Psychosis and a Regional Referral Center

Psyshosis is a Symptom

The NAMI National website offers these starting paragraphs on their website section about psychosis:

Most people think of psychosis as a break with reality. In a way it is. Psychosis is characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions. While everyone’s experience is different, most people say psychosis is frightening and confusing.

Psychosis is a symptom, not an illness, and it is more common than you may think. In the U.S., approximately 100,000 young people experience psychosis each year. As many as 3 in 100 people will have an episode at some point in their lives.

Early or first-episode psychosis (FEP) refers to when a person first shows signs of beginning to lose contact with reality. Acting quickly to connect a person with the right treatment during early psychosis or FEP can be life-changing and radically alter that person’s future.

The site goes on to outline Early Warning Signs Before Psychosis, Signs Of Early Or First-Episode Psychosis, Symptoms of Psychosis, Diagnosis and Treatment. You can read further here:  nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-conditions/psychosis.

Where to Start

There is growing recognition in the behavioral healthcare field that early treatment intervention is very important for those experiencing psychosis. Thankfully, there are more services to address this concern than there were in the past. The place to start, beyond your personal therapist/psychiatrist, is the Massachusetts Psychosis Access and Triage Hub.

M-PATH is a free service in Brookline MA that is committed to helping individuals and families who are concerned about early psychosis to access the support they need when they need it. M-PATH is a referral and consultation service available to anyone concerned about early psychosis for themselves or their loved one.

Don’t hesitate to call. Learn more about the program in the button below.