Schizophrenia is a neurological disorder where one is unable to distinguish reality from imagination. The strange personality traits caused by schizophrenia can be alarming and confusing for both the sufferer and his surrounding loved ones. An estimated two million Americans suffer from this disorder.
Generally, schizophrenics first experience symptoms in their adolescent years.
Psychedelics and schizophrenia are often confused one for the other. Psychedelics are hallucinogenic drugs that cause symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations. Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that causes symptoms similar to madness.
What is Drug Abuse?
Drug abuse, aka substance abuse, is a disorder where one uses drugs or in an excessive and/ or harmful way in order to enjoy their pleasant effects. People suffering from substance abuse often lose their ability to control further drug intake.
Drug abuse includes:
- Taking a drug that was not prescribed to you.
- Taking an incorrect dosage of a drug.
- Stopping to take a drug too early.
Unfortunately, 190 million people around the globe below age 30 use drugs negatively despite the social, physical, and psychological consequences.
Examples of commonly abused drugs include:
- Alcohol
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Inhalants
- Prescription medicines
- Methamphetamine
Statistics of People with Schizophrenia Who Use Drugs
Schizophrenia and substance abuse often occur together. Studies have shown that schizophrenics have an extremely high rate of drug abuse disorders- far more than the general population. Examples of drugs abused by schizophrenics include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and cocaine.
An estimated 50% of schizophrenics have a history of drug abuse. One study found 47% of people with schizophrenia struggled with alcohol abuse. Other studies found the rate of smoking in schizophrenics a mind-boggling 90%!
Drug Use as a Mental Illness
Substance use disorder (SUD) is an illness. Drugs change the way the brain is wired, causing those addicted to crave more drugs, despite their dangerous repercussions. When SUD is paired with a mental illness, such as schizophrenia, the combination is referred to as a ‘co-occurring disorder.’ 50% of those with a substance use disorder will be suffering from an underlying mental health condition, and vice versa.
You may be wondering ‘can drugs cause schizophrenia?’
Indeed, use of any of the following drugs can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia: cannabis, LSD, amphetamines, and cocaine.
Schizophrenia Symptoms and Behaviors
Those suffering from schizophrenia may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Hallucinations: Hearing voices, or smelling, feeling, or seeing things that are not real. (This is the most common symptom.)
- Unusual beliefs: Believing that which is clearly untrue.
- Disordered thinking: Distorted thoughts will often result in muddled or irrelevant speech.
- ‘Negative symptoms:’ Experiencing social withdrawal and/ or limited ability to express oneself.
- Highly disordered behavior: Behaviors that appear completely strange and inappropriate.
As a result of these symptoms, schizophrenics will likely experience interpersonal issues and will have difficulty responding appropriately to social situations. In short, schizophrenics will find it difficult to function normally.
The Connection Between Drugs and Schizophrenia
The connection between drugs and schizophrenia is that schizophrenics will very likely take drugs to self-medicate and come to rely on them to relieve them of their symptoms.
How Drugs Affect Schizophrenia
Although drugs do not actually cause schizophrenia, substance abuse will affect schizophrenia in harmful and severe ways:
- One might terminate mental health treatment.
- Day-to-day activities might seem more difficult than usual.
- Hospital visits can become more frequent.
- Schizophrenics can become more violent.
- Suicidal attempts become more likely.
Can Cocaine Cause Schizophrenia?
Cocaine can intensify schizophrenic symptoms and increase their severity, but will not be a direct cause for schizophrenia.
Treating Both Conditions Together
Instead of treating schizophrenia and drug addiction separately, schizophrenia and substance abuse treatment can be provided concurrently for most effective results. Detoxification (detox) treatment is usually the first step, where the user’s body is cleansed from the drug, thus making it possible to accurately assess the severity of the schizophrenia and decide on a course of action.
In addition to medications such as antipsychotics, the following behavioral therapies will often be included in the treatment plan:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- Talk therapy that helps the client analyze and form healthier responses for difficult situations.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)- Another form of talk therapy that teaches important skills to help manage difficult emotions.
- Motivational Interviewing – An empowering form of therapy that helps the client resolve difficult emotions and find the internal motivation to change for the better.
Conclusion
If you or someone you know suffers from schizophrenia and substance abuse, know that despite it being a chronic illness, symptoms of schizophrenia are treatable. There are many effective care options out there and reaching out will change lives for the better. Our staff at Avenues Recovery are experts at treating dual diagnosis. No one deserves to have their lives controlled by addiction or mental illness. Don’t hesitate and don’t delay. Contact us today to experience the highest quality care and complete support and guidance every step of the way.