marijuana addiction and A.D.H.D.

I am trying to stop the bud after about 10 years (I'm 36 yo now) of daily usage, with only a few holidays. I can't sleep, and I feel completely UN-motivated, similar to how most people are supposed to feel when they're baked! And, like the previous poster, I am having trouble with my anger, which goes away with a little smoke. So I jump on the web to find out what people are saying about marijuana withdrawal, and I discover that I've fit the mold of ADHD perfectly since early early childhood (I found this description of 'Jim' to be a nearly perfect description of my life-www.enotalone.com/article/5597.html) I think I'm a pretty smart guy. I was in a gifted program since 6th grade, but my grades sucked if it required serious homework. I now find that I can accomplish projects (starting things are tough for me) after a one-hit that otherwise would have caused me a c**p-load of anxiety, leading to procrastination and needless failures or messes. I made an appointment with a doctor; I'm gonna lay this out for her, and see what she says about the ADHD and the chronic use of chronic. I don't wanna be a middle-aged ritalin kid, but I also don't want to have to be high to do everything, which seems to be the deal right now. Does the reefer act differently with people dealing with ADHD? Any studies out there I could read? I feel like if I WAS stoned during my school years -I boozed my weekends and summers away through high school and college, much like everyone else around me - I would have been able to settle down and get the grades I know I could have achieved. One thing has always helped me, besides the herb - when I'm serious about surfing (lifelong, everyday if I can,) distance cycling or anything that burns lots of energy. However, I usually feel serious anxiety about starting any of this good stuff with out the sensi. Thanks for listening, world...

Think of a computer which is in 'defrag' mode. You see the blocks of information that have 'gaps' and other functional issues. In order for the machine to perform standard operating tasks, it needs to line up all its ducks in a row.

With ADHD, the mind is a storm of thought. Good luck trying to get what is in your head 'out' without stumbling or forgetting half way through speaking. A good analogy I've heard (roughly speaking) is that 'the brain of a person with ADHD is like a Ferrari engine. Problem is, the part of the brain responsible for communicating these thoughs is like a Chevette clutch.'

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I beat myself up for at least half an hour for having some, I actually feel quite guilty about it, though no one is apposed to me relaxing.

I don't smoke at my job, which is in graphic design. I would be ever so paranoid about it. It's just not worth it. Fact is, I don't mind ganja for the brainstorming portion of my evenings. What I do not like, however, are the legal ramifications of procuring greenery.

My night job, (workaholic is just another word for 'familyman') is in design and building. Some outlandishly creative projects have come out of nervous contemplation of a design problem, while 'relaxed'. And by 'relaxed' I mean: spinning at less than 3500 rpm...

Another b***h of a thing, is that I cannot stop moving. Something, anything has to move, in rhythm with the 10 songs in my head...

It's not fun to be deficient in 'attention', because the opposite can be true. You can focus so much on one thing that you miss the world around it.

Creative can also become cliche, blah blah blah...

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Once, I asked a (person of high rank within a spiritual community) if it was a 'wrong' thing to do. He said to me 'you're an artist, you make the world a beautiful place, so don't be too hard on yourself.'

I'm trying to learn to master my 'tools', because the 'uncommon' sense that is ADHD could let them master you.

-and I also think that using 'quotation' 'marks' reeks of fromage, sometimes.

Enjoy your life.

