How do you know you’re in psychosis?
How does someone know if they are in psychosis? As it turns out, this is precisely the correct question to ask. There is a simple and interesting answer to this question. But first, let’s begin with how NAMI (National Alliance On Mental Illness), an authority on mental illness, defines psychosis: “Most people think of psychosis as a break with reality. In a way it is. Psychosis is characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions. While everyone’s experience is different, most people say psychosis is frightening and confusing.” –nami.org, emphasis mine Many people associate psychosis with its dramatic symptoms of hallucinations and bizarre beliefs. Disorganized thinking is another unmistakable sign of psychosis. These are not wrong associations. However, the defining feature of psychosis is a lack of insight. In other words, a true psychosis is one where the …
