weed and depression....will it make it worse??

I know weed is a depressent, but I have recently started smoking it at night in bed and it's the only time I feel stress and worry free....feels nice for a change. The only problem I have with this is that I'm afraid I'm starting to turn to other things to make my anxiousness and depression go away.. Does anyone out there smoke weed while being anxious and depressed? And if you do, do you find it makes you feel worse in the long run? I don't want to be one of those people who turn to illegal drugs to cope and become addicted

First, I'll start by saying that most of what I'll tell you is anecdotal. I'm not a doctor or psychologist. However, I am a former pot smoker, so I will help as best as I can.

Marijuana, like any sort of substance, can have different effects on different people. Some people can smoke very little and become very high. Others can smoke large amounts and be completely functional. It very much depends on how you can personally handle it. If you can operate normally and well while consuming cannabis, more power to you.

However, there are some real dangers with marijuana when it comes to depression and anxiety. Pot usually is a-motivational, in that it makes you have less drive to do things. You can get tired, lazy, and feel like things are useless. As you can guess, this will probably make your depression a lot worse. It did for me.
Also, while pot can help you relax and unwind in the short run, most university studies show that heavy cannabis consumption is directly linked to higher levels of anxiety ( whether this connection is causal or not is up for debate, but something about THC in your brain/ bloodstream is what is believed to cause increased anxiety).

Also, if you're taking antidepressants, you should definitely talk to your doctor about if cannabis is safe to consume with your medications. Sometimes, there can be very negative side-effects, but it depends on what your doctor says.

Have you ever thought that what might be desirable about marijuana is the fact that you can use it in a group setting? Like drinking at a party, it can make you feel "connected", but I would really discourage you from seeking that kind of connection. Long run, it will always end badly. If you like using it to relax at night and sleep, there are much better alternatives. Exercising in the evening is a good way of regulating endorphins, and hot tea can be just as warm and relaxing as weed, minus the harmful psychoactive effects.

Stay strong, hopefully stay sober, and begin to feel better. You posses everything you need for those things already.

Thank you so much for your imput, I really appreciate it. I know what you're saying is right and I am not going to smoke it anymore. I don't want to become addicted, and I don't want to have negative coping strategies. I've just been feeling so hopeless lately and feel like I will never get better. When I smoked the weed for the first time in oh God, like 10 years, it actually made me feel so good. But like any other addiction, it doesn't make the problems go away, they are still there the next day. I don't want to jeprodize my mental health any more than it already is. So thank you for your advice, I will definitely take it. Take care hun, and thanks :)

I spent summer of 2009 living on a med pot farm; don't really know HOW much I smoked b/c when I was outside I'd go inside to take an ice bong hit or just stay outside & take a joint break while working: INSIDE I almost always used the vaporizer b/c its better for your lungs. HOWEVER, I also would drink weed tea & cook w/weed butter or oil. Geez, we made candy & soda too. I've never had weed ice cream though...

Unlike a lot of people I was hypomanic, if not totally manic, from pot & lost 20-25lbs in just 2 maybe 3months time. I did end up getting severe depression the following winter...moved to Utah, went to UNI & was dx'd bipolar type 1 in Jan, 2010 b/c the Dr.'s there believed I was in a manic state again AFTER the worst couple/three months of my whole LIFE...I previously had way worse manic episodes - being kicked out of grad school, getting divorced, going to jail for a year & MANY other consequences were a result BUT had never experienced such an extended period of depression; from the end of Oct to mid Jan.

I know that's nothing compared to MOST of us & I realize NOW that there were more...I didn't like to admit I was EVER depressed & still have a hard time w/it today TRYING to ignore it doesn't work anymore. I'll end up sleeping for 3days & only get up to go to the bathroom & get a drink of water...

The worst depression of my started shortly after I left the farm & went back to Oakland. My unemployment lapsed b/c I forgot to send it in & my landlord didn't like me being gone whether I paid rent or not SO I ended up couch surfing...my only work was bar backing, bouncing, working security at certain venues (bands & sometimes raves), the occasional trimming job which always paid well & I sold a little of this & that BUT I was a vampire: sun went down I got up, sun came up I laid down to sleep IF I could.

