MJ and Bipolar Disorder

RUDE BOY

Space is the Place
I was convinced that I had some form of bipolar/mood/anxiety disorder, by a psychiatrist back in the summer, and subsequently convinced myself that vaping regularily helped me live a normal life without the mental anguish. I went through some pretty shitty times, which caused me a bunch of time off of work. My GP gave me the blessing of using weed on a regular basis to keep the cannabinoid levels high in my system, so after a two week break, and shitty withdrawal symptoms (and the resulting lack of sleep) I started micro dosing every few hours which made me feel great. This only lasted for so long until the negative effects started to creep up, destroying my sleep quality and health. I've now abstained completely for a month, and feel like a completely different human. My sleep is incredible, lots of REM rebound and dreaming, and wake up feeling so refreshed and happy every day now. I'm much more productive and have absolutely no signs of mood/anxiety disorder and have made some great accomplishments in both my personal and work life. I'll always vape and enjoy the hobby, just not several times per day or week like before. Just wanted to offer a different perspective and this is just my experience only.

we all have a different road to walk, glad you found yours. :tup:
 

canj00digit?

All my days in a daze...
Cheers brother :) how much did it cost you for the dabbable stuff out of interest?

At the moment it's on sale for $55us for 3g.


Thanks to being on all this propranolol I have yet to have anxiety from cannabis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/403557
Pot plus propranol, an effective PTSD cocktail?
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...rug-treatment-could-finally-stop-ptsd/252079/

Propranolol is indeed fantastic in controlling the physical manifestations of anxiety. As such, it's a banned, 'performancing enhancing' drug in sports like Olympic shooting where calmness is an asset.
 
canj00digit?,
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canj00digit?

All my days in a daze...
Holy fuck, I need to get my hands on that, what's the website? :D

It's kind of odd, but Omega Labs has a number of sites.

is the public site and you can buy the oral drops and the e-liquid there.

Then they have two private sites that have a few different products on them.
The page I filled out to request membership i it was a few days before I got a reply email.

Mod note: links have been removed. Site is no longer available and they were leading to a malware link.
 
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canj00digit?,
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akwardsauce

gold all in my chains...dont believe me just watch
How does a psychiatrist diagnose a person bipolar? Since there are no lab test.
look up DSM-V (or DSM 5 = diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders edition #5 is the most current version).

this thread is very interesting to read and i hope all make informed and healthy decisions...
 

witka

Member
i have bipolar &ptsd my new pdoc is ok with mmj because i dont smoke/vape... also i research how to control the psychoactive effects of thc..and keep it low. and different ways of using mmj result in less psychoactivity
 
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toecutter

Active Member
I was diagnosed with BP type II, almost 10 years ago. I have been on Lamictal since and it has worked wonders. I LOATH the idea of being on meds, but it has truly helped level out the mania/depression. Between it, and some serious work (therapy, cognitive behavior techniques, positive self talk, staying interested, my art, my family etc), I have gotten to the place where I have a successful career and family. However, it has never completely eradicated what ails me. My stress levels, ADD (which I was diagnosed as a child) and disposition in general can make times tough here and there (the winter months especially).

In comes cannabis. I had dabbled prior in black market weed, but have since gotten my medical card. Where I may have self medicated with alcohol in the past (to sometimes ill effect), I find the judicious use of cannabis to be an absolute blessing. I don't do it every day, and rarely throughout the day. I find for me personally that the occasional session acts as a very effective stress reliever. I listen to music, draw, etc. which is tonic for my soul. All the while my mind wanders and I'm able to think about things with a much broader and often more positive perspective. It has a lasting effect. I know from past experience that using every day, throughout the day eventually (for me) created something of a dependence and really threw off my already tenuous brain chemistry. I know there are people who function perfectly as daily users, however it wasn't for me. Frankly I got very little done, outside of work.

So yeah, as much as I don't want to be on pharmaceuticals, they help me keep it between the ditches, and it's cannabis that really helps me smell the roses along the way.

*edit - spelling
 
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Krazy

Well-Known Member
@grokit
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, left untreated by psychological interventions and sometimes medical intervention as well can develop into what is called Dissociative Identity Disorder, what used to be known as multiple personality disorder.

Any links on that? I am unaware of any studies specifically showing untreated PTSD in adults with no preexisting dissociative issues becoming DID. And yes; plenty of qualifiers in that last sentence. :lol:

I am somewhat knowledgable on PTSD, plurality/multiplicity, treatment of psychological trauma, and Abby Normal psych in general. I worked at a T back in the day and self identify as a large, multisystem, plural person.

