Idiosyncratic intoxication

From Drug Rehab Wiki

Idiosyncratic intoxication is a rare form of alcoholic psychosis that occurs when a person drinks a small amount of alcohol and yet becomes intoxicated and aggressive. He will experience hallucinations, illusions, and delusions, and then go into a long sleep. The cure is just to "sleep it off." Idiosyncratic intoxication can happen very quickly, last a few minutes to several hours, and then be followed by amnesia. It most often occurs in elderly people and those with impaired impulse control.

Alcohol psychosis typically occurs when people are extremely intoxicated from drinking too much or going through withdrawal from alcohol. Some will hallucinate, and hence all the jokes about "pink elephants on parade." Alcohol hallucinosis can develop 12 to 24 hours after drinking stops, and it is different than delirium tremens (the DTs). Its symptoms are visual and auditory hallucinations. In one case, a female alcoholic was hospitalized without her usual supply of beverages and began to hallucinate. She kept complaining about rabbits racing across her room, and that nurses were constantly intruding, even though she was alone.

Other forms of alcohol psychosis are Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's psychosis, and alcoholic dementia. Wernicke's encephalopathy is a brain disorder caused by lack of vitamin B1, and can happen suddenly. The person will be confused, drowsy, have double vision and abnormal eye movements. Without treatment, the person will die or go on to develop Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome, characterized by severe memory loss, and the inability to recall events and to form new memories. Alcoholic dementia is brain damage caused by drinking too much.