Pubdate: Mon, 01 Aug 2005
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact:  http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187
Author: Liam Houlihan, youth reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

HEALTH WARDS GO TO POT

Victoria's Mental Health Clinics Have Become Little More Than "Cannabis 
Wards", Experts Have Said.

Hundreds of patients are being turned away as psychiatric units are swamped 
by hordes of young people in the throes of cannabis-induced psychosis.

Drug-addled mental patients as young as 13 often suffer delusions and 
paranoia, were sometimes ultra-violent and required more attention than 
less chronic patients, mental health workers said.

As a result people with anxiety, depression and eating disorders are not 
being treated at clinics.

The cannabis wards revelation comes as evidence mounts that cannabis, far 
from being a soft drug, is a real factor in many cases of mental illness.

Melbourne drug and health workers told the Herald Sun of:

A MENTAL ward that did not know how to treat a psychotic man who had no 
drug history because all their procedures were for drug-related patients.

DRUG-INDUCED patients sneaking drugs into wards and trying to take them 
while there.

A GIRL who had been using drugs since she was 13 who managed to quit heroin 
but could not beat her cannabis addiction.

A TEENAGER who went psychotic smoking bongs in front of television 
destroyed the walls of his room with his hands and body when "the 
television told him to".

Paul Denborough, a child and adolescent psychiatrist with the Alfred 
hospital, said worried and jumbled thoughts made the patients delusional.

He said more than half his chronic patients would have used drugs.

He said their most common delusions were paranoia that the government was 
stealing their ideas, beliefs they had superpowers or religious fantasies.

Experts estimate most of the state's 958 public psychiatric beds are 
devoted to patients with drug-induced psychosis.

Barbara Hocking, executive director of mental illness charity SANE 
Australia, said: "What's happening is mental health care has been inundated 
and crisis patients are the only ones still actually getting care."

Veteran youth worker Les Twentyman said marijuana had taken such a toll 
that when people offered paying jobs to his young charges, he had to turn 
them down.

"I've got to say they can't work because they're so drug-dependent and 
psychotic," he said.

"This pot is not the same stuff that was around in the '60s. It's eight 
times stronger and it sends them mad."

Mental health experts say Victoria's cannabis wards are proof of the strong 
links between marijuana and mental illness.

They have demanded health authorities fix the current "scandalous" system 
of separate treatment centres for drug users and the mentally ill.

Ms Hocking said separate drug and mental illness services had to be merged 
to cope with the cannabis-induced psychosis epidemic.

THOSE seeking help should call the SANE helpline on 1800 688 382 or email  ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom