Sometimes A Friend Just Needs A Friend

Schizophrenia, not an illness behind closed doors anymore

Schizophrenia, as well as Psychosis, (a description of a key symptom of schizophrenia) is the mental state when a person experiences hallucinations, unusual beliefs, paranoia, mixed emotions, muddled thoughts, unusual or puzzling behaviors. If someone seems distressed or impaired by their experiences, even if they're quite subtle at first, it's best not to ignore them and hope they'll go away. It's good to give the person the opportunity to discuss the situation.

As anyone who has been through a psychotic episode , such as hullucinating knows, getting professional treatment usually does not occur within 15 minutes of your hullucination event. Even if you are at a hospital and not alone, you could be well past a delusion or a hullucination before helps arrives.

First aid recommendations for psychosis and schizophrenia:

• Often early warning signs and/or symptoms of psychosis are not very dramatic on their own.
• You should not ignore or dismiss warning signs and/or symptoms even if they appear gradually and are unclear.
• You should not assume that the person exhibiting warning signs and/or symptoms is just going through a phase or misusing substances.
• You should be aware that the warning signs and/or symptoms of psychosis may vary from person to person and can change over time.
• Take into consideration the spiritual and/or cultural context of the person’s behaviors.
• Try to tailor your approach and interaction to the way the person is behaving (eg if the person is suspicious and is avoiding eye contact, the first aider should be sensitive to this and give the person the space they need).
• Do not touch the person without their permission.
• Allow the person to talk about their experiences and beliefs only if they want to.
• You should recognize that the person may be frightened by their thoughts and feelings.
• You should ask the person about what will help them to feel safe or in control.
• If the person is unwilling to talk with the first aider, the first aider should not try to force them to talk about their experiences.

source: schizophrenia.com