Debunking myths about Psychosis

Oct 24

There are many misunderstandings that surround psychosis, and it does not help that the media often perpetuates many of these. One, for instance, is that people who have psychosis are dangerous, and that they need to be locked away. We’re going to debunk some of these myths, but first, let’s look at some basic facts about psychosis.

What is psychosis, and who develops it?

According to NIMH, psychosis is “a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality”. During this experience, one may interpret and perceive reality differently from others—this can include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganised thinking/speech.

Around 3 out of every 100 people, according to the Yale School of Medicine, can develop psychosis within their lifetimes. Psychosis may be a symptom of mental illness, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or diseases of older age like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Some people may also develop psychosis but do not get diagnosed with any disorder. Other possible causes of psychosis are sleep deprivation, certain prescription medication, and the misuse of drugs.

Myth #1: People with psychosis are dangerous and violent.

Fact #1: Psychosis alone does not make people dangerous.

A study has shown that the majority of movie characters with schizophrenia display violent behaviour towards themselves or others, with “the psychiatric patient turned homicidal maniac [as] an ever-present feature of contemporary “slasher” or “psycho killer” films”.

While people with psychosis may be more aggressive, this is often because of substance abuse rather than psychosis itself, as a research paper suggests. Instead, they tend to be “particularly vulnerable to violent crime”.

Myth #2: People with psychosis should belong in a psychiatric institution long-term.

Fact #2: Now that we know more about psychosis and have effective treatments for it, fewer people with it require long-term hospitalisation.

According to WebMD, the amount of care a person requires is highly dependent on the severity of their symptoms, and many people with psychosis can live independently.

In fact, as explained by the Yale School of Medicine, around 25% of people who have one episode of psychosis never get it again, and 50% may have more than one episode but can lead normal lives. Which brings us to the third myth…

Myth #3: Psychosis cannot be treated.

Fact #3: Effective medications exist, and therapy may be useful for people with mental health disorders.

While some disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia cannot be cured, effective treatments exist to allow people to manage their symptoms and lead better lives overall. Furthermore, the earlier the treatment starts, the better the outcome.

Besides medication and therapy, NIMH also notes that “coordinated specialty care, which is a multi-element, recovery-oriented team approach” is highly useful for people recovering from psychosis, as it ropes in the help of specialists, the person experiencing psychosis, and their family members.

Myth #4: People with psychosis cannot lead fulfilling lives.

Fact #4: That’s an overgeneralization. Many people who have/had psychosis thrive!

While psychosis can indeed make it hard to hold down a job, and people differ in terms of the severity of their symptoms, it’s important to remember that with an appropriate treatment plan, many people do well! Take Elyn Saks for example.

Myth #5: Psychosis never causes trauma.

Fact #5: While not an official diagnosis, some people can experience what’s known as psychosis-related PTSD.

Some people are also traumatised after an episode of psychosis, and have what is called ““psychosis-related PTSD” (PR-PTSD)”. While this is not an official subtype of PTSD, it’s important to remember that some people experience traumatic reactions from the treatment of psychosis (e.g. involuntary holds and coercive treatment) and from the psychotic episode itself.