B vitamins. A large review of over 800 patients found that people who took high-dose B-vitamins like B6, B8, and B12 in addition to their medications significantly reduced symptoms of schizophrenia, compared with those who took medicines alone.
The research, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, found that early psychosis is associated with large deficits in blood levels of critical nutrients, with particularly low levels of vitamin B9 (folate) and vitamin D.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may present with a psychosis which is curable if treated promptly. Although this fact is not new and is described in various textbooks,9,10 it seems that it is often forgotten, which results in prolonged suffering from irreversible brain damage.
Supplementation of vitamin C with atypical antipsychotics reduces oxidative stress and improves the outcome of schizophrenia. Psychopharmacology (Berl).
The positive effect of increased magnesium concentration could be explained by the decreased activity of NMDA receptors, using the same reasoning that the excessive activity of some glutamatergic brain systems are involved in some psychotic symptoms.
Eat More: Clams
A number of reports have shown low levels of vitamin B12 in those with psychosis -- a set of mental disorders that schizophrenia is one of. Other research says a bit more B12 can ease symptoms. Clams are a big source of B12. It's found in liver, trout, and in some breads, too.
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been highly linked to several psychiatric disorders like impaired memory, irritability, depression, dementia, delirium, schizophrenia and psychosis1.
Notably, higher vitamin D levels at first presentation were associated with fewer total and negative symptoms of psychosis a year later. We report the results of the DFEND (Vitamin D Supplementation Compared to Placebo in People With First Episode Psychosis–Neuroprotection Design) trial.
Observational studies have reported an association between low vitamin D concentrations and poorer subsequent health outcomes in psychosis. A vitamin D deficiency in neonates and children has been linked to a later increased risk of schizophrenia and psychotic-like experiences.
The paranoid symptoms disappeared completely under treatment with vitamin B12 and thyroid hormones. Moreover, the neuropsychological deficit improved markedly. The relationship between psychiatric symptoms and organic disease, and also the differential diagnosis, is discussed.
A review of worldwide studies has found that add-on treatment with high-dose b-vitamins - including B6, B8 and B12 - can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more than standard treatments alone.
Can Psychosis Go Away on Its Own? If the psychosis is a one-time event, such as with brief psychotic disorder, or substance-induced psychotic break, it may go away on its own. However, if the psychosis is a result of an underlying mental health disorder, it is unlikely the psychosis will go away naturally.
Psychosis could be triggered by a number of things, such as: Physical illness or injury. You may see or hear things if you have a high fever, head injury, or lead or mercury poisoning. If you have Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease you may also experience hallucinations or delusions.
Complications of psychosis
People with a history of psychosis are more likely than others to have drug or alcohol misuse problems, or both. Some people use these substances as a way of managing psychotic symptoms. But substance abuse can make psychotic symptoms worse or cause other problems.
It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.
Homocysteine levels rise in manic episode in bipolar disorder (Chiarani et al., 2013). Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid reduce homocysteine levels in people with bipolar disorder. Vitamin B6 may also improve cognitive symptoms (Malouf & Evans, 2003; Selhub, 2002).
With effective treatment most people will recover from their first episode of psychosis and may never have another episode. It is important to remember that psychosis is a treatable condition and if help is sought early, an individual may never suffer another episode.
Evidence suggests that early treatment—and a shorter DUP—promotes better symptom improvement and overall functioning in everyday life. There is yet inadequate proof to say conclusively that psychosis causes permanent brain damage.
In fact, many medical experts today believe there is potential for all individuals to recover from psychosis, to some extent. Experiencing psychosis may feel like a nightmare, but being told your life is over after having your first episode is just as scary.
Ginkgo biloba, an extract of the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree, is also suggested to have antioxidant properties (Maclennan et al., 2002), improving brain circulation at the microvascular level (Kuboto et al., 2001; Sun et al., 2003; Yan et al., 2008) and, thus, improving outcome in psychosis.
talk clearly and use short sentences, in a calm and non-threatening voice. be empathetic with how the person feels about their beliefs and experiences. validate the person's own experience of frustration or distress, as well as the positives of their experience.
You can help them recover by maintaining a calm, positive environment for them, and by educating yourself on their illness. Need to have a lot of quiet, alone time. Be slower and not feel able to do much. Slowing down and resting is part of allowing the brain to heal.