Written by, Connor B.
I had my first psychotic episode at the age of 21 while away at college. While taking a bath, I was suddenly afraid I was going to drown so I called campus authorities and ran in the cold in only my pajamas to make it to the security booth. I hadn’t slept in eight days and didn’t realize at the time that I was experiencing a major phase of mania. In the years leading up to this incident, I was using marijuana all day, every day. However, I thought this had no bearing on things – marijuana was natural after all!
My first stint in a behavioral health facility didn’t go well. I was discharged early due to safety concerns with other patients and it was extremely traumatic. After I had recovered, things were normal for another couple years. I continued my marijuana habit till my tolerance was so high that a full 100mg bag of gummies did nothing for me and I was regularly spending $1,000 a month on my stash. At the beginning of 2025 though, I was hit by an even harder bout of mania forcing me to be hospitalized once more. This time in the course of my recovery, I learned about CIP for the first time and that I was also Bipolar 1.
This Bipolar diagnosis was a game-changer. In working with my psychiatrist, I found a medication regimen that works for me and even alleviates some of the anxiety and depression that led me to smoke marijuana in the first place. Knowing that ANY marijuana use can lead to another CIP episode has helped me stay the course and achieve more than 7 months of sobriety so far. I am so grateful to the program for giving me the gift of a clear mind!
