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If you were a real heavy pot smoker 4 years ... are you at a extreme risk of developing schitzophrenia???

Q.
If you were a real heavy pot smoker 4 years while u were growing up and then stopped in your 20's because of a psychosis episode due to drugs, are you still at a extreme risk of developing schitzophrenia???
A.
No. Pot doesn't put you at extreme risk of developing schizophrenia. When you have an episode of psychosis, the chances are that you were already carrying some extra risk for psychosis and that if you go on using, you will have other episodes. The more often that it happens, the worse things get and the poorer the recovery after each new episode.

If you made a good recovery after the first episode (within a couple of weeks) and you are staying well without antipsychosis medication, it was probably not schizophrenia, but a 'drug-induced' psychosis, which will only come back if you go on using.

I can't talk about your personal case, but a good drug and alcohol counsellor, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist or a GP with some extra training in drug and alcohol problems could review the situation with you and spot any extra risk factors that you should know about.
Last modified: 15th June 2009