When we talk about the benefits of medical cannabis, we tend to focus on physical disorders: cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, etc. But medical cannabis patients also commonly use cannabis to help with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. And lately, more and more patients have been talking openly about using cannabis to treat bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by swings between a manic state of elevated mood and increased energy and a depressed state of hopelessness and fatigue. The main treatments are psychotherapy and lithium, a mood stabilizer that can have undesirable
side effects. Many patients looking for a better treatment have turned to cannabis.
Recently Gradi Jordan wrote a moving account of her struggles with bipolarity on Ladybud. She first used cannabis to treat her disorder at the age of ten, after in a fit of mania she had tried to stab her brother and take a door off its hinges.
“My mother told me I needed cannabis to calm down, or she would call the cops and have me arrested,” she explains. “This was my reality and the beginning of my appreciation and respect for cannabis.”
Jordan long used cannabis to treat her disorder, but she lives in Utah, where there is no medical cannabis, and underground cannabis is expensive. When she loses access to cannabis, her mental state deteriorates rapidly:
“When unable to afford or access cannabis, I tend to decompensate quickly and usually end up being forcibly admitted to lock down psychiatric facilities where numerous pharmaceuticals are pumped into my system, often times without my full consent or even knowledge. I eventually wind up having to undergo Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) as a last-ditch effort,” she says.
The ECT has taken a terrible toll on her mental health—she lost her memory, her concentration, and even her ability to read and write. She lost her job with the State of Utah and has been unable to find work.
You can read her entire account here.
I have migranes and suffer from depression and anxiety,how do I go about getting medicinal marihuana card and treatment
Evander,
Much of your question will depend on where you live. If you would like to have a one hour consultation of your options, please click our consultation tab to that we can discuss your details privately.I have attache the link below for your convenience:
https://www.vcita.com/v/unitedpatientsgroup
The UPG Team
it seems like this article is overbiast that she should use marijuana
maybe not actually. Good article. Thanks
Please tell me in which way the cannabis must be taken to combat bipolar disorder?
I have a family member which has the same simpthoms here described and conventional medicine is doing no good. At the moment he has been put into a psychiatric facility and is beeing desintoxicated (they call it so)!!!
Hello Maria,
We are not doctors here at UPG and all patient’s conditions are not the same. Sometimes there is a lot of trial and error to find what works for each individual. My daughter was diagnosed with Bi-Polar many years back and also was hospitalized from time to time. She is now doing very well! What we learned is that a healthy “gut” is imparative with psychological conditions. If you would like a referral to our contact for a high level probiotic, please call our offices to discuss. Our number is 415-524-8099. Additionally my daughter has utilized a high CBD tincture 4:1 (CBD to THC). This helps her with sleep as well.
I hope this has helped you!
All the best,
~Corinne
Where do you get the CBD tincture, and how did you figure out the best ratio of CBD to THC to use for your daughter’s bipolar disorder? And, what high level probiotic do you use? Thank you for your comments on this post. Mary Stevens
Hello Mary,
Much will depend on wherre you live and whether you are in a legal state. This is not a one size fits all protocol as each condition may require a different formulation. We always suggest a consultation with our nurse practioner. she can speak directly to your duahgter’s condition, current medications and history. She can also advise you on which products will best suit the needs of your daughter as well as dosing instructions. I have attached the nurses shcedule here for your convenience.
My daughter was diagnosed with bi-polar many years ago. She has found great relief from tinctures here in California.
Best,
~Corinne
I do not agree with pot at all for bipolar patients. My finace is bipolar smoking almost 7 grams a week. It has increased his mania to where he has no boundaries and forgets things. Makes him paranoid more research needs to be done I am appalled by this article and feel it could hurt more than help someone. Someone told him it was good it would help with anxiety, that it had a calming effect. It calms but increases the mania and Paranoia.
This is another reason why legalizing it is needed, so that info and strains can get across the nation. Unfortunately, with many people, certain strains will make them more paranoid, usually Sativas. For bipolar patients, oftentimes they will need an Indica. When operating in the illegal market, patients do not get a choice of which medicine they need, they are just given whatever the dealer has. They also don’t have the knowledge to understand that buying a Sativa will not help them in some cases. For many people with ADD or ADHD, the way cannabis strains affect them is opposite, so Indicas will make them manic and paranoid, whereas a Sativa would calm them down. From personal stories, I know that Blueberry strains, an Indica-dominant hybrid, works very well for many people with bi-polar. It is also high in CBDs. Kush strains are also Indica or Indica-dominant. Most fruity strains are sativa, and a lot of the “big name” strains like G-13 and Chem Dawg, etc. are hybrids on the Sativa side, so keep him away from those. Also, keep record of what strains he smokes and which ones really do not help, which ones do, and do research on them. Please don’t think cannabis treatments don’t work just because access is limited. Here in Colorado, there is proof all around.
