Psychosis is not a disease but a symptom where a person loses contact with reality. It affects ~3% of people at some point, often linked to schizophrenia (onset late teens–early 30s), bipolar disorder, severe depression with psychotic features, substance-induced states (meth, LSD, cannabis in high doses), sleep deprivation, trauma, or medical issues (brain tumors, delirium). Early recognition cuts long-term disability; 70–80% recover well with prompt treatment.

Hallucinations

False perceptions without stimuli:

• Auditory (most common): Hearing voices criticizing, commanding suicide/harm, or conversing. Person may whisper back or cover ears.
• Visual: Seeing figures, flashes, or insects crawling on skin.
• Olfactory/Tactile: Smelling smoke/rotting flesh or feeling bugs (formication in stimulant psychosis).

Delusions

Fixed false beliefs despite proof:

• Persecutory: “FBI tracks me via phone.”
• Grandiose: “I’m the Messiah.”
• Referential: Billboards/TV deliver secret messages. Delusions drive fear, isolation, or risky actions.

Disorganized Thinking & Behavior

• Speech jumps topics (“word salad”) or invents words.
• Actions seem bizarre: wearing winter coats in summer, hoarding trash, sudden aggression.
• Negative symptoms: Flat affect, social withdrawal, apathy.

Red Flags & Immediate Steps

Sudden personality shift, extreme agitation, or self-harm risk = emergency. Call 911 (US) or crisis team. Ask calmly: “What do you hear/see?” Avoid arguing with delusions. Early antipsychotics + therapy restore functioning in weeks for most. Family education prevents relapse.