> Where is the data for the point about making psychotic chronic?

The term for psychosis which is worsened by its treatment is Supersensitivity psychosis, or tardive psychosis [0]. I think it originated in the early 1980's. Whitaker references some of the early studies in 'The Case Against Antipsychotics' (link in several of my earlier comments).

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_psychosis

There is no controversy that some psychotic presentations are caused by alcohol, cocaine and meth amphetamine, and other substances [1]. Emergency departments typically test for substances, and also for urinary tract infections.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance-induced_psychosis

When the cause of a psychotic presentation is determined, the psychosis is said to be 'secondary' to its cause. If no cause is determined, the psychosis is said to be 'idiopathic' [2]:

Finally, we discuss how careful studies of secondary
psychotic disorders can help elucidate the
pathophysiology of primary, or idiopathic, psychotic
disorders such as schizophrenia.

[2] Secondary psychoses: an update, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3619167/

> but when you look at a persons total ability to function and their global quality of life, antipsychotic medications are helpful.

When I met my friend, I figured she was "high as a kite", because she fluttered from topic to topic like a butterfly. I gradually learned that she really was supplementing her methadone (an opiate) with cocaine, and a constant dose of alcohol.

At the time, I didn't know anything about psychosis. But looking back, I now recognize that were times that she became psychotic due to cocaine, and that she recovered with sobriety.

Methadone is known to cause sugar cravings, but I think it also contributed to the 2-bottle-a-day liquor habit she developed after a month on the drug.

When my friend ran out of alcohol, she became profoundly psychotic. The hospital she was taken to used anti-psychotics. But these drugs were not indicated because they do not treat the cause of the presenting symptom (they found cocaine metabolites, and ought to have found evidence of alcohol use, which I think can be detected at up to 3 days).

There was a story submission here about how cocaine destroys mitochondria. I think this is fairly well-established. Today there's this:

Frequent sauna bathing can reduce the risk of dementia (sciencebulletin.org) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13204396

Dementia is the name for a type of psychosis, when it is experienced by old people [3]. Sauna bathing is good for dementia because it supports the metabolism. Old people frequently become cold, which indicates poor metabolism, and reduced ATP (energy molecule used by cells to power everything).

[3] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/564899_3

From my observations, anything that helps the metabolism is also good for psychosis.

Neuroleptics (so-called "Anti-psychotics") are palliative medications that just slow people down to match their reduced energy capacity. They hurt people, and should all be withdrawn from use, in favor of treating the cause of their condition.

Edit: Adding a link to "Psychosurgery as Brain-disabling Therapy" [4], for my own future reference:

Psychosurgery merits special attention
because, as the prototype of brain-
damaging therapeutics, it can shed
light on the clinical effects of other
brain-disabling treatments such as
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and
the major tranquilizers [aka neuroleptics -tcj_phx].

[4] http://psychrights.org/Research/Digest/Lobotomy/PBregginPsyc...