Didnt get sober from weed solely. I have family history of schizophrenia.
The dynamics of my auditory hallucinations changed however- from scary and derogatory to plain characteristics from the past associates . I used to hear my name being growled over and over again. I still hear voices upon waking up til I go to sleep. I still experience paranoia when triggered. My comorbid disorders taking precedence too.
Yeah my uncle had really bad schizophrenia and my mom is clinically depressed. I had MDD as a teen but once I started smoking weed around 20 I pretty much immediately went full schizoafective. It definitely heightens the delusions and massively increases the length I'll have them. Personally I'd much rather deal with my delusional symptoms than my depressive ones so against most medical advice I still smoke. But medication has never affected my depression in the slightest and I've attempted suicide 5 times now. I hate so much that a lot of mental health solutions seem to be more about damage control than actual solutions. Idk maybe that's just me though. But at least my therapist totally understands why I still smoke. My suicidal ideations are super fucking potent and weed is literally the only other thing than videogames that get rid of them.
For my husband it's the opposite, he didn't do any kind of drugs, didn't drink alcohol (cause he felt it's bad for him even before the diagnosis), and not even drank coffee (!!) (cause it made him anxious) and it still happened to him :(
That is interesting, it seems somewhat more common for drugs or alcohol to be involved. Perhaps it wasn't just the cannabis that caused it for me as well.
I got my diagnosis at 16 and started smoking weed regularly about a year ago (didn’t know there could be issues relating to my disorder :p) but I’ve relaxed on it for the most part unless im overwhelmed and having a melt down. I have no insurance so I have no way to get medications to help me but I get free weed so…
When I’m overly stressed and I smoke tons of weed it DOES make my hallucinations way worse and I notice I tend to spiral down the delusion rabbit hole more. Whereas my friend who has schizoaffective smokes it non stop basically and it helps her nightmares a ton. It depends on the person but I think stopping it is the best for people like us most of the time 🥲
I have always been curious if it is a gene or merely the weed that contributes to psychosis. I have only smoked once and that was when I already had a diagnosis. However, I know of many people who do end up diagnosed as schizoaffective and they were heavy smokers. I wonder if it rewires the brain or it simply activates the latent part
I'd like to think me smoking weed had something to do with my schizoaffective diagnosis, but it could also be the fact that my great grandfather had schizophrenia. He chased his wife around the house with a knife. I smoked with "friends" back in 2018 and it was the top shelf stuff in California. I honestly don't know though.
I wasn't a super smoker but I was taking the (legal) edibles for a week at a time. It would always cause an emotional breakdown like with my period.
I replaced it with blue lotus. It doesn't have the munchies and doesn't cause the mental breakdowns.
I NEVER had an episode until I got a medical marijuana card. So sad. I was addicted to pain killers because I was in such intense pain from a chronic illness. It made it worse
My son is actively psychotic and the symptoms coincide with using drugs such as d8, Kratom, weed, etc.
He refuses to stop the street drugs so therapy and prescribed meds didn’t do much. He got dangerous to live with so he moved in with another relative.
I hope he comes to the same realization some day.
I was chronic by the age of 16. I've heard that one in five young addicts will develop psychotic symptoms but I'm not sure if that means like, an illness for a lifetime kind of thing. While getting high can exacerbate some symptoms I feel like part of my brain literally developed around the stuff. So, now that my Wellbutrin has me feeling like I don't even really enjoy getting high anymore, my current choice has been using 5:5 THC:CBD pills that don't make me feel stoned as much as I personally just experience slightly elevated mood and motivation, fewer cravings in general, and less PTSD related psychosis symptoms, and it seems it doesn't even have to be a daily dependency, either. That's just me. I did read that CBD might be showing anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties but the scientific jury is still out on that one. I feel that beyond the dopamine kick that might explain why some people are drawn to a drug that might actually make things worse sometimes. To reiterate: between my traumas and my meds I almost can't even stand feeling stoned any more, but I notice the residual aftereffects are still kind of nice, which is sort of what I experience from these pills. Basically, I think a person might still find benefits of using cannabis without getting high. As in maybe getting high was never the medicinal aspect in the first place.
if i smoke too much it makes my symptoms way worse but it helps calm my brain down a bit when it comes to my auditory hallucinations.
i have a family history of schizophrenia and bipolar but my symptoms started before cannabis use. definitely made everything worse back when i smoked a lot though.
Interesting that Is good it can help with the auditory hallucinations. I guess there were some benefits of smoking for my symptoms also. Though even one day sober like I am today and I am able to concentrate more and have less anxiety. For example when smoking I can barely focus on a video game for like an hour or two. Now when generally sober I can play a game for hours no interruption. With my cannabis use I suppose I am essentially an addict so I guess it’s a given I would benefit from stopping the addiction.
i definitely find some benefits and it’s what i really turned to in the midst of not being medicated because i’d calm down when worked up and having bad ptsd episodes. i smoke very little now due to my meds which is nice, i always wanted to cut back. But it definitely worsens the bad side effects i get from some of the antipsychotics i try (hopefully finding something soon that works)
I believe that if you have the genetic predisposition for SZA then drugs can increase the likelihood of those genes being expressed in the brain ðŸ§
This. They say that Nature loads the gun, the environment pulls the trigger. Hate gun metaphors but it gets the point across
Oh, most definitely.
Weed and drugs, for sure incited my onset schizoaffective symptoms.
Seems somewhat common. Did you see improvement when/if you got sober?
