Germany - Cannabis smokers at risk of personality disorder syndrome says study

[chillinwill]

Stuttgart, Germany - Cannabis users between 17 and 30 years are at greater risk of developing multiple types of personality disorders than non-smokers in the same age group, a German study found.

Cannabis also effects women differently than men, the study published in the German psychiatric journal Fortschritte der Neurologie Psychiatrie found.

Researchers at the Protestant Bethanien Clinic in Greifswald discovered that young men tended to become anti-social or develop borderline personality disorders while women who smoked cannabis often become depressed and insecure.

Of the 99 cannabis users examined, 90 per cent later developed an anti-social personality disorder.

Symptoms included disregard for social norms, reduced or non-existent empathy for other people and an inability to change behaviour despite negative experiences.

One third of the participants in the study had three or more personality disorders.

However, the study could not determine whether using cannabis was responsible for any initial change in their personalities.

Posted : Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:15:43 GMT
EarthTimes
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/s...ome-study.html

[Laszlo1]

" Of the 99 cannabis users examined, 90 per cent later developed an anti-social personality disorder."

That percentage seems ridiculously large to swim.... weird. Not much of a toker himself, so no worries, but does anyone think this is a bit large?

[Mr. Giraffe]

Summary: cannabis turns you into a weirdo.

Evidence: some people we have decided are weird for the purposes of this study also smoke cannabis.

Contribution to human knowledge: nil.

Incidentally, what's a social norm? Is that the one where you run around mindlessly consuming crap even though the entire financial, economic and social system is about to catapult off the edge of a cliff? How anti-social of me to notice! Nurse! The straitjacket, etc.

[witchychick]

having worked in mental health for eons, i think that this article is dangerous and ill informed. it is far more likely that anyone having a adverse reaction to cannabis would experience psychosis than personality disorder.. personality disorder is not something that just " happens " because you smoke a bit of blow. ridiculous imo and the percentages are far too high.

[snapper]

Or perhaps people with personality disorders smoke cannabis to help deal with them ???
Naaa.. that would mean it is a medicine and not a hazardous drug. Better take the flip side of the coin to further the protestant moral agenda.

[witchychick]

Originally Posted by snapper

Or perhaps people with personality disorders smoke cannabis to help deal with them ???
Naaa.. that would mean it is a medicine and not a hazardous drug. Better take the flip side of the coin to further the protestant moral agenda.

yes self medication possibly because personalilty disorders are v hard to treat and any treatment is usually just for the symptoms ie the anxiety etc. but still.. these percentages are dodgy

[Nature Boy]

Cannabis is inherently anti-social. It's ILLEGAL for crying out loud. As for actual disorders (ironic how I use the word "actual" seeing as these disorders are not grounded in empirical evidence), you could diagnose anyone with some kind of disorder if you pry around for long enough. The perils of psychiatry, the shady world of mind medicine.

[humdroid]

Many personality disorders are due to traumatic, or neglectful caregiving in the formative years in infancy, when the personality is forming.
Cannabis can be problematical for those to whom it makes psychotic, but then again, other drugs make us psychotic.
It's finding what you like, which dont do your blok in.

ediated to add Melanie Klein was an eminent ologist of this specilaised subject.

[AquafinaOrbit]

90%? Haha, not really much point in even addressing that number.

[doggy_hat]

Symptoms included disregard for social norms, an inability to change behaviour despite negative experiences.

Thinking for yourself instead of letting the State do it for you is bad. Some guy in a white coat told me so, so it must be true!

It's disgusting how totalitarian the world has become, when not following social norms is a mental illness.

[witchychick]

Originally Posted by doggy_hat

Symptoms included disregard for social norms, an inability to change behaviour despite negative experiences.

Thinking for yourself instead of letting the State do it for you is bad. Some guy in a white coat told me so, so it must be true!

It's disgusting how totalitarian the world has become, when not following social norms is a mental illness.

that is very true and sad. and it is true that anyone can get a label if they see a psychiatrist...