Meds Depression

[Schnitzel777]

My grandfather passed away yesterday 3/15/2018. He's been in the hospital for a while now and was on hospice care the past few days. It was inevitable that this day would come. I never have lost anyone in my family so this is all new to me. It's very sad and I will miss my grandpa but life goes on and while there will be a period of mourning, I won't let the sadness defeat me.
Vaping helps me get through the sadness. It helps me see and realize how precious and how short life is. It makes me feel better physically and mentally.
I've suffered with depression all my life and vaping definitely has been the best medicine for me. I can't wait for the rest of the states to get on board and legalize it. Living in an illegal state (Texas) can make it difficult to find medicine but I'm hopeful and optimistic about the future.

 

[BD9]

That was a tough one to like @Schnitzel777. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Schnitzel777]

That was a tough one to like @Schnitzel777. I'm sorry for your loss.

Thank you

 

[momofthegoons]

My grandfather passed away yesterday 3/15/2018. He's been in the hospital for a while now and was on hospice care the past few days. It was inevitable that this day would come. I never have lost anyone in my family so this is all new to me. It's very sad and I will miss my grandpa but life goes on and while there will be a period of mourning, I won't let the sadness defeat me.
Vaping helps me get through the sadness. It helps me see and realize how precious and how short life is. It makes me feel better physically and mentally.
I've suffered with depression all my life and vaping definitely has been the best medicine for me. I can't wait for the rest of the states to get on board and legalize it. Living in an illegal state (Texas) can make it difficult to find medicine but I'm hopeful and optimistic about the future.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing someone close is so hard; especially the first time. It's an unfortunate part of living and growing older; people you know and love pass on.

It's good to hear that cannabis is helping through this tough time and even better to hear that it helps with your depression. I would imagine it's much like how it helps with pain; it takes your mind elsewhere. Hopefully Texas will jump on board with medicinal legalization soon and enable you to find your meds more easily.

 

[ataxian]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing someone close is so hard; especially the first time. It's an unfortunate part of living and growing older; people you know and love pass on.

It's good to hear that cannabis is helping through this tough time and even better to hear that it helps with your depression. I would imagine it's much like how it helps with pain; it takes your mind elsewhere. Hopefully Texas will jump on board with medicinal legalization soon and enable you to find your meds more easily.

OK I have DEPRESSION.

One time I was WHOLE?
Today NOT SO!
CANNABIS Made me whole?
LIKE an ACRE of DIAMOND'S (Book I read in the 70's)

Everyone that is nice we find DIAMOND'S!

@momofthegoons & @Baron23 please forgive me 4 being a problem!

Sorry if I posted it already?
$100 wine is a bit excessive?
140/OZ DUTCH TREAT + BLU DREAM = CIVILIZED (MATH 420)

 

[momofthegoons]

OK I have DEPRESSION.

One time I was WHOLE?
Today NOT SO!
CANNABIS Made me whole?
LIKE an ACRE of DIAMOND'S (Book I read in the 70's)

Everyone that is nice we find DIAMOND'S!

@momofthegoons & @Baron23 please forgive me 4 being a problem!

I think more people suffer from depression than most would realize. I'm sorry you do too ataxian.

And... you are not a problem. Far from it.

 

[ataxian]

I think more people suffer from depression than most would realize. I'm sorry you do too ataxian.

And... you are not a problem. Far from it.

Your such a NICE person!

MY SHIT is all F^CK'D UP?

 

[momofthegoons]

MY SHIT is all F^CK'D UP?

We're all some sort of fucked up. That's why we're in the Asylum!

 

[Baron23]

MY SHIT is all F^CK'D UP?

You are doing just fine. Forget what your brain is telling you, brains lie all of the time, and listen to @momofthegoons and me (cause we don't have any brains left), you are doing just fine!

We're all some sort of fucked up. That's why we're in the Asylum!


