Psychosis

Time and time again we meet incredible clients at Lifespan Psychology who have achieved amazing things in their lives but also lack self-esteem and self-belief.

Psychosis

If you or a loved one is going through the earth-shattering and disorienting symptoms of psychosis, we’re here for you. We work alongside your multi-disciplinary team – usually in the NHS or a psychiatrist and offer you and your family psychological support.

You may have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or PTSD. The word ‘psychosis’ is an umbrella term used to describe a range of unusual experiences which play tricks on your mind and senses.

You may hear voices, see or smell things that aren’t there. You may experience negative symptoms and feel like shutting down, find it hard to get out of bed, talk or take care of yourself.

Your thoughts can be jumbled up or chaotic. You may have grandiose ideas that you’re a religious figure, politician, famous designer or athlete. It’s also common to experience anxiety, depression and panic attacks and relive traumatic events as though they are happening now.

Hearing Voices

Did you know that having psychotic symptoms does not always entail a diagnosis of psychosis? This is because unusual experiences are quite common in the general population. Research shows 10% of us hear voices and nearly all of us have heard things that aren’t really there. The difference is that people with a diagnosis; who seek help, are usually deeply distressed by their unusual experiences and may act upon disturbing hallucinations.

With Lifespan Psychology, you don’t need to walk through life scared of the self-critical, bullying or amplified voices in your head, or the distressing and perplexing experiences. We offer a number of evidence-based culturally adapted therapies for you, family members or professionals that support you.

Psychosis Resources

Explore downloadable resources that empower you to grow, cope, and create positive change in your life.

Our research showed that people’s experiences in close relationships – their “attachment styles” – were related to negative beliefs they had about themselves. Their attachment style was therefore related to how negative and distressing the voices they heard were.

Would you like to assess your experience in close relationships using this tool, and send it to us to discuss in your first appointment? There’s also a questionnaire here you can use to assess your beliefs about your voices. As explained in CBT, how you think about your voices can really affect how you feel about them.