MAYBE I was a-motivational b/c I didn't have any energy OR desire to GET OUT of the lifestyle I was living. I hated being in my own skin, people owed me $ I thought I'd never see & I was getting progressively more psychotic & depressed....

FINALLY @ 42yrs old I became willing to listen to what my family had been trying to tell me for 15yrs! My parents & sisters are Dr.'s ~ exactly the reason why I didn't listen to Dr.'s for most my life. Admitting that I was severely depressed & needed help WAS the hardest thing I had ever done & also the best. Every1 else already had been known I had a problem & needed professional help.

I had thought that weed was the answer to what was wrong w/me. NOW I only take what the Doc's prescribe me. W/in the 1st couple of days taking a high dose of Depakote, the hurricane in my brain stopped & I remember sitting there crying b/c I thought it was a miracle & I became a believer of their BP1 dx NOW I'm completely honest w/them.

There is now some semblance of hope in my life ALTHOUGH I've gained back the weight & have added 25-30 more. I'm not going to screw it up by messing around w/something that might only give me temporary relief. I DO hope they find a way soon to cope w/BP w/out having to take the meds despite the fact they saved my life. I hate the side effects BUT know what the alternative will lead to.

Sorry for the lecture. I hope you don't try to play Dr w/yourself & give them a fair chance before you're as old as I am. IT will be worth it for sure. After 6mos of being on meds I could look back & honestly say "What the hell was I thinking & doing?!" NOW I miss my ex-wife: I'm glad she got out just in time, it was mutual at the time, & that was 12yrs ago its been that long since I've talked to her. Point is we never would have parted if I was willing to listen to Dr.'s THEN ~ I loved my mania too much & really believed that I was that way naturally.

i know others have already answered your question, and im not going to argue and say smoking weed is right, its definitely illegal here in england but everyone is different and reacts to different things in different ways, like all other legal and illegal drugs.
when i first started medication i stopped taking all drugs, except the prozac that was prescribed to me and i felt tons better. after i came off it i started smoking a little again, only really if i was anxious, stressed or not coping. definitely not everyday. in my opinion for me, when i smoke i breathe out and its like im breathing out all the things that were stressing me, making me anxious, angry or sad and i feel for me its the biggest relief. i believe it helps me see things simply how they really are and it allows me to recognize that i was being irrational. for me it helps a lot, like opening my mind to see things how they really are. also with my meds i find it hard to sleep sometimes and herbal tablets dont work. i would definately prefer to have a few puffs on a spliff than to take sleeping tablets, but thats just my opinion. I feel it has no major effects for me in the long term, except obviously my lungs have to deal with it. i am not a paranoid person. the only person who can know whats right for your body and your head is you, and if you arent sure, then its probably not a good idea as there is a chance of making you worse xx

Hey melanpix,

You should get a vaporizer & save your lungs IF you are going to be smoking...I miss it BUT am probably better off w/out it. I'm going to wait another 1.5yrs THAT would be my 3yr anniversary free from drugs & alcohol ~ 1-19-10.

I smoked a lot of weed & in Oakland the police have bigger issues SO I would smoke in public w/no problem BUT not in front of kids...YOU have to have a prescription & medical reason (card).

I think I might have long term effects due to the quantities I consumed WE"LL see in another 1.5yrs or so. IT could be Depakote, Seroquel & Wellbutrin might have long term effects on my brain. I sure hope a cure is found that is more homeopathic - IT would be excellent if it was smoking weed!

-cb-

I use medical cannabis with a script from a doctor for bipolar. I say if it helps you to feel better then go for it. It gives me the conscious shift that I need to combat depression. However I live in California where it is legal with a script and I don't work a job where I need to be pee tested, so it works out fine for me.

I don't think cannabis causes depression especially if you start out depressed to begin with..........then it helps. Take care.