I see or hear things that aren’t there

If you’re seeing things that aren’t there, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions to find out if something more serious is going on.

• Does this happen often?
• Does it bother you?
• Are you sure no one else sees or hears it? (This might sound weird, but it’s important to check your reality.)
• Do you experience other things that are weird or hard to explain, like hearing voices or feeling like people are watching you all the time?

If the answer to the above questions are yes, then you might be struggling with the early signs of psychosis.

What should I do next?

Psychosis can get worse if you are especially stressed, don’t get enough sleep, or don’t reach out to get help. The sooner you can get help, the better.

Here are some things to consider doing if you’re struggling with psychosis:

• Take a psychosis test. You can show the results to someone you trust to discuss what to do next.
• Manage your stress. Do you notice things that make your symptoms worse? How can you manage or avoid those situations? Stress makes everything worse.
• Are you getting enough sleep? Not getting enough sleep (especially for days at a time) can indicate that you’re experiencing other mental health problems, like bipolar disorder.
• Getting treatment: With treatment, early signs of psychosis can be resolved. Take a comprehensive approach to getting better. Someone can help you with school, work, family life, medications, and relationships. This type of treatment is called Coordinated Specialty Care. Psychosis also responds relatively quickly (within a week) to medications. If you are interested in getting medication, you want to talk to a doctor to find the right kind of medication treatment.

Don’t struggle alone, and don’t wait. Taking some kind of step early is key to getting better.