View attachment 2735

Ah, Nurse Ratchett....the woman of my dreams! LOL

 

[momofthegoons]

The Complex Relationship Between Cannabis and Serotonin That Relieves Depression

The latest studies indicate that it may be serotonin affecting cannabinoid actions in the body that relieves symptoms of depression.
Serotonin is the happiness chemical. Or at least that’s what its known for. As scientists learn more about the human endocannabinoid system, they’re learning more about serotonin, too. In doing so, they’re unlocking many secrets of cannabis and serotonin that may turn the medical world on its ear.

Serotonin and cannabis have a lot in common. They affect many of the same bodily processes and both interact with the endocannabinoid system through CB receptors. Both cannabis and serotonin improve mood and regulate anxiety. And now we know that they’re connected in our biochemistry, too.


Serotonin is classified as a monoamine neurotransmitter, which means that its job is to send information from one neuron (or nerve cell) to a target, usually another neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell. All monoamine neurotransmitters function via the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is also the special place where cannabis attaches to the body.

What is Serotonin?
Serotonin is the common name for the chemical 5-hydroxytryptamine. It naturally occurs throughout the central nervous system (most notably in the brain, bowels, and blood platelets) and performs a variety of vital and nonessential functions in the body. Officially classified as a neurotransmitter thanks to its role in passing along information between nerve cells, it has a hand in determining your bone density, sexual functionality, mood, blood clotting, and digestion, among other things.

If you’ve heard of serotonin before, it’s probably in relation to depression. Whole classes of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, are marketed to treat major depression and anxiety. Basically, SSRIs ensure that more serotonin sticks around in the brain. To be clear: scientists don’t entirely know why this works.

Depression is a hazy, nebulous disease. It’s thought to be caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain, but actually, this theory isn’t scientifically sound. Regardless, the treatment works for some people even if we’re not correct on ‘the why’.

Serotonin and Cannabis
There’s a lot of talk going around about the relationship between depression and cannabis. However, as this study from the journal Addiction Biology points out, most of the “evidence” cited for that link is inconsistent and weak. Genetics predict depression better than your history of cannabis use.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no relationship between serotonin and cannabis. In fact, the link between these may have caused the much-hyped link between depression and cannabis in the first place. The logic goes like this: if serotonin and depression are related (and maybe they are) and serotonin and cannabis are related, then depression and cannabis must be related! That’s just bad math.

In reality, cannabinoid receptors play a role in regulating serotonin activity within the body. And studies have even shown that using cannabis acts as a natural selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. So, people with depression may be consuming cannabis to self-medicate using the same mechanisms that lab-created pharmaceuticals are trying to copy. If anything, that may be the only link between depression and cannabis.

How Cannabis Reacts with Serotonin Receptors
Researchers only partially understand the relationship between cannabis and serotonin.

A 2019 study in the journal Ovid found that CBD alleviates neuropathic pain in mice by re-igniting serotonergic firing in the spinal columns. Put in a simpler way: cannabis caused the body to flush its pain centers with serotonin to decrease pain.

This process also happens naturally in the body. The CB1 receptors, which interact with both THC and CBD, also interact with body-made endocannabinoids. These open the serotonin spout in many typical pain responses.

CB1 receptors can also bind onto receptors from other systems in the body to form super receptors. This allows agents that normally interact with only one system to interact with two systems. It also allows the CB1 receptor to interact with other neurotransmitter systems, such as serotonin’s.

For example, when a CB1 receptor meets a 5-HT2A receptor, they bond and become one. When this happens, the endocannabinoid system’s agents, like THC and CBD, can affect areas like the hippocampus, dorsal striatum, and cortex. In essence, the body’s serotonin receptors mediate cannabinoids.

The ability of cannabinoids like THC and CBD to swim in serotonin’s waters could be why they’re so good at alleviating depression and anxiety — things that serotonin is naturally designed to do. It’s almost like they’re the medicine going down with the juice.

This is a complex topic, and still not completely fleshed out. But there’s no doubt that the brain’s happiness chemical and good ol’ cannabis have a lot in common. And they’ll potentially teach us much more about each other as the drumbeat of science marches on.

