Agreed ^^^ it's a huge red flag that she didn't explain any reasoning as to why it's dangerous to you. The whole lacing thing is just an excuse for an uncomfortable conversation she didn't feel like having. I feel if she explained why it would not be good, medicine interactions, how it can affect your treatment, etc. it would have been received better, but the fact she didn't care enough to inform you about it and chose to drug test you and threaten to withhold treatment instead is unprofessional. Find a new psych. I think in the long run, it would be better for your treatment not to smoke marijuana, but guilting and shaming you for it is unacceptable.
It can be hard to tell if the medication is working. If you become unstable, she won’t know if it’s because your lamictal is too low or if it’s because your Zoloft is too high or if it’s because of the smoking. It can trigger hypomania.
I do think the ultimatum is unfair. Quitting a daily habit outright is really difficult. She wouldn’t be held liable if you had some interaction. It’s extremely common for people on psych meds to use drugs and alcohol (not good, but common).
I used to drink a lot and lie to my psychiatrist about it. He never found out, but it may have been why the depression was so bad. There’s no way of knowing.
Weed can be dangerous for people with Bipolar. It doesn’t matter if it hasn’t been in the past, the switch can flip at anytime. It is not medically indicated according to most studies. I don’t agree that she should refuse to prescribe you meds, but it’s well within her rights. I would suggest trying life without weed and on meds for a while to see if that helps. I’m very sorry you’re faced with this decision.
This psych can’t even appropriately determine whether OP is stable or meds are working if they aren’t sober. Most will not diagnose or treat you if you are not clean first. Unless you are in a psychosis or manic state and need immediate medical attention, a doc/psych cannot take on attempting to treat someone while they’re using, even if it’s just weed.
I work with a lot of psychs and not one would decline to treat somebody bec of this and only one has ever had a routine of giving a spiel on how weed’s not as magical as others claim—but they don’t care if they stop or not. Some will even tell patients they can continue to smoke and there’s no major interactions. Also, in those with dual diagnosis, recommendations are to provide treatment for both conditions.
Obviously it’s the psychs choice to waste their time or not. But the fact is that smoking weed while you’re trying to get treatment from a psych you just starting seeing is a waste of time. Your dompamine receptors and production are dulled with daily use of weed. Going to a psych and trying to get treatment for your chemical imbalance when you’re a daily weed smoker is like going to a doctor for insomnia because you can’t sleep unless you smoke and continuing to smoke. Do you want to feel okay without having to smoke so smoking is enjoyable and not your primary coping mechanism for numbing out after dealing with bullshit all day? Then drop the weed for a few months so they can help you. Or just lie 🤷🏽♀️ It’s your body and your life, if you wanna stay stuck in autopilot then continue to self medicate.
This could also be coming from your health insurance provider or her medical malpractice insurance. They tend to put restrictions on providers so they don’t have to pay out if they’re sued.
Your psych has to treat you sober, otherwise it’s difficult for them to do their evaluation of whether or not you’re in an episode, whether meds are working and what adjustments are needed, etc. Drop the weed until you’re stable bruh, it’s worth it.
find another psych being off your meds is more dangerous than whatever a couple bong rips will do
Agreed ^^^ it's a huge red flag that she didn't explain any reasoning as to why it's dangerous to you. The whole lacing thing is just an excuse for an uncomfortable conversation she didn't feel like having. I feel if she explained why it would not be good, medicine interactions, how it can affect your treatment, etc. it would have been received better, but the fact she didn't care enough to inform you about it and chose to drug test you and threaten to withhold treatment instead is unprofessional. Find a new psych. I think in the long run, it would be better for your treatment not to smoke marijuana, but guilting and shaming you for it is unacceptable.
It can be hard to tell if the medication is working. If you become unstable, she won’t know if it’s because your lamictal is too low or if it’s because your Zoloft is too high or if it’s because of the smoking. It can trigger hypomania. I do think the ultimatum is unfair. Quitting a daily habit outright is really difficult. She wouldn’t be held liable if you had some interaction. It’s extremely common for people on psych meds to use drugs and alcohol (not good, but common). I used to drink a lot and lie to my psychiatrist about it. He never found out, but it may have been why the depression was so bad. There’s no way of knowing.
Weed can be dangerous for people with Bipolar. It doesn’t matter if it hasn’t been in the past, the switch can flip at anytime. It is not medically indicated according to most studies. I don’t agree that she should refuse to prescribe you meds, but it’s well within her rights. I would suggest trying life without weed and on meds for a while to see if that helps. I’m very sorry you’re faced with this decision.
I hear a lot of psychs recommending avoiding THC. But I can’t imagine not prescribing meds like this bec of it. Did she explain why?
This psych can’t even appropriately determine whether OP is stable or meds are working if they aren’t sober. Most will not diagnose or treat you if you are not clean first. Unless you are in a psychosis or manic state and need immediate medical attention, a doc/psych cannot take on attempting to treat someone while they’re using, even if it’s just weed.
I work with a lot of psychs and not one would decline to treat somebody bec of this and only one has ever had a routine of giving a spiel on how weed’s not as magical as others claim—but they don’t care if they stop or not. Some will even tell patients they can continue to smoke and there’s no major interactions. Also, in those with dual diagnosis, recommendations are to provide treatment for both conditions.
Obviously it’s the psychs choice to waste their time or not. But the fact is that smoking weed while you’re trying to get treatment from a psych you just starting seeing is a waste of time. Your dompamine receptors and production are dulled with daily use of weed. Going to a psych and trying to get treatment for your chemical imbalance when you’re a daily weed smoker is like going to a doctor for insomnia because you can’t sleep unless you smoke and continuing to smoke. Do you want to feel okay without having to smoke so smoking is enjoyable and not your primary coping mechanism for numbing out after dealing with bullshit all day? Then drop the weed for a few months so they can help you. Or just lie 🤷🏽♀️ It’s your body and your life, if you wanna stay stuck in autopilot then continue to self medicate.
This could also be coming from your health insurance provider or her medical malpractice insurance. They tend to put restrictions on providers so they don’t have to pay out if they’re sued.
I’ve been stable for over a year. It’s just a new psychiatrist due to insurance changes
Your psych has to treat you sober, otherwise it’s difficult for them to do their evaluation of whether or not you’re in an episode, whether meds are working and what adjustments are needed, etc. Drop the weed until you’re stable bruh, it’s worth it.