Voices in the head Help with psychosis

When drugs trigger voices in the head: Berlin Clinic offers nationwide unique therapy concept for young people with psychosis

02/10/2014

Drugs can severely damage your health - everyone knows that. What young people in particular often forget: ecstasy and party drugs can trigger psychosis for years after consumption. Not infrequently, the psychological problems get through „Voices in the head“ noticeable, who deeply scare those affected and drive them to despair. Not infrequently this leads to suicide, because there seems to be no way out.

The voices come from one moment to the other and can not be controlled. This experience had to make the today 30-year-old Anna, who in conversation with the news agency „dpa“ told about her ordeal. One thing is already anticipated: Anna seems to have a happy ending. She has found a therapy place in a nationwide unique facility in Berlin, the FRITZ, and makes great progress.

They insult, insult and comment on everything, sometimes they calm down before they let go of nastiness again - voices in the head. From one second to the other they are there and stay. „From the right the devil, from the left the angel“, Anna describes the outbreak of her psychosis in 2010. „Then the paranoia came. I got incredibly scared, in the street, in the dark.“ After three years, the young woman was mentally exhausted, thinking of suicide. A call to the crisis emergency service brought her to the FRITZ, a Berlin clinic with a therapy concept for young adults that is unique in Germany. There are many patients in the facility, such as Anna, who have had hard drug years in adolescence causing psychosis in adulthood.

„At the age of twelve I started taking drugs: party drugs, ecstasy, amphetamines. I have also stoned “, reports the young woman „Everything out of curiosity.“ She was easy on the drugs. „I looked older and easily got into clubs.“ Anna's past - years of party life after graduating from high school and moving out of a broken family until she finally came to Berlin - has left a clear mark on her face.

Voices in the head often drive young people into suicide
„I worked in the restaurant - there is just drunk and what taken. There is cash on hand. Work and party are not really separate“, the young woman continues. Then - all of a sudden - the problems came. Anna had just started the second attempt to do an apprenticeship as a veterinary assistant. „The problems came totally suddenly. Although I knew that you can hear voices through drugs. Nevertheless, I could not believe it at first“, she reports. The then 26-year-old gets scared, but does not want to tell anyone about the voices she hears, she is ashamed. The only way out she sees to silence the voices in her head is death. Anna plans to kill herself if she can not do the apprenticeship. She undertakes a therapy attempt in a clinic, but stops it. „Although I took drugs, but was terrified of medication“, explains the young woman.

Therapy of psychosis is usually tedious
But then, in November 2013, she will be coming to FRITZ for the first time at the Vivantes Hospital on Urban. She learns that she suffers from a so-called schizoaffective disorder. Nevertheless, the young woman is still not convinced by the clinic. „The first day I left right away. But returned the next day.“ Meanwhile, she feels comfortable in FRITZ. The doctors and therapists meet her at eye level, adapting to her without patronizing. She is hospitalized and receives medication. After ten days, the paranoia is gone. But the voices continue to hear her. After the inpatient phase of therapy follows a protracted outpatient care in the affiliated day clinic, which is broken again and again from further inpatient stays in the institution. When and if Anna will be fully recovered, no one can say with certainty. But she is making great strides towards a self-determined life. So now she can talk about the voices and her illness. „My therapist is a very, very big help for me“, emphasizes the young woman.

Early treatment of psychosis increases therapy success
In FRITZ, most patients have a drug past. „Almost all of our patients have had cannabis experience“, reports priv. Doz. Andreas Bechdolf, Head of FRITZ, in conversation with the news agency. However, doctors and therapists are not primarily banning, they want the young adults to work with them to avoid frustrated treatment after a short while. The demand for therapy places in the FRITZ is great. There is already a waiting list. Since last October, around 160 young people have been treated at the facility.

„The sooner we can intervene, the better a beginning psychosis can be treated“, explains Bechdolf. This can reduce the number of new episodes of illness and achieve a faster symptom reduction. Above all, early therapy increases the chances of getting back into school and working life. Countries like Britain and Australia are ahead of Germany in terms of early intervention, reports Bechdolf. That's why FRITZ is also concerned with education. (Ag)