The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) describes Psychosis as: “An episode
of psychosis is when a person has a break from reality and often involves seeing,
hearing and believing things that aren’t real.” Approximately 3 in 100 people
will experience an episode of psychosis during their lives.

Young adults are at an increased risk of experiencing an episode of psychosis because
of the hormonal and structural changes in the brain that occur during puberty,
but a psychotic episode can occur at any age. Psychosis is not a specific illness; rather,
it is a symptom. A psychotic episode can be the result of a mental illness such
as schizophrenia, physical illness, or injury, especially those involving the brain;
substance use such as LSD and various “designer drugs;” trauma, for example, a
violent assault; or extreme stress.

A person with psychosis or a psychotic break cannot tell what is real. The National
Institute of Mental Health notes that symptoms of a psychotic episode can include
incoherent speech and disorganized behavior, such as unpredictable anger, but psychosis
typically involves one of two major experiences:

• Hallucinations: Seeing, hearing, or physically feeling things that aren’t
actually there. The commonest example is hearing voices that may tell you to
do something.
• Delusions: Strong, sometimes bizarre beliefs that are irrational, not true, and
not part of the person’s culture. For example, thinking you have special
powers or are on a special mission, or having paranoid delusions that others
are trying to harm you.

Psychosis can also manifest as impaired thought process with disorganized thinking
in the absence of delusions or hallucinations.

This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in this blog or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Your Health with a Lifestyle Checklist (available in print or downloaded at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble and elsewhere). Copyright 2021 by J. Joseph Speidel.