FAQs

Psychosis refers to a mental health condition in which a person’s thoughts and perceptions may make it hard for them to distinguish between what is real and what is not. This could include hearing or seeing something that isn’t really there. Some common symptoms of psychosis include:

• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Confused thinking or muddled speech
• Social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and/or lack of speech

Risk for psychosis refers to the early stages of developing a psychotic disorder. People at-risk for psychosis may experience many of the symptoms of psychosis but in a lesser form and maintain more insight. The majority of people who are identified as at-risk for psychosis DO NOT go on to develop psychosis in the future. One way to help facilitate positive outcomes is to seek help as soon as symptoms become distressing or begin interfering with daily activities.

How do you recognize if someone is at-risk for psychosis?

Below is a list of some warning signs for risk for psychosis, but being identified as at-risk for psychosis requires contextualization and professional evaluation:

• Feeling something is not quite right that you can’t explain
• Hearing unusual noises, voices, or mumbling or seeing things that others may not see
• Feeling as if your thoughts are strange or might not be your own
• Confusion about what is real or imaginary
• Trouble speaking clearly or getting your point across
• Feeling like you have special gifts or talents that no one else has
• Feeling that people are watching you or out to get you
• Declining interest in people, activities, or self-care
• Performing worse at school or work

It is important to remember that even if you or a loved one experience some of the above, it does not mean that they have or will later have psychosis or schizophrenia (a disorder that is associated with psychosis). Many of these experiences can be related to other mental health challenges, such as depression or anxiety or trauma, physical illness or injuries, or frequent drug or alcohol use. These experiences are more common than many people would think, and for some, they go away on their own. However, if you or a loved one has any concerns about the experiences listed above, it is important to talk to a trusted mental health professional. You may also take our mental health screener to see if Thrive Together OC’s services may be able to help.

First Episode of Psychosis refers to similar experiences as the ones described above, but the difference is that they have caused major disruptions to a person’s life through their intensity or frequency and/or a person has felt fully convinced that the experiences were real.

Currently services are at no-cost to eligible Orange County residents. These services are funded by the OC Health Care Agency.

Thrive Together OC’s screening services are shorter than our assessment services and are used to determine if a client is eligible for a full assessment. The full assessment allows TTOC to determine what kind of treatment and/or services are best for the client based on the experiences they report in the assessment.

During the assessment, the client meets with a trained TTOC clinician who asks them questions about their mood, thoughts, and behavior. This is not treatment, but the assessment provides our clinicians with the information they require to determine if treatment might be helpful and, if so, what kind of treatment. For some people, an assessment from TTOC may be the first step to getting linked to treatment options.

You can check if you are eligible to obtain services with TTOC through this survey. If you have questions, please contact our team at (657) 452-6811 or email services@thrivetogetheroc.org.

Orange County residents ages 12-25 are eligible for our initial mental health screening. Individuals that report experiences consistent with risk for psychosis in the screening may be eligible for a more in-depth mental health assessment with one of our clinicians.

Orange County mental health service providers are also eligible for our peer-to-peer consultation services to discuss psychosis and psychosis-risk. To request consultation, please call (657) 452-6811 or email services@thrivetogetheroc.org.