Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Communicating with the Psychotic Patient

 


Todd Belok serves as a mental health technician at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he works with a diverse inpatient population. In that position, Todd Belok has cultivated an ability to communicate with all types of patients, including those suffering from psychosis.

Patients in a psychotic episode may be difficult to reach in conversation. They are likely to be experiencing delusions or hallucinations, as one of the hallmarks of psychosis is an apparent break from reality.

The most important thing to remember is that these experiences seem very real to the patient. They are, moreover, extremely persistent and do not respond to logic or reason. It is not advisable to attempt to convince the patient that his or her beliefs are false, as this tends to engender mistrust.

Instead, the caregiver or loved one can respond to the emotional reality of the situation. It is possible to acknowledge the patient's fear, sadness, or anger without mentioning the false beliefs that underlie it. If the patient will allow a change of topic, the caregiver can redirect the conversation to a neutral subject, such as the weather, sports, or entertainment.

The caregiver can also strive to ease the patient's mind by removing sources of stress from the environment, so that the patient can relax as much as possible. Meanwhile, the caregiver and others in the household should take care to avoid any confrontation and should show concern for the patient's emotional and physical well-being. This helps the patient to feel cared for without drawing attention to the psychosis.