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Medical Marijuana and Bi-Polar Diagnosis

Discussion in 'Medical Marijuana Usage and Applications' started by Phoggy, Aug 2, 2012.

  1. #1 Phoggy, Aug 2, 2012
    Hello grasscity, I was not exactly sure if this is the right place for this post but it seemed like the most revenant forum to post this in. I am posting this because I care about people and think this is important information for chronic long term tokens to be aware of.

    I started toking around the age of twelve. By thirteen I was smoking around 5 to 10 joints a day. I maintained a heavy addiction to marijuana until I was around the age of 27. Through out that time I progressed to about 5 to 6 grams a day.

    At 27 I experienced extreme psychosis in which I emptied my bank account checked into multiple hotel rooms and instantly left, thinking someone was following me. Began driving south with a plan of living in my car. Took all the important files I had in my life and my computer which I later destroyed in a hotel room before I left that one too along my journey south. Destroyed the interior of my car, striped naked and began throwing myself in front of on coming traffic on the highway.

    I know I'm leaving out a lot of details but I will continue. I needed water and thought I had some in my destroyed car interior, at this point I was in rural Kentuckey where I approached a house at 3 in the morning naked pounding on the door saying "IM WITH GOD AND I NEED WATER!" the guy who owned the house came to the door and put a shot gun in the window. I did not believe he was real, just a illusion of satan. ( I am not religious by the way) He took the shotgun and slammed the barrel into the orbital bone of my eye and fractured it deeply. I believed I had been shot and got back up thinking that god would not let me die because i trusted him with all my heart. So I began punching the door. In this state of psychosis my strength and adrenaline was so heightened that i actually ended up shattering the door with my fists alone. Not long after I had entered the house a team of police arrived and lassoed me up around the neck with a steel cable and drug me across the ground into a ambulance. I stayed in a jail cell for a few days until I began punching the door soo hard the blood from my knuckles flew off like jelly. I also broke both of my hands.

    Then I got transferred to a psych ward where a doctor examined me and my family history. I asked him what he thinks is wrong with me. He said "I think you got too much dope in your head, and you blew a fuse." That was the last thing in the world I wanted to hear. He told me that he thinks I have a rare condition and that marijuana might have triggered my psychotic episode. I did not want to believe it so I went to see another doctor and told him very little about my marijuana abuse. He prescribed me lithium and diagnosed me bipolar. I was much more happy with this at the time. So I took my lithium and began toking all the time again. But I noticed something was different. Life was weird, and sometimes I would have psychotic "realizations" or thoughts go through my head. It was not like before. So after about a year of taking lithium and toking all the time I decided to see the original doctor who treated me. I told him about what I did. (taking lithium so I could still smoke weed, and lying about my past to my other doctor) I told him that I was ready quit marijuana for the rest of my life and wanted him to oversee the process. So I quit smoking marijuana and over the course of 8 months we continued to lower my lithium. After 4 months is was below the therapeutic level, however after being use to a drug like that you need to take it slow and easy as you come off. Anyway I have been lithium free for about a year now. I have no symptoms of bipolar or anything related.

    I know this is a very very very rare condition to have. But I think people should be aware that at some point in your life marijuana can cause psychosis and lead to complications. For me it is something I once loved and would still love, however because of my genetic makeup or my past chronic abuse I can no longer enjoy. If anyone out there who chronically smokes stops eating, and looses sleep for 3 days or more seek help and quit smoking for a while or forever. Save yourself the pain and suffering you might endure in the future.
     
  2. #2 kingdomofmauri, Aug 2, 2012
    Sounds schizoaffective, 5-10 joints at 13, 5-6 grams a day, that's pretty absurd I don't think many people do that.

    I don't know reading this doesn't really surprise me at all sounds like you have some major issues I don't think marijuana has much to do with it other than you were abusing the hell out of it so you're still alive and probably at least pretty well off physically if it were some other substance doubt it'd be the same.

    Hope you can find some help for yourself and get to a place where you can be comfortable.
     
  3. #3 fairy boots, Aug 3, 2012
    Woah, I wanna smoke to appreciate the brain I have.
     
  4. #4 Nate489, Aug 3, 2012
    Winder if heavy consumption at such a young age had anything to do with the issues?
     
