Mental Health - How Does Cannabis Affect You

1DMF

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
Hi Guys & Gals,

I am curious to know from those who do not medicate a mental health disability, how cannabis affects your mental health.

I am a sufferer with Asperger's and Dyspraxia and use cannabis to help me cope with the symptoms and the way this disability affects me in general.

However, I am constantly coming across people in the mental health care profession banging on about the bad affects of cannabis on peoples mental heath and the depression, anxiety and psychosis it induces.

Drugs affect me differently because my brain is wired differently and so can only speak from a personal perspective and am sure I haven't gone mad yet (or have I?), even after 25 years of consumption.

So I was wondering what you guys think. Have any of you who medicate other ailments found mental health issues accruing which you didn't have prior to using cannabis and that you can attribute to your cannabis use?

What are these issues and how did you identify them and how do you treat them?

Obviously this is a sensitive subject and personal so I appreciate peoples candour in this discussion.

Do you believe there are merits to these mental health issue claims, and were you advised by your doctor of any adverse side affects regarding mental health when being prescribed cannabis or is this simply the usual anti-bigade propaganda.

I look forward to your insightful replies.

Regards,
1DMF
 
1DMF

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
Hey Squiby, nice to hear your experience.

It's hard to cut through the BS when reputable sources such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/cannabis.aspx
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/cannabis.aspx
Talk about well known mental health issues, but when I read them, it;s mainly anxiety and as people such as myself suffering with Autism have constant anxiety and I find it helps stop that, I get rather confused.

So I have to think in those whose brain is wired neurotypical perhaps it has this affect, but how am I meant to know if I am anxious because of my disability or because of the pot?

So I thought I would ask those who perhaps don't have Autism to see what they say, you guys always seem to be honest an open, far more than Big Pharma!

I accept that cannabis can have an adverse effect on young brains, and it can hinder brain development, so would never advocate anyone under 18 consuming cannabis, but I am not talking kids getting stoned for a laugh behind the bike sheds, many of us are grown adults carefully using cannabis to treat medical conditions.

Will be interesting to see what others have to say.
 
Squiby

Squiby

Well-Known Member
I think that the poison is in the dose.

When I smoked for purely recreational purposes decades ago, the volume of weed consumed was expotential greater than I vape now. I microdose throughout the day.

I don't think that weed is harmful, but it can be abused. I know people who consume a LOT of it. There may be temporary negative effects, just like someone who drinks several pots of coffee a day.
 
GetLeft

GetLeft

Well-Known Member
I 'partied' (got high) too much as a teenager and that definitely affected my socialization, as I had not yet developed a clear sense of who I was. Being stoned all the time didn't seem to accelerate my capacity for self awareness and eventually in my mid-to-late 20's figured I'd better quit in order that, before I croaked, I'd have some semblance of who I really was as a human being.

What I figured out by the time I was 50 was that I didn't manage certain stresses in my life related to both work and family relationships. I'd say that an inability to navigete stressful relationships falls into the category of 'mental health issues.' Meditation was what first made me realize my shortcomings and allowed me to improve upon them, but it was nipped in the bud because before I got too sttled into it I rediscovered the bud and that by vaporizing it I was far better able to recognize some of the challenges that my personality created for me. I clearly recognize now, a few yrs. back into stonerhood, that mj allows me to circumnavigate obstacles that in years past had adversely affected my ability to peacefully resolve relationship issues. And forget socializing with people that weren't on my wavelenght (like many of my wife's friends and acquaintences and co-workers). I simply wouldn't do it. Nowasdays heck let me get my buzz on and I'm good to go just about anywhere. This however is considered to be 'anecdotal' evidence that mj has valuable medicinal properties. No md or psychiatrist would likely subscribe to my interpretation of things. Which is one of th reasons why (there are others too), when it comes to figuring out solutions to medical issues, I never discard anecdotal evidence!
 
C No Ego

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
GetLeft said:
I 'partied' (got high) too much as a teenager and that definitely affected my socialization, as I had not yet developed a clear sense of who I was. Being stoned all the time didn't seem to accelerate my capacity for self awareness and eventually in my mid-to-late 20's figured I'd better quit in order that, before I croaked, I'd have some semblance of who I really was as a human being.

