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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Drug users and mental illness

What mental illnesses do you suffer from?

  • AD(H)D

    Votes: 170 28.4%

  • Anxiety

    Votes: 401 67.1%

  • Depression

    Votes: 404 67.6%

  • Bipolar

    Votes: 136 22.7%

  • OCD

    Votes: 110 18.4%

  • Panic Disorder

    Votes: 138 23.1%

  • Other (please specify)

    Votes: 91 15.2%
  • Total voters
    598
I was diagnosed bipolar but seriously doubted the diagnosis since it was made when i was doing drugs and drinking. But being sober for awhile and not on meds I began to experience some freaky shit. Lows out of nowhere, then highs and impulsiveness and agitation. All within a week. (rapid cycling) When I am manic, I don't realize it, or I dont care. It feels good. I even feel euphoric. Thats why basically I dont even need drugs. LOL. Trust me they make it worse. Mania can be beneficial if you are not acting like a ravingl lunatic. Hypomanic is as far as I have gone. It does have an edge to it, but unfortunately it can lead to some very destruction impulsive decisions.

As long as I stay off mood altering substances, I do much better. Particularly stimulants. Whoa. A bipolar on stims, not a pretty sight. But basically it gets worse over time if not treated. I went to college, got a bachelors, and got a job, but it wasnt long before my behavior started to affect my life. I started drinking to self medicate. Then at 29 I tried cocaine. I got hooked on the second try. Since then, it has been a battle with the substances and the bipolar just exacerbates it.

But basically, if I exersize, take the meds, and stay off the drugs, I do pretty well.

The thing about Bipolar is you cannot step outside yourself to evaluate you behavior. I knew something was wrong. Mainly because I felt depressed and agitated, but mania can feel like everything is fucking great.
 
I know this will probably a bit stupid and insensitive, but when I was depressed I was always a little jealous of bi-polar people. I know the highs can be dangerous - in fact they can lead into hallucinations if you're really far gone - but at least you had some highs. With depression I was just... flat, becalmed on my inner ocean, going nowhere. A storm or two would have been nice, I think.

Anyway, I'm past all that shit now, so no problem. Life is fucking excellent.
 
drug_wench said:
madmike - again i say, how can u know it feels like bipolar disorder if uve never bn diagnosed bipolar?
diagnosing urself (unless u hav a degree in psychiatry) can b a borderline-dangerous thing to do
alcohol causes depression, mate
plenty of ppl down a whole lot of beer and feel like bursting into sobs......plenty of ppl do down a whole lot of beer and burst into sobs
Click to expand...
As there is thing called internet addiction, I am addicted to self-diagnosis

Self-diagnosis isn't recommended even if one would have a degree, because the image of oneself isn't always clear and can be even false.

hmm, my point here is, that I am really really trying to find a way to explain things, just like an addict does.

I hate all the crap they , THEY, that don't want us to use drugs, push to us, like religion

hey I want to find my own interests and now it is drugs.

How many of you wished to know how much sympathy would you get, when once youre older and you tell your grandchild how you got through addiction

I know that , in here Finland WWII veterans were and are mostly silent about their emotions.
It is forbidden to feel negatively about things, and express it out loud!!

Hey society , try to fucking cure me, I don't do it for YOU

If I want, I do it for me,

but the depression has me
 
Thick_as_a_Planck said:
I know this will probably a bit stupid and insensitive, but when I was depressed I was always a little jealous of bi-polar people. I know the highs can be dangerous - in fact they can lead into hallucinations if you're really far gone - but at least you had some highs. With depression I was just... flat, becalmed on my inner ocean, going nowhere. A storm or two would have been nice, I think.

Anyway, I'm past all that shit now, so no problem. Life is fucking excellent.
Click to expand...

Last two weeks before taking that trip to drunken world , I felt vivid and alive.

Now I have to wait again that time, but I think , it is easier now than before, I did those three weeks (and in the past I did 3 months) and I can do it again.
 
Mike when you said about trying to figure shit out like an addict does, I can relate. I'm always trying to find answers for why I keep taking drugs even though they all have that nasty ass downside. I am taking a hiatus from the drug world because frankly, I need to get my shit together.

I know this is off topic, but addicts do tend to overanalyze the whys. I have learned to just accept the fact that I do the things I do because I like to feel good. AND I am an addictive personality in a major way. If it feels good I want it. And I want A LOT OF IT. I have never heard of one pill, one drink,one line, what have you. It's always GO GO GO...all night until you feel like ur gonna blast off.
 
