Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that negatively affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that requires constant care for some. However, what is sometimes overlooked is the fact that schizophrenia can lead to substance use and addiction.
People living with schizophrenia have been found more likely to develop a substance use disorder (SUD), either as a result of the overlapping brain chemistry among the two disorders or as a way to self-medicate the symptoms they experience. Understanding schizophrenia and its links to addiction can be a strong first step toward lasting recovery.
What is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that can cause hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and decreased motivation. It affects less than one percent of people in the U.S.
While there is no known cure for schizophrenia, many of its most intense symptoms can be managed with proper treatment and appropriate medication. Meanwhile, scientists and medical researchers worldwide continue to learn and absorb new information about the disorder through behavioral studies, genetics, and brain imaging.
Because schizophrenia is a highly complex brain disorder, it has long been misunderstood. Despite its name, which is Latin for “split mind,” schizophrenia does not involve split or multiple personalities. What’s more, people with schizophrenia are not found to be more violent or aggressive than people without.1
Schizophrenia Risk Factors
At the time of this writing, there does not appear to be any single cause of schizophrenia. However, people can carry certain risk factors in their genetic makeup that could result in their developing it. Certain environmental factors can also increase the likelihood of developing the disorder. Schizophrenia risk factors include:2
- A history of schizophrenia in a person’s family
- Life experiences like poverty, stress, trauma, or danger
- Pregnancy or birth issues, such as low birth weight, exposure to toxins or viruses before birth that can affect brain development, and malnourishment before birth or during infancy
- Taking mind-altering drugs like cocaine, LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), and cannabis as a teen or young adult
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia has been found to most often develop in the late teens to early twenties for men and late twenties to early thirties for women. The signs and symptoms of schizophrenia can vary in type and severity, fluctuating over time. Common symptoms of schizophrenia include:1,2
- Delusions, including false beliefs of being watched, targeted, or having special powers
- Hallucinations, most often hearing voices that are not there
- Disorganized speech and thinking
- Disorganized or abnormal motor behavior
- Reduced ability to function normally, such as a lack of emotion, poor hygiene, monotone speech, and social withdrawal
The Connection Between Schizophrenia & Addiction
People diagnosed with schizophrenia are at higher risk for developing an SUD. According to a 2006 study of the relationship between schizophrenia and substance abuse, the most commonly abused substances among those living with schizophrenia include alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis.3
A number of studies in recent decades have attempted to explain the connection between schizophrenia and addiction. It should be noted that the following theories are not mutually exclusive.
One theory suggests that SUD stems from the combined effects of poor cognitive and social functioning, poverty, or other challenging environmental factors that can increase risk. Another theory, sometimes referred to as the “primary addiction hypothesis,” posits that both schizophrenia and SUDs (including schizophrenia and alcoholism) share a common variation in the neural circuits of the brain, and that substance use may be related to a dysfunction of the brain’s reward circuitry in people with schizophrenia.4
One widely accepted theory involves self-medication. The theory around self-medication is that, in order to dull the psychotic symptoms associated with schizophrenia, people turn to mind-altering substances. Frequent use of substances can lead to dependence and addiction.4
Can You Treat Schizophrenia & Addiction Together?
Generally, mental health professionals believe schizophrenia and addiction should be treated together. Many addiction treatment programs specialize in dual diagnosis treatment, which manages both the SUD and co-occurring schizophrenia simultaneously.
Dual diagnosis treatment recognizes that certain signs and symptoms of SUDs and schizophrenia can not only overlap but also feed into and influence each other. The dual diagnosis approach has largely been found to be more effective for the overall health of the patient,4 whereas treating one condition while neglecting the other heightens the risk of relapse, that is, returning to the problematic substance use or suffering more intense symptoms of the mental health disorder.
It should be noted that addiction treatment cannot effectively start until the patient’s schizophrenia symptoms have been stabilized through medication, therapy, or both. Someone undergoing a psychotic episode due to their condition should not be admitted for treatment until they are stable.5
How is Schizophrenia & Addiction Treated?
Dual-diagnosis treatment of schizophrenia and addiction can take place in a variety of ways, though the process ought to always begin with a medical detox. During this period, the process of ridding toxic substances from the body while safely managing withdrawal symptoms takes place in a medically supervised setting. Dual diagnosis treatment of schizophrenia and addiction often includes the use of prescription medications to manage the patient’s withdrawal symptoms.
Following detox, the patient is treated with one or more programs to help them maintain their sobriety and treat their schizophrenia symptoms. Treatments may include residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP) treatment, intensive outpatient (IOP), outpatient (OP), and aftercare. Which treatment plan the patient undergoes depends on factors like the patient’s age and physical makeup, the severity of the mental health disorder and the addiction, and the patient’s health history.
Treatments often include addiction therapy, counseling, and group support to help them develop coping mechanisms and avoid returning to substance use by working through the environmental triggers that may be exacerbating their schizophrenic symptoms. Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta also employs certain holistic therapies like mindfulness and breathwork that have been found to help.
Medications Used to Treat Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, meaning it is a long-term condition that can persist throughout a person’s life. Nevertheless, several medications are used to ease its more severe or uncomfortable symptoms.
Medications used to treat schizophrenia, known as antipsychotics, fall into two main classes: typical or “first-generation” antipsychotics and atypical or “second-generation” antipsychotics. With the exception of clozapine, which can complicate the user’s immune system, second-generation antipsychotics are usually preferred, as they tend to have fewer side effects.6
Medications used to treat schizophrenia include:7
Atypical antipsychotics
- Clozapine is an antipsychotic medication that balances the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which regulate mood and behavior. The brand name of clozapine is Clozaril®.
- Risperidone also works by balancing dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. Its brand name is Risperdal®.
- Olanzapine helps regulate mood and behaviors by balancing dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. The brand name of olanzapine is Zyprexa®.
Typical antipsychotics
- Haloperidol is used to treat schizophrenia and symptoms of Tourette’s disorder. Like many second-generation antipsychotics, it balances the levels of dopamine in the brain. Its brand name is Haldol®.
- Chlorpromazine treats schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by balancing the level of dopamine in the brain. It is also used to treat nausea and vomiting, prolonged hiccups, and tetanus. Brand names include Thorazine® and Largactil®.
- Perphenazine works by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain, helping to reduce abnormal excitement and improve mood and thinking. Its brand name is Trilafon®.
Treating Schizophrenia & Addiction in Atlanta
At Empowered Recovery Center in Atlanta, we understand that recovery from schizophrenia and addiction is a complex and long-term undertaking. With the proper support, however, a new life is within reach. Our rehab programs are designed to help people take back control and make the changes necessary to lead a happier and more productive life.
Curious about the cost of rehab, or how insurance works in paying for rehab? Our rehab admissions team can answer any questions you might have about payment. We can even verify your insurance benefits for you.
In addition to providing a range of treatment options with varying intensities designed to address your unique needs, we provide one full year of free recovery coaching to help you stay supported after treatment ends. Your recovery can begin right now. Reach out to our drug and alcohol rehab in Atlanta today.
H4: References
- American Psychiatric Association (2024). What is Schizophrenia? American Psychiatric Association. Retrieved July 1, 2025, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/schizophrenia/what-is-schizophrenia
- Mayo Clinic (2024). Schizophrenia. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354443
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2006). Substance abuse in patients with schizophrenia. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3181760/
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2019). The Link Between Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorder: A Unifying Hypothesis. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6094954/#S1
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2008). Improving the Care of Individuals with Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorders: Consensus Recommendations. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2599914/
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (2014). Schizophrenia: Overview and Treatment Options. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved July 2, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4159061/
- Mount Sinai (2020). Schizophrenia. Mount Sinai. Retrieved July 12, 2025, from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/report/schizophrenia
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