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Warning Signs

How do I know if someone is experiencing psychosis?

If you are a therapist, nurse, doctor, teacher, landlord, or really anyone who has regular contact with young people, you may encounter someone in the early phases of a psychosis-producing illness such as schizophrenia. Typically, someone experiencing early-onset psychosis will display several of the following symptoms:

Confused Thinking – This can manifest as difficulty concentrating, the inability to follow a conversation or form coherent sentences, and poor memory. It may also seem that the person’s thoughts seem to speed up or slow down.

False Beliefs – Also known as delusions, false beliefs are very common in psychosis – to the person with the delusion, these thoughts and beliefs are very real.

Hallucinations – A person with psychosis may see, hear, feel, smell or taste things that are not actually there. It is not uncommon for a person to report that something tastes or smells as if it is poisoned, or that he or she hears voices nobody else can hear.

Changed Feelings – It is not uncommon for a person with psychosis to feel cut off from the world, sense that things are moving in slow motion, feel unusually excited, depressed, or simply feel less emotion altogether.

Changed Behavior – You may notice a change in behavior, such as a newly heightened activity or lethargy. People with psychosis may laugh inappropriately or become angry or upset without apparent cause. Often, changes in behavior are associated with the symptoms already described above.

Symptoms vary from person to person and may change over time, but the above are common warning signs that may indicate a need for specialized help.