Pubdate: Mon, 05 Feb 2001
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.f2.com.au/login/login.asp?board=TheAge-Talkback
Author: Mary-Anne Toy

AFTER DRUG, THE VOICES

Apart from being born prematurely, "Peter" had never been any 
trouble. A happy, eager-to-please child, he had grown into an 
outgoing young man who did well at school and sports.

So when, in his final year of secondary school, Peter started 
sleeping in, skipping school, staying out late and smoking dope, his 
mother "Jane" reluctantly put it down to teenage angst.

One day she found he had removed the bathroom air duct. Peter told 
her he thought it was a listening device. "I didn't even twig at that 
stage," Jane said.

Peter's behavior continued to deteriorate. He stopped seeing friends 
who didn't smoke dope and abandoned tertiary studies.

An American rock band kept singing his name in their songs. There was 
something happening in the television: "they" were trying to listen 
in on his thoughts.

After what can be seen in hindsight as psychotic episodes, Peter was 
diagnosed with schizophrenia. He is being treated.

Research indicates that Peter's siblings have a one-in-10 chance of 
developing the disease. They have been warned to avoid cannabis, as 
it can trigger psychosis.

Despite what happened with Peter, Jane is wary of giving even low 
doses of anti-psychotic drugs to prevent schizophrenia.

Yet if one of her other children began to deteriorate as Peter did, 
she would support it.

"I feel like a bomb's hit our family. I'd like to say it's not 
happening, but it is. I've been grieving for losing the child I knew."
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