What is Psychosis?
Psychosis or a psychotic episode is when an individual perceives reality in a very different way from others around them, where there has been a loss of contact with reality, and where the individual may have difficulty understanding what is real and what is not.
During an episode of psychosis, an individual may experience hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear), delusions (false beliefs), disorganized thinking and speech, or inappropriate behaviors for a situation.
Psychosis in and of itself is not a diagnosis, but it is one symptom within a spectrum of other diagnoses such as severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and paranoid personality disorder.
How is an individual impacted by psychosis?
Psychosis can affect people in different ways depending on the frequency and intensity of the episodes. Some individuals may experience it only once, others have episodes throughout their lives, while others may live life with constant psychosis.
The nature of symptoms experienced may also affect how an individual is impacted. Many individuals find that psychosis:
- affects behaviors and is disruptive to their life
- leads to feeling very tired or overwhelmed
- makes them feel anxious/scared/frightened
- find it difficult to trust organizations or individuals
Find the Best Therapist in Chicago to Reduce the Impacts of Psychosis
Someone who experiences psychosis should seek treatment as early as possible, speaking with their primary care provider to identify different treatment options. Medication and psychotherapy may also be additional resources. Research shows that treatments for psychosis work better when they are delivered closer to the time when the symptoms first appear. Individuals with quicker interventions showed a greater improvement in symptoms, functioning, and quality of life than those with longer durations of untreated psychosis.
At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.
Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, you can fill out our inquiry form. You may use this form whether you plan to use insurance benefits, self-pay, or out-of-network benefits, and to receive details about your out-of-pocket costs and our therapists’ availability. Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive intake documents to complete before your first session.
This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health-related definitions that are written by our therapists.
While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago and Lakeview on Chicago’s North Side, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.