# Medical marijuana



## rhianna (Aug 21, 2016)

Please excuse me if this has already been discussed on here recently...

Until now, I had never considered medical marijuana for DP/DR, because marijuana is what caused this for me to begin with. Why try and fight fire with fire, right? However, I recently learned more about the chemistry behind marijuana, and how it affects your reaction.

The chemical that makes us panic and dissociate is THC. It is a psychoactive drug, and it induces psychosis-like symptoms. High levels of THC over periods of time has recently been linked to various dissociative disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis. (read more) In my experience, and in the experience many of the people on here, it has also been obviously linked to DP/DR.

The other chemical in marijuana, CBD, does exactly the opposite of THC. While THC promotes anxiety, dissociation, and paranoia, CBD counteracts those effects. It relaxes you and soothes your tension and anxiety.

A balanced strain of marijuana would contain a healthy amount of CBD to combat the psychoactive effects of THC. However, a lot of modern strains tend to have a heavier amount of THC and little to no CBD. The straight-up THC is what causes all of our dissociation and anxiety.

Medical marijuana is different, because it contains high amounts of CBD and little to no THC. While using this type of marijuana, you remain fully aware and productive, with reduced anxiety. Researchers have started investigating this as a potential treatment for schizophrenia, and it's been working. (read more)

My reason for posting this is to ask for opinions on trying medical marijuana/CBD as a treatment for DP/DR, even as someone who acquired the disorder from THC. It seems promising to me that CBD appears to really help people with schizophrenia, even though that is also a disorder directly linked to THC. (Yes, I live in a state where medical marijuana is legal)

Has anyone else thought about this or tried it themselves? I'd love your input.


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## Alan (Jan 26, 2015)

> The chemical that makes us panic and dissociate is THC. It is a psychoactive drug, and it induces psychosis-like symptoms.


Indeed, it's certainly psychoactive but I've never seen a source that definitively shows THC is responsible for panic and dissociation -- it would of course follow since it's commonly said that CBD based cannabis products don't have the same potential panic inducing effects, but I'd be interested to know where people keep quoting this about THC from.



> High levels of THC over periods of time has recently been linked to various dissociative disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis. (read more) In my experience, and in the experience many of the people on here, it has also been obviously linked to DP/DR.


Strictly speaking schizophrenia, psychosis and DP/DR are different unrelated disorders but obviously the link between Cannabis and DP/DR exists otherwise half the forum population probably wouldn't be here, more's the pity.



> Why try and fight fire with fire, right?


Yeah, this is my thinking -- if you're willing to take on board the potential risks with using CBD based products more power to you but I'm still hesitant.

Although many might disregard it as silly I'm a great proponent of mindfulness meditation for anxiolytic effects -- it's free, doesn't involve messing with your brain via chemical means and you can do it practically anywhere you can shut your eyes


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2016)

I was against CBD for a while because I was against pot in general, but after becoming less ignorant and reading more and more I'm not totally against it. The only issue is you need to make sure you're getting a strain that is STRICTLY CBD, because if you're getting effects of THC, whats the point? CBD Oil is the one I have been researching since it's pure CBD, but i'm still on the fence with considering pot triggered mine, I spent years on here telling people to be smart and not smoke, so its a really tough call, but it's certainly interesting in the realm of treating anxiety/panic. I always wondered why so many said pot "calmed them down" clearly its the CBD in it.


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## rhianna (Aug 21, 2016)

Alan said:


> but I'd be interested to know where people keep quoting this about THC from.


You make a good point; I'm not sure I've yet found an original source/scientific study stating this. I believe that people have simply recognized a pattern at this point and realized that THC = uncomfortable sensations, while CBD = calming.

Personally, I'm speaking a lot from my own experience. My history with marijuana took place over the course of a couple of years. I smoked it a bit when I was younger (middle school age - I'm 18 now, college freshman) but didn't try it again until high school. I started smoking with a good friend of mine because I had horrible anxiety at the time and he said it would help. It really did help. I wasn't really smoking it recreationally, though I suppose that was part of it. I just really felt like it cleared my head, relaxed me, and brought me closer to earth for a while. The DP/DR was triggered the last time I smoked, about a year and a half ago. The friend that was providing it to me was out of town so another friend shared hers with me. That was the worst experience ever - I thought it was laced, and I was tripping on something. I haven't smoked since, nor have I been the same since.

