Schizophrenia and Addiction

Schizophrenia is often misunderstood, with misconceptions painting an inaccurate picture of the condition. It is not about split personalities or simply hearing voices –  schizophrenia is a profound mental health disorder that can harm every aspect of life. For those struggling with both schizophrenia and addiction, it can be a deeply distressing experience. But even in the darkest moments, there is a proven path to relief and recovery. At Oasis Runcorn, we specialise in helping people with both schizophrenia and addiction find peace and stability, offering the support you need to reclaim your life.

What is schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that affects how you think, feel and behave, often making the world feel like a confusing place. It is a long-term and often lifelong condition that affects about 0.3% of people and 0.45% of adults globally.

Schizophrenia is now understood to be a spectrum disorder which means schizophrenia symptoms and the severity of those symptoms are different for everyone. This understanding can also help with the diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia symptoms can include hearing or seeing things that aren’t there, extreme anxiety and paranoia and intense fear of the world. Unfortunately, there is still a huge amount of misunderstanding about schizophrenia, and the stigma can sometimes stop people from reaching out for help.

What are the different types of schizophrenia?

As schizophrenia is now known to be a spectrum disorder, diagnosing different types of schizophrenia is not always useful or accurate. Many people fall between two or three of the previously defined types, with symptoms that don’t quite fit into any single type. However, looking at how the different types of schizophrenia were previously understood can still help in grasping the wide range of experiences people can have:

Paranoid schizophrenia

Strong feelings of suspicion and fear characterise paranoid schizophrenia. People with this type often experience delusions, where they believe things that aren’t true and auditory hallucinations, like hearing voices that don’t exist.

Disorganised schizophrenia

Disorganised schizophrenia involves confused thinking, jumbled speech and inappropriate emotions, which can make behaviour erratic. These issues can make it difficult to stay on topic during conversations or even take care of yourself.

Catatonic schizophrenia

Catatonic schizophrenia is marked by extreme physical symptoms as the body and mind seem disconnected from what is happening around them. Some people may stay frozen in one position for hours, while others may have had periods of excessive movement that seem almost robotic.

Undifferentiated schizophrenia

Undifferentiated schizophrenia was a catch-all category for those who didn’t fit neatly into the other types. People with this diagnosis might have had schizophrenia symptoms from more than one type, like paranoia combined with disorganised thoughts or catatonic behaviours mixed with delusions.

Residual schizophrenia

Residual schizophrenia describes a stage where the more intense symptoms, like hallucinations or delusions, have faded, but the person still struggles with less obvious issues. These might include a lack of motivation, flat emotions or finding nothing in life satisfying.

What causes schizophrenia?

While we still don’t know for sure exactly what causes schizophrenia, it is believed to be a mix of several different things coming together.

For some, schizophrenia might start with their genes. If there is a history of mental health issues in the family, the chances of developing schizophrenia might be a little higher.

But genes alone aren’t the full story. Stressful life events, trauma or even challenges during birth can all play a role in triggering schizophrenia in someone who is already vulnerable.

Brain chemistry may also play a role in the development of schizophrenia. The brain is an incredibly complex machine, and when its chemical messengers aren’t working quite right, it can lead to the confusing and often frightening symptoms of schizophrenia.

What is the relationship between schizophrenia and addiction?

There is a strong link between schizophrenia and addiction with one study finding that 47% of schizophrenia sufferers also have substance abuse disorders. Co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders are called a dual diagnosis and dealing with both schizophrenia and addiction at the same time can be like fighting a fire with petrol.

If you are living with schizophrenia, you might be tempted to turn to drugs or alcohol to escape the confusing and scary schizophrenia symptoms. But here’s the tricky part: while substances might seem to help at first, they can actually make things much worse over time. Drinking or using drugs can intensify your schizophrenia symptoms or even add new ones, making your life even tougher.

Some drugs are even known to trigger schizophrenia. For example, research has shown that there is a strong link between the onset of schizophrenia and weed use, especially if you are already vulnerable. Cannabis can also ramp up symptoms like paranoia, hallucinations and delusions​.

Some schizophrenia medicines may even be potentially addictive themselves. Antipsychotic medicines like quetiapine help to bring some stability and relief from intense schizophrenia symptoms but its sedative effects can lead to dependence.

What do schizophrenia and addiction treatment involve?

Tackling schizophrenia and addiction at the same time can be a real challenge but it is absolutely possible.

At Oasis Runcorn, we focus on helping you get sober while also managing the schizophrenia symptoms that can make recovery even more challenging.

Here are some of the most effective rehab treatment approaches we use:

Get help for schizophrenia and addiction today

You deserve a life free from the chains of schizophrenia and addiction. Oasis Runcorn has the key you need to unlock those changes and make that whole new life a reality. Reach out today and take back control of your future.

Frequently Asked Questions