An illness that is most commonly seen in teens and young adults is becoming more commonly discussed at schools across B.C., including in Vernon.
Through the B.C. Schizophrenia Society, a Vancouver-based band called Proud Animal is reaching out to youth about psychosis.
The band brought its ReachOut Psychosis concert tour to town Tuesday and Wednesday, playing at local secondary schools as well as the Talkin’ Donkey.
Through the music, interspersed with psychosis information, the tour is helping youth to spot and stop psychosis by seeking medical attention.
Presenting itself most commonly as schizophrenia, bi-polar and depression, psychosis is a mental illness that predominantly shows up between the ages of 15 and 25.
“Three per cent of the population could potentially experience this,” said Proud Animal keyboard player Mike Young, who experienced psychosis as a teen.
“I thought people were watching me all of the time,” said Young of the delusions and paranoia that can be common with the illness (along with hallucinations and confusion). “I thought people were following me.”
Unfortunately, few people are aware of the warning signs and symptoms associated with illness, therefore it often goes untreated.
As Barbara Adler, Proud Animal lead, explains, the ignorance around the disease makes people uncomfortable and lessens the chance that they might spot a symptom in a friend or family member and urge them to get help.
“We all know someone with diabetes,” said Adler.
“But no one makes fun of or thinks any less of people with diabetes.”
Despite the fact that diabetes appears to be a more widely accepted disease, psychosis is actually six times more common than diabetes.
Psychosis presents itself with signs such as trouble concentrating, reduced motivation, depressed mood, sleep problems, anxiety, withdrawal, suspiciousness, difficulties completing tasks and irritability.
There are two factors that are key in psychosis, genetic vulnerability and environmental stressors.
Environmental stressors can include school, relationships and work but are more commonly major traumas such as abuse and death of a loved one.
Clarence Fulton student Krystal Burke got a feel for the impact of environmental stressors adding up during the ReachOut tour at her school.
Burke was presented with a seemingly simple task, telling the school about her day. But with a group of peers crowding her and acting as environmental stressors, she discovered how easily distracted, potentially irritated and confused such a task can become.
“It was really hard to concentrate,” said Burke. “I was really frazzled, like ‘what’s going on.’”
While genetic vulnerability and some environmental stressors can’t be avoided, when it comes to mental illness there are some life choices that can help reduce the chances of developing psychosis.
“If you smoke pot regularly it can actually increase your chances of psychosis by 40 per cent,” said Proud Animal guitarist/vocalist Gavin Youngash.
