Cannabis blamed for man's suicide (From Bucks Free Press)
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Cannabis blamed for former Marlow man's suicide
10:59am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Andy Carswell
Chris Benning
A FAMILY has blamed skunk cannabis for causing the mental health problems that ultimately led to a 30-year-old man hanging himself.
Chris Benning, who had a long history of mental health issues, was found hanging from a tree in Hatchett Woods near Frieth by a dog walker on April 9.
The inquest into his death heard he started using skunk - the most potent form of cannabis - at the age of 14, which led to him being diagnosed with schizophrenia a year later.
His sister Juliet said after the inquest the family had "always been convinced that Chris's use of cannabis, in particular skunk, from such a young age was a major catalyst in his development of schizophrenia".
Coroner Richard Hulett also warned of the dangers of the drug, saying: "It is always worth underscoring this is not a harmless substance. In the hands of a 14-year-old, it's the starting point of a disastrous sequence of events."
But the inquest heard Mr Benning's death was "out of the blue", because despite his mental health problems he had only ever shown "fleeting thoughts" of committing suicide.
However in the weeks prior to his death he was prescribed the anti psychotic drug citalopram which, the inquest heard, can lead to patients suffering suicidal thoughts as a side effect and his family had expressed concerns at the new drug.
Speaking after the inquest, Mr Benning's sister Juliet said: "Although we are aware that there may be little statistical evidence to prove the antidepressant citalopram may lead to a heightened risk of suicide, we have gathered enough anecdotal evidence to prove otherwise.
"We would ask that any prescription of the drug made by those in the health authorities is done so with a warning of these risks."
She added: "Chris was a troubled soul who lived the latter part of his life plagued by paranoia and fear. Yet despite this he displayed a wonderfully irreverent sense of humour, which with my sister Ali, the three of us shared together.
"He always dreamed about leading a normal life up north where he would not be known and where the stigma of his mental illness would not follow him. He was a deeply loved brother and son."
Mr Hulett said the support Mr Benning, formerly of Berwick Road, Marlow, received from his family and mental health services was "very thorough" and there were no shortcomings in his care.
He ruled Mr Benning took his own life.
Comments(24)
bonkers2010
says...
12:00pm Thu 9 Feb 12
■Constipation is one common side effect of this drug.
■The user’s desire for sex decreases.
■Ability of doing sex also decreases because of this drug.
■Dizziness is also felt by the user of this drug.
■The mouth starts staying dry.
■Drowsiness is felt.
■Diarrhea is another common side effect of Citalopram.
■Increased sweating is another problem that is suffered by the user of this drug.
■The user undergoes light headedness when he stands up or sits down.
■Nausea is another common side effect
■Stuffy nose
■The user of citalopram loses his appetite.
■Tiredness is felt
■Weakness is also another common side effect.
■Excessive drowsiness and yawning is part of it’s side effects
Seventeen
says...
12:09pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Tragic... But Cannabis is not to blame for this. It is filled with CBD (40% of the entire plants makeup) which boosts, heals and helps the human CB receptors especially CB1 and CB2.
There are many scientific tests out there that PROVE this to be so, even our Government funded the Keele University to do test which is conveniently seems to ignore.
You also have many tests and studies in the 'British Journal of Psychiatry which PROVE also this plant can be used to help maintain our systems and help prevent much.. It was shown to be a proven anti-depressant and lowered introvertive anhedonia in people.
One of the mysterious reasons I would assume that the government allows GW Pharmaceuticals to cultivate 30 metric tons of this plant every year for medical benefits... So.. Why would this be allowed if this miraculous plant didn't have amazing benefits to the human body? Criminal however though that they are allowed to be above the law and if anyone else dares to cultivate this plant they get treated like a criminal....
So why has this tragic situation happened? I would say it is because one he had a history of mental illness to begin with at a very young age which was combined with taking Cannabis at such a young age when the human brain is not fully functional and formed. I personally would suggest this plant to be legalised... So you would lower the chance of youth's being able to acquire Cannabis.
