Abstract
In Japan, especially since 1995, there has been a rapid increase in users of methamphetamine (MAP), which has created a social problem. In the medical field, psychostimulant dependence is a serious problem. Therefore, we should properly understand various disorders that are derived from psychostimulant dependence.
In this article, we report a case of “flashback” in a patient with psychostimulant dependence. Though the pathophysiology of this phenomenon has not yet been fully clarified, the mechanism of stimulant-induced behavioral sensitization seems to play a main role. Once this mechanism is built, patients easily lapse into a psychotic state in response to using a small amount of the substance. Furthermore, even without use of the specific substance, such patients show the same symptoms in response to mild psychosocial stressors or other substances such as alcohol.
