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Is anyone bipolar and smokes?

Middleway said:
I have gievn up weed for wquite a few years now due to the terriblle destabilizing of my mood it caused. Flash forwar 5 years and doctors are telling me I am bipolar and are about to put me on an antidepressant, a mood stabilizer, and an antipsychotic.
I am a psych nurse, I know full well what these drugs do, to be honest, I hate them, but my life has ceased to funtion.
I am wondering if the stability pharmaceticals gives you might let you have a smoke now and then and be ok.
All I do now is the occassional trip and if it wasn;t for that refresher now and then I think I would totally lose the plot.
Now I am faced with the situation of taking phams that block off all the hope I have for a metal holiday. Feeling, very very down and the throught of being stuck in the prison of reality for the rest of my life
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If you are bipolar the drugs will help you. Bipolar disorder is a very serious mental illness and you must take medications in order to stabilize your mood. I have bipolar disorder, myself. Smoking marijuana could be the stupidest thing that you could do as it could trigger a manic episode or drug-induced psychosis. That happened to me so it's pretty easy for me to stay away from the bud.
 
hmmm, I wonder who hired YOU to be a nurse, because as a nurse you should know that having the knowledge that you are bipolar and continuing to trip on hallucinogens is very dangerous for your mind, it could possibly be the tripping that set this problem off to begin with. To continue to trip while knowing you are bipolar is one of the dumbest things you could do. so a trip is not refreshing it is causing you to sink deeper into your mental illness. as well the drugs they put you on can and will cause you to have serotonin syndrome which could be fatal if taken with hallucinogens. as far as marijuana not smart for you either, if you have mental illness, I'm sorry but you are not allowed to use any drugs of ANY sort other than those prescribed to you to help your illness, anything else will just make you worse and or kill you if are prescribed psych meds. Then the next thing you know you will be institutionalized with a "nurse" taking care of you, or dead
 
ebola? said:
Actually, I'd place hitting a meth bong and/or intentional sleep deprivation as presenting far greater risks.

ebola
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Who has the time for intentional sleep deprivation. Meth on the other hand...

Also, to those who are bipolar or know people who are bipolar and smoke: Is moderation a major factor here, or can any amount (in reality, not scare tactics) set off an episode realistically*? I have a couple of bipolar friends who refuse to smoke anything due to a fear that they aren't sure has any foundation. I'm just wondering if trying a little and seeing how it goes for you is a good option, like testing the waters, or if you're going to have a bad reaction then you're going to have a bad reaction, too bad. (I know nothing about bi polar, i don't ask)

*realistically means a decent chance, not the chance of being eaten by a shark or dying in a plane accident, even though those things are "realistic" fears.
 
I'm sorry but you are not allowed to use any drugs of ANY sort other than those prescribed to you to help your illness
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And I don't think that you are allowed to use this type of black and white reasoning (not that any sort of professional affiliation would allow you to do so). The lifetime incidence of mental illness is typically estimated to be near 50 percent. I'm not sure if it makes sense to bar half the population from all recreational drugs.

Also, to those who are bipolar or know people who are bipolar and smoke: Is moderation a major factor here, or can any amount (in reality, not scare tactics) set off an episode realistically*?
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From what I remember, the main risk for people with bipolar is habituation, when various calming agents are relied upon too closely, as calming tools (particularly alcohol), rather than acute manic episodes. But people basically have to experiment, and see if cannabis helps or hurts. If mania ever presents with psychotic symptoms, though, I would stay away from cannabis and stronger psychedelics.

ebola
 
ebola? said:
And I don't think that you are allowed to use this type of black and white reasoning (not that any sort of professional affiliation would allow you to do so). The lifetime incidence of mental illness is typically estimated to be near 50 percent. I'm not sure if it makes sense to bar half the population from all recreational drugs.