DG

I agree with "Guest" because yes, TOO MUCH weed smoking CAN make one feel over but as an artist, I too find it greatly helpfule when its "creative time" or when I have to perform a task such as wrighting, drawing, or even hanging out with friends and family. (People freak out at my over energy.) But the consiquences poses for me a moral and legal paradox. On one hand, it calms the ADHD withough hindering my creativity and focus. As well as greatly lessoned side effects. (Compaired to the legal meds.) I have found that a little weed can go a long way and one must be self monitering of the quantity of weed, because the quality of weed and can very. So a little from this bag, could mean a LOT from next months bag. Depending on how fresh and carefully grown. In short, I have sooooo much energy, waking up on an average day at 6-7 am, and the first thing I do is turn on the music and jump around. Its a obsessive habbit to me. I have knoticed that this "craving" for excersize and inability to sit still, (think of rocking back and forth or wagging legs) when in a public place dimminishes when I take either my adderall or instead, smoke weed. Although I have trouble forming NEW memory pathways with pot, and I cannot perform complicated math problems, it GREATLY excells me in the persument of creativity and productivity. I was never one to sit and zone in front of the tv. I LOVE to read and wright stories but my main problem is the medical delemmma. I am one of the few who have found herb to be MOST helpfule and in many ways, less hindering and certainly less PAINFULE then aderall. :-P Also I want to state that although I am ADHD and quite hyper and impulsive, I have never been on any drugs before, and don't even drink or smoke tobbacco. I havn't tried weed until I was well into my mid twenties and was VERY prudent about all things before then. Ironicly, its WHEN I discoverd pot, that it actually increased the quality of my life as I was more laid back, so that made others want to hang with me. I was able to complete all art projects, and organize my thoughts as well as plans in an efficiant profound way. It releived the cronic feeling of "wanting to leap outta my skin." And most of all, I am carefule, as where as, when sober, I am running through life with a big goofy grin on my face, carefree as an insane asylem patiant, sloppy, jolly and silly, I forget simple things like brushing my teeth or where I last put my car keys. Even down to more seriouse things like where I live and my phone number! And when completly sober, I can only laugh it all off. Blisfulyl unaware of any reprocussions. And when sh*t hits the fan, I laugh it off and say "Oh well." Cause reasoning tells me that its all in the past, you didn't do it on porpose and everythign will be alwright, everything will ALWAYS be alwright. But thats hardly the case. Without a moderate supply of stress, the mind cannot focus and no new information is taken in. One is lost to the reprocussions of life cause bliss leads to bravado. In Adderall, two key componants that help to keep yer head out of the clouds, are epinephrin and dopamine. Also two kep components that are released when on cannibus. This makes much sense because many report "great paranoia" when consuming either of the two drugs. I think with ADHD more so then just ADHD, the right amount of those two key chemicals can induce just enough stress to make a person "normal" Anyhow this is the all too confusing and paradoxal balance I live. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. But damned to hell if you NEVER. *sigh* I also think too many people with other depressive disorders are mis diagnosed or mis diagnosing themselves as ADHD, or ADD when perhaps they just have an addictive personality or when they have other disorders such as depression, bi polar and the like. One thing that confuses me about this disorder is that -I- as a life long sufferer and a previousely diagnosed adult at age 26, was NEVER angry or depressed or lethargic. But the opposit. As upbeat and as random as my very own flood of thoughts. Thoughts that wont shu't the hell up when I'm trying to learn or work, preventing me to do so. Slicing through every train of thought like a jagged metal blade discarding old ones even before I can make new ones. Yet I was ALWAYS happy! Carefree! Forgetfule. In fact, the ONLY thing that could get my attention was to have a family member or friend scream it harshly into my ear. Words and phrases like. "This ISN'T funny!" "I'm being seriouse!" "Arn't YOU ever seriouse?" "I can't beleive you lost your job again!" "I can't ever talk to you! Its like you never listen!" "Life is not a game!" This would always come in a heated argument that I refused to take seriously, until the other person was storming out the room leaving me to try and figure out what went wrong." Anytime that an emplyee, teacher, boss, or an aquaintance would say these things I just blew it off as them being grouchy. For I reasoned that, whatever it was that they were mad about, It wasn't MY fault cause I was always laughing. And THAT was the problem..Always laughing. Always moving.Carefree, Careless.. Zoom, zoom, zoom and a boom, boom, boom. It took losing my husband of 7 years with no place to go, out on the street, no job and forcing to give up my baby girl that finally woke me up to the stark, harsh reality and spurred me on to look for answers. I sigh when I think of myself back then, no education, failed throught school at the very beginning of kindergarten, flunked before I even got to first grade and so on and so on until I dropped out at my 7th year. Its when I started smoking weed that it "stressed me out" enough for me to reflect and worry about my life enough to wanna seek a change and keep IT that way. I DO think marajauna SHOULD be re-evaluated for medical porposes other then glaucoma and cancer. I beleive it can be a very effective management for anxiety, some forms of depression and ADHD. Perhaps not ADD, since although very simmiler to ADHD, some eliments are lacking so that pot smokers ADD often experiance negative side effects. Needless to say, after discovering my illness and talking with a docter, I researched the medication with the LEAST side effects and got my life back on track. I have a 2 year degree in nursing and still love to create. I dredded the side effects of Adderall, as well as the dampaning effects on creativity, humor and personality so I found that weed fixes all of those problems as well as fixes me. I am as laid back and productive on weed as I would be on Adderall with out the painfule side effects of body aches and headaches induced by adderall. But its a constant balancing act. Yet I know I can make it. :-D

ADHD is associated with increased risk of addiction to nicotine as well as marijuana. Marijuana seems to be the drug of choice for ADHD sufferers. It is being used as a means of self medication by those suffereing with ADHD, without some not even being aware of it. Marijuana is from the depressent family, typically causing the initial high which can be replaced by depression and paranoia.
People with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine in their brains. Cannabis, or its active ingredient, THC elevate the dopamine levels. Therefore those with ADHD feel and function better while using cannabis. However, this can lead to over use of the drug which then becomes problematic as users become dependant.

