Experiencing an episode of psychosis – with or without treatment, hospitalisation or diagnosis – it is very usual to still a great deal of concern and anxiety for individuals and their loved ones. Recovery can and does take time. It is important to seek professional help and medication is often necessary and effective albeit that there are frequently unpleasant side effects that can feel difficult and unwelcome. Ideally you can discuss these with you prescribing doctor.

Issues and worries about relationships, finances and figuring out what happened, fears that it may happen again. Trust and faith may be impacted, in yourself and others.

Anxiety and paranoia can remain or recur and it is also common that people experience very low feelings and depression. A lot of very extreme emotions may feel overwhelming and confusing. Adding to this, memory issues are not uncommon and it can feel very disorientating for people if they do not have a clear idea of what has happened before and during their episode. Where hospitalisation is required, or someone is sectioned under the Mental Health Act, people often describe this as a traumatic and confusing time. This represents a severe loss of freedoms and a lot of people fear that it is punitive, as they may have a sense that they have done something wrong. This, along with a pervasive stigma about mental health illness, can result in or add to feelings of shame about psychosis and its impact. I believe that there is much benefit in being able to find safe space to talk about and understand your experience.

On my resources and support page (link here) are just some of the organisations that may be able to provide reading, groups access and mental health support. In the UK, charities like Bipolar UK are a good example of this. If you wish to explore personal therapy with a qualified therapist then a good place to start may be Psychology Today where therapists are vetted to ensure that they are qualified and you can filter your search by specialisms and location as well as cost. If you are reading this via my feed or website page then I’m glad you’re here and I hope that you will find something useful. Finding a therapist that is right for you is a really important part of therapy and whilst this might feel daunting, it is well worth ensuring that you feel comfortable with the therapist you choose. Some general prompts for yourself when looking for a therapist can be found on another of my articles here (link).

After the initial crisis where psychiatric help may be appropriate, counselling psychotherapy with a trained and trauma informed professional can help in navigating life after psychosis and the repercussions. Counselling (talk therapy) allows you to explore safely without judgement in an understanding and accepting environment.

If you would like to have a conversation or find out more, link here for talk therapy with Claire website