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Alcohol, Recreational Drugs and Psychosis
Drugs and alcohol are a familiar part of modern life. It is helpful if services are open to talking to people without being judgemental so an honest dialogue can take place.
It is important to be aware that the use of alcohol, cannabis and other substances can affect the benefit received from prescribed medication. They can affect absorption of the medication and the delicate balance needed to promote recovery from symptoms while keeping the dosage as low as possible to reduce risk of any unpleasant effects they may have.
Many street drugs are known to be linked to psychotic experiences. Indeed the young person may have been seeking such effects. However they put the body under physical and psychological stress and prolonged hallucinogenic or paranoid experiences are often unwelcome. There may be significant relief from paranoia and other symptoms when a young person has stopped using drugs for a period of time.
Unlike prescribed medication street drugs vary greatly in their chemical composition and potency due to the lack of regulation of their production. Even those which may be viewed as not being addictive or harmful, such as cannabis, can be linked to increased risk of psychosis for young people with a certain genetic vulnerability. It is important to remember that other factors play a role such as the amount and frequency of cannabis used.
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