Schizophrenia and substance abuse is a common comorbidity.
I used to abuse the ■■■■ out of alcohol. I used to abuse pot. Now I smoke cigarettes and drink MODERATELY socially.
By moderate I mean two drinks, sometimes three if I didn’t drive.
I used to put whiskey in my coffee, if that tells you anything. I even drank a beer before going to the gym quite a few times. At night, I would drink until I was just numb to the pain. I remember at my peak going through a handle in one night. I had quite a tolerance. One night I was out of booze and since I was 19 and dependent on my older friends for booze, I drank a big bottle of vanilla extract. That ■■■■ is 40% alcohol by volume. It made me have drunken diarrhea.
I’m actually not an alcoholic. I just used alcohol as a major tranquilizer. I drink very lightly and normally these days. I don’t have a desire to be drunk, in fact I would not enjoy stumbling around and feeling retarded.
Things are serious when one comes down with addiction, If I drink a beer it is because of my symptoms and trying to escape them. But I came close to coming to addiction and If I did not come down with vertigo I dont now how I would quit.
My family does not drink alcohol socially or in any situation. I would have to constantly hide it from them.
When I drank alcohol I felt like I wanted to live and work. Then I realized I wanted to drink because it was the only thing that made me feel like working. Then when alcohol left my system I felt drained and could not feel anything worthwile in life. I also have depression.
Consider me having schizophrenia, depression, and alcoholism. How high would my percentage of me attempting or commiting suicide be.
In the rooms of AA I ran into people who had drank for twenty years or more. They got sick and tired of being sick and tired and joined AA. Some of these guys had been in prison for years or they had been bums who slept on park benches in a pool of their own urine. Some were successful businessmen and husbands and fathers. What they had in common was they were alcoholics who found recovery and they obtained long lasting sobriety.
It’s never too late.
This is just me… but I’m sure I’m not alone… I used to sort of hide behind my addiction.
When I was first crumbling and people would say I’m obviously not doing well… I blamed my drug use.
I’m not crazy… I’m just on too much amphetamines … I’m not falling apart… I’m just drinking too much… The voices I talk too are just due to the acid… the not understanding or being able to read anymore is due to all the pot.
Even after I was diagnosed and finally got out of hospital the first time, I went right back to drugs and would tell my family how my meds don’t work… so that proves the doc was wrong…
I’m so glad I got a lot of help to get the addiction under control. I would be dead if I hadn’t.
I used to smoke loads of hash but that was before my diagnoses, I stay well clear of that ■■■■ these days I know it would totally ■■■■ me up, I was doing well but have been hitting the drink, im not going to glorify it but for me personally I find a few cans of beer lowers the volume of the voices next day is ■■■■ though a lot of the time im wondering why I bother repeating this ■■■■ constantly, too much coffe, practically having a heart attack and then I need beer to calm down/relax not to mention 30 smokes a day, I’ve tried kicking these habits but im just some kindof ■■■■■■■ failure at life, so ■■■■ it lol
I was a big time addict, but it was not from booze or drugs it was from cigarettes and food, coffee.
At one point I was smoking 2 packs of cigs a day for a long time - and over eating and drinking lots of coffee.
I quit smoking a while ago - years ago and never looked back.
I also am doing better with over eating and cut back on coffee, down to about 1 and half cups all day.
Addiction is common with SZ and Bipolar
I went a solid year without addictions. Strict diet, no sugar, caffiene, nicotiene, alcohol or drugs.
I have two pictures of me then and I was a lot slimmer and healthier.
My physician was impressed that I controlled my triglicerides and cholestoral by the diet she told me to go on.
I have so much to do now with two houses and living with my parents that I eat whatever I feel like, and drink as much regular coffee as I can tolerate.
I dont have cravings like I used to, but I just did some recent blood labs for a pysical a day ago and the doctor got the results already and wants to see me as soon as possible because there are some abnormalities.
Yeah that’s me too I’m legitimately psychotic but I’ve been doing lotsa drugs and alcohol since 12 and people that have seen a person like me knows what they are looking at.
And frankly I’ve gotten better a response from the people in my home town where they saw me at 12 tripping on acid multiple times at the local arcade than where I live now where some don’t know me for what I was.
Also it’s my opinion that anyone with the limited intellectual depth to see addiction as glorious when discussed in a mental forum prolly is too young or not medicated enough.
My last thoughts. Anyone who uses drugs can become addicted. Alcoholism and drug addiction does not discriminate according to social status, age, sex, gender, financial position, or class. How many rich celebrities have we seen who throw it all away on drug use? Or how many poor people or disadvantaged people do we see who spend their meager earnings on beer or pot?
How many doctors do we see who are addicted to the very medication they prescribe for their patients? Or how many soccer moms get drunk or pop pills in the privacy of their own homes? I’ve seen or heard of all these.
I think there is a strong tendency to self medicate among sz’s. I think the anxiety that comes with sz for so many people gives us an impetus to drink. For me, alcohol relieves some of my symptoms. I’ve got it down to where I am drinking just every two months or so, but that takes will power, or, “won’t power”, I should say.
It’s funny. When I drank in the eighties it was not because I wanted to self-medicate or to get rid of symptoms. I simply drank because I liked getting drunk and it was fun and all my friends, both “normies” and “diagnosed” all drank. It was just what we did. Without analyzing it or worrying about it.
I’ve never had an addictive personality however I did smoke weed for two months straight, every day, three times a day. Now I find myself craving it at times. I don’t live alone so I don’t know if I would become irresponsible and spend money on drugs rather than necessities. I haven’t ever prioritized drugs over anything else.