As is often the case with mental disorders , BD patients are prone to “ self-medicating ,” alcohol being a favorite . Self-medicating may provide some temporary relief , but over time may worsen symptoms . Given that BD patients also commonly experience anxiety , with cyclical bouts of deep depression , self-medicating to relieve symptoms is understandable . This is especially true where the patient has been prescribed a cocktail of meds that prove ineffective , if not worsening symptoms . BD patients are also at risk should they combine their prescription bipolar meds with alcohol and street drugs . This can result in unpleasant drug interactions . The same applies to combining BD meds with cannabis . Even cross-fading ( combining alcohol with cannabis ) can prove problematic for BDs .
“ I hate being bipolar ; it ’ s awesome !”
~ Kanye West
The long-standing hostility against cannabis by the psychiatric establishment has proven a significant impediment to clinical research in determining its effectiveness in treating BD . As such , studies are scant and generally quite biased against cannabis . In an effort to prove that cannabis is dangerous , one thing they have studied is the correlation between adolescent cannabis abuse and the potential for triggering early-onset BD . While correlation does not equal causation , the use of medical cannabis in developing brains should be approached with caution .
What of adult BD patients and cannabis ?
Anecdotally we know that many BD patients claim they ’ ve achieved results far superior to any prescription meds and without all the unpleasant side effects . Medical cannabis calms the hyperactivity typical of hypomania and mania , as well as lifting mood during episodes of depression . It ’ s important to note , however , that THC is bi-phasic , meaning that a little can help while too much can exacerbate symptoms ( particularly anxiety ).
BD patients commonly report they receive the best relief from strains that are calming such as Indica and Indica-dominant hybrids . The safest approach is to seek out 1:1 strains , i . e ., equal parts CBD to THC , if not even greater parts CBD . Micro-dosing is also safest , i . e ., start with a very low dose and increase slowly until the desired effect is achieved . The immediate effect achieved by smoking and vaping is safer than edibles because edibles are far more challenging to titrate due to the lag time it takes for the liver to process and take effect .
1 . Cannabinoids In Bipolar Affective Disorder , C . H . Ashton , et al
Peter Kershaw is a Patient Caregiver , an organic cannabis cultivation consultant , and extraction consultant . Contact him at
pkershaw . email @ gmail . com or text to 417-230-4445 . As with all writers within these pages , if you ’ ve benefited from Peter ’ s articles , please let him and all writers know . They appreciate your thoughts .
Notice : The information contained herein is not intended as medical advice , diagnosis or treatment , but rather a sharing of knowledge and information based on research and experience . The content is for general informational purposes only .