Could Weed Be The Cure To My Derealization / Depersonalization?

Why- at 16 years old- are you hell bent on developing an addiction to weed?? If you're not smoking now- why do you want to smoke it in the future? Exactly HOW is it going to improve your life? You've acknowledged that it has caused you problems, yet you say you're definitely going to smoke it again- even going so far as to state that you're going to smoke it on a regular basis! In Bob's name- Why?

Don't use the depersonalization/derealization symptoms as an excuse- if you believe that weed sparked them off and encourages them, how can it them make them disappear? Logically, they would get worse when you started smoking again!

The depersonalization/derealization may not just be consistant factors of cannabis use, simply because a few smokers have had it. There is a disorder called 'Depersonalization disorder' that effects those who haven't smoked cannabis. I experience derealization/depersonalization and can actually incite it to happen: it doesn't scare me & it's not a source of anxiety for me. It can be slightly strange when I'm not controlling it and it happens at work (in the middle of teaching!) or when I'm talking to someone. I lose track of what I was saying and have to 'ground' myself (i.e; touch solid objects or people, try and recall a shopping list or task list, etc). My experience was not started by smoking cannabis: I have a personality disorder (schizoid comorbid with avoidant) and it's a sub-symptom, as are periods of depression & anxiety. Did you know that repersonalization/derealization is also a symptom of schizophrenia? 

I do believe that smoking cannabis can exagerate symptoms of already existing mental health illnesses. Where did you read/hear that derealization "gains it's power" from weed?? I'd be interested in THAT medical journal! Depending on the levels of THC & CNB in the weed, the typical action of cannabis is to increase dopamine levels and decrease or increase seratonin (brain chemicals!). Dopamine plays a vital role in the symptoms of schizophrenia; hence if levels of it are increased, schizophrenic-like symptoms can appear, such as paranoia, depersonalization/derealization, lethergy, disorganisation, spiritual-thinking & audio & visual hallucinations.

And there are quite a few recent studies that show a relationship between use of cannabis in adolescence & schizophrenia-like symptoms and heavy cannabis use and schizophrenic symptoms.

You're 16- your brain is still in a heightened state of development, so (hopefully!) you won't have long-term symptoms, but my advice? DON'T start it up again. Find another hobby or anxiety outlet and if you're in to reading, do some proper reading and look up the REAL effects of cannabis misuse, instead of reading c**p that justifies your habit.

hello,

what violet_ivy said was very interesting, coming from a person with depersonalisation disorder.

violt_ivy, what you said about depersonalisation being exacerbated by marijuana consumption makes a lot of sense.

ive felt depersonalsiation symptoms while high, felt it today shortly in withdrawal (first day, yay) and have felt it many times in the past, but i havent been sober long enough since the age of 14 to know if perhaps i have that disorder.

when i was younger it freaked the hell outta me. i was like , what is this O_O D:!?

but after multiple years, it doesnt worry me at all. i can even control it.

lil tune, i stopped smoking marijuana for 3 weeks in 2010 and i went to rehab. i had been smoking everyday for 6 years, with 5 days of break only. i only felt depersonalisation 4-5-6 times in the first week, by the first week and a half it had subsided completely.

if ever you get sick of it, you could always go see a psychiatrist. perhaps he could help you.

regards, take care.

Hello guys, i have had derealization/depersonalization for about 7months now. I tried being sober for about 6 months eating healthy etc, nothing worked. so for the last month up to now i started smoking weed again, one thing i can say is that it makes you feel great and it takes the worry off of your mind,but honestly for maybe up to a week after without smoking it makes you feel like sh*t.Honestly though im gona go out there and try things to help myself,im not just gona sit down and hope for it to get better.The point is though he could be right he could be wrong.Dr/Dp is caused by a panic attack in the high state your brain puts itself in that state to feel protected,so getting your mind used to the high might just work.

Hey man, my name's George.

I feel the above aswered are very dismissive to the idea of weed curing the depersonalization, maybe because they haven't tried or aren't open to the idea. Mental problems can often be cured by pure beleif that it's working or will work. Not scientifically compared to biological problems. So if anything i'd say give it a go, and if it works it works. If not, atleast you tried.

I've found my way here because im asking myself the same question if cannabis can help my derealization. What I've experinced kind of relates to yours. I used to smoke a LOT of weed when i was a silly teenager growing up, along with a lot of other drugs i shouldn't have been doing anywhere near as much. But the regular cannabis was definitely the main problem. It made my brain work so fast that if i was paraoid these paranoid thoughts would escalate due to how fast my brain was going.

A few years later after quiting for a year and a half i can smoke it again without getting paranoid. But i've recently had a very tramatic experience which has caused quite bad derealization, especially when socializing. I have no inner monalogue so find it hard to generally think and keep a conversation. When i smoke cannabis with my friends it can either help the depersonalizaton and help my thoughts flow, or do the opposite. 

Whenever i'm by myself i get a nice flowy high with a talkative inner monalogue, feeling much more myself and happier. I'm going to try taking cannabis alone for a while and see if it helps with my general lack of inner monalogue.

TL;DR Sorry for the essay but how did they go for you? I'm going to try it myself to help with depersonalization.