smoking weed for depression?

 I have clinical depression that I have been struggling with since I was a kid. It didn't really show up though until I was a freshman in high school. I would have to say my freshman year was my breaking point. I believe the main factor that brought my depression into being was all of the stress from the homework load that I would get at my school as well as the anxiety . My mother always sent me to the hardest private schools that she could find ever since I was in elementary. I've always had to deal with depression and anxiety as well because of this. Many days I felt like committing suicide. Well finally when I broke down because of all the depression I went to several psychologist. I took Lexapro for depression but that created more problems than solutions. I went to this one psychologist (still go to this day) and he prescribed Cymbalta for depression and also Clonzapam for anxiety. Well after months and even years of changing the dosages I am now at a point where I am content with my emotional being. But there is just one thing..I also smoke pot. I've been smoking probably since my sophomore year in high school and I am now a sophomore in college. It seems like it seems to help with my depression,anxiety, ect..I know I am also taking these medications but It seems like it really helps when I smoke too. I'm just always a happier more alive person who enjoys doing stuff. I like to smoke a little each week. Is this wrong?

I don't think it actually helps your depression, as much as it suppresses the thoughts and feelings that come with it, which makes it seem better I suppose. I won't say if it's wrong or not because quite honestly, I am not qualified to tell you what or what to not do, especially since I've never tried weed myself. Not sure if Giant Bomb is the place for this discussion at all.

That would just make me feel MORE anxious.

Is it prescription? Talk to your doctor about it and say it helps with the other medication, maybe they can offer an alternative product.

It's not wrong. I know what it's like because your story sounds almost exactly like mine, and I know how hard it can get. Don't worry about if it's wrong or not, if it helps you calm down it's definitely not wrong. But then again, don't get carried away with it because it can become dirty and expensive. 
 
But I can't believe your doctor is prescribing you Clonazepam. It's a seriously addictive drug. I was on it once and then was taken off because I liked it too much. I have little tablets of Lorazepam for whenever I feel like a panic attack from anxiety is coming on, and I was on Effexor, Paxil, and Zoloft. 
 
I've never heard of Lexapro or Cymablta, but I know what you mean when you say that smoking feels good when you're on SSRIs. It's good to hear that you're content with your emotions. It takes a long time to get there. I'm jealous because I'm still in the process of finding that balance. 

Who needs drugs when you have Noby Noby Boy?
 
 
 

" Who needs drugs when you have Noby Noby Boy?

I have OCD and I smoke fair amount smoke marijuana, it's not prescribed, living in the UK and all but it sure as hell makes the condition easier to manage. That and it's really nice and I would do it anyway. 
 
I don't know if this topic will fly well with the mods.

Of course it's not wrong, if it works for you keep doing it. Unless you have a reason to believe the weed might be making your depression worse I wouldn't worry about it.

As a Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer I've thought about trying Weed to help with pain, but never took the final step to actually seeing if it would help. Though I have powerful painkillers which help me out when it gets tough. 

Ya u sound like me 
except my depression started wen i was a freshman  
and i ended up smoking cigarettes, weed, and drinking every weekend 
im only a junior in high school now tho

I personally use it as a method for controlling my depression sometimes. Obviously the best way to combat those feelings is mind over matter, but I'll be the first to admit that this can work just as much as it doesn't work for me. If you have no anxiety associated with the effects of weed then I'd say go for it, but be careful not to overuse it as a treatment.

" It's not wrong. I know what it's like because your story sounds almost exactly like mine, and I know how hard it can get. Don't worry about if it's wrong or not, if it helps you calm down it's definitely not wrong. But then again, don't get carried away with it because it can become dirty and expensive.  But I can't believe your doctor is prescribing you Clonazepam. It's a seriously addictive drug. I was on it once and then was taken off because I liked it too much. I have little tablets of Lorazepam for whenever I feel like a panic attack from anxiety is coming on, and I was on Effexor, Paxil, and Zoloft.  I've never heard of Lexapro or Cymablta, but I know what you mean when you say that smoking feels good when you're on SSRIs. It's good to hear that you're content with your emotions. It takes a long time to get there. I'm jealous because I'm still in the process of finding that balance.  "

using anything that can act as a depressant to cure depression isn't smart. It would be akin to me telling you to drink while depressed. 

