What stressors can trigger a psychotic episode?

In people who are vulnerable to experiencing a psychosis, an episode can be triggered by factors such as drug use or withdrawal from substances. Using or withdrawing from drugs such as cannabis, LSD, cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy and alcohol can all potentially trigger or indeed cause a psychotic episode. Research has shown that people who use cannabis are more likely to experience a psychotic episode than people who do not use cannabis.  However, this is not conclusive evidence that cannabis causes psychosis.  There are a number of possible explanations for this association.
It is important to bear in mind that the use of substances is only one possible factor contributing to an increased risk of psychosis in individuals who are vulnerable. Sometimes high doses of certain prescription medicines can also trigger a psychotic episode e.g. steroids and amphetamines or anti-asthmatic medication.
In many cases, it can be very difficult for a medical professional to tease apart the relationship between the symptoms and the drugs: similar to the ‘chicken and the egg’ dilemma.  For instance, it is conceivable that some psychotic symptoms were present before taking the drug, but were not identified as such.
Very often, psychosis can be triggered by stress, extreme or otherwise.  Different people deal with different types of stressors in different ways. Extreme stress such as the loss of a job, a big change in living arrangements, or a great deal of stress in important relationships can trigger a psychotic episode; however, stresses and strains within relationships, alone, do not cause psychosis, though they may contribute. The amount and type of stressor that can trigger a psychotic episode varies from person to person because, as noted, people differ in the degree of their vulnerability or predisposition to experiencing a psychotic episode, and how they deal with stress.