It’s a possibility, but not necessarily.
Let’s start with some quick definitions just to make sure we’re on the same page:
Psychosis: a break with reality characterized by hallucinations, false beliefs (delusions), impaired thinking and lack of motivation.
Substance-induced psychosis: The use of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, LSD, amphetamines and alcohol can sometimes cause psychotic symptoms to appear. In substance-induced psychosis, once the effects of the drugs wear off, the symptoms of psychosis can spontaneously resolve or may require medical treatment. Both the duration (how long symptoms last) and the intensity (severity) of psychosis symptoms are considered by experts when considering a possible diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis.
Schizophrenia: According to the Canadian Mental Health Association: “Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects the way you understand and interact with the world around you.
When an episode occurs, people may feel that things around them seem different or strange. They may start to experience problems concentrating, thinking or communicating clearly, or taking part in their usual activities.
At the height of the episode, people may experience breaks from reality called psychosis. These could be hallucinations (sensations, like voices, that aren’t real) and delusions (strong beliefs that aren’t true, like the belief that they have superpowers). Some people feel ‘flat’ or numb. They may also experience changes in mood, motivation, and the ability to complete tasks. After an episode, signs can continue for some time. People may feel restless, irritable, withdraw from others, or have a hard time concentrating.”
“I never realized it was psychosis, started getting paranoid when I started smoking weed… I didn’t realize until later and connected the dots.”
So, schizophrenia can be described as a type of psychosis that is often longer lasting. However, there are several types of psychosis. Some are brief and last just hours or days, while some may last months or years. Importantly, experiencing an episode of psychosis doesn’t necessarily mean it will become ongoing, partly because there are a variety of things that can cause psychosis that aren’t schizophrenia.
Some drugs (including cannabis) may induce psychosis, certain other mental health illnesses, such as Bipolar Disorder, as well, and even other things like extreme stress, sleep deprivation, or trauma.
If you’re still curious and/or worried, this page goes into a bit more detail and might be helpful. The bottom line is that, although you might be feeling scared or worried, one way or the other, there are many supports available to you.
We have put together some of them here to give you a place to start, and you can always contact us if you want to reach out and we’ll be happy to connect via email, although for immediate support we do recommend you contact your nearest support line here.
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