cannabis > anti-depressants

Forum rules: 

1. NO discussion of illegal activities.
1.  Use of illegal drugs and substances.      
just sayin'.

Hey, whatever works. Who am I to judge. I just doubt that it's a solid longterm solution.

there's virtually nothing wrong with smoking weed scientifically, but abusing it may become a problem psychologically. It's kinda weird cause I get into those guilty feelings whenever I get stoned, which is why I never smoke alone. Hopefully you should be able to enjoy stuff even without the grass. But hey try playing video games while stoned? The experience is indescribably unique. But I don't encourage it all the time though.:D

" Forum rules: 

1. NO discussion of illegal activities.
1.  Use of illegal drugs and substances.      
just sayin'.

"

Life is fucking hard. Use what you gotta use. 

" I have OCD and a smoke fair amount smoke marijuana, it's not prescribed, living in the UK and all but it sure as hell makes the condition easier to manage. That and it's really nice and I would do it anyway. "

" @dr_nefarious: It's good that you're trying an alternative to medication, because that stuff is terrible. The main problem I have with pot is that a lot of people use it as a crutch. I've seen people with depression smoke weed, and it's not uncommon to see them increase their "dosage" every time their life gets tough. It's not helping them deal with their problems, it's an escape. Obviously, not everyone is like this. I don't have a problem with Marijuana per se, I just think that too often people rely on it to solve all their problems.  Before turning to drugs (prescription or otherwise) I'd take a look at some other factors that could be contributing to your anxiety. Do you exercise regularly? Do you eat right? Do you work long hours? Do you have a normal sleep pattern? Do you get out with friends often? Those are the biggest factors for me (and I'd guess most other people), but it's really easy for them all to slip at the same time. I have to be careful to make sure that doesn't happen. You just have to look at what's causing your anxiety, and do your best to correct the problem. "

I'll assume you're not joking. 
 
The negative side effects that MJ causes will only act as a catalyst for your depression. If you're clincially depressed, your doctor/psychiatrist should be helping you. If you tell them you're doing MJ too, they'd frown upon it because it's obviously a stupid idea. 
 
Your life though.

" there's virtually nothing wrong with smoking weed scientifically, but abusing it may become a problem psychologically. "

" there's virtually nothing wrong with smoking weed scientifically, but abusing it may become a problem psychologically. It's kinda weird cause I get into those guilty feelings whenever I get stoned, which is why I never smoke alone. Hopefully you should be able to enjoy stuff even without the grass. But hey try playing video games while stoned? The experience is indescribably unique. But I don't encourage it all the time though.:D "

Go outside and play with friends... You should have grown some balls and told your mom to stop sending you to tough schools. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop trying to pay for happiness.

" using anything that can act as a depressant to cure depression isn't smart. It would be akin to me telling you to drink while depressed.  "

" Forum rules: 

1. NO discussion of illegal activities.
1.  Use of illegal drugs and substances.      
just sayin'.

"

While I do realize that depression is a serious issue, (my girlfriend has it) and it not just effects you, it effects all others around you (believe it or not) I really don't recommend using weed as a way to alleviate your depression.  It just suppresses the problem to deal with another day, have you tried to seek professional help? I would imagine it stems from something in your life, or within yourself.

" using anything that can act as a depressant to cure depression isn't smart. It would be akin to me telling you to drink while depressed.  "

I don't know much about depression, but I don't endorse drug use. 

" While I do realize that depression is a serious issue, (my girlfriend has it) and it not just effects you, it effects all others around you (believe it or not) I really don't recommend using weed as a way to alleviate your depression.  It just suppresses the problem to deal with another day, have you tried to seek professional help? I would imagine it stems from something in your life, or within yourself. "

@dr_nefarious et. all: I really just recommend you ignore Dante...he's just a troll so you feed his troll-ey-ness.

