Over thanksgiving, The British Psychological Society published a report entitled Understanding Psychosis. This new report challenges the long held notions about psychosis and, most importantly, gives new hope to individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hope is a crucial element for those diagnosed and their families, as many see this as a “terrifying, irrational, [and] out of control mental condition”. This new report combats the idea that schizophrenia is a brain disease. The report first combats the biological theories and concluding that “there is no proven biological abnormality” which is associated with schizophrenia. This conclusion is not discounting that medication does help manage the symptoms of schizophrenia for some; but what it does say is the efficacy of medication is overemphasized. These medications have long term side effects which can be damaging and seem to be no more effective than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy for managing psychosis. The second argument the authors make is stating that schizophrenia has “no validity as a construct”, and has little interrater reliability on diagnosis and an appropriate treatment once diagnosed. Meaning that different professionals have little success agreeing over diagnosing a particular individual with schizophrenia as well as what treatment should follow. As this report breaks down the long held stereotype of what psychosis is, it allows for a new discussion to emerge, one that is led by those diagnosed and encourages everyone else to become the listeners. Understanding that symptoms are attempts at communicating the way a particular individual is experiencing the world, rather than a sign of illness. As more research is done in the field of psychosis, there is a growing realization of the link between “psychotic experience and trauma” and if we only can create a supportive environment for healing, it will allow these individuals to explore their trauma and their psychosis. Hopefully this report will begin to break down the notion that all individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia must be medicated and force professionals to individualize treatment.
