If you’re asking “How do I know if I’m having a psychotic break right now?” the fact you’re questioning reality is already a key clue. A psychotic break means a sudden loss of contact with what’s real, lasting hours to days. Here’s how to spot it right now:
- Hallucinations: Do you hear voices commenting on your actions, whispering your name, or arguing when no one’s around? Seeing shadows move alone, smelling odors others don’t, or feeling bugs crawling under intact skin these aren’t “imagination” during a break.
- Delusions: Are you certain the TV is sending you coded messages, neighbors planted cameras in your walls, or you’ve died but don’t realize it? These beliefs feel 100% true despite zero evidence and resist logic.
- Thought chaos: Sentences derail mid-thought. You jump from “groceries” to “government tracking” without connection. Others say you’re incoherent; you feel your mind’s been hijacked.
- Paranoia spike: Normal noises (a car door) convince you they’re here. You check locks 20 times or hide under blankets, pulse racing.
- Time distortion: Minutes feel like years; yesterday’s memory vanishes. You might not recognize your reflection.
Self-check right now:
- Ask a trusted person nearby: “Do I seem like myself?” If they’re alarmed, believe them.
- Try basic reality testing: Read this sentence aloud can you? Count backward from 100 by 7s. Failure isn’t definitive but raises urgency.
- Look at your phone: Is today’s date impossible (e.g., 2035)? Are contacts renamed to threats?
Red-line triggers: Suicidal commands from voices, urges to harm others, or inability to dress/feed yourself.
Immediate action: Call 988 (U.S. crisis lifeline) now or have someone drive you to the ER. Tell them: “I think I’m having a psychotic break.” Early antipsychotics (often one dose) can halt it within hours. You’re not “crazy” your brain chemistry short-circuited. Treatment works fast when you act fast.