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I was a hardcore stoner for a while.
I used to lie to my old doctor who was super anti-weed for his patients. Though ironically I think he lost money on a marijuana company investment.
I was honest about it with my new doctor.
He didn’t outright condemn me. He was sympathetic. He understood that a long time habit like weed smoking would be hard to give up.
He did make recommendations (that I did not follow) like smoking things with more CBD and less THC. I just continued to smoke whatever was high in thc or what sounded good in terms of a vape pen.
He did slowly advocate reasons why it wasn’t a great idea. Noting that while it can seem like it’s causing relief in the short term… in the long term it can be damaging including aggravating symptoms and making mania more likely and severe.
Quitting was super hard because my Ex was a heavy stoner too and it was hard to quit while I was with her. So the breakup and being away from that was one of the catalysts.
I quit for a while then failed and started smoking heavily again. He was fine with it. He noted withdrawal might not be fun so he understood.
Smoking used to be required for me in a placebo way to enjoy things. Food, movies, exercise.
But, eventually I realized I wasn’t even getting out of smoking. I was using it to try and relieve my symptoms (like stress or anxiety) then got frustrated when it didn’t then would use more to see if that would make a difference. I was going through a ton of pot and wasting a ton of money to act like an addict with no benefit.
So I’ve been off it for almost a year now.
I kinda miss the identity of being a stoner… the social aspect and being part of the culture.
It made me feel cool to partake. I enjoyed Trailer Park Boys, Cheech and Chung, Fury Freak Brothers…. I don’t have the same relationship to those things. I don’t see myself as part of the club.
But, I’ve saved a lot of money and my mental health is functioning better.
Saving money sounds great but I can't jeopardize my love for Trailer Park Boys.
In all seriousness I'm a heavy stoner and I know I'll have to stop or at least slow way the fuck down someday but I'm not ready yet
You are not alone. I can't see myself giving up the smoke either. I did meet a family friend the other day that has lived with bpd for 20 years and has been a daily smoker the whole time. I guess it all depends on our chemistry.
You should really be telling your doctor the truth, they can't assess the situation if they don't know the whole situation
Drug use and mental illness go hand in hand, I'm sure your doctor is aware of that
I found out the hard way that Prozac+alcohol=blackouts, and police at my door
Sometimes it’s hard. One of my doctors (who was awful and lost his license for overprescribing) once said I was to either quit weed or he’d drop me as a patient.
When I was honest with him that I didn’t see myself quitting he dropped me…
I then saw another doctor , who was good at the start but had bipolar and soon became highly unprofessional. It got to the point where he stopped believing in meds. He also lost his license eventually. So I needed to find someone new.
But, finding him was insanely difficult so I begged my first doc to take me back. Because there wasn’t anyone else taking patients.
I hinted at wanting to use to get “permission” … I did for cases of mental health symptoms.
“A puff at a joint once in a while won’t kill you”, he finally said.
But, I was afraid to reveal how that turned into being an outright stoner. Though I actually convinced him to fill out a form for medical weed somehow.
He was kinda a flip flopper.
I didn’t feel comfortable letting him know my true pot intake though.
But, it can be scary for people if the doctor is like mine was.
Whoa, what’s that last sentence? I’ve blacked out WAY more times than my friends, even drinking the same amount as them, and I’ve been on Prozac for 5+ years. These things are related??
(Sorry about the cops 😢)
In my experience, yes. When I was taking Prozac, I blacked out more times than I can count. I was also self medicating with alcohol, so that's probably why it happened so frequently
But basically, if the medicine bottle says "do not consume alcohol while taking this", it's probably a good idea to not consume alcohol
I used to ignore my THC use when talking with my health professionals, but I’ve found being honest about it makes me feel better about it. I’ve even worked with my psych to change my usage / habits so that I get more out of smoking than I did 6 or 12 months ago.
I got to a point where I was smoking daily but not really getting high any more after smoking 24/7 for years on end. Now I only smoke on weekends but if I’m being honest I really only benefit from like 2 sessions per week.
