Ace said:

JustErin said:

No.

So what are you saying, exactly?

P.S. Have you read your sig, lately?

Alpha did not say she was depressed. She talked about several types of behaviour and she actually said she was misdiagnosed with depression.

Mental illness is a serious problem in my family, from members that are bipolar to others that suffer from SEVERE anxiety and panic attacks.

I know what treatments are available, I have seen what has failed and what has actually helped.

And Alpha, I did get your last orgnote. I'm just on the go at the moment so when I have a few peaceful minutes to myself I will respond.

Can someone explain to me the difference between using pills a doctor prescribed, or smoking pot for the same reasons??

JustErin said:

Ace said:

So what are you saying, exactly?

P.S. Have you read your sig, lately?

Alpha did not say she was depressed. She talked about several types of behaviour and she actually said she was misdiagnosed with depression.

Mental illness is a serious problem in my family, from members that are bipolar to others that suffer from SEVERE anxiety and panic attacks.

I know what treatments are available, I have seen what has failed and what has actually helped.

And Alpha, I did get your last orgnote. I'm just on the go at the moment so when I have a few peaceful minutes to myself I will respond.

sounds good to me, and yeah I'm bipolar...I think it runs in my family too, but have seen what people have pulled, so in a way I'm glad I know of it now while still young

[Edited 10/30/12 19:48pm]

tinaz said:

Can someone explain to me the difference between using pills a doctor prescribed, or smoking pot for the same reasons??

A good doctor will recommend pills that should be effective for your condition and they are predictable. Pot is just an escape (and an addictive one). And some people can't handle pot. Can lead to a psychotic break.

Go see a doctor.

Yeah, see a Doc.

Ace said:

That's a big "if" though.

True.

Ace said:

A good doctor will recommend pills that should be effective for your condition and they are predictable. Pot is just an escape (and an addictive one). And some people can't handle pot. Can lead to a psychotic break.

Not every reaction to meds is predictable. Yeah, they'll have an idea what should happen but each case is different. What might work for one might not work for another and as said before, it can depend a lot on what Doctor you see.

Pot isn't always just an escape. Ask anyone that uses it for MS. I've known of people to go completely mental on puff including one that had a nervous breakdown. I've known a lot more (Not that it proves much) that take it daily and are fine. I wouldn't advise anyone already suffering with mental illness to start taking pot though.

I lost a mate a few years back that suffered with depression. He was a regular puffer but he'd been on pills from his Doctor for years too. One of my mates, (his childhood friend) went to pick him up for work one morning and couldn't get an answer. He broke in and found him stark naked dead on his bed. Apparently he'd been on the same meds for too long and his GP hadn't picked up on it. He seemed perfectly well the day before and it came as a massive shock, not least to our mate that found him.

I'm not saying drugs are bad mkay, just that you have to be careful of what you're taking.

If anyone thinks that being Bipolar isn't suffering with severe depressions they're mistaken.

You know what's funny is the Org's full of nutters. This thread's gonna attract all the serious nutters though, like an extra Org nutters section. No offense, I'm not calling everyone a nutter. Well, I might be but who's bothered. I'm obviously a nutter anyway.

That's so scary about the person being found dead, sometimes I'm afraid my drugs will eventually kill me too, which is why I freak out every time I hear something on tv about od or withdrawal

Stymie said:

I can't speak for other people but for me, I cannot function as a normal person when I'm high. Whatever I am feeling while I am smoking is magnified so if I'm depressed, I'm more depressed.

I can function on antidepressants.

I agree. When I get high I do not go out of my house. I do not drive or operate any machinery. I know how it affects me, and I sit my ass down and just chill or eat the contents of my refrigerator. But I do understand that reefer is not a panacea, and it can affect people differently. I love it because it takes the edge off if I'm anxious or depressed. However, I'm different than you, Stymie. You said it exacerbates whatever mood you're in. I'm the opposite. If I'm depressed or upset about something, a joint helps me to relax my mind or forget about the anxiety/depression all together. I remember years ago I was a mess after a guy I was dating just up and stopped calling. I really cared about him, and I was very upset, crying and shit. I rolled a nice fat one, sat in my favorite chair and lit up. By the time I finished that joint, I could barely remember that nuccahs name. I put on some music and danced till I dropped, feeling fine.

However, when I went through a bout of severe anxiety and depression, I did seek medical help. I was prescribed Zoloft, which helped trememdously, but I weened myself off gradually when I started to feel better. I did not want to be dependent on those pills for life. Strange thing were the weird sensations I would get during the weening process.

Ace said:

alphastreet said:

exactly, I only did those very few times in my life back in high school....drank once when upset a few years ago though promised myself not to do it again cause I knew I was in crisis and kept my word, though I do want to numb away how I feel many times and have other plans in place to deal with that.

