# Psychosis Info – Friends Family Guardians – Signs and Symptoms of Psychosis – Information on the identification causes treatment and recovery from psychosis from a carer perspective

Concerned

- Concerned Friends, Family, and Guardians.
- Realising that someone close to you is becoming unwell can be a difficult time. You may question whether what is happening is part of the normal ups and downs of daily life or whether the person is suffering from a mental illness. Either way it is better to consider all possibilities for your own peace of mind. The sooner you can get help for someone experiencing any mental illness including psychosis the better the outcome. If the person has told you they are experiencing symptoms of psychosis or if you suspect that they are unwell this section tells you what you need to know about getting help.
- Here are some of the signs to look for if you think someone close to you is developing psychosis:
  - Thinking
    - Unusual thoughts/strange ideas.
    - Disturbed perceptions e.g. hallucinations.
    - Poor concentration.
    - Inattentiveness.
    - Jumbled thinking.
    - Confusion.
  - Feeling
    - Depressed mood.
    - Anxious.
    - Irritable.
    - Suspicious / paranoid.
    - Unable to express emotions both verbal and non verbal.
    - Lack of motivation.
  - Behaviour
    - Being overactive / or less active.
    - Social isolation / withdrawal.
    - Reduced ability to work / go to school.
    - Sleeping or eating poorly.
    - Odd / strange behaviour.
    - Deterioration in personal hygiene.
    - Drug or alcohol abuse.
- Why Get Help Early? If someone is experiencing these symptoms and they persist over time or become more intense, then the person may be developing psychosis. It may be nothing at all but it's better to get it checked out, don't wait and see. If left untreated psychosis can cause serious disruption to a person's life. This disruption can be minimised if people get help in time and with effective treatment many people can return to their normal lives as soon as possible.
- Who can I contact to get help? Your general practitioner (GP) is usually the first point of contact. Your GP will be able to assess the person's mental state and consider whether they need to be referred to specialist mental health services. The person you are concerned about may recognise that they have a problem and readily accept your advice to attend their GP. Sometimes, the person may not see the need for help even if you have expressed your concerns to them. If this is the case it may be worthwhile contacting your GP to discuss the situation and get some advice. In an emergency situation it may be necessary to bring the person to the local accident and emergency department where they can be assessed and the best course of action decided.
- Treatment You can reassure the person you are concerned about that the myths about mental health care portrayed by the media are often inaccurate. The treatment of mental health conditions has evolved substantially in recent years. Often people can be treated in an outpatient setting and do not need to be admitted to hospital. Your family member / friend may be experiencing symptoms that your GP believes warrants further assessment. If so, your GP may refer the person to specialist mental health services. Most of these services are based in the community. Community mental health teams are specialist teams with specific expertise in the area of mental health and offer a range of treatments and interventions that can be beneficial. If the person you are concerned about lives in the DETECT catchment area, the community mental health team will refer the person to DETECT.
- What if the person I am concerned about doesn't want to get help? This can be quite a common situation. People can have very little awareness of their symptoms and may not believe they have a psychotic illness. Trying to convince someone that they have an illness can be very frustrating for relatives and friends and often just results in an argument. It is often more helpful to talk with people about aspects of the situation they themselves see as problematic and try to agree on how the treatment may help with these while avoiding an argument about psychiatric illness.
- How should I respond if the person I am concerned about wants to talk about voices or delusions? People often wonder how best to respond if a family member or friend wishes to talk about symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. It may not be helpful to try to disprove strange beliefs or directly question the reality of symptoms. This often just leads to arguments. It may be more helpful to try to empathize with the feelings that go along with the symptoms and not comment on their reality. This also helps to keep communication going with your relative or friend. If the person you are concerned about insists on an opinion, then it is best to give a truthful one. It may be helpful to express regret at having to differ.
- Will family involvement help my family member get better? Family support is crucial to recovery and the more families know about psychotic illness the better they are able to help.

Concerned