Alcoholic hallucinosis

Alcoholic hallucinosis
Other namesalcohol-related psychosis, alcohol-induced psychotic disorder
Ethanol
SpecialtyPsychiatry Edit this on Wikidata
Treatmentbenzodiazepines

Alcoholic hallucinosis is a complication of alcohol misuse in people with alcohol use disorder.[1][2] It can occur during acute intoxication or withdrawal with the potential of having delirium tremens. Alcohol hallucinosis is a rather uncommon alcohol-induced psychotic disorder almost exclusively seen in chronic alcoholics who have many consecutive years of severe and heavy drinking during their lifetime.[3] Alcoholic hallucinosis develops about 12 to 24 hours after the heavy drinking stops suddenly, and can last for days. It involves auditory and visual hallucinations, most commonly accusatory or threatening voices.[4] The risk of developing alcoholic hallucinosis is increased by long-term heavy alcohol abuse and the use of other drugs.[5] Descriptions of the condition date back to at least 1907.[6]

  1. ^ Glass IB (January 1989). "Alcoholic hallucinosis: a psychiatric enigma--1. The development of an idea". Br J Addict. 84 (1): 29–41. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb00549.x. PMID 2644996.
  2. ^ Bayard M, McIntyre J, Hill KR, Woodside J (March 2004). "Alcohol withdrawal syndrome". Am Fam Physician. 69 (6): 1443–50. PMID 15053409. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  3. ^ Puri BK (2012). Textbook of Clinical Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. Hodder Arnold.
  4. ^ Alcohol Merck Manual, February 2003.
  5. ^ Tsuang JW, Irwin MR, Smith TL, Schuckit MA (January 1994). "Characteristics of men with alcoholic hallucinosis". Addiction. 89 (1): 73–8. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1994.tb00851.x. PMID 7755673.
  6. ^ Emil Kraepelin; Allen Ross Diefendorf (1907). Clinical psychiatry; a text-book for students and physicians. Macmillan. pp. 189–. Retrieved 5 November 2010.