Valuable Information For Caregivers Of Those With Psychosis

After the initial shock that you may feel when your child or loved one is diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, you may want to learn everything you can about psychosis and how it affects your family member or loved one. As an informal or formal caregiver, it can be beneficial to stock up on tips to assist you as a carer of someone with psychosis. However, you’re not alone, and there are ways to find professional guidance and support if caregiving becomes challenging. Below, we’re discussing how carers of people with psychosis can help facilitate treatment for their loved one while also focusing on self-care.  

What is psychosis?

When someone experiences a disconnection from reality and cannot reliably distinguish between reality and fiction, they may be experiencing psychosis. Psychosis is a psychological symptom that distorts a person’s perception of themselves and the world around them, often leading to confused, erratic thoughts and behavior. 

Psychosis is a primary symptom associated with many psychiatric, physical, and neurological health conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. People who have experienced a psychotic episode or their loved ones may often report hallucinations, delusions, and confused or disorganized thoughts. 

Tips for family caregivers

Early intervention in psychosis has been linked to improved mental health outcomes, reduced symptom impact, and more successful recovery. If your child or relative has been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, your family may have experienced first-episode psychosis. As a result, you might be working to establish a comprehensive treatment plan provided by their therapist. 

Many psychological disorders that can cause psychosis are lifelong conditions without a known cure. However, effective treatment protocols are often put in place to help clients manage symptoms of the underlying mental illness, minimize the effects of psychotic symptoms, and move forward through recovery with growing resilience. 

Friends and family members are often uniquely positioned to help people with psychosis address their symptoms. One of the most effective ways to be a family carer for a loved one with psychosis is by educating yourself about psychotic disorders and how your loved one’s mood, behavior, perception, thoughts, and reality can change. The following tips may assist caregivers in helping their loved ones on their journey toward mental health and emotional balance while living with psychosis. 

Get treatment for your loved one

When supporting a loved one, it may be beneficial for personal and family carers to have professional guidance from the beginning. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, it is recommended that carers provide input when it comes to their loved one’s treatment plan. Consider reaching out to local and virtual therapy providers to implement early psychosis intervention services for your charge. When given a treatment plan by a mental health professional, follow the instructions as closely as possible and reinforce the importance of continued treatment and reliably taking medication to maintain beneficial outcomes.  

Establish practical and emotional support

You and your loved one with psychosis may benefit from establishing a network of understanding friends, family, and mental health professionals to offer practical and emotional support as you go through the process of caring for their health. Studies show that social connection can be crucial to long-term mental and physical health, so having healthy people in your circle may be a coping mechanism for you both. Understanding the link between psychosis and physical disorders may be helpful for caregivers to ensure holistic care for their loved ones. Additionally, having extra family carers may help create a more supportive atmosphere. 

Safeguard your own health and well-being with self-care

Mental health problems affect not only the individual but their family members and those around them. Safeguarding your overall health can be crucial to your effectiveness as a family caregiver. Some caregivers may feel guilty taking time to care for themselves and their mental health. However, caring for yourself, including your mental and physical health, may help you maintain your energy to care for others. Spending time on daily self-care, such as eating a balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, and practicing healthy sleep hygiene, can help you present the best version of yourself, potentially reducing the risk of compassion fatigue or caregiver burnout. 

Health Research on mental health difficulties has significantly advanced our understanding, yet there's a continuous need for future research on the best practices for carers of people with psychosis. Studies conducted by institutions like the National Institute for Health and supported by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership have helped improve the care standards of psychosis carers. 

Research shows that psychotherapy can foster mental wellness in caregivers. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, which included 32 studies, researchers examined the effects of psychoeducation interventions on carers of people with psychosis. They found that these mental health services improved overall well-being while decreasing perceived burden and negative caregiving experiences. 

Additionally, there are several resources that can help carers of people with psychosis learn more about psychotic symptoms, navigate mental health services, and address their own emotional challenges. For example, King’s College London has a free online course for caregivers of individuals living with schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis.  

Mental health services for support

In family therapy, you and your loved ones can find a safe space to work through challenges associated with a family member’s psychosis. Emotional and behavioral problems may leave your child or loved one feeling like a family burden, and working with a licensed therapist may improve communication and similar coping skills in your family dynamic so everyone is seen, loved, understood, and accepted. 