Sure you cannot eliminate it totally but if you open up and begin to explain and teach people the TRUTH of Cannabis it could help at least lower that rate of youth so if you wanted it you would need to purchase from a controlled environment and of course be over the safe age limit.
bonkers2010
says...
12:14pm Thu 9 Feb 12
■Severe allergic reactions like rashes and hives appear on skin
■The women may suffer difficulty in breathing
■Tightness in the chest is also felt by the patient.
■Swelling of mouth also takes place
■Menstrual cycles get disturbed
■Bizarre behaviour is shown by the user.
■Pain in chest is also felt.
■The user starts remaining confused all the time.
■Black and bloody stools are passed by the user.
■Concentration of the user decreases.
■In the tasks, where coordination is required, the user fails to coordinate because of decreased concentration and increased confusion.
■Heartbeat becomes slow and irregular
■The user suffers hallucinations.
■The user may faint now or then.
■Memory loss takes place
■The user undergoes worst agitation and this agitation gets worst day by day.
■Panic attacks is another severe side effect.
■The user becomes aggressive.
■Impulsive behaviour is also exhibited.
■Irritability is another severe side effect.
■Some users also exhibit exaggerated feeling of being superior.
■Restlessness is also depicted by the behaviour of it’s users.
■Painful erection is another side effect.
■The user depicts inability to show persistence.
■Skin becomes swollen and red.
■Skin also starts to peel off.
■Seizuresis another severe side effect.
■The user of citalopram may suffer with sleep disorders
■Severe persistent anxiety is also suffered
■Severe or persistent headache is also faced by it’s user.
■Shortness of breath is another side effect.
■Stomach pain is also felt by some users.
■The patient starts staying so depressed that he might become victim of suicidal thoughts or he may make a suicidal attemot as well.
■Unsual bleeding is another side effect.
■Unusual weakness is also felt by the patients.
■Severe mood changes are also exhibited
■Depression may also get worst.
these are a few of the side affects of the drug . there are about 50-60 more side affects including suicide and unexplained death .. the patient has to unergo blood tests because it alalso may interfere with your white cells .. how can a drug be given to a patient that suffers from these disorders . if the very drug they are treating it with can cause more dangerous symptoms than you have in the first place . it is a dangerous drug . it should be banned . cannabis can induce whats know as drug induced phycosis which is often miss diagnosed as mental illness
tony2th
says...
12:42pm Thu 9 Feb 12
this man had a 16 yr history of cannabis use yet within weeks of starting on citalopram he starts to exhibit symptoms that disturb his family. the drug is known to be dangerous, the enclosed notes state as much.
you state that his sister blamed cannabis for his condition yet she also seems to blame citalopram. perhaps you'd explain the inconsistencies in the story and the headline. thankyou.
snx843
says...
1:19pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Doctor killed this one. I felt EXACTLY this was when I tried some toxic ****, felt worse that I'd ever felt. They deal out this poisen without understanding some people don't want SSRI they want something sedative and calming like Seroquel or a "pine". Olanzapine, Quietiapine, pines reduce your anxieties and calm you down so they are more suited to people suffering like him. Give SSRI to wrong person they get real restless and real manic they go psychotic and hang themselves.
They gave a person who suffers schitzophernia an SSRI drug? Christ a schitzo condition is caused by excessive serotonin and dopeamine, what they hell is this doctor on, he needs to go before a court of law and be tried for murder.
YOU DON'T GIVE SCHITZO AND BIPOLAR PEOPLE SSRI cause they go mad, mixed states of mind are what drive us to suicide, euphoria and anxiety, energy and self hatred etc. SSRI enduce mixed states or episodes of psychotic potential.
Wonder what he did in the other 16years they fail to report on?
