What is Psychosis ?
The word psychosis is used to describe a condition that affects the mind,
where there has been some loss of contact with reality. This means a person is
not thinking clearly and may believe things are true that are not. When
someone becomes unwell in this way it is called a psychotic episode. Psychosis
is most likely to occur in young adults and is quite common. Around three out
of 100 people will experience a psychotic episode, making psychosis more
common than diabetes. With treatment most people make a full recovery from
their experience. It is important to remember psychosis can happen to anyone
and, like any other illness, it can be treated.
The extract below from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll describes
quite well the loss of identity one can experience when mentally unwell. It
is one of several extracts and poems discussed in the art therapy groups.
‘Who are you?’ said the
caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging
opening for a conversation.
Alice replied rather shyly, ‘I …I
hardly know sir, just at present – at least I know who I was when I
got up this morning but I think I must have changed several times
since then.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ said
the caterpillar sternly.
‘Explain yourself!’
‘I can’t explain myself, I am
afraid, sir,’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not myself, you see.’
Psychosis directly affects thinking but can also affect mood and behaviour.
Everyone's experience is different but listed below are common symptoms:
- Confused thinking. Everyday thoughts become confused or
disorganised. A person may have difficulty concentrating, following a
conversation or remembering things. Often thoughts seem to speed up or slow
down. Sometimes the things they say don't make sense. Confused thinking in
this way is referred to as thought disorder.
- False Beliefs. It is common for people experiencing a psychotic
episode to believe certain things are true which are not true beliefs within
their religion and culture. They are so convinced of these beliefs that
logical argument cannot make them change their mind. These beliefs are known
as delusions.
- Hallucinations. Someone experiencing a psychotic episode may hear,
see, smell or taste something that is not actually there. These are
hallucinations. The most common hallucinations are hearing voices.
- Changed Feelings How someone feels may change for no apparent
reason. They may feel strange or cut off from the world. Mood swings are
common, so they may feel unusually excited or depressed. People's emotions
may appear flat. That is they feel less than they used to or show less
emotion than those around them do.
- Changed Behaviour People with psychosis behave differently from the
way they used to. They may be extremely active or not do much at all. They
may laugh at unusual times or become angry or upset with no apparent cause.
Often changes in behaviour can be explained by the symptoms they have. For
example, a person believing they are in danger may call the police. People
may stop eating because they are concerned that the food is poisoned or have
trouble sleeping because they are scared of something. It is important to
remember that symptoms vary from person to person and may also change over
time.
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These pictures represent what is was like to be mentally ill
and were drawn by Totara House consumers while participating in an art
therapy group in May 2009. During this group, the consumers wrote a poem
describing what it was like to be unwell:
The day begins at eight
Who now decides my fate.
Wandering bored around the house,
Being watched when you are not.
I feel like a blob, no
motivation.
Lying dull on my bed,
Not wanting to get up.
Won’t someone please fix my head.
Art therapy group consumers, May
2009.
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