🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa189)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html","crawl_time":1772142240,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["Subtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nSubtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms.\nIn an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with  Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).\nCredit...\nWarrick Page\/HBO Max\nFeb. 26, 2026\nUpdated\n11:39 a.m. ET\nOn the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard.\nThe news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere.\nJackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.”\nIt’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a\nfirst episode of psychosis\nhave experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early.\n“I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.\nHere’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis.\nFirst, what is psychosis?\nPsychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior.\nWhen psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s.\nBecause psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area.\n“People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.”\nPsychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use.\nWhat does the lead-up to psychosis look like?\nThe milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia.\nBut the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles.\nTypically these types of symptoms would occur\nan average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis.\nThese lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true.\nAuditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance.\nPeople don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran,\na professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.\nKeeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous.\n“The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said.\nHow are the symptoms treated?\nOne of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said.\n“In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added.\nIf someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it.\nThe experts said it is also important to\noffer\npatients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support.\nThese interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects.\nDr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to\ninvestigate new medications\nthat may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms.\n“One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.”\nChristina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health.\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#site-index)\n\n[Mind](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/well\/mind)\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\n[Mind](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/well\/mind)\\|‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis\n\nhttps:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html\n\n- Share full article\n- 13\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-sponsor)\n# ‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis\nSubtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms.\n\nListen to this article · 5:59 min [Learn more](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/24318293692180)\n\n- Share full article\n- 13\n\n![Erin Croom and Shabana Azeez sit next to one another in front of a cubed glass wall in an episode of \"The Pitt\" on HBO.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/23\/well\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nIn an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).Credit...Warrick Page\/HBO Max\n\n[![Christina Caron](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2018\/07\/18\/multimedia\/author-christina-caron\/author-christina-caron-thumbLarge.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/christina-caron)\n\nBy [Christina Caron](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/christina-caron)\n\nFeb. 26, 2026Updated 11:39 a.m. ET\n\nOn the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard.\n\nThe news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere.\n\nJackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.”\n\nIt’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a [first episode of psychosis](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38302562\/) have experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early.\n\n“I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.\n\nHere’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis.\n\n## First, what is psychosis?\nPsychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior.\n\nWhen psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s.\n\nBecause psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area.\n\n“People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.”\n\nPsychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use.\n\n## What does the lead-up to psychosis look like?\nThe milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia.\n\nBut the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles.\n\nTypically these types of symptoms would occuran average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis.\n\nThese lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true.\n\nAuditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance.\n\nPeople don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran,a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.\n\nKeeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous.\n\n“The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said.\n\n## How are the symptoms treated?\nOne of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said.\n\n“In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added.\n\nIf someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it.\n\nThe experts said it is also important to [offer](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/news\/science-updates\/2023\/raise-ing-the-standard-of-care-for-schizophrenia-the-rapid-adoption-of-coordinated-specialty-care-in-the-united-states) patients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support.\n\nThese interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects.\n\nDr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to [investigate new medications](https:\/\/monumenttx.com\/news\/monument-therapeutics-announces-partnership-with-foundation-for-the-national-institutes-of-health-for-clinical-trial-of-mt1988-a-novel-treatment-for-schizophrenia\/) that may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms.\n\n“One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.”\n\nChristina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health.\n\nRead 13 comments\n\n- Share full article\n- 13\n## Related Content\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-bottom)\n\n## Site Index\n[Go to Home Page »](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n\nNews\n\n- [Home 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and Shabana Azeez sit next to one another in front of a cubed glass wall in an episode of \"The Pitt\" on HBO.](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/23\/well\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1\/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nIn an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).Credit...Warrick Page\/HBO Max\n\nFeb. 26, 2026Updated 11:39 a.m. ET\n\nOn the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard.\n\nThe news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere.\n\nJackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.”\n\nIt’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a [first episode of psychosis](https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38302562\/) have experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early.\n\n“I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.\n\nHere’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis.\n\n## First, what is psychosis?\nPsychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior.\n\nWhen psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s.\n\nBecause psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area.\n\n“People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.”\n\nPsychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use.\n\n## What does the lead-up to psychosis look like?\nThe milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia.\n\nBut the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles.\n\nTypically these types of symptoms would occuran average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis.\n\nThese lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true.\n\nAuditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance.\n\nPeople don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran,a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.\n\nKeeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous.\n\n“The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said.\n\n## How are the symptoms treated?\nOne of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said.\n\n“In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added.\n\nIf someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it.\n\nThe experts said it is also important to [offer](https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/news\/science-updates\/2023\/raise-ing-the-standard-of-care-for-schizophrenia-the-rapid-adoption-of-coordinated-specialty-care-in-the-united-states) patients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support.\n\nThese interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects.\n\nDr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to [investigate new medications](https:\/\/monumenttx.com\/news\/monument-therapeutics-announces-partnership-with-foundation-for-the-national-institutes-of-health-for-clinical-trial-of-mt1988-a-novel-treatment-for-schizophrenia\/) that may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms.\n\n“One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.”\n\nChristina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/26\/well\/mind\/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis - The New York Times
Meta Description	Subtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms.