I'm sitting here writing a blog for the first time ever. I'm 46, male, ADHD, use tobacco, smoke weed when I have it (oh, and I'm constantly looking). I too consider my self to be above intelligence, but have never lived up to my "ability level".

I did research on the whole addictive thing with ADHD and discoverd this site and just about shed tears looking at each of your stories. The world is a difficult place, even being our fun ADHD selves, and it has lead me to a point I want to quit everything including pot, tobacco, and square headed girlfriends (pornagraphy). Each by them selves is not a back breaker. But add them up and multiply them by my impulsive AHDH personality and I'm doing everything many times a day, and am totaly out of control.

Of course I feal horrible after taking "just a hit" (which is never the case...more like 3 or 4 hits), having another chew of tobacco, or telling the wife I don't want to have sex because I already took care of myself. But with all the guilt, I can't seem to quit any of them for good. I can stop any of them at any point and time, but they all eventually lead to exactly what I was doing or worse. They have to be part of the ADHD list of benefits.

So if you are reading this, I assume you can relate to my comments. My self medications and personal indulges have caused a life of more anxiety, pain, family issues, job issues, and I'm tired of it. I'm going to get professional help and get my life back.

I'm amazed at the statistics of ADHD & Pot abuse. There simply has to be a better way to live life than paranoid, red eyed (so I don't go in public), and isolated with all my pot friends (real winners I assure you....).

Wish me luck...

I'm a 43 yo male and still smoke weed, though i gave up the crack years ago. I failed twice in Junior High school and never completed High school. Now i have come to find out that it was my ADHD that made me bored of it. I am a highly intelligent person. I also went to University as a mature student, but again i got bored. :-(

I have completed some diploma programs, but my problem is if it takes to long to learn, i'm not doing it. I completed one 10 month course in 1 1/2 months with honors.

Now i have a Den with 3 computers in it, and i use them all at the same time.

I am very creative and ambitious, but no motivation most times.

I was undiagnosed juvenile ADHD, now Full Blown Adult ADHD. :-(

My wife explained that back then ADHD was unknown of, and that us kids with it were just known as problematic kids. Sad to know that all the problems i caused and suffered was all because of miss diagnoses. lol

I still bounce off the walls, walk the floors of my house like a jail cell, i can't sleep properly and i smoke way too much weed. Though this has been cut back by half by my own discretion.

I feel for you all. It's the depressive crashes i hate.

Cheers all
/Scotian

I am a 32 year old male. Have ADHD, Dyslexia and dyscalculia. I have been self medicating with Pot for the past ten years. I have a degree from a prestigious college, a full time job, survived a divorce, found love again and got married. Whats the problem? I cant have weed all the time.
I have to travel for the holidays and be away from home more than 3 days Every year around the holidays like everyone else. my ADHD kicks into hi gear. when I have to be around family or maybe other people on a plane. Shopping with wife or Mom and act happy and interested.
I usually become Angry, short tempered, impulsive, explosive. I have been like this all my life. When I started smoking regularly my life improved drastically for the better. In college ( when I started every day ) my grades sucked after i started smoking I started getting much better grades . My temper is in check. I feel normal. And I love it. It does not make me high. I makes me normal so I can work and be productive.
So I figured I should get help. The doc agreed once again with prior Diagnosis. I am ADHD first I was on Metadate, then Methlyn, concerta these did nothing for me so I got frustrated and stopped going to the Doc and resumed smoking. Those medicines just made me feel jittery, anxious, clamy, tense and tight. It feels like a horrible body buzz. A few years later ( Present time) I find myself once agin being scared because I wont have access to pot while I am traveling for the holidays ( I would say vacation but to me it feels like bootcamp because of the stress )
My new Doc just put me on Focalin and once again I feel horrible. I do not feel like myself. He wants me to double my dose next week the thought scares me. So I ask you guys what you think? The only reason this is an issue in my mind is because of the social stigmas pot has. If it wasn't seen as a bad thing I would not even need to go see a doctor. I would feel like a completely normal person that just need one medicine. Am I f-ed up for feeling like this. I can stop smoking not a problem. I just revert to how I have always felt. Short of patients, talking allot, needing to interrupt other people, not being abllt to sit still, not being able to read for long periods of time, not being as organized, not feeling angry, not as impulsive. As far as I know thats what all these Meth based drugs are supposed to do. They make my ADHD seem more pronounced.

