Controlling Bipolar

I'm new here, and I never thought of myself as a medical user, until recently.

I have been diagnosed with bipolar effective disorder, and my shrink pointed out that I seemed to get some relief from hypomania and depression by smoking. Yes, I still have to take my lithium, but the pot also helps calm me down.

I am starting to think I need to go indica when I am manic, and sativa when I get depressed. I have yet to get depressed since i was diagnosed, but we shall see.

I live in connecticut, which is close to Mass. Am i in an area where I could legally procure seeds or clones or even bud? I don't think so, but if anybody knows the laws, I'd appreciate an education.

happy 4/20!

i've been sectioned in hosp 4 times from manic episodes over the last 20 yrs and am supposedly 'bipolar 1'. one thing i've found is that running out of dope can trigger mania! my brain seems to speed up and go over-active. i take a decent blueberry to manage my moods.

doodah said:

i've been sectioned in hosp 4 times from manic episodes over the last 20 yrs and am supposedly 'bipolar 1'. one thing i've found is that running out of dope can trigger mania! my brain seems to speed up and go over-active. i take a decent blueberry to manage my moods.

Click to expand...

do you think that's legit bipolar action? or just you being over-anxious about running out?

I self medicate myself (yah, who here doesn't) most doctors want to give me all those SSRI's (Paxil,Lexapro,Zoloft ect.) None did shit. So I take usually a 2mg xanax bar when I wake up and another half way though the day/night. Plus I smoke ALOT of herb with it...
Always puts a smile on my face, and its difficult to remove it.

Other wise I would be a stressed out anxiety stricken shut-in. Its amazing when you find what meds are best for you...

Personally, I think a lot of people need to take a "handle bar/ Z-Bar" when they wake up, and RELAX!!

I hope you find what works for you!!

Elite

Glad I found this thread.
I've met a woman who is bi-polar, but doesn't smoke.
Should I suggest it as a non-pharmacutical treatment?

Well here is my experience being a medical marijuana patient in California because I am bipolar.

I still have to take my lithium, but only a quarter of the does they psychiatrist prescribes. Generally I smoke indica dom hybrids for maintenance treatment. When episodes start I like to use the baddest heaviest indica I can get my hands on for my manic ones, and the nicest best tasting, great burning, kick ass sativa for the after episode crash and burn return to reality.

As far as the laws go I would suggest moving to an area with medical laws on the books that allow you to produce your own medicine, and don't have any restrictions for which conditions doctors can recommend/prescribe mmj. Mental Illness can be hard to get a recommendation for sometimes. Just keep current with your treatment with your psychiatrist, and keep all copies of your diagnoses too.

Thank you.
We are both in California, and I have a MMJ State ID Card.

phx said:

do you think that's legit bipolar action? or just you being over-anxious about running out?

Click to expand...

usually i don't like to talk about my bipolar cos it has fucked my life over big time in the past and people can be prejudiced etc etc, but the comment about running out of mj being a possible trigger for mania is something which i have noticed to be true, on at least two occasions.

i have smoked cannabis for 24 yrs now and it is a fairly important part of my life. i've been growing my own for a long time and use it as medicine for my bipolar as well as a general aid to meditation, nerve-tonic, etc etc.

i was always pretty up and down as a child, and tended towards depression and introspection/solitude (still do). when i was 18 i suffered my first psychotic break with reality,. decleared myself the new messiah, got into a whole load of tragicomic trouble and ended up sectioned, where they thought i might be a paranoid schizophrenic as i was having auditory hallucinations and was really far out there. i had been on a 2-week holiday and had no cannabis after 2yrs+ of smoking every day.

fast-forward ten years and i had met a girl who disapproved of the whole dope thing. when my stash from my garden had gone i decided not to get any more in order to go along with her trip. within a fortnight i was doing black magic rituals, not sleeping or eating, thinking the neighbours were planning to assassinate me. i realised what was happening, got out of the city and chilled out, got some dope and within a few months i was back to 'normal'.

