Psychosis
The word psychosis can seem frightening. It really means out of touch with reality and this can occur in a number of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorders and drug induced psychosis. It can take the form of hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing things), or delusions (believing things that are untrue). Occasionally psychotic symptoms can occur as part of severe depression or dementia.
In illnesses such as schizophrenia where psychosis can be a major and frightening part of the initial presentation then there are often other symptoms as well which are sometimes referred to as negative symptoms. These include poor motivation, isolation, slowed thinking and apparent disinterest. Peoples level of awareness of their condition can vary.
The good news is that it is usually possible to treat these conditions effectively and decrease symptoms significantly. We have the expertise to help.