Father caring for his son who has psychosis, comforting and consoling him.

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How to Help Someone With Psychosis, According to a Therapist

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Written By: Alex Bachert, MPH

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Clinically Reviewed By: Clary Figueroa

December 23, 2024

5 min.

Access to early intervention and social support are important for managing psychosis and related mental health conditions.

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Psychosis, also known as a psychotic experience or psychotic episode, is when a person disconnects from reality. People experiencing psychosis may have distorted thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations of what’s going on around them. Some of the most common psychosis symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. While supporting someone with psychosis can be challenging, it is still possible. Read on for therapist-approved tips to help someone with this condition.

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Eights ways to help someone with psychosis 

“Working with individuals who are experiencing psychosis can be a very delicate situation,” explains Charlie Health Group Facilitator Clary Figueroa, MSW. “You want to give the other person respect and autonomy, yet you also need to be compassionate and understanding.”

Here are some practical tips for supporting someone before and during a psychotic episode.

1. Remain calm

Although your first reaction might be alarm or panic, try to remain calm and avoid confronting your loved one about their distorted beliefs or upsetting behaviors. “Someone experiencing psychosis may be very confused and distressed. You want to be the opposite of that. Try to have a calm demeanor,” says Figueroa.

2. Mindfully communicate

When speaking with someone experiencing psychosis, it’s important to be mindful of tone and delivery. Make a point to use short, clear sentences and speak in a calm and non-threatening voice. “Avoid overwhelming them with too many questions or suggestions, and give them time to respond in their own time,” Figueroa suggests. It can also be helpful to mirror their language.

3. Don’t acknowledge the delusions 

While it’s important to help your loved one feel safe and supported, avoid confirming their thoughts, beliefs, or experiences. Instead, focus on validating their emotions through statements like “I know this must be really hard for you.” You can also try to redirect the conversation through statements like “I understand you’re feeling scared, but let’s talk about how we can make you more comfortable right now.”

4. Ask how you can help

If you’ve never experienced psychosis or other serious mental health symptoms, it may be difficult to understand what your loved one is going through. For example, they might appreciate something as simple as booking their doctor appointments.

5. Don’t take things personally

Psychosis often includes unusual thoughts, perceptions, and moods, which can impact how your loved one feels and behaves toward you. “I know that is difficult to do. Remind yourself that these are symptoms of their illness. It is not personal,” explains Figueroa. 

6. Encourage treatment

“Encourage seeking support from a mental health professional (weekly therapist and psychiatrist) for medication management and monitoring symptoms,” suggests Figueroa. “This can be helpful because you as a friend, spouse, or family member can work together with their care team to help manage triggers and life stressors, and having a consistent, stable support system is invaluable,” she explains.

7. Get professional support for yourself

“Many people who are the support system of someone with psychosis also require support,” says Figueroa. “You need to take care of yourself as well. Whether that is seeking therapy for yourself, lifestyle changes, hobbies, or a support group.”

8. Prepare for emergencies 

In some cases, a psychotic episode may require crisis intervention. If a loved one is putting themselves or others in danger, an emergency plan can help you manage the situation safely and efficiently. This might include their health insurance information, list of medications, doctor’s phone number, and address of local hospital. 

How to recognize psychosis

It’s common for people with psychosis to experience delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are false beliefs, such as thinking that people on the radio are sending you secret messages. Hallucinations are false perceptions, such as seeing or hearing something that’s not really there. Other symptoms of psychosis include anxiety, incoherent speech, lack of motivation, and behaviors that are inappropriate for the situation. It’s worth noting that people often show changes in their behavior before they develop psychosis. Potential warning signs for psychosis include:

  • Trouble thinking clearly and logically
  • Social withdrawal and spending more time alone 
  • Trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy
  • Strange or intense ideas
  • Decline in self-care or personal hygiene
  • Changes to sleep habits, including trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Confused speech or trouble communicating
  • Sudden drop in grades or job performance

The duration of psychosis can vary depending on each person. Acute psychosis may last several days or weeks, while psychosis associated with chronic conditions like schizophrenia may last longer.

How to treat psychosis

There’s no one single cause of psychosis. Instead, psychosis is likely the result of various risk factors, including genetics, history of trauma, and having a mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. It can also be caused by certain medications, excessive alcohol consumption, and sleep deprivation. 

Treatment options typically include a combination of talk therapy, medication, and social interventions. Early intervention is paramount to treatment success, so it’s best to encourage your loved one to seek support as soon as you notice symptoms.

1. Talk therapy

When treating psychosis, one of the goals is to understand and address the underlying cause of a person’s symptoms. Supportive therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), can help people identify and challenge distorted thoughts, manage symptoms, and develop healthy coping strategies. 

For many people, family therapy can also be an important component of treatment. Family therapy is an opportunity for loved ones to learn more about the condition and improve support and communication within the family. 

2. Medication management

For many people with psychosis, therapy is most effective when combined with antipsychotic medications. These are prescription medications that help people manage symptoms so that they can improve functioning. Antipsychotic medications require regular monitoring to ensure the dose is effective with minimal side effects. 

3. Lifestyle changes 

Making healthy lifestyle modifications can prepare people to better manage symptoms of psychosis. In some cases, lifestyle choices may even be able to prevent future psychotic episodes. One example is learning stress management techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and relaxation exercises to help reduce psychosis triggers. Healthy lifestyle choices, such as adequate sleep and regular exercise, can also contribute to overall mental and physical well-being.

Bonding moment of father and son embracing and giving emotional support at home as son processes his psychosis

How Charlie Health can help 

Psychosis can be scary for you and your loved ones, but Charlie Health is here to help. Charlie Health’s virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) provides more than once-weekly mental health treatment for people dealing with serious mental health conditions, including psychosis. Our expert clinicians incorporate evidence-based therapies into individual counseling, family therapy, and group sessions. With this kind of holistic online therapy, managing psychosis is possible. 

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References

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20one%20cause,bipolar%20disorder%2C%20or%20severe%20depression

https://medlineplus.gov/psychoticdisorders.htmlhttps://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/step/psych

https://screening.mhanational.org/content/what-lifestyle-changes-can-help-me-manage-psychosis/

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/mentalhealth/psychosocial/strategies/Pages/communicating-psychosis.aspx

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