Psychotic break

A psychotic break is a term used to describe an occasion of a person experiencing an episode of acute primary psychosis, either for the first time or after a significant period of relative asymptomaticity. Several types of psychoactive drugs have been shown to correlate with psychotic breaks. Environmental triggers, such as losing a loved one, are also known to contribute.

Examples of drugs that have been associated with psychotic breaks are LSD, dextromethorphan (in higher doses), PCP, and opiates (mainly from experiencing withdrawal symptoms), though many other things can cause temporary psychosis. Symptoms of psychotic breaks vary greatly, usually depending on the circumstances of diagnosis or any contributary substance ingested. Symptoms can range from harmless, sometimes unnoticed delusions, to violent outbursts and major depression.