What is Substance Induced Psychosis

Psychosis is a situation in which a person has a break from reality. This may include, but does not require, false beliefs and delusions that are held firmly despite having clear pieces of evidence to the contrary. Statistics show that three in every hundred people in the US will experience psychosis at least once in their lifetime.

Drug induced psychosis, also called substance-induced psychotic disorder, is a psychotic episode caused or related to substance abuse. This can happen when you take too much of a drug, when you have some reactions after using mixed substances, when you have some mental health problems, or during withdrawal.

Even though the belief that taking some types of drugs trigger episodes of severe mental illness in persons where none had previously existed, it is not true. Contrastingly, mental illness and issues can in turn be a good predictor of drug abuse. In people who are prone to psychosis, the condition is triggered quickly when they are overly intoxicated.

Generally, substance abuse can be defined as the use of illicit drugs and intoxicants, use of prescription drugs without the consent from a health professional, excessive use of legal intoxicants like alcohol, etc. As per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 9.3% of people in the United States over the age of twelve needed treatment for alcohol or drug abuse in the year 2009. This percentage does not include those people who abuse drugs occasionally but are not considered dependent.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

The abuse of some prescription drugs and hallucinogens can cause psychosis. In some rare cases, people who are exceptionally sensitive to drugs may experience psychosis as a side effect, even while taking prescription medication properly. Some of the medications that are known to have psychotic effects include analgesics, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, cardio vascular medications, anticonvulsants, chemotherapy agents, antiparkinson medications, antihypertensive medications, and corticosteroids.

Note that in the case of non-prescription drugs and intoxicants, the chances of appearance of the psychotic symptoms differ from substance to substance. For instance, in the case of drugs like cocaine, using a large quantity at once can result in psychosis within minutes of use. Psychosis from amphetamines like cocaine usually leads to persecutory delusions.

It is true that use of hallucinogens can lead to auditory, visual, and tactile delusions, but it is not the same as psychosis. However, taking too much of these drugs can lead to paranoia and hallucinations. If you find that any of your friends or family suffer from drug-induced psychosis, convince them to get help from the nearest drug rehab center. These centers offer efficient alcohol addiction treatment and other types of treatment to cure substance abuse.