Psychosis

When we hear the word “psychosis,” our minds tend to jump to rather gnarly conclusions. Granted, the masses of media that feed the word “psychosis” into our brain in association with outright insanity may have some part to do with our misconceptions. In fact, psychosis is not a mental disorder that causes its sufferer violent outbreaks or maniacal episodes. What’s more, psychosis is not always caused by genetic disadvantages, inherent weaknesses, and drug abuse. Though these triggers may factor in a small portion of its emergence, it is, in fact, sudden traumatic events and stressors that cause psychosis. It is known that an overload of stress causes the medial frontal lobe to malfunction, causing our brain to fail in processing information. So, interestingly enough, the disorder that we associate with “Joker” and “Hannibal” should be met with sympathy rather than fear and unease. In reality, psychosis is a mental health condition characterized by a loss of touch with reality. It can profoundly impact a person’s thoughts, emotions, perceptions, and behavior. Individuals experiencing psychosis may encounter symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is not. Unsurprisingly, it leads to great distress and isolation, as it disrupts one’s ability to communicate and connect with others.

Please note that my graphic interpretation of this disorder and its isolating effect should be regarded with caution. While some with psychosis may relate to the depiction in my comic, it is evident that each of us possesses psychological states, and are in varying life circumstances. Clearly, it would be illogical and presumptuous to make generalize this story to everyone. So, I invite you, the reader, to observe and comprehend that this is a genuine experience that can affect someone’s life. Hopefully, you can read this issue and fill a gap in your mind, and together, we can step towards a future of deep awareness regarding psychological issues. Without further ado, please enjoy.