Psychiatrist Phil Tibbo is as happy as the next person to stay glued to the TV on Thursday nights watching his favorite program Survivor.
But one particular aspect of pop culture that disturbs him is the pervasive myth of the psychotic as anti-hero. In Hollywood terms, both 鈥榩sychotic鈥� and 鈥榩sychopath鈥� are falsely collapsed together, and the attributes of the distinct disorders are distorted and exaggerated. The irrational, remorseless, and extremely violent portrayals鈥攖hink The Joker in The Dark Knight鈥攁ren鈥檛 at all accurate.
Dr. Tibbo, who holds the Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders, says these misconceptions may actually hinder the recognition, diagnosis and early treatment of people who are experiencing psychosis.
鈥淭he key is early recognition and identification of the symptoms. We can do the most for a patient if we identify this early on,鈥� says Dr. Tibbo. 鈥淲hile everyone has a different path to care, the earlier we can begin treatment, the better the recovery.鈥�
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This message of hope and awareness is one that he wishes to share with the general public. A lecture and panel discussion will be held at 7 p.m. on Wed., May 6 at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Halifax. 鈥淢ind Matters鈥� is sponsored by the Dr. Paul Janssen Chair in Psychotic Disorders in collaboration with the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, the Nova Scotia Psychosis Research Unit and the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.
In Nova Scotia, there are 27,400 people who are affected by psychosis (9,000 of those have been diagnosed with schizophrenia.) High school and university students are the groups most at risk, since the age of onset tends to be between 17 and 30 years of age.
Families, teachers and coaches may be in the best position to notice symptoms, because the patient鈥檚 insight and judgment may be affected by the disorder. Lack of insight can be particularly distressing for families and friends.
鈥淧sychosis is a treatable medical condition that affects the brain,鈥� says Dr. Tibbo.
Most people with an episode of psychosis are aware of and distressed by their experiences. Symptoms differ for each person and may even vary over time.
In general, people may have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is not.
Symptoms include:
- hallucinations (hearing, seeing, smelling feeling or tasting sensations that are not there);
- delusions (fixed false beliefs held only by one person);
- disordered thoughts (conversation is unclear, speaking is not logical);
- and, disorganized or bizarre behaviour (inappropriate appearance; restlessness or agitation; or untrusting).
The latest approach to psychosis focuses on preventive strategies, including early detection of emerging psychosis; a reduction in the delay to first treatment; and sustained intervention during a critical period of less than three to five years following the diagnosis. The Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program is a patient and family centred approach that includes clinical care, research, education and advocacy.
In addition, since the early 1990s, newer drug treatments have been developed that offer promising results, he says.
After Dr. Tibbo arrived less than a year ago, he founded the Nova Scotia Psychosis Research Unit to improve the quality of life for individuals living with psychotic disorders. The aim is to better understand psychosis, to increase the range of treatment opportunities, and to develop ways to detect psychosis earlier.