Cannabis was used by virtually every person when I was sectioned myself due to Manic Depression. Nearly all reported that it reduced the desire for suicide by acting to calm, distance and distract one from their endless flight of negative ideas. Alot of them hated scrpt drugs as they make you feel like something is crawling inside you, endless restless horrid nightmare. You need another drug to calm the side-effects of the other, and then another and another and next thing you are 20stone and don't leave the house.
This story is typical for this website franchise or whatever it is, it feeds absolute nonsense to morons of middle england who lap up this rubbish and are too uneducated to know better. Do some real reporting for christs sake!
chrisbb
says...
1:33pm Thu 9 Feb 12
The idea that cannabis is now much stronger is in reality a tabloid created myth who have cottoned on to the term 'skunk' to demonise cannabis.
The vast majority use cannabis with no detriment to themselves or society whatsoever. This person was able to obtain cannabis anyway, regardless of its legal status, although as others have pointed out, the prescription medication the poor chap had recently starting taking has side effects far worse than cannabis.
Cressex Offender
says...
2:10pm Thu 9 Feb 12
This poor chap already had issues and it sounds to me like citalopram is to blame without a shadow of a doubt. I was offered this by my doctor for anxiety once, thank god I refused.
Once again, poorly written, poorly researched, contradictory scaremongering abounds.
Dan-Bognor
says...
2:14pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Trip
says...
3:31pm Thu 9 Feb 12
andy1786
says...
4:39pm Thu 9 Feb 12
i think if the goverment had this regulated hey may of found it harder to get his hands on it.
Or even if it was regulated and he had mental health issues he could have been prescribed a strain of cannabis to help him with his diss order do not blame the cannabis or the user blame the goverment.
Mimiko
says...
4:45pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Mimiko
says...
4:48pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Seventeen wrote:Do you really think that it wouldn't be grown in houses just as it is atm?
Chris Benning, who had a long history of mental health issues. So is this before the mystical "super skunk" ? I think you'll find it must of been....
Tragic... But Cannabis is not to blame for this. It is filled with CBD (40% of the entire plants makeup) which boosts, heals and helps the human CB receptors especially CB1 and CB2.
There are many scientific tests out there that PROVE this to be so, even our Government funded the Keele University to do test which is conveniently seems to ignore.
You also have many tests and studies in the 'British Journal of Psychiatry which PROVE also this plant can be used to help maintain our systems and help prevent much.. It was shown to be a proven anti-depressant and lowered introvertive anhedonia in people.
One of the mysterious reasons I would assume that the government allows GW Pharmaceuticals to cultivate 30 metric tons of this plant every year for medical benefits... So.. Why would this be allowed if this miraculous plant didn't have amazing benefits to the human body? Criminal however though that they are allowed to be above the law and if anyone else dares to cultivate this plant they get treated like a criminal....
So why has this tragic situation happened? I would say it is because one he had a history of mental illness to begin with at a very young age which was combined with taking Cannabis at such a young age when the human brain is not fully functional and formed. I personally would suggest this plant to be legalised... So you would lower the chance of youth's being able to acquire Cannabis.
Sure you cannot eliminate it totally but if you open up and begin to explain and teach people the TRUTH of Cannabis it could help at least lower that rate of youth so if you wanted it you would need to purchase from a controlled environment and of course be over the safe age limit.
faye93x
says...
4:50pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Cressex Offender
says...
4:53pm Thu 9 Feb 12
tony2th
says...
5:15pm Thu 9 Feb 12
i think they work on the PT Barnum principle that you can fool most of the people most of the time. unfortunately for them the public is becoming more educated thanks to the net and their lies are more and more obvious.
of course it doesn't help the truth if your newspaper owners' aim is to demonise cannabis regardless of the evidence. i feel that there is some other influence at work here, whether it's the alcohol industry or the pharmaceutical lobby - anyone with half a brain can see through the press bullpoo.
bluebanana
says...
8:32pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Of course I can't prove that he didn't already have any condition and something just triggered it or if he took something other than cannabis, but I tend to agree with some opinion that cannabis can cause some mental health issues - because I've witnessed it. Had I not witnessed it, I'd be the same as everyone else who smokes it and says its fine.
