Drug abuse and addiction don’t just impact the individual with substance use disorder. Abusing drugs also creates many problems within society and the individual’s community. Thousands of people are in jail for crimes committed in relation to drug abuse and addiction. Unfortunately, some drugs can impact a person’s thinking in dangerously erratic ways that can cause them to become injured or harm others because of their drug use. Drug-induced psychosis is a real risk for people who take certain legal and illegal drugs. The types of drugs most frequently implicated in drug-induced psychosis are amphetamines, methamphetamine, and synthetic marijuana and bath salts.

How is drug-induced psychosis different than psychosis in mental illness?

Psychosis refers to a mental health issue that causes a person to experience increased paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations. People in a psychotic episode experience the world in a remarkably different way than those who are not psychotic. They will believe things that are not true, regardless of any evidence to the contrary. It is almost impossible for a rational person to get through to someone who is experiencing psychosis. When someone is psychotic, they need outside medical intervention. People who experience psychosis as a result of a mental health disorder can be treated in a hospital with medications that are specifically designed to alleviate psychotic symptoms. Psychosis can happen in bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. 

When someone takes too much of a substance than their body can process, the chemicals can reach toxic levels in the person’s brain and other bodily systems. Stimulant abuse is the most common trigger for drug-induced psychosis. Some prescription drugs can induce psychosis, and so can alcohol abuse. These episodes are referred to as drug-induced psychosis. 

People who have drug-induced psychosis will experience delusions and hallucinations.  A delusion is an irrational, false belief that someone clings to despite any evidence or facts that indicate the misconception is incorrect. When someone has a psychotic episode because of drug or alcohol abuse, they can experience both visual and aural hallucinations. The individual will have powerful, sensory perception of something that is not real, and that others cannot see or hear. 

While drugs can induce psychosis in a person who would otherwise never experience these issues, cocaine, hallucinogens, and also marijuana can trigger or worsen psychotic symptoms in a person with a pre-existing mental health disorder. Some physical problems can also induce psychosis, including Alzheimer’s, dementia, and brain tumors. 

How does drug-induced psychosis happen?

When someone takes far too much of a drug, their body cannot always process the toxins fast enough. When this happens, distressing symptoms can occur, and it also puts the individual at risk of fatally overdosing on a substance. Synthetic drugs, cannabis, and amphetamines are the most likely to cause psychosis in persons who take too much of the drug. It’s also possible for someone to experience psychosis when they mix different substances, withdrawal from some drugs, or have an adverse reaction to a drug. Common prescription medications that can induce psychosis include the following:

People who have abused alcohol long-term and who may try to quit using alcohol cold-turkey can also experience a drug-induced psychotic episode. One of the more dangerous withdrawal symptoms that can happen in alcohol addiction recovery is a condition called delirium tremens. Up to 5% of people who experience delirium tremens will die from it. In all cases of delirium tremens, it is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate medical attention. 

Who is most at risk of developing drug-induced psychosis?

People who take large amounts of stimulant drugs at once are at high risk of developing drug-induced psychosis. This is not the same as the reaction people get when using hallucinogenic substances. These substances will give the user both auditory and visual hallucinations and also delusions. But hallucinogenic substances can trigger an adverse reaction where the user becomes paranoid and agitated. 

Individuals who abuse drugs that come with a risk of inducing psychotic symptoms, and who also have a mental health disorder where psychotic symptoms manifest, are at increased risk of going through a drug-induced psychotic episode. But in these cases, it can be challenging for clinicians to determine if the psychosis is caused by a mental health disorder, or was the direct result of illicit drug use. Drug-Induced psychosis is a more likely culprit if the symptoms subside after the drugs clear from a person’s system. In certain mental health disorders, isolation, lack of motivation, and social withdrawal can all worsen until a person starts to experience delusions or hallucinations. Substance-induced psychosis is positively correlated with developing schizophrenia later in life. 

What are the current statistics on drug-induced psychosis?

Users with a severe dependence on amphetamines have some of the highest risk of experiencing psychosis, followed by cannabis, cocaine, and opioids. Studies on drug-induced psychosis have found that a majority of substance abusers of these four drugs will experience psychotic symptoms either while abusing the drugs, or when withdrawing from the substances. The more severe a person’s addiction, the higher the risk of experiencing psychosis. 

What can be done to treat this condition?

There are several necessary steps clinicians go through to treat substance-induced psychosis. The first step involves evaluating the patient for the severity of the episode and the severity of their drug addiction. This step helps determine the overall course of treatment for the patient’s addiction. From there, clinicians will safely detox the patient with a combination of medications and possibly hospitalization. The goal for detoxing from drug-induced psychosis is to keep the patient safe, and then transition them to a customized treatment plan. 

After detox, clinicians will re-evaluate the patient for an underlying mental health condition where psychotic features may be present. A combination of medications and ongoing therapy and rehabilitation will then help the patient maintain sobriety and reduce the risk of relapse and recurrence of psychotic symptoms. 

If you or a loved one are struggling with drug abuse and addiction symptoms, we can help. At Mission Harbor Behavioral Health, we’ve helped dozens of patients struggling with addiction to achieve and maintain lifelong sobriety. Please contact Mission Harbor today to learn more about our rehabilitation options and what they can do for you and your family.