HealthInfo Canterbury
Living with a psychotic disorder
What can I do?
There are many things you can do to help yourself if you are experiencing psychosis.
- Try to understand what is happening to you by working through the booklet Hearing voices: a self help guide.
- Talk to your GP or practice nurse about your symptoms and how you are feeling.
- Avoid things that set off your symptoms. Over time you will learn what things trigger your symptoms.These can be particular people or environments, or other things that make you feel stressed.
- Don't take recreational drugs.
- Try to keep a regular sleep pattern – go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Read about Physical health with a mental illness or addiction. Look after your physical health by eating well, quitting smoking, and keeping active. Keeping your body healthy can help to reduce how often you get symptoms, and how bad they are when you get them.
- Consider joining a support group.
- Ask your GP or psychiatric team to write you a care plan. This can include information about what kind of treatment works for you, and who to contact if your symptoms get worse or if you are in a crisis.
- Learn about antipsychotic medicines. You may need to start taking one of these medicines. If you are taking an antipsychotic medicine do not stop it or reduce the dose unless your doctors tells you to. If you do stop the medicine, your psychotic symptoms might come back. You can find out more about the particular medicines you are taking in Medications for mental health issues.
- Learn about talking therapy. This will help you to:
- understand what triggers your symptoms and how to reduce them
- recover from a psychotic episode
- learn when to get help.
Therapy can also reduce stress and worry for your family.
- When you are well, practise these 10 practical ways of keeping well. You can also read about the five proven ways to improve wellbeing.
- Learn more about psychotic disorders by reading these resources and factsheets.
Who can help?
These people and organisations may be involved in your (or your family member's or friend's) healthcare.
General practice team
If you need to find a GP, you can search on this map.
Community support groups, counsellors and therapists
MHERC (the Mental Health Education and Resource Centre) can help you to find a support group in your area. You can also find a counsellor, therapist or psychiatrist on MHERC's counselling services directory.
Canterbury DHB Specialist Mental Health Service
This is the major supplier of mental health services in Canterbury for those up to 65 years old. It includes the Child, Adolescent & Family Service for children and teenagers up to the age of 18, Totara House for young people aged 18 to 30, and Adult General Mental Health Services. You can find out more about the service on this page.
Canterbury DHB Older Person's Health Specialist Service
This is the major supplier of services, including mental health services, for Canterbury people older than 65. The Older Person's Mental Health Service was formerly known as Psychiatric Services for the Elderly.
Family support
When someone is coping with schizophrenia they might find being a parent particularly challenging. The whole family could benefit by using some of the resources and contacting the support groups listed on Children of parents with a mental illness or addiction.
The Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, Totara House, has a family and whānau support group for the family of young people aged from 18 to 30 who are having a first episode of psychosis. If your family member is under the care of Totara House you may be able to join this group.
On the next page: Support for families & friends of people with psychosis
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Endorsed by consultant psychiatrist, Canterbury DHB. Last reviewed October 2016.
See also:
Getting help for a mental health issue
Keeping physically healthy with a mental illness or addiction
Review key: HIPSY-124133
