HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE — USE OF MEDICATIONS FOR BPD? Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE — USE OF MEDICATIONS FOR BPD? Question: My 19 year old daughter is having some insight and is becoming open to help, meds and possible therapy for her BP disorder. She admits to self medicating with marijuana. Would marijuana cancel out effectiveness of meds? Hopefully she would be open to giving treatment/meds and DBT an opportunity to help her, and set aside marijuana. Thank you. Dr. Heller’s Answer: There are problems with chronic marijuana use, including the legal ones. Marijuana use can cause weight gain, a lack of motivation, serious lung disease, and over time causes permanent brain damage. It is an effective treatment for anxiety, and many pharmaceutical research companies are searching for medications that work similar to marijuana without getting the high or the impairment. I’m not a believer that one should go through life “high”. With that understanding, marijuana does not alter the effectiveness of the medications used to treat the BPD or most associated comorbid disorders. I don’t know how it would affect DBT. I often recommend borderlines take Haldol (haloperidol) prior to therapy sessions so they won’t experience the seizures that cause dysphoria (anxiety, rage, depression and despair). Haldol is very different from marijuana because it helps these individuals deal with reality, as opposed to marijuana which is used to escape from it. 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Ask the Doctor Home MENU: Screening Test “Ask the Doctor” (BPD)Borderline Personality Disorder Annual Updates Biological Unhappiness Disorders & Official Criteria Dr. Heller’s C.V. & Picture How Dr. Heller Got Involved If You Want to See Dr. Heller as a Patient Testimonials Table of Contents for the Book ‘Biological Unhappiness’ How to Order “Life at the Border” Why Read ‘Biological Unhappiness’? Goals AD(H)D and Relationships BPD, Bipolar or ADHD? Suicide What if BuSpar makes me anxious or ill? A Suicide Attempt Per Minute in the US Grandparents raising Grandchildren Information About Children What Signs are there that Someone May ‘SNAP’? TV & Cartoon Characters with Depression & Other Disorders Dr. Heller’s Office Website Dr. Heller’s Lectures Mentally Healthy People Retraining the Brain Today is a Gift Reviews Links Webrings Site Index Home Video DVDs now available! You can watch and listen to Dr. Heller in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Provides full explanations and treatment descriptions of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) – 90 minutes, other Biological Unhappiness disorders – 90 minutes. Click here to find out more about Dr. Heller’s educational videos. “Biological Unhappiness” “Open this book and it will open your mind. By combining proven medical procedure with hope and inspiration, Dr. Heller has made a significant difference in thousands of patients who had little hope for recovery. “Biological Unhappiness” contains critical information for those who have lost hope.”Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker, author, See You at the Top, Over the Top, Success for Dummies, Raising Positive kids in a Negative World. Dr. Leland Heller Dyslimbia Press, Inc. 1713 US Hwy 441 N, Suite E Okeechobee, FL 34972 863-467-8771 Email: Hours: M-Thu. 8:30AM-5PMFri. 8:30AM-12 Noon*(*During November through April, the office is open until 3PM on Fridays.) All material not explicitly credited otherwise is copyrighted © 1999-2011 Dr. Leland Heller. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated without the permission of Dr. Leland Heller or Dyslimbia Press. Biological Unhappiness, BiologicalUnhappiness.com, & Dyslimbia Press are trademarks of Dr. Leland HellerDesigned and/or hosted by the webmasters at: US-Webmasters.com (TM) Start here to find it FAST!(TM)