I have been smoking weed nearly everyday for 1 and a half years and was a moderately-heavy drinker for about 9 months (get smashed on the weekends). I feel like I keep getting more depressed all the time, and have been having some strange symptoms. Even when I'm not high, I tend to have sound hallucinations occasionally. (I think I hear random noises) and have also had some visual (nothing too crazy, just think I see things for a brief moment). I've also been having some really depressing thoughts all the time, such as there's no meaning to life and etc... I'm getting very untolerant with friends and family, and have already lost a majority of my friends because I just have no ambition to do anything with them. Overall, I just really feel like my general way of thinking has drastically changed.
Schizophrenia doesn't run in my family, but I'm not sure if it can be triggered through ways other than genetics. Has anyone else experienced this with weed? Am I just being a little emo ***** or did I actually f*** up my brain?
Update:Thanks for your answers so far. I haven't drank in a while so I doubt the alcohol could have contributed much. If it also helps, I smoke about 2 blunts a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. But still, I usually smoke more than half an ounce worth of weed per week.
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There are a lot of theorized causes of schizophrenia. There seems to be a genetic predispostion, but all sorts of factors have been suggested to promote schizophrenia, from certain parasitic infections to the age of your father to lack of proper nutrition in the womb. Drug exposure could also be a promoting factor, although it's also entirely possible to develop schizophrenia without drug exposure.
What you describe sounds like it warrants investigation. It could be that you have depression and minor hallucinations as two different phenomena (some healthy people hallucinate occasionally), or it could be that you are on your way to developing schizophrenia that could pose serious problems if left untreated.
With our without drugs, I would definitely get your symptoms checked out. Whether it's depression or schizophrenia, they could seriously mess up your life if you let them continue untreated. It also wouldn't hurt to cut back on or stop the weed and see if that improves things. People have different reactions to weed, and for all we know it could be a major cause of the issues you've been experiencing.
Some people actually benefit form weed, but I've known some people who had really bad reactions to it. You probably won't know if it's a cause of your problems until you lay off it for a while and see if things change.
Yes, I do. Marijuana has been shown to have medicinal properties, and without the need for illegal grow-ops, there would be less theft of power, less houses accidentally burning down due to shoddy operations, and less crime related to "protecting ones' operations" etc. The criminal aspect of it would be gone. I speak from experience when I say that being under the influence of marijuana is WAAAY less risky than alcohol, and I know many people that function completely normal after smoking pot, but I cant say the same for those drinking booze. So how come booze is legal? Drunk driving is a serious crime and risky to both the driver, any passengers, and other drivers on the road. It effects your ability to make snap judgements. I dont feel that marijuana is the same. I've driven many times after smoking one and I've never had an issue. Ever. And I have been a smoker for 20+ years. I would never drive after having a few drinks though, I KNOW I wouldnt be safe doing so. If the government were to regulate it, and have legal grow-ops, the strength of the marijuana could also be regulated. I truly believe there would be a drop in crime were it legal.
Neither Marijuana or Alcohol can cause schizophrenia! However "excessive" use of either substance can lead to forms of depression. Think about it, if your always high the pain is suppressed! When your not high it all wells back up!
I think that you should definitely seek help for the Schizophrenia. This is nothing to mess around with and there are ways to manage it and actually live a normal productive life! Best of luck!
Yes, smoking marijuana has been shown to cause a psychosis to develop - including schizophrenia.
Refer to:
http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention/streetdrug...
im a heavy smoker and drinker my self, yes that does happen.... they are both downers... and does make depressed... i also hear some stuff too, and catch a glimps of things in my perrifrial until i look and realize i was just tripping... get on an anti depressent before u lose everyone
Weed is actually very healthy. It can solve a lot of medical problems, but the sauce will kill you. I'd lay off the alcohol, and get blazed more often. :]
Yea. But it depends on how much you do it