Introduction

Meth-induced psychosis puts sufferers out of touch with reality and causes delusions, paranoia and
aggressive behaviour.

Speed, crank, chalk, ice — these are all street names for the drug methamphetamine, better known as
meth. Meth is a powerful stimulant drug that comes in the form of a white, odourless, crystalline
powder, and is considered one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs on the streets today, causing
a plethora of harmful health effects, not least of which is meth psychosis.

Long-term meth use can cause psychosis – a temporary but severe mental condition in which people
lose touch with reality. A person suffering from meth psychosis will experience extreme delusions,
paranoia, hallucinations, and/or obsessive compulsive behaviour induced by prolonged use of the drug.

Individuals experiencing meth-induced psychosis may exhibit the following symptoms:

Hallucinations
Hallucinations are false perceptions that may be associated with any of the five senses. Meth users may
hear phantom voices or sounds, see people or things (often disturbing images) that are not actually
there and smell odours or taste things that do not exist. Another common hallucination is known as
‘formication’ — the false perception of something being on or under the skin. The tactile hallucination of
bugs crawling under the skin (known as ‘crank bugs’ or ‘meth mites’ by users) is very common with
prolonged meth abuse.

Delusions
Delusions are false personal beliefs that cannot be corrected through reasoning. Examples of common
delusions caused by meth psychosis include the belief that they are wanted by the police, the belief in
(or creating of) conspiracy theories, belief that objects or other people are able to control their
behaviour, or belief that parts of their body are being changed or distorted.

Paranoia
Not a far cry from some delusions, meth users will often believe that others are “out to get” them. They
will become very suspicious of most or all people, even close friends and family. It can often get very out
of control, believing that random objects in public places are surveillance cameras put out specifically to
watch them.

Aggression
Meth increases aggression and decreases the brain’s control over impulsive behaviour. This leaves
chronic users ‘amped-up’, unable to react to situations rationally, often leading to aggressive or even
violent behaviour — especially when combined with above-mentioned paranoia and delusions.

Hyperactivity
Prolonged meth abuse can cause users to display obsessive-compulsive symptoms and repetitive
behaviours. This is often seen in activities such as frantic cleaning, disassembly and assembly of objects
(such as a washing machine, cell phone, toaster, etc.) or washing hands several times in a short time
period. It can also cause the grinding of teeth, scratching of skin (usually due to formication) or pulling
out hair.
In most cases, these symptoms become completely debilitating, causing the meth addict to withdraw
from all aspects of ‘normal life’, trapped in this psychotic state.

For some individuals, the psychotic state wears off as they come down from the drug. However, many
users will note that after a time, meth psychosis remains far longer than the high from the drug,
experiencing psychotic symptoms even when not using.
The effects of meth psychosis can last for just hours or days if you are “lucky”. Some people never
completely recover and suffer from permanent states of psychosis or reoccurring instances that could
be triggered with little to no warning.
Learning Objectives:

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:

 To learn and understand the case of an adolescent diagnosed with Psychosis due to use of
Methamphetamine

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

 Describe and explain Psychosis due to use of Methamphetamine

 To review the history of past and present illness as well as its physical assessment
 To review the anatomy and physiology of the organs involved
 To trace the pathophysiology of Psychosis due to use of Methamphetamine
 Interpret the laboratory results and diagnostic procedures done with the patient and specific
nursing responsibilities before during and after the procedure
 Enumerate the different medications administered for the condition, their indications and specific
nursing responsibilities
 Formulate significant nursing diagnosis with their significantly related nursing care plans.