Substance-Induced Psychosis or Drug-Induced Psychosis

Substance-Induced Psychosis or Drug-Induced Psychosis

Many mental disorders include psychotic features, such as bipolar depression, schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia. Aside from pharmacotherapy, therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be used to treat psychosis. Alternatively, substance-induced psychosis, also known as toxic psychosis, is psychosis caused by certain substances or chemicals.

Several substances may produce substance-induced psychosis (SIP), including alcohol, cannabis and amphetamine. What is even more alarming is that SIP may eventually progress into schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a very serious mental illness often necessitating hospitalization. Schizophrenia is characterized by psychotic features, among other things. However, whether SIP evolves into a schizophrenia spectrum disorder depends on the substance which precipitated the psychosis diagnosis.

Naturally, the main difference between SIP and schizophrenia is that in SIP psychotic symptoms tend to go away after the substance has been eliminated by the body, whereas in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar depression or other mental illnesses with psychotic features, the symptoms persist regardless of whether the person remains intoxicated or not.

Substance-Induced Psychosis or Drug-Induced Psychosis. Illustration by Elena

Further, from a neuroscience perspective, one may look at brain metabolism in relation to schizophrenia and SIP. Neuroscience, also called neurobiology, studies the nervous system, comprising the brain, the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Also, neuroscience greatly relies on neuroimaging studies. For example, positron emission topography (PET) studies.

Alternatively, in terms of psychometric instruments and diagnostic tools, schizophrenia may be assessed using PANSS or the Positive and Negative Scale for Schizophrenia. Mental disorders often have comorbidity or co-occurence with other mental disorders. For example, most associations reflect the fact that mental illnesses are often accompanied by substance use, abuse and dependence (e.g. centres for addiction and mental health). Schizophrenia represents no exception, with substance abuse disorders often present in individuals with the mental disease.

Furthermore, some psychologists even go as far as to suggest that at times, persons attempt to self-medicate by abusing illicit substances such as patients with bipolar disorder using cannabis instead of lithium to cope with their symptoms. Clearly, it goes without saying that a person should only take medication prescribed by their psychiatrist or other doctor, follow the instructions and abstain from addictive substances.