How to support someone with schizophrenia or psychosis
From the book – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
How to respond to a person experiencing psychosis
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Stay calm, speak gently and clearly.
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Do not argue about the content of hallucinations or delusions, and do not pretend to share them. You can say, “I know that this is real for you, but I don’t see or hear it. I want to help you feel safe.”
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Ask how you can help and focus on feelings: “That sounds frightening.”
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Keep the environment quiet and low in stimulation.
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Help them reach a professional, and call emergency services if there is danger to the person or others.
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Stay with them if safe and avoid confrontation or crowding.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
Stories from real life
- Eight Days Without Sleep – Vikram, twenty-eight, an advertising executive in Delhi, has not slept properly for a week. He feels brilliant. He talks fast, makes big plans to start three…
- The Voices in Shanta’s Son – Shanta lives in a village in Odisha. Her son Mohan, twenty-two, was a quiet, hard-working student. Over the past months he has become suspicious, saying neighbours…
- Zoe at Two in the Morning – Zoe, twenty-three, lives in Bristol. Her friendships burn bright and then collapse. When her closest friend takes longer to reply, Zoe is sure she is being…
- Coming Home, Slowly – Sanjay, thirty-one, spent two months in hospital in Bengaluru for schizophrenia. Now he is home with his parents. He is calmer, but he is also slow,…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 5.18 – The wise see the same in a learned humble person, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who cooks a dog.
More on this topic: Emotions, anger and mood swings – understanding your feelings
More questions
- Why these conditions need careful understanding?
- Understanding mood disorders beyond depression – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Bipolar disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Cyclothymic disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Other mood disorders – mood disorders beyond depression
- Understanding psychotic disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Delusions – psychotic disorders
- Understanding schizophrenia and related disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Understanding personality conditions – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Cluster A (odd or eccentric) – personality conditions
- How to stop overthinking and worrying
- How to control anger