What is Alcohol Induced Psychosis? Symptoms & Treatment

What is Alcohol Induced Psychosis?

Alcohol induced psychosis is used to describe any number of psychotic conditions that can occur due to alcohol abuse. This psychosis often manifests itself in the form of delusions and hallucinations. It can occur during various stages of alcohol abuse, including acute intoxication, withdrawal, and chronic alcoholism. Psychosis refers to a condition that makes it difficult for an individual to differentiate between what is real and what is not.

Can alcohol induce psychosis? Alcohol has the potential to cause psychosis, especially when it is abused. Long-term alcohol abuse changes the way the neural receptors in the brain work. The exact cause of alcohol-related psychosis is still unknown. However, it is likely related to serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters help the brain recognize the reality in front of you and are often affected when you hallucinate. Most people who experience psychosis for the first time have some substance abuse issues.

Alcohol Induced Psychosis Statistics

 Alcohol-induced psychosis is caused by withdrawal from prolonged, excessive drinking. It is relatively rare among the general population, with higher rates among those struggling with alcohol dependence. Although it is dangerous, it is usually temporary, ending after a few weeks of sobriety.

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Signs of Alcohol Induced Psychosis

It is not uncommon for people to experience both addiction problems and mental health issues simultaneously. A heavy drinker who uses alcohol to cope with his difficulties should look for alcohol and depression treatment. A consistent drinker who starts to see or hear things that aren’t there should also seek professional help.

Can Alcoholism Lead To Psychosis?

Alcohol use can trigger short-term alcohol induced psychosis, including acute alcoholic psychosis, alcoholic hallucinosis, and AWD (alcohol withdrawal delirium). In most cases, these episodes of psychosis will end once alcohol consumption has ceased, and withdrawal symptoms have subsided. However, if long-term psychosis persists, it is typically caused by a separate, co-occurring mental health disorder that predated or developed alongside alcohol use disorder, like schizophrenia. Telling the difference between alcohol-related psychosis and schizophrenia can be difficult, as they share many of the same symptoms. Fortunately, alcohol-induced psychosis has characteristics that distinguish it from schizophrenia, including:

What Causes Alcohol Induced Psychosis?

The exact cause of alcohol induced psychosis is unclear. Some studies suggest that alcohol induced psychosis results from alcohol’s effects on the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, namely dopamine. Others speculate that the way alcohol disrupts specific neural receptors plays a role. What is certain is that prolonged alcohol use has profound, far-reaching effects on both the brain and body.

Types and Symptoms Of Alcohol Induced Psychosis

Alcohol induced psychosis describes delusions and hallucinations tied to heavy alcohol consumption that cannot be attributed to a pre-existing mental health condition. Generally, alcohol induced psychosis exists in three forms: acute intoxication, chronic alcohol hallucinosis, and alcohol withdrawal psychosis.

• Acute Intoxication: While uncommon, acute intoxication describes the acute alcoholic psychosis after consuming a large amount of alcohol in a single sitting. In most cases, alcohol psychosis symptoms end once the body is clear of alcohol. However, drinking alcohol in large enough quantities to trigger psychosis often also leads to alcohol poisoning. Therefore, anyone experiencing acute intoxication should receive medical attention as soon as possible. In many cases, alcohol poisoning can be fatal.

Alcohol Induced Psychosis Case Study

Thirty-four patients with alcohol-induced psychotic illnesses in all were admitted over the course of three years. The majority (31 or 91%) were Indian and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. 3, or 9%, belonged to socioeconomic class III. They were 43 years old on average. The most frequent manifestation of hallucinations was auditory, while visual hallucinations were less frequent. A total of 26 patients briefly experienced auditory hallucinations.

The only three participants who experienced visual hallucinations also experienced audio hallucinations. 16 of the subjects had delusions, and eleven of them had them only during the current hospitalization. The other five had long-lasting illusions, including three who persistently persecuted their neighbors and family and 2 who had delusions of their spouse’s adultery. These happened with obvious deliberateness. During their hospital stay, four patients had speech disorders found. By the time of discharge, though, this had cleared. Only two of the participants had depression, while the other three had demented tendencies and overall memory, cognition, and personality changes.

Can Alcohol Induced Psychosis Be Treated?

If you’re experiencing alcohol-induced psychosis, it’s a sign that you are suffering from an alcohol use disorder. For many people, once they stop abusing alcohol, the symptoms of the psychosis will begin to fade. Due to the solid mental health component, attending addiction treatment specializing in dual-diagnosis disorders is recommended. It can treat Alcohol-induced psychosis, and the first step is breaking free from alcohol addiction. And with the right detox program, you’ll be able to minimize the symptoms of psychosis during withdrawal.

Alcohol Induced Psychosis Treatment Options

Alcohol is the most abused addictive substance in America, as more than 17 million people in the United States are considered to suffer from addiction to alcohol. To determine the most effective ways to treat individuals with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder, it’s crucial to get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms. When a mental health professional has evaluated the symptoms, it may be determined that another form of mental condition is present and needs a particular treatment.

Psychotherapy 

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Solution Focused Therapy – is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

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