Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects up to 1% of the population. It is a highly misunderstood and often feared mental illness, often unfairly associated with criminality or danger. The vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not dangerous, and there is more information available than ever on how to live a healthy, productive life with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
47% of people with schizophrenia are likely to suffer from addiction, nearly three times the rate of people without the diagnosis. Understanding this complex interplay is crucial for effective treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment approaches that address both schizophrenia and substance use disorders simultaneously are essential for breaking this cycle and promoting long-term recovery.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a severe mental health disorder that can greatly affect a person’s life. People with schizophrenia are often unable to recognize what’s real (reality) and what’s not (imaginary). They may also have difficulty reacting to various social scenarios in an emotionally proper manner. This usually causes conflicting interpersonal relationships in other major areas of life, like work or school. It is more common amongst the male population, and it affects people across all stages of and positions in life.
Schizophrenia is sometimes confused with multiple personality disorder. However, most individuals who have schizophrenia don’t have multiple personalities and are not violent. In fact, people with schizophrenia are at a higher risk of self-harm than the general population. Many times, people with schizophrenia will turn to drug or alcohol abuse to help alleviate their symptoms. But from there, the best course of treatment is dual diagnosis treatment that takes the condition into account in healing their addiction.
Causes of Schizophrenia
While the direct causes of schizophrenia disorder are still unknown, researchers believe it is connected to the following factors:
Genetics
Schizophrenia has been shown to run in families, even though genetic factors may not be fully responsible for the onset of schizophrenia. If an individual has a direct relative with schizophrenia and suspects that they may have the disease, it would likely be advisable to undergo a test.
Brain Structure and Chemistry
Brain structure and brain chemical imbalances of chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate may be linked to schizophrenia. Both schizophrenia and addiction may both be a result of an individual’s brain having a dysfunctional reward cycle.
Environmental Factors
It’s believed that the interaction between a person’s environment and genetics could also play a role in schizophrenia development. Environmental factors can include health-related issues during birth, like exposure to viruses or malnutrition. Stress, such as that that comes from living in poverty, may also be a contributing risk factor. Early exposure to addictive substances (and early substance use) may also impact brain reward circuitry and increase a person’s chances of developing schizophrenia.
Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is one of the psychotic disorders that affects every phase of a person’s personality and mind. Symptoms of schizophrenia tend to manifest from the age of 16 to 30 years old, so it may be misdiagnosed as a different mental condition at the time of onset (such as depression).
Schizophrenia is identified by a wide range of symptoms that make it difficult for the person affected to function normally. Symptoms can be classified as negative, psychotic, and cognitive. This emphasizes the importance of medical intervention at the beginning of observing schizophrenic symptoms, so that risk factors may be assessed. It’s best if mental health treatment can begin as early as possible when a person starts displaying symptoms of schizophrenia, before it becomes a severe mental illness or is confused with co-occurring disorders.
Early signs of schizophrenia may include:
- Hearing voices, sometimes not recognizing them as not real when younger
- Other types of sensory hallucinations
- Impaired judgement
- Experiencing delusions
- Disorganized or nonsensical appearance
- Trouble organizing speech or thinking coherently
- Difficulty processing information
- Disorganized or odd movement
- Inability to be motivated by pleasure
- Difficulty paying attention
- Zero facial expressions
- Failure to meet commitments or finish projects
Psychiatric evaluation and a comprehensive medical exam can determine if someone has schizophrenia or a different neurological disorder. Behavioral symptoms can also be exacerbated by co-occurring substance abuse disorders, making comprehensive treatment essential.
Subtypes of Schizophrenia
Various forms of schizophrenia disorder have been classified and are based on the individual’s dominant symptoms. These include:
Paranoid
Paranoid schizophrenia is the recognizable prevalent form of this mental health disorder. The individual with this subtype may experience hallucinations, severe distress, and an inability to maintain a healthy life and relationships. People with this form of schizophrenia may obsess over perceived conspiracies, fear of being followed, or intense paranoid delusions.
Disorganized
Individuals with this subtype have severely disorganized thinking and speech. Their behavior may be so unorganized that they cannot handle responsibilities.
Catatonic
Movement is extremely difficult for individuals with this subtype. They may be immobile or position their bodies in odd ways. It may also present in the opposite direction, where the person performs excessive movement.
Residual
Residual schizophrenia is people who may not display visible symptoms of schizophrenia but who have had a disorder in the past. Their symptoms may be less debilitating than other types. But they still need support and mental health treatment to keep the condition under control.
Undifferentiated
This subtype applies to people with schizophrenia symptoms that can’t be identified or classified into one subtype. They may have confused speech patterns, hallucinations, or delusional feelings. But their symptoms may not fit a precise pattern that classifies them as one particular subtype.
Luckily, even with such severe symptoms, the symptoms of schizophrenia and addiction can be managed with professional mental health and addiction treatment.
The Relationship Between Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse
The relationship between schizophrenia and substance abuse is intricate and multifaceted. Addiction and schizophrenia co-occur quite often, with many individuals developing drug addiction or alcohol use disorder as a form of self-medication. They may also be drawn to substances as a way to cope with the stress of schizophrenia’s effects over time, such as poor cognitive and social skills.
Although substance abuse doesn’t cause schizophrenia, it can be an environmental trigger. Abusing drugs like cocaine, amphetamines, and marijuana can also increase schizophrenia symptoms and make them more severe. This creates a challenging cycle where the distress from schizophrenia drives further substance use.
Schizophrenia is also frequently mistaken for substance abuse because both disorders can share similar symptoms. This can make it difficult to diagnose schizophrenia and co-occurring disorders.
Schizophrenia and Substance Addiction Treatment
Schizophrenia treatment will usually involve a blend of psychotherapy, rehab education, support groups or group therapy, and antipsychotic medication to address the mental health disorder. When treating schizophrenia and substance abuse, dual diagnosis programs can help treat both conditions simultaneously instead of separately. This can help educate the individual about how schizophrenia and drug abuse can interact, allowing them to develop a more effective relapse prevention plan.
The first step in dual diagnosis treatment is medical detox, which flushes drugs from the user’s system. Once the patient completes detox, a specialist can assess their schizophrenia symptoms to decide the best therapy course. Medication-assisted treatments like antipsychotic medications may be prescribed to help alleviate schizophrenia symptoms caused by brain chemical imbalances. Sometimes, multiple medications are tested before discovering the best medication to treat specific chemical imbalances.
While using medications to manage symptoms, dual diagnosis patients may attend several therapy programs to address their disorder’s underlying causes. One of the more common forms of dual diagnosis treatment is family therapy. Family therapy may help to reduce the severity and number of stressors that can trigger substance abuse and schizophrenia, as well as educate the person’s support system about their treatment needs.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another traditional form of treatment for co-occurring schizophrenia disorders and substance addiction. CBT helps patients identify particular behaviors and ways of thinking that cause schizophrenia and substance abuse. It may also help patients learn how to manage schizophrenia symptoms (such as auditory hallucinations) that may persist even while using antipsychotic medications.
Getting Help for Schizophrenia and Addiction at Granite Mountain
If you or a loved one struggles with schizophrenia and addiction, know that a successful recovery is 100% achievable. Our dual diagnosis treatment program here at Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare can help stop the cycle of symptoms and self-medication.
If both a schizophrenia disorder and substance addiction are present, do not hesitate any longer to seek help. Contact us today at Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare and allow our staff to help you construct a life free of addiction and more peaceful mental health.
