Unhelpful Beliefs About Psychosis

There are many unhelpful beliefs about psychosis and other mental health disorders that persist due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the facts and realities of mental health. Below are some of the most common beliefs about psychosis, along with the actual facts:

The good news is that there is hope and help available for both individuals who are currently experiencing psychosis or who may be at a higher risk of developing it through early intervention.

Experiences and Insights

Some individuals who have been affected by psychosis have shared their experiences and insights:

• Lionel Aldridge once said, “I was just a victim of schizophrenia… Once I accepted and cooperated with the treatment, I started to beat the illness.”

• Lady Gaga “There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness. You feel like something is wrong with you…but you can’t help it when in the morning, you wake up, you are so tired, you are so sad, you are so full of anxiety and the shakes that you can barely thinking…but opening up about mental health was like saying this is a part of me and that’s okay.”

• Selena Gomez “I had to stop, cause I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down. But I kept it too much together to where I let myself down…If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken.”

• Elyn R. Saks believes that people with these disorders can lead full, happy, productive lives if they have the right resources. She added, “If you are a person with mental illness, the challenge is finding the life that’s right for you. But in truth, isn’t that the challenge for all of us, mentally ill or not? My good fortune is not that I’ve recovered from mental illness. I have not, nor will I ever. My good fortune lies in having found my life.”

• Tom Hardy believes everyone has a cauldron of psychosis to unravel as they grow older and find their place in the world. He said, “We’re all flawed human beings, and we all have a cauldron of psychosis which we have to unravel as we grow older and find the way we fit in to live our lives as best as possible.”

• John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician who had schizophrenia, once thought of the voices he heard as something different from aliens. He said, “I thought of them more like angels…. It’s my subconscious talking. It was really that… I know that now.”

• Carrie Fisher who had bipolar disorder, believed that the condition was not her overriding identity but something she had. She said, “I don’t want to be caught… ashamed of anything. And because generally, someone who has bipolar doesn’t have just bipolar, they have bipolar, and they have a life and a job and a kid and a hat and parents, so it’s not your overriding identity, it’s just something that you have, but not the only thing – even if it’s quite a big thing.” Additionally, Fisher believed medication was essential for her to function worldwide. She said, “Without medication, I would not be able to function in this world. Medication has made me a good mother, a good friend, a good daughter.”

Remember, seeking help is the first step toward recovery. With early intervention and effective treatment, people with psychosis can lead fulfilling and productive lives.

Need Support, or More Information?

Connect with your providers to see what options you have in your area.

You may also contact the Felton Early Psychosis programs (re)MIND®, BEAM, and BEAM UP® at talktoremind@felton.org or reach out to a site location directly via the contact information listed below. Someone will promptly get back to you within one business day.

This contact information is not for emergency requests.

If you need immediate help, please see the Crisis Resources section on our Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo Program Location Pages.