If you have a loved one with bipolar disorder, there are many things that you will need to learn and understand in order to properly care for and support them. One of the little-discussed symptoms of bipolar disorder is psychosis. Psychosis can occur in either depressive or manic episodes, and can be tough to spot and deal with if you do not know enough about it. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of psychosis as well as what you can and should do to help your loved one with bipolar if you experience it. Then, you can be the best support system possible for your loved one.
Unusual Distrust and Paranoia
Some people are naturally a bit distrustful or even paranoid. However, if your loved one does not usually have these characteristics, both distrust and paranoia can be signs of impending psychosis. Even if they are naturally wary, paranoia and distrust will generally increase as a person becomes psychotic.
This paranoia and lack of trust can be aimed at you, might involve conspiracy theories about being watched or monitored, or could target their medical caregivers, just to name a few examples. Your loved one could suddenly start drawing the shades during the day to avoid being seen or display other odd behaviors.
Sleep Disturbances
Another issue that you might notice with your loved one, particularly if you live in the same home, is trouble with sleep. Your loved one may suddenly start sleeping very little, get up frequently throughout the night, and might have other sleep disturbances like nightmares. If you notice your loved one mentioning trouble sleeping, you might want to stay on the lookout for additional signs and symptoms of psychosis.
Strange or Jumbled Speech
When a person is moving towards full-on psychosis, they will often begin to have speech and thought issues. If your loved one is usually articulate and starts to speak with strange or jumbled grammar, or their thoughts simply do not make any kind of sense, then you are likely looking at someone about to have a psychotic episode.
Delusional Thought Patterns
One of the major issues when a person is suffering from psychosis is that they will become delusional. This may include thinking they are a god or that they have special powers. Your loved one might also ascribe meaning to things that are actually insignificant or see patterns that are not there. These delusions can become dangerous if left unaddressed and unchecked.
What You Can Do
If you notice your loved one is showing signs of psychosis, you should try to get them to their primary care doctor or psychiatric care practitioner as soon as possible. Oftentimes, medical interventions such as a change in medication type or dosages can be effective at ridding a person of their psychosis. If their doctor is not available of they are extremely delusional, you may want to take your loved one straight to the hospital. This will provide them with the care and protection they need to address their psychosis and to prevent them from harming themselves because of it.
Now that you know more about psychosis and how to detect it in your loved one with bipolar, you can be sure to get them to their doctor as soon as signs of trouble arise.
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