Drugs Reportedly Triggered Johnny Lewis Psychosis Break

We're told the "Sons of Anarchy" star was "mentally healthy" -- until an episode early this year, when he dabbled with an undisclosed drug. Our sources say the incident triggered a "psychotic break" and he never recovered from it.

Family sources tell us ... after the episode Johnny changed dramatically -- he became mentally unstable and began to "self-medicate" to deal with the problem.

The family says doctors told them Johnny's condition was classified as "co-occurring disorders." Translation -- by abusing drugs to treat the mental condition, Johnny was simultaneously troubled on 2 fronts.

As for the nature of the mental disorder -- family sources say they were never able to get Johnny stable enough to get a clear diagnosis.