A DEPRESSED mother who was high on cannabis took her own life while walking her dog on marshland east of Hailsham.
Stephanie Wainwright, 33, was found hanged from a bridge on a footpath half a mile from her home in Marshfoot Lane on April 24 last year.
An inquest in Eastbourne yesterday heard that Miss Wainwright had used the class B drug since the age of 16.
The voluntary worker told doctors 24 hours before her death that she was feeling depressed ‘nearly every day’.
She was prescribed anti-depressants but was found dead by a passer-by the following day.
Miss Wainwright lived with her 16-year-old son in Marshfoot Lane and had been battling an alcohol addiction but had been dry for the last three months of her life, the inquest was told.
Dr Savvakis Savvas, of the Bridgeside Surgery in Western Road, saw Miss Wainwright the day before she died.
He said she had complained of depression and he gave her a questionnaire to gauge her mood.
Dr Savvas prescribed her the anti-depressant Citalopram, which can take several weeks to have a positive effect, he said.
Toxicologist Dr Peter Sharp’s report revealed Miss Wainwright was ‘high’ on cannabis at the time of her death. East Sussex coroner Alan Craze said, “The effects of cannabis are unpredictable to say the least. Experts now believe that as well as increasing psychosis in people, prolonged use, particularly of strong cannabis from an early age, can actually induce psychosis.
“If I was looking for a trigger for the psychosis in this case, that could be it.”
via Depressed mum hanged herself while on cannabis – Eastbourne Today.
Hmm, a young woman who says she’s depressed has used cannabis since age 16. I’m not surprised that someone with depression would self-medicate with cannabis; it’s what I do. Notice how she uses cannabis for 17 years without incident, has an active alcohol addiction until three months ago, takes a prescription anti-depressant, then kills herself the next day, so naturally (in the British press), it’s the cannabis’ fault.
Citalopram (brand name Celexa) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. These type of drugs come with a big “black box” warning about increased risk of suicidality found in children and adolescents taking the drug, as well as people with bipolar disorder or previous history of suicidal ideation. Dr. Savvas apparently saw her one day, had her fill out a questionnaire, decided she wasn’t bipolar or suicidal, and gave her a powerful brain-altering pill.
I also question how the coroner knew she was “high” on cannabis at the time of her death. If she was a consistent user, she’d likely test positive for THC metabolites for days. Even if he’s testing THC in the blood, it’s hard to know if she was “high”; even blood tests aren’t good for detecting recent use beyond a few hours and I doubt her body was found just shortly after her death. If he’s looking for a trigger for the psychosis, how about a powerful pill taken for the first time the day before rather than the cannabis used consistently for 17 years?
Once again I think of all the side effects of these drugs and not too many people think twice about them. They just munch on the pills and wonder why their heart races and they have a rash with increased thoughts of suicide.
I have depression issues, not as bad now as then. I read those side effects and just those scared me away from script antidepressants. I just wish they would of had MMJ back then (in indiana). I think that would of helped me through so much rather than me goin it alone…due to the fact I’m very stubborn and refused their easy to throw at symptom drugs. I also had a lack of connections for bud.
I’m such a stubborn idiot I don’t take pills for headaches.
This just pisses me off to no end… We think Cannabis propaganda is bad in the US, I read articles like this all the time in online British newspapers and its just blatantly one sided. Almost as if the writer is under strict big brother control to only report bad things about Cannabis… And its almost always tabloidish in style and sensationalized. I am so sick of it I want to puke. At least their drug laws have been less harsh for quite some time compared to many US States. But now with their precious conservative Gorden Brown who won’t even listen to the advice of a scientific panel he changes the classification from “C” to a class “B” drug. Of course their Orwellian society is going to report blatant lies like this. If our federal government had the strength to police our States like the English government controls its country, we here in America would be really screwed… Be thankful we still have a glimmer of a chance to throw off the chains of the federal government. “Don’t Tread On Me!” Perhaps its time to divide the Union! Stand up for your rights, and demand freedom.
It isn’t surprising that this comes out of England. We think anti-pot propaganda is bad in America, but whenever I read stories out of England I am appalled. The stuff that comes out of the BBC (what do you expect from government run media) is full of twisted truth and misinterpreted scientific studys’ conclusions on the subject. This in a place where cannabis is decriminalized, and they point to decriminalization as the reason for the ongoing drug violence. IT’S THE PROHIBITION STUPID!
It’s so typical that the media would immediately put the blame for this on the cannabis. The media will always find a way to demonize such a harmless drug.
uhhhhhhhhhh what?
look i was on anti-depressants when i was about 9 because i was having questions about death and suicide..i wasnt thinkin bout killin myself just curious as 2 what it all meant..anyway when i started takin it within the 1st week those curious thoughts turned into me actually thinkin about doin it and i was so confused i told my ma and she immediately had me quit takin em..THE DOC. SAID HE RECOMMEND ME CONTINUE TAKIN EM! hmmm i wonder y?
Russ…I really enjoy your blog and look at it daily…..It’s something that they didn’t pin this suicide on the anti-depressant….I had a really hard time getting off anti-depressants….getting off them made me horribly depressed and sick….it really took a while to wean my system from them…..CANNABIS HELPS me live without them I’m HAPPY to say.
This story smells like :poop: