Psychosis & Schizophrenia: Where to Begin — First Steps to Help

When it comes to severe mental states, Dr. Saulitis insists on a simple logic: first understand what is actually happening to the person, and only then act. Without this, any attempt to "treat with talk" or theories ends up, in his words, "off the mark."

First, Restore Homeostasis

In acute states, when the brain is overloaded, the doctor speaks plainly: a person "needs medication to stop the racing, spiraling thoughts." This is not a denial of other approaches — it is a matter of sequence. Prevention and training are good, but "if a leg is broken, you first need a cast." Until the state is stabilized, moving forward is impossible.

A Diagnosis from a Doctor First

The first practical step is not choosing a school or method, but establishing the facts: what your health is, the state of your neurons and your body. The doctor stresses: "a diagnosis is always made by a specialist physician." Without understanding what is happening to you, "going off to treat something is utterly pointless." Today, he adds, teams of specialists work together — but the starting point remains a professional assessment.

Why the State of the "Hardware" Matters

A psychologist influences behavior and thinking — and this, the doctor says, is an "informative phenomenon" that triggers changes in the neuron, the synapse, neuroplasticity. But if you cannot see the brain's initial state, "you have no idea what you're doing with it — whether to warm it up or cool it down." Outwardly different causes can look the same: burnout, attention deficit, age, stress. Yet you must act on the cause — and for that, you must first recognize it.

What Shapes the State

The doctor names the factors that form how a person presents: genetics (how neurons work), epigenetics (how the environment acts on them), learning and neuroplasticity — whether there was psychotraumatization in childhood or, on the contrary, a supportive environment, skills, surroundings. "You become like the company you keep." This is why assessment must be grounded in how the brain works, not just in "detached" theories.

Practice: First Steps

1. Accept the fact: honestly acknowledge that your state needs attention — without this, you cannot accept help.
2. Don't start with "talking": the first address is a specialist physician for a diagnosis.
3. Stabilization first: if the state is acute, the priority is restoring homeostasis, and only then moving on.
4. Clarify the cause: burnout, stress, age, or something else — they look alike but are treated differently.
5. Rely on a team: a professional assessment of the brain's state is the foundation of all further steps.