I had a rather serious pychotic break 7 months ago with delusions and paranoia. I have been on meds since then and have recently started to slowly come off them. I just went from 3mg to 2 and will be off them by March next year. I have had no symptoms for 7 months and feeling great I recovered really quickly. What are the chances of a relapse if I smoke weed every now and then once I’m off the medication? I have smoked twice in the last 7 months and I was fine but that was while I was on the meds so it probably helped. What about opiates I have heard that they do not cause psychosis? My doctor said any drug that increases dopamine has the ability to cause a relapse so that’s why I’m a bit skeptical on opiates and weed. Alcohol causes a dopamine increase very slightly and I have drank nearly every weekend since my pychosis and the doctor said its okay to drink when off the medication. So what are your thoughts? Are my drug taking days over? Or is the occasional use of weed/opiates okay for me once I’m off the medication?
I would think your drug days are over, yes.
It’s not okay to do opiates or smoke weed with a psychotic illness.
Or with a history of psychotic illness. street drugs tend to bring on relapse faster and with greater severity - from what I’ve read. Do a search here on cannabis and you’ll see:
I wish I had a doctor warn me about this the way you have. I was having psychosis 11 years ago then it took 6 months on Risperdal and I was fine again. Ten years later I try going back on adderall and I’m psychotic with auditory hallucinations again. Only this time it seems permanent and I have to stay on Risperdal. Do not make the same mistake. Stay away from weed, all uppers, lsd, and pretty much all drugs. Even caffeine is considered a risk. Do the right thing for yourself. I wish my doctors back then actually knew what was going on with me.
Yeah my doctor is pretty good man. He just lets me know the facts and then it’s up to me basically. He is very experienced with the youth so he knows we take risks. He pretty much said I should not relapse ever off medication if I never take drugs or drink to much. So I guess that’s a good incentive to stay away, it just makes it hard because everyone I know and all my friends are drug takers. I would like to smoke weed in a couple years time but I gotta weigh up the risks.
I read a few study’s that says opiates are less likely to cause psychosis than alcohol… I find that hard to be true what do you guys think?
As an addict in recovery I gotta emphasize that all drugs are bad, wether they cause psychosis or not, they all have risks and honestly, they ruin lives. They ruined my life even if I didn’t have psychosis.
I say, just because your friends do it, doens’t mean you have to. Be the smart guy of the bunch and stay away from the stuff. If they’re really your friends, they’ll understand.
But taking drugs just because your friends can, and being the case you have a mental illness, it’s just not advisable.
Fvck that don’t you know that they gave you your illness you’re lucky to recover I’m stuck don’t touch that shlt
Yeah minnii fair point. I’m just gonna stick to some beers most likely when I’m off the meds if everything goes well!! My friends are good over the last 7 months they have stopped me from smoking weed when I have been drunk and they couldn’t care less if I take drugs or not so they aren’t judgemental. I have one mate though who says opiates would be fine that why I brought that question up.
the only way i could get better is to stay off drugs for almost a whole year, and since then i have not been doing any drugs and i continue to get better every day. If i went and got addicted to drugs again, all my progress in my recovery would be lost. I came to terms iwth severla things since i’ve been sober, and I think that to sum it up, drugs are plain bad for anybody, but double as bad for people with a mental disorder.
If i was you, I would focus on getting better, becoming more spiritual, and recovering from your schizophrenia.
By the way - how old are you?
Here is an interesting recommendation from a Harvard psychiatrist / researcher:
Leading Psychosis Expert To His Students: To Avoid Risk, Hold Off On Pot Til 30
Of course - if you’re already getting psychosis - he might say stay off it forever:
I’m 20 now! I started occasionally smoking when I was about 16-17 but started daily smoking for about a year and a half when I turned 18. I took mdma pretty often most weekends. My first time using ice seemed to trigger my psychosis but I have no doubt the weed didn’t help at all. I just had a read of the article. Does that mean if I get off my medication successfully next year and don’t have a relapse, after 30 years old my brain is fully developed meaning I 100% won’t ever get schizophrenia? At the moment my diagnoses is just drug induced psychosis.
I’ve seen how easy Opiates have taken lives and ruined other lives.
It’s so very easy to get addicted.
It’s best not to take any illegal drugs.
I live in a small town where drug abuse is very high. It’s really sad seeing a junkie ODing or a tweaker going crazy.
Yeah I know that I should just stay away from drugs. I have a mate who is addicted to opiates. It’s just I have always had such a need to take drugs for as long as I can remember and without drugs in my life I feel so empty and bored. I would love that escape ever now and then in the future but it’s just never worth a relapse and being put on meds for life. I worry that I might not have the self control in the future to not dable with weed or opiates therefor causing a relapse.
Do you have any hobbies or interests to keep you occupied and not feel bored?
I have just started working a little and that has helped me heaps! I think once I get off my medication (really hope that goes well) work a fair bit and move out of home with some mates I will feel a lot better and my mind won’t be thinking about drugs all the time. It’s hard though cause whenever I see people taking drugs or high I just have huge envy for them and keep getting down that I got dealt a ■■■■ hand of cards by life. I guess lots of people can relate.
Be careful with marijuana, strains with high THC and low CBD will make you psychotic.
In my personal experience, indica weed is fine, while sativa is an almost guaranteed ticket to psychosis land. The problem is that there is no way to tell the difference between the two before you take a hit. Whether you are buying off the street or buying from a legal dispensary, it’s a gamble, and most of what you will find are mixed strains with who knows what potency of either type. A good experience when one just so happens to get some indica, can make one overly confident to try more, and then you get sativa and you’re in trouble. And when considering how indica feels, it’s very similar to abusing pain killers, and the less dependency we have on chemicals the better. We already need meds either full time or to manage episodes, why add more dependency? Not really worth the risk, honestly. Music and orgasms light my brain up just fine with no mental health risks, and plus masturbation burns calories so heeeey. I smoked a lot of weed when I was younger, too, I know how hard it can be to let it go.
Doesn’t weed cause paranoia all by itself?
You might want to get therapy or join NA or a group that deals with how to manage this feeling. If you feel a craving for drugs to escape from the real world, it’s probably because you have a lot of unmet needs. You should work on identifying what those needs are, and then work on finding healthy ways to fill them. Intense exercise releases endorphins and does something with opioids receptors in the brain to give you a high feeling. It won’t be as intense or as easily accessible as doing drugs, but it is a way to still get that feeling. It also helps when you feel satisfied in life. It’s hard to feel that way when you’re so young, but keep an eye on the future. Make goals, and then work towards them.