[kvinneakt]

To a therapist who knows my history in great detail, I told I have taken up a long abandoned pot habit, smoking about a pencil eraser sized bit or two a day. I said it was one of the very few things that reliably helps me feel better. She was not the least concerned and said she knows many people who have far worse habits. And that was the end of that topic. The weight off my mind is a great relief. (I was really afraid of her passing a moral judgement on me, as she is a Christian, and I am atheist.) I think most people are starting to realize this is not really a big deal, far less trouble than the many alternative "bad" habits.

[No Fuse No Flame]

Originally Posted by kvinneakt

To a therapist who knows my history in great detail, I told I have taken up a long abandoned pot habit, smoking about a pencil eraser sized bit or two a day. I said it was one of the very few things that reliably helps me feel better. She was not the least concerned and said she knows many people who have far worse habits. And that was the end of that topic. The weight off my mind is a great relief. (I was really afraid of her passing a moral judgement on me, as she is a Christian, and I am atheist.) I think most people are starting to realize this is not really a big deal, far less trouble than the many alternative "bad" habits.

Drug companies cannot monopolize MJ like they can chemicals they produce. Hence drug companies would lose money.

[Vibe]

I can think of some negative effects of marijuana. Not much though and you'd have probably experienced most of them by now if you were gonna have a bad experience.

[cafegrrrl]

I told my psychiatrist that I was smoking weed to see what he would say. He told me if i continued to smoke, he'd no longer prescribe my meds. I think weed helps more than my meds but I told him I quit smoking about 2 years ago anyway. Now I work for the same agency as my psychiatrist and counselor so I have more of a reason to lie about smoking....

[kvinneakt]

how can you and he possibly work for the same agency and there not be a huge conflict of interest? this sounds unethical on his part to continue to treat you.

Originally Posted by cafegrrrl

I told my psychiatrist that I was smoking weed to see what he would say. He told me if i continued to smoke, he'd no longer prescribe my meds. I think weed helps more than my meds but I told him I quit smoking about 2 years ago anyway. Now I work for the same agency as my psychiatrist and counselor so I have more of a reason to lie about smoking....

[Hellion]

Last therapist I had, did not have an issue with my use of it either.

[cafegrrrl]

Originally Posted by kvinneakt

how can you and he possibly work for the same agency and there not be a huge conflict of interest? this sounds unethical on his part to continue to treat you.

He doesn't have access to my work files and I don't have access to my therapeutic files...The agency is set up in 2 different buildings. I work in one part and he works in the other part.

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

My t knew i smoked. When i decided to stop because of anxiety, he said his patients used it for anxiety so i continued smoking. I was self medicating and he didnt see a problem with it. Then i went to see the pdoc who refused to give me any medicine other than allergy medicine for my anxiety until i could pass a drug test. So i stopped. 4 weeks later she didnt test me, but didnt give me meds (by this time my fear of meds kicked in and i didnt want any) and she dismissed me as a patient saying therapy would be the best for me.

Now 2 weeks later (6 weeks total) im still clean by choice, im medicating myself by not medicating myself. But i have a new fear of mj as nearly 3 months ago i had a seizure while extremely high.

One day i will probably go back, but not today, by choice. Its very beneficial, just right now i try to stay as clear headed as possible

[Vibe]

I'm curious if he said he would no longer prescribe your meds because he feared a legitimate drug interaction, or if he was just being controlling and overstepping his bounds? If it was the later, I wouldn't be comfortable with him as my doctor. If it was the former, then I wouldn't be comfortable taking his meds and smoking pot. Either way, it doesn't sound like a good situation.

I am very sensitive to all drugs / meds. I could not tolerate marijuana and have not used it for over 20 years. It made me paranoid and I would get spacey and could not function well for several days after use. I don't miss it at all.

[splitimage]

Lots of Dr.'s won't prescribe to people who are smoking pot. Same way lots of Dr's won't precribe to alcoholics who are still drinking. There's the question of drug interaction, and the question of measuring your real mental state pre and post commencement of medication if you're regularly using mood altering chemicals.

I've been in rehab a number of times, and every time there are a number of pot smokers trying to get off it. They've variuosly experienced complete loss of motivation, paranoia, anxiety, psychosis, and hallucinations. It's not an easy drug to come off of, as the TCH is stored in your fat cells, so it takes a long time to completely detox making the withdrawal extended and quite unpleasant.

Don't think that just because pot is "natural" that it's benign. It's a mind altering chemical that can have serious negative consequences with etensive / long term use.

splitimage

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

Originally Posted by Vibe

I'm curious if he said he would no longer prescribe your meds because he feared a legitimate drug interaction, or if he was just being controlling and overstepping his bounds? If it was the later, I wouldn't be comfortable with him as my doctor. If it was the former, then I wouldn't be comfortable taking his meds and smoking pot. Either way, it doesn't sound like a good situation.

My pdoc refused to give me meds if i didnt stop because she was worried i have a substance or addiction problem or something, she sees it as a drug like any other illegal drug. But she dismissed me as a patient none the less, when i was able to pass the test. Im going the unmedicated healthy living route

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

And while pot may be difficult to come off of for some, ive not touched it, nor any medication in 6 weeks, and have felt no withdraw symptoms, yest i smoked very very heavily for 3 years

[kvinneakt]

Random reaction to all your posts:

I am nearly 60. I spent many years doing the hippie thing in San Francisco and elsewhere during which I was a sometimes full on stoner. When I grew bored with this I quit all drugs and had no problems doing with one exception-tobacco. To this day after 30 years with only 3 cigarettes, I still smoke in my dreams.

