Cannabis and depression

[easyg]

any thoughts? experiences?

Like I've admitted, I'm pretty new to all this so input would be gratefully received!

I've been suffering with depression for about 2 years now including various symptons/by-products of the condition...including insomnia, anxiety, panic etc

apart from when I restart taking Zopiclone the best sleep I have had in all this time is after cooking with cannabis (I don't/won't smoke as I find tobacco smoke disgusting), but not having easy access to a source etc this only happened a handful of times but am looking forward to it again soon

anyway...what are other peoples experiences with cannabis and depression, does it help? hinder? etc etc...

cheers

g

[cotch and bun]

be careful with it. if your predisposed towards depression, it may not help at all. ive seen many a friend get too fucked up from smoking too much...but as i say, it depends from person to person... probably best not to do it all the time.
hope ive been some help but remember this is just my opinion, it may be v. diff for you

[DonnieDarko]

Most ppl think of depression as "being severely down", like after a loved one dies, or you lose your job. My feeling is that weed wouldn't help with that.

What you describe is depression due to stress, anxiety, panic, insomnia .... In this case, your symtoms exhaust you mentally, and cause depression. I can't say for sure that it would help, but it is worth a try.

[Delta9]

Alcoholics should consume lots of anti-oxidants, for their presence will aid in reducing the oxidation of dopamine by acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde builds up in the bloodstream from the detoxification of ethanol, which will slowly oxidize the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain causing neuronal damage from long term chronic alcoholism. The neuronal damage in alcoholics generally leads to a depleated hippocampus which is responsible for translating short term memory information in the brain into the long term memory.

[mellow mood]

you should check out the deep source of your problem (depression) instead of trying to hide or forget it with drugz... but thats my opinion

[easyg]

don't worry...I'm taking meds, in therapy and am on my way out of this (I hope!) and in a few weeks time I should be back at work full time...

[5HT]

i'm not a doctor, but when i'm feeling blue, weed really helps me feel good.

[Stonedallthetime]

NEVER USE DRUGS TO FORGET YOUR PROBLEMZ use for relaxation and stuff but never to forget your problems, yah maybe when ur high u dont think of your depression and stuff but then when ur down u will remember ur problemz so i would say, face ur problemz in reality, then when u dont have any more problemz its time to trip

[psychocat]

you should check out the deep source of your problem (depression) instead of trying to hide or forget it with drugz... but thats my opinion

I agree 100 %

[easyg]

it's not a case of me trying to hide or forget things with drugs! ffs I've hardly done any drugs in my life (a bit of weed, maybe 3 or 4 occasions in 30+ years and that is it...), in fact I barely drink now either (meds make it impossible but I'm not keen on it anyway...)

primarily I'm looking at something to relax with and help me sleep....I don't want to keep on taking sleeping pills that knock me out, in fact tolerance builds up so quickly to those that it's not really an option!

[turborunner03t]

drugs for deppression is a big no oldest rule in the book. find what it is that makes u depressed why you are unhappy and stop fuckin around with a useless doctor and change your life to how you want it.

[easyg]

I'm on the way fella....new relationship...be moving to a new city soon...life is change....and this time change is good!

[turborunner03t]

good to hear man just keep ya head up and be ready there is bound to be times that suck in the future but good times too!

[psychocat]

it's not a case of me trying to hide or forget things with drugs! ffs I've hardly done any drugs in my life (a bit of weed, maybe 3 or 4 occasions in 30+ years and that is it...), in fact I barely drink now either (meds make it impossible but I'm not keen on it anyway...)

primarily I'm looking at something to relax with and help me sleep....I don't want to keep on taking sleeping pills that knock me out, in fact tolerance builds up so quickly to those that it's not really an option!


The problem is that cannabis has different effects for different people , for some it can help against depression but for others it can actualy make it worse is what people are saying .
I have seen first hand the positive and negative of using ganja to treat depression , I would just advise caution.
I am glad to hear that things appear to be getting better for you , I'm a great believer in the balance of things and life is a mix of great joy and deep sorrow but it will balance itself in the end.

[naturalmystic]

This past winter, I was the most depressed i've ever been, and hopefully ever will be. Instead of branching out and trying to socialize, I stayed home every weekend and smoked by myself. Hoping and thinking that weed was my only true friend. I do believe seasons have a huge effect on a person's mental state or what have you. The farther away earth moves from the sun does effect a person. IMO

[TanCep123]

hey. i suppose i have mild depression. i guess so because i don't really feel anything. wel, anyways, after smoking weed the 2nd time i was super high and the next day i still felt strange. the trees had a life of their own. the 3rd day i still wasn't sure if the trees are breathing. anyways, the point is i haven't sung in 4 years...and have never played the piano as well as i did after smoking weed. i felt less inhibited and anxious. however i developed an anxiety of surroundings. no so much of what i'm DOING but of objects. it's extremely wierd but subsiding.
perhaps i have a tendency to psychosis w/ marijuana considering that every member of my immediate family is metnally disturbed in some way and even my grandmas too. what i'm saying is that maybe i should stop using it because of that but also because i don't really enjoy the feeling of being high. i am intensly paranoid. however i do enjoy immensly being in a differnt reality.

[larry]

No , I think you should take a break if thats the case buddy.

[gutterslang]

Honestly easyg, it sounds like you are on a pretty good track :)

My personal expience has been that cannabis doesn't do much for depression directly, or anxiety either. But I have found it to be very useful in breaking thought and behavior patterns that perpetuate the illness.

