Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • While there is prejudice linked with most types of mental health disorders, psychosis is unarguably the symptom that an average person finds the scariest.
  • Characterised by a cluster of symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and profound disorganisation, psychosis features in different forms.
  • It might simply be a sign of an underlying primary psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, or occur due to another psychiatric issue like depression or bipolar disorder.
Reading time: 9 min

It is human nature to fear the unknown. While there is prejudice linked with most types of mental health disorders, psychosis is unarguably the symptom that an average person finds the scariest. Characterised by a cluster of symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and profound disorganisation, psychosis features in different forms. It might simply be a sign of an underlying primary psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia, or occur due to another psychiatric issue like depression or bipolar disorder.

To a layman with no understanding of the condition, psychosis is equivalent to being crazy or dangerous. And since the problem is not well-understood, people tend to cling to stereotypes more tightly as they contextualise or evaluate someone with psychosis. This stigma also hinders millions of people from across the world from seeking rehabilitation and treatment for their debilitating psychotic symptoms. But not anymore!

With the widespread availability of privately working rehabs in the UK offering a non-judgmental and discreet environment to recover, these people finally have a chance to get over their problems and start living normally once again.

When someone is going through a psychotic episode, they have a hard time interpreting the real world. The symptoms may vary from one person to another and even from one episode to another for the same person. Some common ones include:

Disordered Thinking

Psychosis causes the speech and thoughts of an affected person to slow down or speed up. Their sentences may become unclear and tough to understand, and the individuals may find it difficult to remember things or follow conversations.

Delusions

The affected person may believe unusual things for anyone with the same cultural background. This may take different forms, such as grandiosity (assuming that they are an essential figure or possess superpowers), paranoia (fearing that someone is watching them), depression (feeling guilty of a terrible crime that they did not commit in real life), and more.

Hallucinations

The afflicted person may start hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, or feeling things that do not exist in real life. Auditory hallucinations are the most common type experienced by most individuals. An example of this type of hallucination includes hearing voices that are not there.

Disordered Behavior

A person living with psychosis may become childlike or severely agitated. They may swear, mutter, or stop responding to everyone around them altogether. Additionally, managing day-to-day tasks can become difficult for them.

Suicidal Thoughts

Psychotic individuals may feel the urge to harm themselves. Such suicidal risk is considered a medical emergency, and help must be sought immediately.

In some cases, an individual with psychosis can misbehave, such as becoming angry for no reason or laughing out loud at sad news. The aggression and agitation that usually accompanies this disease need to be managed professionally at a rehab under the supervision of a qualified healthcare team so that the patient does not harm themselves.

The treatment programmes offered at psychosis rehabs are based on two types of treatment modalities: therapy and medication.

Medication for Psychosis

Due to its well-documented effect on the brain chemistry and consequently on the symptoms of psychosis, the first-line treatment for a psychotic episode is starting a medicine regimen. The right choice of medication can change the processes of the brain that trigger or intensify the psychotic symptoms.

Antipsychotic Medications

The most common medicine prescribed for psychosis belongs to the antipsychotic category. Almost all of them work by blocking dopamine to calm down an overactive brain. Antipsychotics are categorised into two types:

  • First-generation antipsychotics or typical antipsychotics, including Haloperidol, Fluphenazine, and Chlorpromazine
  • Second-generation antipsychotics or atypical antipsychotics, such as Clozapine, Aripiprazole, Quetiapine, Olanzapine, and Ziprasidone

The difference between the two categories is that second-generation antipsychotics provide equal benefits with fewer side effects as compared to the first-generation antipsychotics.

Antipsychotic drugs can have an impact within hours, and they can alleviate agitation and confusion within minutes. However, medications for psychotic disorders usually take several weeks to become fully effective.

Antidepressant Medications

Antidepressants are commonly used to augment the benefits of antipsychotic medications to treat an actively psychotic episode. These medications also target and treat resistant symptoms of schizophrenia, especially the adverse effects associated with mood.

Research suggests that at least a quarter percent of people with schizophrenia and consequent psychosis suffer from comorbid depression. Such individuals can significantly benefit from the addition of an antidepressant to their treatment regimen.

Antidepressants are of different types, and the choice of drugs depends on different factors. Some common examples include Sertraline, Fluoxetine, and Citalopram.

Anti-Anxiolytics

Anxiety is a relatively common disorder worldwide, particularly prevalent in people with psychotic disorders. Some surveys suggest that up to 40 percent of people with schizophrenia-induced psychosis have a concurrent diagnosis of anxiety. In such cases, anti-anxiolytic are often added to the medication regimen. Sometimes, antidepressants like Citalopram, Sertraline, and Venlafaxine are also prescribed to fight anxiety symptoms.

