# Psychedelic drugs cause Bipolar and Psychosis?



## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

I recently saw a new psychiatrist today, and she confidently believes that my Bipolar 1 with Psychosis was directly caused by psychedelics that I have used in the past (including marijuana). I completely disagree. I know that my BP is genetic and that I was born with it. I have had a doctor in the past tell me that my BP is genetic. The only problem is that there is no known history of any of my family members having BP or psychosis. However, I am willing to bet that there is a family member out there that I don't know of that has it or I have family members that aren't saying anything about it. I just wanted to make a thread about this and ask for other people's opinions because it is an issue that upsets me terribly.

P.S. I am on medication now and it is working well. I do not have any delusions, hallucinations, or strange thoughts anymore.


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## Lazarusx (Apr 14, 2013)

I've done a fair bit of research into this over the years and from my understanding, psychedelics can act as a trigger to the genetic predisposition. They are not the 'cause' of the condition but they may act as a catalyst towards bringing the latent predisposition towards the surface.


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## SalviaVictim (Oct 2, 2012)

Hey Raw. I think there seems to be confusion about this topic. The general consensus is that psy drugs, pot and to a lesser degree stimulants can cause Mental issues in someone who has a predisposition to them. 

I've had my fair share of experiences with psychedelics so can only speak for myself. I had anxiety all my life so doing psychedelics didn't change anything about me expect make me more open minded. However if my anxiety was lying under the surface and I hadn't experienced it yet and I had then done psychedelics it's quite possible it could have cause my anxiety to surface.

I'm a big proponent of psychedelics for personal and spiritual change but these are very complex drugs and must be used with caution and in the right setting. When I first started taking acid I never knew how bad my anxiety was till I started tripping and had to deal with some very frighting mental states that caused bad experiences. This is what psychedelics do though, they drag up your inner thoughts and feelings and force you to look at them from a 3rd persons perspective and if you are not ready for it this can be really scary.

So realting to your issue, how do psychedelics effect you? If you were born with Bi polar and have used psychedelics without exacerbating your illness then you should be fine as long as you keep on eye on yourself and stay responsible.

I used to think I could never do psychedelics as most trips were difficult experiences for me which was quite depressing. However I started to have really good trips when I took set and setting into account (the location you take psychedelics and your mind state before you take them) and slowly began to use them as a tool instead of a way to get messed up and fit in with people. Hope this helps and may you have many good trips awaiting you.


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## rawrguy (Mar 29, 2008)

SalviaVictim said:


> So realting to your issue, how do psychedelics effect you?


They effect me just like anyone else, except I have a tendency to be more manic when I am on them, especially back when I was not on any medications for BP w/psychosis. However, all of the hallucinations and paranoia end when the drug is out of my body and mind. None of it lingers afterwards. I have good, bad, and a few frightening experiences on them. The last time I smoked weed was a positive experience, though.



> a way to get messed up and fit in with people


I tend to be that way with these drugs.

---

Thanks for the replies, both of you. This really made me think and put my mind to ease.


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## SalviaVictim (Oct 2, 2012)

You seem to be fine then mate, a lot of psychiatrists have very archaic views on drugs and they will always try and dissuade you from using them. That being said I have a friend who is manic depressive and pot really messes with his head and it brought on his mania yet he still continued to smoke it. He is off it now and better but I won't let him try psy drugs if I can help it because I know it will do more harm than good. So it really comes down to the individual and how it affects you. 

Drugs in general do have a tendency to exacerbate mental illness in some people. I can't smoke pot because it makes my OCD and anxiety way worse, so it's just knowing and listening to your body and mind. Glad your minds at ease now man it really doesn't seem like you have anything to worry about.


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## DeniseAfterAll (Jul 28, 2012)

It's generally wise not to dabble into these kinds of substances if you are predisposed to mental illness .

That said , you should look up Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder .

That's probably the biggest health risk associated with psychedelic drugs , and it's real . They even have an online forum dedicated to sufferers .


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## changeme77 (Feb 22, 2013)

DeniseAfterAll said:


> That said , you should look up Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder .
> 
> That's probably the biggest health risk associated with psychedelic drugs , and it's real . They even have an online forum dedicated to sufferers .


This side effect from taking psychedelic drugs is completely overstated. The condition may be real but it's a minuscule percentage of users who are effected. There are risks with taking ANY drug.


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## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

Marijuana is hardly a psychedelic. But, if you have taken stuff like acid or shrooms, then yeah, she does have a point.


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## changeme77 (Feb 22, 2013)

Amphoteric said:


> Marijuana is hardly a psychedelic. But, if you have taken stuff like acid or shrooms, then yeah, she does have a point.


Not really, actually. It's just sensational media garbage for the most part. You are not going to have recurring flashbacks from taking a few doses of LSD/shrooms.


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## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

changeme77 said:


> Not really, actually. It's just sensational media garbage for the most part. You are not going to have recurring flashbacks from taking a few doses of LSD/shrooms.


It all depends on how stable your mind is before taking anything that's going to greatly alter it.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

It all depends on your psyche. I took mushrooms very heavily for about 2-3 years. Since then I've felt like I lost some motor skills. For example, I felt like I had to relearn how to drive.

Trips can be a blast or a nightmare, and under the right circumstances, they could prove to be beneficial for some disorders. Not so sure about bipolar. My symptoms started showing earily on and now I have anxiety and panic attacks, Being around a lot people scares me (though not so much anymore due to the meds I am taking, Anyway, I didn't have any anxiety or panic at all until this period and it hit me like a flipped light switch in my heard. The panic and anxiety have gotten better though.

Honestly, I prefer LSD. I find lsd to be more liberating, where as mushrooms make me quiet and introspective for hours, in almost a negative way. Sure I learn some things from it, but I've also developed these sensory problems.

I cannot be around a lot of people. I feel overstimulated. The lights, sounds, voices, cars, people staring at me etc. make me very nervous. I used to take xanax for that and I switched to clonazepm and few years ago and it has helped as well.

All the bullsh*t aside, mushrooms can be a very fun experience but it's definitely not for the light hearted, unless you want to curl up in the fetal position for hours consumed by fear. But if you are strong enough to handle them (I think a substantial portion of people could handle them) it's not bad to try once. You should always trip in a fairly safe location or panic will consume you. Like a campsite for example. At home when your parents arent there, etc. If you have any latent mental disorders or anxiety disorders and you are taking meds, you may want to stay away from mushrooms.

But if you are ready for an ego death and ready to be reborn to a new works with arms wide open, mushrooms is one way to go about it. Ultimately, I think that mushyooms was a major factor in my anxiety and panic attacks, but I don' think there is a connection between mushooms and bipolar (not for me, I mean).


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

Just stay away from amanita. That stuff is crap and nothing like psilocybe.


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