Question:
To add to Lotte and chech: If you know you have PTSD and are drinking to excess, taking street drugs etc. there is nothing the therapists and psychiatrists can do for you until you stop self-medicating. The VA learned that the hard way several decades ago. :/ Smile and there will be something to smile about! Nancy
Response:
>Self medicating with street drugs is a normal reaction for many suffering from
PTSD – so many don’t ask ahead of time. 
Yeah, this was the reply I was going to put in and I’m glad that you did chech. Self medicating with pot or booze is a "convenience" for some with PTSD and unfortunately, in the long run, does not help =( Better off to take a trip to a psychiatrist that can specifically treat symptoms for an evaluation and a talk about what may help you. Good luck, pot increases anxiety and messes with the weird wiring a lot of us with PTSD already have. Kristine
Response:
>It will increase your anxiety, >act as a depressant and increase paranoid reactions. Not something >anyone suffering from PTSD needs.
Ahhhh….now I know why I always hated smoking the stuff. All my friends were puffing away back inthe 70’s but I never had a fondness for the stuff. I could have a garbage bag full of it on my living room floor and I’d give it to the trash man…wouldn’t touch the stuff. Best, Luanne http://members.aol.com/luannep/adoption.htm
Response:
ad841…@aol.comnospam (Ad841164) wrote in message <news:20020225084852.23774.00000377@mb-fr.aol.com>… > Damn it! So no quick-fix then. I knew it must be too good to be true > Andy > An ‘appy day with Fuzzy on the rush > Will last an ‘ealthy Tommy for a year.
Andy There is no quick fix. Street drugs only provide short term relief from some symptoms but do nothing for the underlying problem. If a person turns to alcohol (also a depressant) or drugs to relieve these symptoms, then the risk of creating a substance abuse problem on top of the PTSD exists and is quite prevalent. PTSD is best treated with therapy and prescription medications that are tailored to the symptoms. When you control the symptoms that most interfere with your life, you can work on the underlying problem and work at getting back your life with the help of your therapist. chech View the AST-PTSD FAQ @ http://www.astpfaq.bravepages.com/index.html
Response:
Hi Andy, chech’s right. My psychiatrist told me that 40% of male alcoholics and no less than 60% (!) of female ones have PTSD. These numbers may be about Sweden, where I live…but still. This only means that if you’re an alcoholic, you probably have PTSD; It doesn’t mean that if you’ve got PTSD, you’re probably an alcoholic. Lotte
Response:
Damn it! So no quick-fix then. I knew it must be too good to be true Andy An ‘appy day with Fuzzy on the rush Will last an ‘ealthy Tommy for a year.
Response:
>Is cannabis helpful or harmful to someone suffering from fairly serious >(level >8 from 10) ptsd with delayed onset)? Professional input would be >particularly >welcome, but any other experiences are also of interest. > Andy
Hi Andy, My experience is somewhat different then the ones posted so far. When I have smoked it has made me feel far less depressed and relived many of the PTSD symptoms. (I do want to make note however that I have probably only smoked 4 times in the last 6 years, so my experience is quite limited.) I am not able to take psych drugs due to horrific and at times life threatening side effects. So there may be something weird about my body chemistry anyway. I wouldn
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.