What I figured out by the time I was 50 was that I didn't manage certain stresses in my life related to both work and family relationships. I'd say that an inability to navigete stressful relationships falls into the category of 'mental health issues.' Meditation was what first made me realize my shortcomings and allowed me to improve upon them, but it was nipped in the bud because before I got too sttled into it I rediscovered the bud and that by vaporizing it I was far better able to recognize some of the challenges that my personality created for me. I clearly recognize now, a few yrs. back into stonerhood, that mj allows me to circumnavigate obstacles that in years past had adversely affected my ability to peacefully resolve relationship issues. And forget socializing with people that weren't on my wavelenght (like many of my wife's friends and acquaintences and co-workers). I simply wouldn't do it. Nowasdays heck let me get my buzz on and I'm good to go just about anywhere. This however is considered to be 'anecdotal' evidence that mj has valuable medicinal properties. No md or psychiatrist would likely subscribe to my interpretation of things. Which is one of th reasons why (there are others too), when it comes to figuring out solutions to medical issues, I never discard anecdotal evidence!
Click to expand...

who to believe... the company ( pharma) looking to sell health to you and monopolizing what is being offered... or some guy who found "nature" and healed himself with what nature offered.. one of those are biased and the other just experimenting
 
C No Ego,
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Ohmie

Ohmie

Govrnmnt fund adult circumcision & frenuloplasty!
I read an article claiming marijuana has ancient history of attracting carnivores with it's smell to scare away herbivores. I can't seem to find it again in a Google search but I believe
 
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Ohmie

Ohmie

Govrnmnt fund adult circumcision & frenuloplasty!
not to imply that I'm the spaced out carnivores..it's more like weedheads would be the herbivores and the carnivores the antiweed ppl/antichriste. You've also got the antivapers who pride themselves on smoking baTs..
 
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1DMF

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
@C No Ego It drives me nuts those doctors who think they know my body and my feelings better than me because they have a PHD and went to university. They nearly killed me messing about with my brain chemistry and dangerous anti-depressants. When are doctors going to start listening to their patients instead of big pharma!
 
Maryanna

Maryanna

Well-Known Member
I suffer from depression.

For me it depends on the strain.
Indicas relax me and get me really stoned, let me think less about my problems, but also enhance my creativity... which is great (I'm a songwriter in my spare time).
Perfect for anxiety, I'd say.

Sativa on the other hand makes me think more, analyse the situations, opens me up to new ways of thinking about problems. It can make me work on my depression, but it also gives me anxiety sometimes.
When there's too much THC I can't even sleep.

But I think using tons and tons leads to an even deeper depression than before... and you don't want to lose your emotions because it would give you apathy and make you feel worse.
The best way is moderation and conscious usage.
 
C No Ego

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
Maryanna said:
I suffer from depression.

For me it depends on the strain.
Indicas relax me and get me really stoned, let me think less about my problems, but also enhance my creativity... which is great (I'm a songwriter in my spare time).
Perfect for anxiety, I'd say.

Sativa on the other hand makes me think more, analyse the situations, opens me up to new ways of thinking about problems. It can make me work on my depression, but it also gives me anxiety sometimes.
When there's too much THC I can't even sleep.

But I think using tons and tons leads to an even deeper depression than before... and you don't want to lose your emotions because it would give you apathy and make you feel worse.
The best way is moderation and conscious usage.
Click to expand...

Great post! the come down from over use will have a depression like quality... just use wisely and avoid to many harsh type comedowns that leave you depressed
 
Ohmie

Ohmie

Govrnmnt fund adult circumcision & frenuloplasty!
So yeah, as for me mentally it gives me something to do and chillax to vs letting ppl be my drug and getting lied to and aggitated. It really HELPS me how tolerate ppl. I don't get depression from overuse as much as I do sleepy or drowsy
 
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4

4tokin

Well-Known Member
Maryanna said:
I suffer from depression.

For me it depends on the strain.
Indicas relax me and get me really stoned, let me think less about my problems, but also enhance my creativity... which is great (I'm a songwriter in my spare time).
Perfect for anxiety, I'd say.

Sativa on the other hand makes me think more, analyse the situations, opens me up to new ways of thinking about problems. It can make me work on my depression, but it also gives me anxiety sometimes.
When there's too much THC I can't even sleep.

But I think using tons and tons leads to an even deeper depression than before... and you don't want to lose your emotions because it would give you apathy and make you feel worse.
The best way is moderation and conscious usage.
Click to expand...

I am hearing you on that.

I am also finding a good sativa in mild doses can get the body moving even if the brain does not want to play. Then once the body starts to move the mind has no choice but to follow.
 
vapirtoo

vapirtoo

Well-Known Member
I’m a long time recreational vaper, and I find that if something is fucking with my mind, then weed makes my anxiety worse; not unmanageable just cannot get that drunk monkey of my mind to chill out. Over the decades I’ve come to realize that all of my worries are fucking self inflicted torture and real situations are always of the blind sided sort.
 
