Taking substances like cannabis for a long period of time can also see you develop symptoms of psychosis, including paranoia, as in high doses, THCs can induce temporary schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, delusions, anxiety and hallucinations, as well as present other symptoms of a cannabis addiction.ĭrug-induced psychosis relating to prescription medication usually occurs when individuals are not taking the drug at the recommended dose or continuing to use the drug beyond the advised period of time, with drugs such as ketamine mimicking psychosis in the form of delusions and disordered thinking when abused.Īccording to Priory expert Dr Niall Campbell, cannabis misuse is on the rise, especially amongst teens, and it is strongly linked to increasing drug induced psychosis cases. Symptoms of psychosis can vary depending on which drugs have been taken and the quantity that has been taken, but heavy and excessive use can result in prolonged symptoms.ĭrugs such as cocaine, cannabis and hallucinogens can also worsen symptoms of existing mental illnesses.
The drugs that are often reported in cases of drug-induced psychosis, and are most likely to result in psychotic symptoms, include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, psychedelic drugs such as LSD, and club drugs such as ecstasy and MDMA. The fear is compounded by a belief that other people can smell it as well Olfactory hallucinations - some might think that they are emitting strange odours or are rotting inside.Visual hallucinations - occurring when you see a different reality to that of others, with shadows, objects and people viewed that aren’t really there, and can be particularly distressing.Auditory hallucinations - involving hearing voices, such as a voice narrating your movements or actions, or two separate voices arguing between each other.Hallucinations take on various forms, including: They usually involve visual or auditory changes but can also relate to smell and touch.
Hallucinations are distorted sensory perceptions of what is happening around you. Grandiose delusions - where you may experience an exaggerated sense of power, such as believing that you have magical abilities or you have made a major discovery.Jealousy delusions - often involving a partner, where you may believe they have been unfaithful, although there is no evidence for this.Persecution delusions - where you might believe someone is spying on you.Some of the symptoms of drug induced psychosis include:ĭelusions are when you may believe that something is happening that isn’t reflective of the real world, and you may ignore any challenges to these beliefs from others, as to you, it will feel like a real scenario.ĭelusions take on various forms, including: Extensive use of drugs and alcohol can also cause symptoms of psychosis to occur even if you aren’t diagnosed with co-occurring mental illness. If you have an underlying mental health condition, then use of psychoactive drugs will likely worsen your symptoms, result in extreme paranoia, and can speed up the onset of psychotic disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The symptoms of drug-induced psychosis are often gradual, with toxicity of the drug becoming more dangerous as the frequency and dosage of the drug increases with dependency. Hallucinations refer to intense sensory perceptions of phenomena that are not real, and are characterised by individuals vividly feeling, seeing, smelling, or hearing things that do not truly exist. Delusions are irrational beliefs that a person holds, even when they are presented with evidence that contradicts these beliefs. Psychosis is often characterised by delusions or hallucinations, which are experiences that are far removed from reality. It can also occur if you have an adverse reaction from mixing different substances, or withdrawing from a drug, prescribed or otherwise. This can either exacerbate or trigger the onset of mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which can be characterised by symptoms of psychosis, due to being predisposed to the condition.ĭrug-induced psychosis is often caused by taking too much of a certain drug, so that its level of toxicity provokes paranoia and a psychotic episode. Drug-induced psychosis happens when you experience episodes of psychosis, such as delusions or hallucinations, as a direct result of substance abuse. Psychosis is a mental health problem which temporarily causes someone to interpret the world differently from those around them. Page clinically reviewed by Dr William Shanahan, Medical Director and Clinical Director of Addictions, at Priory Hospital Roehampton in October 2022.
0 kommentar(er)
