Schizophrenia is an incurable yet treatable chronic brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to think, feel, and behave clearly. Millions of folks worldwide are affected by the disease.
What’s more, is that research has shown that there are correlations between schizophrenia and substance use disorders. This co-occurrence has been a heavily debated topic for decades. Most researchers feel substances such as drugs and alcohol do not cause schizophrenia; instead, people living with mental illness use substances as a coping mechanism. However, some researchers have also concluded that it could occur the other way around and have found that substance use can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. This particular type of psychosis can have many of the same symptoms as an addiction. This can make a diagnosis of both conditions difficult and can even hamper a person’s recovery from these disorders.
Luckily, Vertava Health’s dual diagnosis treatment center specializes in treating co-occurring disorders such as schizophrenia and addiction. Our team works together to help patients recover from their mental illnesses while reducing or eliminating their dependence on drugs and alcohol. If you or a loved one is living with schizophrenia and struggling with addiction, we encourage you to reach out to us today at 844.470.0410 to learn about schizophrenia and addiction treatment.
What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder that often causes individuals to experience irrational or delusional thinking. Doctors typically describe schizophrenia as a type of psychosis, as this condition can often make a person unable to distinguish their thoughts and ideas from reality.
People that have schizophrenia may display signs of paranoia and psychosis. They often hear voices in their heads or see things that do not exist. Sufferers may also have drastic back-and-forth behavioral changes, becoming upset, anxious, confused, angry, or suspicious in short periods.
Many with schizophrenia believe they do not need help. This can not only present problems in a person seeking treatment but is also one reason a sufferer may turn to substances to cope.
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Like substance use disorders, mental illness does not discriminate. Schizophrenia can occur despite age, race, gender, social status, or family history. However, it is slightly more common in males than females, and onset is most prevalent in adolescence or early adulthood.
When active, schizophrenia changes how a person thinks and behaves. The disease typically develops slowly and often begins during the teenage years, which can make it hard to identify since these symptoms can mimic other common adolescent behaviors.
The severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms can vary, but there are some common signs. Not taking medications as prescribed, using drugs or alcohol, and high stress increases symptoms of this condition.
Common symptoms of schizophrenia include:
- Disorganized thinking – A person may have trouble keeping track of thoughts, become easily confused, have a low attention span, poor logical thinking, give answers to questions not asked or utterly unrelated to the topic at hand, experience a decline in educational performance, and put words together that do not make sense.
- Abnormal motor behavior – This may present in several ways. Acting extremely childlike, unpredictable agitation, resistance to instructions, and useless or excessive movements are all very common.
- Hallucinations – These can affect any of the senses. A person may hear or see things that don’t exist. Hearing voices is the most common form of hallucination.
- Delusions – These are false or unusual beliefs that are not reality. For example, a sufferer may be convinced that a major catastrophe is about to occur, that someone will harm them, or that they are of celebrity status.
- Changes In everyday behaviors – A person may neglect personal hygiene, lose interest in daily activities, come across as emotionless (speaks in a monotone voice, makes no eye contact, and has few facial expressions), and be socially withdrawn.
- Violence – Some people think schizophrenia causes a “split personality” or violent behavior. This is not typically the case. The cause of violent action is usually a result of the co-occurrence of drug or alcohol use.
Causes of Schizophrenia
The exact cause of schizophrenia is unknown. However, genetics, environmental factors, and altered brain chemistry are all documented as potential causes.
- Genetics – Scientists have yet to pinpoint a specific gene that causes schizophrenia. They believe that many different genes increase risk. It has long been known that schizophrenia runs in families; however, this does not mean that someone with a strong family history of the condition will develop the disorder.
- Environment – Scientists have found a correlation between genes and certain environmental factors such as exposure to viruses, malnutrition before birth, and problems with brain development before birth.
- Brain chemistry – Scientists believe that an imbalance involving certain neurotransmitters often plays a role in the development of schizophrenia.
Experts continue to examine potential causes of the disease by performing behavioral research, studying genetics, and using advanced imaging to explore the brain’s structure and function.
The Connection Between Schizophrenia and Addiction
People with schizophrenia are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed with substance addiction than the general population. The co-occurrence of substance use and schizophrenia most often occurs, with mental illness and substance use coming second. Commonly, someone with schizophrenia begins using an addictive substance to deal with the symptoms of this condition. This is dangerous because even moderate use of substances can exacerbate many symptoms of schizophrenia.
Researchers have also found the opposite to be true. Statistics show that over half of all people with schizophrenia use at least one substance before the onset of the disease.
Some substances appear to carry a higher risk than others. Cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine seem to be cited the most.
Cannabis
Statistics show that 53 percent of people experiencing their first episode of psychosis used marijuana beforehand. Most researchers conclude that cannabis does not cause schizophrenia. They believe the connection is likely because sufferers are using the drug to self-medicate, unaware that cannabis has been proven to do the opposite and enhance the severity of schizophrenia symptoms.
However, one large study did find that marijuana use significantly contributed to the onset of schizophrenia due to a biological interaction between chemicals in marijuana and chemicals in the brain. Several other significant studies also found that teens under the age of 15 that use cannabis regularly are up to four times more likely to develop schizophrenia by their late 20s.
Alcohol
Because alcohol is legal and easy to obtain, it is easy for someone to attempt to cope with mental illness with excessive drinking. Statistics show that almost one-third of people with schizophrenia develop an alcohol use disorder. However, researchers have also discovered that alcohol use can precede schizophrenia, which means that their self-medication theory is not always the case.
Nicotine
Research shows that a large number of people that suffer from schizophrenia smoke regularly. They discovered this might cause sufferers to have more frequent episodes of hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech. Those addicted to nicotine also seem to require higher doses of antipsychotic medications.
Experts believe that no matter the addiction, substance use creates a higher chance of relapse in those recovering from an active schizophrenic episode.
It is also important to note that not every person suffering from addiction who displays schizophrenic symptoms is also dealing with schizophrenia. Many of the signs of substance use will mimic schizophrenic behaviors. This does not mean the substance use sufferer has a mental disorder. They need to be examined by a doctor to receive a proper diagnosis.
Effects Of Co-Occurring Disorders: Substance Use And Schizophrenia
If a person with schizophrenia develops an addiction to substances, they are more likely to stop taking medications and other forms of treatment for schizophrenia. Substance use can also worsen many side effects of schizophrenia. When the two are mixed, it can lead to a dangerous spiral and relapse of psychosis. They are also more likely to self-harm, be violent, or become incarcerated.
Schizophrenia and Addiction Treatment Centers
According to a 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.9 million people in the U.S. simultaneously experience a mental disorder and substance use disorder. The best treatment for co-occurring disorders is an integrated approach where a person simultaneously receives care for both substance use and the diagnosed mental illness.
The first step in substance use and schizophrenia would typically be detox. This addresses withdrawal symptoms and allows doctors to ensure that psychotic symptoms are not just a side effect of addiction and that schizophrenia is indeed medically present.
If medical professionals diagnose schizophrenia, there will then need to be a focus on eliminating the symptoms of the disease. Frequently this is done with antipsychotic medications.
Find Relief for Schizophrenia and Addiction at Vertava Health
If you or someone you know suffers from co-occurring substance use and schizophrenia, we would love to help educate you about our integrated treatment programs. Reach out to Vertava Health’s compassionate staff today at 844.470.0410 to learn more about our schizophrenia and addiction treatment
