What is Cocaine Psychosis?

What Causes Cocaine-Induced Psychosis?

Chronic and excessive cocaine use can cause cocaine-induced psychosis. Cocaine use affects the brain’s rewards system, and too much can lead to psychosis symptoms. Paranoia and hallucinations are two side effects that can occur during cocaine use, and contribute to cocaine-induced psychosis. Once cocaine-induced psychosis begins, delusions often occur. Cocaine psychosis can occur during intoxication and withdrawal.

Psychiatric Symptoms, Effects, & Disorders

The effects of cocaine psychosis can be distressing and extreme, even leading to other disorders such as delusional disorder.

Symptoms of cocaine psychosis include: (3)

• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Anger and aggressiveness
• Anxiety
• Delirium or confusion
• Suicidal and homicidal ideation

There are various psychiatric disorders in which the above symptoms can occur. Some of these include bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Paranoia

Paranoia is the presence of thoughts and feelings that someone is interested in causing you harm. Paranoia is distressing and is incited by the feelings of fear and anxiety. (4) Even without evidence, an individual experiencing paranoia wholeheartedly believes that they will be harmed. Cocaine use can lead to suspicion of others which can precede paranoia. A study found that approximately two-thirds of those who have used cocaine reported experiencing paranoia after use. (5)

Symptoms of paranoia include: (6)

• Aggressiveness
• Hostility
• Defensiveness
• Inability to trust others
• Hypervigilance

Hallucinations

Hallucinations are the false perceptions that you have seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or heard something that was not actually there. (7)

There are different types of hallucinations; these include: (8)

• Visual hallucinations: Seeing things that are not real or there.
• Tactile hallucinations: Feeling touch or movement on your body that is not there or real.
• Gustatory hallucinations: Tasting things that are unpleasant that are not real.
• Olfactory hallucinations: Smelling things that no one else can smell.
• Auditory hallucinations: Hearing things that no one else can hear.

Using cocaine for an extended period of time can cause hallucinations. Hallucinations can cause individuals to become so focused on things that are not real, that they ignore real life dangers, such as stop signs. Hallucinations are a serious medical condition and emergency care should be seeked if you are experiencing them.

Delusions

A delusion is a false belief that an individual refuses to believe is wrong. (9) Delusions are different from hallucinations because hallucinations are abnormal sensory experiences, while  delusions are irrational thoughts or beliefs.

There are different types of delusions, these include: (10)

• Delusions of grandeur — Beliefs rooted in an over-inflated self-esteem and exaggerated sense of importance.
• Delusions of jealousy — Beliefs that one’s partner or spouse is unfaithful.
• Erotomanic delusions — Belief that someone is in love with them, often someone of great importance.
• Persecutory delusions — Belief that one is being conspired against or attacked. Often by a group or organization.
• Somatic delusions — Belief that one has a medical condition or a physical abnormality.

Anger

Anger is a human emotion, often elicited after doing something wrong or being wronged by another individual. (11) As an individual continues to be paranoid and delirious, their distress and aggressiveness increases. This creates a higher risk for an individual experiencing cocaine psychosis to develop thoughts and feelings of wanting to harm someone else or themself.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a persistent feeling of worry and fear about things that could happen currently or in the future. (12) Cocaine psychosis can cause such extreme levels of psychosis that medication may be needed in order to reduce anxious thoughts and feelings. Cocaine-induced anxiety disorders can also be developed following cocaine psychosis.