Health Advice and Information on Psychosis

Therapists that help heal and deal with Psychosis
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Psychosis

Psychotic experiences such as hearing voices and holding delusions are surprisingly common. It is thought that perhaps 4 in every 100 people experience them at some stage in their lives, making it more common that diabetes. For most, the experience is a one off event, for others brief periods of psychosis may occur throughout their lives, although with the research, dispelling of myths and better education, therapies, understanding, and in some cases medication. Most people go on to lead normal and fulfilling lives.

The onset of a psychotic episode can be due to many factors and is not as yet truely understood. The factors are wide ranging and some are listed below.
Fever
Flu
Post traumatic stress, stress, abuse
Infections, Meningitus
Lack or insufficient food or sleep
Use of some drugs
Excessive alcohol consumption

The following describes what happens, goes deeper into the causes and effects. It also looks at the kinds of treatment available, and what people can do to help themselves.

What are Psychotic Experiences?

This is a psychiatric term, and describes experiences, such as hearing voices or seeing things or holding unususal beliefs, which other people do not see or share. During a psychotic experience, your thoughts may jump around very quickly, and so it may be difficult to voice them in a way that other people understand. For many people these experiences are highly distressing and disruptive, interfering with everyday life, with making friends, having a relationship or finding employment. This is true when the experiences are particularly common and frequent.

Depending on the person and upon other factors a variety of diagnosies can be made, from a one off episode to severe depression, schizophrenia, manic depression (bi-polar disorder), paranoia, psychotic illness, schizoaffective disorder, and so on.

What causes them?

Almost anyone can have a brief psychotic episode. It may result from lack of sleep, through jetlag, through illness and high fever, including malaria, pneumonia, flu and other viral infections, or abusing alcohol and drugs, including street drugs and prescription medication including steroids. There is considerable evidence that psychotic experiences are connected to using cannabis in some vunerable people. Experiences can also occur due to damage to the brain or dementia, of lead and mercury poisoning, or changes in blood sugar levels.

There are different ideas at to why psychotic experiences become a problem. But it is generally thought that some people are more vunerable to them than others, and that very stressful or traumatic events make them more likely to occur. A persons own attitude to their experience, as well as the attitude of those around them, including family members, friends, their GP and other health professionals, also plays a part.

The experience involves biological changes in brain structure or brain chemistry, but whether these are the cause or the effect of the psychotic experience it is impssible to say. Research into whether there's an inherited vulnerability in inconclusive. If one member of a family is diagnosed with schizophrenia or manic depression, then there seems to be more chance of another family member being similarly diagnosed. But no single gene has been found to be responsible. Early experiences in life may be important in helping to prevent, or contributing to, problems. One theory suggests that over-critical or over-protective families make people more vunerable.

All our experiences evolve the way that we interpret what happens to us in our life. Many people who have psychotic experiences seems to have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused. They may be also sufferring from post traumatic stress. Their experience in life can make them anxious or suspicious about other people, as well as lowering their self-esteem. So, if they have a psychotic experience it may be particularly frightening and disturbing to them. This can lead to a vicious and negative cycle. For example, someone who hears voices may think they are being bugged. They may become afraid that the secret service is persecuting them and interpret everything they see as supporting this view. Feeling threatened and on constant alert can be very frightening, tiring and preoccupying. It may interfere with sleep and daily life, and make it very hard to trust anyone.

People who have been through very difficult or unhappy events may need to push their feelings and memories away, because they are so painful. Some therapists may suggest that these experiences are an expression of these overwhelming experiences, feelings and forbidden thoughts. In other words, these are a way of coping with life events, such as abuse (for further info on abuse, please see Healer Dealers wide and informative sections on diferent forms of abuse, including bullying).

It has also been suggested that they are traits that we all share, to varying degrees, but which are interpreted differently, according to our culture or social standing.

Will I Recover and 'Get over it'?

The majority of those who have one psychotic episode never have another one. Others may be prone to fairly short lived episodes throughout their lives. Some may live with ongoing psychosis as a long term problem. However serious the difficulties, there are treatments and coping stratagies that reduce the disruption and enable people to lead fulfilling lives and to achieve their personal and professional ambitions.

Further Issues and Myths

Awareness and education on psychosis is not particularly wide spread within the community as a whole. You may even be mis advised and misinformed by a GP who is not experienced in this field, but they will be able to refer you to a mental health professional. There may be prejudice and discrimination to face. The media can also misinform and reinforce negative stereotypes and myths, for example, that people with mental health problems are violent. In truth, the complete opposite is usually true, thay are far more likely to be victims of violence, or harm themselves.

