It’s the ‘True’ or ‘False’ round
Psychosis is generally poorly understood and often made to look worse than it is by the media. Here are some common beliefs about psychosis – see if you can work out which are true and which are false.
True. The frequency of episodes is highly variable.
True. Research shows a strong link between stressful life events and the occurrence of an episode of depression or (hypo)mania. The kind of life events that are experienced as stressful depends on the person.
False. Hypo means below. Hypomania is a milder form of mania that does not meet criteria for a full manic episode either because the symptoms do not cause significant impairment or do not last for more than a few days.
True. Although more common in mania, psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions can occur in severe episodes of depression or mania.
True. Some people find antidepressants can make their mood go very high. Finding the right medication is complicated and needs to be done in collaboration with a psychiatrist.
True. This makes it really hard to do anything, which in turn makes the depression worse.
True. The early signs of a mood swing can be very subtle changes in behaviour.
False. It’s much more common in depression or after a manic episode if behaviour has been erratic.
True. Disruptions to sleep wake cycles do seem to trigger mood swings in some people. Regular sleep is important.
False. Unfortunately although there is some evidence that medication can delay episodes, many people continue to experience symptoms even when they take medication. There are other coping strategies that can help which are discussed in detail in Module– ‘Treatment Options’.
