North Vegas Times

The first time someone has a psychotic episode, it can be confusing and frightening. The University of Nevada at Las Vegas offers a program to help people cope with the event and get back to the life they had.

David Stoebling, director of UNLV’s First Episode Psychosis (FEP) program, said responding to that first episode properly is crucial.

“Psychosis refers to a set of symptoms that are associated with a psychotic disorder,” Stoebling said in a July 19 press release. “Symptoms of psychosis refer to hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative psychotic features.”

During a psychotic episode, the person might start hearing voices or taste, feel and see things that no one else does, the release stated. Strange thoughts or events can become persistent, to the point that speaking can be difficult, and the person can lose focus.

The first episode, Stoebling said, is “when someone’s life really starts to change and becomes increasingly difficult.”

That’s why the FEP program is important, as it allows professionals to intervene and help guide the person back to a more functional state of mind, he said.

Psychosis can affect someone so much managing relationships, work, studies or completing routine tasks can become difficult, the release stated. Psychotic disorders can be triggered by environmental factors, but they might have a genetic origin, too. The first episode usually occurs when a person is in their late teens or 20s.

“It's hard to imagine the terror and perplexity that a person feels throughout their first episode of psychosis,” according to the release. Fortunately, UNLV Health Mojave Counseling’s FEP program has a team in place to offer support.

If you know someone who may be suffering from a first episode of psychosis, email Stoebling at fep@medicine.unlv.edu or call the FEP program director at 702-968-4032. For more information about the program, visit the FEP website.