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Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Subtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms. In an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez). Credit... Warrick Page/HBO Max Feb. 26, 2026 Updated 11:39 a.m. ET On the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard. The news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere. Jackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.” It’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a first episode of psychosis have experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early. “I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Here’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis. First, what is psychosis? Psychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior. When psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s. Because psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area. “People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.” Psychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use. What does the lead-up to psychosis look like? The milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia. But the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles. Typically these types of symptoms would occur an average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis. These lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true. Auditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance. People don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran, a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Keeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous. “The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said. How are the symptoms treated? One of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said. “In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added. If someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it. The experts said it is also important to offer patients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support. These interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects. Dr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to investigate new medications that may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms. “One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.” Christina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#site-index) [Mind](https://www.nytimes.com/section/well/mind) [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) [Mind](https://www.nytimes.com/section/well/mind)\\|‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html - Share full article - 13 Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-sponsor) # ‘The Pitt’ Is Showing Us the Complicated Reality of Psychosis Subtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms. Listen to this article · 5:59 min [Learn more](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/24318293692180) - Share full article - 13 ![Erin Croom and Shabana Azeez sit next to one another in front of a cubed glass wall in an episode of "The Pitt" on HBO.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/23/well/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) In an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).Credit...Warrick Page/HBO Max [![Christina Caron](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/07/18/multimedia/author-christina-caron/author-christina-caron-thumbLarge.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/christina-caron) By [Christina Caron](https://www.nytimes.com/by/christina-caron) Feb. 26, 2026Updated 11:39 a.m. ET On the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard. The news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere. Jackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.” It’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a [first episode of psychosis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38302562/) have experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early. “I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Here’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis. ## First, what is psychosis? Psychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior. When psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s. Because psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area. “People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.” Psychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use. ## What does the lead-up to psychosis look like? The milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia. But the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles. Typically these types of symptoms would occuran average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis. These lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true. Auditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance. People don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran,a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Keeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous. “The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said. ## How are the symptoms treated? One of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said. “In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added. If someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it. The experts said it is also important to [offer](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-updates/2023/raise-ing-the-standard-of-care-for-schizophrenia-the-rapid-adoption-of-coordinated-specialty-care-in-the-united-states) patients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support. These interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects. Dr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to [investigate new medications](https://monumenttx.com/news/monument-therapeutics-announces-partnership-with-foundation-for-the-national-institutes-of-health-for-clinical-trial-of-mt1988-a-novel-treatment-for-schizophrenia/) that may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms. “One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.” Christina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health. Read 13 comments - Share full article - 13 ## Related Content Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-bottom) ## Site Index [Go to Home Page »](https://www.nytimes.com/) News - [Home Page](https://www.nytimes.com/) - [U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/section/us) - [World](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world) - [Politics](https://www.nytimes.com/section/politics) - [New York](https://www.nytimes.com/section/nyregion) - [Education](https://www.nytimes.com/section/education) - [Sports](https://www.nytimes.com/section/sports) - [Business](https://www.nytimes.com/section/business) - [Tech](https://www.nytimes.com/section/technology) - [Science](https://www.nytimes.com/section/science) - [Weather](https://www.nytimes.com/section/weather) - [The Great Read](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/the-great-read) - [Obituaries](https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries) - [Headway](https://www.nytimes.com/section/headway) - [Visual