From what I remember, the main risk for people with bipolar is habituation, when various calming agents are relied upon too closely, as calming tools (particularly alcohol), rather than acute manic episodes. But people basically have to experiment, and see if cannabis helps or hurts. If mania ever presents with psychotic symptoms, though, I would stay away from cannabis and stronger psychedelics.

ebola
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as it might not seem FAIR to you, it definitely makes SENSE in the perspective of protecting their emotional and mental health! and the physical and emotional health of others as well
 
my personal experience as a bipolar person is that it helps quite a bit with the depression.

my 2 cents
 
muh dad's bipolar. he's literally fucking crazy (ups and downs over month-long intervals or so...) all the time. he takes lithium, seroquel, and klonopin for symptoms/reasons related to his manic depressive bipolar disorder.

and every day he smokes a joint after dinner. his doctor said it was fine. we're not living in a weed-friendly state either, as far as medicine or law is concerned.

i think he's batshit crazy, but he says it regulates him. whatever. i doubt there's any evidence out there (yet) that really proves its benefits on bipolar disorder.

he also smoked weed before he began his REAL medicine protocol. before the med regimen, he was completely out of control almost all the time. in and out of psychiatric wards, etc...

so, based on these life experiences, in conclusion, obviously...seriously, weed didn't make enough of an impact on his condition to produce any real benefits for those who matter (family, friends, coworkers).

now, to make this post more about me, i've also been diagnosed twice with bipolar shit, never by a shrink. it was always a recent med-school graduate only looking at my severe anxiety (arrest related) and a family history of mental illness (my dad & his dad). it's bullshit.

but, if i'm bipolar, weed definitely helps with everything. if i'm bipolar, weed has kept me below mania and above depression for 4 years (how long i've been smoking). but since i never had depression or mania before smoking weed either, i guess nothing has changed.

weed does a lot of great shit. but it is a drug of subtlety. the one thing it does without being gentle about it: weed makes me happy!=D

congrats if u read all that...llol
 
chairmanma084 said:
so, based on these life experiences, in conclusion, obviously...seriously, weed didn't make enough of an impact on his condition to produce any real benefits for those who matter (family, friends, coworkers).
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sounds kinda selfish to exclude HIM from 'those who matter' category. If you love him and HE is happy that should make you at least a little happy.
 
dogfood said:
sounds kinda selfish to exclude HIM from 'those who matter' category. If you love him and HE is happy that should make you at least a little happy.
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well, we do care for him as a family. we're glad he can have happiness smoking every day. however, his happiness is secondary to family stability. we've been through a lot together, moving because he burned bridges in my hometown and another city about 8 years ago. as soon as his smoking caused serious complication, it'd have to be dumped.

if he suffers a little taking his meds and living the sedated life, that's the way it has to be. life isn't about being happy, especially when you're the one that's caused so much pain and turmoil for the ones you supposedly love. mental illness or not, there has to be accountability for your actions.

i get what your saying, dogfood. i don't think it's selfish though. you're being objective and that's understandable. i've spent time and money and lost sleep and respect for my father, not b/c of weed, but because he never took responsibility to realize that actions have consequences. bipolar didn't do that; so it IS his fault. he could have dealt with his illness in a responsible manner. but he chose not to instead, over and over for most of my life.

~ touchy subject, sorry for the long explanation.
 
chairmanma084 said:
i get what your saying, dogfood. i don't think it's selfish though. you're being objective and that's understandable. i've spent time and money and lost sleep and respect for my father, not b/c of weed, but because he never took responsibility to realize that actions have consequences. bipolar didn't do that; so it IS his fault. he could have dealt with his illness in a responsible manner. but he chose not to instead, over and over for most of my life.

~ touchy subject, sorry for the long explanation.
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i guess i was thinking about this from my perspective as a man with no children... when you become a parent (i know if i became a parent) you just gotta be a bit more responsible about what you do.
 
I was diagnosed with bi-polar about 4-5 months ago, been off and on meds in that time. I find the particular ones I was on ineffective, and the docs I've seen are all "No son, we only give out SSRI's and antipsychotics" instead of anything effective for bi-polar like lithium. I have smoked heavily for years and and continued to smoke regularly up until just recently. I found it had a somewhat variable but fairly predictable effect on my mood which tended towards the positive. I smoked just as much while on anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers, which was an interesting experience. It's sort of like curling up in a blanket while cranking the air-conditioning on a hot summer day... Not entirely unpleasant, but unnecessary.

