While not common, it is important to know that first episodes of psychosis often emerge in young adulthood or even earlier.

According to SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “psychosis involves symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or confused thinking. When someone has these for the first time, this is considered their first episode of psychosis.

• Hallucinations are things you hear, see, smell, taste, or feel that no one else can hear, see, smell, taste, or feel. Hearing voices is the most common type of hallucination.
• Delusions are false beliefs that seem real to your youth or young adult. People with delusions may believe that other people are spying on them or want to harm them or someone they care about.
• Confused thinking is a change in the way a person thinks. Thoughts may be very fast or slow, they may stop suddenly, or the person might feel that the thoughts are outside their control. These thoughts might show up as disorganized speech, such as shifting rapidly from one topic to another.”

Acting quickly to connect a person with the right treatment during early psychosis can be life changing.

It is important to work with a medical professional to find out if prescription medication, medical condition or substance use is an underlying cause of psychosis symptoms.