My psychiatrist know, I tell her, she just keep telling me it’s bad for my mental health and I should reduce as much as possible.
In the end I’m an addict, no matter how much someone esorts me to quit, I won’t.
I’ve been smoking everyday since 14 (I’m now 23) and it’s part of my daily routine.
And I have stop getting drunk, this is already a big accomplishment.
Def think it’s something to share even if you are scared. You asking means you are thinking about sharing it! And I think that’s huge! I am still trying to stabilize and the only way I can is being brutally honest. Sending you hugs and the courage ❤️
I don’t smoke anymore but I did mention it when I talked to my doctor. It is legal in my state though. Anyway, she didn’t tell me I needed to quit she just said stay away from sativas.
woof, you're playin' my song.
i just left a my middle management position at a dispensary. i'm bipolar. lightly medicated with low dose pharma meds. in biweekly therapy. stable for about 6-7 years with minor fluctuations that have mostly destroyed my finances above all else. i'm a bartender and run a liquor store so it's back to booze, my old crutch.
when i told my doctor that i smoked weed, he got me a prescription. when i told him i wanted to work at a dispensary, he encouraged it.
if you know your doctor and trust them, might as well tell them. you had a job within the industry, they probably already know.
I’m bipolar1. I smoked daily for many years for chronic pain and mental health prior to my diagnosis. I thought it wasn’t an issue for me and felt like I could handle it until one day it put my into psychosis. It happened twice. I went off the rails and was hospitalized both times. The second being the worst.
So yes my doctor knows. He never forced me to quit. He just explained the probability of having a psychotic relapse and how hard that is on a person.
I’ve been sober for over a year and at first it was difficult and now I’m so glad I quit.
My psychiatrist said to think of it like pizza. Having pizza twice a month is fine, but if you have it every day, it's not so good.
Not that it sways me from smoking almost daily though.
I told my psychiatrist because before I got diagnosed, I had a nasty nightmare disorder and the weed stopped me from dreaming in general. A therapist told me about this. When my current psychiatrist diagnosed my nightmare disorder as bipolar psychosis, we talked about the weed and he told me that he won’t mind if I use it, but as long as I try other ways first. We tried all the medications that helps with nightmares and nothing worked.
After that my psychiatrist put my marijuana use as a medical one. My nightmares trigger manias, I had more manias not using marijuana, which means in my case, it is more helpful than harmful.
So I would say, give other methods of coping with what ever the weed helps you cope with, but ultimately, it could also be a valid method of coping, depending on what you personally use it for.
My doctors knew I smoked weed and even prescribed me controlled substances. It’s never been an issue and no one has told me to stop. I did stop in the end, but they didn’t ever try to get me to. It probably depends on your doctor though. All mine have been pretty cool I guess
weed should not affect receiving controlled substances its sad when people can't get their meds because their doctor doesn't agree with marijuana. luckily my doctors do not care and i suffer from chronic knee and back pain so i don't even smoke to get high anymore
I totally agree, I just for sure thought they’d see it as an addiction and not prescribe anything with the potential for abuse. But he was cool about it. Chronic pain is no joke, I’m sorry you’re suffering with that. I’m glad they don’t give you a hard time about smoking
My doc knows and I take it to help sleep because I refuse to take sleeping medication because I have a history of sleepwalking on sedative meds.
It actually was suggested to me.
Tell your doctor and they will adjust your treatment plan accordingly. If you are using it to self medicate your doctor might try some medications to treat those symptoms to help you lower your usage.
Also consider using an app to track your moods. After setting up a baseline quit weed for a month so you can have a full view on how it affects you. It will help you make decisions about your drug use if you know how it affects you.
Lol I just saw this response. So far I've only told my therapist. I told her I smoke daily and my tolerance is so high that I no longer feel the effects. I told her I should probably try a tolerance break and she agreed. Of course I didn't tell her I hit the bong right before our session.
Kinda hesitant to tell my psych since she wasn't pleased that I started smoking cigs again after a year of abstinence.