six years later and i had been growing and smoking a LOT, daily ingesting 2-4 grams of high-potency herb. i had a family crisis, and decided to stop growing once my stash had gone. familiar story ... three weeks later and i was in the psyuchiatric hospital again. this last time (2 yrs ago) it cost me my marriage, my home, some more fair-weather friends, my grow-op, pets, car etc etc. it was a disaster, a disaster triggered by (a) my own inate bipolar disorder (b) external stress (women, money and family members being ill, and (c) running out of herb!

so it's not anxiety regarding running out. i think that mj 'subdues' my brain to a certain extent, acting as a mild tranquiliser, and when i go without it and this situ is combined with external stresses, my brain accelerates to the point where it goes out of control.

i don't let bipolar be the biggest thing in my life. in my country there is no medical mj and the shrinks frown on its use, and say it causes mental illness, so i get no sympathy here. however, i do think there is something to be learned from my own exp, so TAKE CARE WHEN COMING OFF THE MJ, bipolar people.

i also take depakote at 250 mg/day, half what i am prescribed. however, it makes me such a zombie i often don't take it at all. i monitor my thought processes and am constantly wary of the beginning signs of a manic episode, although i know that when it comes there ain't nothing i can do to prevent it raging. i use blueberry as a daily tonic (think valium/mood stabiliser), white widow as a nightcap (think temazepam) and kali mist as a cheer-up-and-think smoke (think antidepressant). i KNOW these strains are good for my condition but try telling that to the psychiatrists i have had the misfortune to come up against.

sorry for long post.

Wow nice responses. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I am type II, but when I am up I do things the normal me hardly recognizes. I have never been hospitalized, but my hypomania has caused all kinds of turbulence, and the depressions are debilitating. I had been avoiding pdocs until recently, because I had a bad experience as a teen (misdiagnosed with ADD and give a sympathomimetic that made me very manic).

The nature of my work takes me around the world, and to make matters worse, work is a trigger for me. Being hypomanic can be handy if you work a crazy job, or so it seems, but really nothing beats a clear head. However there is no MJ on the road, so lithium is my only chance. But I have noticed I can get a handle on things with the right MJ.

I was very recently diagnosed, and I am now taking zyprexa on top of my still-not-therapeutic lithium, which I have to say offers great relief at a great cost (weight gain, cholesterol issues, constipation).

It's great to hear from everyone on this topic. You've made me feel a little less freakish.

I'll be back to post more hopefully ...but Seedyseeds has been working on strains to relieve varying types of Bipolar type disorders...mostly these disorders are linked to light and the amounts we recieve so if anyone needs a good jump out of their depressive state they should probably hit the sunshine or the Metal halide grow-room in the winter... blue light even flouro light is great for combating depression and it is much safer than medication.

In the reports of the Seedyseed Co. we find that some plants from the mango haze strain can pull many types of ppl out of depression... flo is goo d for hypo-mania... and a nice cocoa kush will help in cases of mania... but truly we need seed firms to go back to the basics and start putting the CBD's and CBN's back in our herb... to help those in the medical community suffering greatly from cancers, parkinsons, or epilepsy!

Outdoors- good varieties will be able to produce a strong non-narcotic high if bred well... to the specific needs of medical patients.

I myself have been found to have symptoms of Bipolar type I and ADHD... though i am not sure a psychologist exists that could tell the two apart without a DSM- IV... and well homosexuality was a disorder in that book not long ago... so maybe we need to look at our symptoms and try to learn about ourselves without...

I do not like the indicas,fghanicas, because i can not think after use... ussually prefering afghanicas....this is why seedyseeds constantly seeks new strains with which to make crosses, these then of course need to be tested on a medical community. Such elements will be important in future use of medical marijuana in a consumer medical range... because as big pharma takes over our precious medicine... we must learn to harbor it so.

