Psychosis is a collection of symptoms which affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Symptoms can appear suddenly or gradually. Examples of these symptoms include:
- Beliefs not based in reality (delusions)
- Experiences of things which aren’t there (hallucinations)
- Jumbled thoughts and speech (disorganized thinking)
- Limited emotional expression (flat affect)
- Loss of motivation
- Social withdrawal
- Distinct changes in behavior
First Episode Psychosis
Psychosis is more common than many people realize. About 3% of people experience an episode of psychosis at some point in their lives. While schizophrenia is the most common cause of a first episode of psychosis (FEP), many who experience psychosis never develop schizophrenia.