General anxiety, moderate OCD and hardcore depressive.

The first two I can live with and do consider just other aspects to my personality. The moderate OCD is at times actually helpful(work wise).

It's the depression that gets me leaving me nonfunctional and beyond miserable. I've been able to sit okay at 75mg effexor daily(without going manic or suffering side effects) for the last two+ years and don't want to see this change. I can't stand being depressed and nothing non-chemical has ever seemed to help.
 
hey a bit off topic sorry but my doc is prescribing me a med that starts with a N for a long flight I have coming up. I already get 1mg klonpin and .25 xanax which I thought she would just up my dose for the flight. Anyways I cant remember the full name and I have seen someone mention it on here before but all I know is it starts with an N any ideas what the med is? thanks
 
General anxiety disorder, a bit of social anxiety, severe depression and type II bi-polar.

I was on lexapro and seroquel simultaenously after my doctor diagnosed me but hated what the seroquel was doing to me so I stopped taking it. The lexapro threw me straight into a manic phase and I nearly slit my wrists, and cut the hell out of my arm. From then on I knew the diagnosis was right, just from how the anti-depressant effected me, I just went on depakote instead. In the last few weeks I decided to try to go off of them again, I've been feeling mostly alright.

I still take clonazepam for anxiety as needed, though.
 
Depression/bipolar runs in my family. I didn't even think to put eating disorder because I forgot it was a mental disorder which also makes me fall into OCD w/ calories. My life sucks. :[
 
i have ADD, anxiety and a little depression. After I tryed lsd i get horrible anxiety when I smoke weed. I enjoy cocaine, ecstasy, lsd. I used to smoke weed alot but not since its been giving me problems.
 
Would've liked to see schizophrenia on the list just out of curiosity.

And as far as self-diagnosis I love this saying (my dad's a doc and always says this):

"The man who diagnoses himself has a fool for a doctor."


Also one thing I heard from a therapist is the theory that all drug users are self-medicating on SOME psychological level. For some people it's clear-cut, like taking coke to treat ADD, or alcohol/opiates to treat anxiety -- for others (say those who experiment, take psychadelics, etc.) it could be that they're on a modern-day spirit quest seeking enlightenment, etc.
 
i'm diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, i disagree with the diagnoses, doctors just don't like anarchistic, conspiratorial world views. doctors are fucking pigs, the mental health system is shit and i've spent way too much of my life in psych wards.
i also have social anxiety/phobia (fucking sucks, i have insane difficulty getting into relationships).
also i think self diagnoses is idiotic, just because you feel up doesn't mean you're manic, etc.
had both of these since around 14, i'm 21 now.
 
I've been treated for depression and anxiety but I think I have ocd and add. I used to take a lot of Ritalin (not prescribed to me) and it had a calming effect. I also find myself having OCD ticks such as: compulsively cracking my knuckles, pulling out facial and pubic hair, rolling my eyes back into my head every few minutes, but I can usually stop them once I'm aware that I'm doing it.
 
Depression since I was 13 and autisim since I was little(however over the years I outgrew some of it luckily) but my handwriting is still very distinct because my handwriting and drawings still look like a kids writing. I've also been diagnosed schizotypal personality disorder(sp) and have always had a lousy time socializing with people and feel uncomfortable looking someone in the eye the whole time I talk to them etc.

I feel like my life has changed alot for the better since I started using opiates for depression, it made me feel so good that I was able to get more stuff done in a week than I used to be able to do in a month before I found "God's love" through his wonderful to be glorified poppy plant and its contents.

I feel if it wasn't for my mental illness part, I would have a MUCH easier time finding dope where I live etc. But since I've been ripped off and burned way too many times in life by people taking advantage of my mental illness, I dont trust anyone anymore until I get to know them well enough.
 
I've been diagnosed with depressive cyclothymia. My therapist described it to me as Bipolar II's hyperactive sibling. My moods change sporadically and without warning (is that redundant?). I can be on top of the world one moment and in a black abyss the next.
I also have social anxiety issues as I'm fairly introverted and a few compulsive behaviors.
I've experimented with psychedelics to attempt to gain insight but they usually spur a depressive episode, where I'll seriously question my self worth. I constantly use cannabis since it almost always lifts my mood and relieves the anxiety. Doesn't help at all with the introverted personality though. Prescription medication that I've used (i.e. SSR/NI's) has little to no benefit. Cymbalta zombified me and Effexor made me hallucinate. Wellbutrin helped somewhat but destroyed my appetite and I lost a dangerous amount of weight.
C'est la vie.
 
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