There are a few very different types/strains. I find hash is byfar the best for mania. Some skunk can help and some strains are evil. They have been grown using chemicals and artificial lights and are engineered to give an anxious high not a mellow chilled buzz
I am bipolar myself and i agree that weed can held keep the depressive stage manageable and decrease it and help keep your manic stage relaxed.I extremely recommend this for anybody but i understand with the brain no one case is the same thus sometimes things work and others don’t. If u are bipolar and use i recommend Kush.A strong indica to keep you cool.calm and collective. and helps u sleep at night
A quarter ounce a week can be way too much for bipolar. This is more along the lines of abusing it. It can be good when added on to a mood stabilizer. Also cannabis is composed of thc and cbd. The thc gets you high while the cbd does not. Both have medical uses although he is most likely smoking something high in thc and low in cbd. This can make his bipolar worse for sure. If he is to use it as a medicine he would want something high in cbd and lower in thc. The opposite of what he is smoking now. So basically the way he is using it now is harmful and not at all helpful to his bipolar.
You shouldn’t be appalled. People who have bipolar, life isn’t easy. I’ve been on so many meds. They work for a while and stop. I’ve lost my balance soooooo many times. I’ve fallen numerous time and have broken a hip, shoulder and leg. Why? Because of the bipolar medications. There’s literally nothing left I can take. As with any type of medication, it’s usually a hit and miss. It can take months to find a proper dose to help someone. Not necessarily associated with bipolar. Perhaps your fiancé should look into other doses. Sounds to me that he’s not on the right dose. Trial and error, trial and error
I was diagnosed with clinical depression after my marriage broke down 6 years ago and after a stint in rehab for excessive alcohol and synthetic drug use. I was prescribed several medications and many visits to psychologists and psychiatrists. They were the most terrifying and confusing 2 years of my life. I wanted to get better but the depression never left and everything just got worse. I wasn’t coping and eventually was sanctioned and thrown in a psychiatric hospital unit. (the single most terrifying thing I have experienced). As with most mental patients I was able to tell them what they wanted to hear and bluffed my way to be release into my brothers care. I was now completely broken, homeless, and left in a far worse state than I had ever been. 2 days later I sat on a river bank after taking a phone call from the police regarding an aggravated episode in a pub (completely out of character 2 years prior) and decided the doctors, psychiatrists and all medical staff were completely wrong. I threw every medication I had into that river.
I now use marijuana and live a very clear, and uneventful life, feeling “normal”
By the way I am convinced I have bipolar not clinical depression. My mood swings have all but disappeared and I have not seen a doctor or taken conventional medication for almost 4 years.
Looking back my condition started many years prior to my divorce, around the time I lost a very good job. I needed counseling then to move on but at that time the term mental illness was not used, you were simply nuts.
Thanks for the info. and Paul thank you too glad you made it through. I have been struggling with ptsd and variants of bi-polar symptoms throughout the past 20+ years. I lived through the hellacios withdrawl from pharma i.e zoloft and klonopin or clonazepam and progressively was worse than ever. A friend who suggested mari and knew I opposed it mainly because I had dramatic allergic reactions to pot gave me an edible. A year + later I finally am recovering from the damaging effects of the pharma and have found that I do not have allergic reaction as long as I eat it and also have to keep it to a small medicinal dosage or I tip into depression. I also read and found best that I stay with Indica strains and now my doctor is willing to give me a mmj eval and referral. Since doctors have wanted to use anti seizure meds on me in the past, I am seriously looking into high cbc or cbd and low thc. I trust it will be easier to learn and obtain once I get my mmj card and can talk with those in the know in the field. I have learned that most doctors esp. in the mental health field are just legal pharma dealers, I too just finished a degree in Psychology inspired by them feeling, that I would be a more authentic and committed candidate to help others like myself. I believe that due to a auto accident and head trauma plus loosing the best job I had and the general politics of social equity being just a nice ideal on some other planet, that these have been factors affecting my health along with aging but our system of health care does not address these well enough as it is broken and co-opted by profit driven priorities.
Hello all,
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 16. After numerous med combinations and treatment and a nearly fatal toxic reaction to depakote i lost hope that i would ever find some type of relief. I am 27 now and began smoking pit at 18. It works wonders for me! My manic episodes are awful (episodes for me include extreme irritability and anger and its nearly impossible to relax) pot not only helps me relax its helps me focus and i channel my energy into crafts and jewelry making which has in turn become a small business venture. Unfortunately i do not live in a state where medicinal marijuana is legal and its such a shame! Im down to only one medication with the help of marijuana. It is extremely beneficial for me and i hope others and the government can see how much good pot can do for people with chronic illnesses. Its a very useful plant!
I am bipolar among other things. I do not do anything illegal now. When i was much younger i tried it a few times and i remember how nice it made me feel to not feel overwhelmed. But that was 16 years ago.
The meds they have me on have taken their toll on my body. My liver, the anti psychotic causes a flux in my insulin levels, I am now taking liver medication. How can everyone think that marijuana is worse than what I’m currently taking? Pain pills and alcohol are the real killers in my opinion. i wish everyone could see that it isn’t fair to keep marijuana from people who want a better alternative to the poisons on the market.
