Experiencing a psychotic episode for the first time can feel confusing, scary, and overwhelming. You might see things or hear voices that others don’t, or believe things that others find unusual. When that happens for the first time, it’s called First Episode Psychosis (FEP). Keep reading to learn of ways to help your recovery with ways to cope, tips to stay safe, and recommendations for professional care.
1. Recognize Early Warning Signs
Sometimes, you may notice changes before a full psychotic episode starts. These might include:
- Unusual or overly intense ideas
- Disruptions in sleep
- Withdrawing socially and spending a lot more time alone
- Trouble thinking clearly and logically
Noticing these early signs means you can act sooner by talking to someone you trust, reaching out to mental health professionals, or using coping strategies earlier.
2. Use Grounding and Calming Techniques
When things feel overwhelming, grounding yourself in the present moment helps. Some ways to do this:
- Deep breathing: slow breaths in through your nose, out through your mouth
- Five Senses Grounding – notice what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste
- Gentle movements like stretching or walking
These kinds of mindfulness and calming practices have been shown to help all of us feel more steady and less stressed. Practicing them regularly, even for a few minutes a day, can make it easier to cope when symptoms feel overwhelming.
3. Build a Support Network
Having people around who care and understand makes a big difference. This might include family, friends, peer support groups, or mental health workers. When you’re going through FEP, having someone to call when things get hard, or just someone to talk to, can reduce isolation.
Sometimes people going through psychosis report having fewer friends or supportive people in their lives. Many want stronger connections but can feel held back by things like stigma or low confidence. Building even a small circle of trusted people can make a big difference in recovery (SpringerLink). A Quiet Minds coordinated specialty care team member can help you start building a strong support system.
4. Create a Safety Plan
A safety plan means writing out ahead of time what to do when symptoms get worse. It can include:
- Signs that an episode might be starting
- Things you can do to calm down (grounding/calming techniques)
- Who to contact (trusted friends, family, a Quiet Minds team member, or a therapist)
- Emergency resources (hotlines, hospital, crisis centers)
Having a plan in place means you don’t have to figure everything out by yourself in a moment of distress.
5. Stick With Treatment
Professional care is usually the foundation: therapy, medication, support services. Early treatment tends to lead to better outcomes. Working with a coordinated specialty care program like Quiet Minds (where therapists, case workers, and doctors work together) is often more effective than doing things by yourself.
6. Take Care of Your Body
Good physical health supports mental health. Some things to aim for:
- Regular sleep (same bedtime/waketime if possible)
- Healthy meals
- Getting some movement each day
- Avoiding or limiting alcohol and recreational drugs, which can make psychotic symptoms worse
7. Practice Self-Compassion
When you’re going through psychosis, it’s easy to feel shame, blame, guilt, or that you’ve somehow failed. It’s important to remind yourself that psychosis is a health condition, not a moral failing.
Try to be gentle with yourself. Celebrate small wins, maybe it’s getting out of bed, or talking to someone when you usually stay silent. Recovery often has ups and downs, but each effort counts.
Final Thoughts
Going through a first episode of psychosis is hard, but you are not alone. Using strategies like noticing early signs, grounding techniques, building a support network, planning for safety, staying with treatment, caring for your body, and treating yourself kindly can help you cope better. If you ever feel unsafe or overwhelmed, reach out to a mental health professional right away. Recovery is possible, step by step.
Raising awareness and understanding of first episode psychosis can help reduce stigma and encourage early intervention, leading to better outcomes for those affected. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of psychosis, visit the Get Help page of the Quiet Minds website.
Sources
Franco, O. H., Calkins, M. E., Giorgi, S., Ungar, L. H., Gur, R. E., Kohler, C. G., & Tang, S. X. (2022). Evidence for feasibility of mobile health and social media-based interventions for early psychosis and clinical high risk. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.01.22273303 MedRxiv
Home practice in mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis groups: A systematic review and qualitative study. (2022). BMC Psychology, 10, Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00694-4 SpringerLink
Helping people with psychosis to expand their social networks: the stakeholders’ views. (2020). BMC Psychiatry, 20, Article 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-2445-4 BioMed Central
Mindfulness for psychosis groups; description and preliminary evaluation of a novel routine care pathway in Hong Kong. (2020). International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14, Article 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00415-1 BioMed Central
Social networks, support and early psychosis: a systematic review. Gayer-Anderson, C., & Morgan, C. (2013). Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 22(2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796012000406 PubMed