[Emotional condition in alcohol withdrawal acute psychosis]

It is widely known that the acute psychotic states in alcohol withdrawal period, especially delirium tremens and acute hallucinosis, are often accompanied by intense anxiety and fear. On the other hand it is also noted that the emotional condition in delirium tremens is characterized with "Galgenhumor", namely the feeling of mixture of anxiety and euphoria. Fifty-nine patients with alcohol withdrawal acute psychosis, who admitted in Serigaya Hospital, Kanagawa Prefectural Center of Psychiatry, during the period August 1991-January 1993, were investigated clinically in focusing on the emotional condition. The emotional condition has been grasped in following four categories. 1. Moderate to intense anxiety, at least once during the course of withdrawal psychotic state: The patient shows manifest anxiety and irritability on his expression or behaviour and he complains his feeling of fear. 2. Only slight anxiety: The patient affirms his inner anxiety and fear, if he is asked. He is sometimes slightly restless but spends the time in the single room without any trouble. 3. No anxiety throughout the course of acute psychotic state. 4. Euphoric mood in the foreground, included cases which have slight anxiety together sometimes. Of 59 cases 6 belonged to the moderate and intense anxiety-group, 23 cases to the slight anxiety-group, 24 cases to the no anxiety-group and 6 to the euphoric-group. This result indicates that anxiety in the alcohol withdrawal acute psychosis may be fewer in frequency and lighter in intensity in comparison with the past reports. The material is divided into two groups, delirium tremens and acute hallucinosis, with regard to the confusion of thinking and behaviour.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)