I hope you aren't alluding to suicide. Please tell me you're not.

i just saw this, no I didn't mean that at all....when my thoughts starts catching up to me or feel unbearable, I have coping mechanisms like writing, watching funny shows and sometimes calling hotlines to talk it out, I'm tired of opening up to people I know and don't want to bother them anymore about it. People keep suggesting yoga, exercise and meditation too, but it's hard to make time.

[Edited 10/31/12 16:20pm]

alphastreet said:

I feel the same way you do about bothering people.

Stymie said:

alphastreet said:

i just saw this, no I didn't mean that at all....when my thoughts starts catching up to me or feel unbearable, I have coping mechanisms like writing, watching funny shows and sometimes calling hotlines to talk it out, I'm tired of opening up to people I know and don't want to bother them anymore about it. People keep suggesting yoga, exercise and meditation too, but it's hard to make time.

[Edited 10/31/12 16:20pm]

I feel the same way you do about bothering people.

I would open up all the time, depending on the person and what their own experiences were, but have decided to minimize it now though I do know I have to channel frustrations somehow instead of ignoring them or it's going to eat me up inside

free2bfreeda said:

Deadflow3r said:

Food,

Learn all you can about food and food additives and start eating as healthy as you can afford.

It has made a huge difference in my life.

I do not eat any white starches and very very little red meat and poultry.

I am still checking in with a psychiatrist regularly but they agree that I am doing just fine.

I was diagnosed as being bipolar, but the latest word is that I may not have been that after all.

Who knows????

Clearly all the chemicals and hormones in food does mess with peoples heads. The money that the large companies that market these "healthy" meals to us makes is astronomical. They have much to lose by America going back to cooking for themselves from scratch. They don't want us to know what their food additives are not only doing to our bodies but also our minds.

not to mention the harmful side effects of aspertame which is in almost all store chewing gums, as well as many low-sugar food items.

also many of today's pharmaceutical drugs have horrendous side effects, which create a need for additional medication(s) to squelch the first prescription's side effect (and on and on).

if you think it will help you, check out the side effects of prescribed medications.

Yes, and there is a lot of money in phamaceuticals. It is not uncommon for their sales people to make six figures. Just like processed food, the people making the money want to make it as user friendly as possible.

What we really need to do, get fresh air, exersize and eat healthy foods that are not processed takes effort and therefor we WANT to hear that a pill will fix us, and that a packaged food is a "Healthy Choice Entre".

Stymie said:

JustErin said:

I'm really not.

I can't speak for other people but for me, I cannot function as a normal person when I'm high. Whatever I am feeling while I am smoking is magnified so if I'm depressed, I'm more depressed.

I can function on antidepressants.

Alpha, I totally understand and empathize with what you are going through. I decided about four months ago that I was no self-medicating anymore. I didn't seek out a doctor's advice before I did it and I am sure she would be deadset against me going off my medication. However, two things:

I am on ten other medications and am trying to get off the ones that won't save my life.

My antidepressants served to dull my pain and not not help resolve my issues. My trigger usually is a person, so I am doing everything I can to deal with that head on.

I would never suggest anyone do what I am doing but I am doing what I feel is best for me. In my opinion, you need to see a different doctor because it seems like you are on the wrong medication.

I happen to agree with the marijuana thing...bad idea especially if you have unstable moods. Know how I can say this? I myself have rapid cycling bipolar disorder. This person should NOT stop their medication. The symptoms described are symptoms of the disease itself and not side effects of meds. This is a disease that MUST be kept in check at all times to avoid hurting someone else or themselves. This disease is NO JOKE. Marijuana will just cause someone to hallucinate and feel worse. Been there, done that.

Now everyone knows why I'm such a bitch sometimes lol.

And btw, do not delude yourself into thinking that you don't need your medication simply because sometimes you feel ok. That is also part of the self deception that can happen when someone is hypomanic. There is no cure for this, but therapy helps. It does seem, for me at least, to be better the older I get. I am so much more mellow at 42 than I was in my teens and early twenties. I was a massive tornado bent on destruction at one time.

It sucks because the mania actually feels pretty good, but the other side feels terrible.

GetAwayFromMe said:

Would never harm but before I was medicated, I sure didn't feel like myself at all anymore, like floating or out of my body almost and it didn't help that events triggered it more and that led to the diagnosis. I feel like a calmer version of what I was before these meds, but just slightly. I still did things like spend when stressed and my behaviour went up and down too but though I'm still like that it's slightly calmer though doesn't take away my crazy thoughts at times. I have to call a good therapist soon

alphastreet said:

GetAwayFromMe said:

I happen to agree with the marijuana thing...bad idea especially if you have unstable moods. Know how I can say this? I myself have rapid cycling bipolar disorder. This person should NOT stop their medication. The symptoms described are symptoms of the disease itself and not side effects of meds. This is a disease that MUST be kept in check at all times to avoid hurting someone else or themselves. This disease is NO JOKE. Marijuana will just cause someone to hallucinate and feel worse. Been there, done that.