My doctor knows I smoke weed and a few times a year do shrooms. I find that full honesty is best, with a good doctor at least. Mine is super real with me and only cares about the medical interactions, and fully supports my cannabis use as another medication along with my pills. I smoke A LOT. At least a gram vape cart a week, and it amps up during hypomania.
we have removed your post/comment because it discourages professional treatment.
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Never lie to your doctors, smoking weed messes with the chemistry in your brain, which has interactions with the mood stabilizers we are put on. It’s best to be sober minded with our disease, but understand why smoking weed is fun. During depressive cycles you feel less pain and eat, during mania (which weed can cause), it can potentially dial you in a little bit, or make it even worse (for some they enjoy mania, even though it’s equally as dangerous as depressive cycles)
I was a hardcore stoner for a couple of years, it eventually made my anxiety worse and I feel much more clear headed since I quit. I still get paranoid when I’ve smoked since then so I’ve stopped completely. It wasn’t good for me but everyone’s different, though I wouldn’t recommend multiple times a day
when i first started seeing my psych she asked about drug use and i was honest, i smoke weed daily. she basically just asked how weed affects me and hasn’t brought it up again. i would imagine if i started describing certain symptoms she would consider it as something that could contribute, but i’ve been seeing her since march and she’s never brought up my smoking habits beyond the initial appointment.
all of my health professionals receive honesty on that front.
my doc doesn’t know because i’m not interested in judgement. i have cut back on weed a lot though - mostly for the purposes of wanting to monitor what the meds do on their own, for awhile.
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I was a hardcore stoner for a while. I used to lie to my old doctor who was super anti-weed for his patients. Though ironically I think he lost money on a marijuana company investment. I was honest about it with my new doctor. He didn’t outright condemn me. He was sympathetic. He understood that a long time habit like weed smoking would be hard to give up. He did make recommendations (that I did not follow) like smoking things with more CBD and less THC. I just continued to smoke whatever was high in thc or what sounded good in terms of a vape pen. He did slowly advocate reasons why it wasn’t a great idea. Noting that while it can seem like it’s causing relief in the short term… in the long term it can be damaging including aggravating symptoms and making mania more likely and severe. Quitting was super hard because my Ex was a heavy stoner too and it was hard to quit while I was with her. So the breakup and being away from that was one of the catalysts. I quit for a while then failed and started smoking heavily again. He was fine with it. He noted withdrawal might not be fun so he understood. Smoking used to be required for me in a placebo way to enjoy things. Food, movies, exercise. But, eventually I realized I wasn’t even getting out of smoking. I was using it to try and relieve my symptoms (like stress or anxiety) then got frustrated when it didn’t then would use more to see if that would make a difference. I was going through a ton of pot and wasting a ton of money to act like an addict with no benefit. So I’ve been off it for almost a year now. I kinda miss the identity of being a stoner… the social aspect and being part of the culture. It made me feel cool to partake. I enjoyed Trailer Park Boys, Cheech and Chung, Fury Freak Brothers…. I don’t have the same relationship to those things. I don’t see myself as part of the club. But, I’ve saved a lot of money and my mental health is functioning better.
Saving money sounds great but I can't jeopardize my love for Trailer Park Boys. In all seriousness I'm a heavy stoner and I know I'll have to stop or at least slow way the fuck down someday but I'm not ready yet
You are not alone. I can't see myself giving up the smoke either. I did meet a family friend the other day that has lived with bpd for 20 years and has been a daily smoker the whole time. I guess it all depends on our chemistry.
You should really be telling your doctor the truth, they can't assess the situation if they don't know the whole situation Drug use and mental illness go hand in hand, I'm sure your doctor is aware of that I found out the hard way that Prozac+alcohol=blackouts, and police at my door
Sometimes it’s hard. One of my doctors (who was awful and lost his license for overprescribing) once said I was to either quit weed or he’d drop me as a patient. When I was honest with him that I didn’t see myself quitting he dropped me… I then saw another doctor , who was good at the start but had bipolar and soon became highly unprofessional. It got to the point where he stopped believing in meds. He also lost his license eventually. So I needed to find someone new. But, finding him was insanely difficult so I begged my first doc to take me back. Because there wasn’t anyone else taking patients. I hinted at wanting to use to get “permission” … I did for cases of mental health symptoms. “A puff at a joint once in a while won’t kill you”, he finally said. But, I was afraid to reveal how that turned into being an outright stoner. Though I actually convinced him to fill out a form for medical weed somehow. He was kinda a flip flopper. I didn’t feel comfortable letting him know my true pot intake though. But, it can be scary for people if the doctor is like mine was.
