Patient Education ►
Cannabis and Bipolar Disorder
by Peter Kershaw , contributing writer
Bipolar disorder is a not uncommon mental illness . Around 2.8 percent of adult Americans suffer from Bipolar disorder ( BD ). This makes BD one of the most common mental illnesses . Given the unfortunate stigma associated with mental disorders , many who suffer from BD never seek diagnosis and treatment . Therefore , the true figure is likely much higher , with some sources estimating 5 percent .
While it ’ s normal to experience times of emotional highs and lows , BDs experience these cyclically in the extremes of “ mania ,” alternating with “ chronic depression .” For this reason , bipolar disorder was formerly known as “ manic depression .” BD is categorized as Type 1 ( episodes of full mania with loss of connection to reality ) and Type 2 ( major depression with episodes of hypomania ). With either type , bouts of depression are generally more common than mania .
The risk bipolar patients pose is generally more to themselves than to others . The risk of suicide death among bipolar patients is 10 – 30 times higher than the general population . Losing a bipolar friend or family member to suicide is devastating ( as this author personally knows ). The risk is greatest during depressive states and may call for careful monitoring and emotional support by friends and family .
Pharmaceutical drugs are routinely prescribed for BD . These are categorized as mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medications . They all have side effects , some potentially quite risky . Finding the right drug or combination of drugs can prove challenging , with the doctor often using the patient as a guinea pig . This trial-anderror process usually requires weeks , if not months ( if ever ). Until the right combination of drugs and dosages are identified , the patient risks feeling even worse . Some of these drugs are also highly addictive .
A 2005 study published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology concluded that “ BD is often poorly controlled by existing drugs and often involves a polypharmacological medley , including lithium ,
62 November 2022
Medical cannabis calms the hyperactivity typical of hypomania and mania , as well as lifting mood during episodes of depression .
anticonvulsants , antidepressants , antipsychotics , and benzodiazepines . Many patients take street drugs in addition . Some claim that such self-medication is superior to the drugs prescribed by psychiatrists . There are good pharmacological reasons for believing that the prescription of synthetic cannabinoids or standardized plant extracts may have a therapeutic potential in BD .” 1
BD patients often report that their bipolar drugs “ flatten ” their emotions to where they just feel “ numb .” That feeling of consistent emotional deadness may prove worse than periodic bouts of chronic depression . Some also report that they actually enjoy their bouts of mania and are , therefore , willing to suffer through bouts of depression for the sake of maintaining bouts of mania . For these reasons and others , BD patients are notorious for going off their meds .
Perhaps the most commonly prescribed BD medication is lithium carbonate . Provided it ’ s dosed properly , Li2CO3 can often prove beneficial . The discovery of lithium for treating bipolar disorder has an interesting backstory : It was once a common practice for doctors to refer their “ melancholy ” patients to “ sanitariums ” in southwestern states ( e . g ., New Mexico , Arizona , Colorado , etc .) where mineral hot springs are common . After only a few days , patients often miraculously recovered . The effects , however , were seldom long-lasting . After analyzing the mineral content of these hot springs , it was determined that they contained an essential mineral deficient in most diets , lithium orotate . For patients sensitive to the deficiency , lithium orotate proved to be a magic elixir .
Because nature can ’ t be patented , Big Pharma altered lithium orotate into lithium carbonate . But as is so often the case with pharmaceuticals , Li2CO3 comes with dangerous side effects . Among other things , it accumulates to toxic levels in the liver leading to liver damage , hypothyroidism , and renal impairment . Moreover , to be even nominally effective , it must be taken in significantly higher doses than lithium orotate . Thankfully , lithium orotate has become widely available as a mineral supplement in many health food stores .