Many people with schizophrenia wind up in drug and alcohol treatment. Sometime the person has substance induced psychosis, but other times they do actually have schizophrenia. Many drug rehabs shy away from accepting schizophrenic patients out of fear, but generally someone with schizophrenia is easier to manage and treat than other patients with “less severe” psychological diagnoses. The most common problem with schizophrenics in treatment is their med-compliance, but a schizophrenic in drug rehab who is med compliant is generally a joy to be around, and much easier to manage than someone with borderline personality disorder or histrionic personality disorder.
The Schizophrenic Brain:
We now know that there is a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia. There are structural brain abnormalities in the brain’s of people with schizophrenia. Some individuals show sings of cerebral damage and larger ventricles produce shrinkage in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex plays a key role in a person’s ability to function normally. It has also been found that people with schizophrenia have damage to their cingulate and medial temporal cortex brain regions.
Author
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Paul Alexander is the CEO, President & Founder of Northbound Treatment Network in Newport Beach, California. He believes wholeheartedly in transformational leadership, organizational health and effective, fully integrated substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 27 years of experience in behavioral healthcare, Paul has extensive knowledge of “in vivo” treatment modalities, clinical development, operations, strategy, marketing and financial planning. He has been widely recognized for his development of collegiate-based residential treatment programs for students in recovery and authored a research study at The University of California confirming this modality’s effectiveness.
Paul’s comprehensive professional experience, willingness to innovate, and emphasis on organizational health are vital factors in Northbound’s continued success. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002. Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, Summa Cum Laude, from University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles. Paul currently serves on The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) board. In addition, he serves on The Family Recovery Foundation board and The CarePossible board in Orange County; both organizations are committed to raising funds for family recovery and treatment for former military personnel. Paul is in recovery himself and lives in Orange County with his wife Silvana and his two young sons, Noah and Dean.
