WATERLOO - Authorities have not yet confirmed whether drugs or a mental health condition played a role in Mark Becker's apparent decision to shoot coach Ed Thomas.

Becker's friends, however, know he battled both demons, and court records illustrate methamphetamine was a part of the young man's life.

On Jan. 19, authorities charged Becker with possession of drug paraphernalia and he admitted using the powerful illegal stimulant. On Saturday, he allegedly used a bat to break windows at a home in Cedar Falls and drove his vehicle into a garage door. Becker then led police on a high speed chase.

He was arrested and taken to Covenant Medical Center where he was supposed to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He was released Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Becker allegedly walked into the Aplington-Parkersburg High School weight room with a handgun. He then shot and killed coach Ed Thomas.

Mental health officials declined to comment specifically on Becker's possible conditions. They acknowledge, however, that drug abuse and mental health issues often go hand-in-hand.

"Research has shown that approximately 50 percent of folks coming in the substance abuse treatment door for treatment could be diagnosed with a mental health disorder and about 50 percent of the mental health people coming in could also be diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder," said Chris Hoffman, executive director of Pathways Behavioral Services.

"This is not an uncommon situation for those of us providing mental health services."

Self-medicating

Amanda Schara, an addictions counselor at Allen Counseling, said oftentimes those with an undiagnosed mental health condition will self-medicate with illegal narcotics. The drugs often provide relief from the physical and mental symptoms associated with their disorder.

"Unfortunately, the substance will give them the quick band-aid relief. It gives them a high, but when they come down they just made the wound bigger," Schara said.

Illegal drugs will also cancel the effectiveness of prescribed medications, she added.

Often, mental illnesses can cause delusional thoughts, Hoffman said. Those ideas can range from someone thinking the FBI is chasing them to a belief someone stole money they never possessed to voices telling them to commit certain acts.

Meth and cocaine can also prompt delusional thoughts, both the high and as the drug leaves a person's system. The same drugs can also disengage the internal checks-and-balances system that keep a person from becoming violent. Meth can also exacerbate psychotic symptoms and give a person a sense of power.

However, Hoffman said despite the publicity of high-profile cases, for someone with a mental illness to become truly violent is "very, very rare." Instead, he said, they tend to be victimized because of their passive nature.

"Don't be afraid of the people you know with a mental health diagnosis. That is not an accurate portrayal of who they are. It doesn't do anyone any good," he said.

As the drug leaves the body, Hoffman said users will sometimes experience symptoms of psychosis that can keep them awake for hours or even days. After about three days, without any additional binges, the body begins to shut down, causing the person to sleep for extended periods. Those who can find an additional supply to fend off the sleep will see their energy rebound, keeping them awake.

"That's what pushes some of the addiction stories you hear about people who are up for days. If you were forced to stay awake for three days even (a non-drug user) would probably start to hallucinate," Hoffman said. "You add meth to that and it will happen."

Mental health and the law

Judy Meyers, president of the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses, believes the process for getting a person committed for a mental health evaluation needs an overhaul in Iowa.

Her mother, who lives in Muscatine County, had two relapses because she was unable to get help in time to administer medication. On both occasions, her psychiatrist had closed their office unexpectedly and would not release patients' medical records.

"We had a very brief time to find a new psychiatrist who would take over her care without any medical records," Meyers said.

When their efforts failed, Meyers says her mother became increasingly paranoid as prescribed drugs left her system.

"When she starts feeling the mania, she doesn't want anything to bring her down. She doesn't want anything to do with medicine," Meyers said.

The law contains very specific criterion for a psychiatric committal, Hoffman said. Just because someone is a little different or makes a person feel uncomfortable doesn't mean authorities or family members can have them committed, he said.

"A committal is done to determine if the person is a threat to themselves or to others … Sometimes the community gets confused about that," Hoffman added.

Once an evaluation is completed, doctors cannot legally keep the person in the hospital if they are determined not to be a threat.

Meyers said hospital officials should not determine who is or is not a danger. That responsibility should fall on the court's mental health referee, she said, a mediator who helps determine the next step in a person's psychiatric care.