Quitting weed and depression?

[Dr.Ernie]

I've been arguing over this with a friend at school. He says that after he quit smoking weed about a year ago, he became very depressed. He went to the doctor and has been on anti-depressants since. I don't know him that well, but I just don't believe weed is what caused the depression. I asked him if he had any serious problems going on in life, and he didn't really answer. In my opinion, weed doesn't cause depression. It actually helps it (at least for me sometimes). But if you're using it to stop depression in the first place, once you quit, you shouldn't be blaming the weed. Am I wrong here? Does anyone know if extended/frequent use of marijuana cause depression as a withdrawal symptom?

(BTW, he says its been proven in researches...)

[herbsman420]

I would bet he was depressed at first, then the weed made him feel better. After quitting smoking he went back to being depressed. Thus, he thought it was because of the herb.

Jah Bless

[fAKdded]

You are correct , sir.

When you go with out weed do you fall into depression? If you answer , Nah. Then you are like 99% of people. Your friend must the 1 % I guess.

[Rasta_Man]

Well this is a very technical question. Marijuana has recently be proven to stimulate cell growth in the are of that brain that controls how content we are, it's been proven to act more effectivley that many over-the-counter anti-depressants.

I'm unsure if going off it could result in depression, there has been some study to say that marijuana is slightly and very moderatley mentally addicitve, in which case it could very well trigger depression (again, this is unproven theories)

And thirdly, is his possible predesposition to depression, it can be hereditary or even just a chronic condition he may have as where a corner stone substance such as THC is stricken from his routine COULD trigger his OWN depression.

Just some possibilities.

[Spasmolytik]

Life is boring without weed. Well, unless you find something else to occupy your time. I don't believe most people taking medication for depression actually have it. They just want to blame their problems on something and depression is a handy excuse.

[bored123]

Yea its true but i was depressed when i started smoking because i thought it was hard for me to have fun without being stoned

[BOXcarRACER]

I'm pretty sure theres a higher percentage of people than 1% with depression. I think I know what you guys are saying though. Which is that studies show marijuana could have a possibility at being an antidepressant like some recent studies show and your friend is depressed. When he stopped smoking it was like someone who was on antidepressants to stop taking the antidepressants. So most likely he needed them before he smoked. Just a chemical inbalance if the antidepressants helped him out no problem.Hope all that made sense

Edit: Your friend might be thinking about marijuana being called a depressant which just means it slows down your nervous system and reflexes and shit. Just like alcohol is a depressant. And if you mix two depressants like alcohol and pain killers in high dosages it can cause cardiac arrest and stop your lungs from breathing because all your body shuts down.

[mexicanjunkie]

There is no such thing as withdrawal from weed b/c there are no real receptors for canniboids in the brain. You actually develop your own receptors to canniboids as you smoke, that is part of the reason some people dont get high their first time.

Cocaine on the other hand relies on dopmaine receptors which are used to receive dopamine. Dopamine is what makes things pleasurable to you and when you use cocaine chronically your brain stops making its own dopmaine. Basically you deplete yourself of dopamine and then when you try to stop you go through w/d because you cant make any of your own dopamine. I do research on cocaine and amph and nicotine. All three of these drugs act in the same fashion, thus you get withdrawal from nicotine absitence too.

Personally, I dont go through withdrawal when I dont smoke. I can still function clearly. Its not like I start having body pains and withdrawal symptoms because I have not smoked weed. Right now I cant find shit and I haven't smoke since last tuesday. I am not dying right now, I wish I had some to smoke, but I'm not going deliusional because of it.

[blueskiez]

Originally Posted by bored123

Yea its true but i was depressed when i started smoking because i thought it was hard for me to have fun without being stoned

So true. I used to feel the same way. I've kind of figured it out though.. if I smoke a lot in one day (like enough to feel really hazy when I wake up the next day), I feel depressed. But if I just smoke casually, like 1-2 bowls spread out throughout the day, I feel great.

[KoRnOnTheKob]

you don't need weed to enjoy life, just to enhance it.

[Wes613]

Originally Posted by herbsman420

I would bet he was depressed at first, then the weed made him feel better. After quitting smoking he went back to being depressed. Thus, he thought it was because of the herb.

More than likely you're friend was depressed before, people with depression love weed (myself included) because it honestly works better than any medication I've ever experienced (once again, my opinion). If he has a genetic predisposition to depression, which is most likely the case, he probably just sunk into a low and probably did the best thing by seeing an actual doctor.

[zalzal010]

Wow alot of people here saying weed helps their depression.

I must say - I never really experienced depression until I started smoking weed.

Now, I've been clean for a bit over a week, I honestly believe that weed really brought out my depression. Since I've stopped, I'd like to say that I havn't felt depressed much. I DO feel funny these days though - and I'm trying to figure out if this is just what sobriety and 'metaphorical' cleanliness feels like, or if its some lingering depression from some shit that's happened recently.

All in all though - I'm doing better without weed. Havn't had one of my 'sit in the dark thinking about shit that makes me pissed off/depressed for about 6 hours' days since I quit.

I was, however, able to handle it, and it didn't effect much simply because I really don't have much to do with my time these days. When this drug class + testing bit is over, I'm pretty sure I'll start back up again. I really enjoyed the lifestyle of being high all the time. Maybe less weed than before though - I'll have to see if I start getting depressed again.

[Dr.Ernie]

Originally Posted by zalzal010

Wow alot of people here saying weed helps their depression.

I must say - I never really experienced depression until I started smoking weed.

Now, I've been clean for a bit over a week, I honestly believe that weed really brought out my depression. Since I've stopped, I'd like to say that I havn't felt depressed much. I DO feel funny these days though - and I'm trying to figure out if this is just what sobriety and 'metaphorical' cleanliness feels like, or if its some lingering depression from some shit that's happened recently.

All in all though - I'm doing better without weed. Havn't had one of my 'sit in the dark thinking about shit that makes me pissed off/depressed for about 6 hours' days since I quit.

I was, however, able to handle it, and it didn't effect much simply because I really don't have much to do with my time these days. When this drug class + testing bit is over, I'm pretty sure I'll start back up again. I really enjoyed the lifestyle of being high all the time. Maybe less weed than before though - I'll have to see if I start getting depressed again.

Mind if I ask how often you smoked (more than once a day)? He said he would smoke maybe twice or three times a day. I find this a lot, but I know that many here do the same and have no problems. Thanks for the responses guys!

[TheDudeAbides]

Alot of things have made me depressed over the years. Dropping out of school, women, crashing my car, Drinking alone, watching birth of a nation, stepping on a lady bug, not getting enough sleep. But i can say this, Marijuana has never made me depressed. Ive never sat there and smoked a joint and thought "Man, life sure is hopeless." but in all fairness, ive also smoked a joint and thought "Wow, it's like i can see the world spinning!". I can see how stopping smoking might make you depresed, but it shouldnt be anything lingering or else you probley have a deeper routed problem that the weed isnt letting you forget.

[Tuesday]

I think marijuana has both positive and negative effects on depression. I believed that I should probably be medicated for depression for many years, even before I started smoking, and I still think so. But marijuana doesn't seem powerful enough to really tip the scale either way.

I never really smoke and sit around for 6 hours brooding. When I'm high, I like to go for walks through my local park and swing on the swings. I try to act more childlike.

But I will say this: When I'm high, under the right conditions, I am happier. For sure.