Pubdate: Thu, 17 Nov 2005
Source: Phoenix New Times (AZ)
Copyright: 2005 New Times, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/640

METH SCHIZOPHRENIA

I'd like to congratulate you on your great articles on methamphetamine. 
There is one aspect of the drug that you didn't cover, which is the effects 
of meth on the mental-health system here in Maricopa County.

I work for one of the mobile crisis companies contracted and dispatched by 
ValueOptions. We help people deal with mental-health crises anywhere in the 
county 24/7. This service is free to anyone in Maricopa County. Our calls 
range from people feeling suicidal to domestic-violence situations to 
parent-child problems to a homeless person wanting a blanket to someone 
simply "acting bizarre."

Over the past couple years, there has been a huge increase in our overall 
volume of calls -- specifically, calls where the client has recently used 
meth. I would estimate that in about 50 percent of the calls, meth is involved.

Meth will cause paranoia, aggression and psychosis, which are all reasons 
that people call us. This situation could be called "schizophrenia in a 
pipe," because it is almost impossible to tell the difference between 
someone on a five-day meth binge and a long-term paranoid schizophrenic off 
his medication.

Meth is overwhelming our already underfunded, beleaguered and complicated 
mental-health system, with little hope in sight.

Name withheld by request
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom