Can drinking alcohol cause schizophrenia? I've got it in my family history and am just wondering if drinking will increase the chances of me getting it, thankyou.
I have never heard any report or research about alcohol causing schizophrenia, or increasing your chances of getting it. Alcohol can exacerbate symtoms if you have schizophrenia. I would be very careful of what I put in my body if I were you, to avoid any potential problems. That's a good question. I have heard doctors tell me not to drink on psych meds. I don't think a beer or a glass of wine once in a while is going to do much damage.
Alcohol has two primary neruological responces. It decreases the amount of a butamic acid called GABA in your brain. This is an amino acid which can cause stress, so drinking will make you feel more comfortable. It willl also act on a nerurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine can cause a lot of stress, and in people with certain stress triggers (loud noises, hostility) can cause them to react crazily. In people with schizophrenia, the increased dopamine is very likely to have adverse effects. I'd emphasise schizophrenia is not a very well understood and often misdiagnosed illness.
I agree Lodui, I don't believe that alcohol can cause schizophrenia. I think if you've got it and it's waiting to happen in your brain, alcohol might trigger it. Which is sort of how it works with the link between Marijuana and schizophrenia. But be warned a lot of that research is junk science, they can't even determine if it happens in that order. Does the (marijuana/alcohol/insert substance here) cause schizophrenia, or are they schizophrenic already and looking for a way to escape that negative feeling by using drugs. But that is wise of you to look into it, especially with family history. Sorry I couldn't be more help, hope what I wrote is at least somewhat useful =) Peace Love and Serenity af
