Marijuana

I had to take a long look at my weed usage and it has so many benefits coupled with negatives. For me Im not going to quit but use in moderation versus the way heavy usage like Ive done in past.

Good for you. I’m of the opinion, “Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!”

I was never able to moderate my marijuana usage and would smoke more when I was starting to go manic, so for me it was kind of a death spiral into psychosis. Now that it's been a couple of weeks I've almost lost completely the desire for weed. Every now and then I get an attack of panic and want to reach for it because I still haven't given away the grams in my freezer and don't want to just toss it.

I was using it to escape and to feel energy so went for the THC rather than CBD, which only made me more tired. In case there are other people out there who have their doubts about what weed might do to them... all I am saying is that here's one person who bipolar (possibly schizoaffective) who decided to quit.

I’m struggling badly with the question of cannabis. It might make me worse but I’m in so much pain it is drawing me in. I think I’d advise against using it if you can keep from it. When I look back at my life, so many problems occurred during times when I used it. Lots of stuff happened when not using it too but the really terrifying stuff mostly occurred when using it and I want to cry just thinking about it.

It makes me so paranoid. They say with mental illness there are two parts of the plant and they have different effects. The THC can cause psychosis and the CBD can act as an antipsychotic. They are trying to actually make CBD in a pill form as an antipsychotic now and soon I'm sure it will be available. I'd be interesting in trying it. Until studies are out though I lean with caution considering how THC affects me. I have heard it helps some people so I'm glad to hear that, just not everyone I suppose.

I'd been a smoker for since my early twenties, but stopped at the beginning of 2017 because I wasn't sure if it'd interfere with ECT. But, the whole of 2016 I was more often than not smoking about 1/2 ounce to an ounce per week. I moved to a different state in the winter and don't have any connects here. If I did I would more than likely still be smoking.

My primary psychiatrist knew I smoked. I think he said something once when I first told him and he didn't mention it again. A few years later he told an administrative judge(disability hearing) that there was no way to determine if my smoking habit mitigated or exacerbated my bipolar symptoms because I'd been smoking so long(several years prior to appearance of bipolar symptoms and years after diagnosis). (NOTE: the judge, even though there are stories out there about drug use preventing getting disability, did grant me disability insurance.)

I remember when the nurse practitioner would not prescribe me meds anymore cause I admitted to smoke weed. I then went to a doctor I did not like and just went off meds. My current Pdoc has given me a very interesting view on smoking weed and I can make my own decision.

Im not on any meds due to stomach and other issues, but Im happy to say my weed smoking has drastically reduced to almost nothing, but sometimes grab a joint or two to last the week and use on long walks. It really opens my mind to things I cant see. My problem is when I start to wake and bake and just smoke for months straight without breaks, Im glad Im not doing that now.