People experiencing recent troublesome changes in their behavior, thoughts or emotions described below may have early psychosis or the onset of mental illness.
If you’re seeing possible signs of psychosis in yourself or someone you love, we encourage you to seek help right away.
Early
diagnosis and intervention offer the best chance of recovery.
What Is Psychosis?
Psychosis refers to conditions that affect thinking. It usually involves a loss of contact with reality or not knowing whether things happening around you are real or not.
Psychosis may occur in people with many types of mental health conditions, including:
Early Warning Signs
Because early diagnosis and treatment can decrease the disease's severity and impact, we encourage you to take any early warning signs seriously and seek professional help.
Warning signs include:
- Feeling something is “off”
- Withdrawing from friends, family and usual activities
- Decline in school or work performance
- Inability to focus or concentrate
- Changes in how you see the world
- Disrupted sleep patterns
- Felling sad, depressed, anxious or worried
Signs of Early or First-Episode Psychosis
More serious signs include:
- Worrying that others are watching or talking about you
- Suspicions, paranoia or hypervigilance
- Confusion about what is real and imaginary
- Talking to yourself
- Strange or intense beliefs about people or the world
- Vague or odd speech
- Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there