"Hello. I am 26 years old and have had experience with recreational weed in the past. However i found that medicated Weed has helped with my anxiety which is one of my main symptoms of Bipolar. Along with getting to sleep and staying asleep. I get very little to no sleep most nights without my current meds. Though they are working, i fear that i might not have access to them 6 months from now. Seeing as its my last year of being under my parents medical insurance and i only work part time which means no benifits. (Though i am looking for a better job atm.) I am also still in school. I have been trying to figure out if Medical Marijuana would be a good alternative. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance."
When using cannabis, it is very important to maintain a relationship with a mental health provider. I have followed many patients with bipolar disorder who have done well with cannabis therapy. CBD is great for reducing anxiety and appears to be a good mood stabilizer. THC is needed for mood elevation because CBD, by itself, sometimes makes depression worse. For type ll bipolar, I usually recommend a CBD:THC ratio of about 5:1-1:1.
drfrye
I’m so sorry to hear that you are going through this difficult time. I think cannabis can be a useful tool for you but only in the context of functioning mental health team. If you haven’t already, talk to you psychiatrist & other mental health providers and discuss your probable future situation and options that you might have. Alot of providers I have worked with, if they’ve seen you for awhile, might still agree to see you during this transition time, even if money is short. In terms of the cannabis, yes it can be useful but only if used properly. I always warn pts that having mental health issues greatly increases the risk of abuse/ psychological dependency on cannabis so there has to be some discipline in usage. In addition, I have personally seen cannabis in high doses actually worsen anxiety, paranoia, & even psychosis; usage of cannabis needs to be kept "low & slow." Besides anxiety & mood management, one of the most important roles of cannabis is to improve sleep which is critical when dealing with any mental health disorder. As an extra step, besides moderate use of cannabis, I highly recommend the following book that was recommended to me concerning bipolar management:
"Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families" by Dr. Francis Mark Mondimore. We wish you the best; please feel free to come back and let us know how you are doing!
drpark
