Psychosis

Psychosis is a term for a mental state in which the psychotic person has 'lost touch with reality'. This usually means that they find it difficult to tell what is real and what is not. Somebody with psychosis might have delusional beliefs, hear voices which others do not, see things which are not real or have difficulty thinking clearly. Psychosis can be very frightening, both for the person experiencing it and those around them. However, it is more common than you might think, and it can in many cases be treated successfully.

Psychosis can be caused by many things:

  • Brain damage or illness, e.g. dementia, head trauma, brain tumors etc.
  • Using or withdrawing from drugs or alcohol
  • Psychological trauma, or a hugely stressful event such as the death of a loved one. This is called Brief Reactive Psychosis, because it is usually only lasts a few days.
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Schizophrenia & related disorders
  • In rare cases, unipolar depression can cause psychosis.

Schizophrenia

A mental illness in which psychosis is present for at least 6 months, along with various other symptoms. It affects about 1 in every 100 people, and although the cause of it is unclear, studies suggest that genetics, brain structure, early brain development and psychological and social problems may all be important factors. Though schizophrenia is not especially common amongst university students, it tends to first appear when sufferers are in their late teens and twenties, so people who do suffer from schizophrenia may well get their first symptoms while at uni.

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Psychosis (delusions, hallucinations, etc)
  • Disorganised or incoherent speech
  • Very strange behaviour which doesn't make sense to healthy people
  • Catatonia (sufferer either has excessive, purposeless movements or is utterly unresponsive, motionless and mute)
  • Inappropriate displays of emotion (e.g. odd facial expressions or changes in voice which don't make sense)
  • Apathy, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, flat mood, lack of emotion, lack of facial expression or changes in voice, etc.
  • Paranoia
People with Schizophrenia are often labelled as 'crazy' by others, or seen as dangerous, but actually, people with mental illnesses are statistically far more likely to be the victims of crime rather than perpetrators. Schizophrenia cannot be cured but it can be treated with medication, and many sufferers go on to lead relatively normal lives once their illness is under control. Sadly, for others it is an extremely debilitating condition which they may struggle with for their entire lives. 
Useful links:
  • NHS: Page on psychosis.
  • Rethink: Charity which works towards help and recovery for those with severe mental illness, including Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.
Back