How Marijuana & Bipolar Disorder Ruined My Life & Kept Landing Me in the Psych Ward | Ep 220

In this episode of Get a Grip Podcast, Louis Essig and Aaron Garnes sit down with Devon Fitzpatrick for a raw and eye-opening conversation about bipolar disorder, substance use, psychosis, cocaine, PCP, meth, and the devastating impact that mental health and addiction can have when they collide.

Devon opens up about his childhood, including the unusual circumstances surrounding his birth—his mother was only 12 years old and pregnant with him. He also discusses growing up in a family where bipolar disorder affected multiple relatives and how those experiences shaped his understanding of mental health.

Devon describes his first experience with marijuana and the intense manic episode that followed. What might have seemed like ordinary experimentation quickly became something much more serious. He explains how marijuana and bipolar disorder interacted in his life and how his experiences repeatedly led him back to psychiatric hospitals.

During high school, Devon's partying escalated. He shares stories about partying with his aunt, who was actually two years younger than him, before describing one of the most frightening periods of his life. After stealing his grandfather's car, Devon entered a full-blown psychotic episode in which he believed he was Abraham Lincoln. The episode ultimately resulted in another trip to a psychiatric hospital.

At just 17 years old, Devon discovered cocaine and describes how quickly he became obsessed with the drug. He talks about his plans after high school, another trip to a psychiatric ward, and eventually entering treatment as his mental health and substance use continued to spiral.

Devon also explains what it was like combining marijuana with bipolar disorder and why he believes weed played such a significant role in his repeated psychiatric hospitalizations. His story offers a firsthand look at the complicated relationship between mental health, substance use, and psychosis.

After entering college, Devon relapsed and eventually dropped out. During this period, he unknowingly encountered PCP and describes the terrifying experience of smoking it for the first time. The experience became extremely violent, and Devon recounts being beaten so severely that he was left almost unrecognizable.

The conversation also explores the different classifications of bipolar disorder and Devon's first experience with methamphetamine. He describes what that first use felt like and how his drug use continued to evolve throughout his struggles with mental health.

This is a powerful conversation about bipolar disorder, marijuana, cocaine, PCP, methamphetamine, psychosis, psychiatric hospitalization, and the complicated relationship between mental health and addiction. Devon's story shows just how quickly substance use can become dangerous when combined with untreated or unmanaged mental health struggles.

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