Schizophrenia (cont.)
What about substance abuse?
Some people who abuse drugs show symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia.
Therefore, people with schizophrenia may be mistaken for people who are affected
by drugs. Most researchers do not believe that substance abuse causes
schizophrenia. However, people who have schizophrenia are much more likely to
have a substance or alcohol abuse problem than the general population.
Substance abuse can make treatment for schizophrenia less effective. Some
drugs, like marijuana and stimulants such as amphetamines or cocaine, may make
symptoms worse. In fact, research has found increasing evidence of a link
between marijuana and schizophrenia symptoms. In addition, people who abuse
drugs are less likely to follow their treatment plan.
Schizophrenia and smoking
Addiction to nicotine is the most common form of substance abuse in people
with schizophrenia. They are addicted to nicotine at three times the rate of the
general population (75 to 90 percent vs. 25 to 30 percent).
The relationship between smoking and schizophrenia is complex. People with
schizophrenia seem to be driven to smoke, and researchers are exploring whether
there is a biological basis for this need. In addition to its known health
hazards, several studies have found that smoking may make antipsychotic drugs
less effective.
Quitting smoking may be very difficult for people with schizophrenia because
nicotine withdrawal may cause their psychotic symptoms to get worse for a while.
Quitting strategies that include nicotine replacement methods may be easier for
patients to handle. Doctors who treat people with schizophrenia should watch
their patients' response to antipsychotic medication carefully if the patient
decides to start or stop smoking.
Next: What causes schizophrenia? »
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