What I recently found out is that the original friend that I would normally smoke with was actually using medical-grade marijuana. The marijuana that I smoked with the other friend was regular marijuana which is typically much higher in THC. So, I'm wondering if going back to smoking the medical-grade stuff might actually make me feel grounded and calm again. Not sure if it's worth the risk, though. Anyways, if I decide to try it, I'll definitely be seeing a doctor for it instead, to be safe.


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## Shady (Aug 29, 2016)

For me the effects of derealization started when I was like 14 or so and now I'm 21. I haven't fully understood what has been wrong with me except now. For years I thought it was the hole in my tooth that caused the feelings, because I went to a doctor and he told me it was about it.

So for years I thought it's the tooth and It'll get better when I go to a dentist. But like a few months back I went to the dentist and got the hole fixed. Yet nothing has happened so I'm pretty sure it wasn't about the tooth.

I started smoking pot 3 years back because I noticed it had some positive effects on me, like feeling positive again, which I haven't felt in years. I also noticed that different strains has different effects. Some strains could make me fully relaxed making me forget the whole thing. But then again, some strains made me overthink everything and such. So I'm pretty sure with a correct strain, you'll get some medicinal benefits from mary jane. Unfortunately, here in Finland it's illegal except medical marijuana but it's so hard to get a prescription for that.

This goes kind of off-topic but I used to drink a lot, especially when I turned 18 and made it to nightclubs. I felt like the pain was gone when I was completely messed up but the next morning I woke up I felt so shitty again.

After a while, my friend gave me some methylenedioxymetamphetamine also called as MDMA, that is a psychoactive drug (not meaning it gives you hallucinations) which releases serotonin from your brain.

After I took my dosage (0.1 grams I think or so) I felt so nervous because I had no idea what it would do. But when it really hit me I felt like I was alive again. I felt happiness, compassion, empathy, everything that I used to feel.

So everytime I went out I no more drank alcohol but instead of it I took some MDMA. But the bad thing is that if you take too much your serotonin levels will go low and it will be metabolically impossible to feel anything positive.

So think about having the feeling of derealization combined with the depression from having so low serotonin-levels in your body. Yeah that's not cool.

But now after using M for like 2 years I've noticed it too has some positive effects on this condition. Best conditions to use MDMA is in a safe place, like home, with your very good friend/girl- or boyfriend. And what you got to do is just talk. Even the talking gives so much positive vibes because it will boost the serotonin levels even more.

But the recommendation of taking MDMA max. 4 times a year ain't bullshit. With MDMA less is more, remember that if you will or have used it. And always make sure it's pure by using test kits. Ecstacy pills are almost everytime packed with some other substances than MDMA or atleast something else like amphetamines combined with MDMA, so never take them.

MDMA is also used to cure post-traumatic stress disorder. A research group tried MDMA-theraphy with 20 US soldiers that came back from Afghanistan having PTSD and 18 of them fully recovered from it after one therapy session.

It really has some medicinal benefits for curing stress and depression-based sympthoms, if consumed in healthy amounts. In the drug harm chart MDMA is considered one the worlds least dangerous drugs if you take it on safe amounts and with 3 months recovery time from last session.

But yeah, I think I'll be going to the doctors this week and tell him/her everything about what I've researched about treatments etc. Because of what I've read about anti-depressants and psychedrugs, they will only do harm to you.

Only treatment I will be going through is medical marijuana combined with psychotherapy sessions. If nature can develop an illness, it also has a cure for it. And the cure ain't research drugs made by big pharma companies only going for the profit. Marijuana also happens to kill cancer cells if consumed in very large amounts in an oil-form. But hey, if everyone could grow their own cancer-curing plants and make your own oil, how would pharma companies benefit from it?


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## Alan (Jan 26, 2015)

I might add that MDMA and SSRIs are not a good idea...


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## Shady (Aug 29, 2016)

Alan said:


> I might add that MDMA and SSRIs are not a good idea...


Yes remember this. Also MAOIs have the same effect with MDMA so be careful and know what you're doing!


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