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About psychosis
Psychosis is a range of different experiences. These can be positive or negative.
We're here to help you understand psychosis and to support you.
This page covers:
- What is psychosis?
- Is psychosis a mental health problem?
- Types of psychosis
- What if I feel like I might hurt myself or others?
- Psychosis and stigma
This page is part of our guide to:
One night there was a huge storm. I tucked myself up under the duvet, thinking I was controlling it.
What is psychosis?
Psychosis is when you see reality very differently to people around you. It's a range of experiences rather than a mental health diagnosis itself. It affects people in different ways.
You might experience it once, or have short episodes throughout your life. Or you might live with it most of the time.
Some of us may have positive experiences of psychosis. For example, if you see the faces or hear the voices of loved ones, you may find this comforting. You might feel like it helps you understand yourself or the world, or makes you more creative.
But psychosis can also be a very difficult or frightening experience. It could make you feel:
- Unsafe, anxious, scared, threatened or confused
- Very tired or overwhelmed
- Like you can't trust people or organisations
- Confused about your identity and the way you see yourself
These experiences can affect your behaviour. You may feel upset if people around you dismiss these experiences as untrue or unusual when they seem very real to you. Or you may feel misunderstood and frustrated if other people don't understand.
It might help to share our information on supporting someone who experiences psychosis with them.
You may find that you have both positive and negative experiences of psychosis. And this can sometimes depend on whether this is your first episode of psychosis or not.
You may find that you spend a lot of money or take on lots of debt during episodes of psychosis. This is because psychosis can affect your sense of reality.
Visit our pages on money and mental health for more information and support.
I knew that what I was going through was psychotic, was what could be termed 'crazy', but I was enjoying it so much, and it felt real, so I made a conscious decision to believe in it.
Is psychosis a mental health problem?
No. The word psychosis describes a set of experiences. It's a symptom of some mental health problems. Or an experience that can lead to mental health problems. It's not a diagnosis itself.
Doctors and psychiatrists may say you're experiencing psychosis (or a psychotic episode) without giving you a specific diagnosis. You may prefer to think of psychosis this way.
Psychosis can be complex. The most important thing is for you to make sense of your experiences in ways that help you to stay well.
If psychosis has a big impact on your life, and you have other symptoms, you may get a diagnosis of one of these mental health problems:
- Schizophrenia – where psychosis is one of the main experiences
- Schizoaffective disorder – where you experience psychosis as well as mood symptoms
- Bipolar disorder – where you might experience psychosis, most commonly during manic episodes
- Depression with psychotic symptoms – where psychosis can happen alongside severe depression
- Postpartum psychosis – a type of psychosis that develops after you give birth
Some people experience psychosis with no other symptoms. Your doctor may diagnose you with 'brief psychotic disorder' if you have psychosis for less than a month. And if your doctor doesn't think that a different diagnosis would better describe your symptoms.
See our page on causes of psychosis for more information.
I remember the day I believed I was going to die. I woke up, having no idea where I was. Voices were telling me I was in a different world and the people in this world wanted to murder me.
Hallucinations and hearing voices
Hallucinations are where you hear, see, smell, taste or feel things that appear real to you but only exist in your mind. Types of hallucinations could include:
- Hearing voices that other people don't - these could be positive and helpful or hostile and frightening
- Seeing things that other people don't - for example, people's faces, animals or religious figures
- Seeing things that look distorted or move in ways they wouldn't usually
- Experiencing tastes, smells and other sensations that have no obvious cause - for example, feeling insects crawling on your skin
You can experience different types of hallucinations at the same time.
Experiencing hallucinations can make you feel fearful, anxious, frustrated or confused. Or you may find them comforting or reassuring.
It's common to think that if you hear voices, you must have a mental health problem. But research shows that many people hear voices and don't have a mental health problem. It's quite a common human experience.
We have more information about hearing voices.
I felt as though I was in wonderland. None of my family or friends understood why. I had a calling from a voice in sky. I was lost and lonely.
Delusions
Delusions are fixed beliefs about reality that other experiences show cannot be true. If you experience delusions, it's natural for them to feel completely real to you when you're experiencing them.
Some types of delusions can include thinking that:
- Your thoughts, feelings or behaviours are being controlled, placed or removed by an external force, person or group
- You're unwell or there is something wrong with your body, when tests and examinations have proved otherwise
- You're very powerful and can control things, like the weather or stock markets
- Someone else is in love with you – this is usually someone of a higher status or a celebrity
There are different types of delusions.
A common type is paranoid or persecutory delusions. This is where you might feel that something or someone is trying to control, harm or kill you. They can be very frightening and can make you feel threatened or unsafe.
Our information on paranoia has tips on how to cope with paranoid thoughts.
One of the peculiar thoughts I experienced was that I was being headhunted by a company for a job, which definitely never happened, it was just an idea in my head that I had convinced myself was true.
Disorganised thinking and speech
Hallucinations and delusions can make your thoughts and feelings confused and disorganised. But disorganised thinking can also be a specific type of psychosis. It can sometimes be called 'formal thought disorder'.
You might experience:
- Racing thoughts – when your thoughts go through your head very fast. It can involve them racing so fast that they feel out of control.
- Flight of ideas – where your thoughts move very quickly from one idea to another. They make links and see meaning between things that other people don't.
If you have disorganised thinking you might:
- Speak very quickly and stumble over your words so that other people may find it difficult to understand what you're saying.
- Link words together because of the way they sound rather than what they mean. You may struggle to communicate what you mean. This can result in what you're saying being confusing or not making sense to others. Some people might describe this as 'word salad'.
- Change the topic of conversation very quickly as your thoughts move from one thing to another, or not finish sentences.
- Find it difficult to concentrate on one thing.
Racing ideas flooded my mind. It seemed as though my mind was disintegrating, my inner life – my unconscious mind – started flooding my consciousness without a break.
What if I feel like I might hurt myself or others?
When experiencing psychosis, you may have hallucinations or delusions about harming yourself or others.
For example, you might hear voices that tell you to hurt yourself. Or experience a delusion that someone is trying to hurt you, so you feel like you need to act to defend yourself.
These experiences can be really frightening. It's important that you get urgent support if you feel that you're at risk to yourself or others.
Friends and family may be able to spot the signs that you're nearing crisis. But it's important that you know what crisis services are available too.
Our page on crisis services has more information.
Psychosis and stigma
Some people may have negative ideas about psychosis and make assumptions about you that aren't true. This can be really upsetting, especially if it's someone close to you, like a friend, colleague, family member or healthcare professional.
You might see yourself negatively too because of this stigma.
Remember that these assumptions are often because of a lack of knowledge. You deserve support and respect.
For tips on how to cope with stigma, see our page on stigma and misconceptions.

My experience of psychosis
It was an extremely difficult time of my life, not only for me but also for those around me.
Published: January 2025
Next review planned: January 2028
References and bibliography available on request.
If you want to reproduce this content, see our permissions and licensing page.
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