Complex PTSD is often associated with DID/MPD, but then it is a smorgasbord of symptoms and disorders. I think they need to rework diagnosis and classification of PTSD. And I am NOT a fan of the DSM-Vs views on dissociative stuff.
 

herbivore21

Well-Known Member
Any links on that? I am unaware of any studies specifically showing untreated PTSD in adults with no preexisting dissociative issues becoming DID. And yes; plenty of qualifiers in that last sentence. :lol:

I am somewhat knowledgable on PTSD, plurality/multiplicity, treatment of psychological trauma, and Abby Normal psych in general. I worked at a T back in the day and self identify as a large, multisystem, plural person.

Complex PTSD is often associated with DID/MPD, but then it is a smorgasbord of symptoms and disorders. I think they need to rework diagnosis and classification of PTSD. And I am NOT a fan of the DSM-Vs views on dissociative stuff.
I do have some links on both the older approach (DSM IV) as well as the DSM V's approach to dissociative presentations in PTSD but only if you have paid academic journal subscriptions unfortunately. Let me know if you do have them and I'll dig around for the stuff I read on this last I was looking at it (which tbh was probably back in the DSM IV days) :)

No problem with the qualifiers either man, I'm an academic :lol:
 
herbivore21,

little maggie

Well-Known Member
I do have some links on both the older approach (DSM IV) as well as the DSM V's approach to dissociative presentations in PTSD but only if you have paid academic journal subscriptions unfortunately. Let me know if you do have them and I'll dig around for the stuff I read on this last I was looking at it (which tbh was probably back in the DSM IV days) :)

No problem with the qualifiers either man, I'm an academic :lol:
If there is some data which indicated that untreated PTSD can lead to DID it may be based on characteristics of DID rather than an escalation. Unless extreme, often those with DID are not necessarily aware that they have other "identities". Others around them may be unaware as well. They often come to treatment because of PTSD. During treatment they become more aware of dissociation and it may become more overt. But it's been there since childhood.
 
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little maggie,

Krazy

Well-Known Member
Just read back over this thread and realized I never directly addressed MJ and Bipolar. I did in a previous thread concerning MJ and generic crazy.

I worked as a T back in the day and knew a few shrinks that were self medicating with cannabis on the DL. In all cases they were micro dosing with great success.
 
Krazy,

biohacker

Well-Known Member
I've been off of work now for 2 years, and still working on things.... i've had to quit vaping cannabis and will be starting cbd treatment this week. Also going for a 2nd opinion in a few months but i'm still fairly certain I may be bipolar. I do feel much more stable without the hardcore vaping, so I think micro dosing is the way to go, but i've also been there and usage just crept up to the usual. I guess I have borderline traits as well (cluster b and c). I'm going to re-read this thread as well...lots of good info.
 
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Krazy

Well-Known Member
Biohacker; given a join-date of 2006 and >4,000 messages I will assume that you have read up on just how small an amount the term refers to at FC.

My X did what you are talking about; her use crept back up rather quickly, lol. The people I knew that microdosed successfully for BP were very regimented in their usage.

They would do an amount consistent with what microdosing means in these forums as soon as they got home from work and induce a controlled episode. They never doubled down or partied.
 

biohacker

Well-Known Member
Everyone is different, I would not be able to get away with therapeutic doses with some of the extremes of small micro amounts. For me a micro dose could be .05g to .1g though. If I can get through the day, which when I can actually sleep is no problem, just a couple of those doses would be very therapeutic. Thanks for your reply! I stopped vaping about 3 weeks ago and i'm trying for 3 months, quit drinking beer over a month ago, and quit coffee/caffeine several months ago. So far so good...haven't been this stable in a very long time. Sleep is everything for me...EVERYTHING.
 

toecutter

Active Member
Everyone is different, I would not be able to get away with therapeutic doses with some of the extremes of small micro amounts. For me a micro dose could be .05g to .1g though. If I can get through the day, which when I can actually sleep is no problem, just a couple of those doses would be very therapeutic. Thanks for your reply! I stopped vaping about 3 weeks ago and i'm trying for 3 months, quit drinking beer over a month ago, and quit coffee/caffeine several months ago. So far so good...haven't been this stable in a very long time. Sleep is everything for me...EVERYTHING.

