It complements parallel reports on the experiences commonly thought of as bipolar disorder and depression.
These experiences include hearing voices (‘hallucinations’), believing things that others find strange (‘delusions’), speaking in a way that others find hard to follow (‘thought disorder’) and experiencing periods of confusion where you appear out of touch with reality (‘acute psychosis’).
Each individual’s experiences are unique – no one person’s experiences, or ways of coping with them, are exactly the same as anyone else’s.
Many people who have these kinds of experiences do not come into contact with mental health services because they do not find their experiences distressing. Some people, however, are so distressed by them that they seek professional help, or others seek help on their behalf.