Drug-Induced Psychosis: When Substances Create a Full-Blown Mind-Reality Disconnect
What happens when a substance alters a person’s perception of reality so drastically that they lose touch with what is actually happening? They may suddenly begin experiencing hallucinations, paranoia, or extreme confusion after using substances that may have seemed harmless initially.
These symptoms can closely mimic other health conditions, so the phenomenon can be misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or treatment might be delayed.
This article explores key symptoms, essential facts, and the long-term outlook of drug-induced psychosis.
Table of Contents
- What Is Drug-Induced Psychosis?
- What Is Drug-Induced Psychosis Like? 4 Signs and Symptoms
- FAQs About Drug-Induced Psychosis
- Robin Recovery: Helping Individuals With Drug-Induced Psychosis Heal and Rebuild
Drug-induced psychosis is defined as a temporary mental state in which a person loses contact with reality as a result of drugs, medications, or illegal substance use. It often takes the form of hallucinations, delusions, and scattered thinking when the person becomes intoxicated from a substance or is experiencing withdrawal.
Typically, there are three stages of drug-induced psychosis:
- Prodromal phase: This is the early stage characterized by subtle behavior changes and some emotional and cognitive changes.
- Acute phase: This is the stage of full-blown psychosis, complete with hallucinations or delusions.
- Recovery phase: This is the healing stage that occurs as the substance leaves the body and symptoms start to subside.
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug-induced psychosis, Robin Recovery offers a comprehensive range of services and empathetic care to help you take the first steps toward recovery.
Drug-induced psychosis causes a person to lose their ability to determine what is happening in real life and what is in their imagination. Their distorted reality becomes what they believe is real. Here are some things to look for when deciding if your loved one is experiencing psychosis caused by drug use.
#1: Hallucinations/Delusions
Vivid hallucinations and strange delusions are hallmark symptoms of drug-induced psychosis.
Hallucinations can involve multiple senses and may manifest in the form of:
- Hearing voices (they can be commanding or abusive)
- Seeing things that aren’t there
- Tactile sensations, like something crawling on the skin
Delusions involve false beliefs that the person clings to even in the face of evidence that the belief is not real.
Delusions may present in the form of, but are not limited to:
- Believing one has superpowers
- Thinking that a loved one is actually an imposter
- Believing they are missing a body part or are severely ill
- Thinking they have a direct link to a deity or a famous person
- Believing that a partner is unfaithful
#2: Fear, Panic, or Paranoia
Some people experience extreme fear, anxiety, or paranoia under drug-induced psychosis. In some cases, paranoia may also be coupled with irritability or even violence.
These symptoms may look like:
- Believing they are being followed
- Thinking they are being watched or plotted against
- Believing people are going to harm them
- Thinking that their thoughts are being controlled by someone else
- An overwhelming distrust of others
- Fear of dying
While overwhelming fear and anxiety are usually temporary effects of substance use, paranoia may linger, and the person may experience flashbacks for months following the initial experience.
#3: Impaired Cognition
Drug-induced psychosis directly impairs the brain’s ability to function properly. Substance use affects the prefrontal cortex by impacting the brain’s ability to:
- Reason
- Plan
- Control impulses
- Make decisions
- Concentrate
- Inability to anticipate consequences
- Control emotions
Thought processes become confused and chaotic, making it hard to evaluate situations and respond to them effectively.
Not only is the judgment impaired, but the behaviors of the person are also directly affected because of these cognitive impairments. Behaviors may include:
- Unprovoked aggression and violence
- Self-harm
- Higher risk of suicide
- Inability to manage daily self-care tasks
#4: Behavioral Changes
Drug-induced psychosis causes individuals to act erratically and make dangerous or irrational decisions due to the distorted perception of reality.
Erratic or dangerous behaviors may include:
- Physical violence and intense anger from paranoid delusions
- Restless or repetitive movements
- Social withdrawal and isolation
- Rapid mood changes
- Mania
It may also cause changes in speech, such as:
- Incoherent or slurred speech
- Using nonsensical words
- Rapid, excessive talking
- Switching topics mid-thought or sentence
Behavioral changes that may occur because of disoriented sensory perception include:
- Reacting to seeing or hearing things that aren’t there
- Screaming at voices only they can hear
- Slapping their skin
- Scratching themselves raw
- Mixing the senses, such as seeing sounds or hearing colors
The type of behavioral change that occurs may depend on the type of substance used.
