When I was 23 I was diagnosed bipolar II; by the time I was 28 I was diagnosed bipolar I, my new DX is schizoaffectve, which is worse than bipolar, but much better than schizophrenia. I quit smoking weed for years, and it made absolutely no difference, so I smoke now and my symptoms are no better and no worse. I have the auditory hallucinations, and slight-moderate paranoia.

Sometimes the weed I smoke makes a difference, so I try to stick with a good indica strain, as the sativa strains tend to make me a bit more psycho-reactive.

I'm highly functional, but can see where this could be a very deabilitating disease. EVen today I have trouble being around too many people, so I have but few friends. They know about my illness and allow me some room when things get a bit heavy, tho. I take my antipsychotic meds, but they don't help. Hell, they never did...except when I took so many I couldn't function at all.

If quiting weed would lessen the severety of my illness, I'd quit pronto, but in my experiece the weed doesn't increase my symptoms, and it at least allows me a good feeling when w/o it I feel like complete sh!t.

I think my biggest problem with my illness is the anxiety/paranoia it causes me and how it effects the people I'm around. This has been going on for 13 years, and it'll drive you madd if you let it, and that's just schizoaffective...I couldn't imagine having a full blown case of schizophrenia.

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