Sleep apnea causes psychosis

[EricinNC]

I just wanted everybody here to know that I am psychotic now because I have been sleep deprived for approximately three months. And that chronic sleep deprivation causes psychosis. Just so you know...

Eric

[scrapper]

Given that you recognize this psychosis, why don't you check with mental health professionals to confer on your self diagnosis. Psychosis is not a usual effect of sleep apnea.

[Breathe Jimbo]

If you were psychotic, you probably would not make such a calm statement that you are psychotic. Still, it is a good idea to talk to a shrink if you think you are psychotic.

[EricinNC]

Psychosis is not a usual effect of sleep apnea.

That is not true at all. Psychosis is a common effect OSA when its untreated, longterm. Technically, many of the people here have been or are still, psychotic. The irritability, mental confusion, sometimes paranoia oftentimes seen in untreated OSA sufferers could be enough to classify someone as psychotic. The military has long been known to recognize chronic sleep deprivation causes psychosis even in individuals with no mental illness.

Eric

[EricinNC]

If you were psychotic, you probably would not make such a calm statement that you are psychotic. Still, it is a good idea to talk to a shrink if you think you are psychotic.

I already talked about it with my shrink. I dont think he cares Im psychotic, he just wants me to use my sleep apnea gear. He says sleep apnea can cause psychosis. Instead of taking an anti-psychotic drug, I am prescribed CPAP. Many psychiatrists know that chronic sleep deprivation causes psychosis and mood changes, hence that is the reason some become involved in sleep medicine, aside from the $$$$$$$$.

But right now I am psychotic.

Eric

[Otter]

Heal well, Eric.

[EricinNC]

Think about it. You can only stay awake but for so long before you die. Animal studies have proven that. Sleeping sub optimally as in OSA, while might not lead to immediate and swift death, leads to gradual health decline and the strain it puts on your brain causes mental decline. You can only take but so much sleep deprivation before you "lose it."

Eric

[Otter]

Sleeping sub optimally as in OSA, while might not lead to immediate and swift death, leads to gradual health decline and the strain it puts on your brain causes mental decline. You can only take but so much sleep deprivation before you "lose it."

No argument from me on that, or with the idea that you experience psychotic episodes as a result of sleep deprivation. I'm not a psychologist, but I've worked in the field. What you're saying perfect sense to me and fits with what I've seen of your posts since I joined the forum a week or so ago. Maybe there's more to it than the OSA, but if so, you can deal with that once you're sleeping well again.

In the meantime, the fact that you know what's going on can help. Try to remember that it only seems like everyone is against you because you haven't slept in 3 months. I don't know how you saw the world a few years ago, but if it's gotten a lot worse, that's the SD talking. When you bounce off people in your angry fog, they often react negatively, and that supports your grumpy paranoia, but that's also a side effect of your sleep deprivation. They, well, most of them , wouldn't be pissed off at you if hadn't lost it in the first place. Nasty feedback loop, eh? But I've seen many people here respond to you with compassion. If you can notice that, it will help counteract the negative influence of sleep dep on your perceptions. It might not cure your OSA or your psychosis, but at the very least, it could make the experience more positive.

You can only take but so much sleep deprivation before you "lose it."

I'll wager just about everyone here has some personal experience with that.

[Lizistired]

... When you bounce off people in your angry fog, they often react negatively, and that supports your grumpy paranoia, but that's also a side effect of your sleep deprivation.

Well put Otter, The first thing I noticed on CPAP was that I wasn't angry. I experienced calm, and realized how unfamiliar that had become.

[EricinNC]

By psychotic, I need to be specific. I dont experience hallucinations, hear things or imagine aliens landed in my backyard. I do not cause disturbances or think the CIA is watching me. What I mean by psychotic is like being in a chronic fog, mild confusion, irritability, some agitation, some mild paranoia at times. I become a little fixated on how horrible I feel and become angry because I feel it could be prevented. To me that is my own psychosis. It also ties in closely with my mood, they go hand in hand. As the OSA gets out of control, my mood deteriorates as well and gradually if I let it go on long enough I experience what I believe to be a psychosis. An OSA induced psychosis.


By psychosis, I definitely do not mean psychosis in the schizophrenia or methamphetamine toxic induced psychotic state. Where you are extremely paranoid, seeing and hearing things, etc. I cant relate to that.

I wonder if there is a DSM dx of SBD induced mood problem or SBD induced psychosis? If not,probably would be a good idea to get it in the DSM in the future.

Eric

[Otter]

Understood. Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality. But this does not necessarily mean that you hear voices, hallucinate aliens, or believe that Col. Sanders shot JFK and is coming for you because you found out. Often, it's more of a disconnect from social reality, distorting your perception of ordinary events, the motivations of others, and even yourself. This fits what you're saying and how you've posted in some of the threads. Hence, I'd guess that this is what your shrink is talking about.

Just because your perceptions seem more grumpy than outrageous to the rest of the world doesn't mean that you aren't psychotic or that you don't feel like you are in hell. If this keeps up for another three months, consider hallucinating some aliens. They might be a welcome change at that point.

[EricinNC]

Understood. Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality. But this does not necessarily mean that you hear voices, hallucinate aliens, or believe that Col. Sanders shot JFK and is coming for you because you found out. Often, it's more of a disconnect from social reality, distorting your perception of ordinary events, the motivations of others, and even yourself. This fits what you're saying and how you've posted in some of the threads. Hence, I'd guess that this is what your shrink is talking about.

Just because your perceptions seem more grumpy than outrageous to the rest of the world doesn't mean that you aren't psychotic or that you don't feel like you are in hell. If this keeps up for another three months, consider hallucinating some aliens. They might be a welcome change at that point.

If this keeps up for another three months, someone is getting sued by me. There is absolutely no logical reason why you should suddenly deteriorate after a major machine switch, when the gear your switched to is supposedly "better."

Eric

[mcdover]

Understood. Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality. But this does not necessarily mean that you hear voices, hallucinate aliens, or believe that Col. Sanders shot JFK and is coming for you because you found out. Often, it's more of a disconnect from social reality, distorting your perception of ordinary events, the motivations of others, and even yourself. This fits what you're saying and how you've posted in some of the threads. Hence, I'd guess that this is what your shrink is talking about.

Just because your perceptions seem more grumpy than outrageous to the rest of the world doesn't mean that you aren't psychotic or that you don't feel like you are in hell. If this keeps up for another three months, consider hallucinating some aliens. They might be a welcome change at that point.

If this keeps up for another three months, someone is getting sued by me. There is absolutely no logical reason why you should suddenly deteriorate after a major machine switch, when the gear your switched to is supposedly "better."

Eric

Be a man for once in your life and stop making threads and posts about a lawsuit, and just do it!

[SleepingUgly]

There is absolutely no logical reason why you should suddenly deteriorate after a major machine switch, when the gear your switched to is supposedly "better."

We're in agreement here. There is no LOGICAL reason why a change in "gear" would cause someone to deteriorate. Prove or disprove that it's the gear by using the PR1 starting tonight for the next week. If it's the S9, you'll have your answer, and you'll have a machine to use that makes you feel better. If it's not the S9, you can start eliminating other possibilities and get to the root of your difficulties.

Why did you not go to your sleep study? Was there even a sleep study scheduled?

[robysue]

Seconding everything SleepingUgly said: Use the PR System One for a week.

If you feel better, wonderful. (And you get to continue to bash the S9 to your heart's content.)

If you don't feel any better, you know the problem is bigger than just the change to the S9.

And why did you skip out of the sleep study---if it was actually scheduled?