I have spent very many years since childhood with full on depression during which I have had every kind of treatment going on from just talk to multiple meds and talk. Most of that time has been pot-free. From the wide variety of these experiences I have found that a modest amount of pot is the most reliable way to quickly feel much better. I rarely smoke to get "stoned" and do that where appropriate such as an outdoor rock concert. (Yes, old people still love to do this.) I smoke for about as much "buzz" as 2, sometimes 3 shots of liquor. That is sufficient and is only done in safe circumstances.

Much of my life has been hellish from depression, but I am still in my 1st marriage, have 2 great adult children, a beautiful small home with the mortgage paid off, and a debt-free lifestyle with a part-time job. I simply don't see that smoking pot in my life has any actual risk. As far as the legal status, the hell with what the government says is right and wrong for me to do with my own mind and body. I take good care and have results to prove it.

I have been on more psych meds than I could possibly count. Today I am on the highest dosages of Remeron and Effexor, which I have read is a combo of last resort. This helps immensely, but not completely.

I smoke pot for the same reason I take psych meds-simply to feel better and happier. I see no evidence I am causing myself or anyone else any harm, or I would change my behavior. I am very responsible.

Smoking pot can be harmful. So can overeating. Either can wreck a life in excess, but I have never heard of anyone suffering from pot the range of horrors that will most certainly come from obesity. Yet, pot is illegal and eating immensely of poor quality food is widely promoted, and even subsidized by government policy in many indirect ways. (Of course it could be said that pot munchies contribute to this obesity!)

Cheers.

End of random rant.

[Perna]

Originally Posted by PurpleFlyingMonkeys

And while pot may be difficult to come off of for some, ive not touched it, nor any medication in 6 weeks, and have felt no withdraw symptoms, yest i smoked very very heavily for 3 years

You're just having seizures from it or your meds/the stress of not taking it or your meds.

I do not think a small amount of pot would be a problem for a therapist in a person who has smoked previously and given it up for a long period of time. Those who are not alcoholic but drink alcohol. . . similar sort of habit. If you come to session high though, that might be a problem?

[happiedasiy]

To the contrary, of what people belive. Most meds from the drug companies arrive from nature. Snakes provide anti venom and saves lives, plant extracts examples aloe are in many cosmetic products, and fish from the ocean ect. Pot is natural and its benefits people with chronic pain and those who are suffering from cancer so I am not against it. But if you are already on medication its a no.

[Hellion]

what if it does not interact badly with that medication?

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

It was a theory from the emergency room that pot could have caused my seizure (at the time i wasnt on any meds, only the mirena, which they say had nothing to do with the seizure, none the less i had the mirena removed) but the hospital also said it could have been due to stress. They gave me hydroxizine at the hospital for my axiety from the seizure and i took that and continued smoking pot. I met with my regular doctor who didnt believe pot caused the seizure as its often used to treat seizured, the same thing my t said. My gp said the seizure was either psuedo or from migraines, t thought psuedo or DID. Then 3 weeks (all the while still smoking pot and taking low doses of the hydroxizine) i met with pdoc. T didnt see a problem with the pot as he says some patients use it for anxiety and thought it could help me.

But because i drank accesively as a teenager (almost 10 years ago) pdoc figured my pot use was a warning sign of my addictive personality or something so she gave me more hydroxizine and said she wouldnt give me better anxiety meds until i could pass a drug test. She also believed the seizure was psuedo or DID related.

So i stopped smoking pot and even stopped the hydroxizine as it was only making me sleepy and thats it. My anxiety never got worse, but it has gotten better due to therapy and positive affirmations, changing my thinking process that was learned as a child.

But pot made me dissociate quite a bit more than i realized so now that i havent smoked in six weeks, with no upcoming drug tests and the pdoc dismissed me as i dont want meds, im trying to deal by changing my mental state, i still dont think i will smokw. But only becauses it increases my dissociation so much and the dissociation is so similar feeling to seizures, i never know what it will be.

Both seizures happened while i was very anxious though, i think thats a little connection ther at least

[kvinneakt]

Thank you all so much for the thoughtful commentary. This is what makes this site such a wonderful resource.

I had my daily pencil eraser sized bit of bud. I feel alert, gently relaxed and mellow. I don't feel drugged, sluggish, or lethargic. I have been outside gardening, feeding the birds, and people watching. This is in my mind a superior state than chemical drugging for anxiety. Been there, done that. This is better.

Next stop is yoga and meditation with my partner.

Metta.

[Vibe]

Originally Posted by kvinneakt

Thank you all so much for the thoughtful commentary. This is what makes this site such a wonderful resource.

I had my daily pencil eraser sized bit of bud. I feel alert, gently relaxed and mellow. I don't feel drugged, sluggish, or lethargic. I have been outside gardening, feeding the birds, and people watching. This is in my mind a superior state than chemical drugging for anxiety. Been there, done that. This is better.

Next stop is yoga and meditation with my partner.

Metta.

It sounds like you found what works for you, which is great. There are side effects - long term ones as well, to almost all medications. Watch out for them since you're pretty much going it alone.

I'm glad you're trying yoga and meditation as well. Add a bit of cardio in and plenty of fruits and veggies, and it sounds like good living.

[medkev13]

I get the feeling that pot would probably help my depression, but even if I'm using it legally, I could lose my job for smoking it. x.x