What is Psychosis?

Psychosis is a set of symptoms that can affect how a person thinks and feels and how they perceive the world around them. It indicates several symptoms resulting in a person losing touch with reality. These symptoms affect the mind and alter someone’s thinking, ideas and perceptions. 

Approximately 3% of people will have symptoms of psychosis in their lifetime, yet many are afraid to get the help they need.

Symptoms can include:
  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions 
  • Confused thinking 
  • Isolation 
  • Nervousness/fear/anxiety 
  • Sleeplessness 
  • Lack of energy/motivation 
  • Decline in functioning 
  • Disorganized behaviors 
  • Sadness/depression 
  • Self-harm 
  • Suicidal thoughts

If you’re experiencing feelings of self-harm or suicide, please seek help immediately. Friends and family should familiarize themselves with the resources below.

The UNM Health System in Albuquerque can help people get help for these symptoms and feelings.

Contact Us

Call us at 888-663-2759 to learn more about psychosis. If you are seeking treatment, visit us at the UNM Psychiatric Center on the University of New Mexico Health Sciences campus. We accept referrals from anyone in the community, including self-referrals. We also work with UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center, UNM Health’s Psychiatric Center, and the UNM School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry.

If you need someone to talk to, call one of the local crisis lines:

  • New Mexico Crisis and Access Line: 1-855-662-7474 Toll free, staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • New Mexico Peer-to-Peer Warmline: 1-855-466-7100
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 24/7 Free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

Early First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Program

UNM offers the only First Episode Psychosis Program in New Mexico.

The Early First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Program is for individuals aged 15-30 who experienced a first-time psychosis episode within the past 12 months. First episode psychosis refers to the first time someone experiences a psychotic episode or symptoms. People experiencing a first episode may not understand what is happening. The symptoms can be highly disturbing and unfamiliar, leaving the person confused and distressed.

Our core services:

  • Assessment – Our expert clinicians conduct thorough evaluations to identify early psychosis symptoms, helping provide a sound understanding to inform treatment
  • Counseling – Our tailored and individualized counseling sessions provide a safe space to discuss feelings, fears, and goals for the future.
  • Medication Management – We offer client-centered medication prescriptions and monitoring, ensuring optimal care and responsiveness.
  • Family Support – With empathy at its core, our program offers comprehensive psychoeducation services, ensuring loved ones navigate this journey informed and reassured.
  • Education & Employment – We provide tools and ongoing encouragement to help clients build life skills, develop coping strategies for academia and work, and instill hope for a brighter future.
  • Referrals – We make accessible, targetable recommendations for extended and holistic care—from medical evaluations to substance abuse treatments.
  • Community Coordination – Our advocacy initiatives connect patients with additional local programs and services, ensuring a continuum of support and care in the broader community.
  • Outreach – Our outreach efforts work to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and shift perceptions about psychosis in the community.

Our Promise

At the UNM Early FEP Program, we respond promptly to the unique needs of individuals and families. We ensure accessibility to our resources, whether in-person or via TeleHealth—regardless of insurance or legal constraints. As dedicated advocates, we empower young adults to navigate mental health challenges confidently. Rooted in empathy and enriched experiences, our dedicated team offers compassionate, non-judgmental care.

Getting Behavioral Health Care

You can find our programs on the University of New Mexico Health Sciences campus. We accept referrals from anyone in the community, including self-referrals.

We also work with UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center, UNM Health’s Psychiatric Center, and the UNM School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry.

Contact Early First Episode Psychosis (FEP) Program at:

1 (888) NM –EARLY (1-888-663 -2759) 

Reach Out

To learn more about psychosis, call us at 1-888-663-2759.

Find a Provider

Cultural Behavioral Health Considerations

Let your providers know about your cultural and religious background so they can help ensure that your treatment best meets your needs. Some cultural experiences may be similar to the concept of psychosis.

Some Native American cultures may view symptoms of psychosis as related to spiritual connection; symptoms include weakness, dizziness, fainting, anxiety, hallucinations, confusion and loss of appetite from the action of evil forces.

Patients with akamba are believed to be possessed by the spirits of ancestors, or aimu, in ecstatic rituals.

The Quichua Indians use plant-derived hallucinogens, such as ayahuasca, and invite spirit animals such as jaguars to take over their mind. In this hallucinogenic state, they often perform elaborate healing rituals for community members in emotional and physical distress.

Symptoms of ukuthwasa include social withdrawal, irritability, restlessness, and appearing to respond to auditory hallucinations.

A hysterical condition characterized by people who speak in a strange muffled voice, cannot be understood and have unpredictable behavior, amafufunyana is believed to be induced by sorcery that led to possession by multiple spirits that may then speak through the individual (“speaking in tongues”).

Nervios refers to a wide range of mental illness and psychological distress.

This is marked by transient psychosis with elements of trance or dream states.

This refers to a paranoid disorder that occurs in midlife and has features of, yet is distinct from, schizophrenia.

Patients with amok experience a sudden violent rampage, ending with exhaustion and amnesia.

Colera is marked by violent outbursts, hallucinations, delusions and temper tantrums.

Latah is marked by automatic obedience reaction with echopraxia (involuntary repetition or imitation of another person's actions) and echolalia (involuntary repetition of sounds and language).