Posted by pelorojo on June 10, 2003, at 13:45:47
In reply to Re:, posted by Questionmark on June 10, 2003, at 0:36:32
I'm of the opinion that marijuana, as with many other substances, can help some, hurt others, and be non-beneficial/neutral (depending on how you look at it) for the rest.
If you're a regular smoker & depressed, suddenly stopping may not be a good idea. Or maybe it would, if that's the only way you can stop.
I have read some places that marijuana is a serotonin antagonist. Though I have no citations and there is probably information somewhere that contradicts that.
Some think that the cannabinoids in marijuana help the amygdala "forget" things, which could be good if you've had trauma. On the other hand, it's probably a nonselective forgetting, which may not be helpful.
One thing about marijuana that I think is definitely pro-depressive is weight gain. But maybe some don't have that effect or need to gain weight.
As you can see I have multiple views on the issue I have not fully integrated. My hunch is that it may not be harmful but that it's also probably not helpful. So in other words it may be a barrier to you getting better even though it's not the underlying reason you got depressed.
As far as mixing it with an SSRI, who knows. That's the problem - no one really knows. So you've got a fragile mental system (since it's burdened by depression) and you're adding a pharmaceutical. On top of that you're adding another drug of varying quality, strength, and effect. Seems as if the results are far too unpredictable in an already delicate situation to take on too much additional risk.
poster:pelorojo
thread:232637
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030609/msgs/232916.html