Psychosis after long term cannabis use

[MJ28]

My ex-partner & I broke nearly a year ago but have remained on good terms and see each other a few times a month, as we own a house and a dog together. I live in the house and he lives with a family member. For approx the last 3 years his personality and behaviour has begun to change. He gets very moody and snappy over small things, has lost a lot of weight and has become quite manic, tearing around doing multiple things at once. Because of a chronic pain condition his sleep was never good, but now he goes a few nights without sleeping and then crashes for 24 hours. He’s become disorganised and loses his car keys or wallet or phone, leading to various dramas where he gets stranded somewhere or doesn’t have money or has conflict at workplaces. He’s smoked daily cannabis for many years which he was able to manage over that time. He denies using any other substances.

His behaviour in the last week has really alarmed me now though. He came over to the house and said that he saw people watching us in bushland beyond our back fence and insisted I look too, but there was no-one there. He found a hole in a door knob which he said was evidence of a camera being hidden in there, but there was no camera. He said he smelt things in the house that weren’t there. He thinks people are plotting to break into the shed. He then claimed the neighbour across the road had shouted something at him, and then called the police because he said the neighbour had tampered with his petrol cap. I looked at the petrol cap later but there were no marks on it, and it’s not in the neighbour’s character to shout at us. It was just totally bizarre and I said to him, you need help, you’re going through psychosis and seeing and hearing things that aren’t real. But he refuses to see a GP because to him, these things are all real and I’m the one who’s choosing not to face up to reality.

He’s in his mid 50s and I’m wondering whether it’s drug induced psychosis or he’s developed some type of schizoaffective disorder. He’s turned into someone that I don’t recognise from what he used to be. Does anyone else here have experience with a loved one who has smoked cannabis for many years seemingly without ill effect but then suddenly changes in mid life? Even his appearance has changed. 

I don’t know how to help him if he doesn’t recognise that he’s got a problem himself, and see a GP for an anti psychotic med or to stop smoking or to help him sleep. But he’s a danger to himself or possibly others if these delusions and hallucinations continue. People close to him have also noticed changes and odd behaviours but he won’t listen to any of us.

[Scared]

People on stimulant drugs often can act this way and lose alot of weight.

Being sleep deprived from stimulants can also give hallucinations and his behaviour sounds familiar to me from what ive witnessed in the past.  Schitzophrenia can and does come from cannabis use and usually presents early on in its use.  But the point is that he is not well regardless of how he became unwell.  YOU cant help anyone that doesnt want help period.   You can try to get them help or talk or plead even but if they dont want to change you cant  make them.  Unfortuneately it is usually police intervention that gets the ball rolling.  My g/f is currently in pysch ward for schizophrenia and there was nothing we could have done to prevent it from happening.  The police intervened again sadly.  But you cant enable this behaviour either by allowing it to continue as it is.  I have seen this thing many many times b4 and nothing ever gets done until there is police involvement .  Many people in pysc ward were there for exactly the same reason as you describe.  The patients all swear they have done nothing wrong and dont belong in hospital but clearly they do.

Protect yourself is my advice.

[MJ28]

Thankyou 😕