Author: ddubbert

A psychosis is a mental illness. Just like with a bodily sickness, the affected person does not really have an influence on whether or not she or he suffers from a psychosis. Oftentimes, the occurrence of a psychosis can be linked to a traumatic experience, or a difficult phase in life. The misuse of drugs can also be the cause of a psychosis – sometimes the single use of a drug will cause it.

This could be due to increasingly high dosage of dangerous substances within drugs – also those that are said to be harmless.

Caution: As with any psychological disorder, people who suffer from a psychosis are never to blame for being ill – even if they, for example, misused drugs. It is never that easy. Some people are just predisposed to a psychosis by their genes and by people in their family having suffered from a psychosis. For others, the disorder comes “out of the blue”. A psychosis is subject to the transmitting and communicating substances in our brain – a complex interaction that we can’t see or influence from the outside. So, what can be said for sure is: There are different causes and influences for the occurrence of a psychosis, or that work against a psychosis; some of which we can work on, some of which we cannot. For many people, a psychosis starts with a phase that is often accompanied by a depression. Oftentimes, first signs of a psychosis are already visible in the teenage years, although this is often labelled as “just being teenagers”. This is why help often arrives late for the people who need it – although especially in the case of a psychosis, early treatment would be very helpful.

Dass wir täglichen Herausforderungen und Schwierigkeiten unterschiedlich begegnen, hängt von unserer persönlichen Widerstandskraft ab – der sogenannten Resilienz. Sie wird zum Beispiel dadurch gestärkt, dass wir ein Gefühl von Sicherheit und allgemeiner Zufriedenheit verspüren, unsere sozialen Kontakte pflegen und uns angemessen um uns selbst kümmern. Weitere Informationen findest du unter Psyche and resilience.

Experts often describe the onset of a psychosis as a vicious cycle. Especially people who often feel uncomfortable and do not get much support by friends and family are susceptible to psychoses. But exactly these vital things – social contacts and the well-being – are the first to break off in the beginning of a psychotic disorder. So, if a person who is susceptible to a psychotic disorder is exposed to a lot of stress, needs to tackle a difficult phase in life alone, or when social contacts start breaking away, the point can be reached where she or he just can’t deal with these challenges anymore – at least not alone. Sudden changes, like the loss of an important person or a loved one getting sick, can also become such a heavy burden to carry, that they trigger the first symptoms of a psychosis.

Experts often describe the onset of a psychosis as a vicious cycle. Especially people who often feel uncomfortable and do not get much support by friends and family are susceptible to psychoses. But exactly these vital things – social contacts and the well-being – are the first to break off in the beginning of a psychotic disorder. So, if a person who is susceptible to a psychotic disorder is exposed to a lot of stress, needs to tackle a difficult phase in life alone, or when social contacts start breaking away, the point can be reached where she or he just can’t deal with these challenges anymore – at least not alone. Sudden changes, like the loss of an important person or a loved one getting sick, can also become such a heavy burden to carry, that they trigger the first symptoms of a psychosis.

For example, there is the delusional disorder, in which the affected person experiences a new reality. She or he is absolutely certain that their subjective and imagined reality is the true reality. It could be paired with an understanding of others not seeing the same things and having a different reality – but such drastic misunderstandings can also lead to anger and aggression.
An example of delusions is a delusion of love, in which the affected person is certain that a specific person is in love with him or her – this goes so far that, even if the other person is in a relationship and told the affected person that she or he is not interested and happily married, the affected person will simply believe this to be a lie. Another widespread example is the delusion of prosecution, whereby the affected people feel watched and followed, even in their most private spaces.

Another form is schizophrenia, whereby affected people experience hallucinations and delusions over a longer period of time. Their speech and actions might seem blurred or disconnected. This may lead to them feeling uncomfortable or making others feel uncomfortable, often leading to unacceptance and distance in their usual social environment. A person with schizophrenia might experience fluctuations in the symptoms – sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger symptoms –, but in the long run schizophrenia will probably cause great changes in the affected person’s life: She or he is not able to keep up with the work of school or a job, the person falls behind with social contacts and family, and stops taking care of daily tasks and her or his own human needs - like eating, movement, and hygiene.

These two forms of psychotic disorders are just examples of the wide range of directions this illness can take. As with many other psychological disorders, a psychotic disorder can appear in combination or linked to another mental disorder – psychologists speak of a schizo-affective disorder.

Which type of psychotic disorder you or the person close to you deals with is impossible to simply say and poses a question to be answered with the help of a professional contact person. Such a professional can make a diagnosis and find out, in cooperation with you or the affected person, which therapy suits the individual needs and would lead to the regaining of the desired quality of daily life.

A person with a psychotic disorder will often feel like no one understands her or him. Oftentimes, she or he will not understand that there is a problem at all, since the perceived realities and convictions are unmistakably taken for the “right ones”, even if contradicting evidence exists. But it is important to take affected people and their views seriously, to treat them with respect, and support them as best as friends and family can to get the help that they might need.

Do you need help with the first step? Whether you are affected yourself and need to entrust your feelings to someone, or if you want to help a friend or a family member: here you will find tips on how to start a conversation about these difficult topics.

And then: Therapy? How a therapy looks like, how much time it needs, and what it does to help you or the person you are concerned about you will find here

You have decided to seek help for yourself or someone close, and you ask yourself where to find support? Firstly: You should know that there are many different points of possible contact and various professionals to work with. It is important to first find out which path individually suits best.

This is why a good first step is to talk to your general practitioner. As with a therapist, because of the pledge of secrecy, everything you tell them remains confidential and will not leave the room you are in. Of course, you may also bring a friend of a family member.