Investigations](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/visual-investigations) - 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/well/mind/the-pitt-psychosis.html#after-top) Subtle signs of mental distress often emerge before severe symptoms. ![Erin Croom and Shabana Azeez sit next to one another in front of a cubed glass wall in an episode of "The Pitt" on HBO.](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/23/well/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1/WELL-PITT-PSYCHOSIS1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) In an episode of “The Pitt,” Jackson’s sister Jada (portrayed by Erin Croom) speaks about his condition with Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).Credit...Warrick Page/HBO Max Feb. 26, 2026Updated 11:39 a.m. ET On the latest season of the HBO Max hospital drama “The Pitt,” a law student named Jackson arrived in the emergency room in a state of psychosis after he “flipped out in the library” and threw a chair at a campus security guard. The news that he might have a mental illness comes as a shock to Jackson’s family, but it soon becomes clear that his break with reality didn’t come out of nowhere. Jackson has been hearing voices for months, viewers learn: “They don’t want me to pass the bar,” he says. “That’s what they told me.” It’s often assumed that psychosis symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions appear out of the blue. But in reality, most patients with a [first episode of psychosis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38302562/) have experienced milder symptoms for months or even years. What’s important, experts say, is recognizing and addressing those symptoms early. “I always tell people if I broke my leg today and got it treated today, it would heal much better than if I waited 18 months,” said Nicholas J. K. Breitborde, director of the Early Psychosis Intervention Center at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Here’s how to recognize the early signs of psychosis. ## First, what is psychosis? Psychosis is a disruption of the mind’s thoughts and perceptions that causes someone to lose contact with reality. People with psychosis might hear voices, as Jackson did, or see things that other people don’t. They may also have difficulty thinking clearly and may harbor false beliefs, for example the idea that other people are trying to hurt them. Other symptoms include incoherent speech and inappropriate behavior. When psychosis is connected to a mental illness like schizophrenia or to a mood disorder with psychotic features, like bipolar disorder, it tends to first emerge between a person’s late teen years and mid-20s. Because psychosis can be brought on by stress, first-time cases may pop up during a finals week or while completing a thesis, said Dr. Ramon Solhkhah, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Endeavor Health in the Chicago area. “People are off their sleep cycle — they’re not eating right, they may be taking extra caffeine drinks,” he added. “They start messing with their chemistry in a way that sort of tips them over the edge.” Psychosis can also originate from physical or neurological disorders such as hypothyroidism, pancreatic disease, dehydration or head trauma, or from alcohol or drug use. ## What does the lead-up to psychosis look like? The milder symptoms that precede full-blown psychosis are referred to as the prodromal phase. They include symptoms like withdrawing from others, mild hallucinations and paranoia. But the most predictive signs that someone may develop psychosis are suspiciousness, for example worrying that other people are saying bad things about you, and unusual thoughts such as, “I think maybe other people can read my mind, but I’m not sure about it,” said Carrie E. Bearden, the director of the Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States at the University of California, Los Angeles. Typically these types of symptoms would occuran average of once a week for at least a month for someone to be considered at high risk for developing a psychotic disorder, the experts said. But not everyone with prodromal symptoms will go on to have psychosis. These lower-level symptoms differ from full-blown psychosis in part because patients still understand that something is amiss. A person experiencing actual psychosis wouldn’t simply feel suspicious, for example, they would be certain that the police or the F.B.I. was tracking them, despite there being no reason for that to be true. Auditory and visual hallucinations are hallmark symptoms of psychosis, but in the prodromal stage, a patient might describe hearing whispers or footsteps or notice brief distortions when looking at their face in the mirror, Dr. Bearden said. Other red flags in the lead-up to psychosis include difficulty in school or a decline in work performance. People don’t often disclose these early symptoms to loved ones for fear they will be perceived as “crazy,” said Dr. Cheryl Corcoran,a professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Keeping the symptoms a secret can be dangerous. “The longer psychosis is not treated, the worse it is for the brain,” Dr. Corcoran said. ## How are the symptoms treated? One of the biggest misconceptions about psychosis is that it’s not treatable, Dr. Corcoran said. “In fact, many people who have had psychosis have rewarding jobs and successful relationships,” she added. If someone has developed psychosis, doctors would typically prescribe an antipsychotic medication like risperidone and see how the person responds to it. The experts said it is also important to [offer](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-updates/2023/raise-ing-the-standard-of-care-for-schizophrenia-the-rapid-adoption-of-coordinated-specialty-care-in-the-united-states) patients psychotherapy and psychoeducation, a therapeutic intervention that teaches people how to better understand and cope with their symptoms. Patients can further benefit from social services like peer support. These interventions can also help those who are at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. There is no F.D.A.-approved medication, however, for people who are experiencing early, lower-level symptoms of psychosis. Antipsychotic medication may help in certain cases, but it also has unwanted side effects. Dr. Bearden and Dr. Scott W. Woods, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, are among a group of experts leading large-scale studies to [investigate new medications](https://monumenttx.com/news/monument-therapeutics-announces-partnership-with-foundation-for-the-national-institutes-of-health-for-clinical-trial-of-mt1988-a-novel-treatment-for-schizophrenia/) that may improve the symptoms of people who are experiencing prodromal symptoms. “One way to destigmatize a condition is to develop an effective treatment for it,” Dr. Woods said. “We really need something approved with a strong evidence base specifically for this population.” Christina Caron is a Times reporter covering mental health. 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