  5. #5 Tihspeed, Aug 3, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 3, 2012
    Load up on lots of Omega 3 and start growing Strawberry Cough

    Worked for me..... Diagnosed Bipolar 2

    None of the prescribed drugs worked for me though

    Edit..... Besides having severe mood swings Bipolar people are more likely to have psychotic breaks and severe bouts of depression. Sounds like your a severe case of both

    I also bet you have a very addictive personality.... Focus on moderation, life is never all about being high or drunk, life requires ballance. I really liked your story. Did a traumatic event spark your melt down? Mine did. The thought of being newly married and being a parent made me wig out. I placed too much pressure on myself causing a total frakout that lasted a little over two years and over fifty pounds lost

    Work out more, eat better(omega 3), and focus negative energy in a productive manner.....one step at a time

    Just because quitting weed helped you does not mean its right for everyone..... Moderation is key....bipolar people don't possess a moderation switch, it's everything or nothing....black or white...it's drunk or sober...it's high or not high

    I'm very happy you've found what works for you though....recognizing you have a problem is the biggest step you can take
     
  6. #6 cattoi33, Aug 5, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 11, 2012

    This is quite interesting! I don't think many people do what you did...
    anyway, your experience really worth to share
     
  7. #7 bharatbuk, Aug 21, 2012
    I am sharing important information related to this topic which I read from one article:
    Numerous patients report significant improvement and stabilization with their bipolar disorder when they utilize adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis. While some mental health professionals worry about the impact of cannabis on aggravating manic states, most bipolar patients trying cannabis find they 'cycle' less often and find significant improvement in overall mood. Bipolar disorders vary tremendously in the time spent in the depressive versus manic states. Those who experience extended depressive episodes are more likely to be helped with cannabis.Better pain control with cannabis can reduce chronic pain related depression.
     
  8. #8 Tihspeed, Aug 21, 2012
    [quote name='"bharatbuk"']I am sharing important information related to this topic which I read from one article:
    Numerous patients report significant improvement and stabilization with their bipolar disorder when they utilize adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis. While some mental health professionals worry about the impact of cannabis on aggravating manic states, most bipolar patients trying cannabis find they 'cycle' less often and find significant improvement in overall mood. Bipolar disorders vary tremendously in the time spent in the depressive versus manic states. Those who experience extended depressive episodes are more likely to be helped with cannabis.Better pain control with cannabis can reduce chronic pain related depression.[/quote]

    Testify
     
  9. #9 Phoggy, Aug 24, 2012
    Only extreme almost fanatical medical marijuana advocates try to say medical marijuana helps bipolar disorder. I read all I could about different strains. I tried focusing on indica strains which were suggested to contain anti psychotic qualities. This was total bullshit. And any doctor worth his degree would never suggest using marijuana to alleviate any type of bipolar symptoms. I know its attractive to die hard tokers to think that marijuana is the cure all drug, but its not. In terms of depression... I was never more depressed in my life than when I was chronic marijuana user. Marijuana would magnify any negative emotion in my head 10 fold, which lead to a tendency to isolate myself. Of all my life long chronically toking friends, there is only one who continues to smoke regularly. All of the rest of them say over time it was making them depressed, and they enjoy life much more just toking on special occasions.
     
  10. #10 Tihspeed, Aug 24, 2012
    Then call me a fanatic.....why are you here again? My god man,you always this negative?

    Did you read anything people posted for you?

    Just so you know.....I started growing and smoking in desperation because non of the meds prescribed worked.....I'm a much better person now, ask my wife

    Stop eating fast food, fix your diet and work out=feel better
     
  11. #11 AlbinoChick, Aug 24, 2012
    Bi polar isn't rare
     
  12. #12 FatSesh92, Aug 24, 2012
    i have a friend who i believe may have bi polar disorder or something in that area, and cannabis helps him greatly with his emotional and psychological issues. hes had a few violent episodes, but he was never high when it happened, and i know during one of these episodes he was on xanax that his parents had gotten him prescribed because they didnt want him smoking weed. i feel like people get too caught up in diagnoses, if somebody is having psychotic episodes or emotional issues then they should medicate with what ever helps them best. while this varies from person to person i would be willing to bet that many more people are helped by cannabis than by other medicines.
     
  13. #13 420vapor, Aug 27, 2012
    Clipped :

    Hey Phoggy, they often remind us and even our Doctors don't make quick decisions and judgements telling others how to treat or not treat their conditions.

    At last count there are 52 current drugs availabe for Doctors to prescribed for Bipolar and over the past 15 years I have been on a third of them! That Doctors would spend 5-15 minutes to see if there was any improvement in the last month. If not like roulette or pin the tail on the donkey I would try something new or add it to the existing mix.

    I had Bipolar, PTSD and associated anxiety issues before I began to self medicate with Cannabis 42 years ago. I only quit twice when different shrinks gave me the guilt trip 1 time for 3 years and another time for two.

    I was state approved in January to purchase and or grow for personal production medical cannibis. The previous 41 years I had purchased from across the border it came in bricks that looked like brown AVP and was so bad most here wouldn't make butter from it. :hello:

    So I'm now producing my own organic cannibis.:D Personally I notice a large difference in the Medicinal or CBD side when I vaporize over smoking not to mention the THC side.:cool: My wife and two adult kids all wish this would have been available to me years sooner.

    I have book marked many web sites for and one pro and con if anyone else might need helping convincing themselves or family members with perhaps more or current information than when their doctor went to school and learned of the evils of "reefer madness":bolt:

    Be well, always consider others opinions as it might change yours someday.
     
  14. #14 gored, Aug 28, 2012
    I regulate my bi-polar with a number of substances, caffeine, nicotine, indica and sativa strains of marijuana. The idea of taking one pill to fix the imbalance doesn't even make sense to me.
     
  15. #15 Phoggy, Aug 31, 2012

    Who are "they"? And doctors do make quick decisions, it can mean life or death. Normally you are only under the care of 1 psychiatrist. It would be un efficient to tell your entire life story over and over again, or talk about your daily thoughts and activities with more than one doctor over and over again. Most good psychiatrist's do not accept medical insurance. A decent price for a psychiatrist is 200 dollars an hour. At 4 times a week on top of the cost for blood work your looking at close to 10,000 dollars for a year of quality treatment. A mental ward in a local hospital cost from 15-20 thousand for a week of service. Private hospitals cost around 30,000 a month. So I highly doubt that you are working with a team of doctors. On top of that non of your medications probably work because your smoking too much fucking reefer.

    Aside from that, this thread is directed towards people who have actually experienced psychosis. Not towards people who have emotional cycles. If pot evens out your emotional cycles then good for your. I am talking about a acute psychotic experience. Which can be induced by cannabis, and also compounded with a false diagnosis of bi polar disorder resulting from that.

    This is meant to inform and educate people of the possible side effects of chronic long term cannabis use, however remote the possibility of psychosis is, it is still worth shedding some light on the subject.

    I was a bong hugger my whole life just like the rest of you guy's, and reading this a few years ago would probably get my panties in a bounce as well. I am not posting this information to be confrontational, I am simply trying to expose a possibility that people should be aware of because I care about people.
     
  16. #16 Ironic, Aug 31, 2012
    Were you 27 at the time of the hospitalization? The info I've read about marijuana bringing out latent schizophrenia has all said that it happens by the age of 24.
     
  17. #17 Ironic, Aug 31, 2012
    [quote name='"Phoggy"']Only extreme almost fanatical medical marijuana advocates try to say medical marijuana helps bipolar disorder. I read all I could about different strains. I tried focusing on indica strains which were suggested to contain anti psychotic qualities. This was total bullshit. And any doctor worth his degree would never suggest using marijuana to alleviate any type of bipolar symptoms. I know its attractive to die hard tokers to think that marijuana is the cure all drug, but its not. In terms of depression... I was never more depressed in my life than when I was chronic marijuana user. Marijuana would magnify any negative emotion in my head 10 fold, which lead to a tendency to isolate myself. Of all my life long chronically toking friends, there is only one who continues to smoke regularly. All of the rest of them say over time it was making them depressed, and they enjoy life much more just toking on special occasions.[/quote]

    People are going to attack you for speaking the truth, but I hope you continue to do so in all aspects of your life.

    The majority of moderate to severe bipolar sufferers should not be using non-prescription drugs or alcohol of any sort. I have no doubt that marijuana can aid some bipolar II patients, but for people with serious mental illness it just isn't a good idea.
     

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