I find the act of smoking extremely relaxing, it fits with my personality well, and to that end it can become a habit. At the same time there's really nothing wrong with doing something that you enjoy as long as you aren't severely impairing your functionality. If you are than you have something to work out that probably goes beyond weed, that place could just as easily be filled by benzos or painkillers, and even psychiatric drugs are indeed just another chemical that effects your thoughts. It's your choice what road you want to go down, I think the key here is balance, which is very difficult for bi-polar people. Keep your head up and good luck!
 
i have bipolar and ive been smoking almost everyday for quite some time. i however have not sort medication for it. I also have "ADD" and anxiety, which is a fun mix, but i have to some extent helped level out my moods, by training myself to avoid certain thought patterns etc. sure i still get ups and downs, but i found that by avoiding smoking during "downs" it dosn't seem to have any negative effect. but in saying that everyone is different, so there is no guarantee.

To add to that, things improved for me dramatically when i got with my current girlfriend. and my love life was source of alot of depression and anxiety before i got with her. I think that has alot to do with how weed affects me when i smoke it, before i was generally in down moods more times then none because of how things in my life were going. i personally found that its just about smoking in the right moods. any im stoned and ramblin on, sorry! haha :) good luck to you
 
I have bipolar and anxiety. I've been smoking marijuana heavily for nearly 6 years. I've also used quite alot of other drugs in that time too. Before I say this I must say marijuana has not enhanced my mental health overall, I'm guessing (can never be sure). It has exacerbated my symptoms when I don't have marijuana, quite acutely if I don't take breaks.

BUT... marijuana has always alleviated the flaws of my brain. I don't have rushing thoughts, or depressive episodes or panic attacks. I feel like 'me'. The good 'me'. It modulates my moods very well, if I'm too hypo it calms me down. If I'm depressed and in a negative spiral it raises my mood and shifts my perception of life to a very positive one.

I have taken benzos, anti-psychotics, SSRIs and none of it works, infact these drugs make me feel like a zombie and not even human. I used to take alot of benzos but not so much anymore, been on zyprexa and seroquel, both just knock me out and give me horrible side effects. Tried a few SSRIs, same deal, they made me feel worse, more anxious and empty inside with life feeling blunted. I don't take SSRIs anymore and never will again.

Yet this plant that basically cures me of these problems is illegal and not recognised as a medicine in most of the world. *sigh*

I believe that marijuana is so therapeutic for some people with bipolar due to the mechanism of action it has on the brain. THC binds with the cannabinoid receptors and modulates the flow of neurotransmitters within the brain. Essentially making them work 'closer to normal'. Either increasing their flow or decreasing their flow. This is how marijuana acts as a stimulant and a depressant, lifting your mood and stimulating you when depressed and calming you down, relaxing and sedating you when your hyper. The effects do crossover however.

What a great plant eh? ;)
 
^^"It's sort of like curling up in a blanket while cranking the air-conditioning on a hot summer day... Not entirely unpleasant, but unnecessary."

FUCK YEA...hahahahahaha
 
I've been on anti-depressants and other crap and still smoked pot. It helped. I'm not bi-polar but have anxiety & depression.
I have a friend who's bi-polar and he comes over and smokes, chills out and plays video games, doesn't seem to effect him.
 
bipolar plus pot sounds dangerous. i'd probably still go for it though.

i am on antidepressants, and i flat out asked my doctor. he said pot and hallucinogens should be fine, but alcohol doesn't react well (i'm on welbutrin just to inform).

i would ask your doctor what the effects would be if you smoked on meds.
 
CashewXD said:
bipolar plus pot sounds dangerous. i'd probably still go for it though.

i am on antidepressants, and i flat out asked my doctor. he said pot and hallucinogens should be fine, but alcohol doesn't react well (i'm on welbutrin just to inform).

i would ask your doctor what the effects would be if you smoked on meds.
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a doctor who is honest about drugs.... thats VERY rare.
 
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