Live Life Team
Smoking rates seem to be high among schizophrenia patients and those with other mental disorders. This also includes patients with more common conditions like depression. Researchers are not quite sure how smoking relates to these problems, but there are theories.
People who suffer from these mental conditions are more likely to start smoking or continue smoking. They are less likely to give up the habit than people who do not suffer from these ailments. In addition, those who smoke and are depressed seem to have a lower quality of life and higher disability rates than people who are smoke-free. Approximately half of them showed signs of at least one other mental condition.
Some scientists think they know the answer. Tar contains substances that stimulate liver enzymes and cause increased metabolism of certain anti-psychotic drugs. The result is the need for higher doses in order for the patient to function. The major cause of death among people who suffer from mental disorders, however, is cardiovascular disease. Moreover, smoking seems to increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes in patients with mental conditions.
Studies have shown that mentally healthy people who smoke at least one pack of cigarettes a day have an increased risk of developing panic attacks, severe phobias and anxiety attacks. The chemicals in cigarette smoke may alter the normal activity of brain cells. Although the reasons are more numerous for a smoker with a mental disorder to quit, it is a much larger task for such a person to accomplish. He is, after all, fighting chemical imbalances other than those caused by nicotine.
