Abstract

Substance use disorders and psychotic disorders frequently co-occur, complicating clinical presentations. Pica is rarely reported in adults with psychiatric conditions. We present a 24-year-old Nigerian male, single patient with polysubstance use,psychosis,and pica manifesting as polyethylene water sachet ingestion over three months. Multidisciplinary management, including haloperidol, benzhexol, carbamazepine, behavioural interventions, and environmental modification, led to gradual improvement. This case highlights diagnostic and management challenges when overlapping psychiatric and behavioural conditions co-occur which emphasizes the need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches in similar presentations.

Key words: Substance Use Disorder; Polysubstance use; Psychosis; Pica; Polyethylene water sachet Ingestion; Cannabis Dependence; Comorbidity.