Empowering families affected by psychosis

Psychosis can be treated, and many people recover from psychosis. Like physical health problems, the sooner that mental health problems are treated, the better the outcome. In the early stages of psychosis, your relative may not know what is happening to them, or may feel there is nothing wrong and that symptoms will go away on their own. Or they may know there is a problem and be fearful of what the treatment may be, so they may not seek help right away. The longer psychosis is left untreated, the greater a person’s life is disrupted. Therefore, you will want to encourage your relative to seek help as early as possible.

Early intervention for people experiencing psychosis has many benefits, including:

decrease of additional problems, such as disruption to work, school and relationships
less need for hospitalization
faster recovery and better prognosis
reduced family disruption and distress
less resistance to treatment and lower risk of relapse.