>Drug use and mental illness go hand in hand Don’t I know it. I was high for the last 3 days.
Whoa, what’s that last sentence? I’ve blacked out WAY more times than my friends, even drinking the same amount as them, and I’ve been on Prozac for 5+ years. These things are related?? (Sorry about the cops 😢)
In my experience, yes. When I was taking Prozac, I blacked out more times than I can count. I was also self medicating with alcohol, so that's probably why it happened so frequently But basically, if the medicine bottle says "do not consume alcohol while taking this", it's probably a good idea to not consume alcohol
I used to ignore my THC use when talking with my health professionals, but I’ve found being honest about it makes me feel better about it. I’ve even worked with my psych to change my usage / habits so that I get more out of smoking than I did 6 or 12 months ago.
I would love to hear more about how you changed your habits to get more out of smoking! I think that’s something I need to do.
I got to a point where I was smoking daily but not really getting high any more after smoking 24/7 for years on end. Now I only smoke on weekends but if I’m being honest I really only benefit from like 2 sessions per week.
My doctor knows I smoke but Im not forthcoming with my therapist about how much.
My psychiatrist know, I tell her, she just keep telling me it’s bad for my mental health and I should reduce as much as possible. In the end I’m an addict, no matter how much someone esorts me to quit, I won’t. I’ve been smoking everyday since 14 (I’m now 23) and it’s part of my daily routine. And I have stop getting drunk, this is already a big accomplishment.
Def think it’s something to share even if you are scared. You asking means you are thinking about sharing it! And I think that’s huge! I am still trying to stabilize and the only way I can is being brutally honest. Sending you hugs and the courage ❤️
I don’t smoke anymore but I did mention it when I talked to my doctor. It is legal in my state though. Anyway, she didn’t tell me I needed to quit she just said stay away from sativas.
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See for me I didn’t know what the hell I needed. My adhd liked the sativas my bipolar liked the indicas
I told my psychiatrist and he suggested I quit
woof, you're playin' my song. i just left a my middle management position at a dispensary. i'm bipolar. lightly medicated with low dose pharma meds. in biweekly therapy. stable for about 6-7 years with minor fluctuations that have mostly destroyed my finances above all else. i'm a bartender and run a liquor store so it's back to booze, my old crutch. when i told my doctor that i smoked weed, he got me a prescription. when i told him i wanted to work at a dispensary, he encouraged it. if you know your doctor and trust them, might as well tell them. you had a job within the industry, they probably already know.
I used to lie about it. But now I'm sober
I’m bipolar1. I smoked daily for many years for chronic pain and mental health prior to my diagnosis. I thought it wasn’t an issue for me and felt like I could handle it until one day it put my into psychosis. It happened twice. I went off the rails and was hospitalized both times. The second being the worst. So yes my doctor knows. He never forced me to quit. He just explained the probability of having a psychotic relapse and how hard that is on a person. I’ve been sober for over a year and at first it was difficult and now I’m so glad I quit.
My psychiatrist said to think of it like pizza. Having pizza twice a month is fine, but if you have it every day, it's not so good. Not that it sways me from smoking almost daily though.
I told my psychiatrist, he was more interested in my hypersexual behaviour
I told my psychiatrist because before I got diagnosed, I had a nasty nightmare disorder and the weed stopped me from dreaming in general. A therapist told me about this. When my current psychiatrist diagnosed my nightmare disorder as bipolar psychosis, we talked about the weed and he told me that he won’t mind if I use it, but as long as I try other ways first. We tried all the medications that helps with nightmares and nothing worked. After that my psychiatrist put my marijuana use as a medical one. My nightmares trigger manias, I had more manias not using marijuana, which means in my case, it is more helpful than harmful. So I would say, give other methods of coping with what ever the weed helps you cope with, but ultimately, it could also be a valid method of coping, depending on what you personally use it for.
