In the United States, 100,000 young people experience psychosis each year. Below we explore psychosis signs and symptoms, causes, treatments and resources for parents, teens and kids.
What is psychosis?
Psychosis refers to several symptoms in which a person has trouble telling the difference between what is real and what is not.
This experience can make it hard to carry out day-to-day activities as someone typically would. A person with psychosis may have trouble thinking clearly, doing well in school or taking care of their personal hygiene. They may want to be alone more than usual or take part in unsafe behaviors (running away, hurting themselves, hurting others).
Psychosis tends to happen in “episodes,” or periods of time when symptoms are present. For some people, an episode lasts for a few days to a few weeks. For others, an episode may last for months or years. Symptoms of psychosis usually get better with the right treatment.
Recovery is possible for anyone experiencing psychosis. Recovery looks different depending on each person’s goals. Some people who experience an episode of psychosis recover and never experience another one. Sometimes psychosis can mean the start of a more serious condition, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but not always.
Symptoms of psychosis
- Hearing, seeing, tasting or feeling things that are not there
- Extremely unusual thoughts or beliefs that continue even when shown evidence that they might not be true (this may include believing that they have special powers, feeling like their thoughts are not their own or worrying someone is following or out to get them)
- Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating
- Being suspicious of others
- Unusually strong emotions or no emotions at all
- Staying away from or avoiding others
- Decrease in self-care.
What causes psychosis?
There are many different possible causes for experiencing psychotic symptoms. Some of them include:
- A stressful or traumatic event or a major loss
- A diagnosed mental health condition (for example, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, depression, bipolar disorder)
- Using substances (cannabis and other drugs such as mushrooms and LSD increase risk for developing psychosis) or certain medications
- Spiritual experiences
- Physical illness or injury (dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and many autoimmune conditions)
- Family history of psychosis
Who experiences psychosis?
In the United States, 100,000 young people experience psychosis each year. Statistics show that three in 100 people will have an episode at some point in their lives. Psychosis often begins when a person is in their late teens to mid-twenties. Psychosis may be temporary, or it may become permanent if not properly treated.
What does treatment look like?
Treatment can look different depending on each person’s needs. In general, people benefit most from two types of treatment: medication and mental health services. For most people, medication can be a helpful part of recovery. Medication can help decrease some of the symptoms of psychosis (hallucinations, paranoia, confusion) and make upsetting experiences more manageable. Medications can help calm and clear confusion within hours or days, but they can take up to four to six weeks to work fully.
The other form of treatment is mental health services, which can involve many professionals (e.g. psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, therapists or other mental health workers). Mental health treatment focuses on giving education about psychosis, teaching coping skills and helping the person with psychosis move towards the life they want to be living. Some programs also offer peer support services (meeting with a trained person who experiences psychosis and is living in recovery) and support for families or other important adults to teach them communication tools and problem-solving skills.
Early treatment is important and provides the best hope for recovery. Treatment can help slow, stop or reverse the effects of psychosis.
