Psychosis

Signs and Symptoms

The following is a list of typical signs and symptoms of psychosis. Your child may be experiencing psychosis if they have:

• Delusions: These are unshakable beliefs that are obviously untrue. For example, a child may strongly believe that there is a plot to harm them, that they are being spied on through the television or that they are being taken over by aliens.
• Thought Disorder: This disorder occurs when a child is not thinking straight, and it is hard to make sense of what they are saying. Ideas may be jumbled up but in a way that is more than being muddled or confused.
• Hallucinations: These occur when a child sees or hears something that is not really there. The most common hallucination that children may have is hearing voices. This can be very frightening and can make them believe that they are being watched or picked on. Children who are having these experiences may act strangely. For example, they may talk or laugh to themselves as if talking to somebody that you cannot see.

A child with the symptoms listed above could also have a medical condition.