Will I ever be able to toke again?

In my opinion I dont think smoking would be worth the risk of another episode. Maybe go talk to a doctor about it, hormones could have played a huge part in it. Another route is to start small and see how it affects you, but im not a doctor so i really wouldnt do anything until you got the advice of one.

 

could you explain how you were behaving?

 

If it might make you go crazy: Hell no.


Dude, I love the green, but if it was going to potentially really screw up my head I'd stop smoking now and forever.

Just drink. I know it's not as good but it's still calming and it's also more socially acceptable.

 

Are you on any medication?

 

i really don't believe just smoking weed would cause a psychotic episode, or that it would cause another one on its own. it could be a factor, but there are certainly other bigger factors that contribute to episodes like that, ie: quality of life, homelife, your family,childhood, employment, social placement etc, or horomones. i believe these are what make a difference mostly, and that weed is a small contributing factor, that opens your mind to such new ways of thinking that it drives you crazy trying to find out what ones right, at the same time making you feel alright. i'm probably talking out of my ass but thats kind of my situation and theory right now.

to me you sound like a perfectly normal guy who used to and still wants to enjoy the herb. to me it doesn't sound like it would cause you another episode, your mentality has alot to do with it. if you're that concerned you should ask a doctor about it, (i don't think i would ask a doctor if its safe for me to smoke weed, seems like he'd say no anyway.) take it lightly at first, toke a bowl, chill. see how you like it.

 

are you a doctor? you cannot determine the effects of marijuana on a selected individual

 

I was just about to post that.
I'm getting a little sick of people blindly defending marijuana in every way.
It's a mind-altering drug, just because you can't over-dose on it doesn't mean it can't have any negative affects.

 

Damn thats whack, In my Opinion, I think weed may have contributed to the episode, and that smoking again could create more of them. I would not take the risk myself.

 

If were paranoid or had a panic attack after you blazed it's ok it happens to the best of us no matter how long you have ben toking. As for the jesus christ part sounds to me like you were tripping and maybe had you weed laced with a drug such as PCP that can cause trips and Physcosis (sp?). I've had laced weed before all I did was just see stuff (sometimes really disturbing images) and have panic attack but I overcame it. I hope you continue to smoke maybe you just had a bad reaction.

 

If you do decide to try it again, at least wait until the first day of your annual 2 weeks' vacation (if you take time off work).... may help to mitigate the impact of any negative effects on your life

 

Psychosis(very similiar to Schizophrenia) is a very common illness, and their have been quite a few studies regarding the effects of Cannabis use/likelihood of schizophrenic symptoms, although they have been less than conclusive.

Most studies do show a positive correlation between cannabis use and schizophrenic symptoms, but the cause/effect isn't clear. Is it that smoking weed increased your chances of suffering from psychotic symptoms? Or, is it simply that people who will suffer from schizophrenia already have low levels of neurotransmitters that effect impulsivity(increasing chances of using drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc.)? Put in other words, their is a strong correlation between alcoholism and depression as well, but is it the Alcoholism that causes the depression or is it the depression that drives people to drink excessively?

It is also noteworthy that schizophrenic symptoms often correct themselves and are never a problem again, even though their is a chance of relapse.

You said you've read so many articles about psychosis/cannabis, so I won't link you with anything (a simple search of "schizophrenia marijuana" will yield a TON of results), but I did think it was interesting that a study done by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine concluded that "Daily cigarette smoking among adolescent boys is more strongly associated with psychiatric disorders than is any use of illicit substances,".

I also found this interesting, from an article appearing on NORML,

To be honest with you, the research that has been done on the topic is all relatively recent, and with as much propoganda involved on both sides, it is probably hard to know for sure how cannabis use will effect you.

So, do I think you should smoke it? I think I would try it. From the way you talk about your condition, it sounded like it was a very short and quickly-recovered illness and it doesn't sound like you truly believe that your cannabis use effected your condition.

A lot of people in this country suffer from periods of psychosis, but just as many people smoke weed!

Hope I could be of some use, and good luck with whatever you choose!

 

Here's a story for ya that might help you out. Once upon a time, I was really into codeine(Tylenol 3's and 4's because we don't have T2's up here in Canada). At one point I ran out and couldn't find anyone's old perscriptions to pick up off them, so I ended up getting a bit frantic. I ended up taking 5 pills that 'kinda looked like' T3's. I ended up in the hospital for two days. Of course, I'd smoked weed while waiting for the codeine to kick in. When I called the hospital to find out what I'd actually taken, they told me that they didn't know, but I'd come in on an overdosed of weed. Total bullshit, seeing as how I'd only had a bowl or two, and just about everyone who's smoked enough weed can go through a bowl or two without even batting an eye.

Not all doctors are against weed, but you'd be hard pressed to find one that isn't. Therefore, the most logical step, is to consciously self-medicate.

I'm in agreement with bsay. I'd say start off with a small amount, like a hit or two of a middie, and see where that takes you. Measure it from there, depending on how your body and mind react. Maybe get a trusted someone to watch you or smoke with you so that you have an opinion, other than your own, of your behaviour. The biggest problem with psychosis, is that you don't know that anything is actually wrong.

Now, just to cover my ass from the people who seem to be bashing others, I may not be right. I'm not a neuropsychologist or a neurologist, but I'm not a total dumkoff either. Go with what you feel, but use your mind to decide if what you feel is safe.

 

I'm also not a doctor, like most here, so I'm not sure if what I have to say will hold any water or not.

I know a story of a guy who smoked a few times a week for like 25-30 years, and his stopping point was when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He thinks (and some of his doctors as well) that he already had a predisposed mental issue, and smoking weed exacerbated it. Nobody knows if this is really the case, but it seems like it could make sense. It doesn't seem like your episode is that similar, since you had a short, much more intense episode.

Just my $.02

 

I was about to suggest that you smoke with someone you trust, and can help you make rational decisions....

I also wanted to suggest, that it doesn't make any sense how weed ALONE would cause a bout of psychosis, and it just go away... now you could have been un-descriptive, but it almost sounded like you were saying it happened for a short time, then it went away when i was clean... so to be honest, if it WAS a short time, then maybe a) it was a mere coincidence that some tick should have been a tock at that time, or b) you were heavily drugged as others suggested..

In reality, no one can give you advice; the point of this forum is about PERSONAL choice, not about following trends or the in-crowd, or even doing what people tell you to do. Of course the majority of people here would suggest you continue, it's probably what they would do. Is that right for you? Only you know. Knowing what you'll get in these threads, you should probably start deciding to make a really tough conscious decision; should you or shouldn't you toke. now THAT is the question!

 

i offered my opinion based on my experience and knowledge, he knows were not doctors. a fucking opinion, what he asked for by starting this thread. god damnit

 

Back in the day I had a similiar experience when I first started smoking. I would get super ripped and think that everybody was talking about me, I attributed it to panic attacks.

Though I think that if you think your life is a stable point then you should try a couple hits and see how it makes you feel. Though I feel odd about giving you this advice because I am not a doctor, so yeah... I don't know what to tell you really.

 

sorry for being off subject
your sig is quoting the wrong person, it wasnt tool, tool is just commemorating bill hicks, a comedian who said everything at the beginning of third eye, and bill hicks is dead, so therefore, that voice, that says,"you know what i think, drugs have done some good things for us.....etc." is not maynard james keenan it is bill hicks. And im not trying to be an asshole.