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Bridgeburner
Not spiritual at all.
Registered: 09/16/06
Posts: 20,010
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Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA]
#8999552 - 09/28/08 07:20 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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link
Cannabis smokers are more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and psychosis than stimulant drug takers, according to Australian statistics suggesting the herb's toll on mental health has been underestimated.
The impact of amphetamines on mental state is well known but a new national report shows dope smokers display higher rates of several psychological symptoms when visiting their doctor.
Of patients who mentioned cannabis use to their GP, 48 per cent had a psychological problem, including 19 per cent with depression and nine per cent with psychosis. Six per cent had anxiety.
Only 31 per cent of stimulant users reported similar problems, with significantly lower rates of all conditions, according to the latest bulletin released by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre in Sydney.
Director, professor Jan Copeland, said the results confirm the dangers of the drug, especially for the 300,000 Australians who smoke it daily.
"It was unexpected, given what we hear about amphetamine-related psychotic symptoms, but it goes to show what a terrible impact cannabis is having on users," Prof Copeland said.
"The delusions, hallucinations and paranoia can be very distressing and people are feeling it."
The results, in data collected from 1,000 randomly-selected GPs, also revealed that mentioning cannabis use to a doctor was very rare, with the drug named in just 19,000 consultations nationwide each year.
Users were more likely to be male, young, unemployed or on a low income and indigenous.
"The low numbers are a major concern given the sheer number of users and the effects we know that use is having," Prof Copeland said.
She said too many users still believed cannabis had few health consequences or were nervous mentioning a drug habit to a doctor.
But Australian Medical Association chair of general practice Dr Rod Pearce said stressed the importance of consulting a doctor.
"Illegality is a non-issue for us and it absolutely has to be given the increasing body of research linking cannabis smoking with psychiatric illness," Dr Pearce said.
"I'm not being wowserish either. This is a serious problem."
About 1.5 million Australians have used cannabis in the past year, with 750,000 smoking it weekly.
Studies show most people do not experience major problems with occasional use but heavy use can lead to depression, memory loss, lung damage, low sex drive and even brain shrinkage.
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Cannashroom
Smoke two Joints
Registered: 10/25/07
Posts: 2,141
Loc: Everywhere
Last seen: 7 years, 4 days
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: Bridgeburner]
#9000049 - 09/28/08 09:07 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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Misleading statistics, completely meaningless.
-------------------- "A human being is part of the whole, called by us 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest -- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely but striving for such achievement is, in itself, a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." Albert Einstein
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Coaster
BaĘżal
Registered: 05/22/06
Posts: 33,501
Loc: Deep in the Valley
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: Cannashroom]
#9000067 - 09/28/08 09:11 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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not having cannibus depresses me
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sinenomine
Stranger
Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 557
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: Cannashroom]
#9000072 - 09/28/08 09:12 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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wow. Why bother trying to prove causation when you have a convenient little bullshit correlation. these results "confirm the dangers of the drug"?
remember kids, ice cream leads to drowning deaths. On days with higher ice cream sales, more people drown. This obviously confirms our long held suspicions, and we must move quickly to save our children from a watery grave at the hands of these tasty, but fatal, dairy products.
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begreen0
Trying the best I can...
Registered: 05/21/08
Posts: 185
Last seen: 11 years, 5 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] *DELETED* [Re: sinenomine]
#9000110 - 09/28/08 09:18 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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Post deleted by begreen0Reason for deletion: privacy
-------------------- Memantine, is in my ears, and in my eyes Exercise, is easily one of the best things you can do for generating pleasure, confidence, health, and sustained well-being. Really.
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lukey2411
Stranger
Registered: 03/06/08
Posts: 740
Loc: Australia, Victoria, (S.E...
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: begreen0]
#9000339 - 09/28/08 10:20 PM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
begreen0 said: lol yeah, why do they assume that pot is the cause? Maybe people with those problems are more likely to use pot because it happens to make them feel better...correlation does NOT imply causation.
"What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"
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Ophanim
The Molecule'sSpirit
Registered: 10/01/07
Posts: 1,002
Last seen: 6 years, 1 day
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: lukey2411]
#9000865 - 09/29/08 12:50 AM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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After a bad panic attack on weed, I ended up with regular episodes of anxiety and depression. Neither are severe, but I believe there may be some validity to this. I also think this will probably pass with time.
The fact is, people don't understand a lot about psychological disorders, and they understand far less about psychedelics. Links therein are very hard to identify, and it's especially hard to say if the symptoms would have surfaced anyway. To automatically say "This study is bullshit" is probably a little close-minded, which is ironic since close-mindedness is enemy #1 of most Shroomery members.
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ShroomyTunes
psychedeliac
Registered: 07/10/04
Posts: 686
Loc: Ontario
Last seen: 10 years, 5 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: Ophanim]
#9000956 - 09/29/08 01:12 AM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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I can't dismiss this...
Smoking pot too often gives me terrible anxiety and depression. It doesn't usually kick in til about three weeks or so of blazing and the first few weeks after being generally off the wagon for a while is a pleasant buzz with hightened perception which ropes me in and next thing I know im anxious and depressed. Stopped the pot use again last weekend for this exact reason. From now I'm only down for a toke or two once a week (any more than that with no tolerance is immediate anxiety).
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Dark_globe
Stranger
Registered: 05/02/07
Posts: 250
Loc: NSW
Last seen: 13 years, 8 months
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: ShroomyTunes]
#9001014 - 09/29/08 01:31 AM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
To automatically say "This study is bullshit" is probably a little close-minded, which is ironic since close-mindedness is enemy #1 of most Shroomery members.
negative articles are always shot down as propaganda on this site, though some deservedly. But smoking weed too often can throw you out of balance, its best not to be ignorant to the fact
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oxalic32
Registered: 01/27/08
Posts: 3,615
Loc: .
Last seen: 12 years, 10 months
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.
Edited by oxalic32 (12/19/10 01:38 PM)
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Newfound_wonder
Social Outcast
Registered: 03/14/08
Posts: 447
Last seen: 12 years, 23 days
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Re: Cannabis linked to depression: stats [AUSTRALIA] [Re: oxalic32]
#9001534 - 09/29/08 07:47 AM (15 years, 5 months ago) |
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So only 1 out of 5 mental patients who smoke marijuana are depressed? That's more of an indication that marijuana relieves depression. It all depends on how you perceive the statistic.
Studies have also shown that spending billions of dollars of taxpayer's money on anti-drug programs has no effect on the prevalence of drugs. I guess that study didn't catch public notice.
Bah, science is whatever the government wants it to be. Every time I read an article like this I lose respect for humanity.
-------------------- If it's good for fungus, it's good for us...
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