As a function of the mood disorder I have, I sometimes experience psychosis. After working with it for a couple years now, I am very aware of when I am experiencing psychosis. This awareness is called “insight” in the world of treatment, which is a cool name, kinda makes me feel like a wizard. The first thing I do when I know I’m experiencing psychosis is find something to focus my eyes on. This makes it easier to sit back and think without getting distracted by what’s going on around me. Then, I try and examine my mood leading up to my experience of psychosis. Oftentimes I find I was anxious or overwhelmed beforehand, and the psychosis I am experiencing is one way I have of understanding that. Much like crying is not a symptom of sadness, but a response to it that helps your body relieve stress, psychosis for me is not a problem in itself. Rather, it is a natural bodily response to powerful and difficult emotions. With an awareness of my emotions leading up to experiencing psychosis, I can understand and act on what my psychosis is telling me. I can feel better after my delusions and hallucinations than I did before.