Meth Meth paranoia: scientific basis

[billyj]

I have been reading up on paranoia and psychosis during (and after) meth. There's several scientific studies that point to a haywire effect of various unpronounceable chemicals and receptors and interactions in the brain after taking meth, mainly due to a flood of dopamine interfering with flows and regulations of other things, and this leads to a confusion in the brain regarding how to understand external stimuli. It's all inside your head after all - literally. Here's a pull quote and then the link. There's quite a few of these studies if you're interested to have a look around for them.

Methamphetamine also increases dopamine release from the VTA to the prefrontal cortex in the mesocortical pathway. At low doses, methamphetamine can increase cognitive performance by activation of D1 receptors in the PFC however high doses impair cognitive function, possibly by over activation of D1 receptors on interneurons in the PFC and excessive inhibition of cortical signals.
Methamphetamine can thus increase glutamatergic signals to the cortex from both the nigrostriatal, as well as the mesolimbic reward circuits, and increase dopaminergic signals from the mesocortical pathway. Excessive glutamate and dopamine in the cortex may overwhelm GABAergic interneuons, causing dysregulation of the signals, which may relate to the psychotic symptoms that can occur during methamphetamine intoxication in some individuals.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105632/

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Simply staying awake for days can cause toxic psychosis. I've read of radio DJ's who stayed awake for a week as a foil for a charity drive who thought everyone was plotting against them by the end of the week. Supposedly, they pick up people in Las Vegas in a toxic psychosis who have stayed awake for days gambling (losing their life savings). No drugs involved other than indogenous ones.

Can Sleep Loss Cause Symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Lack of sleep can lead to hallucinations and delusions, two of the symptoms of psychosis. Here's all about sleep deprivation psychosis and how to treat it.

psychcentral.com

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

probably the main reason i quit fuckin with meth 30 odd years ago is cause of at least up 3 days then shake and bake. started getting plastic. like all things i suppose....
gotta have my sleep

 

[Byzek]

I had couple of times psychosis.
But im not the type of guy who gets crazy like the guy over me.
Im more like "mhh thats interesting" and im staying quite calm.
Well dont do it regularly and have always benzos with you.

 

[billyhayes]

Simply staying awake for days can cause toxic psychosis. I've read of radio DJ's who stayed awake for a week as a foil for a charity drive who thought everyone was plotting against them by the end of the week. Supposedly, they pick up people in Las Vegas in a toxic psychosis who have stayed awake for days gambling (losing their life savings). No drugs involved other than indogenous ones.

Can Sleep Loss Cause Symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Lack of sleep can lead to hallucinations and delusions, two of the symptoms of psychosis. Here's all about sleep deprivation psychosis and how to treat it.

psychcentral.com

Oh totally. I think the meth and the sleep.deprivation are a pretty dire combination. I've had sleepless nights totally sober, or jet lag and things like that and I start hearing voices, having peripheral vision light flashes, all sorts of disturbances. I didn't sleep on a long flight once and spent two hours after arrival going to every information desk at the arrival airport asking about why my name was being called over the airport announcment system - they had no idea what I was talking about. Hadn't taken any kind of drug for months, just hadn't slept for at least 24 hours.

I guess the brain is just like any other part of the body - you can't expect it to not start to break down when deprived of regular rest.

 

[Joey]

Getting off the neurochemical specifics of it, anything which is a potent stimulant and thus stressor to the brain will affect how you process things externally. People go into paranoias based on how stimulated hey are by what’s on their minds and their states of body all the time regardless of meth. Meth just makes it a lot more likely.

Any counter active measures and decrees to sleep deprivation and whatever be damned, meth is also neurodegenerative and long term an MRI brain scan will resemble that of a paranoid schizophrenics with the stuff.

All the research material, if you can understand it to a reasonable level, just describes he process of a super potent reuptake inhibitor of this and that alongside accelerated bodily functions like your metabolic and cardiac responses causing the same thing that any stressful day does. Sometimes a really, stressful day. Sometimes a brain zapping day devoid of any reason as well. 40% of dependant methamphetamine users will experience psychoses. People can experience it the first time and all in their own without ever using it too.

So standard issue is know what territory you’re entering with what chemical and stick to the basics in my opinion. All the knowledge in the world doesn’t stop something from being experientially formidable to keep rational and cool and your body and brain don’t care when things are overactive and feel out if control.

Take control back. Breathe. Know the stuff you’re seeing and hearing and whatever isn’t real no matter what. No matter what, situations are passive. And for Gods sake, no one is out to get you on some conspiracy unless you go through the actions to facilitate others to be open to treat you that badly. Sometimes things come true and people hurt, but it’s actually rare that the paranoid suspicions of an amphetamines user ring 100% true except amongst each other.

it’s funny actually in a way. But with something like this, it’s actually your friends / aquaintances who wind up becoming dangerous if everyone’s paranoid about each other and out of their minds. Number one is your choices, next is your actions and how you keep who in your loop, next is other users. A trap house is a bad day no matter when you stay,

 

[billyhayes]

Getting off the neurochemical specifics of it, anything which is a potent stimulant and thus stressor to the brain will affect how you process things externally. People go into paranoias based on how stimulated hey are by what’s on their minds and their states of body all the time regardless of meth. Meth just makes it a lot more likely.

Any counter active measures and decrees to sleep deprivation and whatever be damned, meth is also neurodegenerative and long term an MRI brain scan will resemble that of a paranoid schizophrenics with the stuff.

All the research material, if you can understand it to a reasonable level, just describes he process of a super potent reuptake inhibitor of this and that alongside accelerated bodily functions like your metabolic and cardiac responses causing the same thing that any stressful day does. Sometimes a really, stressful day. Sometimes a brain zapping day devoid of any reason as well. 40% of dependant methamphetamine users will experience psychoses. People can experience it the first time and all in their own without ever using it too.

So standard issue is know what territory you’re entering with what chemical and stick to the basics in my opinion. All the knowledge in the world doesn’t stop something from being experientially formidable to keep rational and cool and your body and brain don’t care when things are overactive and feel out if control.

Take control back. Breathe. Know the stuff you’re seeing and hearing and whatever isn’t real no matter what. No matter what, situations are passive. And for Gods sake, no one is out to get you on some conspiracy unless you go through the actions to facilitate others to be open to treat you that badly. Sometimes things come true and people hurt, but it’s actually rare that the paranoid suspicions of an amphetamines user ring 100% true except amongst each other.

it’s funny actually in a way. But with something like this, it’s actually your friends / aquaintances who wind up becoming dangerous if everyone’s paranoid about each other and out of their minds. Number one is your choices, next is your actions and how you keep who in your loop, next is other users. A trap house is a bad day no matter when you stay,

Yes I often suspected that taking a drug that sends your brain activity up to 2000% and then locking yourself in your room and giving your brain no stimulation but porn or some other repetitive/mindless activity is a recipe for disaster as the over amped/under stimulated brain is going to start looking for something to entertain it sooner rather than later and so every bump.in the night becomes an epic event.

I never have paranoia on meth if I take it and go to the beach of hang with friends and do something interesting and fun.