Psychosis

Experiencing hallucinations and delusions indicates psychosis, a frightening symptom of severe psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. At Sincere Psychiatry in Delray Beach, Florida, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Reginald J. Sincere, PMHNP-BC, and his team specialize in helping people understand their symptoms. With their help, you can successfully get through an episode of psychosis and address the underlying cause. To discover how you could benefit from expert psychosis treatment, call Sincere Psychiatry today or book an appointment online. You can also walk in during regular office hours for urgent assistance.

What is psychosis?

Psychosis is often a symptom of severe mental health disorders in which reality becomes distorted. It can cause hallucinations and delusions:

Hallucinations

Hallucinations are experiences of events that aren’t real. They may be auditory (hallucinations you hear, like someone talking to you) or visual (hallucinations you see, such as someone who isn’t there).

Delusions

Delusions are thoughts you believe when there’s no evidence to support them. For example, you might be convinced someone is following you or poisoning your food. Even when someone tries to convince you otherwise, you can’t shake the conviction you’re right.

Hallucinations and delusions can be scary. They may even result in people hurting themselves or others.

Psychosis also causes disorganized and impulsive behavior, a loss of interest in activities you usually enjoy, poor personal grooming, no motivation, a lack of emotion, and social withdrawal. Some people descend into catatonia, where they appear conscious but are unresponsive.

Why would I develop psychosis?

Psychosis is a symptom of several severe psychiatric disorders and has various other potential causes, including:

• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Psychotic depression
• Delusional disorder
• Substance use disorder
• Lack of sleep
• Trauma (such as bereavement, abuse, or living through a war)
• Genetics
• Stress
• Injury or illness

Hallucinogens like LSD and stimulants such as amphetamines can lead to psychosis in some people.

Sometimes there’s no obvious cause for psychosis.

How is psychosis treated?

At Sincere Psychiatry, psychosis treatment typically involves combining medications and therapy. They design a personalized treatment plan for you after reviewing your medical history and assessing other factors likely to affect your mental well-being, such as age, cultural background, and social history.

Antipsychotic drugs help by reducing hallucinations and delusions and helping you think more clearly. The type of antipsychotic the team prescribes varies according to your needs. Depending on your diagnosis, you might only need to take antipsychotics for a short period until your symptoms ease. Or you might benefit from long-term use.

The Sincere Psychiatry team combines medication with talk therapy. They might use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you challenge unhealthy thoughts and replace them with positive ones. They also use individual psychotherapy to look at problems in your past and current stressors that worsen your psychosis.

Call Sincere Psychiatry today or book an appointment online to receive compassionate care and relief from psychosis.