Drugs blamed for psychotic epidemic

[TripsterC]

Drugs blamed for psychotic epidemic
December 26, 2004

HEAVY amphetamine use is being blamed for a huge increase in the number of Australians hospitalised with psychotic disorders.

Figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show national hospital admissions for psychosis caused by stimulant drugs increased from 200 in 1998/99 to 1312 in 2002/03.

However, a NSW Health spokesman said it was possible the 1998/99 figure was artificially low because it was the first year data was collected and did not include all states.

St Vincent's Hospital-based drug and alcohol specialist Dr Alex Wodak said the amphetamine phenomenon was sending mental health services into crisis.

He said amphetamine psychosis could make people quite violent.


"It's one of the reasons we've seen an increase in violence towards ambulance workers and nurses and admissions to mental health (clinics)," he said.

"Mental health has been in a crisis over this. My hospital in Kings Cross has always struggled to provide the resources to meet the demand."

Dr Wodak's comments were backed by National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre chief Paul Dillon, who said mental health remained vastly underfunded.

Mr Dillon said NDARC planned to release detailed information on amphetamine psychosis in the new year.

He said massive quantities of amphetamines started flooding into the country from about 2000, replacing the hole in the market left by the heroin drought.

Amphetamine psychosis is characterised by paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and bizarre behaviour.

However, symptoms usually disappear a few days after use of the drug ceases.

The Sunday Telegraph



http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11779146%5E421,00.html

 

[terbs]

"However, a NSW Health spokesman said it was possible the 1998/99 figure was artificially low because it was the first year data was collected and did not include all states."

lol

 

[TripsterC]

I think the reason why people get angry in mental health clinics is cause they get put onto drugs to stop them from being violent and to try make them back to normal again and patients find it hard to deal with these medication and feel they don`t that sort of treatment. So in other words people dont just end up in mental health clinics, it takes something big to happend in there life involving disturbing behaviour. So most of the times it ends in tragedy

 

[drugfuked]

tripterC - your statement really made no sense at all. the news article reffered to amphetamine psycosis specifically. not just angry mental patients.

i think u will find that these people are admitted to mental health clinics because of their behaviour. if u have ever seen someone with amphetamine psycosis u would definately know that these people are violent and unpredictable. i have witnessed a friend believe his best friend had turned against him, the cops were after him, someone was gonna bash him for money someone else owed. he was a mess.. ranting and raving angry shit all day.

a mental health institute was maybe 1 more day of hard wizzing away. fortunately i got him off the shit.

 

[alexkid]

drug psychosis

drugfuked: Onya for saving a mate coz I just ran when a gf lost the plot on weed/amphetamines.

MsgLog started [Wed Sep 4 21:14:10 2002]
[TimeStamp Wed Sep 4 22:00:00 2002]
[MSGS ] hey
[MSGS ] tell me what fabian said
[MSGS ] when you had to push me into heroin head?
[MSGS ] you will burn mate
[MSGS ] for your attitude
[MSGS ] i would repent my sins every day if i were you

No idea what that was all about but this is my point. It's been a year since she was put in hospital and last i heard she was on heavy med to sedate her 24/7

 

[Fry-d-]

I've seen a few people completely lose the plot from excessive amphetamine use. One friend even admitted himself to an institution when he finally realised it was the drugs was making him hear and see things that were not there.

The stories I hear from people who work in the hospitals/ER late at night are sickening.

I beleive smoking methamphetamines is probably the start of most problems.

 

[rm1x]

The availabilty of higher purity methamphetamine in Brisbane has caused a sharp increase in people being admitted to hospital for psychotic episodes.
There's also been a large increase seen with the homeless getting fucked up with whizz.

 

[SYDspeedcore]

ive been doing meth for about 3 years now and i havent had any problems what so ever in reguards to psychosis or addiction, however i dont smoke or inject i only eat, and its the base meth (brownish sticky stuff). further more i only use at raves so the duration of the experiance is not more then say 12 hrs and i would not stay up longer then 2 days.

IMO i think most of the problems start when people start doing binges and start smoking the stuff.

 

[Leprechaun]

I think this has almost 90% to do with the amount of time people go without sleep.

The more sleep you miss out, the more dangerous you become. The effects of sleep deprivation can last for quite a while after getting sleep.

Meth is one of those things I am glad to avoid. It really has no returns for the high. Atleast with MDMA, there is still a sense that after the experience things are still well, that things have changed and that you did the right things during the experience. On the come down of meth, everything is the opposite of what it was. There is no way you can relate to the high once your on the low. Its a strange substance. I would say that on a certain level that Meth could be analogous to a demonic presence.