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Signs of mental illness: What symptoms can help you recognize it?
The workings of the nervous system are complex and variable, and the manifestations of psychosis are part of this complexity. Understanding psychosis, its causes and associated symptoms is important for early identification and seeking treatment. Recent research shows that even in healthy people, excessive caffeine consumption may trigger psychotic symptoms, including delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations.
Understanding mental illness
Psychosis broadly refers to a set of symptoms that affect thinking and perception, often causing sufferers to lose touch with reality. During a psychotic episode, the patient's thinking and perception will be disturbed, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.
The development of psychosis can be related to a variety of causes, including mental illness (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder), physical illness (eg, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease), and the effects of certain substances (eg, stimulants).
Caffeine use and risks
Caffeine is quite common in today's society. According to statistics, about 85% of the US population consumes caffeine every day. Overconsumption of caffeine, especially in people who already suffer from mental illness or mood disorders, can exacerbate their condition.
"Caffeine intake can worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia by causing symptoms such as restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, chattering and irritability."
In daily life, people most commonly consume caffeine through freshly brewed coffee, instant coffee, tea, soda and chocolate. The average daily caffeine intake for the average person in the United States is about 210 mg, while for people with higher tolerance it may exceed 500 mg.
Up to 80% of patients with schizophrenia are used to smoking, and smoking consumes caffeine in the body, which means they need to consume caffeine more frequently to achieve balance. Additionally, these people may increase their caffeine intake out of boredom or to counteract the sedative effects of antipsychotic medications.
Treatment and Prevention
A recent case study showed that in a 47-year-old man who consumed large amounts of caffeine, his psychotic symptoms improved significantly within seven weeks of reducing his caffeine intake and did not require the use of antipsychotic medications. For schizophrenia patients who are addicted to caffeine, the best treatment plan is to gradually reduce their caffeine intake to avoid the adverse effects of sudden withdrawal.
"Caffeine interacts with a variety of psychiatric medications, which means patients need to carefully control their caffeine intake when taking psychiatric medications."
For patients who have consumed excessive amounts of caffeine but have not experienced psychosis, their doctor may prescribe antipsychotic medications to help relieve their condition. For patients with existing psychosis, antipsychotic treatment should be continued while caffeine intake is slowly adjusted.
Psychiatric illness is a diverse field, and understanding its formation and influencing factors can be of great help to patients and families. Of course, as society's awareness of mental health increases, will you start to pay attention to the mental state of yourself and those around you?
