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8 • PSYCHOSIS
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substance use
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Avoid or limit your use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
Alcohol, tobacco and
other drugs can intensify your psychotic symptoms. It is recommended that no more
than two standard drinks should be consumed each day (for further information refer
to the Australian Drinking Guidelines). Avoid high doses of substances, and risky drug
taking behaviour, such as injecting drug use. Take regular breaks from drinking or using,
and avoid using multiple different types of drugs. If you have been drinking, smoking or
using regularly it can be difficult to cut down. The activities listed on pages 9–14 of this
booklet may help you cope with your cravings and urges to use.
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Take medication as prescribed.
Avoid mixing prescribed medication with alcohol,
tobacco or other drugs, as this could have dangerous consequences, such as making
prescribed medication ineffective, or increasing the effects of alcohol or other drugs.
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Seek support.
Everybody needs support. Talk to family members or friends that you trust
about your feelings, or write them down in a diary. The services listed at the end of this
booklet may also be useful.
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Plan to do something each day that brings a sense of achievement.
Often everyday
tasks like washing, cleaning, paying bills or returning phone calls, tend to pile up when a
person is going through a hard time. This can become overwhelming as the pile gets bigger
and bigger. By just choosing one of these activities to do each day, you can prevent things
piling up, which can help you feel a bit more in control of your life. The flow-on effect can
be a real sense of achievement (or relief) that this activity has been completed.
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Monitor your emotions.
Try keeping track of your emotions and psychosis symptoms
in a diary. Write down how you have felt at different times of the day. When were your
symptoms highest? When were your symptoms lowest? What were you doing and what
were you thinking at those times? When did you have cravings to use alcohol, tobacco
or other substances? How much sleep did you have each night? Keeping a diary of your
symptoms and emotions can help you learn the patterns between the way you feel, the
things you do and the way you think.
What strategies do you find help manage your psychotic symptoms?