Treatment of psychosis

Psychosis is not a disease in itself, but a broad term used for describing a set of conditions suffered by an individual when having sensory experiences of nonexistent things or when they believe in a foundation-lacking reality. During the course of a psychotic episode, the person may feel a mixture of experiences, such as auditory and/or visual hallucinations and severe delirium. Therefore treatment of psychosis is so important for protecting the person suffering from it directly as much as for shielding those surrounding the patient. 

Psychosis is a psychiatric condition which is usually associated with schizophrenic-spectrum disorders and other symptoms that seriously affect people’s life quality. At Future Function Rehabilitation and Detox Center we are an integrative and spiritual center for treatment of problems with thinking, emotion and affection. We have over 12 years of experience which have allowed us to become a reference point in the country and in Latin America in relation to treating these conditions with an approach that is both scientific and spiritual.

Causes of psychosis

Nowadays, physicians and psychiatrists still ignore what the exact cause of psychosis is, since the majority of people who undergo this health condition have very few things in common. We can list several risk factors resulting in this problem, among which are included:

• Genetics. The most recent studies conducted by medical organizations have discovered that one detonator for psychosis is genes; even if many people may be born with a genetic predisposition, this doesn’t mean psychosis will always develop.
• One of the most frequent causes of psychosis is that of certain prescribed medications or alcohol and/or drug abuse, as is the case of marijuana, LSD and amphetamines.
• Traumatic events such as the passing of a beloved one, a sexual aggression or highly stressful situations may trigger psychosis. The type of trauma and the person’s age at the moment of becoming psychotic also play a key role here.
• Injuries and diseases. Traumatic brain damage or injury, brain tumors, cerebrovascular accidents, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer and HIV are some of the diseases which may trigger psychosis.
• In addition, psychosis can be a sign of another mental disease, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which explains why it is treated comprehensively and jointly with the other disease.

How is psychosis diagnosed?

The symptoms of this condition are especially obvious, although the only way to obtain an accurate diagnosis is through the assessment of a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Specialists diagnose mental diseases after ruling out certain factors associated with psychotic cases. The most common signs and symptoms of this illness are:

• Hallucinations of auditory, visual or sensory nonexistent things.
• False beliefs affecting personality, chiefly those rooted in fear or suspicion of nonexistent things or events.
• Disorganization in thinking, speech or behavior.
• Disordered thinking. Jumping off from one subject to another which holds no connection, or making unusual connections between common thoughts.
• Lack of response to stimuli.
• Concentration difficulty.

Depending on its causes, psychosis may develop either rapidly or slowly, in the same way it happens with other psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. At times symptoms may appear little by little or be nearly unnoticeable or, on the contrary, some people may experience a quick transition towards a severe psychosis. Some of the preliminary symptoms may include:

• Feelings of suspicion or paranoia.
• Overall anxiety.
• Distorted perceptions.
• Depression.
• Obsessive thoughts.
• Troubled sleeping.

Moreover, hallucinating may affect any of the human senses and strongly influence people’s life quality; statistical figures indicate two thirds of the patients suffer auditory hallucinations, followed by visual hallucinations.

Is there treatment for psychosis?

Psychosis is a chronic illness, so it is crucial that it receives early treatment, particularly after the first psychotic episode. This will help in preventing the main symptoms from harming the individual’s relationships and work and academic activities, as well as other future difficulties.

We recommend getting specialized service with a multidisciplinary approach which combines pharmacological treatment and comprehensive therapy with work and educational support; additionally, relatives and close friends should be as involved as possible. The type of treatment to follow will depend mainly on the cause of psychosis and other factors.

Pharmacological treatment

There is a great variety of medications that can be prescribed for treating psychosis symptoms; they can come as pills, fluids or injections in different doses and periods of use. You will be advised not to use addictive substances such as drugs (legal or illegal) and alcohol.

If the psychotic condition is too strong, it is possible that patients must be hospitalized, especially if there is a risk of hurting themselves or others, in case controlling behavior or performing daily activities is not possible any longer. The specialist will verify symptoms, look for causes and then suggest the most adequate treatment.

Psychotherapy

Along with medication, we recommend to take psychotherapy in order to help control episodes, prevent them from occurring and enhance people’s quality of life. There are different psychotherapy techniques whose results have shown to be satisfactory, among which we include the following:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy. It can help patients recognize when they are having psychotic episodes and determine whether what they see or hear is real or it is just imaginary; it also emphasizes the importance of taking medication and following treatment rigorously.
• Support psychotherapy. It helps people to learn to live and control psychosis, as well as to develop healthy ways of thinking.
• Cognitive enhancement therapy. It uses virtual exercises and group work so as to help think and understand better, in a general manner, what contributes for people’s better development in their daily life.
• Psychoeducation and family support. The family gets involved in this therapy process to establish bonds and have a better comprehension of the disease, so patient and family can work it out more adequately.
• Specialized coordinated attention. It creates a team approach toward treatment of psychosis when diagnosed for the first time; it combines medication and Psychotherapy with social services and work and educational support.

Receive the best psychosis treatment at Future Function Rehabilitation and Detox Center

It is imperative that people undergoing psychosis receive treatment right since the early symptoms occur. In Bogotá, the finest service will be provided at Future Function Rehabilitation and Detox Center; we are two allied institutions: Fundación Clínica Función Futuro, a private health entity, and Fundación Función Futuro, a spiritual approach organization.

As a whole, we offer you highly qualified service provided by extensively trained professionals along with ethical service for treating addictions, eating disorders and problems with personality such as psychosis. We have over 16 years of experience working hand in hand with the most highly specialized team in the country for covering all of your needs in one single place; our sole objective is your integral health from the perspective of a first-order scientific and spiritual approach.

All our treatments are personalized and highly effective, humane and very well received among colleague specialists and people going through any of these problems. Our foundation is that of comprehensive, interdisciplinary service strengthened by a constructive medicine concept so as to enhance people’s life quality as much as possible.

You can contact us; we will be glad to help you find the best solution to your problems. Make an appointment at phone numbers (571) 774 6022 and (571) 704 2007, e-mail funcionfuturo@hotmail.com or WhatsApp message to (31) 6536 2141 and come visit our premises: we will be pleased to offer you support in improving your quality of life and receiving the best treatment of psychosis.