Disorganised Thinking and Incoherent Speech

The way that information, memories, and perceptions are processed in the brain can change profoundly in psychosis. This can result in thoughts appearing as alien and unfamiliar, or thoughts appearing to be blocked or even removed. Sometimes thoughts may be muddled, jumping from topic to topic, or the person may feel bombarded by a stream of ideas and impulses.

Watch Professor Jo Smith explaining thought disorder

Problems with memory can also occur. These can include difficulty forming new memories, retrieving old memories, or in some cases having memories of events that did not occur.

From the outside, the person may appear to have difficulty communicating and may make up new words or confuse the order of words. Sometimes their speech may speed up or slow down. They may also appear preoccupied or distracted by their thoughts. As a result of these experiences, it can be difficult to perform everyday tasks and their behaviour may seem odd at times.

Watch Professor Jo Smith explaining how to get support for thought disorder