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Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

bloomberg.com

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Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#141

Post by lostlogin »

whats_a_quasar wrote: post #41

There's a really interesting line of research that suggests Schizophrenia is a spectrum, rather than a binary. Lots of people have personality traits that are similar to schizophrenics or have genetic risk factors for the condition. Some of those people develop the full disorder, and some don't. There's evidence that the reason for the split is that psychosis is itself damaging. Once someone has a psychotic episode,…

This is easily the best link I’ve clicked on HN in a long time, thank you.

In the context of medication and schizophrenia, the authors take is interesting:

“The message is do not only change what is inside your head but that which your head is inside of…

Recognizing the causes of the crisis as having been multifactorial made me also recognize that all ameliorative efforts had to be multilevel, impinging on everything from brain biochemistry to self-concept and social scenario.”

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#142

Post by zoiksmeboiks »

vitehozonage wrote: post #58
lisasays wrote: post #48

Original journal article (apparently not linked to in the Bloomberg piece): Association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia stronger in young males than in females (May 4 2023) https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medici... Interestingly, the journal article doesn't bother to mention how cannabis use disorder (CUD) is defined; however, Bloomberg's description "frequent use despite negativ…

Indeed. Shameful level of journalism. Every time I see reporting relating to health science I expect this and it is generally the case, it is so disappointing.

Capitalist journalism will seek to preserve capitalism, which demands sober workers to exploit.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#143

Post by quechimba »

quechimba wrote: post #9
DaveExeter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can we say nicotine has nothing to do with mental illness? Because the mentally ill really like their cigs!

Tobacco can be a very good medicine. Smoking cigarettes is obviously harmful, but they can have a very good effect on mood.

In the Peruvian Amazon, tobacco is considered to be a medicine. They use a stronger type of tobacco called "mapacho" which is pure, no additives. A regular brand cigarette contain about 10% additives (mainly sugars but also a lot of chemicals no one has ever heard of).

And since mapacho is so strong you can get the effects without even inhaling the smoke, which is healthier for the lungs.

Mapachos are used to clean out bad energies and keep bad spirits away.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#144

Post by jakeinspace »

peterfirefly wrote: post #11
16bitvoid wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't speak to its validity, but the way it was explained to me from a neuroscientist a few years ago is that the general hypothesis now is that some people have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia and that predisposition sort of lies dormant until triggered. That would explain how both could be true: it could be genetic and triggered by environment/trauma.

There are enough cases of identical twins where one twin gets it and the other doesn't that we are certain it can't just be genetic. We are also certain that genes matter. We even know roughly which genes and that many of the variants that increase the risk are de novo mutations. We don't know much more than that, though.

My grandmother’s twin sister developed schizophrenia, while my grandmother did not (though she did eventually suffer from Alzheimer’s). I have a moderately elevated genetic risk, and it’s something I do keep in mind. I believe her sister developed schizophrenia shortly after the 2 were separated from each other when my grandmother left for college, which is interesting timing.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#145

Post by iamnotsure »

ejb999 wrote: post #78
iamnotsure wrote: post #61

Frequent mouse button clicks increase software hangs in desktop environments, study finds. (MJ is an ancient medicine, it can't and won't cause any disease; proper use is a remedy for many)

arsenic and mercury are also ancient medicines...you want to start ingesting them daily?

Test of time failure.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#146

Post by atleastoptimal »

kitanata wrote: post #80

You have these cells in your brain called Microglia. They are responsible for cleaning up neurons and plaques and other weird proteins. These Microglia are activated by the firing neurons which release 2-AG and AEA (Anadamide). AEA binds to the CB1 receptor in these Microglia. 2-AG binds to CB2. THC binds to CB1. CBD binds to CB2. Autistic adults have significantly low blood serum levels of AEA. Autistic people’s neu…

So Schizophrenia is the opposite of Autism?

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#148

Post by lostlogin »

16bitvoid wrote: post #10
mikhmha wrote: post #5

I really recommend people interested in Schizophrenia to read the book “Hidden Valley Road”. I saw it recommended in a HN comment previously. The book follows an American family who gave birth to 12 children, 6 of whom were later diagnosed with schizophrenia in their teens. It’s interesting because the book gives lots of insight into the historical to modern research on the condition. In the past psychologists though…

I can't speak to its validity, but the way it was explained to me from a neuroscientist a few years ago is that the general hypothesis now is that some people have a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia and that predisposition sort of lies dormant until triggered. That would explain how both could be true: it could be genetic and triggered by environment/trauma.

> That would explain how both could be true: it could be genetic and triggered by environment/trauma.

With siblings it is likely both generics and environment are similar. In terms of trauma and episode triggering events, imagine the stress of living with a large family where several are schizophrenic.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#149

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

matthewbauer wrote: post #46
mikhmha wrote: post #5

I really recommend people interested in Schizophrenia to read the book “Hidden Valley Road”. I saw it recommended in a HN comment previously. The book follows an American family who gave birth to 12 children, 6 of whom were later diagnosed with schizophrenia in their teens. It’s interesting because the book gives lots of insight into the historical to modern research on the condition. In the past psychologists though…

Interestingly, schizophrenia is really rare in accounts before the 1800s. It appears to be a modern disease, which would make it seem like it would be environmental. Another interesting thing about schizophrenia is it's much more common in cities, even after controlling for drug use and ethnicity[1]. Which again makes it seem like something that was rare in the past. [1]: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-b…

Schizophrenia didn't exist as a concept until the early 20th century. There were various attempts to categories and label insanity in the late 19th, but before then people were either "mad", "not mad", or "occasionally mad" - perhaps with some sense of being religiously inspired in their madness.

So it's impossible to say if schizophrenia is a modern environmental illness.

FWIW I find it hard to imagine that modern life, even in cities, is more stressful than the life of a peasant in medieval Europe - someone who would be constantly torn between instinct and the threat of eternal agony in hell, and would also be terrorised by the very real threats of war, starvation, plague, and more mundane but still deadly illnesses.

Not that modern homelessness and poverty, workplace aggression and bullying, relationship breakdowns, and the threat of physical violence aren't stressful in their own way.

If there is an environmental component I'd guess it's at least as likely to be chemical as social. But maybe there's some difference in social stress types that everyone has missed.

Re: Heavy marijuana use increases schizophrenia in men, study finds

#150

Post by projectazorian »

MrFantastic wrote: post #117
matthewbauer wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interestingly, schizophrenia is really rare in accounts before the 1800s. It appears to be a modern disease, which would make it seem like it would be environmental. Another interesting thing about schizophrenia is it's much more common in cities, even after controlling for drug use and ethnicity[1]. Which again makes it seem like something that was rare in the past. [1]: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-b…

The concept of Demonic Possession has existed since antiquity. They probably had some sort of mental health disorder. Schizophrenia seems to have similar symptoms.

Or epilepsy and other neurological disorders, but agreed.
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