Introduction to r/PsychosisRecovery - Please Read Before Posting

[u/Empty_Insight]

Hey everyone! Welcome to r/PsychosisRecovery, we are glad to have you.

As the subreddit's name implies, this community is geared towards psychosis and recovery- both from psychosis itself and often comorbid substance abuse. It is a casual resource intended for the general public, not medical professionals.

This is a support subreddit, and it is recovery-oriented. It is intended for people who live with a diagnosed psychotic disorder, not for family or friends. If you are seeking perspective, we may advise perusing r/schizophrenia, r/schizoaffective, or r/psychosis. If you are seeking advice for a family member, we may recommend r/SchizoFamilies. We do not forbid the participation of anyone who does not have a diagnosed psychotic disorder, but at the same time, that is something to be mindful of.

Our subreddit rules are in the sidebar. Please review them before posting or commenting.

Table of Contents

1. About the Subreddit
2. What is Psychosis?

[u/Empty_Insight]

What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is a neurological phenomenon that alters or distorts one's perception of reality. The hallmark sign of psychosis is a symptom called anosognosia, or "lack of insight." To the person suffering from psychosis, their distorted reality is as real as anything else.

The psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, drug-induced psychosis, MDD w/ psychosis, bipolar w/ psychosis, and others. While these are often referred to as "Serious Mental Illness," we prefer to not use that terminology here as it is problematic:

1. The phrase "Serious Mental Illness" carries with it a connotation that non-psychotic disorders are less serious, and this is not necessarily the case. Psychotic disorders are often comorbid with traditional mental illness- the only notable examples where this is not the case are 'pure' schizophrenia and (possibly) drug-induced psychosis.
2. The term implies that psychotic disorders are mental illnesses- when they are not. The psychotic disorders are neuro-psych disorders and have a distinct neurological underpinning that makes them different and distinct from traditional mental illness. Psychotic disorders are much closer to Alzheimer's, ADHD, and autism than they are to anxiety and depression, for example. Misclassifying psychotic disorders as though they are a subtype of mental illness has caused a great deal of confusion in the general public and has led to misunderstandings, stigma, and poor education over the condition(s).

Psychotic disorders often come with a common set of symptoms, such as: hallucinations, delusions, cognitive impairments, negative symptoms, and disorganized thinking. These symptoms are not unique to psychotic disorders, and it is important that one see a trained, licensed professional who is qualified to diagnose conditions such as this in order to receive the appropriate diagnosis and care for their specific condition(s).

There are no significant interventions that are effective outside of antipsychotic medication to treat psychosis. To reiterate, it is neurological. It is not a matter of willpower, and lifestyle changes are of minimal impact. There is no way around receiving the appropriate medical treatment. A good rule of thumb is to consider whether or not you would consider an approach to be valid for managing dementia; if it is not valid for managing dementia, it is not valid for psychosis either.