I am furious and sick..She has too many complications for this one. And thanks to OPMC in NY she can not go to the new lyme- psych clinic because she isn't CDC positive..

Anyone know of some good drug rehab centers, in MD or PA, that I could let her visit to see the outcomes that befall some that go this route?
WE already have some addiction genes in our family.

While your daughter might be seeking this route for the wrong reasons, such treatment has helped numerous chronically ill patients and I don't think lymies are discluded.

We all have to do what is right for us, but I do not think that lumping medicinal marijuana, which is safer and healhier (especially if used with a vaporizer) than many of the things we put in our bodies, with much more harmful and more addictive drugs and those struggling with addiction is going to prove very effective. especially if you are dealing with a teenager, capable of researching and thinking for themselves in many ways, I think it might make you lose your credibility entirely.

I would be very careful in walking down this road, and making medicinal marijuana out to be some kind of terrifying, life-destroying gateway drug, which it is not. Many, many of the drugs we are using for lyme, and especially for pain and psychological problems are much more addictive and harmful. You can handle your children as you see fit; of course, but I personally would tred very light and pick your battles carefully.

IIRC, Montel Williams is taking marihuana.

But it's not a cure. It's only for treating symptoms as I understand it.

I have also noticed that when I drink red wine that my cognitive neurological symptoms go away.

Unfortunately it only lasts for a few hours, then they are right back. But for sure the red wine does something good...temporarily.

Note, I'm NOT suggesting to drink red wine to treat symptoms. I just have a glas once every second week or so, when socializing.

Let me first say that seeking a drug rehab center will probably do your daughter more damage than good. First of all, you say she is only trying to help herself, and who can blame her for that. Everyday we eat things and do all kinds of things that can be worse for our bodies than pot. I am not saying that pot is necesarily a good thing. In fact, in many many cases I think it can be a very bad thing. But just because it is normally illegal and generally looked down upon does not mean it is the evil that so many ppl have come to believe it is. Look at the history behind goverment propoganda and marijuana. It should blow anyones mind who actually takes the time to research it for reals.

But smoking pot and wanting to smoke pot is very normal for healthy teenagers, it makes even more sense why your daughter who is sick would want to smoke. If I were you I would not encourage her to smoke because I really don't belive it will make her any better. But you can't come down on her too hard because when parents do this, they usually do it wrong and make their children feel like they are bad, when really, having a desire to smoke pot does not make someone bad at all.

Sending her to a rehab clinic will make her feel like there is something wrong with her. And having a desire to smoke pot and even smoking pot does not always (or in my mind after researching extensivley, it rarely) mean(s) there is something wrong.

Her interest is not as much medical as that is the excuse she is using...It's to do pot with friends..End of story..

When other meds become illegal, I will consider them on the non usable list as well and have stopped many drugs due to problems and reactions..I want no unnecessary poisons, abx or others, but with a suicidally depressed child you do what you have to do to save her..

Perhaps the criticism arises from my frustration and poor wording with the post but otherwise, walk in my shoes first. Thanks

And stay away from drug rehab centers. My sister is a social worker who left those way behind.

They take in mentally ill people who just happen to smoke some dope, but drugs are the least of their problems.

The kids that are in there for just drugs are at risk from these dangerous patients who talk to lamps, attack people with objects, or who smear menstral blood on the walls.

I agree that a rehab to check her into would be rough (i had to do that when trying to get off the duragesic patch), but no harm in taking her to visit.

I wish I had answers for you, just know that more than likely she will be ok - even with your brother's addiction, if she does try marijuana, its not automatic there will be an addiction.

I am hoping she will understand your strong feelings and let this drop - but having been her age, I don't know .

All i can do is wish you and her the best of luck and tell you that you both are in my thoughts and prayers.

B, as always thanks for the kind words..

With that said, addiction to marijuana is a mental one. Mental addiction can be as powerful as physical, but there is an important difference to note. Mental addictions are often a result of something deeper, and therefore are often replaced with yet another addiction when they are broken. So, if marijuana was (or is) a problem with someone you have known, it is most likely not the drug itself that is causing the problem at all, and if it weren't this drug it would be something else equally if not more self depricating.

In addition, marijuana does not pave the path for other, physically addictive drugs, as they are two different types of addictions and one does not equate the other. I agree entirely with the person who posted that those in rehab for marijuana are not in rehab for smoking that plant, but are in rehab because of some deeper rooted personal dilema, causing their mental dependence on altering their state of being.

Teenagers go through all kinds of phases, and the experimentation phase will continue into the college years, and maybe beyond. As a parent in your shoes, I personally would be spending my time trying to keep your daughter as healthy and as safe as she can be, but in an honest and pragmatic way. She is going to experiment--she already has. The best thing I believe a parent in your position can do is to educate yourself about the real risks of different drugs so that she will hopefully have the knowledge to use them as safely as possible, and to stay away from those drugs much more harmful than a non-physically addictive plant with real medicinal benefits.

If you place the risks of marijuana on the same level as those of heroin and pcp, then you have given her just as much reason to use those as you have the former. If she then does partake in marijuana and realizes that it is, in fact, not the terrible thing it has been made out to be, what will she think of the advice you offer her in the future and about other drugs?