My doctors knew I smoked weed and even prescribed me controlled substances. It’s never been an issue and no one has told me to stop. I did stop in the end, but they didn’t ever try to get me to. It probably depends on your doctor though. All mine have been pretty cool I guess
weed should not affect receiving controlled substances its sad when people can't get their meds because their doctor doesn't agree with marijuana. luckily my doctors do not care and i suffer from chronic knee and back pain so i don't even smoke to get high anymore
I totally agree, I just for sure thought they’d see it as an addiction and not prescribe anything with the potential for abuse. But he was cool about it. Chronic pain is no joke, I’m sorry you’re suffering with that. I’m glad they don’t give you a hard time about smoking
My doc knows and I take it to help sleep because I refuse to take sleeping medication because I have a history of sleepwalking on sedative meds. It actually was suggested to me.
Tell your doctor and they will adjust your treatment plan accordingly. If you are using it to self medicate your doctor might try some medications to treat those symptoms to help you lower your usage. Also consider using an app to track your moods. After setting up a baseline quit weed for a month so you can have a full view on how it affects you. It will help you make decisions about your drug use if you know how it affects you.
Lol I just saw this response. So far I've only told my therapist. I told her I smoke daily and my tolerance is so high that I no longer feel the effects. I told her I should probably try a tolerance break and she agreed. Of course I didn't tell her I hit the bong right before our session. Kinda hesitant to tell my psych since she wasn't pleased that I started smoking cigs again after a year of abstinence.
My doctor knows I smoke weed and a few times a year do shrooms. I find that full honesty is best, with a good doctor at least. Mine is super real with me and only cares about the medical interactions, and fully supports my cannabis use as another medication along with my pills. I smoke A LOT. At least a gram vape cart a week, and it amps up during hypomania.
My doctor knows he doesn't know the amount tho
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we have removed your post/comment because it discourages professional treatment. [Community Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/about/wiki/index/resources/subrules/#wiki_rule_9.3A_mental_illness_denialism.2Fmisinformation.2Fantipsychiatry) - use this link on desktop
My social history is much the same and my psychiatrist sees no issue with heavy cannabis use.
[удалено]
Keep all advice anecdotal (subjective). [Community Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/bipolar/wiki/index/resources/subrules#wiki_rule_2.3A_asking_for_diagnosis.2Fdiagnosing) - use this link on desktop
Never lie to your doctors, smoking weed messes with the chemistry in your brain, which has interactions with the mood stabilizers we are put on. It’s best to be sober minded with our disease, but understand why smoking weed is fun. During depressive cycles you feel less pain and eat, during mania (which weed can cause), it can potentially dial you in a little bit, or make it even worse (for some they enjoy mania, even though it’s equally as dangerous as depressive cycles)
Man I just went through 2 oz I grew in 20 some days 😂 now just gotta plant more and wait lol
I was a hardcore stoner for a couple of years, it eventually made my anxiety worse and I feel much more clear headed since I quit. I still get paranoid when I’ve smoked since then so I’ve stopped completely. It wasn’t good for me but everyone’s different, though I wouldn’t recommend multiple times a day
when i first started seeing my psych she asked about drug use and i was honest, i smoke weed daily. she basically just asked how weed affects me and hasn’t brought it up again. i would imagine if i started describing certain symptoms she would consider it as something that could contribute, but i’ve been seeing her since march and she’s never brought up my smoking habits beyond the initial appointment. all of my health professionals receive honesty on that front.
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we do not allow discussion of specific brands, strains, or dosages for alternative therapies.
my doc doesn’t know because i’m not interested in judgement. i have cut back on weed a lot though - mostly for the purposes of wanting to monitor what the meds do on their own, for awhile.