C No Ego

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
vapirtoo said:
I’m a long time recreational vaper, and I find that if something is fucking with my mind, then weed makes my anxiety worse; not unmanageable just cannot get that drunk monkey of my mind to chill out. Over the decades I’ve come to realize that all of my worries are fucking self inflicted torture and real situations are always of the blind sided sort.
Click to expand...
cannabis is mildly psychosomatic in that it can amplify your focus... it's not the best to escape with as some people want to do as it just amplifies where your mind is at so you can be more aware... that moment of awareness is where the fear sets in... the trigger if you will... usually the cannabis body buzz helps localize your consciousness into your body while you reign in the mind to focus where you want it to go... with that direction you effectively put aside fear because unknown possibility overrides fear...
 
beyond6strings

beyond6strings

Just another traveller in the Cannaverse
C No Ego said:
cannabis is mildly psychosomatic in that it can amplify your focus... it's not the best to escape with as some people want to do as it just amplifies where your mind is at so you can be more aware... that moment of awareness is where the fear sets in... the trigger if you will... usually the cannabis body buzz helps localize your consciousness into your body while you reign in the mind to focus where you want it to go... with that direction you effectively put aside fear because unknown possibility overrides fear...
Click to expand...

@C No Ego I LOVE this. The mind we bring to our cannabis use has a huge effect on the experience. And I tell this to people who are canna-curious. If you're afraid don't indulge, and please whatever you do don't drink to excess before you use cannabis.

I've used cannabis for a variety of both medical and recreational reasons for over 40 years. But whenever I'm really dealing with shit using cannabis is probably the last thing I want to use-because it will take me deep into whatever my mind is focused on-that's usually a good thing and is wonderful in my life as a musician-but not when shit's hitting the fan.

@vapirtoo I have anxiety disorder-it's not constant and it's not debilitating, but it does suck. When it gets to be more than my 'go-to' techniques can handle I've found that CBD edibles or a CBD/THC edible VERY effective.

Cheers
 
grampa_herb

grampa_herb

Epstein didn't kill himself
I believe cannabis bestowed mental health benefits upon me as a teenager. My household was pretty stressy and dysfunctional. Getting high made the stress evaporate.

On the plus side I think I learned that something could be done about stress and that life was so much better with stress minimized.

On the negative side I did not learn to withstand stress very well and was sometimes prone to stress-avoidance when growth opportunities presented themselves.
 
Morty

Morty

Well-Known Member
I have a friend I've known since high school who has Asperger's. Dude's a hardcore alcoholic. The only time he uses MJ is when I bring it around. Anyways, every time we get high/stoned, it's like talking to a different person. It's amazing to see the transformation. It's like his brain has been lifted from the fog of Asperger's & Alcoholism. Pretty amazing to watch someone "come alive".

Squiby said:
This is one of the benefits of growing older; the acquisition of wisdom
Click to expand...
I wish that were true for most of the people I know or have come in contact w/, but sadly, this isn't the case. Seems like the opposite in most situations. They dig in their heels to the bitter end, reveling in their blindness, ignorance & stupidity. :lol: Oh well, the beat goes on...
 
GetLeft

GetLeft

Well-Known Member
asdf420 said:
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/10874
Click to expand...

Citation: “Persistent cannabis dependence and alcohol dependence represent risks for midlife economic and social problems: A longitudinal cohort study,” Magdalena Cerdá, et al. Clinical Psychological Science, online, March 23.

Not an expert but this online journal doesn't jump out at me as a major player. Been around since... 2013.

Maybe some young up-and-coming shit head med-punks looking 40 yrs. ago for a dope angle into their future fat-cat careers (in which they certainly would claim the holy grail of 'economic and social' success)?

I'm no scientist but hey could any other of the factors considered under the "full range of socioeconomic status and health in the general population" have been determined to contribute to "more financial difficulties, such as paying for basic living expenses and food" for the "947 participants who had completed at least three of the five adult cannabis assessments from ages 18 through 38" (that would be like ages 18, 28 and 38)? Probably. Sounds like there's lots of room for variables. Did these "scholars" look into them? Probably not. Hmmm... 2016 minus 38 = ... 1978. Nothing suspicious about that time frame.

I subscribe to @grampa_herb's recent post on reading and questioning in the "favorite quotes" thread.
 
C No Ego

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
asdf420 said:
now i'm worried that weed isn't so good because of shit like http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/10874
i can't tell if it's bullshit
Click to expand...

Keep in mind- any drug offered from psychiatrists will be bumping the same physiological system that cannabis bumps - the endocannabinoid system... pharma drug makers and psychiatrists just do not want people ( patients) knowing that they bump the same system themselves when self medicating... cannabis is great but can have negatives associated with use... wisdom fixes that

her is a report
A systematic review of the antipsychotic properties of cannabidiol in humans. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25667194
 
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