An abstract for some of the first darkness theories... for controlling mania... the medical community found that one could induce mania with shifts in light or excessive amounts of lumination... in some bipolar patients.. mostly type one.. this info helps to control lighting regimes for anyone working third shift, spending too much time under their grow lamps or just wanting to find some non-chemical relief for their disordered thinking... if they feel agitated or depressed.

If anyone is interested in the mechanisms of light therapy pls pm, i have many texts relevent to the field and which are not easily found... just ask any question i will be glad to help in any way i can.

In general the main conection is between the precursor for serotonin which is melatonin and this all related to tryptophan...

So without darkness our body can not create melatonin an important element in our circadian controlling mechanisms and associated hormonal systems for women estrogen is released when melatonin is not so increased light can even be linked to possible cancers... again in a time of electricity and late night computer games it is good to understand which elements drive us, and we should wonder how much of the new bipolar disorder diagnosis do not actually boil down to the advent of the light bulb, and our use of electric lighting...lololol
Muhehe
-------------------------

Barbini B, Benedetti F, Colombo C, Dotoli D, Bernasconi A, Cigala-Fulgosi M, Florita M, Smeraldi E.

Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Istituto Scientifico Universitario Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Recent findings suggest that extended bed rest and darkness could stabilize mood swings in rapid cycling bipolar patients. METHOD: We exposed 16 bipolar inpatients affected by a manic episode to a regimen of 14 h of enforced darkness from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night for three consecutive days [dark therapy (DT)]. Pattern of mood changes were recorded with the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and compared with a control group of 16 inpatients matched for age, sex, age at onset, number of previous illness episodes and duration of current episode, and were treated with therapy as usual (TAU). RESULTS: Adding DT to TAU resulted in a significantly faster decrease of YMRS scores when patients were treated within 2 weeks from the onset of the current manic episode. When duration of current episode was longer, DT had no effect. Follow-up confirmed that good responders needed a lower dose of antimanic drugs and were discharged earlier from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Chronobiological interventions and control of environmental stimuli can be a useful add-on for the treatment of acute mania in a hospital setting. Copyright (c) 2005, Blackwell Munksgaard.

And a better explanation of light therapy for bipolar...

http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/LightTherapy.htm

Peaz
NAcc

Are consuming edibles recommended for bipolar, or is controlling the dosage a problem?

Wow, I'm glad it's not just me. I have never been diagnosed as bipolar but I do have some serious rage issues at times, and hell plain ol schwag will almost instantly bring me right down to earth. I've never really seen much bout cannabis controlling rage and thought that I was pretty much alone here. Glad to know that I'm not just making up reasons to smoke. Not that I need one, but you know what I mean. Thank you guys for making me feel warm!

Edibles can be considered effective in controlling some forms of mood fluctuations, dependent on the initial mood state and the amount and type of edible consumed. For a so called "manic attack" { I get manic mondays evidently} a good indica baked-good such as a cookie could have a lasting effect as opposed to some other forms of psychotropia... and may be just as effective...

In the case of depression one may be more carefull with dosing and type of canna additive... since a somnolent person in an increased emotional state is a risky avenue to follow. I would not recommend edibles for anyone with tendencies to delusional thinking unless first accompanied by a trusted friend.. a well cooked canna food item can be pretty much a psychadelic experience and so in general caution is advised in all respekts.

BE well everyone...
I go off to get manic with the mango on a monday... okay hypo-manic....but fun on a monday..why not!!!

NAcc

Jesus this is kinda scary reading these posts. Several of you have described my life to a tee. Unfortunately I do not live in a medical state and can not obtain anything medical worthy for under 400 an ounce. The way i describe the relief i feel is that being high takes me to a plateu. A constant state where there is no ups and downs. It allows me to think clearly and progress through my life. Unfortunately I run out CONSTANTLY in fact i am out in that highly manic agitated state right now. I cannot afford to move to cali and providing my own medicine is not an option. Does anyone have any ideas as to what to do?

well, I went to a psychiatrist, and it's helping alot. I tolerate lithium well, and I feel a million times better.

I wasn't even feeling MJ, and now I can savor all the subtleties of the high.

