Posted by TF on October 9, 2003, at 2:03:41
Has anyone had the feeling in the course of your depression that you're on some sort of street drug (i.e. marijuana)? This has been a huge source of paranoia for me, because many of my symptoms coincide with those that a marijuana addict might get (Although, I've never touched a joint in my life, and not even sure what cannabis smells like). I think my brother might be smoking weed in the house, but I can't really see any smoke. I just smell this sickeningly-sweet residual oroma when I'm coming in from outside soemtimes, or when I'm in my room (strangely, after smelling it in my room, when I walk around the rest of the house there's no smell.)
My big question is (if he does smoke in the house, or in the basement) if this kind of exposure can damage my brain? And what kind of time table I'm looking at for long term damage/exposure.
Could this scent be a psychosomatic delusion brought on by getting myself worked up on finding a cause for my mental defficiency? I've noticed my mother's mental capacity has dropped as well, and this is what worries me. We're beginning to share unfavorable (absentminded) mannerisms with my brother. Could it be bad genes just beginning to show up after turning 21 (i'm 22 now)?
Also, does anyone know if there's a way to test for marijuana at such a low rate of exposure? My brother will never admit to smoking weed, much less in the house (I've confronted him on it many times), so testing is really my only hope. I can't very well remove myself from the environment, and I fear there's already long term damage. Will the effects of marijuana show up on an MRI, or will my now slightly lower than average brain power (I was once very bright) come off as normal?
poster:TF
thread:267131
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031004/msgs/267131.html