While it’s still common for people to be told that psychosis is a brain disorder that was not caused by anything anyone did to them, there is now an extensive body of research that indicates that traumatic experience can be a cause of psychosis, and the link between having multiple types of trauma and later psychosis is close to the strength of the link between smoking and lung cancer.
But what is the nature of the connection between trauma and psychosis? One factor that seems to play a role is that of dissociation, which is something we all do at times but which is often very strongly triggered by trauma.
To help professionals understand and work with this issue, I offered a free one hour webinar “Trauma, Dissociative Splits, and Psychosis: Approaches to Healing” on Friday April 21st – the recording is now available, see below. (This event was hosted by APA Division 18 Community and State Hospitals Section.)
Here’s the description for it:
“Dissociation is a factor that can mediate the relationship between adverse life experiences and psychosis. This webinar explores how methods drawn from diverse sources like evidence-based practice (CBT) and peer support/lived experience (Hearing Voices Movement) can help people regain perspective and personal power. Discussion regarding the utilization of effective psychosocial interventions and supports to promote healing and quality of life will be conducted.”
Learning Objectives:
Explain how dissociation as a trauma response can create risk for psychosis.
Identify and describe at least 2 therapeutic interventions for dissociation that also reduce distress related to psychotic symptoms.
Describe at least 2 individual factors to consider when selecting and adapting treatment for trauma and psychosis.
There are also recordings of a couple of earlier webinars that you can view:
Trauma and Psychosis: Exploring the Intersection
Moving from Trauma and Psychosis to a Recovery Story
This 6 hour course presents evidence based, practical and humanistic ways to help people recover. For more information or to register, go to this link.
Working with Trauma, Dissociation, and Psychosis: CBT and Other Approaches to Understanding and Recovery - An Online Course
Free Offer: Presentation on “Understanding Psychosis as an Attempt to Solve Problems: Integrating Perspectives on Trauma, Spirituality and Creativity”
Click the link below to access this recording that explores some of the trickiest aspects of "psychosis," and also to receive notices periodically about online courses and webinars that may become available.
http://eepurl.com/cMAgI
Old belief systems die slowly. SSRI’s clearly induce mania in a subset of people. A general activation that can range from mood elevation to Psychosis to Akathisia. But psychiatrists were trained that means they have “underlying bipolar disorder”. Evidence to support this.. hell
I thought for a second: “if you wanted to create mass confusion and mental anguish in a generation what would you do?” Well… you would condition them to think that every aversive emotion or thought has nothing to do with a valid reaction to events in their life, get them to
"Growing up, I was sold the idea that the only way to get people to take your mental struggles seriously is to call them illness. Paradoxically, it was only when I abandoned this idea that I reached a deeper appreciation of the seriousness of my suffering..."
Another taboo topic: do ‘antipsychotics’ cause withdrawal symptoms? @joannamoncrieff @markhoro @CEP_UK @MarnieWedlake @dranneguy @IndigoDaya @Institute_PDW
I’m honored to be giving a talk organized by ISPS Poland tomorrow on the topic: Recovery A Conspiracy of Hope. It's free to join and will stream at 8pm Central European Time.
I want to recover from my illness