Have you ever had the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something bad was about to happen?
This isn’t an uncommon sensation, and it’s based on the environment around you. Maybe your older sibling was being too nice and you were concerned about a prank they could be pulling. If you’ve ever been called into your boss’s office, you might feel a spike of panic as you try to deduce what could be the cause.
These types of concerns are totally normal and we’ve all experienced them.
Paranoia takes this sensation and dials it up to 100.
4% of Americans are reported to have paranoid personality disorder. Paranoia can be debilitating and terrifying to live through. Our team at San Antonio Recovery Center has seen exactly how paranoia impacts a person’s day-to-day life. Today we’re going to talk about what drugs cause paranoia, why it happens, and what you can do to address it.
Emotions and how they happen are a complex thing. The brain produces many different chemicals on its own that influence how you feel at a given moment.
When you introduce substances into your system, they interact with how the brain and body functions. There are different classifications of substances that revolve around how exactly they do this. For example, depressants are a type of substance that slows down the body. This normally causes relaxation, slowed reflexes, slowed thinking, and the like.
Another common type of substance is a stimulant. These are opposite to depressants, causing the body to speed up. This leads to feelings of increased energy, appetite, racing thoughts, rapid heartbeat, and more.
Each type of substance will cause different responses within the brain. The longer you engage with substances, especially illicit ones, the more likely they are to cause a longer-lasting effect on how your mind functions. This is what often leads to behavioral changes and is a known cause of paranoia.
Paranoia is a belief, not founded in reality, that something negative is going to happen to you. The most common types of paranoia involve the belief that someone is watching you or out to get you. This could be a higher power like the government, or an unknown entity like aliens, deities, and more.
Those experiencing paranoia may turn on friends and family, believing they are in on it, too. During bouts of paranoia, it’s not uncommon for people to become more aggressive or have mood swings.
The side effect of paranoia isn’t exclusive to one type of drug. There are several different categories of substances that may lead to paranoia, usually for different reasons. We’re going to talk about why and what surrounding side effects you should look out for to better spot this condition.
Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, and cocaine are both stimulants that can cause paranoia.
When a stimulant is present in your body, it speeds up the central nervous system, which is the messaging system in the body. This system is responsible for your reflexes, the ability to act on your thoughts, and more.
When this system is sped up, it mimics many of the side effects that come from an adrenaline rush or panic attack. These include a racing heart, quickened breath, and shakiness.
At times, this mimicry can be so good that your brain may think it’s scared as a result. This is the most common reason that stimulants cause someone to feel paranoid while they’re under the influence.
The category of hallucinogens is a wide-ranging one. It includes substances like LSD, mushrooms, and ecstasy to name a few. Research is still ongoing to better identify and understand exactly how these drugs influence our minds. We do know from observation, however, that they commonly alter a person’s perception of reality. This leads to hallucinations, sensory experiences that aren’t real, and delusions or beliefs that aren’t real. While not all who take hallucinogens will have negative side effects, paranoia is always a possibility.
Alcohol, opioids, and other substances aren’t as well known for their ability to cause paranoia, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play a role.
Substance use, as a whole, has the ability to influence your mental health. Alcohol and opioids, specifically, both fall under the classification of depressants. In addition to what we explained earlier, depressants are also a source of developing or worsening anxiety and depression. These mental health conditions are well-documented as having the potential to cause paranoia.
Additionally, societal factors may also play a large role in how substance use coincides with paranoia. If you’re constantly trying to hide your substance or alcohol use from a loved one, you may be more likely to jump to conclusions or picture the worst-case scenario, leading to paranoid thoughts and actions.
As you may know, paranoia isn’t just a side effect that occurs because of substance use. Paranoia can also be a side effect of a range of mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, and even PTSD.
Your brain health also plays a role in how and when you may encounter paranoia. The biggest example of this is those who have difficulties sleeping. Low sleep and sleep deprivation are common sources of hallucinations and delusions, which include paranoia.
External factors will also lead to paranoia, like low oxygen levels or high stress. While the exact source of paranoia isn’t well-defined, we know that it comes from odd behaviors and stressors in the brain.
It may seem like the two are one and the same, but there’s a big difference between having feelings of fear or worry and experiencing paranoia. In fact, someone can have paranoid thoughts without actually having paranoia. Let’s explain.
Fear and worry can be traced back to a source. Even if that source is anxiety, which means that the fear or worry is exacerbated or founded on things not commonly feared or worried about, this doesn’t mean they’re not based in reality. Intrusive thoughts often happen to those with untreated mental health conditions but may also occur randomly in most people. These one-off thoughts, normally of things undesirable, can include paranoid thoughts.
Paranoia is a persisting state of mind and belief system that isn’t shared by those around them. As stated before, these beliefs aren’t based on “reality,” however the person currently living with paranoia feels it’s true to their reality. This makes paranoia hard to self-diagnose as others disagreeing with your beliefs while you’re in a bout of paranoia won’t necessarily “bring you to your senses.”
If you’re experiencing regular episodes of paranoia, we’re here to reassure you that there is a way out. Seeking healing through a drug rehab program will give you the tools you need to learn how to address not just your substance use, but also manage or even eliminate your paranoia, as well.
A good treatment program will help you address every facet of your physical and mental health. Substance use is not a simple condition. It causes lasting changes that take time and support to undo. This is why a program offering a full continuum of care is key to long-lasting healing.
Our team here at San Antonio Recovery Center offers that support for you. We have one of the largest alumni networks in the city, showing how truly connected we are with our patients during every stage of their healing journey. Our program treats you as a whole, with dual diagnosis programs designed to tackle your substance use and mental health concerns at the same time. Give us a call today at 866-957-7885 and we’ll help you get started right away.
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