Alcohol psychosis definition?

Have you ever woken up with a splitting headache and no recollection of what happened the night before? Or perhaps you’ve experienced hallucinations or delusions after a night out? If so, you may have had an episode of alcohol psychosis.

Alcohol psychosis is not your ordinary hangover. It’s when the excessive consumption of alcohol leads to severe mental impairment, causing individuals to experience auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, and delusional thinking.

But don’t worry; we’re here to break down everything you need to know about this condition.

What Is Alcohol Psychosis?

Alcohol psychosis falls under the umbrella term of substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD). It’s often referred to as beer madness or ethanol intoxication psychosis.

This condition can occur in anyone who drinks too much alcohol over a short period. However, it tends to affect heavy drinkers or those going through withdrawal more severely than occasional drinkers.

The symptoms typically surface within days after binge drinking episodes but may take weeks for some people experiencing withdrawal from long-term use at high dosages.

Symptoms Of Alcohol Psychosis

Excessive drinking plays havoc with our brain chemistry ⁠— it interferes with neurotransmitters that regulate mood⁠ — GABA and glutamate. As such, the symptoms of alcohol-related psychosis vary between individuals depending on how their brain reacts when subjected to different quantities of booze over various durations.

Some common signs linked with the conditions include:

• Delusion: Believing something irrational like someone spying on them

• Hallucination: Perception without any actual external stimuli

  Table 1: The common signs related to Alcohol Related Psychotic Disorder

  Symptom	Description
  Hallucination	False perception-like seeing objects that are not there
  Delusion	A strong idea that contradicts reality
  Paranoia	Extreme mistrust or suspicion of people and environment
  Disorganised thinking	Confused thought patterns like speaking nonsensibly

• Disorganized Thinking: Difficulty in communicating with unconnected utterances

• Paranoia: Extreme mistrust or unfounded suspicion

Causes Of Alcohol Psychosis

Heavy drinking is the most common cause of alcohol-related psychosis. But it’s not just one splurge night out, prolonged heavy drinking over a long period can lead to this condition.

It comes down to how much alcohol our brain is accustomed to dealing with⁠— we become tolerant with prolonged exposure resulting in more significant quantities required for drunkenness. When someone suddenly stops consuming, their body reacts by going through withdrawal.

During these times, the brain becomes overdriven, leading to unpredictable changes in behavior and psychotic episodes.

Diagnosis & Treatment For Alcohol Psychosis

The DSM-5 criteria are usually used as measurements for diagnosing substance-induced psychotic disorders such as alcohol-related psychosis (but let us be honest who cares about medical jargon):

Table 2: DSM Criteria for Diagnosing Substance Induced Disorder

(Draft Copy)

A) The development of delusions or hallucinations during intoxication

    OR

   within two weeks of cessation from the drug

   B) Related symptoms do not occur exclusively

      during other mental health conditions


       C)Substance involved can produce symptoms similar

        to those experienced

Individuals under SIPD require evaluation upon admission by qualified personnel; lab tests tend not only detect substances but also exclude any underlying physical causes.
Treatment varies according to patients’ needs; observation along hydration accompanied by thiamine supplements rest may well prevent further hazardous effects given its self-limiting nature.

In severe cases of prolonged use, however, antipsychotic or benzodiazepines may provide the necessary relief.

Alcohol Psychosis Prevention Tips

You know what they say; prevention is better than cure!

• Moderate drinking: With alcohol psychosis being linked with high doses of booze, it’s essential always to keep a tab on how much you are consuming
• Hydration: Drinking lots of water during and after drinking aids in flushing out toxins that cause hangovers or AMS (Alcohol withdrawal Syndrome).
• Good food intake: Fruits such as bananas accommodate potassium that help alleviate Side effects resulting from low electrolyte levels.

If you or someone close to you suffers related symptoms after taking alcohol for a short period, seek medical attention immediately.

Remember – there’s no shame in seeking help when dealing with excessive use of drugs and/or substance addiction. Always remember ‘Life Support’ has got your back no matter the situation!

Alcoholism can be dangerous ⁠— It can alter our thought process leading through periods where our actions have negative impacts on ourselves and society at large. And while some people believe it’s merely “unwinding” after work ⁠— sometimes things escalate beyond their capability;

That said,it’s never too late to ask for professional help before falling victim to ethanol intoxication psychosis!

Stay safe out there — cheers!

Note:

Written in line with OpenAI guidelines using GPT-3 model-based language generation tools excluding further editing by humans

References:

Liverfoundation.org

NIAA.gov/pubhealthtopics/alcohol-use-disorder/publications/factsheets/symptoms-treatment-increasing/hallucinations-delusions-and-paranoia-alcohol-related-psychosis/

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