helping someone with psychosis
schizophrenia and psychosis (a key symptom of schizophrenia) are mental states that can cause symptoms including paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, disorganised thoughts and unusual behaviours. friends and family are extremely important to a personâs recovery from schizophrenia and psychosis. your empathy and love can make a big difference.
support for communication difficulties
- some people with psychosis may be unable to think clearly. speaking at your normal pace is fine, but you may need to give your loved one a little extra time to absorb and process what youâve said, and be willing to repeat it if they didnât understand.
- if your loved one shows a limited range of emotions, be aware that it doesnât mean they arenât feeling anything. some people with psychosis simply have difficulty expressing how they feel.
- understand that sometimes, people experiencing psychosis express âinappropriateâ emotions, eg. laughing at something upsetting. donât take this personally and try to remain patient if this happens. if you need to clarify the reaction with the person, do so in private and in a calm manner.
- some people struggle to make eye contact and find it unsettling. if your loved one is clearly avoiding eye contact, donât make a big deal out of it - theyâre not trying to be rude, rather, itâs a symptom of their illness. you may find that your loved one prefers to sit beside you over being in front of you as itâs less confrontational, so you could try to do this more often.
support for hallucinations
- avoid encouraging the belief that the hallucinations are real if possible, and instead use language such as, âi donât see anything, what do you see?â so that they feel they can talk to you about it.
- donât mock or laugh at your loved oneâs experiences unless they do first or have stated that itâs okay if you make light of it.
- offer distractions such as watching tv or listening to music.
- recognise that their delusions may be very real to them. donât dismiss, minimise or argue with them about these experiences, and do not act alarmed or embarrassed by them. however, itâs important to be careful that you donât inflame your loved oneâs paranoia - donât actively encourage it, and instead, offer your empathy.
- be as empathetic as you can. if your loved one is experiencing paranoia and is afraid because of that, understand that they legitimately feel fearful even if you think the paranoia is unfounded. express that you understand why they feel this emotion and ask them what you can do to help in future.
support for social isolation
- encourage your loved one gently, never forcefully, to partake in social gatherings when itâs appropriate. perhaps suggest a weekly outing, for example, a walk in the country, seeing a movie together or a meal somewhere quiet.
- small things go a long way. they donât overwhelm and sending something uplifting every so often encourages recovery. remind your loved one that youâre thinking of them and that you care about them.
- if your loved one forgets their medication, drop them a reminder every so often. itâs important that they keep taking it if it helps them.
- know that you canât reason with acute psychosis and that your loved one is unwell. they may say or do things that they wouldnât normally do and they may not understand that those things could upset you.
- understand that the person may be fearful of their feelings and their loss of control over them. because of this itâs important that you donât express anger or irritation and donât use sarcasm as a weapon. donât raise your voice. speak in a calm, level way.
- avoid making continuous eye contact and avoid making physical contact without permission or warning if the person is agitated or afraid.
- remove objects that the person may use to harm themselves if they express wishes to self-harm or attempt suicide. this includes anything sharp and tools that they could use to inflict burns.
- provide options for getting help. your loved one may be more willing to seek help if they feel they have control over the situation. for example, suggest a doctors appointment to get started on medication, but suggest that you or someone else will go back with them if the medication doesnât help or has too many side effects.
- donât leave the person alone. if they have a support network, get in contact with people who can help and stay with them.
- contact emergency services when the person is in immediate danger.
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