According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) “psychosis is a collection of symptoms that affect the mind, where there has been some loss of contact with reality. During an episode of psychosis, a person’s thoughts and perceptions are disrupted and they may have difficulty recognizing what is real and what is not. People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them). Other symptoms can include incoherent or nonsense speech and behavior that is inappropriate for the situation.”
It is important to note that psychosis and psychotic are not the same thing. Someone with psychosis has a short-term (acute) condition that, if treated, can often lead to a full recovery. A psychopath is someone with an antisocial personality disorder, which means they: lack empathy – the capacity to understand how someone else feels.
On Tuesday, February 25th, Trinity Services hosted an online training session with Dr. Amanda Goldman, a certified Pre-Therapy trainer, to aid staff and peer counselors in improving their communication skills and feel more confident in their exchanges with guests experiencing psychosis.