I also think it's excellent that your daughter was choosing to use a vaporizer, as not too many people know about this healthier alternative to smoking marijuana than out of a conventional pipe, joint, or bong.

In short, my suggestion to tred lightly was in hopes that your daughter would be as safe and healthy as possible, as I am certain we are both striving for what is best for her, and for all young people in this position. I obviously do not want her, or anyone to harm herself in any way and that is why I am taking the time to explain my insight and experience with the topic. You can, of course, use it at your disposal but if you do want any accurate research on the topic, I would be happy to share it.

Best of luck,
Sara

I would be scared about it too.

My brother (who has LD) was addicted to marijuana. He claimed at times he used it for pain, he spent years addicted to it. Some might tell you it's safe, but from what I've seen, it's not. It's addicting. Because it can't be given in controlled doses like other narcotic painkillers, who knows how much people are getting. My brother was extremely isolated, mean, moody, and angry on marijuana...he would literally lock himself in his room (at 20 years old)...and just stay in there whenever he was home. He was completely irrational, but the few times I would lose my cool about him he would accuse me of being irrational...he had a very dark "gloom" about him that was frustrating for the entire family and left us walking on eggshells. However, he would bounce back and forth from that dark attitude to being incredibly giddy and talkative and "center of attention" kind of attitude. And unfortunately the bouncing back and forth was pretty random. On top of it, we had to deal with the smell a few times when he would come in smelling very strong like it and there were others in our family who didn't want to enhale it. So, I don't agree that you should let this one slide. It might not be a big deal now, but it could turn into one. My parents had him leave about a month and a half ago and he chose, as his last resort, to get detoxed in a rehab center in CA. After the withdrawals passed he was allowed to write us letters, and in his first letter he said "Tell my sister I'm sorry for the way I treated her....I've finally found God again....I see things more clearly now" So, that's what this stuff does to people.

On another note, if your daughter is dealing with a lot of pain or symptoms....is she seeing an LLMD? Have you talked to her doctors about anything to control her pain if she's in pain?

I ended up going on oxycontin for about a year...for pain...near the end of that year I started feeling a little "too drugged" so I weaned off of it, with no problems as far as addiction or anything. I did have some withdrawal pain, but as far as psychological addiction "wanting it" I didn't have any issues so I was able to push through the brief physical withdrawal and I was fine. So, I definitely think that narcotics that can be given in measured doses, so you know exactly what your getting, and so you can cut down the doses when you decide to wean off, I just think it's a much better route to avoid getting psychologically addicted.

Unfortunately I can't give you any other ideas for your daughter, the only thing I can say is that I think your right to take this seriously, and I hope that giving you my brother's story will give you another look at what this drug can do. I would suggest trying to be there for your daughter though, don't come across so strong on this that it pushes her away, otherwise she might go out behind your back and find marijuana anyways.

Good luck

Lishka, 18

My brother was probably a charter member of NORMAL.If it still exists, I am sure he still belongs..He started out with pot and heavy drinking..He has experimented with almost everything else and now think he may use coke as his drug of choice..It may not progress in some, but the crowd can convince users to try other things. I lived thru the 60's, I have seen this happen way too often.

No one can talk to him about it..I no longer try..He made some rough threats to me the last time we spoke..I have seen up close and personal what can go wrong with this picture, as you have also seen. I do not want it repeated in my family.

A few things:

First, for some reason, normal people who are long term users, experience a return of feelings anger, I think normal anger for a while after having quit, the intensity of which subsequently diminishes over time to return to normal. Anyway something like this happens. What they were not bothered by due to suppression by pot, then bothers them after they quit. A kind of 're-bound' effect
of a normal feeling tone.

Ask a long term pot user who is under the influence, or at a time when there is no pot in their system, something like, "How did it go today...?" or "What did you do while on vacation?"

You'll hear inordinately long pauses between words.

E.g. We went to the dance, then, uh, we uh went horseback riding. At the castle we went up to the tower, and uh pretended we were .

A person NOT on pot will just rattle-off what they did.

The listener might think, geez, all I did was ask....(some innocuous question), and they have to think about that...before saying it? My point: You wonder why the long pause.... why the long time in between words for a simple response.

Suggest to your daughter that she look at the teeth of long term pot users,usu. people 2-4 yrs older than she, somebody's 'older brother',for example who might be the source. Cavities, fillings? Somebody's sister, bro. had a root canal, or a cleaning.

Suggest that she listen for comments about decay in unusual places in the teeth,as in,
"...The dentist said I had a cavity in an odd place.,or;'"... the dentist said it was unusual for a cavity to occur there...?

When smoke is blown through the mouth, sugars, etc. get deposited on areas of the teeth that would not be expected to remain there for very long before getting either brushed off by the tongue or by some brushing instrument.

Doc Dave, probably has read of, or heard lectures on the patterns of decay caused by various kinds of 'masticatory' activities, including smoke from different kinds of substances, and so could better suggest what kinds of decay 'patterns' to look for that correlate with a given kind of activity.