schizophrenia/bi-polar disorder

[420marijuana420]

After the recent news on schizophrenia/bi-olar disorder I thought I'd take a poll to see what the trend really was and if the study was credible or not.

[yoda]

i am neither....what recent news?

[420marijuana420]

there was a news article about some study on it last week.

[Oneironaut]

What kind of study was it? You have to really look at the methodologies of these things. There are plenty of studies that show a correlation between schizophrenia and cannabis use, but correlation proves nothing. It could just be that schizophrenics are more likely to meet stoners, or that schizophrenics have more reasons to smoke weed, or that some other factor makes you more likely to become schizophrenic and more likely to smoke weed.

It's like the study that proved a correlation between crime rates and ice cream sales, just to make a point. What was that point? It's not that buying ice cream makes you more likely to commit crimes, but that hot weather makes more people buy ice cream and makes more people commit crimes.

[420marijuana420]

they tested people and took cat scan and MRIs and all that stuff and then gave them weed and said that after the weed they were more likely to develop the symptoms

[Matt the Funk]

I chose number two...

[Runaway Jim]

I use pot to treat bipolar disorder.

[Purple Banana]

They've also had a study, a smaller scale one in the UK that shows although THC can aggrivate schizophrenia symptoms, another active ingredient in cannabis- cannabidiol shows promise of helping with paranoia and racing thoughts. It's more of the indica breeds that help- the sativa tend to bring out more paranoia.

[krazy chino]

i dont believe that

[Matt the Funk]

i dont believe thatwell I do.

[Oneironaut]

they tested people and took cat scan and MRIs and all that stuff and then gave them weed and said that after the weed they were more likely to develop the symptoms
Hmm, and where did the volunteers for this study sign up? :D

Seriously, though, what were the symptoms? I'm sure the participants didn't actually go schizo after smoking the weed. Maybe they just got paranoid, or had weird things going through their head because, well, they were taking an illegal drug with doctors around monitoring them! Not exactly an everyday situation. These are probably randomly-selected people who don't smoke pot. If it's your first time ever smoking pot, and you're in a strange laboratory with people examining your brain and shit, and you don't know what's going to happen to you and the doctors don't even know (that's what they're trying to figure out after all), then yeah, I could see how you might get a little paranoid and freaked out in a way that they could measure with brain imaging.

[birdgirl73]

It was a solid, credible study in England but it was one in which they gave the test subjects isolated THC, not whole weed. It did cause significantly more paranoiac episodes and hallucinations in the group who got the THC, but scientists have known for a long while that in some susceptible groups, THC can bring out those symptoms. It may or may not be that those symptoms would be destined to come out no matter what. The findings of the study were significant enough that they didn't continue giving the study participants the THC samples.
Doctors: Marijuana Triggers Psychosis, Study Used Brain Scans For First Time To Show Link Between Pot And Paranoia - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/01/health/main2746434.shtml)

We've had lots of passionate objectors here swearing that this is impossible, that it's baloney. But it's not. It's a very real finding. I keep preaching here that if we're ever going to do justice to cannabis, we'll have to accept the good with the bad. And this is further evidence that for some sensitive people, THC can cause schizophrenic reactions. For many more, it's fine. Just make sure you're smart enough to accept that, like with any other drug or even with certain foods, some people will have negative reactions. The smarter you are, the more easily you'll be able to see that cannabis isn't an all-or-nothing, good-vs.-bad issue. For some it's good. For others, it's not a beneficial substance.

420marijuana420, from a scientific standpoint, your poll above is a completely separate issue from the British study. You understand that, right? You're asking this population, which is a group that mostly smokes or somehow otherwise uses whole cannabis. And you're asking them for their personal experiences. The answers you get here won't affect the results of the British study, and you're only asking for anecdotal results. Just be aware that with the questions you've asked above and the group you're questioning here, you're not even remotely going to be able to prove or disprove the credibility of the British study.

[Staurm]

There's an interesting discussion on this going on here

http://boards.cannabis.com/medicinal-cannabis-health/115233-schizophrenia-arguments.html

[Staurm]

Me and my mate thought we'd highlighted a link between smoking pot and paranoia last night, as we were having a beer in the bushes next to the technical college near my house last night. It turned out we were completely wrong, there really was someone following us. After 2 police cars had passed by, which is not unknown for round here yet unusual, a strange person suddenly appeared from about 100 yards shining a torch in our direction. I was nearly convinced for about 15 minutes or so before then there was someone stalking us with a torch. They dissappeared eventually after we ditched our stash under a bush and crouched silently behind a small hill for about ten minutes, I think it was neighbourhood watch. We were dressed like vagrants....

Anyway, I think it's not really a question of whether there is a link between pot and mental illness, it's whether or not it's the ONLY cause and I think in most if not all cases where people develop schitzophrenia after smoking it, it very much isn't. Poor dietary habits, junk food, malnutrition, the wrong balance of fatty acids, etc.... all take much more of the credit for it in my mind. Strangely though this scientifically proven fact never gets a mention whenever they are broadcasting yet more propaganda based on "new" evidence. It's one of the lesser forms of cannabis discrimination.

[timothylearyisdead]

Excess DXM use cause me to go bi-polar for over a year and a half, until I started smoking all the time, then it just went away. I think some people may be more susceptible to becoming bi-polar from smoking herb than others due to their brain chemistry. For others like myself, it has the opposite effect. Everybody's different in every way. Everybody body reacts differently than everybody elses.

[Staurm]

People have different brain chemistry because people eat differently.

[timothylearyisdead]

There are so many different factors that could greatly effect the studies outcome. It's really not something they should make a fuss over anyway. If it is true, then there's probably only a very small percentage of people that it actually effects.