Antipsychotic medications may also balance neurochemistry, reducing the severity of psychosis. Other pharmaceutical interventions may be prescribed depending on the type of psychosis and age of the patient. However, do not give your loved one medication on your own. Consult a licensed doctor before starting, changing, or stopping any medication for yourself or your loved one. 

Other strategies for caregivers

Toward the beginning of your journey as a caregiver, you may not know what to expect or how to handle the symptoms of psychotic disorders when your loved one displays them. It may be challenging to bypass your instinctive emotional reactions, so consider trying the following tips to work through psychotic episodes together. 

Try to understand their perspective

While you may not understand or experience your loved one’s hallucinations or delusions, try to remember that they look and feel real to your loved one. You might consider this aspect when evaluating their behavior and stay with them to ensure they’re safe until the episode passes. 

When or if your loved one has connected to reality again, try asking if they were aware of the hallucination and begin looking for clues or “tells” they can use to determine a situation isn’t real. Over time, they may find what incites their episodes and learn to employ coping skills before a hallucination occurs. 

Don’t take their words or actions personally

When they are experiencing a hallucination, consumed by a delusion, or struggling to think and communicate effectively, try not to take anything your loved one says or does personally. Even if they are physically speaking to you, you might be unsure how psychosis has distorted their reality. If you think it could help, you might take notes to discuss when the episode passes. However, if the individual makes threats of harm against themselves or someone else during psychotic episodes, take it seriously by employing your crisis plan and contacting a hotline or local support services. 

Avoid debates 

During a psychotic episode, avoid getting into a debate to convince the individual their hallucinations aren’t real or show them proof that their delusional ideas are wrong. Note that their delusions are symptoms of a mental illness and not wild ideas they choose to believe. 

If you debate your loved one, it may fail to produce the desired results and show them it could be unsafe to honestly talk to you about their symptoms without judgment. If you want to talk to someone about the themes of these delusions and how they impact you, it might be helpful to talk to your own therapist to receive evidence-based methods for coping with these challenges. 

Focus on neutral topics

Consider redirecting conversations with your loved one toward neutral topics that keep them calm while steering their conscious mind away from delusions or hallucinations. It may help if they have a favorite song that soothes them or another comfort item that makes it easier for them to work through psychotic episodes and return to reality. Focus on keeping your voice calm, even when discussing a subject that draws their interest.

Don’t laugh at delusions

Listen and sympathize. Instead of humoring delusions, tell your loved one that while you might not understand some of what they are experiencing, you know that it makes them scared, angry, frustrated, or helpless—and you do know how those emotions feel. Work to create a calm, quiet environment with as few stressful stimuli as possible. In addition, don’t speak unkindly or joke about your loved one’s psychosis with other people. Ending the stigma against mental illness can start with you. 

Professional support options

Individuals experiencing psychotic episodes may benefit from professional mental health support. However, informal caregivers might not realize the advantages of seeking external help in caring for those with severe mental illnesses. As a caregiver, you may also consider working with a qualified counselor to support yourself while providing health and care excellence for your loved one. 

While it can be vital to care for and support someone with a psychotic disorder, it is also important to ensure the carer’s health needs are met, too. Therapy may be an option for some caregivers experiencing severe stress. However, some carers of people with psychosis may struggle to find time for a therapy appointment. In these cases, working with a licensed therapist online through a virtual therapy platform like BetterHelp may be helpful. Through an online platform, you can choose a session time that works for you, including outside of standard business hours. You may also choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions. 

CBT is one of the most common psychotherapy treatments for psychosis. Recent studies by the American Psychological Association indicate similar outcomes for online and in-person CBT treatments. Clients often reported lower costs, shorter wait times, and a comprehensive network of licensed therapists with virtual teletherapy platforms. 

Other resources 

If you are caring for someone with psychosis, there are various resources available to support you. Organizations, like Rethink Mental Illness, may offer guidance to help caregivers manage the challenges that come with psychosis. In addition, reputable sources such as King's College London, the National Institute for Health, and the World Health Organization may provide information to improve mental health knowledge and teach effective caregiving strategies.

Some organizations may provide family intervention programs that may help improve carer well-being and provide coping strategies to manage the impact of caregiving experiences. Clinical psychology services may offer support tailored to the needs of both the individual with psychosis and their caregiver.