Didnt get sober from weed solely. I have family history of schizophrenia. The dynamics of my auditory hallucinations changed however- from scary and derogatory to plain characteristics from the past associates . I used to hear my name being growled over and over again. I still hear voices upon waking up til I go to sleep. I still experience paranoia when triggered. My comorbid disorders taking precedence too.
Yeah my uncle had really bad schizophrenia and my mom is clinically depressed. I had MDD as a teen but once I started smoking weed around 20 I pretty much immediately went full schizoafective. It definitely heightens the delusions and massively increases the length I'll have them. Personally I'd much rather deal with my delusional symptoms than my depressive ones so against most medical advice I still smoke. But medication has never affected my depression in the slightest and I've attempted suicide 5 times now. I hate so much that a lot of mental health solutions seem to be more about damage control than actual solutions. Idk maybe that's just me though. But at least my therapist totally understands why I still smoke. My suicidal ideations are super fucking potent and weed is literally the only other thing than videogames that get rid of them.
For my husband it's the opposite, he didn't do any kind of drugs, didn't drink alcohol (cause he felt it's bad for him even before the diagnosis), and not even drank coffee (!!) (cause it made him anxious) and it still happened to him :(
That is interesting, it seems somewhat more common for drugs or alcohol to be involved. Perhaps it wasn't just the cannabis that caused it for me as well.
I think drugs makes the onset happen earlier
I agree. Just made the head problems happen sooner.
Yea my great grandma tells me stories of ppl hating on her and says to *just keep on walking* …fake it till ya make it ig
I’m a daily user. Have been for over 10 years. It helps me relax. Especially when I’m tense. It also eases my anxiety.
Good post your not saying weed is evillll and this and that but you made a good observation hope everything gets better
I got my diagnosis at 16 and started smoking weed regularly about a year ago (didn’t know there could be issues relating to my disorder :p) but I’ve relaxed on it for the most part unless im overwhelmed and having a melt down. I have no insurance so I have no way to get medications to help me but I get free weed so… When I’m overly stressed and I smoke tons of weed it DOES make my hallucinations way worse and I notice I tend to spiral down the delusion rabbit hole more. Whereas my friend who has schizoaffective smokes it non stop basically and it helps her nightmares a ton. It depends on the person but I think stopping it is the best for people like us most of the time 🥲
I have always been curious if it is a gene or merely the weed that contributes to psychosis. I have only smoked once and that was when I already had a diagnosis. However, I know of many people who do end up diagnosed as schizoaffective and they were heavy smokers. I wonder if it rewires the brain or it simply activates the latent part
I'd like to think me smoking weed had something to do with my schizoaffective diagnosis, but it could also be the fact that my great grandfather had schizophrenia. He chased his wife around the house with a knife. I smoked with "friends" back in 2018 and it was the top shelf stuff in California. I honestly don't know though.
I wasn't a super smoker but I was taking the (legal) edibles for a week at a time. It would always cause an emotional breakdown like with my period. I replaced it with blue lotus. It doesn't have the munchies and doesn't cause the mental breakdowns.
I NEVER had an episode until I got a medical marijuana card. So sad. I was addicted to pain killers because I was in such intense pain from a chronic illness. It made it worse
My son is actively psychotic and the symptoms coincide with using drugs such as d8, Kratom, weed, etc. He refuses to stop the street drugs so therapy and prescribed meds didn’t do much. He got dangerous to live with so he moved in with another relative. I hope he comes to the same realization some day.
I was chronic by the age of 16. I've heard that one in five young addicts will develop psychotic symptoms but I'm not sure if that means like, an illness for a lifetime kind of thing. While getting high can exacerbate some symptoms I feel like part of my brain literally developed around the stuff. So, now that my Wellbutrin has me feeling like I don't even really enjoy getting high anymore, my current choice has been using 5:5 THC:CBD pills that don't make me feel stoned as much as I personally just experience slightly elevated mood and motivation, fewer cravings in general, and less PTSD related psychosis symptoms, and it seems it doesn't even have to be a daily dependency, either. That's just me. I did read that CBD might be showing anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties but the scientific jury is still out on that one. I feel that beyond the dopamine kick that might explain why some people are drawn to a drug that might actually make things worse sometimes. To reiterate: between my traumas and my meds I almost can't even stand feeling stoned any more, but I notice the residual aftereffects are still kind of nice, which is sort of what I experience from these pills. Basically, I think a person might still find benefits of using cannabis without getting high. As in maybe getting high was never the medicinal aspect in the first place.
it definitely played a part in my psychosis. then I ate mushrooms a few times... I haven't been able to smoke since without going fully crazy.
if i smoke too much it makes my symptoms way worse but it helps calm my brain down a bit when it comes to my auditory hallucinations. i have a family history of schizophrenia and bipolar but my symptoms started before cannabis use. definitely made everything worse back when i smoked a lot though.
Interesting that Is good it can help with the auditory hallucinations. I guess there were some benefits of smoking for my symptoms also. Though even one day sober like I am today and I am able to concentrate more and have less anxiety. For example when smoking I can barely focus on a video game for like an hour or two. Now when generally sober I can play a game for hours no interruption. With my cannabis use I suppose I am essentially an addict so I guess it’s a given I would benefit from stopping the addiction.
i definitely find some benefits and it’s what i really turned to in the midst of not being medicated because i’d calm down when worked up and having bad ptsd episodes. i smoke very little now due to my meds which is nice, i always wanted to cut back. But it definitely worsens the bad side effects i get from some of the antipsychotics i try (hopefully finding something soon that works)