Good for you, it sound like you are on a healthy path. I too have quit drinking, and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. You're one up on me though; caffeine for life!! :)

And yes, sleep is HUGE when dealing with depression. If I could just get that through my head however when (inexplicably) staying up until 1 or 2 am.

Keep on keepin' on!
 

biohacker

Well-Known Member
caffeine for life!!

You have no idea how much I LOVE coffee. No idea!!! However, it severely impacts my sleep quality and causes me intense night sweats (and hot flashes), even with just 1-2 cups in the early morning. I haven't done any genetic testing but I have a feeling i'm a very slow caffeine metabolizer. I'm best to stay away, especially with my mental health.

staying up until 1 or 2 am.

2 years ago when I stopped working night shifts I completely entrained my circadian rhythm to sleep from 10pm-6am.... unfortunately I rarely have the ability to sleep longer than 4-5 hours, which crushes me. I used to always never be able to fall asleep, but after a decade of shift work, or getting older (mid life) I seem to always be able to fall asleep, just can't STAY asleep. My diet is crucial as well, I need to stop eating by 8pm and be very diligent with carb/sugar intake.

Thanks for your post! Nice to have a support group here.
 

JCat

Well-Known Member
Accessory Maker
Cannabis helps me immensely with my ups especially and helps me ride through the down periods.

Like @biohacker, diet, excercise, and sleep are big for me ... but anxiety and stress (both real and created by my internal dialog) make these things complicated to say the least at times ...

0.6g to 2g a day average (usually around the 1.5) ... I go up or down depending on state (and when down tend to try both ends just to see if something will give ... never works ... always just have to wait and try to focus on the above 3 mentioned items)

Alcohol free for almost 6 months here! (And I do miss the way alcohol would make problems vanish at least long enough to focus so I could work etc ... Cannabis is nowhere near as effective at this--and neither is the lithium--but they do help and are nowhere near as destructive as alcohol on a whole)
 

Krazy

Well-Known Member
Like @biohacker, diet, excercise, and sleep are big for me ... but anxiety and stress (both real and created by my internal dialog) make these things complicated to say the least at times ...
Ad me to that list as well.

My version of microdosing is .1g/day; I stick with that as much as possible. Way more than some successful micro users here are doing but less than that and chronic pain exasperates my krazies and I spiral out of control. I also take days and even occasional weeks off when my body and mind allow me to do so. When sleep, digestion, chronic pain, PTSD, and my various krazies insist? I knock it up to <3g a day for a day or two.

My example above of the shrinks that are text book severe BPs and micro dosing is more a best case example of what can eventually be achieved one stabilized. All of them also had VERY specific exercise, diet, and sleep regimes as well. And were not treating anything else that required larger dosing.

Late teens and early 20s is when this condition rears is ugly head for most. Same time that you are in the military, college, or pulling crazy scheduling to move up faster within a career. Not a good combination. I also suspect that people whom excel under such conditions have a touch of manageable bipolarishness going on.
 

bowl300z

New Member
I also suspect that people whom excel under such conditions have a touch of manageable bipolarishness going on.

I love this line and agree fully. However, i wasn't aware of it at the time i was moving up the ladder and excelling in my career. Eventually that manageable became unmanageable. It likely led to my crash and my disease (MS) getting worse. Now that the MS is worse, the only option i have now is to focus on managing the BP and treating the symptoms of the MS.

I have read many posts were people have had success using CBD for depression. I have had the opposite effect and wondered if there are more than me that have as well. High CBD strains increased my depression and really put me in the pits for long stretches of time. 1:1's were ok. 1:2 with 2 being THC have been the most effective for me but increase the chances of anxiety and subsequently, panic attacks.

I have found that there are other factors that have to be considered. My diet is natural and good. However, i don't eat enough most of the time and the effects of the cannabis are drastically affected by eating, in general, and the choice of food that eaten as well.
 

biohacker

Well-Known Member
Eventually that manageable became unmanageable.

Exactly what happened to me.... that happened in my late 30's after a near decade of constant stress and sleep deprivation. Eventually something triggered, and it's been a long hard road fighting to just survive, let alone thrive. When I look back though, it's amazing what I have accomplished with such a severe handicap. Much more than most people without a disability! It's a curse and a blessing at the same time, but I often think about where I would be without the disability, PTSD, etc. So many "normal" (whatever that is!) people just take so many things for granted, like sleep! Without your health, you don't have much in life.
 
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