Good morning, welcome to #Hashtag Hong Kong. As a clinical psychologist at the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong - which is a non-profit association dedicated to mental health awareness and services - I would like to shine a spotlight on a condition that affects many but is often misunderstood: psychosis. 

Let me start with a brief introduction about this condition. Psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a disconnection from reality. People experiencing psychosis may have difficulty differentiating what is real from what is not real. This can manifest through symptoms such as hallucinations. For example, you are seeing things or hearing things that aren’t there, and delusions – you are having strong beliefs that are not based in reality.

According to global estimates, approximately 3 in 100 people will experience psychosis at some point in their lives. It can occur at any age but is most commonly diagnosed in late adolescence to early adulthood. While it’s less common than other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, psychoeducation about psychosis and early intervention are crucial.

In general, symptoms can be categorized into positive symptoms and negative symptoms. Positive symptoms happen when a person is experiencing additional things that are originally not there. For example like delusional thoughts like somebody is spying on me or you are the president of a country, or having different types of hallucinations that pertain to our senses like auditory, visual and tactile. Or you may have disorganized speech and abnormal motor behaviors such as agitated movements or repetitive actions. On the other hand, negative symptoms refer to the absence or reduction of normal behaviors. For example like having flat affect, limited facial expressions, limited speech, changes in mood, lack of motivation, or lack of desire to engage in social activities.

Treatment typically involves a combination of antipsychotic medications, psychotherapy, and also psychosocial support groups. Early intervention is key—it can significantly improve outcomes. Psychotherapy such as Cognitive-behavioral therapy or we call CBT tailored for psychosis can help individuals to manage symptoms and to develop coping strategies. Support groups and community resources also play a vital role in recovery. There are a lot support groups tailored for individuals struggling with psychosis to target social skills improvement, self-care skills and independent living skills. The goal is to help them in skills building to decrease the functional impairments caused by psychosis, and hence resume a normal life and integrate back to the society.

On a personal level, I’ll say it’s crucial for individuals to maintain a structured daily routine, and to stay connected with supportive friends and family, and also follow with your treatment plans including medications and psychotherapy. It’s also important to explore interests and activities that bring you joy and purpose and to stay engaged with people around you.

I once had a client who’s been struggling with psychosis for over 10 years that he would cover his left ear whenever he hears voices. With proper treatment and skills building, he’s able to differentiate reality with his auditory hallucinations, so that he’s not being responsive or reactive to the voices, even if the voices are still there with him. Once he has become more stable with his symptoms, we started taking him to do volunteer work in the community where he would help dispatching lunch boxes to the homeless population. That volunteer work gave him opportunities to reconnect to people, to the community and also built a sense of accomplishment in him. Ultimately he’s able to live a fulfilling life despite his diagnosis.

I want to emphasize that psychosis is a treatable condition. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms, seeking help early can make a significant difference. Recovery is a journey, increasing awareness and reducing stigma are important steps to make sure everybody gets the right support they need. Last but not least, remember your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and no one should face these challenges alone.

Thank you so much for tuning in today and hope together we can build a more informed and supportive community.