Psychosis is a mental health condition where a person loses touch with reality, often involving hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized thinking. Early detection is crucial for effective intervention. The first signs typically emerge gradually in the prodromal phase, before full-blown psychosis develops. These vary by individual but commonly include:

1. Social Withdrawal: Isolating from friends, family, or activities once enjoyed. The person may seem distant or uninterested in relationships.
2. Mood Changes: Unusual anxiety, depression, irritability, or sudden mood swings without clear cause.
3. Cognitive Difficulties: Trouble concentrating, memory lapses, or disorganized thoughts. Speech may become tangential or hard to follow.
4. Perceptual Changes: Mild distortions like heightened sensitivity to lights/sounds, or vague feelings of being watched (paranoia). Subtle hallucinations, such as hearing whispers, may occur.
5. Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia, excessive sleeping, or disrupted patterns.
6. Decline in Functioning: Neglecting hygiene, school/work performance dropping, or abandoning goals.

In young adults (teens to 20s), these signs often appear during stress, trauma, substance use, or genetic predisposition. Conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression can trigger psychosis. Not everyone experiencing these progresses to full psychosis—about 1 in 3 do without help.

Seek professional help immediately if signs persist >2 weeks or worsen. Early intervention (therapy, medication) improves outcomes dramatically. Contact a psychiatrist, crisis hotline (e.g., 988 in US), or emergency services for suicidal thoughts/harm risk.