22 Jul Cannabis Causes Psychosis (Weeds Addiction) Signs & Symptoms
Have you ever heard people addicted to some form of substance abuse complaining about seeing or hearing things that do not exist in reality?
Well, this condition is called psychosis in which people fail to differentiate between reality and delusion. This includes hearing or seeing things that other people cannot hear or see which means they are hallucinating.
And they tend to believe things that are not actually true i.e., they are in a state of delusion.
People who suffer from psychosis face difficulty in their thought processes and understanding level. This is the reason why they view the world from a different perception.
This symptom is seen as very common in many medical conditions. Psychosis changes the process of how a person takes information and affects their thoughts and beliefs.
In such situation a person should refer to the Best Deaddiction Centre in Patna operated by Dr. Vivek Pratap Singh.
How Cannabis Causes Psychosis?
According to research, Marijuana is known to be a cause of psychosis for some individuals. Severe symptoms of psychosis like hallucination and delusion have been reported by people who take cannabis.
The symptoms are very much acute and lead to discomfort in functioning.
Cannabis-induced psychosis must be treated quickly once diagnosed. Proper screening and testing should also be done to detect any other form of mental illness prevailing.
If you want to know in detail how Cannabis Causes Psychosis then it is perceived and known to be a mental condition defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DS-5).
Mental health experts use the DSM-5 to determine the patient’s condition. Marijuana is known to cause psychosis. The cannabis-induced psychosis is severe but short-term.
However, it is known to cause mental health problems. Proper treatment of psychosis is very important to keep the person in sound health.
The risk factors for cannabis-induced Psychosis are manifold. The main cause behind it is the consumption of marijuana.
However, the symptoms may differ from person to person and can change its intensity. The factors which cause a person to consume marijuana can be due to past family issues, undetected and untreated mental illness, trauma, stress, etc.
People who already have any form of mental illness face more triggering symptoms of psychosis when they consume marijuana and vice versa.
Causes of Psychosis
You may wonder What are the causes of Psychosis? Following are some of the explanations:
(a) Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is a condition in which people understand the real situation abnormally.
This results in delusions, hallucinations, and utmost disorganised thinking and actions that hinder the daily work of an individual.
(b) Bipolar disorder: The formal name of Bipolar disorder goes by the term manic depressive illness which usually causes two kinds of extreme moods.
One can be extremely low causing depression and the other mood can be extremely high causing manic behaviour or feeling. The severity of this illness differs from person to person and in the initial years it seems to be moderate.
(c) Depression: This is the most serious condition as people tend to feel miserable, dejected, or anxious. You can also read Tips to Handle Depression.
This state makes people hollow from the inside and worried all the time, nothing makes them happy and they become slow in their actions and are usually tired all the time.
They start to eat either too much or too less and sleep a lot or not at all.
Cannabis and Psychotic Disorders
Cannabis-induced psychosis is a detectable disease, but the ones who face this can also undergo a mental state that causes psychosis.
It is still debatable whether the consumption of cannabis contributes to or causes schizophrenia, or whether having schizophrenia makes a person more likely to consume cannabis. The chances of both being true are pretty much high.
It is a well-known fact that when any mental problem is left untreated or undiscovered, people are more likely to consume drugs or any other form of substance abuse.
This further turns the condition into a more serious issue. People suffering from any mental illness including psychosis may also use cannabis as a way to treat themselves and make them feel better.
As per research, individuals who are at risk of developing any mental illness like schizophrenia are more likely to face psychosis if they consume cannabis.
It is proven that individuals having mental illness even after being treated can develop psychosis after consumption of cannabis.
The impact of cannabis is seen to be more significant when it is consumed during the teenage or adolescent period. Mental problems like schizophrenia seldom develop during later stages of life.
Initial or first-state psychosis (FEP) is the stage when a person first experiences the symptoms of psychosis. It includes:
(a) Decline in performance in academics or work life
(b) Difficulty in maintaining concentration level and focus
(c) Feeling restless or anxious around others
(d) Not showing emotions or strong unfit ones
(e) Social isolation
(f) Not taking proper self-care or not maintaining hygiene
Treatment for Severe Psychosis
Cannabis-induced psychosis often settles down on its own but in some extreme cases, the symptoms are so troublesome that they demand treatment quickly.
The treatment can be conducted in an emergency ward, clinic, or under home care that takes proper treatment of patients who suffer from mental illness or any form of addiction or substance abuse.
Instant treatment mainly comprises supervised detox, so the drug empties the body and keeps the patient in sound health. Further antipsychotic medicines are given to help the patients from getting rid of the symptoms.
The one who is at risk for psychosis dismisses cannabis-induced psychosis once they feel that the symptoms have gone and they do not need to worry anymore.
This is one of the reasons that they do not take treatment on time. However, the need of the hour is to take treatment on time as these people are facing undergoing mental illness or more possibly psychosis.
Treatment must be done immediately in order to prevent the disease from further going stronger in the future.
If you are thinking, can cannabis cause a psychotic episode?
Then the answer is yes. Anyone who has faced Cannabis Psychosis should be diagnosed with a mental disorder and should scrutinise themselves carefully.
Once a person experiences a psychotic episode then there are high chances of experiencing a second one, a third, and so on. Hence, consuming drugs in any form should be avoided at any chance.
The best kind of treatment for any form of addiction is received at their homes. It provides a peaceful environment in which a person can attend treatment.
It also helps the patient to learn how to survive without any form of drugs.
Tips to Follow: How Cannabis Causes Psychosis
Following are some of the helpful tips that one can follow:
(a) It is advisable to avoid the consumption of any form of drugs until the adult stage. Teenagers should be careful in this regard.
(b) If you are already diagnosed with schizophrenia, then you are advised not to consume cannabis
(c) If you have a genetic illness of schizophrenia or psychosis then avoid cannabis at all cost
(d) Encourage and motivate people to stop the consumption of cannabis. Always educate the people about its ill effects.
We learnt how psychosis has become a serious condition now and what are its underlying causes.
Moreover, we also studied how cannabis causes psychosis. Further, we read about psychosis and its associated disorders and what are some of the treatments and tips that one must follow.
Let us now move towards the concluding section of this blog.
Conclusion
Nowadays, mental health has become a matter of concern, and illnesses related to it are spreading at an alarming rate. Bipolar disorder schizophrenia, and psychosis are some of the leading examples of it.
Hence, parents are advised to always create awareness among their children of what is good and what is bad for them.
One should be well informed about the negative consequences How Cannabis Causes Psychosis. Instead of threatening the kids, they should be made conscious of the risks they may get involved in.
If you have the question, can cannabis withdrawal cause psychosis? then the answer is yes but it is rare.
Open and honest conversations are advised by medical professionals to help this generation to live in the best state of mind.
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