Posted by PatJ. on February 4, 2001, at 16:55:47
In reply to Re: Dangers of Marijuana (how it effects mental ill.) » PatJ., posted by vince on February 1, 2001, at 0:46:01
> > http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidence99/marijuana/Health_1.html
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> > Health_Concerns: WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE?
> > ...
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> > MENTAL HEALTH, BRAIN FUNCTION, AND MEMORY
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> > It has been suggested that marijuana is at the root of many mental disorders, including acute toxic psychosis, panic attacks (one of the very conditions it is being used experimentally to treat), flashbacks, delusions, depersonalization, hallucinations, paranoia, depression, and uncontrollable aggressiveness. Marijuana has long been known to trigger attacks of mental illness, such as bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis and schizophrenia. This connection with mental illness should make health care providers for terminally ill patients and the patients themselves, who may already be suffering from some form of clinical depression, weigh very carefully the pros and cons of adopting a therapeutic course of marijuana.
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> > In the short term, marijuana use impairs perception, judgment, thinking, memory, and learning; memory defects may persist six weeks after last use. Mental disorders connected with marijuana use merit their own category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association. These include Cannabis Intoxication (consisting of impaired motor coordination, anxiety, impaired judgment, sensation of slowed time, social withdrawal, and often includes perceptual disturbances; Cannabis Intoxication Delirium (memory deficit, disorientation); Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder, Delusions; Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder, Hallucinations; and Cannabis Induced Anxiety Disorder.
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> > In addition, marijuana use has many indirect effects on health. Its effect on coordination, perception, and judgment means that it causes a number of accidents, vehicular and otherwise.
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> > For further information, you may find the following sites helpful:
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> > www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/reality/updatejl.html, for information on links between marijuana use and mental health risks.
> > www.sarnia.com/GROUPS/ANTIDRUG/mrr/21.96.10.html, for more information on the indirect effects of marijuana on health
> > http://www.adf.org.au/drughit, the Australian Drug Foundation?s website
> > http://marijuananews.com/a_safe_ high_.htm, a reprint of New Science magazine?s "Marijuana Special Report: A Safe High?" with commentary
> > http://marijuananews.com/claim_four.htm, an article about the similarity of long-term marijuana use?s effect on the brain to that of "hard" drugs, with commentary
> > www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/iprc/misc/smokescreen.html, for general information on the health risks of marijuana.
> > http://www.health.org, the homepage of the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information, for general information on marijuana.
> >
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> I suffered my first episode of depression in my early twenties after I had been using marijuana for only two months. My quality of life has never been equal to what I had prior to my first experience with major depression. I have never at any time since fully recovered and I continue to go into long periods of very severe periods of illness. I know that those here who would argue against the strictest degree of scientific evidence in defence of pot, are not going to accept my single case of antidotal evidence that pot had something to do with my depression, but I am personally convinced that it changed me, in a very short time from a very happy person who was able to enjoy life to its fullest extent to a person who was only able to struggle from one day to the next in an effort to withstand a degree of suffering that I couldn't even have imagined before.
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> VinceHi Vince,
I totally believe you and think it's sad that it happened that way to you. I've experienced symptoms from it and amphetamine use, too. They were different symptoms appearing at different times after using these drugs. Have you been able to get any help for the depression? Has anything worked? I have bad depression, too. One day I'm okay the next day I am really down. I have to make myself do the things I don't want to do. Take care, Pat
poster:PatJ.
thread:52766
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010131/msgs/53307.html