Drugs, alcohol and schizophrenia

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Mixing drugs or alcohol with an illness like schizophrenia is an alarming new trend. Traveling this risky road has devastating consequences.

 

Estimates tell us that up to 75% of people with psychiatric illness practice substance abuse. Why? It's partly the result of deinstitutionalization, social pressures, the availability of drugs; and a lack of information and resources. We're just beginning to understand the impact and consequences of this trend. Everyone concerned about schizophrenia needs to be aware of the harm that's being done.

 

This fact sheet tells:

· Why people with schizophrenia need to be especially careful to avoid illicit drug use.

· What they need to know about how alcohol interacts with their illness and interferes with treatment.

 

 

How substances affect you

 

MARIJUANA

Changes your sense of space and time. Affects sleep patterns, nerves, and muscles. Depresses the immune system. Speeds up the heart rate and raises blood pressure. Impairs memory and judgment. Can increase or cause hallucinations, anxiety attacks, psychosis - sometimes from even a single use. May increase depression, suicidal thoughts, or mania. When mixed with alcohol, other drugs or medications – can decrease the effectiveness of medications, - requiring more medication and increasing side effects - increase intoxication and cause impotence. It can take your body up to three months to purge all traces and effects.

 

SEDATIVES (Including Alcohol)

Affect thinking, mood, and behavior. Can cause irregular heart rate, depression, anxiety, irritability and insomnia. May increase hallucinations, delusions, and mania. Magnifies the effects of other drugs. In higher doses can cause shock, coma, or death. Slows down brain and body for approximately three days after ingestion. Effects are cumulative.

 

INHALANTS

Permanent damage to the brain, heart, liver and kidneys. Can create visual disturbances and photophobia.

 

PSYCHEDELICS (Including LSD, PCP, Mushrooms)

Impair judgment, memory, ability to control impulses, and distort reality (sometimes leading to accidental death.) Can cause anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, muscle spasms, facial tics and sleep disruptions. Effects last anywhere from eight hours to three days, but after-effects such as

flashbacks can occur months or even years later.

 

STIMULANTS (Including Cocaine, Speed, Ritalin)

Can cause headaches, seizures, stroke, heart failure, paranoia, mania, anxiety, sleep disorders, mood and behaviour changes. The "high" is followed by a severe "crash" resulting in depression. Mixing with alcohol, medication, or other drugs can produce unpredictable effects – such as triggering self-mutilating behaviour in individuals who have been physically abused.

 

CAUTION: Many common diet pills and cold/flu medications contain stimulants and are in this category. Excess caffeine is also in this category.

 

Your hypersensitive system can produce abnormal reactions to common activities like smoking, drinking too much caffeine, and using cold medications. Small amounts of illegal drugs and alcohol can induce or mimic psychosis, or worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia. That may be why people with schizophrenia are four times more likely to become alcoholics.

 

Like most people, you probably won't recognize or acknowledge the first warning signs of addiction. With schizophrenia added to the equation, continued use of drugs and alcohol can have devastating effects. Your mental and physical condition will deteriorate, the illness symptoms will be more severe, and recovery will take longer.

 

Your behaviour may change, even if you temporarily stop using drugs and alcohol. You can suffer depression, be irritable and unmotivated, and overreact to future drug experiences or stress. You'll spend more time in hospitals or crisis programs, you'll be more likely to attempt suicide (10 percent succeed), you'll need more medication, or your treatment won't work because the drugs and alcohol interfere. You could have problems with the law, which will disrupt your life, your job or schooling, or your therapy program – and the additional strain could isolate you from family and friends.

 

The substance abuse could also interact with the disease, causing persistent and potentially irreversible changes to your already fragile system.

 

Some days can be tough for anyone, but coping with an illness like schizophrenia takes a lot of courage, energy, and support. Add drugs or alcohol into the mix, and you've got a terrible struggle going on every day.

 

No one else can decide what’s right for you. But if you're like most people, you want to take charge of your own life – and that means being responsible for being informed about the choices you make. The problem is, if you find out about drugs and alcohol by using them, all you'll find out is what thousands of people already know... That they impair your ability to think, and make it impossible to manage your life.


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The Have I Got A Problem website is a free online resource to help people better understand any issues or concerns they may have about mental health or addiction. The website includes resources specifically focused to; general Mental Health, Depression, Stress, Anxiety, Insecurities, Self-harm Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anger Management, Eating Disorders, Coping, general Addiction, Alcohol, Smoking, Gambling, Drugs, Cocaine, Heroin, Marijuana (Cannabis) Ecstasy, PCP, Mephedrone, Ketamine & Crystal Meth.

The site was created to give the public information to help them understand mental health and addiction issues and to assist people in making better informed decisions about their life and personal choices.

www.haveigotaproblem.com was created and is run by 'Advising Communities’, which is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1061055)

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