Patient Education ►
Schizophrenia and Cannabis─ Trigger or Treatment ?
Schizophrenia is one of the most debilitating of all diseases . by Peter Kershaw , contributing writer
Swiss psychiatrist Eugene Bleuler coined the term “ schizophrenia ,” derived from the Greek schizo ( to split ) and phren ( mind ). Schizophrenia has nothing to do with “ split personalities ” but rather a split or disconnection between thinking and feeling . Schizophrenia is one the most serious yet least understood of all mental illnesses . Schizophrenia is also one of the most debilitating of all diseases . Just ask any family member of a schizophrenic , and they ’ ll confirm the hardships . It ’ s estimated that 1.2 % or 3.2 million Americans suffer from schizophrenia . However , many go undiagnosed , so the actual numbers could be much higher . Of those who are diagnosed , an estimated 40 percent go untreated .
The # 2 self-medication for people with schizophrenia is cannabis . This has raised various correlation vs . causation arguments , with some psychiatric professionals going so far as to state that cannabis use , particularly heavy use , can cause schizophrenia . The “ Marijuana causes psychosis and schizophrenia ” legend was heavily propagandized through the 1936 film Reefer Madness . There is scant evidence to support the theory , but the myth lives on in the Medical Industrial Complex . However , there are studies to show that heavy early teen use can “ unmask sub-threshold schizophrenia in previously undiagnosed adolescents .” If you have a parent or sibling with schizophrenia , you already have a higher risk of getting the disease . Heavy cannabis use can increase the risk , or at least hasten the onset by as much as three years . The risk appears less for moderate users .
One recent twins ’ study ( 4830 twins ) found an insignificant two to five percent variance in psychotic experiences , including schizophrenia , with adolescent cannabis use . Nevertheless , those with immediate family members having the disease would still be wise to abstain , especially from high-THC cannabis , and especially during brain development in the teen years . This goes even more so for speed drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine . But then , this is good advice for all teens — developing brains should abstain from intoxicants .
Symptoms often include :
● Delusions
● Hallucinations — auditory and / or visual
● Misunderstanding and misinterpreting of the senses and inability to respond appropriately
● Altered perception of self
● Negative changes in emotions , behavior , and movement
● Phobias and ( sometimes ) paranoia
● Social anxiety , social rejection , and boredom
The professionals say , “ There is no known cure for schizophrenia .” However , some patients can manage life reasonably well through professional psychiatric care . Unfortunately , as is so often the case with pharmaceuticals , antipsychotic drugs come with side effects such as impotence , low blood pressure , weight gain , diabetes , seizures , compromised immune system , cardiac toxicity , etc . This serves to amplify the anxieties common to schizophrenics . For this reason , a majority of people with schizophrenia ultimately discontinue antipsychotic meds in favor of self-medication . Alcohol is the schizophrenic ’ s # 1 drug of choice . Any relief found from alcohol is temporary and often creates a whole new set of problems .
What of those who already have the disease ? Can moderate cannabis use be beneficial for them ? Many schizophrenics report that cannabis is indeed beneficial , in many cases at least as or more beneficial than antipsychotics . Many report it especially helps with social anxiety , social rejection , and boredom . Although cannabis doesn ’ t appear to inhibit schizophrenic hallucinations , many report cannabis helped them better process and “ arrange their thoughts and deal with hallucinations and suspiciousness .”
A 2004 University of California-Irvine study found that levels of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide in first-episode paranoid schizophrenics was eight times higher than healthy control subjects . It ’ s assumed this is the result of the endocannabinoid system ’ s attempts to restore homeostasis . Interestingly enough , researchers found the higher the anandamide levels , the fewer delusions and other symptoms . This suggests a potential role in supplementing the endocannabinoid system in schizophrenia treatment .
Several clinical studies have shown that CBD is as or more effective in treating schizophrenia than antipsychotic medications . For example , a 2009 German double-blind crossover clinical trial with 42 paranoid schizophrenic patients compared the effectiveness of CBD with Amisulpride : “ Cannabidiol revealed substantial antipsychotic properties in acute schizophrenia . This is in line with our suggestion of an adaptive role of the endocannabinoid
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