weed and depression

[BizzleLuvin]

ive been diagnosed as having mild depression and severe anxiety for about 10 years. yesterday I went to a new psychiatrist. i decided to be totally honest with her and I told her that I smoke on regular basis. she says to me something along the lines of 'you need to stop smoking because the marijuna counterracts the antidepressants and antianxiety medication you're on'. this came as a surprise to me because i have NEVER heard this before. I am aware that mental illness and severe marijuana use are sometimes linked, but I have never heard that smoking affects the performance of psychoactive medications.frankly, i dont believe it. in fact, i find that marijuana is one of the few things that actually take away my anxiety and depression. for example, (while on my meds) I smoked a bowl with my best friend Madeline and we were taking a walk together. all of the sudden i realized that I felt GREAT! as in really truely satisfied with the day, i was absolutely enjoying myself and I couldnt help but smile. it was as if for once i had no worries, that i could actually live in that moment without becoming overwhelmed with what was to come. i felt amazing for the rest of the weekend. With antidepressents, I very very slowly see a reduction in my anxiety, but overall I see no rise in my mood. i still feel melancholy and washed out, but without feeling anxious or worrysome. anyway, i dont know what to believe. im inclined to stop my meds all together and self medicate with miss maryjane but whenever i go off my meds, i immediatly go into a bout of severe depression. id like to keep smoking and keep on my meds for the best of both worlds but from what my shrink has told me...i can't. so whats the deal????

BizzleLuvin Reviewed by BizzleLuvin on 02-28-2006. weed and depression ive been diagnosed as having mild depression and severe anxiety for about 10 years. yesterday I went to a new psychiatrist. i decided to be totally honest with her and I told her that I smoke on regular basis. she says to me something along the lines of 'you need to stop smoking because the marijuna counterracts the antidepressants and antianxiety medication you're on'. this came as a surprise to me because i have NEVER heard this before. I am aware that mental illness and severe marijuana use Rating: 5

[Skink]

The furthest away from a doctor the better off I am...

I don't think any legal practitioner is going to condone MJ... although I don't know fuk about the adverse effects of mixing the two,I suggest you stick with what feels best for you... Any day without man made chemicals is a better day IMHO...

[lemonboy]

Cannaboids have no effect on the changes made by SSRI or MAOI medication. The ups and downs created by smoked cannabis, however, will have an effect on how your body and mind perceive these changes. I'm disturbed by the way your doctor would choose to deliver this information because there is a huge difference. I'm also not sure that frequent cannabis use is the solution to chronic depression nor am I at all convinced it is the cause.

[mrdevious]

That's pretty much nonsense that it'll interfere with your meds, so long as you're not smoking excessively (more than once a day, though daily is still a bit heavy). you basically just need to give your brain time to not be in a constant stoned state.

However, I don't know if you're anxiety is genetically predisponed or the result of circumstances. if it is genetic, you should definately avoid heavy use (and perhapse even moderate use) as it can worsen the symptoms when you're not high. However, this is largely due to your brain being dependant on the high just to stay calm, I wouldn't be surprised if other anti-depressants cause the same problem (I know they do at least in the short term).

[bedake]

I had an ex gf once who had severe anxiety and was bipolar... she didnt like smoking weed im not really sure why, she was against smoking in general but she tried it a couple of times and only said that it made her feel weird... she never took her meds tho

[mrdevious]

Weed has been a FAR more effective medication for anxiety than any of the meds the doctors have given me. and now I'm almost anxiety free, and yet miraculously prescription drug free....... hmmmm, that can't be right, the T.V. has told me otherwise so many times!

[lemonboy]

I wish I did always have access to strains that made anxiety disappear. They certainly do exist but there are others that will do the opposite. I'm having to deal with the commercial market usually so that is too big of a risk to me. That's where my comments originate.

[beachguy in thongs]

New Study: Marijuana Users Less Depressed - November 17, 2005
Largest-Ever Study of Marijuana, Depression Finds Fewer Depressive Symptoms, Better Mood

ALBANY, NEW YORKâ??In the largest-ever study of marijuana and depression, to be published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, daily or weekly marijuana users had fewer symptoms of depression than non-users. Marijuana users were also more likely to report positive moods and fewer somatic complaints such as sleeplessness. Noteworthy differences were also found between those using marijuana for medical purposes and non-medical or "recreational" users.