I have a problem being ernest with my doctor when it comes to pot. he knows I smoke just does not know how much. A cple hits multiple times a day. So thats my 2 cents. I dont think I am alone on this one

i am 16 years old and i was diagnosed with ADHD/ADD when i was in 2nd grade ..i smoke weed 5-6 times a week both of my parents were drug addicts and dont want me smoking because they say i have a WAY higher risk of becoming an addict.. i love smoking i enjoy every moment of it and i would rather smoke a joint to calm me down then take ADERALL- which I f*****g HATE!!!!! i cant stand the side effects of it ..its unblievable how much i hate it but can someone tell me if its really true that me becoming ann addict of a hard drug is at a higher channce then the normal weed smoker :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

i am 33 and have smoked weed since i was 17 . i recently found out the core of my problem is adhd . ihave tried anti-depressants and stimmulants but still felt i needed the pot to calm my mood and to relax. i have recently tried something new with great results. i still take an anti-depressant and a stimulant but i have added an anti-convulsent thats a seisure medication and omg its unbeliveable how great i feel. i haven t smoked weed in 2 weeks my mood is great and i have never felt better in my life.

im 28 with add since very young age. i never took ritalin when diagnosed in primary school as i refused the doctor, my mum and the school that tried to get me to take it. thank god i did, would never of learnt to act alot CLOSER to normal and get BETTER results in life through having no choice but to practice every day without drugs. much better that way as even if drugs worked perfectly then i would be using them for results ratehr than leqarn on my own so very very against drugs if it is possible to not take them (sure in extreme situaitons they needed). doesnt mean life has been easy as anyone with add will know (its alot harder for us). when 23 yrs old my gf of 2 years i was about to marry left me and i went down hill big time depression. had a houseate that gave me some weed (yes never had it before or wanted to) and then 4 years on weed and been through hell. i stopped for 6 months with will power then thought icould try it once and that lead to taking it again. now after 6 more months (pathetic i know) i have stopped again and it is so so so hard with all the screwed up symtoms. sure it gets better when you stop but i was weed addict (horribly disgusting living arrangment, anti social, paranoid angry etc). only hting i did well in life during this time is work. business and finance and hard stuff always done great, just ruined the rest of my life). we only have one life though and not gonna give up. personally i am very against all types of drug therapy (even though i self medicated with weed and nicotine and caffeine). still taking nicotine and caffeine (will give up the nicotine) and cut down the caffeine to normal but not in first 6 months while i quit weed. why make it hard o nmyself to succeed. what you guys think????

To say that I see similarites between you and I. Its an understatement. What you wrote, thats exactly it. Your a hero.

The meds don't work if your smoking aswell. One or the other, you need to be weed free for a few months before you try a course of perscribed ones. Then they will work better, in the long term. In my experence,( both myself and my father have temperments like yours, he's like you and set in his ways about smoking being better. I to have smoked since I was 15. I'm now only 21 and trying the doctors way. The goal isn't, when fixing your head, the short term relief smoking brings. Its to balance your hormones, your moods and those drugs will help keep you on one page. Marajana treatment on an A.D.D brain works, short term. But what about the next day? Are you feeling calm? Or do you want to punch the wall twice as much. You've gotta get realistic, not to sound judgemental, you could be managing, but are the people around you? would they be better off if you were the same all the time on focalin or is your smoking weed instead effecting them because your away in your own head angry or stoned all the time.

I'm 26 years old. I've smoked weed on and off for 10 years now, ocassionally I do stop, mostly for financial reasons. I am not sure if I have ADHD or not, but was never diagnosed or even given the opportunity to explore that idea by my parents as a child.  My parents are very ignorant when it comes to the topic of depression and ADHD and believe happiness is something everyone can make for themselves if they try hard enough. Whenever I stop smoking weed for more than 24 hours, I am constantly tired, the only way I can get anything done and not lay in bed or on the couch all day is by consuming about 200-400mg of caffeine, and without weed, I also have to add ephedrine  as well (I often take 4-6 pills of 50mg ephedrineHCL, oral nasal decongestant), especially after taking caffeine for more than a week straight, it simply stops doing what it's supposed to otherwise. (FYI a cup of coffee is like 50-60mg of caffeine, I think) obviously if I'm willing to take that, which has very bad side effects, I need something to help... all of my experiences with therapy have either resulted in being dismissed as a drug-seeker, or having to jump through hoops and spend thousands of dollars I don't have to get a diagnosis. I went to the doctor today to ask about finding a regular MD, and this doctor told me there is no such diagnosis as Adult ADD or ADHD, and it is just depression/anxiety, she wrote me a prescription for cipralex(I think? its an antidepressant) even though I didn't want it. I was starting to feel really alone in this world before I found this website and read some posts to find out that other people too feel that they have to smoke weed to function in society. All I really want is to get sh*t done and be able to go back to school, so I can get a real job instead of managing a warehouse, smoking weed makes me feel calm and relaxed instead of talking a mile a minute about irrelevant c**p that people don't care about and then later feeling ashamed and embarrased about it.