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http://healthcurecenter.com/marijuana-for-bipolar-disorder-and-anxiety/ (03/01/2016)
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oldest known illnesses with records of its
existence dating back thousands of years.
But today, doctors are faced with a greater
challenge when it comes to treating the
condition. The challenge is drug abuse; a
problem that affects only 6% of the general
population yet plagues more than 50% of all
patients with bipolar disorder.
Interestingly, cannabis appears to be the
drug of choice for these patients, which has
led many to question its role in the treatment
of this age-old disorder.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder (also known as bipolar
affective disorder ) causes dramatic mood
swings in patients, alternating between
states of depression and mania. Mania can
range from moderate levels of energy and
excitement to symptoms of psychosis, such
as erratic and delusional behaviours.
regulator that is present in all humans.
Interestingly, research suggests that certain
cannabinoids found in marijuana (i.e. THC
and CBD) may have significant moodstabilising properties that could be beneficial
for patients with the disorder.
Studies have shown that THC, under certain
conditions, can have anti-anxiety, hypnotic
and antidepressant effects, resulting in
improvements in mood and overall well
being in normal subjects as well as in
patients suffering from pain, multiple
sclerosis or cancer. CBD seems to counter
the psychoactive effects produced by high
doses of THC and may also possess antianxiety, hypnotic and anticonvulsant
properties of its own.
Researchers have also identified a link
between cannabis use and cognitive
improvements in patients with schizophrenia
± a finding could explain evidence of similar
improvements in bipolar disorder.
Experts say that approximately 4% of the
population will fit the criteria of bipolar
disorder at some point in their lives. And
while the underlying cause has yet to be
identified, there are a variety of treatment
options available for patients.
What Studies Say
A number of recent studies have set out to
determine the effects of cannabis use on
patients with bipolar disorder and have
provided some thought-provoking findings.
The first-line of treatment is lithium, which
acts to reverse symptoms of mania, but other
mood-stabilizers (anticonvulsants) and
antipsychotics are commonly used as well.
In 2012, researchers at the University of
Oslo in Norway published the results of a
study conducted on 133 bipolar patients.
What they found was that patients who used
medicinal cannabis regularly actually
performed better than non-users on tests of
verbal fluency and learning, although
improvements in learning were not
statistically significant.
On the other hand, current pharmaceutical
therapies subject patients to a wide range of
side effects, which can sometimes outweigh
the benefits of the treatments themselves. As
a result, some are beginning to turn to
medical cannabis ± a sparsely recommended
treatment option that is gradually becoming
more noticed as research progresses.
How Can Medicinal Cannabis Help?
Medical
Cannabis
acts
on
the
endocannabinoid system ± a homeostatic
In another study, published in 2015 by
researchers at the Zucker Hillside Hospital
in New York, regular medicinal cannabis
use was linked to higher levels of attention,
processing speed and memory among the
200 bipolar patients that the researchers
followed over a 9-year span.