Mental Health bipolarity with an undercurrent of schiz (to drug or not to...)

[Mysterie]

i havent been diagnosed but im at a mental institution and am prescribed sodium valproate (500mg in morning) (1grm at night), and olanzapine (15mg at night)

i think in my past ive been severely depressed but have been able to keep it stemmed deep inside myself so to others it comes off as mild-moderate depression

by past i mean from puberty to present almost, ever since taking meds i am able to think more rationally because my thought patterns are not so deep and winding and overcomplicated

im very skilled at the way i can tell myself im a loser/fuckup etc and then i retreat from everyone and wallow in shit

meditation does help but my attention span is not much longer than 5 minutes and i want to slow how fast my life is progressing at this point

can anyone relate much to this post? i have been thinking maybe smoking indica occasionally could be of benefit because i dont think sodium valproate is a longterm solution, neither is the anti-psychotic

im doing lots of art related activities which is helping a lot, ive just been concerned about submitting to big pharm in this respect

my psychiatrist is very good at her job, should i just take what she prescribes and not ask questions? i think i have more to give, but i dont want to lose my ability to relate to the people i care about, and i dont want my brain to be altered by chemicals

thoughts? questions? insight? foresight? hugs? ;d

 

[angeleyes]

Hugs you all good man?

Is there some especially specific things troubling you apart from the whole situation 'in general'?

 

[Mysterie]

just thinking long term really, one of my things is i overthink

probably just time to chill and let go of thought loops

thanks for and hugs, right ~ back at you

im a bit paranoid atm but i feel sometimes a level of paranoia can be healthy

 

[neversickanymore]

I would try to not drug for a bit Mysterie

 

[Mysterie]

i dig that, indica seems like a good plant ally for me to learn from for a little while

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

my psychiatrist is very good at her job, should i just take what she prescribes and not ask questions? i think i have more to give, but i dont want to lose my ability to relate to the people i care about, and i dont want my brain to be altered by chemicals

That's a bit hypocritical considering you want to use cannabis as an 'ally'.

You may not be diagnosed yet, but cannabis can exacerbate latent psychological issues, so if I were you, I'd keep to my dr's medication plan for a while and see how that goes.

 

[Mysterie]

dont you think its sativa and cannabis abuse that leads to that in general

have you tried using indica in moderation in the form of low doses of vapor for mental health problems?

i know ive heard shimazu or som1 talking about having 2 hits from a vap once a day to keep them balanced

id rather try use a plant that has love in it than a chemical manufactured to keep crazy people at bay from all the normies, feel that at al?

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

You have no idea how you're going to react to it. Cannabis itself does not induce mental health problems from excessive use.

No I don't use it or any other medications for mental health problems, but I have friends who have. Some people with schizophrenia find cannabis in general, or at least some strains have a therapeutic effect on their condition, or at least some symptoms of their illness. For example, some people with schizophrenia find that cannabis makes their voices worse, but that it helps their anxiety to the point where they are able to function better overall. And some have a completely negative effect from it, making both the voices and anxiety much worse.

id rather try use a plant that has love in it than a chemical manufactured to keep crazy people at bay from all the normies, feel that at al?

Yes I do get that, but do you get that the pharmaceuticals have extensive human testing and their effects profiles are very well known, whereas cannabis doesn't. You're playing the lottery with your own health, and if you lose you could wind up in an institution for life.

 

[jobe28]

I thought Id just mention that as for the schizophrenia theres been clinical studies that have shown that high doses of CBD (ie NOT the part of cannabis that gets you HIGH) can be just as effective of a treatment as anit-psychotics (such as olanzapine). If youre in America (in the right state) try to get some. However the dosages are pretty huge and you need a few grams of it every day.. so growing it yourself might be a cheapest option.

There are also claims that high doses of vitamins - specifically B3 - can reduce the chemicals in the brain of schizophrenics that causes the actual psychosis. Its called "orthomolecular treatement" of schizophrenia. It supposedly can takes years of taking the vitamins for the effect to completely happen... Ive been taking it for about 6 months now and Ive noticed a difference.. I feel more care-free and relaxed I guess is a good word to describe it.

 

[herbavore]

my psychiatrist is very good at her job, should i just take what she prescribes and not ask questions? i think i have more to give, but i dont want to lose my ability to relate to the people i care about, and i dont want my brain to be altered by chemicals

thoughts? questions? insight? foresight? hugs? ;d

((((((())))))) Hugs first, always!

If your psychiatrist is really good at her job then she should be willing to discuss with you everything she prescribes. You have lots of knowledge about drugs and their effects on you. I have loads of paranoia about psyche meds and so I don't want to go on a rant with my biases but I do want to encourage your instincts. Taking psyche meds should always be accompanied by intense exploration of alternatives. Sometimes they are the only alternative, but rarely.

I think that you will be able to figure out what is best for you right now and then, as time goes on you can tweak it to fit. The study that job28 mentioned is worth reading and also showing to your psychiatrist. I think the growing understanding of CBD is one of the most exciting things to come out of the medical marijuana movement.

 

[exists]

Mysterie, I would hold off taking any form of cannabis* for a while, until the negative thoughts subside. From my teens up until several years ago, I was swamped with many negative thoughts and a lot of paranoia. Any little bit of weed would exacerbate my condition terribly, sending me reeling backward into my own tormented mind.

If you're like me, after a time you will once again be able to partake of some psychoactive substances without too much of a problem. But you really should let your internal state settle down before experimenting again. It sucks, but if you lose patience now, it will set you back. My advice is to be happy with meditation and lucid dreaming techniques, as they fill the "need" rather well without messing you up like drugs can.

Be patient

edit: By "any form of cannabis" I mean anything with THC in it. Pure CBD by itself is supposedly an antipsychotic.

 

[herbavore]

Mysterie, I would hold off taking any form of cannabis* for a while, until the negative thoughts subside. From my teens up until several years ago, I was swamped with many negative thoughts and a lot of paranoia. Any little bit of weed would exacerbate my condition terribly, sending me reeling backward into my own tormented mind.

If you're like me, after a time you will once again be able to partake of some psychoactive substances without too much of a problem. But you really should let your internal state settle down before experimenting again. It sucks, but if you lose patience now, it will set you back. My advice is to be happy with meditation and lucid dreaming techniques, as they fill the "need" rather well without messing you up like drugs can.

Be patient

edit: By "any form of cannabis" I mean anything with THC in it. Pure CBD by itself is supposedly an antipsychotic.

Very good clarification, exists, and I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[herbavore]

Mysterie, I would hold off taking any form of cannabis* for a while, until the negative thoughts subside. From my teens up until several years ago, I was swamped with many negative thoughts and a lot of paranoia. Any little bit of weed would exacerbate my condition terribly, sending me reeling backward into my own tormented mind.

If you're like me, after a time you will once again be able to partake of some psychoactive substances without too much of a problem. But you really should let your internal state settle down before experimenting again. It sucks, but if you lose patience now, it will set you back. My advice is to be happy with meditation and lucid dreaming techniques, as they fill the "need" rather well without messing you up like drugs can.

Be patient

edit: By "any form of cannabis" I mean anything with THC in it. Pure CBD by itself is supposedly an antipsychotic.

Very good clarification, exists, and I wholeheartedly agree.