"its like a pussy blog they stand up just to get smacked, wow i love it,,,,,,,,, and for real i now its serious im just fucking around people are to up tight now in days, "

If your problem is a chemical imbalance in the brain, then im not sure if weed will help.  If there is a problem in your life like stress or school then weed will make you forget about it but not actually solve the problem.  I would generally advice trying to solve or come up with better ways to deal with the issues at hand, rather than brain manipulation, but that's just me. 

" @Dantekiller: Trolling isn't appreciated around these parts, you know. I could lead to banning. I hope it does in your case. You are the reason I hate a lot of people in the world.
 
@dr_nefarious: "It's in imbalance of brain chemicals" is what actual scientists have proven. Why people seem to have such a hard time to grasp that just because they've had it easier is beyond me. I really wish people would have some empathy for people who have it rough. The world would be a much better place if it was. "

@Skillface

" @Dantekiller said:

"its like a pussy blog they stand up just to get smacked, wow i love it,,,,,,,,, and for real i now its serious im just fucking around people are to up tight now in days, "

.........What?  Am I the only one who does not understand a single word that this kid is typing?   "

" @Singeslayer said:

" While I do realize that depression is a serious issue, (my girlfriend has it) and it not just effects you, it effects all others around you (believe it or not) I really don't recommend using weed as a way to alleviate your depression.  It just suppresses the problem to deal with another day, have you tried to seek professional help? I would imagine it stems from something in your life, or within yourself. "

Why hasn't anyone posted this earlier?  Logically, here is how I look at OP:  1) Most likely is a whiny bitch who wants to complain about their problems and would merit from a spoonful of grow the hell up and find a pair. 2) Could be genuinely depressed and is opening his serious condition to the discussion of the internet for some batshit reason.  If this is the case, then marijuana helping your condition is all in your head, which further points to the fact that your condition is too. 3) Even if for some scientific unknown reason marijuana is alleviating the issues of depression, it's only a temporary band aid for the symptoms, not the actual sickness.  Which is eventually going to make this worse, because whatever is the problem, you're leaving it alone or making it worse by mixing illegal substances with prescribed medical ones.  In short, I see no justification for you smoking pot to alleviate your "issue" with depression. "

" @JJWeatherman said:

" Forum rules: 

1. NO discussion of illegal activities.
1.  Use of illegal drugs and substances.      
just sayin'.

"

If it's medicinal use it's hardly illegal. And as other people have pointed out depending on where you live there's questionable legality. I've got a piece of paper that says I can smoke cannabis here in California, so it's not illegal. Therefore I can talk about smoking weed right? Don't be a douche for no reason, this is a serious discussion.  "  

" Go outside and play with friends... You should have grown some balls and told your mom to stop sending you to tough schools. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop trying to pay for happiness. "

" @SteamPunkJin said:

" @JJWeatherman said:

" Forum rules: 

1. NO discussion of illegal activities.
1.  Use of illegal drugs and substances.      
just sayin'.

"

If it's medicinal use it's hardly illegal. And as other people have pointed out depending on where you live there's questionable legality. I've got a piece of paper that says I can smoke cannabis here in California, so it's not illegal. Therefore I can talk about smoking weed right? Don't be a douche for no reason, this is a serious discussion.  "  

The OP doesn't explicitly state it's been prescribed, therefore I assume it hasn't been in which case it is illegal. Take your own advice, and don't be a douche for no reason.  In case you've forgotten, the whole topic of conversation is whether or not it's wrong that the OP is smoking weed. Weed topics get locked. "

And guys stop feeding the troll that is Dantekiller.

Well, I don't advocate what Rockdalf said, it seems a tad insensitive. 

I do understand it is a scientific thing, (hey, they have a whole field dedicated to it and other issues similar) but I guess the point I was trying to make is I don't think drugs will solve your problems. Is it that you're prescribed drugs are not working at all? Or is they are not working to your satisfaction? Either way, it may be time for a dosage/medicine change. I only have a cursory knowledge of what anti-depressants do for the brain, but I do know that usually there is a lot of trial and error associated with picking the perfect one for your body. Frustrating, I'm sure

" Life isn't worth living. Sweet death is your only release. "