Have you ever seen or heard something that turned out not to exist? Or have you ever thought something was happening that no one else noticed – perhaps thinking you were being followed, or that something was trying to communicate with you? If so, you may have had a psychotic experience.

The good news is, you’re not alone. Psychosis, also called a psychotic experience or episode, is when someone perceives or interprets reality differently to the people around them. And it’s estimated that around 5-10% of people will have a psychotic experience in their lifetime.

While they’re different for each person, psychotic experiences often include hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) or delusions (believing that something is happening that isn’t real, or that others can’t understand).

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It’s worth noting, though, that having a psychotic experience doesn’t mean you have a mental disorder. Many people have these experiences without ever developing mental health problems.

Although hallucinations and delusions are characteristic of schizophrenia and some other mental health conditions, they are only considered to be a symptom of mental illness if the person is experiencing other symptoms of the condition, and if they’re having a negative effect on a person’s daily life. For example, other symptoms of schizophrenia include feeling less motivated, finding hobbies less interesting or enjoyable, and having trouble concentrating.

Read more: yahoo