Psychosis Solutions

I had just completed my undergraduate degree the first time I worked with someone who had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. We were about the same age and he had started attending university on a sports scholarship around the same time as myself. However, he had to stop attending classes because he became so unwell. In the early 2000’s there was still a strong consensus in the mental health community that the prognosis for Schizophrenia was extremely poor. So instead of being handed a degree, this young man was handed an applicaiton for permanent disability financial aid and told it was unlikely he would ever complete university or even attain employment. Psychosis was considered a life sentence. I soon learned that this first client was just one of many with a psychosis diagnosis being given this same unfortunate prognosis. The agreed upon treatment was just as dismal. It was often suggested by mental health professionals that medication was the ONLY treatment. In fact, some people argued that psychotherapy would actually make psychosis worse. So if medications were unable to address all the symptoms there were no further treatment options. Thankfully research contradicting these treatment related statements soon became widespread. It is now well known that the combination of medication and psychotherapy is the most effective treatment for psychosis recovery. Highly successful professionals with psychosis, including lawyer and professor Elyn Saks, have also come forward lessening the psychosis stigma. This knowledge and experience inspired me to offer empirically supported psychotherapeutic solutions so those with psychosis can also live their best life.

Experiences consistent with Psychosis may include:

having experiences where you hear, see, feel, taste or smell something that may not be present or others fail to experience
having strong beliefs that others may find bizarre or unbelievable
poor concentration
difficulty generating new ideas
impaired memory
difficulties with speech or following conversation
struggles completing everyday tasks
social isolation
reduced motivation
sleep disturbance
mood changes