Having unusual beliefs
Some people with psychosis have unusual beliefs. Unusual beliefs are often referred to as delusions. Beliefs might be paranoid in nature. For example, some may think MI5 have bugged their phone. They will be very scared and worried by this.
Other beliefs might be grandiose. This means people believe they are very important or powerful. For example, some may believe they are on a special mission from God. Some may believe they are royalty when they are not. This can cause people lots of problems. It can be hard to know why people think this way. See the next section for more information.
Bear in mind lots of us think things that are not true. Lots of us have very strong views on things. There is no firm line between psychotic beliefs and normal beliefs. Psychosis is not an all-or-nothing thing. But people who have psychosis spend a lot more time thinking about their beliefs. They may also feel more upset by them. They may feel scared if they think people are after them. Or they may spend money they don't have because they think they are rich. But then again, lots of us are upset by our 'normal' beliefs too. Again, it is very hard to know where 'normal' ends and psychosis begins.
Most unusual beliefs have a bit of truth to them. For example, a person could be scared that people next door are plotting to kill her. Although this is not true, it could be the case that they bang on the walls a lot. They might not want someone with psychosis living next door. Another person may think God is speaking through him. This seems a strange idea. But if you are very religious it might not seem so strange. Most unusual beliefs make a bit more sense when you learn more about the person having them.
If you are having upsetting unusual beliefs then there are people who can help you. You can get help from your GP. He might refer you to a community mental health team. These teams have people who can help you deal with all sorts of problems. These include social worker's, occupational therapist's and nurses.
There are also people in these teams who can give you talking treatments. There are also doctors who can give you medication.
It really is best to talk to your GP first. But if you will not speak to him or her, then there are still other people who can help. These might include people who have had these problems in the past themselves.
There are things you can do just now to cope.
Why do some people have unusual beliefs?
It isn't easy to answer this. There are lots of possible reasons why. The answer will not be the same for everyone.
Just trying to make sense of it all
Take hearing voices as an example. Hearing a voice that is not there is very confusing. It is hard for anyone to explain. The way you explain this partly depends on the things you believe in. For example, if you are very religious, you might think you have had a religious experience.
Most people are very scared of losing control or 'going mad'. It is often much easier to believe something else is happening. People can come up with all sorts of reasons. These reasons are bound to seem strange to other people. To other people these reasons can seem like delusions. But they make perfect sense to the person hearing the voices.
Not everyone who hears voices and tries to make sense of them is psychotic. The difference is often distress. That is, people who have psychosis spend a lot more time thinking about their beliefs. They may also feel very upset by them. People who have psychosis have normally asked their doctor for help.
What makes some people more distressed?
What you think about yourself
Unusual beliefs can happen when people have strange experiences. But not all of these people would be called psychotic. They would only be called psychotic if they were very upset. Spending a lot of time thinking about the belief can make people upset. Other things are important too. Such as the view you have about yourself.
For example, a person who has paranoid beliefs might think they are a 'soft target'. They might think they deserve to be picked on. A person who has been bullied in the past might have these sorts of views. We need to be careful here though. Bullying does not cause psychosis. But it is important when combined with lots of other things.
A person who has grandiose beliefs might really feel that they don't matter much. This sort of feeling is upsetting. They may act in a grandiose way so that they stop feeling hurt. A person who has been made to feel small in the past might have these sorts of views. As you might have guessed, things that happen to us as children can leave their mark on us. Again though, we need to be careful. Feeling like you don't matter does not cause psychosis. But is important when combined with lots of other things. Such as strange experiences and unusual beliefs.
Another thing that is important is the view you have about the world around you.
What you think about the world around you
The views you have about the world matters a lot in psychosis. But not on their own. It is important when combined with other things. Such as unusual beliefs or strange experiences.
Like the views you have about yourself, these are often formed when you are young. For example, a person with paranoid beliefs maybe always saw the world as a dangerous place. Maybe they have lived in places where there is high crime. Maybe they have been a victim of crime in the past. Being a victim of crime does not cause psychosis. But it is important when combined with lots of other things.
So far we've looked at what we think about things. For example, that the world is a dangerous place. Another important thing is the way we think about things. For example, are we slow and thoughtful? Or do we jump to conclusions?
The way we think about things
We've already said that spending too much time thinking about things can be upsetting. Other things matter too. Such as what we pay attention to.
For example, when people are sad, they notice mostly sad things. When people are happy, they notice mostly happy things. When people are scared, they notice mostly danger. People who have paranoid beliefs are often very scared. One reason they stay scared is because they notice only danger. They don't notice things that suggest there is no danger. For example, they might think someone is following them. But they don't notice that the person is actually running for the bus.
This helps us understand why people who are paranoid have such strong beliefs. It is hard for them to notice things that prove them wrong.
This is not so different from normal beliefs! Take people with strong opinions for example. They often just ignore other people's viewpoints. They also don't notice things that prove them wrong.
We need to be careful again though. The way we think about things doesn't cause psychosis. But it is important when combined with lots of other things.
