Different types of alcoholic psychosis

Alcoholic psychosis is a general name of psychosis caused by overconsumption and abuse of alcoholic beverages. There are several types of alcoholic psychosis dividing in dependence of symptom complex:

• Delirium
• Hallucinosis
• Delusional psychosis
• Encephalopathy
• Pathological intoxication

Delirium is alcoholic psychosis characterized by hallucinatory stupor of consciousness with the prevalence of visual hallucinations, delusional disorders followed by motor excitation and preservation of consciousness. Classic alcoholic delirium usually develops on the background of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in sudden drinking cessation or during abstinence period. Delirium can also be provoked by certain somatic disorders, traumas. The initial symptoms of delirium include deterioration of nocturnal sleep, frequent mood changes, dysfunction of autonomic nervous system. Later it may occur insomnia, visual illusion and hallucinations, pareidolia. In most cases these are small insects and animals, rarely people, snakes, devils, dead relatives.

Alcoholic hallucinosis is a psychosis with a predominance of auditory verbal hallucinations, hallucinatory delusions and affective disorders (mainly in the form of anxiety). Alcoholic hallucinosis occupies the second place after delirium among all types of alcoholic psychosis. Initially parson hears only one voice making simple statements. Eventually, there are several voices in the form of dialogs. The voices talk to a patient, sometimes threaten or offend. The patients are predisposed to anxiety, fear, motor excitation. The symptoms are more expressed in the evening and night.

Alcoholic paranoia (Delusional psychosis) is the development of paranoid delusions. In most cases delusions are accompanied by verbal illusions and hallucinations, certain delirious symptoms (visual hallucinations). In some cases patients experience anxiety, fear and confusion. The duration of this type varies from several days to several months.

Alcoholic encephalopathy is a type of alcoholic psychosis characterized by a combination of psychotic disorders with systemic neurological and somatic dysfunction. Alcoholic encephalopathy develops in patients with II-III stage of alcoholism, especially during spring and first summer months. Alcoholism encephalopathy is usually characterized by asthenia, decreased appetite, headache, dizziness, vestibular disorders, diarrhea, vomiting.

Pathological intoxication is the acute short-term psychotic disorder in the form clouded state developing as a result of drinking certain alcoholic beverages. Pathological intoxication is characterized by sudden appearance of distorted, delusional perception of the situation in conjunction with fear, anxiety, anger, rage, with the development rapid motor excitation, often with aggressive actions against others. Patients say little, mostly about their painful sensations.