In this article we shall be talking about the causes of
psychosis, what happens to a person when they develop psychosis, and lastly what should one do if they think
they are experiencing or about to develop psychosis.
What causes Psychosis?
There is no single cause for
psychosis, but there are some biological factors that may make someone more vulnerable to developing psychosis, as well as environmental
factors that may trigger a psychotic episode.
You may be more vulnerable to
developing psychosis if:
1)
There has been someone with
psychosis in your family
2)
Your mother had some issues/complications
in delivery at birth
3)
You experienced trauma as a
child
4)
You struggled reaching
developmental milestones
5)
You have an anxious, paranoid
personality
Please note that the presence of the above
listed vulnerabilities in your life does
not mean that you will develop psychosis; it just makes you more
susceptible to developing it.
An onset of psychosis will occur
when there has been an external factor/s which triggers it. No matter how much
vulnerability you may have such as having someone with psychosis in your family,
as long as you have never gone through difficulties or hardships you could not
deal it and live a healthy life you will not develop psychosis! However, this is not a guarantee that
you will never develop psychosis it just means you are less likely to develop
it as compared to someone who is or has gone through life difficulties they
could not deal with as listed above. Remember going through difficulties does
not also mean you will develop psychosis.
Some of the common triggers of Psychosis are:
1)
Substance Abuse
2)
External pressure: financial,
academic, peer
3)
Breakdown of relationship/ loss
of loved one
4)
Loss of job
5)
Trauma/bullying
6)
Physical illness
There is no clear cause or set
formula that will predict that psychosis will be triggered in a person however,
even if you do not have a high vulnerability, and you experience multiple life
stressors and abuse substances you can still develop psychosis. It is also
important to know that you are less likely to develop psychosis if you have a
strong support network, and good coping strategies.
So, what happens if I develop psychosis?
Developing psychosis does not
mean that it is the end of your life. Some people who experience psychosis can
fully recover and never have another episode (period of being psychotic), some
may recover but have 1 or 2 relapse episodes, and others may have enduring
symptoms which are manageable with a combination of medication and therapy. In
any case, a fulfilled life is definitely possible with psychosis and you are
able to pursue your studies and career successfully!
It is also important to know that
you are not alone, there are
people out there who are going through similar experiences as you. Some are
just starting to experience their first episode of psychosis, and others have
already gone through it and came out the other end having successfully
recovered from psychosis or have successfully managed to keep it under control!
What should I do if I think I am experiencing or about to experience
Psychosis?
1)
Seek help and don’t delay
The most important thing you can
do if you think you or a loved one is developing psychosis is to talk to people
you trust about it, and to seek help from professionals. The earlier psychosis
is treated the better the outcome, so don’t delay!
You may get help from your nearest
clinic, or you could call ZimEIP on 263-8644-220-982 who can
assess and assist you with the next step you should take or as to where you may
get help. Currently there is a team specifically for young people who are 18 –
35 years old who have developed psychosis. The ZimEIP team operates, in Goromonzi District and Mufakose High density suburb.
2)
Talk about your experiences, distressing thoughts and/or beliefs
You don’t need to talk to
everyone and anyone about it, but choose some people who care about you, and
want to help you. Just having someone to talk to can be helpful, and may help
you rationalise some thoughts and experiences when you say them out loud! If
you have access to a support worker, speak to them! You may also want to
consider counselling as a psychotic episode can be quite traumatic.
3)
Give yourself time and learn coping strategies
Don’t put pressure on yourself to
be able to do everything that you could do before you became unwell straight
away, as soon as you feel a bit better. Give yourself time to process what has
happened, to understand what may have caused it, and to learn how to cope with
on-going issues. People have different ways of coping and we will talk about
this in another article!
4)
Meet others who have gone through it too
You may have professionals
telling you things will be OK, it’s good to do this, and it’s bad to do that…
But unless they’ve gone through what you’re going through it may be hard to
believe it! This is where your peers come in, if you can meet others having
experienced similar distressing things you have and learnt different ways to
cope, and have moved on in their life, this may give you the hope and support
you need! This may be through an online community such as www.hearing-voices.org
or your local clinic may be able to direct you to peer-support groups. If you
have access to an EIP team such as the ZimEIP team they will be able to put you in touch with people who have
successfully recovered from psychosis for peer support.
5)
Don’t forget to have fun, and do meaningful activities
People tend to focus only on the
negative things going on in their lives and constantly reminding themselves of
what they can’t do. Focus on what you can do! Go out and play football, go
shopping, go for a drink or a movie with a friend, read a book, learn a new
skill, take up voluntary work! All these things and more are small ways in
which you can build your self-esteem, develop social skills, keep occupied and
prove to yourself that you ARE able
despite what you have gone through or are going through.
· In our next article we shall be talking about The importance of Family work in the
treatment of psychosis
You
can visit us
Zimbabwe Early Intervention Psychosis Programme
River Of Life Church
Plot P Arnotte Road
Westgate
Harare
Harare
Telephone: 263-8644-220-982
Facebook & Twitter: ZimEIP
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