Also people often feel unable to open up about their problems, in particularly when applying for jobs or even with their counsellor or psychiatric professional. This means that the chance to change peoples misconceptions and dispell any myths is usually missed. Hiding their problems also reinforces the sence of shame, and can lead to isolation.
Luckily, there are pressure groups that are gradually changing attitudes in society, organisations such as MIND and MAD PRIDE campaign against discrimination and stigma. By joinging a local group can also be a way of not isolating yourself, ridding any shame and meeting other people who may share similar experiences and views.  To hear other people being open about their experiences can be very encouraging, and it may go some way to helping anyone with any fear, shame or embarrassment to start opening up too, preferably with a trusted and knowledgable person who can aid, advise, encourage and help seek out the best coping methods and tools for that particular individual and their experiences.

What sort of Treatment can I get?

Many mental health workers and other professionals now look at peoples problems as a whole, within their environment, and you can get information, advice and choice about treatment. It's increasingly recognised that many people are experts within and about their own condition.


Talking Treatments, Counselling, Psychotherapy etc


There is good evidence that talking treatments, including Counselling, Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychotherapy and especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can reduce stress and distress and the intensity and frequency of the experience. They provide a calm, non-judgemental atmosphere, with the aim of helping people to understand their experiences, to develop coping stratagies, and to improve their relationships and quality of life. They can help to tackle depression and anxiety that may result from having a psychotic experience. Some approaches may suit some people more than others as we are all individuals. To find out what there is available that is suitable for you, please see the information that Healer Dealer provides on the therapists available in your area or on the net that help heal and deal with psychosis and any accompanying problems, and also those who help promote wellbeing, confidence and relaxation.

Family Therapy

Family therapy, is where the whole or a few or perhaps even one close member of your family can talk about the experiences of psychosis and help them identify what is helpful and what is unhelpful. The therapy can help dispel any worries that family members have and give them a chance to help and support and also to receive help and support also. This honesty and of jointly recieving some help and talking can be invaluable to most families.

Theraputic Communities

Theraputic Communities provide a supportive, live-in environment for people with mental health problems. The length of stay is usually limited to a set period of time. This can be an intensive way of receiving help and learning your triggers and coping and avoidance stratagies. It is important to keep well nourished, sleep well and not get very stressed. Here you can resolve any issues that may be causing you stress, or the post traumatic stresss of an incident that was stressfull earlier in life.

Hospital Admission

If you become very distressed or ill during an episode of psychosis, or if it has been an illness that has triggered the psychosis, you may be admitted to hospital, either voluntarily or under the terms of the Mental Health Act 1983. This will give the medical staff a chance to assess your needs and decide what is the best course of action to help you. Depending on the individual and the experience and perhaps the trigger, different medicines may be given.

Crisis Services

Crisis services exist in some areas as an alternative to hospital. They may offer accomodation, or support within your own home.

How can I Help Myself?

It is extremely helpful to find support and a good counsellor or therapist for you, this may not be the first few people you come into contact with. Being given a diagnosis can be a great relief if you have been feeling overwhelmed by your experience or experiences. It is insightful to also know that your own experience and personal perspective can be as valid as a medical view of psychosis, which sees a psychotic experience as an illness to be treated. They may include many different explanations for the experience; parapsychological, psychodynamic, psychological, spiritual or mystical. These allow people a framework for developing their own coping stratgies. The more you can be involved in your own treatment and taking care of yourself the better.

Relaxation

Taking steps to increase relaxation is very important. Relaxation exercises, meditation, yoga, relaxation music and many of the other complementary relaxing therapies, and pysical activity. Depending on the individual, massage, aromatherapy, reflexology etc can be of great benefit.  Trying to not take too much on, seeking help and discovering new ways to lessen stress inducing factors in your life will also help greatly.  Things that may be causing you avoidable stress in your current lifesyle can be uncovered and the best course of action for ridding these discussed.

Advance Directives

If you experience more frequent or subsequent experiences, during a crisis you may not be able to tell those around you what helps you. While you are well, it may be a good idea to discuss with someone you trust what you would like to happen, or not happen, when you are in a crisis. You may even like to make out an advanced directive, also known as a living will which states this in writing.

What can Family and Friends do to Help?

It may be difficult to communicate with a friend or relative that is having a psychotic experience, and to understand their behaviour and what they are saying. But you may well be able to sympathise with feelings, such as anxiety, that your friend or relative is going through. This does not mean that you have to confirm or deny their delusions. However, if you accept their experiences, you can be more supportive, which can improve their sense of confidence in social situations, and the fear that they may be most possibly experiencing. Acknowledge it when you can see a truth in what they say, for example, someone who feels that people are talking about them behind their backs may be correct. Worried friends and family may be doing just that.

Seeing someone you care about experiencing a psychotic episode can be distressing and even frightening. Friends and family may find it helpful to discuss their feelings and concerns with someone else, such as a counsellor or other therapist, or to join a support group. There are even places on the web, discussion forums and chat areas, or even a counsellor online that you can connect with. Please see the sections within Healer Dealer that list in directories, the people that can help you, either close to where you live, or on the internet.