The severe emotional pain that accompanies depression can lead to coping behaviors which make the long term problem worse. I find that cannabis provides an objectivity on circumstances that depression takes away. Depression and anxiety are very cyclical, and breaking cycles is the first step to regaining control of ur life.

So I won't say that it makes depression better but it gives a tool u can use to control things that before seemed out of control. That is something that all the pharms that I've taken haven't been able to do.

Good lluck!

[OR Freebird]

Weed can both decrease or increase depression and feelings of paranoia. It way depends on the individual and the setting the individual is in. Ask your shrink what he thinks about the effects of medical MJ on your type of depression -- he's most apt to give you a more accurate diagnosis than I can.

I too suffer from deression, so I went on Zoloft a few years ago. And I still smoke. The Zoloft makes me not want to kill myself anymore, and life became bearable, but it kind of flattens you're emotions -- not always a good thing, especially all the time. Yet I've not been tempted to stop taking it. MJ alone did not stop my depression as I had been smoking long before then. Don't know how old you are, but they say MJ can cause depression in men reaching middle age (me), but don't think that was my prob. Will never know for sure.

In a pinch, you can always try stopping smoking and see how you feel. I usually start again. Guess I'm a wimp and can't face life sober.

Reality sucks -- oh god ... am now so depressed (only joking).

[garuda]

I suffered from Post traumatic stress after experiencing the violent death of someone v. close. I have been a user of charis for a number of years, although not a heavy user, I was perscribed diazapan to be able to cope in the early stages and was told I would probably need anti depressants. It is now a few years on and about a 18 months ago I started to smoke again (lightly) after finding that the perscription drugs were making my condition worse, using the charis respectfully has actually helped me to cope, rather than causing panic attacks, it has helped me to control them along with using breathing exercises,I feel more positive and have now returned to work. Have other people experienced similar positive outcomes with the use of cannibis for the treatment of depression?

[ConsiderThis]

I have a bit of brain damage, so I don't always say things as clearly as I want.

The brain damage is related to depression, actually. (I lived in London for 9 years, so I say some things their way even though I'm American,)

The reason I have "cognitive dysfunction" is that when I tried to kill myself and was revived and given a lot of tests, one showed that I was low on B12 -- but the doctors ignored that, so it took two more years to get B12 replacement therapy.

When I learned that if I'd had replacement earlier, that I would have recovered, probably perfectly, I was really upset.

I tried to sue, but wasn't successful even though I offered to settle if they would do B12 education. I was pro se and the lawyers preferred to get as many fees as possible, so they were against settling.

I did a web page after that, and it's been very well received. It's worth looking at.

http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com/Fingernails.html
Your fingernails reflect your health --
Learn what warning signs to look for --
Karen Kline

[ConsiderThis]

I wanted to say this:

I tried to sue, but wasn't successful even though I offered to settle if they would do B12 education. I was pro se and the lawyers preferred to get as many fees as possible, so they were against settling.

Luckily I went to a neurologist to said to have more when I was under stress because, he said, B12 helps in handling stress. He also said to keep a Time Line: to write down symptoms, test results and doses. So I did. That showed me a lot of things that went away, that I wasn't expecting to improve so much. It took somewhat longer for the depression to go away, but it did. I mean... it went away. But I keep my level above 950 for that.

http://www.health-boundaries-bite.com/Fingernails.html
Your fingernails reflect your health --
Learn what warning signs to look for --
Karen Kline

[jacquelyne]

Sounds like u were in aromatherapy with me lol
Alcoholics should consume lots of anti-oxidants, for their presence will aid in reducing the oxidation of dopamine by acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde builds up in the bloodstream from the detoxification of ethanol, which will slowly oxidize the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain causing neuronal damage from long term chronic alcoholism. The neuronal damage in alcoholics generally leads to a depleated hippocampus which is responsible for translating short term memory information in the brain into the long term memory.

[mushy]

man i got "ocd" aswell and i got anxity and im on zoloft sorry i carnt spell for shit lol but yeah i find that the meds do fuck all like when i smoke my anxity is really bad for like a hour and after that im sweet for most of the day just do ur breathing tecks and stuff
try this man it helps like when your anxity comes on go through the alphabet and thing of a diffrent fruit or car or what ever through the whole alphabet like a apple b bannana c carrot and so on trust me it helps ps sorry about my spelling

[Breukelen advocaat]

I'd also recommend getting some B12 - the sublingual kind is very good. Omega 3 is also helpful, whether it's from fish, fish oil, other food sources, or other supplements .
Of course, if the depression is really severe, you should see a health practicioner. The problem may very well be neurological, and likely is treatable.

[its me guys]

i have depression, panic, anxiety.....at night my thoughts race horribly, and that makes it hard to sleep, so i feel your pain. and i have tried sleeping pills, etc....and they don't work well. even when i do get to sleep, i have bad dreams that wake me up. smoking a little helps me sleep a lot better. its the only thing that does.

[LiftUrHead]

I'm diagnosed with recurrent major depression and on meds. My experience is that MJ improves the mood on the day of ingestion (big insight, huh?!) The next day is a little like a very mild hangover but I find my head clears and things seem more in correct proportion. If you have an addictive personality however, you are in danger of becoming psychologically dependent on it which adds to your problems. I smoke only occasionally when I need a lift or a head vacation from my worries.

[LiftUrHead]

That sounds more like bi-polar symptoms to me! Tell your shrink to consider this diagnosis and screen you for it. Weed can help with anxiety but some people have a kind of hangover the next day which might add to the depressive mood. I hope your suffering will end soon.