Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 Source: Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser (Australia) Copyright: 2009. Fairfax Media. Contact: http://campbelltown.yourguide.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4989 Author: Ilona Marchetta Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?252 (Cannabis - Psychosis) SEA OF ADDICTION FULL OF YOUNG MEN More people entered Odyssey House rehabilitation centre for alcoholism than for any other substance addiction last year. Cannabis-related admissions accounted for the largest significant change in illicit drug trends, up by almost 30per cent from 2007. The centre's recent annual report revealed alcohol was the primary drug of concern for almost one in three clients entering the Campbelltown facility in 2007 to 2008. People aged 18 to 30 accounted for almost half of the 715 clients who entered withdrawal and residential rehabilitation programs and 70per cent were male. But Odyssey House chief executive James Pitts said the continuing steep rise in co-existing mental health problems was a concerning trend 44per cent of clients last year cited a co-existing mental illness, with alcohol misuse and depression the most common. "If this trend continues, more than half our clients this year will have a co-existing mental illness, putting added pressure on our services and our staff," he said. "The best health outcomes are achieved when substance misuse is treated at the same time as their mental illness but this requires an integrated therapeutic approach, more intensive, longer-term treatment and specially trained staff." Odyssey House clinical services manager Sharon Mestern advised binge or ongoing heavy drinkers to seek medical help when withdrawing from alcohol. "The risks of withdrawal from alcohol dependence include seizures and delirium tremens, which can be treated with scheduled ongoing assessment and medications," she said. "There are greater risks with alcohol poisoning and withdrawal without professional assistance." She said the increased admissions for cannabis dependence last year could partly explain the rising incidence of co-existing mental health problems among clients entering the program. "Both cannabis and amphetamine-type substances increase the incidence of psychosis, particularly if the individual is vulnerable to psychosis," she said. "Many people ask about the link between cannabis and mental illness and which comes first. "There's an increased risk of schizophrenia being triggered into action by cannabis use. "Often, someone already experiencing depression, anxiety and psychosis may use cannabis in an attempt to relieve their symptoms, without realising that cannabis and other illicit drugs can only make matters worse. "The increase in people admitting themselves to Odyssey House for treating cannabis dependence shows that this drug has begun to create chaos in their lives, affecting their work, relationships and often their mental health."