My Psychosis Story

A Story of Fear and Hope Through Adversity

My Psychosis Story recounts a real life experience I had in my early twenties at the start of my career. Having never been aware of the illness, I went through a series of diagnoses, which included post-traumatic concussion and anxiety disorder. Following several traumatic psychotic episodes, I was diagnosed with psychosis. This resulted in me being sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 and spending a month in a psychiatric hospital. The book primarily narrates a series of psychotic episodes I had over a few months. It describes my hallucinations and delusions and events when I was detained under the Mental Health Act in a psychiatric hospital. While the book talks about my fears, it is ultimately a story of recovery and hope. In my darkest moment, I sought strength from the love and support of my family, which got me through the difficult experience. With illustrations and sketches inspired by my experience, the book also describes the experience from the point of view of my loved ones and the effect my illness had on them. Often, family and friends can be affected just as much as the person with the illness. The book also explains what psychosis is, from the point of view of doctors and mental health experts who share their expertise on mental health. It is written in the hope that it raises awareness not just of psychosis but also of mental illness as a whole, which affects many people in our society.