[CheebaMan]

Well my problem got so bad with me being paranoid and hopeless came after the weed, but their "studies" that weed just brings it out more..meaning it was kind of already there..just never noticed my psychologist said it was the weed and prescribed me antidepressants...

i said screw that and went out to enjoy my life and stayed smoking my god damn reefer and i havent been schizophrenic since..praise God almighty its a miracle!:hippy:

[timothylearyisdead]

(Doing my best Bill Cosby impression)


YA'SEEEE????

[napolitana869]

I'm bipolar and have a personality disorder and I use pot to treat my symptoms

[timothylearyisdead]

once again, adding to my thesis, ya zee.

[chris420]

Genetical predisposition of mental disorders also have a major influence in developing such an illnes... I smoke marijuana and I do not have any mental condition. Altho, I have known of people that have smoked themselves crazy. Nevertheless that does not mean that pot is a long term dangerous drug to everyone, just a pre selected unfortunate few may be much more succeptible to marijuana's powerful effect on the mind.

[BabyFacedAbortion]

I use pot to treat bipolar disorder.

Me too. For real real!

[Nochowderforyou]

I am bi-polar, and I went on medicine for the first time when I was 15. That was for depression at the time, and the anxiety came when I was about 17.

First time I smoked pot, I was 15, after the medicine. I never started buying my own bags until I was about 18.

So no, cannabis for me is not to blame for my illness. I got it from my mother, and my mother got it from her mother. I have lack of serentonin flow in my brain. It cann;t be helped with out medicine.

[PureEvil760]

I did have a mental thing like that after smoking but it wasnt schizophrenia or bi-polar so i voted niether.

[werd328]

Neither.

[yankeesgirl83]

In my experience it's a preexisting mental health disorder that leads people to smoking habitually ie self medicating. My brother is bi-polar but he refuses medical help so he smokes a hell of a lot of pot. I have social anxiety disorder and for about a year and a half i smoked 3-4 times everyday with no breaks to numb the anxiety. I started taking paxil about a month ago and its allowed me to cut way back and even go days in a row without smoking.

I don't know if i'd believe that smoking pot leads to schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. I'd think the people willing to smoke enough that it could lead to the behaviors present in those conditions are people who are predisposed to having them anyway. I'd be willing to bet that many habitual smokers have other family members with abuse problems be that alcohol, food, marijuana, etc.

[scStOnEr]

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder before i started smoking pot. I was diagnosed bipolar type 2 after i started smoking pot but looking back i had all symptoms of childhood onset bipolar illness. I currently use marijuana (medical) to help treat insomnia, and anxiety at night. I smoke once at night before i go to sleep and thats it. Helps a lot. My username is kind of misleading I wouldnt really consider myself a stoner I was at one point in my life but now its more of a medical use.

[rebgirl420]

I was bipolar/schizo before I smoked pot and I still am. Though my meds and my pot help ALOT!

[nightlight]

I was bipolar/schizo before I smoked pot and I still am. Though my meds and my pot help ALOT!

what meds are you on if you don't mind me asking. we have got the same deal it sounds like and i cant find anything that works for me.

[rebgirl420]

1,000 MG OF SEREQUAL, TRAZADONE 200 MG, 900 LITHIUM

[Matt the Funk]

Just to chime in on seroquel. I would't take that shit. Makes you gain so much weight, plus it made me depressed.

[rebgirl420]

I lost 50 pounds while on serequal and it works just fine for me

[Matt the Funk]

I lost 50 pounds while on serequal and it works just fine for meI gained 15!And it gave me da munchies.

[rebgirl420]

haha thats what happened to my friend Nick too!

[Staurm]

I think its a possiblity that you could argue that I am self medicating for some kind of anxiety disorder. I've always argued that - once I got used to it and became a "confident" smoker where I could handle most social situations without getting paranoid - smoking cannabis helped me to relax in many social situations, and gave me confidence to speak out in front of more than 2 or 3 people at a time. But it always had a negative effect where people would sometimes think I was being arrogant.

Anyway, this anxiety disorder I may or may not have. It's nothing to do with genetics, eating a healthy balanced diet helps a lot I think, it's nothing I was predisposed to though. It was because I was psychologically abused by one of my teachers at school when I was 6, and later physically bullied for many years later by the some of the rest of the kids who were encouraged to join in by her.

She has a reputation for picking on children who come from broken families. As a consequence of this, occasionally when someone challenges me in an aggressive way, even if I am physically capable of defending myself, or even simply an assertive manner, psycholgically I find myself unable to hld myself together very well, and it often results in my heart racing and my becoming extremely nervous.

I used to deal with these situations by further challenging the aggressor in a somewhat unmeasured (but never voilent I must stress) way, until I started smoking weed. Now I can more confidently diffuse these situations, when they arise, in more calm and collected manner.

I've lost a number of jobs in my life as a result of some my boss at work giving me a ticking off, or even simply being snotty with me or looking down on me, and I end up firing my mouth off putting them in their place.

[Tom Swierzbinski]

I lost 50 pounds while on serequal and it works just fine for me

Are serequal those little green tablets? I think my mate has those for anti-anxiety, and my god those kick arse. Had one once or twice and they just make me feel stoned. Awesome things.
Anyway, just for anyone interested ive been diagnosed with bipolar since I was 16 (nearly 4 years now), and Im on 600mg Tegretol daily (supposed to be 800mg, but I ditched a tablet because I started gaining weight and getting VERY lethargic) and 15mg aripiprazole.

[nightlight]

Just to chime in on seroquel. I would't take that shit. Makes you gain so much weight, plus it made me depressed.

word. i gained 80 pounds while on resperidal, seroquel, and serzone within like 8 months. i also lost it within 6 months once i was taken off of meds entirely.