Now everyone knows why I'm such a bitch sometimes lol.

Would never harm but before I was medicated, I sure didn't feel like myself at all anymore, like floating or out of my body almost and it didn't help that events triggered it more and that led to the diagnosis. I feel like a calmer version of what I was before these meds, but just slightly. I still did things like spend when stressed and my behaviour went up and down too but though I'm still like that it's slightly calmer though doesn't take away my crazy thoughts at times. I have to call a good therapist soon

Try to avoid stress at all costs. I find this is what triggers what starts out as anxiety and turns into full on rage.

As someone who smokes damn near every day and is a huge fan of the medical marijuana alternative - PLEASE do not smoke pot if you have bi-polar or schizophrenic issues, are on anti-psychotics or anti-convulsants, etc. This is not your remedy.

Cannabis, while certainly a miracle plant, does not work well with any kind of medication that inhibits dopaminergic effects. This means your high and happiness goes down while your paranoia and pain goes up. This is why you do not smoke pot before getting tattoos and piercings, as well - increased awareness of pain which ends up hindering any therepeutic effects. Yes, cannabis does help relieve pain associated with things like cancer, AIDS, injuries, etc. Your body handles that kind of pain different than, say, sustaining a low-grade but prolonged injurious period such as tattooing.

There's tons of studies on why you should not turn to medical cannabis if you are bi-polar or schizophrenic from medical 420 sites.

Spinlight said:

As someone who smokes damn near every day and is a huge fan of the medical marijuana alternative - PLEASE do not smoke pot if you have bi-polar or schizophrenic issues, are on anti-psychotics or anti-convulsants, etc. This is not your remedy.

Cannabis, while certainly a miracle plant, does not work well with any kind of medication that inhibits dopaminergic effects. This means your high and happiness goes down while your paranoia and pain goes up. This is why you do not smoke pot before getting tattoos and piercings, as well - increased awareness of pain which ends up hindering any therepeutic effects. Yes, cannabis does help relieve pain associated with things like cancer, AIDS, injuries, etc. Your body handles that kind of pain different than, say, sustaining a low-grade but prolonged injurious period such as tattooing.

There's tons of studies on why you should not turn to medical cannabis if you are bi-polar or schizophrenic from medical 420 sites.

Exactly! Major paranoia is to be expected if you already are susceptible to hallucinations.

GetAwayFromMe said:

alphastreet said:

GetAwayFromMe said: Would never harm but before I was medicated, I sure didn't feel like myself at all anymore, like floating or out of my body almost and it didn't help that events triggered it more and that led to the diagnosis. I feel like a calmer version of what I was before these meds, but just slightly. I still did things like spend when stressed and my behaviour went up and down too but though I'm still like that it's slightly calmer though doesn't take away my crazy thoughts at times. I have to call a good therapist soon

Try to avoid stress at all costs. I find this is what triggers what starts out as anxiety and turns into full on rage.

yeah I was already doing badly thinking it was depression relapse, and went insane after a few things and then the last straw, ended up in the hospital cause when asking for help, I was nervous too and my moods were interchangeable, then I eventually got the diagnosis....they were alarmed that I was turning down meds just so I could write and that at the time I was no longer afraid of death and felt more spiritual and all this stuff, I seriously believed I sounded okay, but now I see why I didn't and why they kept me there for longer than I expected, though sometimes I blame myself for talking too much and it was a few years ago anyway. I didn't take anything yet and felt high as a kite for most of the stay though upset too, especially once they started me on the meds

i did get off anti depressants a few times years ago before starting again cause they made me sleepy, and another one fucked me up and was making me act psychotic for real. I know I talk about banging and screaming, but in retrospect, that's nothing compared to completely freaking out from others irrational behaviour and actually breaking a bottle and punching holes, I would never do that now, I go write it out, and have a list of things to do if I feel I'm in crisis and am settling in well now though I have my moments.

stability used to scare me too but now I'm liking it, in a strange way, I guess it was hard to admit I was not used to no drama or anxiety after having it for so long

spinlight: yeah I agree, I've seen what weed does to people who are bipolar and it's scary as hell, not in a ugh look at them way, but in a "my life is at risk" way

I really, really regret the insane amount of money I spent and am struggling to pay off though I'm responsible with payments and budgeting today. People complain about student loans, I never had to worry about that, but I have a problem just as bad as that.

[Edited 11/2/12 16:35pm]

[Edited 11/2/12 16:36pm]