does anybody smoke pot? | ADHD Information

I have smoked more than enough and I can tell you completely ADD and POT don't mix at all. Its like youve got an extreme version. I go hypo while most relax etc. It slows the frontal lobe. PS If you experience an improvement you should investigate whwther you actually have ADD could be something else with like symptoms.When I did, I noticed that my brain moved incredibly fast. It was as if my eyes were standing still and massive amounts of thoughts and information was zooming by like millions of race cars. It was amazing, however, I don't now how I could function in that state now.

i do.

but a few details.

i have smoked chronically for the better part of 25 yrs. it has been only recently that i have started to think about my reasons for doing it. i notice that even among potheads my use is different. that is i prefer small doses throughout the day. i don't like to get too buzzed.

i also do not like to use drugs recreationally. i did my share of experimenting as a youth in the 70's, but outside of smoking weed i don't use. i rarely drink alcohol, and when i do it isn't much. i don't even like to take legal medicines. i fought taking meds for depression even though i was in dire need of some relief at certain points.

what i started to realize as i looked for the answer to what forces were at work in my brain that were causing me so much trouble and heartache, was that i smoked to alter my behaviour. i do not smoke to avoid feeling the pains of life and relationships. i smoke to be "mellow". without it i am frequently too on edge to function normally in life.

i get too intense. i guess that would be the feeling like a motor is running in me all the time. i react too intensely. i get mad too easily. my frustration boils over too quickly. i'm being driven so hard i can't think straight.

what i have begun to realise, is that i use it to self-medicate. anything that can help me be calmer is something i'll take an interest in. but there is a price for using it as a medicine.

i think that even though it has benefitted me in terms of slowing me down, helping cut out some of the chatter, and helping my motor idle, it has also helped to cut me off from the "straight" world, does make me somewhat fuzzy, and does not always help me focus any better. plus it often sedates me beyond what is neccessary.

 i've been slowly becoming convinced that the weed covered up some of my symptoms, because being spacey, distractable, and forgetful are all side effects of smoking the devil weed. i enjoy using it as it is, but i would also like to feel free to not feel the need to use it to help control my behaviours and moods. i stop smoking and i start bouncing off the walls. or i can't stand being in my own skin, or i can't cut out the chatter, so and so on.

so, though i personally am in favor of legalising the stuff, i would have to say it can only help some symptoms of ADD in the absence of alternative treatments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It exxasperated my  symptoms. When I started in High School I was muddling through  even with ADD and no meds  after Pot  I dropped from a low b to a d/c- student andbarely graduated.  I am "spacey" enough  I don't need  any help  being absent minded  or unmotivated to do the chores of life

dude there are countless studies indicating that smoking pot increases the likelihood that the severity of add is worsened by pot AND that it GREATLY increases the likelihood that your children will have severe ADD.

do you want to do that to your kids?

Back in the highscool days, then  we found out a class mate was killed by a train, while high on pot. Lets just say you quit real fast after that. Plus he sat next to me in homeroom, so it was a constant reminder everyday.  I tried, made it harder for me to focus, have friends that love it though, i figure to each his own, what works for some doesn't always work for others. oh well, whatever work for you i guess, ....

I did.

For years.

Now I dont.

Took more than it gave.

But, if helps you -- have at it.

 

I doI strongly recommend you visit Dr. Amen's research at www.brainplace.com - he has pictures of brain activity scans, for ADD and all types of brain "conditions", plus scans showing the effect of drugs and alcohol on the brain.

Many of us know ADD meds like adderall are stimulants, similiar to cocaine. But they do not have the negative effects on the brain that cocaine has - because we take a much lower and much more control dose, for specific reasons to target specific deficiencies regarding how our brain normally functions.

By it's nature, it's very hard to take a control amount of pot when using it as a medication.

Many of us know Dr. Amen for his fabulous research into ADHD and his book "Healing ADD"; he has identified 6 types of ADD through the use of brain spect scans.

These same scans show the results of the use of drugs on the brain. Stimulant medication, such as Adderall, result in better brain activity in persons with ADD.

The use of pot is shown, in his brain spect scans which document activity levels in the brain, to DECREASE the ability of the brain to function. Prolonged drug use even kills off parts of the brain - permanently.

Don't look for opinions - look for the facts! Neuroscience is giving solid evidence of the effects of long-term marjuana use.

Contrary to what you might think, I am not opposed to the use of marjuana for certain medical purposes. If you are taking chemotherapy and pot helps with the nausea; go for it - the benefits outweigh the risks when you are fighting a life and death situation such as cancer.

Pot is a drug; just like any other drug, you must weigh the pros and cons. To be honest, I can't see how pot would benefit someone with ADHD or ADD. From my understanding of how the brain works, especially how the brain of someone with ADD works, it seems to me that pot would exacerbate your ADD tendencies, not help you to overcome them.

Well, at least that was true for me "back in the day" when I occassionally used pot. I was never a hardcore user, never even purchased my own supply, and didn't know I had ADD at the time. But I did know that it put me more out of touch with reality and made me less productive. Since I was already struggling with these issues due to undiagnosed Adult ADD, using pot didn't hold any appeal to me.

My ADD is probably the non-hyperactive type. With 6 different types of ADD out there, according to Dr. Amen, your ADD may very well "respond" favorably to pot.

From what i hear, pot is expensive thesedays. If you have access to medical insurance, getting an appropriate medication might serve you much better. For one, it's legal & secondly, you can control the dosage amount much better than you can using pot.

Working with a psychiatrist who specializes in ADD might be the answer, because psychiatrists who do not know ADD well may be reluctant to prescribe stimulants to someone who has a drug history (if you are honest with the doc in your intake process regarding your pot use - and you should be, he can't report you - legally.)

Having said all of this, my husband thinks pot would work for my ADD and has offered to get some for me. He hasn't used pot for over a decade himself, but frequents a coffee house where he has some connections. No, I havn't tried pot since I have known I have ADD. I don't think it would help. But my husband says he has heard it does help ADD.

Since my dad is an alcoholic, been through treatment 4x, and my cousin is a "pothead" and I suspect he is self-medicating his ADD but won't get treatment for ADD because he thinks it's a bogus diagnosis - I am more than a little wary of self-medicating. In fact, I have trouble taking the meds which I am prescribed to take.

Try taking the interactive brain checklist test at www.brainplace.com and see what the results tell you about how to best optimize your brain health. It's a very interesting exercise.

I commend you for asking the question you asked and for doing it in a forum regarding medication. You are acknowledging that pot is a form of medication, and you are seeking an answer for your medication needs.

Susan