Can I Treat My Bipolar Disorder With Marijuana?

May 23, 2017 - Addiction Treatment, Substance Abuse - 0 Comments

One morning I woke up feeling dreadful, as I usually did, but on this particular day I decided I had enough, and I went back to sleep. I slept most of the day away, and when I couldn’t sleep anymore, I smoked some weed and went back to sleep. I didn’t take my medication, because it made me feel really weird, like a zombie. I’d rather be high.

I had been to numerous doctors, but they just gave me more pills that didn’t work. I couldn’t stay in bed for the rest of my life, so the next day I decided to try one more time to find a doctor who could help me. This was no easy task, since my bipolar disorder had left me without a job and on the system. There are many doctors who don’t take Medicaid, and I didn’t have any money. I had spent the last of that on a bag of weed.

Help and Hope

After doing an online search, I did find a new doctor who explained that using marijuana was actually making my bipolar symptoms worse. After he found a combination of medications that worked for me, he referred me to a rehab facility for my addiction and gave me the following advice:

• Have an open mind about treatment
• Drink plenty of water
• Pack comfortable clothes
• Get plenty of sleep before you go
• Bring a journal to document your feelings
• Inform all staff that you are bipolar
• Ask questions to learn and grow
• Ask for a referral for aftercare

I did 30 days as an inpatient where they helped me detox. After that was over with, I had therapy sessions, both in a group and one-on-one where I learned the cause of my addiction, what triggers make me feel like I need to smoke, and how to avoid or navigate those triggers.

Two therapies, in particular, cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational therapy provided me with the tools I needed to kick marijuana to the curb once and for all.

After that, I was referred to an outpatient program. Not only did that program keep me on track, it also offered several other things that my inpatient experience did not, which was:

• The opportunity to get a job while in therapy
• Ability to choose day or night programs so that it coincided with my schedule
• Time to visit my aging mother on a regular basis
• Develop confidence that I can resist the temptation of smoking again now that I was out of inpatient rehab
• Learn from various incentive programs

Do You Need Marijuana Rehab?

While many people believe that smoking weed is harmless, there are a few red flags we should all be aware of:

• Smoking even though you know it will impair your ability to do your best
• Lose hours or even days due to being high
• Continue to smoke even after friends and family warn you that it is dangerous
• Be unable to quit smoking, despite how many times you have tried
• Choose to get high before attending family functions or work events

If any of these things are happening in your life, you need to seek treatment as soon as possible.

I am now living a sober life, and my bipolar is well controlled. I have a full-time job, my own apartment, and I recently adopted a cat from the local animal shelter to take care of.

Getting sober has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I wake up happy to face the day ahead. You can do it too!

Lighthouse Treatment Center, located in sunny Southern California, is one of the select group of centers that provides gender specific addiction treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, please call Lighthouse Treatment Center today for help. We are happy to provide a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced treatment advisors. Help is available now.