Not Real, But Feels Real: Demystifying Psychosis & Delusions
A clear, clinical, yet accessible breakdown of psychosis, distinguishing between its two main components: hallucinations and delusions. Dr. Tracey Marks, a psychiatrist, systematically explains the five types of hallucinations (auditory, visual, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory) and clarifies the difference between a true hallucination and a sensory misperception. She then categorizes various types of delusions, including persecutory, referential, grandiose, and somatic delusions.
The video explores the diverse causes of psychosis, moving beyond just psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia to include medical conditions, seizures, medication side effects (like steroid psychosis), and substance use. This broadens the viewer's understanding of mental health symptoms as having potentially physiological origins.
For educators, this resource provides a foundational vocabulary for psychology, health, and biology classrooms. It demystifies terms often used loosely in pop culture, offering a medical perspective that reduces stigma and encourages scientific understanding of how the brain perceives reality.
