Hi, I'm Dzifa and you're watching Drugslab Extra
 
 
In Drugslab Extra we're taking a closer look at the world around drugs
So if you have a question about the aspect around drugs
Let us know in the comments, so who knows, we will figure it out for you next time
At Drugslab we discuss the effects drugs has on the body and mind
We often talk about the fun side of drugs,
but we also talk about the risks
So you could see recently how Paulien struggled with her addiction
If you haven't seen this
then click here
One of the risks we mention often is the risk of psychosis
A psychosis is a condition in which someone loses touch with reality
And Florian is someone who can tell us more about it
Florian, you've had a psychosis
- Yes, that's right
Thank you for wanting to talk about it with us
- Yes
How long ago has it been now?
It has been four and a half years ago since it started developing, but four years ago it was at is worst.
The run-up to it took several months
Were you involved with drugs before that time?
- Yes, I was involved with drugs way earlier. Since I was 13 years old I've come in contact with drugs.
I was just in my first year of high school when I smoked my first joint.
Since I was fifteen I started blowing on a daily basis
And when I was 17 I started using hard drugs too. The worst period was when I was around 20
That's when a period started where I abused substances like ecstacy, speed,
..psycedelic drugs,
.. and almost every party drug that was available at the time
- Did you combine drugs?
- I did. Sometimes I used several times a week, I never followed any guidelines
and I used - I overdosed all the time.
- That's heavy
- Yeah
What was the reason you used so much drugs?
- I wanted to run away from the situation at home, that wasn't good
My home situation was messed up because of the drugs
So it was kind of like a vicious circle
I had a large network of people, friends, who also used drugs
I wanted to see how far I could go
Can you tell me about the day your psychosis started?
Yeah, I can. That was four years ago when I quit using drugs
I noticed I was getting enormous mood swings
I got very irritable, my energy level was erratic
So I thought to get better, I have to quit cold turkey
The moment I quit I got so much energy
All of a sudden I noticed
.. I started to hallucinate, and I got bad anxiety.
That's when everything changed
Not so much with me.. but, well..
I just got home from visiting my grandmother, who had just passed away
The car ride seemed to take five hours
The way back felt like only ten minutes
My sense of time was all messed up
- So you knew that what you experienced wasn't normal
Weren't you worried about a psychosis, or going to a doctor?
I kind of knew my symptoms were related to psychosis,
but I was able to suppress it, kind of.
How did your parents react?
- My mom saw that it was serious
That's when she called the crisis service for medication
They came to the house and gave me sleep medication
It made me ... even less sharp
and it only made the psychosis worse
- oh, no
- Yeah
- I can imagine that when it gets worse-
- Yeah, I noticed that when I wanted to sleep, I saw the devil on my blanket
I saw the devil in my room. A voice in my head told me the devil was visiting
That voice kept narrating what was happening around me
He said: the devil is visiting and wants to test you.
He wants to know if you can resist temptation
There was this constant voice, telling a story
And I believed it
At one point the Crisis Service and police came to our home
I thought they needed me to help them understand themselves
- At one point you have to ask yourself, with all the police and ambulance
All because you're acting different
But at that point that seemed totally normal
- It was part of the story I was in
It seemed to make sense
It was almost a show, very theatrical
I was even wearing a suit because I thought I should look important
I should look prominent
So I was wearing a three-piece suit
But then they approached me and I felt intimidated
- They wanted to calm you down, or...?
They wanted to talk to me, to see the state I was in
But I couldn't talk to them
I threw a garden chair around, because I was scared
Then I got arrested
They gave me a shot of anti-psychotics in my leg
- Did you go out? What happened?
It makes you completely sedated, muted
That's when they took me to a mental institution
How long have you been in there?
Eight to ten weeks, in total. Pretty long time.
And how did you get out of the psychosis?
It took very long because the medication didn't work for me
It took nine months to recover
Nine months to a year
I've taken a long vacation to Portugal during that time to really find myself again
When did you start to feel all right again?
I excercised a lot, took up hiking, ate healthy
My mom cooked amazing meals
I was almost in a spa, where I could recover. I went to the sauna a lot
Took time for myself
How are you now? Are you afraid to relapse?
I relapsed a few times
But I'm stable now, I like being sober
I like to have a clear mind
I want to be clear
I want to take life the way it comes
Do you think drugs caused the psychosis?
I think it was a mix of different things.
Part is genetics, my brother had a psychosis too
Stress, not enough time for myself
Sleep deprivation, drugs, alcohol
No regard for my own boundaries
Do you have any advice for viewers who fear they might get a psychosis
or recognize symptoms?
People around me have thought they had a psychosis
It's good to be proactive, to know what it is
When you notice something is wrong, or different
Be honest to yourself, ask for help if necessary
I'm happy that you're okay now
- Me too
We're done with our talk.
I thought it was very brave of Florian to share this with us
I hope you have a somewhat clearer idea
of what psychosis is
If you feel that you have symptoms of a psychosis, or someone around you
Seek help
If you have questions about the world of drugs
Leave them in the comments
Thanks for watching... bye
