[Losingcontrol89]

In the last ten years of dealing with manic depressive bipolar disorder, I've found my most effective treatment is smoking marijuana. Not in the moment of chaos, but afterwards. After I've yelled and cried myself out and are just in a state of stupor. When I smoke, all the different thoughts and questions and scenarios and memories and just everything racing in my mind slows down, if not stops completely. And it gives me the chance to finally focus on what's going on in there and determine what's really going on, what I'm making up in my own mind and what's important to take care of first. There is no medical marijuana system set up in my state yet. What are other opinions on using marijuana as an effective self medication? My fiancé wants me to try legitimate medicine, which I understand and will try. But marijuana has effectively helped and worked for me for ten years whereas I've had bad experiences with modern medicine.

[kaliope]

it took me 2 1/2 years and a lot of persistence to find the right modern medicine but I did and it was well worth the time. I tried everything over 30 years to combat it before that. I now successfully manage my bipolar with meds with no side effects and live a totally normal life. ive used marijuana and while ive enjoyed the effect, it did nothing to stop the cycle from happening. it just made it a more pleasant experience. I don't want it at all. I don't need to be happy spending all my money. I don't want to be recklessly spending in the first place. so I choose to stay on my meds. I still smoke occasionally for my anxiety.

[LornaMorello]

You know its weird, because sometimes it works like a dream, but if I'm in a particularly bad depressive state, then it can make it worse
I was a daily toker from like ages 15 - 20
I've haven't smoked in ages anyway, because EDs and the munchies don't mix lol

[danicaB]

That was interesting. Medical marijuana has several potential beneficial effects. This can serve as appetite stimulants, anti emetics, antispasmodics, and have some analgesic effects, may be helpful treating chronic non-cancerous pain, or vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy. The drug may also aid in treating symptoms of AIDS patients.

[Losingcontrol89]

It usually helps a lot when I've been depressed for days and give up on eating. When I just don't have the energy to eat but I know that I probably should because it's not good for me. And it quiets my mind from all the chaos. But when I can't smoke, because hey it's still illegal around me, I tend to drink. Which I know does far more harm than good but still, it helps in the moment.

[Hellion]

I don't have bi-polar, but I do find cannabis helpful for my anxiety, ptsd and depression symptoms. Mellows out the anxiety and PTSD crap, and can help lift my mood for a time when I am feeling extremely depressed or at least give me the ability to maybe look at things a bit better in a less negative light.

I haven't really had much luck with any perscription meds except the valium I have prescribed helps anxiety attacks some, and I have trazodone for sleep when I need it. Have tried various anti-depressants, a couple anti-psychotics(seroquel and zyprexa) they told me to help the depression but I didn't know anti-psychotics did that as well as anxiety, and anti-histamines for anxiety/sleep and none of those work well for me for anything.

[WantToGrow]

I had a boyfriend who I now realize was likely bi-polar, and he smoked weed a lot. It made him very paranoid, and I don't know what psych term to use but he would think that people were doing weird things to him to mess with him. A picture frame would be slightly crooked and he'd think that his roommate did that to mess with his mind. Well, we lived in SoCal so it was probably a small tremor that tweaked it! He was also drinking a lot so the two together were especially bad. I was bulimic at the time and the craziest thing that happened was that his dog puked on his bed and he blamed it on me, that I puked on his bed on purpose to mess with him! I don't think weed did anything good for him. Myself, I like to get high but have only done it at parties when someone else had the weed; I've never acquired weed for myself.