Mental health meds and marijuana

[LadyLaveau]

Curious here. Because my addiction is mainly genetic or inherited and I have never used psych meds of any kind and have never used marijuana. What happens if someone who is prescribed antidepressants is using marijuana at the same time???? Like what happens with the behavior and so on????

 

[Justaday]

There can be individual differences in how a person responds to medications.

Advantages of doctor-prescribed antidepressants, is having a person with an objective perspective/observation monitor it's effectiveness on the individual. Sometimes if an antidepressant is not working as well for one person, they may prescribe an alternative antidepressant and see if that works better.

Downsides of marijuana:
1) The added stresses of purchasing from criminally associated persons; closer proximity to the gangs, guns, violence and less protection. More accountability and support from the legal system seeing a medical professional vs. the politics and how things can go very wrong re: association with criminally associated (can become very dangerous, there are some sociopaths within criminal groups which can make your life a living hell, bent on exploitation of vulnerable persons, targetting them-- it's dangerous context).

Dealers might 'prescribe' other drugs (and don't truly have your best interests at heart) which can also lead to heavier problems (e.g. proximity to other hard drugs, which if you already have the addiction genetics, can create a heck of a lot more problems, much worse than the depression. Games, "oh I'm out, try this. . ." (sometimes that's a deliberate game). Dealers are closer to profit-motivation vs. medical professionals which are at least arms-length from pharmaceutical companies/profits. There's a professional oath to best care for client, and they are accountable to that oath, and just as pharmaceutical companies are accountable for their product. Street drugs can also be laced with stuff that doesn't belong there (e.g. pot laced with meth, etc. to get others more addicted so they can profit), there's some very unscrupulous dealers/gangs and you have less power over that vs. dealing with the 'medical health system'.

2) No-one to objectively monitor marijuana use, which can create conditions for mis-use, used addictively (e.g. in response to stressors, as a "quick fix", etc.), has a shorter half-life vs. antidepressants (longer acting), so aren't going to be experiencing the regular withdrawal effects which creates conditions for addiction and misuse/abuse. Psychological withdrawal, increased mood shifts, anger, etc. which can also feed addiction.

3) Risks of psychosis re: the qualities of today's marijuana which has been genetically modified to produce more THC, having the effects of increasing risks to developing psychosis. An eye-opening documentary, The Downside of High : The Downside of High : The Nature of Things with David Suzuki : CBC-TV

Untreated clinical depression can also run risks for developing psychosis-- I think the doctor-prescribed meds can help a lot to help stabilize things, making it also easier to learn healthier coping skills, life-balance, road to recovery.