closed rooms with artificial light and white walls seem to turn into movie screens.

And yes, you will be able to manage it, live with it, and talk about it publicly, with complete naturalness.

There are things that can help. You can ask if anyone else has seen it or try to touch it. You can also close your eyes, breathe, and look again to see if it's still there. And above all, stay calm. Our minds and senses can sometimes play tricks on us.

Auditory hallucinations or voices can be positive, neutral, or negative. Negative voices usually tend to persist because they cause significant distress, leading the person to try to suppress them in some way. Imagine putting your hand on a hot stovetop. Your immediate (instinctive) reaction is to pull it away because it hurts. The same thing happens with negative voices. And this causes them to return more often. There are many things you can work on with your healthcare provider to reduce the distress caused by these voices.

I would also ask you: Who do those voices remind you of? Who spoke badly to you? Did you suffer bullying in your childhood and adolescence? Were you repeatedly insulted? I recommend talking about it with trusted people and professionals, even if it hurts. And start speaking kindly to yourself. We are often our own worst enemy and say horrible things to ourselves. Start changing the way you treat yourself. Treat yourself with love and kindness, not with hatred.

Voice Listeners: Understanding and Accompanying

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If you're experiencing a moment where the voices and delusions are very intense, it's normal.
that you think will never happen. It's not an easy or quick process, but with help
With professional support, help from your support network, and personal effort, you can get well and carry out your projects, even if some symptoms don't fully improve. It's like breaking your leg; when you're in pain, you've just had surgery, and you still can't walk, you think you'll never be able to do what you used to do: go places, run, dance... But with the help of physical therapists, your family, and above all, a lot of effort and patience, it's possible. Even if it hurts a little sometimes, it doesn't have to stop you from moving forward.

Yes, you can live with it. It's important that you develop your own coping strategies. I can't choose whether or not to have them, but I can choose how I experience them. It's a choice that changes everything, even if I continue to have them. If a portrait winks at me, I don't care, I ignore it. If a colorful "northern lights" appear in my room as I go to sleep, I simply look at it and let it go. If I see insects (especially a spider), I look at it like someone watching the rain; I know I shouldn't, but I've even given it a name and I talk to it. In other words, put things into perspective, let it go instead of fighting against it. It's also important not to have self-stigma and to be able to recognize that you have a mental health issue, because otherwise you might seek justifications for what you feel is real in conspiracy theories.

There are some things that can help prevent relapses. Taking medication as prescribed.   Follow your doctor's instructions, avoid drugs and alcohol, and learn coping strategies.   Stress, having activities you enjoy, and people to spend time with and share your   Concerns. One very important thing is identifying your warning symptoms and creating an action plan in case they reappear. Ask the professionals at your health center for advice.   Find mental support to help you do it, share it with your family and   Your closest friends to help you. If they return to   If they appear and we identify them in time, the symptoms can be managed promptly and you can be well again in a short time and much more easily.   simple.

I would also add management, acceptance, learning, and not being afraid to ask for help. Having a structured time means no staying in bed until all hours. Having activities that get us out of the house and socializing is essential. Being active is more important than the type of activity. It doesn't matter if you study, work, go for a walk every day, volunteer with an animal welfare organization, participate in cultural activities, or attend painting or reading workshops; it's crucial to occupy our time with some activity to avoid dwelling on our own delusional world.

No. These are experiences that can happen to anyone. If they cause you distress and interfere with your daily life, you can consult your primary care physician to see if they could help, or you can consult a mental health professional.

Psychotic experiences in the general population

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Not one flower makes a spring, not one drop a storm. I think many people throughout
His life has had some kind of unusual experience, nothing more. You should be concerned if you have any kind of drug use or spend many hours locked away, without interacting with other people.

There are many strategies for reducing discomfort. If you can already identify them, you're more than halfway there. Congratulations! Seeking alternative thoughts, talking to trusted people who can offer their perspective, and doing things that help you relax are just a few examples. Consult your team of professionals to find the ones that work best for you. They will give you options to try until you find the ones that help you the most.

First, let me congratulate you on realizing it; you're more than halfway there. When I feel "off," I go for a walk and sit on the terrace of a bar near my house, letting "life" take its toll—that is, the cold or the heat—or I start chatting with anyone I know in the neighborhood.

Emotional self-regulation in psychotic disorders

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I would say that the symptoms may disappear or lessen in intensity, but recovery isn't the absence of symptoms; it's learning to live with them. Even so, everyone is different, and their recovery will be different.

Everyone is different, and recovery can take more or less time, depending on the individual case. Recovery is possible even if symptoms haven't completely disappeared. You can work, study, have a social life, travel, and live independently, even if symptoms haven't completely vanished.

Relapses can be related to a number of factors. Taking your medication correctly will greatly help prevent relapses. But there are other factors that can cause some symptoms to reappear, even if you continue taking it: stress, drug and alcohol use, or keeping your problems to yourself, for example. The important thing in these cases is to act when you notice symptoms appearing. Contact your healthcare team as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the milder the symptoms will be, and the sooner you'll feel well again.

Relapses in psychotic disorders

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I would add, have you been to therapy? Don't see it as a defeat. The symptoms can return, yes, but just as they return, they can also disappear. If you have a relapse, you can go to the emergency room so they can help you stabilize. Go there calmly; more and more, professionals are aware of the importance of treating us well, calmly, and with compassion. You'll be in the emergency room for a few hours, and then you'll be back to your normal routine.

This is a very common situation. The best thing to do is talk to your partner. Explain your concern and suggest seeing a specialist to find out what's happening and get the help they need. Try to do this when you're both calm, when your partner is also calm, and in a private, unhurried setting. It's very important to convey calm, normalcy, and reassurance.

When someone experiences a psychotic disorder, the distress often affects those around them as well. It's very common for these individuals to have many doubts about how to act, feelings of frustration, guilt, or fear about the future. There are support groups for family members of people with psychosis that can help manage these emotions and find ways to care for themselves and their loved ones with psychosis.

My son has been diagnosed with psychosis, now what?

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First of all, thank you for your honesty. Being honest with yourself helps you avoid projecting your frustration, fears, or uncertainties onto your daughter. I should mention that your daughter is also grieving; she feels like she's missed her chance in life. Her friends are still studying, getting their first jobs, having their first serious relationships, and she's been left behind. It's so painful that she can't even put it into words or name it. That's why it's important to emphasize that her life doesn't end here, that no one knows what the future holds. Sending you both a big hug.

Having a mental health diagnosis doesn't explain all of a person's behaviors or attitudes. Everyone has their own personality, temperament, and way of coping with problems, and this is a characteristic of the person; it doesn't necessarily have to be related to the diagnosis.

That said, and without knowing the situation in detail, people can sometimes hide behind a diagnosis to assert their demands, whether it's for money, to do whatever they want, your time, to spend hours and hours playing on the computer, to come and go as they please, and a long list of other possibilities. Therefore, it would be necessary to first determine if their demands are directed in a specific way or if they are simply demanding for the sake of demanding.

In any case, we have the right to set boundaries with other people when we feel bad in a relationship. It's true that I might say horrible things about the people I love most, and I, personally, if I ever did, would appreciate it if they set boundaries with me, even if I didn't understand or accept them. Setting boundaries with others is a one-way street.