WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO HAVE PSYCHOSIS?

Psychosis affects thinking and the ability to tell what is real and what isn’t, so it can be very confusing and even frightening. Each person’s experience will be different but some common symptoms include the following:

• Hearing voices, seeing, smelling or feeling things which are not really there. These experiences are called hallucinations.
• Believing things which are not true, even though they seem completely real. These beliefs are called delusions.
• Psychosis can affect emotions and cause feelings of depression or irritability.
• Feeling flat and unable to enjoy life. Psychosis can make it harder to get motivated and be active.
• Psychosis can affect thinking so that thoughts, words or actions become jumbled or disorganised.

Living with these kinds of symptoms can make it hard to get on with life. It’s hard to go to work when there are voices in your head. It’s hard to stay connected to your family when you want to shut out the world.

For friends and family your understanding and support can make a big difference to a loved one. Just being there for them and not judging is a great first step.