Even though I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I find that satvia strains tend to bring out a wonderful creative streak. I also think clearer, and function better (especially when concentration is needed). I am able to work out more efficiently, I can also regulate my breathing during a workout. This makes fatigue less of a problem. I do have trouble sleeping, and there’s a slight yet insignificant instance of depression after using weed. However, that passes in about a day or two. There’s no telling what different strains do and how they effect each patient. That’s why more research is needed. Also, the black market doesn’t specify what strains they’re selling. I also feel that most of the research that’s done doesn’t test by strain or type. This could lead to false information and failed and inaccurately conducted experiments.
Edit to my last post: stopping the use of marijuana causes the slight depressive symptoms.
Hi , My name is Maria Spain. i want to share my testimony to everyone
out there. I ‘ m 55 years Three
years ago, after a prostate biopsy , I was given the diagnosis of
aggressive Stage III adenocarcinoma . I didn ’ t know what to do . The
urologist made appointments for me to start radiation , and maybe
chemo. Then a friend told me cannabis cures cancer . It just so
happened that the first human trials of cannabis treatment of
astrocytomas (inoperable brain cancer ) , were published with
encouraging results . So I decided; rather than die from the medical
treatment , I would do the cannabis cure . Now… where to get some .
There was no dispensary in the area, but a friend made me cannabis
butter , so I took that, up to tolerance. In three months the primary
cancer was gone , only minor metastatic lesions were left . At that
point I found a supplier for cannabis oil and killed off the
metastases in the next three months. Now I just take a maintenance dose
of locally produced hash oil that is 1: 1 THC: CBD with about a 30 %
potency . This will certainly keep me clear of cancer , anywhere, for
ever . My point in telling this story is the fact that in the face of
advanced aggressive cancer , all I had was very weak cannabutter , but
it was enough to eliminate the primary tumor . If you have cancer and
want to pursue the cannabis treatment, please dont die in silent please
Hello! I am a 17 year old girl from California. I know I may seem like an adolescent who just wants to party, but i have been diagnosed with Severe Bi-Polar Disorder and I am so sick of it! I can’t focus in school, I get very bad Manic Episodes, and I’ve went to a psychiatric ward because i almost killed myself! I’ll be honest, I have smoked weed a couple of times, and it honestly makes me feel so much better. I am planning on getting a medical card when I’m older; but I just wanted to know if there’s any way to cope with my mania until then?
Violet,
If you are in California, your psychiatrist can write you a letter allowing you to get a card. If your doctor is not open to this, a healthy diet, exercise (cardio and yoga) and a good relationship with a therapist would be awonderful start. We are not docotrs or pschologists here at UPG so it is very important to be in touch with a physician and/orpschiatrist.
I hope this helps,
Brent
I would love a thought out response, if someone can relate to what I’m about to try and write, succinctly.
I am an alcoholic to the core. I’ve been sober 25 years this month. I have never strayed from doing exactly what my doctor recommends.
I have been in counseling for about 17 years. I had an incredible job for 19 years that I had to quit because of PTSD and misophony/hyperacusis and the bipolar. The bipolar comes out as EXTREME irritability. I can get so irritable I don’t even want to hear people breathe. Noise REALLY bothers me.
I got so disabled I ended up disabled, essentially. I still ‘work’ but am not making anything off it and I don’t have health insurance. So please don’t bring up the ‘go see a doctor thing.’ I would do that if I had the money. I don’t right now. I am saving up for he $200 initial psychiatric visit/evaluation that I have to do all over again.
Back in high school, many moons ago, I would occasionally get high on low-grade, ‘home grown’ pot. I never felt like I ‘loved it’ the way I did alcohol. In fact, I could take it or leave it. But then, in my 20s, I tried the higher grade stuff, with a lot of THC, a couple times – and I HATE that. HATE the paranoia and the ‘high’.
But when I did low grade stuff, the few times, people LOVED me and commented on my mellowness and how it was easier to be around me. (I have been told too many times I’m hard to be around because of my mood swings, etc.).
I am considering cannabis OIL or ingesting a low grade pot. I have tried lamictal for years – and it worked at first. I’ve done depakote and lithium, too, several times. The side effects suck and they don’t work well. LITHIUM gets toxic SUPER quick in my body, to the point I can taste the metallic taste in a matter of weeks, building up. Even on a low dosage.
So….I am pretty clear on a lot of things. I don’t want to relapse and I do go to AA and I am not about ‘getting high’. I don’t think I’m fooling myself. I would not smoke pot, because that could trigger smoking cigarettes again (something I did until 1996).
I just want relief so bad from the noise in my head and outside of it. And I took pharma, I don’t see what the hurt could be if I tried non-high/low THC pot.
I know this has been long and sort of know-it-all-ish. But I’m desperate and I tried to be succinct…because I believe someone is going to have a similar experience and have some clarity. Thank you for reading.
It’s a veggie..come on folks..it is a vegetable that you cannot die or OD from……
CBD oil for bipolar disorder is working very well for me. Cleared up the depression, and I’m sleeping great. 20 mg at bedtime and during the day. I use a cannabis oil with a little THC at night, and a pure CBD oil from hemp during the day.