I am also on a light dose of risperidone, after zyprexa made me explode.

That's baseline. I'm still getting manicky moments and some mornings (up at 5), but MJ helps.

FreedomFGHTR said:

Well here is my experience being a medical marijuana patient in California because I am bipolar.

I still have to take my lithium, but only a quarter of the does they psychiatrist prescribes. Generally I smoke indica dom hybrids for maintenance treatment. When episodes start I like to use the baddest heaviest indica I can get my hands on for my manic ones, and the nicest best tasting, great burning, kick ass sativa for the after episode crash and burn return to reality.

As far as the laws go I would suggest moving to an area with medical laws on the books that allow you to produce your own medicine, and don't have any restrictions for which conditions doctors can recommend/prescribe mmj. Mental Illness can be hard to get a recommendation for sometimes. Just keep current with your treatment with your psychiatrist, and keep all copies of your diagnoses too.

Click to expand...

I'll echo the above. Let's remove the lithium and replace with my emergency benzo. It's spot on. Fighter is right, you will be hard pressed to find many medical professionals who think that marijuana can alleviate mental illnesses. Keep up the hope and check out Thesues's ship.

We are always changing and this is the new you.



My advice herb wise is indica for mania, and a hybrid for depression symptoms. A full out sativa will most likely wreck your shit and not go well. Everyone is different so try it out. In addition, do not smoke! I cannot stress that point enough. Vaporizing will allow for not only a more efficient delivery of cannabinoids but, will save your body in the long run. Who doesn't want to save herb? There is a thread floating around about paranoia and vaporizing. It seems that many others have found that vaporizing seems to correlate to a reduction in the risk of such symptom.

But I digress, controlling bipolar seems like a pointless battle. It will not leave, so, the best I can do is to play nice and reduce the risk of triggers. It will all come in time.

thanks Jeff, those were some helpful comments. right now i'm still smoking from bags, but i've started an untested hybrid called pacific mix. I've also got some mazar seeds I will be timing with the winter to take advantage of the cold basement.

I take Abilify, and Lamictal, and smoke two to three times a day. MY mood stays even keeled and the manicness stays away. I'm in a non legal state and can't wait til this BS prohibition gets lifted! I've found that a good hybrid, or a more sat. dom. strain has helped more in stabilizing my mood swings then any pure indica. This is just from my personal exp, as I'm quite sure everyone is different. Take care on your search for what works for you and finding that strain that will make you feel "normal" again. Peace and shine on...

i was on prescription meds since my early childhood and spent a good 30 years under the care of psychiatrists and in hospital treatment

I found most psych meds undermine the body's ability to meet equilibrium so their short term benefit is outweighed by its long term detrimental effect on the body

my last med list was as follows

eskalisth
zypreka
depekote
ambian
xanax
effexor

daily

the best combination of anti-depressant for me, the one that made the most dynamic changes were low dosages of Prozac and marijuana

many of my doctors conceded it was the best option for me and I have documented medical evidence of this observation

Now I smoke pot

I have found strains that make you "forget" short term shit help with shutting down the circuit in my brain that causes me to get stuck and mentally anguish. In essence its does the same thing as depekote. It addressed pain at the brain level not the nerve level

hate to be the bearer of bad news, but pot is not good for bipolar disorder. in fact it makes it much worse

I was in denial about this for years and kept saying it helped my bipolar

well, after many years, I can say for sure that pot very much aggitates my bipolar. I think if I were to quit, most of my symptoms would go away, as it's happened before. unfortunately I like smoking too much

if I smoke OG Kush, Haze or really anything with psycho active sativas in it, I will start getting racing thoughts that I wake up too in the middle of the night and brings on mania and depression from me. at one point when I was smoking a lot of OG Kush each day, I was getting minor psychotic symptoms

unfortunately has to do with high potency weed. I don't have these problems with regs. I also don't have them AS MUCH with certain indicas like Black Domina. strains that are mostly indica and not psychoactive. there is a reason why they say it's psychoactive!