Psychosis is a severe mental condition in which an individual may lose touch with reality and experience disordered thoughts and emotions. Drug and alcohol use can cause varying degrees of psychosis. What drugs can cause permanent psychosis depends on a number of variable factors, including dosage, dependency, and individual neuronic response. That means almost any drug can have debilitating effects on your mental health.
Regardless of your tolerance or mental capacity, abusing drugs is a dangerous road that almost always leads to long-term mental health consequences. If you struggle with addiction, Crestview Recovery offers a full continuum of care, including both residential and outpatient addiction treatment programs. The following descriptions specifically entail what drugs can cause permanent psychosis and other mental health consequences.
Marijuana
Cannabis is often referred to as a less harmful gateway drug. However, contrary to popular belief, it has almost equally harmful effects on your mental health as other “harder” drugs. This is especially the case in higher THC concentration levels. Though there is limited data to determine the extent of vaping harms, trends suggest the potency of vape-related oils poses a significant risk of causing mental health problems. Either way, cannabis, especially in more potent strains, can cause permanent brain damage up to and including mental health conditions.
Heroin
What causes permanent psychosis more than perhaps any other drug is one that contains opiates. With heroin, not only can substance dependency occur after a single use, but it can also cause permanent brain damage. Depending on the purity, dosage, and other variables, one session can inflict irreversible mental health problems.
Cocaine
The euphoria and overstimulation of dopamine cells associated with cocaine use have debilitating mental consequences. This abnormal release of dopamine alters neurons and damages the base of neurotransmitter proteins. Prolonged use will inevitably induce permanent psychosis that requires medical assistance to properly treat.
Hallucinogens
LSD, Ecstasy, PCP, mushrooms, and other hallucinogens cause the user to encounter a complete detachment from reality. This includes distorting and completely altering the appearance of circumstances and people around you. This utter detachment from reality poses a significant danger of causing serious and irreversible mental health consequences.
How Do Drugs Affect Mental Health?
Though drugs and alcohol lead to similar mental health struggles, it harms the brain in very different ways and depends on several factors. For example, stimulants such as methamphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, or other pleasure center-focused drugs dangerously destabilize natural neuronic functions. This occurs because of the overstimulation of dopamine cells. Consequently, this dangerous pleasure cell overload induces deficiencies in other aspects of the brain, leading to permanent mental health problems.
With drinking, over time, alcohol intoxication causes neurons to change form, shape, and even function. As a result, these abnormal genetic alterations are the root cause of alcohol-induced mental health conditions. However, the right counselors, training techniques, and coping methods can help you manage mental health symptoms and overcome addiction cravings.
What Mental Health Conditions Does Substance Use Disorder Cause?
Substance-induced mental problems can occur for a variety of reasons depending on the drug, dependence severity, and individual neuronic response. Below are the most common mental conditions that arise as a result of drug abuse.
Anxiety Disorders
Perhaps the most common disorders acquired from substance use are anxiety disorders. Elevated anxiety is both a symptom of drug use and withdrawal. This is how drugs cause permanent anxiety disorders. Thankfully, most anxiety disorders and symptoms can be treated and managed with the help of a therapeutic expert.
Schizophrenia
Hallucinogens and stimulant drugs that cause a complete detachment from reality can cause the most severe personality disorders. That includes multiple personality disorders like schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia requires medically-aided treatment to keep its dangerous symptoms and episodes at bay. Failure to follow through with this important treatment inadvertently puts you and others in danger.
Bipolar Disorder
One of the personality disorders commonly caused by drug use is bipolar disorder. Severe and persistent mood swings, extreme irritability, and manic episodes characterize bipolar disorder. Like the other mental health conditions on this list, bipolar is irreversible but highly manageable. If you have or suspect you may have bipolar disorder for any reason, seek immediate medical treatment and diagnosis.
What Are the Most Common Signs of Drug or Alcohol-induced Psychosis?
Substance-induced psychosis can disguise itself under other common mental health or drug abuse symptoms. However, some specific signs can give you an indication. Seek immediate therapeutic diagnosis if you notice any of the following tell-tale signs of substance-induced psychosis.
Abnormal Desire to Be Alone Or Social Seclusion
People with substance dependency and mental health problems often share at least one or more things in common. One of those common traits is being socially withdrawn from family and friends. However, in the case of alcohol or drug-induced psychosis, the social withdrawal will likely be on an extreme level. This behavior is a tell-tale indicator that something is wrong and should never be ignored.
