What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is a general term used to describe a number of symptoms.

The EIP Service works with both first episode psychosis and with young people where psychosis may be developing.

Symptoms of psychosis may include:

Increased suspicion or paranoia, feeling of being watched or followed.
Hearing or seeing things that are not there, hallucinations.
Experiencing strange thoughts, e.g. ‘comments on the Radio/TV seem to be about me’.
Mood feeling low, feeling hopeless about the future.
Not sleeping, feeling restless or agitated. Not eating.
Thoughts feeling ‘racy’, confused or muddled.

Symptoms of a developing psychosis may include:

A sense of being worried or suspicious

Getting irritable or angry over trivial things, feeling unusually tense.

Feeling an underlying anxiety over nothing specific.

Marked changes in mood – feeling depressed, feeling a sense of hopelessness, feeing low and thinking that something bad could happen, or feeling unusually happy.

Having problems getting going, getting organised or maintaining a routine.

Thoughts feeling muddled or confused.

Sleep pattern changed.

Some find these symptoms difficult and frightening while others are less troubled by them.

Psychosis can be caused by a range of factors including environmental, physical, social, psychological and biological.

3 in 100 young people experience these symptoms... don’t ignore them... ...we can help.