While medications do form the core of most psychosis treatment programmes, therapy is also essential. Different therapeutic styles are offered at rehab centres to cater to varying areas of concern and treatment goals. These therapies can also support people to better manage their mental health conditions and live a high quality of life.

Mentioned below are some types of therapy commonly included in a psychosis treatment program:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT for psychosis is particularly effective in dealing with irrational thought processes and disorganised thoughts experienced by the patients. It helps clients analyze these thought processes more clearly and support them in learning how to make rational connections with real life.

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET)

CET was initially formulated for people with schizophrenia and focused more intensely on cognitive processes. It included different interconnected interventions, such as structured group work, neurocognitive enhancement exercises, individual coaching, and more, to speed up recovery.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is based on CBT and encourages clients to accept and embrace their feelings instead of attempting to change them. The therapy uses mindfulness along with other practices to help them understand their emotions more deeply without reacting to them. In this way, clients can learn to separate their sense of self from the ways they act and think. This provides them with the freedom to act in ways not matching their inner states.

Coordinated Specialty Care

Coordinated speciality care involves hand-picked interventions to address different symptoms and their effects on a client’s life. It has six components that include:

  • Family support and education
  • Case management
  • Psychotherapy
  • Supported employment and education
  • Medication management
  • Peer support

Family and Group Therapy

Both family and group therapy have the same working principles as individual therapy, except for the fact that the treatment takes place under peer support. In family therapy, the client and their families work to change their communication and behavior patterns so that the recovery outcomes can be improved.

Psychotic disorders are notoriously famous for being difficult to treat. However, most of these issues are well-responsive to a broad range of treatment modalities. Early intervention can bring amazing benefits and higher chances of recovery with minimal risk of relapse.

The mainstay of most programmes for the treatment of psychosis UK is the use of medication; however, it is often combined with different therapeutic styles to attain the treatment goals. Victims can learn to manage their symptoms and restore normal lives with the right type of psychotic disorder treatment and support from peers.

Consider seeking help for yourself or a loved one today. Give us a call to book a session with our admissions expert.

FAQs

What are the different stages of psychosis?
Psychosis can be divided into the following three stages:
Prodrome phase– in which an individual starts experiencing changes in perceptions or behaviours indicative of an imminent episode of psychosis. Other symptoms include sleep disturbances, difficulty focusing, and seclusion.
Acute phase-  in which delusions, hallucinations and similar behaviours set in. These symptoms can be highly debilitating and can interfere with the person’s ability to carry on with normal life.
Recovery- which is the last phase of psychosis in which the symptoms start reducing and the individual is able to return to a normal life. This stage usually follows after commencing professional therapy for psychosis.
How long does psychosis last?
The duration of psychosis typically varies, depending on the cause and type of the psychotic episode. For example, if psychosis is associated with an underlying mental disorder, its duration will be different from that due to drug use. Similarly, the duration of psychotic symptoms may vary with different mental health disorders.
Can psychosis be cured?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for psychosis, but many treatment options are available to minimise or control its symptoms, depending on its causative factor. For example, in the case of drug-induced psychosis, ceasing the culprit drug can stop the symptoms; however, restarting its use can always bring them back. In other cases, when the psychosis is due to underlying mental health issues, treating the latter with professional help can control the former.
Some people may require short-term psychosis treatment, while others may require inpatient hospitalisation for months with appropriate therapy and medication use.
Can you recover from psychosis on your own?
If you have experienced psychosis as a one-time event, such as due to a brief psychotic disorder or due to substance abuse, it is likely to go away on its own. However, if the trigger causing it is more serious, such as an underlying mental health disorder, overcoming psychosis naturally is very unlikely without professional help. In such cases, seeking treatment as soon as possible is recommended as experts believe that shortening the time between the first episode of psychosis and commencement of treatment can significantly improve the chances of success and recovery. Moreover, early intervention can also shorten the duration of the psychotic symptoms.
When should I seek psychosis treatment from a rehab?
If you have suffered from psychosis for the first time, it might be challenging to know if help is needed or not. However, studies have shown that the success rate of psychosis treatment greatly improves if help is sought immediately. Hence, if you have a reason to believe that your psychotic episode is not related to any substance use, getting in touch with a healthcare provider to monitor the symptoms and start treatment can significantly benefit you.
On the other hand, if your psychotic symptoms are due to substance use, it is usually a sign of an underlying addiction. In such cases, joining an addiction rehab can be the best possible solution, as once the addiction disappears, the psychosis will settle on its own.
 

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