Today, it is the professional and ethical duty of every doctor toward his patient to �do no harm�. The motivation of treatment for the schizophrenic should therefore be to bring them to sanity. The motivation of treatment for the Parkinson�s sufferer should be to bring them into physical autonomy. For the drug addict, we should find ways to free him from all drug dependence if possible, to be free of stigma and relapse stumbling blocks. Until that course is initiated, we must accept what exists now.
There are some terrible side effects that accompany antipsychotic drugs. So bad in fact, that concurrent medications are often used to counteract the side effects of the initial ones. No wonder schizophrenic patients resist treatment! Because I believe doctors should listen more to their patients, I decided to interview a former patient, and survivor firsthand�.
Carlson tells us that, �The term addiction derives from the Latin word �addicere�, �to sentence�. Someone who is addicted to a drug is, in a way, sentenced to a term of involuntary servitude, being obliged to fulfill the demands of his or her drug dependency� (484).
The American College Dictionary defines psychosis as, �Any major form of mental affection or disease. Thus, I refer to his experience as drug induced psychosis (978).
For anonymity sake, we will call my friend Rico Suave. Rico believes that his first time drug use began the process of psychosis, and that his neurochemistry was immediately altered. The drugs he used were crystal methamphetamine (by injection), cocaine and crack cocaine. Reportedly, Methamphetamine hallucinations lasted longer, compared to the others, in fact, as long as to 8-12 hours. Quite a sensory and perceptual experience!
About this psychotic journeys, he said, � I�d hear voices, sometimes real and sometimes not. A voice might say � I wonder what he�s doing in there�; or � how long can he keep this up�; and �this is all he ever does�; or �what kind of a person is this?; and �call the police�; or �where should we place the microphones and the camera� ?
He continued, �Your whole thought process changes out of the norm and can happen in many ways depending on what�s happening at the time. Personally, I liked to take things apart and put them together again. I�d also take my girlfriend for a couple days to be totally engulfed in sex and drugs in a motel room, even though we had a home. The psychosis in that was that your mind is constantly on just the bodies, out of control for days�.
When asked about any lasting psychotic effects, over a year later since using those particular drugs (and 3 episodes of brief alcoholic relapse), he revealed learning difficulties (long and short term memory) and low comprehension. He has amotivational syndrome, largely based on a fear of going back into the world and coping with reality on it�s own terms. He expressed, � I have clinical depression , not chronic, just on and off. I have anxiety several times a day with the shakes and I see stars and have heavy breathing. I have a fear of being around people, being outside, thinking people are after me. Also, low self esteem and insomnia.�
