One Opinion:
Drug use or alcohol abuse also doesn't cause schizophrenia. People with the disease frequently abuse drugs or alcohol, but their use of these substances didn't cause the disease. In fact, some doctors think that the same changes in the brain that cause schizophrenia also make those who suffer from this disorder more likely to abuse drugs (including nicotine) than other people. Drug or alcohol abuse can make the symptoms of the disease worse, though, and it can make coping with the illness harder. For these reasons, doctors recommend that people with schizophrenia limit the amounts of alcohol that they drink, and avoid using illegal drugs altogether.
Also:
There have been many theories suggested and investigated as to why correlation may exist in the absence of causation. These include suggestions that people already suffering from psychoses may be more likely to try cannabis - a reversal of the causation theory. People already suffering from such disorders, diagnosed or not, may actually use cannabis as a medication to ward off the unpleasant effects of the illness. People already diagnosed as having psychiatric problems may find cannabis helpful in dealing with the side effects of the medication that is given to them. Another theory is that there is some other factor(s) that makes both schizophrenic disorders and cannabis usage more likely to occur. This may be down to demographics, environment, personality types or some completely unrelated factor. Several studies have found that cannabis use follows the onset of mental disorder symptoms, which adds to the refutation of cannabis causing such disorders.
Drug use or alcohol abuse also doesn't cause schizophrenia. People with the disease frequently abuse drugs or alcohol, but their use of these substances didn't cause the disease. In fact, some doctors think that the same changes in the brain that cause schizophrenia also make those who suffer from this disorder more likely to abuse drugs (including nicotine) than other people. Drug or alcohol abuse can make the symptoms of the disease worse, though, and it can make coping with the illness harder. For these reasons, doctors recommend that people with schizophrenia limit the amounts of alcohol that they drink, and avoid using illegal drugs altogether.
Also:
There have been many theories suggested and investigated as to why correlation may exist in the absence of causation. These include suggestions that people already suffering from psychoses may be more likely to try cannabis - a reversal of the causation theory. People already suffering from such disorders, diagnosed or not, may actually use cannabis as a medication to ward off the unpleasant effects of the illness. People already diagnosed as having psychiatric problems may find cannabis helpful in dealing with the side effects of the medication that is given to them. Another theory is that there is some other factor(s) that makes both schizophrenic disorders and cannabis usage more likely to occur. This may be down to demographics, environment, personality types or some completely unrelated factor. Several studies have found that cannabis use follows the onset of mental disorder symptoms, which adds to the refutation of cannabis causing such disorders.
