Is marijuana a good treatment for bipolar disorder?
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at
8:43 am
I recently found out I have it and I’m afraid of taking pills for it. Those side effects scare me more than that of marijuana, which I heard can be affective for some patients.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatment_of_bipolar_disorder
Tagged with: Bipolar • Disorder • good • Marijuana • Treatment
Filed under: Bipolar Treatments
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uhm….pot is not acceptable in any way shape or form
i might have bi-polar and i smoke pot every once in a while
it does make u feel happier but its not really good for an every day medicine
plus its not fun when ur not with friends, and friends usually cheer u up just by being with u
so if ur gunna smoke pot only do it once a week at the most
First of all:
Don’t take any medical advice seriously from yahoo answers! I highly doubt you will get any unbiased information. I would recommend talking to a doctor before you try anything.
While I have no experience or knowledge regarding the use of marijuana as a treatment fr Bipolar Disorder, common treatments, such as Lithium, with or without an additional antidepressant, and with regular counseling, have been shown to be effective with minimal side effects. You should talk to your doctor about the right level of treatment for you and always, always, take medicines as prescribed. Both of my daughters have been diagnosed with this very serious illness and, I can tell you from experience, this is nothing to toy with.
No, don’t use it. It could make your depressive episodes worse. You need to speak to your doctor first about treatment options depending on your mood cycle.
All meds affect people differently, including cannabis. If you already smoke it, and you feel as though it helps calm your highs/anxiety levels, etc. then start reading about it as an alternative. Google any studies. Go outside Wiki. I’m not advocating the use of it, but I am saying that it is worth researching. Many people do well on medications and it improves their lives, but I’m not 100% convinced every single person “declared” (aka: diagnosed) as bipolar needs all those meds. The side effects can be disturbing. Weight gain and lethargy are frequent complaints.
I was suspected to be bipolar and I just learned how to learn with my condition without medication. Like most people with this disorder, I’m terrible about taking the stupid effing medication. I don’t suggest you do it via pot though. I mean, you have a very life-altering condition and the day to day ritual of life is difficult enough. Until you get it down really well, I don’t suggest you ingest any mind-altering chemicals of any sort, be it alcohol, pot, or other elicit drugs. I know my answer isn’t going to be very popular, but really, this condition is conquerable for some people without medication if you work very hard at it. Of course you should talk to a doctor first though to see if you’re one of the candidates. Either way, until you’re able to live well with your symptoms, I don’t suggest you take any mind altering drugs.
It helps my brother who suffers from the same thing. You should know however that marijuana smoking is bad for your lungs and it is almost as habit forming as cigarrettes. There is a pipe that heats the pot to about 300 degrees and you get the same results without the tars and super heated smoke going into your lungs.
no it’s illegal!!!!!!!!!
what is up with everyone? read the fucking question and give a fucking answer.
pot, if you live in a state with licensed medical dispensaries, is “a” treatment for bipolar disorder. i have a bipolar friend (seriously) who illegally self-medicates, and while i dont know anyone who illegally self-medicates with cannabis that doesn’t swear by it, she really does. she explained to me that it regulates her, that whenever her brain clicks in and tells her that she’s going to manic/depressed, she smokes a bowl and then she’s just high. like it nips her swings in the bud. hee hee. puns.
and now to be entirely honest. you’re much better off with the pills, if you must choose one (who’s to say you must?). you have to keep in mind the relative frequency of the negative side-effects, and that pharm companies have to include advertisement of them or face lawsuits. so, try the pills for a couple of months. if you dont like who youre becoming, how they make you feel, the side-effects, etc., then switch to a solid cannabis regimen. fuck it, go for it anyway. cannabis doesnt interfere with any known/tested medications, but why dont you give it a couple weeks off just to see how you feel?
in summary: personal experience leads me to believe that it is a positive treatment for bipolar disorder, but nothing makes me expect that it’s superior to lithium and whathaveyou, except that it’s totally awesome, is a good treatment for any disorder (fictional or non-), and despite half a century of government testing using shwag weed, no negative side effects (smoking anything is bad for your lungs, blah blah, its illegal, blah blah)
Just to get this out of the way, so all the Lithium pushers will shut up- I’ve been on the crap. The only thing it does is make your stomach feel like a thousand fists are hitting it all the time. This is a COMMON side effect (terrific stomach pains that is). And there is such a thing as Lithium poisoning which can kill you. And it can happen with a small dose if you’re intolerant to it.
Ok, I feel better, now I can answer your question.
For one, there is a lot of known problems with bipolar medication. They have a tendency to not mix well and some mixtures can be lethal (doctors had me on Trazadone and Lithium, both bipolar medications and the combined side effects caused me to have seizures). They also have laundry lists of side effects- everything from vomiting to increase of bipolar symptoms.
Now on to the topic at hand. Marijuana is a depressant, that is a downer. That’s not to say it will make you depressed, it usually doesn’t. But it does make you feel lethargic. However, there is extensive research that marijuana contains natural properties that can be used medicinally. Psychological disorders are one of the many types of diseases/disorders that can be effectively treated with marijuana.
That’s not to say it will work for you. Like any drug (although I do not personally count marijuana as a drug, it is considered by many to be one, so let’s play that game) it has a different effect on everyone. Some people find that it increases depression, many claim it keeps them in a level mood. I am personally one of these people and don’t know of anyone that gets depressed while smoking pot.
It is illegal in most states, though. That makes your home remedy a risky one. Thankfully small quantities of marijuana in your possession is not a heavy charge (criminally). And no, I’ve never once been charged with possession, I have a note.
Try it. It will not hurt you. Just make sure you have some people around when you do. Good luck, don’t take the meds, seriously. Bad stuff.
yes dont bealave all these dumbasses saying weeds bad blaze up
I have a friend, and Bipolar Disorder runs in her family,
She’s smoked weed twice (both times I was there) and she says what happens is she feels liken a roller coaster, she’ll go from happiness and laughter to a panic attack in like a second and it just goes back and forth,
so she doesn’t like to get high because it just brings the Bipolar out (her words)