 

[ataxian]

You are doing just fine. Forget what your brain is telling you, brains lie all of the time, and listen to @momofthegoons and me (cause we don't have any brains left), you are doing just fine!


Ah, Nurse Ratchett....the woman of my dreams! LOL

@Baron23 you give great advice!

Women chicks babes broads whatever name you use?
Love is all we need!

 

[Disrupt]

But what's the relationship between grief and sadness and depression?

I would imagine it's much like how it helps with pain; it takes your mind elsewhere.

One theory is that prolonged grief trains our brains to be depressed. As a depressed person, perversely sought out grief and held onto it. If that's so, then taking your mind elsewhere could be protective. The effect of Prozac is similar. It doesn't change our ability to feel grief, just to hold onto it longer than is healthy.

Another beneficial effect of cannabis early on was to reveal what had triggered a depressive episode. Once one's brain is inappropriately trained and depression becomes chronic, the littlest disappointment can set it off. In those cases, it can help to see that its "cause" is disproportionate to the effect.

Disagree somewhat with pain, however. Also had a few years of chronic pain. Neither cannabis nor prescription meds helped much. Surprisingly, what did was to stop running from the pain.

What is pain but our bodies' way of alerting us to impending injury? With chronic pain, depending on its cause, there may be no such threat. Like depression, it can be neurological noise that refuses to go away when it's supposed to. In a way, running from it can give it power over us, while giving it the attention it wants pacifies it, like a crying child.

Maybe the key is to give our grief just the right amount of attention but be ready to let it go when the time is right.

 

[Madri-Gal]

My grandfather passed away yesterday 3/15/2018. He's been in the hospital for a while now and was on hospice care the past few days. It was inevitable that this day would come. I never have lost anyone in my family so this is all new to me. It's very sad and I will miss my grandpa but life goes on and while there will be a period of mourning, I won't let the sadness defeat me.
Vaping helps me get through the sadness. It helps me see and realize how precious and how short life is. It makes me feel better physically and mentally.
I've suffered with depression all my life and vaping definitely has been the best medicine for me. I can't wait for the rest of the states to get on board and legalize it. Living in an illegal state (Texas) can make it difficult to find medicine but I'm hopeful and optimistic about the future.

I'm so sorry for your loss. May you find peace and comfort in your time of grief.

 

[CarolKing]

But what's the relationship between grief and sadness and depression?



One theory is that prolonged grief trains our brains to be depressed. As a depressed person, perversely sought out grief and held onto it. If that's so, then taking your mind elsewhere could be protective. The effect of Prozac is similar. It doesn't change our ability to feel grief, just to hold onto it longer than is healthy.

Another beneficial effect of cannabis early on was to reveal what had triggered a depressive episode. Once one's brain is inappropriately trained and depression becomes chronic, the littlest disappointment can set it off. In those cases, it can help to see that its "cause" is disproportionate to the effect.

Disagree somewhat with pain, however. Also had a few years of chronic pain. Neither cannabis nor prescription meds helped much. Surprisingly, what did was to stop running from the pain.

What is pain but our bodies' way of alerting us to impending injury? With chronic pain, depending on its cause, there may be no such threat. Like depression, it can be neurological noise that refuses to go away when it's supposed to. In a way, running from it can give it power over us, while giving it the attention it wants pacifies it, like a crying child.

Maybe the key is to give our grief just the right amount of attention but be ready to let it go when the time is right.

How about distinguishing the difference between depression and anxiety? Depression can be ongoing and anxiety mushrooms to the surface then goes away. I can wake up with a full blown anxiety attack not knowing what triggered it. Maybe I had a bad dream but often I don’t know. There’s anxiety that I know what the precursor was. Cannabis helps me. I don’t think everyone can handle cannabis if they have anxiety. Some folks weed makes things worse. I’ve never had any luck with CBD, it’s been a waste of money for me.

My husband passed away and I found that I couldn’t deal with the depression and anxiety even though cannabis helped. I was put on Effexor and it made a world of difference for me. I know some put down drugs for depression and anxiety but you have to find and search for answers that can make you feel better. It was hard feeling sad all the time.