Extreme Paranoia
Drugs trigger numerous mental responses. One of those responses is extreme paranoia. While paranoia is often a side-effect of being under the influence, drug use can make paranoia permanent when not under the influence. This occurs when drug abuse has caused long-term or permanent brain damage. This paranoia can involve abnormal health concerns, fear of being followed, or other paranoid delusions.
Loss of Appetite
If you or someone you love is having little or no meals, it may be indicative of psychosis or mental disorders. This can even be the result of an underlying eating disorder which is also classified as a mental condition. If this sign explains you or a loved one, seek immediate medical attention as this could potentially mean co-occurring disorders are present.
Severe Anxiety or Panic Attacks
Anybody experiencing severe anxiety will often manifest their anxiety in physical ticks. These ticks consist of fidgeting, tremors, or other nervous habits. In the most extreme cases, panic attacks can occur. Panic attacks can be easy to spot as they often occur without warning or precedent. Panic attacks can present themselves in many ways that include but not limited to hyperventilating, intense perspiration, nausea, and dizziness. Sudden unconsciousness, seizures, and even death can occur in the most extreme instances.
Circumstantial Distortion, Confusion, or Disorientation
The same drugs that can cause permanent psychosis can also cause mental and circumstantial confusion or disorientation. In the case of such occurrences, the individual will experience hazed vision, abnormal distortions, or even complete detachment from reality. If circumstantial detachment occurs, it usually indicates an impending manic or depressive episode. In any case, contacting the appropriate medical professionals helps get the sufferer the help they need and deserve.
How Does Crestview Recovery Help Treat Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders?
More important than knowing what drugs cause permanent psychosis is knowing how to combat these bouts of psychosis. Crestview Recovery understands substance use and mental health are two different entities that require unique approaches. However, our meticulously individualized and diversifiable state-of-the-art treatment methods do wonders for both simultaneously, especially in the case of dual-diagnosis treatment. Here are just a few of the many ways we help you overcome substance use and mental health disorders.
Individual Attentiveness and Quality Support
At Crestview Recovery, we value the power of listening. By truly hearing your struggles, we are able to offer the utmost support in overcoming any obstacle you face. Our dedicated staff, trained to the highest standards, uses this understanding to tailor individualized treatment that fosters your growth in recovery. We extend these core values to help you maintain a positive mental balance, utilizing everything you express, feel, and require to enhance your comfort and overall well-being throughout your recovery journey.
Top Tier Relapse Prevention and Training Techniques
We’re dedicated to providing you with the highest quality support for maintaining sobriety and managing mental health. Our expert team employs cutting-edge techniques, including state-of-the-art Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions, to empower you. These evidence-based therapies open doors to new possibilities, helping you achieve growth and relaxation. Discover the reassurance and serenity found in CBT and DBT, two of the most effective treatment methods available.
Multi-Talented Staff
We pride ourselves on having a diverse staff that effectively treats mental conditions and substance use disorders equally. This divisibility does not compensate for quality in any way. Rather, both abilities are magnified to ensure your condition is treated with the highest quality care. This is one of the many reasons Crestview Recovery is touted as one of the greatest multi-treatment facilities in the country. Reach out to our caring and dedicated counselors and doctors today to learn how you can overcome your addiction behaviors today.
We Provide a Comfortable and Homely Atmosphere
At Crestview Recovery, we believe in creating a warm and welcoming environment that sets us apart from traditional recovery centers. Our cozy facilities are designed to offer a sense of comfort and relaxation, making you feel right at home. Enjoy the freedom to explore, connect with others, and engage in a variety of fun and enriching activities. These therapeutic experiences provide enjoyable hobbies to occupy your mind, fostering mental resilience and empowering you to replace old habits with positive ones.
Your Healing Journey Begins and Ends with Crestview Recovery
Take the first step towards recovery by contacting our compassionate receptionist. They will connect you with a dedicated professional who will provide personalized treatment tailored to your needs. Don’t wait any longer to change your quality of life. When you choose Crestview Recovery, you can rest assured that you are in the most capable and caring hands. Seize the opportunities offered by our top-quality treatment services today. Reach out and reclaim your future. Contact us now.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
