FinnMacCool

I've been a regular user of marijuana but I was told that smoking pot brought out a bi polar disorder and I have recently been diagnosed with such. I was in a hospital for weeks and I don't want to have another episode.

Does anyone have any insight into the relationship between pot and bi polar disorder?

brookie43

hmmmm can u describe exactly how you feel and your situation? I'm more irritable when i'm not high. Think this is bi polar?

sterbo

Hey Finn
You'll find a lot of discussion on this subject if you do a Search.
That said, here's a good starting place -

http://www.marijuana.com/420/medicin...ighlight=polar

Good Luck...
.

__________________

Buzzby

There is no evidence that marijuana causes any kind of mental illness, unless you live in the UK or Australia where they've invented "cannabis psychosis" (their own brand of "Reefer Madness™").

Whether cannabis is going to be helpful or detrimental to your condition is uncertain. It's something that you and your doctor have to decide, and the doctor who told you that marijuana somehow "caused" your bipolar condition is not the one to talk to about it.

I suffer from bipolar disorder and I vaporize a bit of marijuana every day. It doesn't do any harm. My doctor doesn't think it's a problem. I've had this condition for a long time and I'm stable with my meds. If you're not stable yet, you should probably hold off using marijuana until you are.

__________________

sterbo

I love a manic man
He held me and loved me through all his demons, hurtful times no other could share
save those small crashing moments our course collided
and when a shipmate shared her love with a first joint
he turned a corner no other could bring.
His life remained - chaotic, yet grass lightened his heart, and gave him blessing like no other
save me, as he said
his son...

dk15

i dont know if it brought it out in you and i am not sure what it has done to others but i have actually read that it can bring it out, and that it can help it. speaking through first hand accounts, my mom has bi-polar and has had quite a few serious episodes, ranging from a week long, to months on end.

she used to smoke regularly but was told that it can inflict with her illness, and she has been forced to stop. she has no problem not smoking as she is much better off without it, as it honestly can send her into a high(not blazed but in a sense of the disease, if you know BP, you know what i mean). however several things can send her into a slight high or low, some as minor as seeing relatives she hasnt seen in a long time or previously embarrassed herself infront of due to an eposide of the condition. For her, skipping just a day of her meds or even not sleeping well for a night or series of nights can send her into a very mild or very serious high, depending on the circumstances.

yet i have read accounts online of mj helping out people with bp and i believe everyone is different. from what i have seen from her over the last 20 years (and she probably has it too a completely different degree than yourself) my best advice to you is to get plenty of sleep and try not to stay up too late.

if you or anyone would like to ask me any questions regarding my knowledge of the disease feel free to pm me anytime and good luck managing, it can be much easier for some than others. hope this helped

FinnMacCool

Hi people. I just thought I'd go ahead and thank everyone for their advice. I have been smoking marijuana while taking lithium and zyprexa and I haven't noticed anything different when I blaze. I am very emotionally stable. I haven't told a doctor or anything because I don't feel like telling them would help me.

Feorge Gorman

...it works wonderfully for the mood swings. It helps so I don't get into that real depressing low feeling, something I notice when I'm at work and haven't smoked since the night before.
It also seems to help keep the 'Evil Feorge' away. I don't like him very much, and he rarely rears his ugly head when I'm high on weed.

As far as weed bringing on a bi-polar condition...I really couldn't say, as I was pretty messed up before I started smoking. Although, I 'highly' doubt it could be responsible for inducing a psychosis. Oh sure...if you are just starting out with weed, it's quite possible that the effects could mimic those of a paranoia based psychosis. It's a whole different feeling like no other you've ever experienced, so it's not unusual to think maybe something strange is going on in there. I'll even admit that if I over-do it after being out for a while, I get a little anxious and uncomfortable...but that quickly passes as I bring my thc level up to where it was before.

I've taken most of the drugs manufactured specifically for bi-polar...and the effects of some were quite frightening! What's even worse is how they make you feel when you try to quit taking them! I weaned myself off those things, and the withdrawals are something I don't think I ever want to go through again!

FinnMacCool, I'm glad the meds are working for you, and I trust you have a doctor that cares about your condition. Unfortunately, I had a doctor that I'm sure was simply experimenting on me with many of the popular meds (something my regular MD readily admits they do!), which really soured me on that kind of treatment. The straw broke when he wanted me to take a cocktail of drugs which he simply referred to as "California Rocket Fuel"! Heard that expression yet? Scared the bejeezus outta me.

Sterbo...I think you pasted the wrong link. It's about video games or something. And did you write that piece? Pretty cool!

ITG

Nah, Feorge, it's a problem that's cropped up since the merger. Sometimes, when you link a thread from before the merger between Cheaptalk and the 420 Lounge, it will go to a different thread. Personally, I think it's because of overlaps of the numbers at the beginning of the thread name in the URL, since cheaptalk and the lounge could use the same ones for different threads. It's a pain.

And Finn, while I think it's great that it seems to have no noticeable effects on you, I would still ask a doctor about it, even if it's not your current doctor who was quick to blame the onset on mj. And if they seem closeminded about it, I'd make up shit I "heard" and ask him about it, and try to determine the truth from his responses. If you have the time and money, the best thing would probably be to get input from several doctors, but insurance is finicky and even casual visits can be expensive out of pocket. Good luck, dude.

__________________

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.

matjb1231

im bipolar. I know cocaine and meth can cause the disorder(sorry if thats against the posting rules). but as for marijuana, the only thing i can imagine it doing is helping, not hurting.