Hallucination, paranoia, depression and loss of mind control are some effects of the drugs mentioned in the alleged drug chat of actress Rhea Chakraborty, which adds a new twist to the death case of her late boyfriend, actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Importantly, these effects fit right into the narrative around his mental health, be it his reported hallucinatory episode in Europe or his alleged struggle with depression.
In the WhatsApp chats made public, Rhea allegedly talks of using MDMA and also discusses marijuana.
"In case we speak about hard drugs, I haven't been doing too much. Tried MDMA once," she allegedly messaged a man named Gaurav Arya, asking him: "You have MD?"
A message sent to her by one Jaya Saha on November 25 last year read: "Use 4 drops in coffee, tea or water and let him sip it. Give it 30-40 minutes for it to kick in." It is being presumed that the "him" refers to Sushant.
According to doctors, MDMA is a psychotropic drug.
"MDMA is classified as a stimulant. Without making a reference to Sushant Singh Rajput as we can't ascertain right now, whether he was taking it or not, I can tell you that the drug works by increasing metabolism and neurochemicals. It is a psychoactive substance, one can feel more energetic, excited, and also have hallucinatory experiences," doctor and director (Asia Pacific) at World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) Sunil Mittal told IANS.
"People report a crash when they come off the high, and sometimes a moment of dullness. The effect starts with euphoria, happiness, rapid talking, perception changes, and hallucinations. People feel more connected. Some of the psychological withdrawals include paranoia, depression and restlessness," added Mittal, who is also director at Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS).
Madhulika Sharma, former doctor from Central Forensic Science Laboratory, New Delhi, also mentioned that the drugs directly affect the nervous system.
"One can remain confused, you don't have your own thinking, have shaky hands. When the effect wears out, your nervous system becomes dull. You don't have control over it," she said.
Leading psychiatrist Samir Parikh added: "MDA is a stimulant that when used cause addiction, dependence, and impairment of thinking and judgement."
Sushant was found dead in his Bandra flat on June 14. His girlfriend Rhea and her family has been accused by the late actor's father of abetting his son's suicide, among other charges.
Madhulika feels one should go for re-examination to ascertain if there was any drug in Sushant's body.
"The viscera report states no drug was found in the body. It is better if one goes for re-examination from somewhere else other than Maharashtra. If that shows nothing, then there is no point in digging this up," she said.
Meanwhile, Rhea's lawyer on Tuesday night said that the actress has never consumed drugs and is ready for any test to prove the fact.