I agree the brain gets used to being depressed or having anxiety.

 

[momofthegoons]

Good to see you @CarolKing

My husband passed away and I found that I couldn’t deal with the depression and anxiety even though cannabis helped. I was put on Effexor and it made a world of difference for me. I know some put down drugs for depression and anxiety but you have to find and search for answers that can make you feel better. It was hard feeling sad all the time.

I'm glad you found something to make you feel a bit better. There's no reason for anyone to not take a medication if it will help. It's a personal choice.

 

[Disrupt]

There's no reason for anyone to not take a medication if it will help. It's a personal choice.

It's a difficult choice. On Prozac for more than 25 years now. Withdrawal is very real. Tried to wean off it several times, but failed. The few who succeed sometimes take years rather than months. It's probably fine to take Prozac for life, but it was prescribed at 28 years of age with no clear exit strategy. No way to tell if it was the right choice, better or worse, after so many years.

 

[Marlon Rando]

Maybe the key is to give our grief just the right amount of attention but be ready to let it go when the time is right.

This

 

[Baron23]

I don’t think everyone can handle cannabis if they have anxiety. Some folks weed makes things worse.

Absolutely true, IME. For me, cannabis makes me socially awkward.....I'm generally pretty articulate (yes...and verbose! haha) but cannabis seems to make me quiet and much less verbal. Then I get self-conscious about that and get anxious I'm a bore, I'm freaking people out, I'm saying stupid shit...whatever.

But, at 66 I don't have a lot of vaping friends and use cannabis almost entirely at home alone....so, no worries! haha

I’ve never had any luck with CBD, it’s been a waste of money for me.

Me too but I don't think med science has any idea of the proper doseage aside that for children with seizure disorders and for them its a small dose. I suspect that for neuropathic pain and anxiety, the effective dose may be much higher...maybe 300mg...who knows....and at the prices today that's hard to handle. I mean, say I'm vaping 10% CBD cannabis....I'd have to vape three grams of that flower if vaping was 100% efficient, which it is not. Be more like 4-5 grams depending on the vape. And 300mg from one of our dispensaries in an infusion or tincture...fahgettaboudit!

My husband passed away

Recently? Did this just occur recently????

I know some put down drugs for depression and anxiety but you have to find and search for answers that can make you feel better. It was hard feeling sad all the time.

Who cares what others think...they aren't curled up, naked, on the stair well, in the middle of the day, sobbing hysterically and not knowing why (Uh....that was me...I have had two bouts of acute clinical depression in my life...but not for 20 years, thankfully). Let others squander their lives wandering the wasteland of true depression....we are smarter than that and want to live our lives fully. So....in a word...fuck them....well, that was two words.

 

[Madri-Gal]

My husband died from depression. He was a very successful man, but deeply ashamed of his depression, and didn't want to get help. He felt to take medication was weak. Eventually, he was persuaded to see first a therapist, than a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist prescribed the newly available Prozac, before it was Prozac. Six weeks later, Madri-Gone was dead by his own hand.
He never filled the prescription, of course, but this was unknown. He seemed to be cheering up, and getting things done. Business was tied up, the garden readied for Spring, family and friends visited or phoned. It looked like the cloud had passed, as it had many times before.
It hadn't, of course. I wish he'd filled the prescription. Better that he'd taken a medication than taken his life. If you are depressed, do what you can to stay alive.

 

[CarolKing]

@Baron23 my husband passed away almost a year and a half a go. I had let @momofthegoons know. It’s been a really rough time. He was only 61 and had much more to do in life, We were married a long time. I didn’t know what I was going to do without him. I was sleeping all the time when I wasn’t working. Was experiencing terrible cycles of anxiety that would last for days. I was waiting for the next horrible thing to happen. Every stressful thing was a huge deal. I went to my family doctor and started therapy and was asked if I wanted to start medication. This was around this last December (2018) that I started medication. It took two months for the meds to kick in - it was a long two months.