Managing Positive Symptoms

Hearing voices, paranoia and unusual ways of thinking are often disturbing and distressing for the person experiencing them; these are commonly known as positive symptoms.

Being with and caring for someone with psychotic symptoms like these can be confusing and frustrating. It’s common for family members to wonder how best to help the person. Although psychosis is fairly common, most families will not have encountered it before and unlike many other illnesses, there is no single recommended approach.

In this section we will invite you to consider how the person you care for is affected by their symptoms, how this affects you and your family, and what you can do to help.

Before We Start

Think about the symptoms and signs of the illness that you find most difficult to deal with.

Watch Julie discuss dealing with paranoia from a mother’s perspective