The new research appears to contradict statements by some government officials suggesting that marijuana is a cause of depression. For example, in a May 3, 2005, press release from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP Director John Walters said, "Marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide and schizophrenia."

"Not only does marijuana not cause depression, it looks like it may actually alleviate it," said Mitch Earleywine, co-author of the new study and associate professor of psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York.

Earleywine and co-investigator Thomas F. Denson of the University of Southern California used an Internet questionnaire that allowed them to survey a very large sample of marijuana users and non-users, totaling over 4,400 participants. Use of the Internet also made it possible to include highly depressed or marijuana-involved participants who might be unable or unwilling to participate in in-person or telephone surveys.

Participants were asked to report their use of marijuana and were divided into three categories: daily users, those who used marijuana within the last month but no more than once per week (weekly users) and those who had never used marijuana in their lifetime (non-users). Depression and related issues were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, a standard tool for researching depression and associated symptoms.

Both daily and weekly marijuana users had significantly lower levels of depression and higher levels of positive mood than non-users. Weekly users also had lower levels of somatic complaints such as sleeplessness. Effects were generally large, with marijuana users approximately 30% less depressed than non-users.

The study is the first to specifically look at depression in medical marijuana users as compared to non-medical users. The most common complaints listed by medical users surveyed were nausea, vomiting, cancer, attention deficit and poor appetite. Medical users generally were more depressed and had more somatic complaints than non-medical users, but still reported fewer such symptoms than non-users.

"Those who use marijuana to battle the symptoms of illness may be depressed because of their illness, not because of marijuana," Earleywine said. "Studies that do not identify medical use might falsely implicate marijuana, rather than sickness, as the cause of depressed feelings."

The new study adds to a growing body of knowledge suggesting that marijuana's active components, called cannabinoids, may be beneficial in certain psychological disorders. In a review published this May in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, researchers form the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in Great Britain noted, "Patient reports and observations, backed by known pharmacology, suggest that the cannabis derivatives delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) may have mood stabilizing properties," including anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects.

"Drug Czar John Walters has tried to frighten Americans about marijuana, using exaggerated and incomplete data cherry-picked to support his ideology," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "Science should be used to inform policy, not manipulated to scare the public."

With more than 18,000 members and 120,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuanaâ??both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. For more information, please visit http://www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

REFERENCE: Denson, Thomas F. and Earleywine, Mitchell, "Decreased Depression in Marijuana Users," Addictive Behaviors, in press, available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03064603.
http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr20051117.html

[ImStonedNILikeIt]

I'm on anti depressants too!Woohoo, I forgot to take my meds today, but I took them tonight...

Weed makes me feel content. All my goals come to bite me in the ass...Then when my high is over, I realize how big of a idiot I am because I never succeed in my goals.....

I have a severe aniexty disorder...I'm on effoxor....Its not working, going to the doctor tomorrow to fix it...

maybe.....i'll just smoke a bowl.

[mrdevious]

I'm on anti depressants too!Woohoo, I forgot to take my meds today, but I took them tonight...

Weed makes me feel content. All my goals come to bite me in the ass...Then when my high is over, I realize how big of a idiot I am because I never succeed in my goals.....

I have a severe aniexty disorder...I'm on effoxor....Its not working, going to the doctor tomorrow to fix it...

maybe.....i'll just smoke a bowl.

Well be preparred for him to up your 75mg to 90, or maybe even 150. and if you're already at 150..... well they'll have to put you down I'm afraid

seriously though, I'd recommend meditation. and if you really dont' want to try it, excercise. I know a lot of people can't stick to a routine, but I found I could when I quit clinging to a system and just went into the woods and ran. when I got tired I walked, when I was sick of walking I'd run. if I was too tired for either, I'll sit by the creek, then run some more later. just be casual about it, and definately learn to appreciate and be in nature. just my advice anyway.