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Sharing what helps with Autism

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Sweetleaf
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17 May 2011, 12:58 am

MrLoony wrote:
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The link between cannabis and other more common mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety is confusing, because often cannabis is used to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Cannabis may seem to help ease depression before the effects of the drug wear off; however after that, smoking cannabis may make depression worse. Those who use cannabis have been shown to have higher levels of depression and depressive symptoms than those who do not use cannabis. Although results are mixed, there is a substantial amount of evidence to suggest that cannabis use, particularly frequent or heavy use, predicts depression later in life. Young women appear to be more likely to experience this effect.


Personally, I think this is true of a lot of prescription medication (while taking it, you do well, when not, you do worse). I guess the difference between cannabis and anti-depressants is that (usually) people can function well on anti-depressants, but really can't on cannabis (thus, during times when you need to function well, cannabis can actually be an inhibiting factor).

However, the main thing to consider with this sort of thing is that the effects of really anything vary from person to person. For some people, anti-depressants cause increased depression. So, for some people, I have no doubt that cannabis has long term beneficial effects on depression. Medicine works on the principles of the majority. On the majority, it seems to have an overall negative effect. On the minority, it could help. It could also cause addiction if you're in the majority, so the overall negative effect would be even worse (it's also more difficult to stop since most cannabis addicts don't... or perhaps CAN'T recognize the fact that they're addicted). Yeah.

It's fine to recognize the fact that you're different. Just don't think that that makes you wrong.


Well the thing with cannabis is I don't have to be 'on it' all the time for my depression to be decreased....like with anti-depressants, not to mention anti-depressants do not have pleasent effects on me.



MrLoony
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17 May 2011, 1:32 am

As I said, for some people, it may have the opposite effect. For the majority, though, it would increase depression when not high.

(And, while I'm not saying this is what is happening, I can't help but wondering if the addictive effects is just producing an illusion of lessened depression. You'd be surprised how easy it is to be fooled by addictive effects, which is another reason to use caution when approaching cannabis)

Personally, I have issues with most drugs. I don't even like taking aspirin. I only will if the pain absolutely stops me from doing anything and I can't get rid of it any other way (self-massage, energy focus, etc).

Edit: This has nothing to do with side effects or anything. The reason is ineffable, so don't even bother trying.


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Sweetleaf
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17 May 2011, 1:44 am

MrLoony wrote:
As I said, for some people, it may have the opposite effect. For the majority, though, it would increase depression when not high.

(And, while I'm not saying this is what is happening, I can't help but wondering if the addictive effects is just producing an illusion of lessened depression. You'd be surprised how easy it is to be fooled by addictive effects, which is another reason to use caution when approaching cannabis)

Personally, I have issues with most drugs. I don't even like taking aspirin. I only will if the pain absolutely stops me from doing anything and I can't get rid of it any other way (self-massage, energy focus, etc).

Edit: This has nothing to do with side effects or anything. The reason is ineffable, so don't even bother trying.


Well if someone does not have depression it probably would not really make them depressed, but yes for some with depression it can make it worse. Also I do not feel addicted.......I can go without it I just prefer not to because then I feel just as depressed as I did before I started. I do not like asprin or tylenol or any of that because they have potentially unpleasent side effects and do not do much about the pain..I can just use the cannabis for that to.