Having a mental health or substance use disorder is difficult for anyone, but it’s especially challenging during the adolescent and young adult years. Identifying the condition and finding the right help is crucial and can change the course of a lifetime. Because one disorder increases the odds of another and impacts physical health, early diagnosis and treatment are the keys to managing co-occurring disorders like schizophrenia and addiction, which can be a hard-to-treat combination.
What is Schizophrenia?
Asking yourself, “What is schizophrenia?” is actually more common than you think. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that affects thinking, feelings, and behavior. Researchers don’t know what triggers the condition, but studies show environment, genetics, and brain function are factors in its development. It usually shows up during early adulthood and affects mostly young adults, but children are sometimes diagnosed.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is most often a lifetime illness that requires a variety of medications, therapy, and special care. The symptoms of schizophrenia vary but may include signs like these:
There is no cure for schizophrenia, but it can be treated with a combination of medications, psychotherapy, and specialized care. The death rate is five times higher among people who have schizophrenia than their healthy peers, and deaths from suicide are at least 10% higher than the rest of the population. They are also more prone to accidents, homelessness, and physical illnesses, possibly because they don’t get help in time or have trouble explaining their symptoms.
Even if the disorder is not diagnosed until adulthood, there may be early warning signals:
Symptoms may develop gradually or suddenly, especially in children. As they get older, children who showed no symptoms may describe strange thoughts, have trouble getting along with friends, or withdraw from social situations.
What Is the Connection between Schizophrenia and Addiction?
Because the diagnosis of a mental health disorder, especially one like schizophrenia, can be a scary time, it’s no surprise that people turn to drugs or alcohol to help them cope. Substance use can, on the other hand, worsen schizophrenia symptoms and increase the risk of relapse.
Studies disagree on statistics but show that 10% to 70% of people with schizophrenia have a problem with substance use. Around half misused one or more substances before the illness began. People with schizophrenia are almost five times more likely to have a substance use disorder than their peers.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists three avenues for comorbid, or co-occurring disorders. Disorders may coexist as the result of common risk factors, but mental illness may also play a role in substance abuse. Likewise, substance use may make mental illnesses worse
How Do Drugs and Alcohol Make Schizophrenia Worse?
Alcohol use is common, partially because of its easy availability. Approximately 1 in 3 people with schizophrenia will also abuse alcohol during their lives. Alcohol use may precede the illness, causing some researchers to question whether it’s a result of self-medication or caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Around 70% of people with schizophrenia will become dependent on tobacco. Smokers are more prone to delusions, confused speech and hallucinations and, as a result, need higher doses of medication.
Like alcohol and nicotine, the use of cannabis can make psychotic symptoms worse. In one study, over 50% of people with schizophrenia also had a cannabis use disorder during their first psychotic episode.
People with schizophrenia may use cocaine to help them deal with mood swings and other unpleasant symptoms of mental illness. Cocaine use disorder is especially dangerous, and schizophrenics who use the drug have a greater risk of suicide or being admitted to a hospital. They are also more likely to be victims of early trauma or to come from low-income populations.
Treatment for Schizophrenia and Addiction
Every year, 1 in 5 adults in the United States will have symptoms of a mental health condition. In 2018, approximately 3.7%, over 9 million people, experienced symptoms of a mental illness and a substance use disorder. Co-occurring conditions, or dual diagnosis disorders, are more difficult to treat than individual ones. Patients not only need close monitoring during treatment, but they also need a safe transition to help them avoid relapse after treatment.
Treatment centers use a combination of psychotherapies, including individual, group, and family therapy, to address both the mental condition and the substance use disorder. Cognitive behavioral, or talk therapy, helps patients and their families identify negative thinking or patterns and deal with them more effectively. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) uses mindfulness techniques to help patients recognize and label their feelings and learn to tolerate painful emotions.
Most rehab programs recommend a holistic lifestyle that incorporates daily exercise, a balanced diet, community support, and stress-reducing practices like meditation or yoga. Ongoing support, which may involve alumni, local or internet-based groups, gives individuals a chance to share their challenges and triumphs with like-minded people.
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Co-occurring disorders cause varying symptoms, and every individual is different. If you see behaviors like these, it may be time to talk to an experienced therapist:
If you suspect a teen or young adult has a mental health or substance abuse disorder, Mission Harbor Behavioral Health can help. Contact us today for more information.
The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.
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