If you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of drug-induced psychosis, Robin Recovery can help you find peace through our specialized treatment programs.
What Drugs Are Most Likely To Induce Psychosis?
Psychosis is typically accompanied by the use of substances such as stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, and dissociatives that are taken in large quantities or mixed with other substances. Psychosis may also occur when these substances are consumed over long periods of time.
Stimulants, like methamphetamine, cocaine, and amphetamines, trigger psychosis; this results in an excessive increase in dopamine levels in the brain. As a result, the prefrontal cortex is affected, and neurons are working overtime, creating paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.
Cannabis, especially with high THC levels, is known to trigger psychotic events due to a disruption of signals and a high flood of dopamine in the brain. The more frequently cannabis is used and the higher the potency, the higher the risk.
Hallucinogens, such as LSD and psilocybin, alter serotonin receptors in the brain. This results in an altered perception of reality and potential paranoia and intense hallucinations. People who are already genetically vulnerable to being bipolar or having psychotic disorders are more at risk of the effects of hallucinogens.
Dissociatives, like PCP and ketamine, are known to disrupt the neurotransmitter glutamate, which leads to extreme dissociation from the environment and self, delusions, and severe confusion.
What Happens to the Brain During Drug-Induced Psychosis?
When a person experiences drug-induced psychosis, the brain’s chemical messaging systems are overrun. Typically, excess serotonin or dopamine is released, impacting perception, emotion, and reward systems and resulting in a break from reality.
Impacts on the brain include:
- Disruption of neurotransmitters: The large amounts of dopamine that are released are prevented from being removed, leading to a chemical imbalance.
- Neuroinflammation: Substances can breach the blood-brain barrier, activating the brain’s immune cells and resulting in inflammation.
- Oxidative stress: Excess dopamine that is blocked from being removed breaks down into reactive molecules, which in turn, damage brain cells like rust damages metal.
- Mitochondrial dysfunction: The reactive molecules produced from oxidative stress damage mitochondria, resulting in decreased energy production in the cells and further harming them.
What Is the Difference Between Drug-Induced Psychosis and Schizophrenia?
Although drug-induced psychosis and schizophrenia share many symptoms, the causes, how long the symptoms last, and how the symptoms are treated differ.
Schizophrenia is caused by genetic and environmental factors, whereas drug-induced psychosis is the result of using substances like cannabis, hallucinogens, and amphetamines. Prolonged use of substances may eventually lead to schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that lasts at least six months before an official diagnosis can be made. Drug-induced psychosis is temporary, typically lasting only a few hours or weeks, and resolves once the substance is no longer in a person’s system.
Both conditions can be treated with antipsychotic medications; however, drug-induced psychosis can be treated through abstinence from substances. Treatment of schizophrenia involves long-term use of antipsychotic medications and is usually paired with cognitive behavioral therapy and other support interventions.
What Is the Prognosis for Drug-Induced Psychosis?
After a diagnosis, the prognosis for drug-induced psychosis is positive if treated properly. Many of the symptoms can be resolved within thirty days of sobriety if there are no other medical conditions or toxic effects that need treatment.
Antipsychotic medicines are generally prescribed for the short term to help with treatment, along with supportive care.
It is important to consider that people who experience drug-induced psychosis are at higher risk of:
- Developing addiction
- Developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
- Episodes of self-harm
Supportive care may take the form of:
- Learning relapse prevention strategies
- Treatment or therapy for any underlying causes
- Gradual discontinuation of antipsychotic medications
- Help managing anxiety and depression when applicable
The team at Robin Recovery offers evidence-based care approaches to rehabilitation and recovery for addiction and substance abuse. We focus on dual-diagnosis therapy, psychotherapy sessions, and relapse prevention techniques.
Our comprehensive range of services is designed to be personalized to meet the needs of individuals. Our compassionate team offers flexible treatment options and professional guidance to provide you with effective techniques for managing and overcoming symptoms, both short-term and long-term.
Contact us today to learn about our recovery programs.