Rates of cigarette smoking:
The rate of smoking in people with schizophrenia is at least two to three times that in the general population
Patients who smoke, smoke at heavier rates than in the general population
Most patients start smoking in their teens, before the illness begins
Why do patients with schizophrenia smoke?
Aspects of the illness might lead more patients to smoke
Smoking might be an aetiological factor in schizophrenia
Genetic and/or environmental factors might lead both to nicotine addiction and to schizophrenia
Smoking cessation:
Smoking must be implicated in the increased mortality in schizophrenia
Smokers require higher doses of antipsychotic medication
A substantial proportion of the income of smokers with schizophrenia is spent on cigarettes
Patients with schizophrenia have the right to be offered treatment for their nicotine addiction
I was actually at a VA hospital where they offered free cigarettes after i went manic my third time. Thats how i started smoking. I tried to quit but 7 days after my voices were to the point where i cried out in the shower and woke my sister out. It was that bad. I was fine until i started smoking but now its like i have to smoke or the voice get to an intolerable point that i cant take. It was ok before i started to smoke. Dont start smoking if you have schizophrenia youll end up wanting to quit but it will be very hard to quit.
People who are under stress tend to smoke more. I firmly believe that the reason more schizophrenics smoke is simply because the illness is stressful. The same would apply to anyone suffering mental illness.
I started smoking again yesterday when I came home for thanksgiving and got to go to my favorite smoke shop. I smoke mini cigars though not cigarettes. Double diamonds, santa fe’s. If I don’t have access to them when I go back to my house then I probably will quit again. it’s easy for me to stop. I think it helps ease paranoia. But I haven’t had much paranoia lately other than a slight lingering feeling. Comes and goes.
The great majority of people at the assisted living center for the mentally ill where I live smoke. It makes a huge difference in the amount of discretionary income they have. A person can see how sick it has made some of them. I think the med’s make cigarettes more lethal. The great majority of men in the enlisted ranks in the army smoke. Also, at AA meetings the great majority of people smoke. The second hand smoke can get pretty thick at meetings. They’re having more AA meetings where a person can’t smoke.