Mental Health Emergencies by Nick Benas

Author:Nick Benas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press
Published: 2017-07-13T04:14:33+00:00

CHAPTER 12

Psychosis

IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY duty, you will likely hear the term “psychosis” being thrown around a lot on emergency calls. It is common to see psychosis occur in people ages 15–30, and symptoms can be triggered by a myriad of factors, such as sleep deprivation, drug use, early and advanced stages of certain physical illnesses, head injuries, and residuals from certain mental health illnesses, such as severe clinical depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

DEFINING PSYCHOSIS

It is generally understood that many factors contribute to the development of psychosis, including biochemistry, genetics, and levels of stress. The level of stress and the level of drug use in the individual may provoke psychotic symptoms in people who are susceptible. Any changes to the brain or dysfunction in the neurotransmitters may be a direct result of biological and genetic predisposition.

The common telltale signs you may come across are speech disorders, scattered thoughts, and auditory and visual hallucinations (talking to one’s self or to others that are not there, or seeing things that are not present). The Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) does an excellent job of outlining the emergence of symptoms of psychosis, as the admittedly broad term applies to mental health:

“Psychotic disorders rarely emerge suddenly. Most often, the symptoms evolve and become gradually worse over a period of months or even years. Early symptoms often include cognitive and sensory changes which can cause significant disability before the illness becomes acute and is finally diagnosed. Identifying and responding appropriately to the condition early can help to get the person and their family support.”

Some common symptoms of psychosis include:

Symptoms of reduced performance, such as: Trouble reading or understanding complex sentences

Trouble speaking or understanding what others are saying

Becoming easily confused or lost

Trouble in sports or other activities that used to be easy (Example: can’t dribble basketball or pass to team members)

Attendance problems related to sleep or fearfulness

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