Dan-Bognor
says...
8:38pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Trip wrote:Oh so true!
Let's not let facts get in the way of a good story, eh?
dtap
says...
8:44pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Seventeen wrote:This is a very fine post - good to hear such quiet sanity espoused so eloquently.
Chris Benning, who had a long history of mental health issues. So is this before the mystical "super skunk" ? I think you'll find it must of been.... Tragic... But Cannabis is not to blame for this. It is filled with CBD (40% of the entire plants makeup) which boosts, heals and helps the human CB receptors especially CB1 and CB2. There are many scientific tests out there that PROVE this to be so, even our Government funded the Keele University to do test which is conveniently seems to ignore. You also have many tests and studies in the 'British Journal of Psychiatry which PROVE also this plant can be used to help maintain our systems and help prevent much.. It was shown to be a proven anti-depressant and lowered introvertive anhedonia in people. One of the mysterious reasons I would assume that the government allows GW Pharmaceuticals to cultivate 30 metric tons of this plant every year for medical benefits... So.. Why would this be allowed if this miraculous plant didn't have amazing benefits to the human body? Criminal however though that they are allowed to be above the law and if anyone else dares to cultivate this plant they get treated like a criminal.... So why has this tragic situation happened? I would say it is because one he had a history of mental illness to begin with at a very young age which was combined with taking Cannabis at such a young age when the human brain is not fully functional and formed. I personally would suggest this plant to be legalised... So you would lower the chance of youth's being able to acquire Cannabis. Sure you cannot eliminate it totally but if you open up and begin to explain and teach people the TRUTH of Cannabis it could help at least lower that rate of youth so if you wanted it you would need to purchase from a controlled environment and of course be over the safe age limit.
LennySeven
says...
2:00pm Fri 10 Feb 12
LennySeven
says...
2:09pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Cressex Offender wrote:As true as it gets.
Can I just ay how pleased I am that the consensus in these comments is fairly consistent and that we all seem to agree that this is trumped up sensationalism.
bonkers2010
says...
8:34pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Sativex Oromucosal Spray 3x10ml Vial
What Sativex is
Sativex is a mouth spray which contains cannabis extracts called cannabinoids.
What Sativex is used for
Sativex is used to improve symptoms related to muscle stiffness (spasticity) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Health professionals sometimes talk about 'spasticity' when describing the muscle stiffness that you may experience. Spasticity means there is an increase in 'muscle tone'. In other words, when the muscle is moved, there is more resistance to this movement than there normally would be. Muscles feel more rigid.
Sativex is used when other medicines have not worked to relieve your muscle stiffness.
This medicine is named patient only and we can only supply it in packs of three vials.
And this is made by who . lets guess GW Pharmaceuticals who the uk government have give a license to produce as one other person commented 30 metric tons a year .
fibropage
says...
11:27pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Mental health is a complicated area with many factors to consider. I think it would be ignorant to assume that this sad outcome was due to just one part of his life. As a psychotherapist, I deal with the subject of suicide on a regular basis & would urge you all to consider the family at this time. I also run a support group for people with Fibromyalgia who find Citalopram a very effective drug with very few side effects. To balance the discussion, I would also like to mention that I do feel there is an overuse of anti-depressants where therapy would be more effective.
emmalouise1
says...
1:20pm Tue 14 Feb 12
bonkers2010 says...
11:59am Thu 9 Feb 12
Citalopram is an antidepressant drug.it is used to cure major depressions. It is frequently used to treat anxiety, panic disorders and depression. It is considered to be an effective drug but like every other drug, one can not be saved from citalopram side effects; if taken unwisely. It’s side effects range from common to uncommon and from less severe to severe side effects. Where citalopram soothes the symptoms of depression and anxiety, on the other hand citalopram may leave some side effects as well. Citalopram side effects may prove hazardous if not treated well and if Ignored