The early signs of psychosis are social withdrawal, increased suspiciousness, trouble thinking clearly and a drop in job performance or a drop in grades and school performance.
Other early signs and indicators of psychosis are feeling uneasy around others, having strong or inappropriate emotions, unusual beliefs or perceptions, like hearing or seeing things others don't and a decline in personal hygiene.
Stage 1 of psychosis is the early and often subtle phase of psychosis before a full psychotic episode occurs.
Stage 1 of psychosis is also known as the prodromal stage of psychosis.
During stage 1 psychosis, vague changes occur, like difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, suspiciousness and a depressed or anxious mood.
In stage 1 psychosis, a person also might experience sensory sensitivity, unusual thoughts or even a general decline in their functioning without having the full blown delusions or hallucinations of the later stages of psychosis.
The key signs of stage 1 psychosis are changes in a person's perception and thinking which include, difficulty thinking clearly or difficulty concentrating, trouble with processing information and or feeling overwhelmed, unusual or odd beliefs and magical thinking and increased sensitivity to sounds or bright lights.
Other signs of stage 1 psychosis are emotional and mood changes, like depressed mood, anxiety or irritability, stronger emotions than the situation warrants or even feeling numb.
Social and behavioral changes like suspiciousness or feeling uneasy when around other people, reduced motivation and a decline in self care or personal hygiene, a noticeable decline in performance at work or school and withdrawing from family or friends.
Sleep and other physical symptoms such as having disturbances in sleep patterns and or unexplained difficulty at work or school.
If you or someone else that you know, shows any of these signs of psychosis, it's best to seek professional help to get an accurate diagnoses and early treatment.
Early help and treatment for the psychosis like Coordinated Specialty Care can help to manage the symptoms and support recovery for the psychosis through medication, therapy and support for employment and or education.
If someone you know is experiencing psychosis you should try to be supportive, and include family and friends if possible in treatment decisions, which can help improve outcomes for people with psychosis or even help the person feel more supported.