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Doctor said that my pot use could be causing my anxiety?

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psychman71

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May 29, 2016
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I had a Dr appt today due to anxiety that i just recently developed. She asked if I smoked pot and i said yes because i think its important to be truthful with your doctor. (By the way, i have only used about 3 times, but i have been high every time) She told me that's likely causing it. Now i know its commonly known that weed can reduce anxiety, but some research says it can also bring it on? The anxiety is similar to the anxiety people with depersonalization/derealization have. So what are your thoughts? What do you think could be it?
 
Well weed use CAN increase anxiety but USUALLY only while high.

Although I personally think it is POSSIBLE that if you smoke large amounts you could experience an increase in anxiety while it's in your blood stream, which could be a few weeks...if you have only smoked THREE times it's pretty unlikely that is the cause.

I mean the BIG question is "did you have anxiety BEFORE you smoked weed??"

If SO, then obviously that is not the issue.

Are you anxious when you are NOT high??

When you have NOT smoked recently?

Then it's probably not the weed.

May I ask how old you are?

No offense, you just sound somewhat younger and less experienced with drugs (which is just fine).
 
Mycophile said:
Well weed use CAN increase anxiety but USUALLY only while high.

Although I personally think it is POSSIBLE that if you smoke large amounts you could experience an increase in anxiety while it's in your blood stream, which could be a few weeks...if you have only smoked THREE times it's pretty unlikely that is the cause.

I mean the BIG question is "did you have anxiety BEFORE you smoked weed??"

If SO, then obviously that is not the issue.

Are you anxious when you are NOT high??

When you have NOT smoked recently?

Then it's probably not the weed.

May I ask how old you are?

No offense, you just sound somewhat younger and less experienced with drugs (which is just fine).
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I am 15, and never had anxiety to this degree. It probably first occurred about a week after i got high for the second time. And yes its anxiety when I am not high. And i tried getting high the other day to see if it would help the anxiety. (I hadn't smoked since i got the anxiety) While i was high, it did tend to stay out of mind but if i thought about it would come back to me. And the anxiety happens whenever I think about certain things, which tend to be deep topics, like why we are here and how everything even makes sense. Its wierd i know
 
What do you think is the proper question. Three times smoking only is doubtful that you induced anxiety but you must judge that.
 
psychman71 said:
I am 15, and never had anxiety to this degree. It probably first occurred about a week after i got high for the second time. And yes its anxiety when I am not high. And i tried getting high the other day to see if it would help the anxiety. (I hadn't smoked since i got the anxiety) While i was high, it did tend to stay out of mind but if i thought about it would come back to me. And the anxiety happens whenever I think about certain things, which tend to be deep topics, like why we are here and how everything even makes sense. Its wierd i know
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Actually it's not that weird.

I don't think any of us can 100% give you your answer BUT the fact that the anxiety occurred for the first time EVER to that degree after you first smoked weed DOES make it a factor.

As someone who smoked TONS of weed I am of the personal opinion that even on days I wasn't smoking my anxiety levels were higher due to how much was in my bloodstream.

I can't confirm whether or not that is actually possible, but all I know is that I was more anxious during periods I was smoking even when I WASN'T high than during long periods of abstainance as there were long periods where i didn't smoke.

One thing that studies have been saying, and I'm not sure they can 100% PROVE it but it seems likely, is that weed use can effect the developing brains of early teens.

I first smoked at 17 and didn't get heavier till around 19, so I'm not sure if it effected me as much, but at 15 it is possible it could have an effect on how your brain develops, though in what ways I can't say.

I certainly think it can't be discounted as a FACTOR but I don't know if we or even your therapist can 100% say it is the ONE AND ONLY CAUSE.

I think the best way to know IMO might be to try to go a month without smoking and see if you get the anxiety again in the meantime.

If you don't, try one more month.

If in 2 months of smoking you don't get the anxiety then that could be a strong indicator it was the weed.

But if it KEEPS happening in those 2 months I would have a hard time believing it is the weed but still...you just never know.

Unfortunately it IS true that weed CAN bring on anxiety disorders and other issues sometimes.

I have really bad generalized anxiety disorder and smoked TONS of weed when I was young and I can't deny it IS possible I might not have anxiety or AS bad anxiety if I had never smoked.

However, I actually believe Caffeine has had a WORSE effect on my anxiety and my most major panic attack was almost directly cause by caffeine but also during a period of weed use so both were factors.....that's not important for you to know, just trying to say weed's not the only drug that can cause anxiety.


But...in reality....it's NOT IMO far fetched that anxiety disorders can be brought to the surface from smoking weed that MIGHT be able to last beyond the point of getting high.


Honestly, I would be careful if I were you.

I always LOVED weed but it's not worth getting an anxiety disorder over.

Try to go without for a while I think and see what happens.

If your anxiety goes away I am not sure it would be such a good idea to smoke a whole lot more in the future as it might be causing it, but i just don't know man.
 
Mycophile said:
Actually it's not that weird.

I think the best way to know IMO might be to try to go a month without smoking and see if you get the anxiety again in the meantime.

If you don't, try one more month.

If in 2 months of smoking you don't get the anxiety then that could be a strong indicator it was the weed.

But if it KEEPS happening in those 2 months I would have a hard time believing it is the weed but still...you just never know.

Unfortunately it IS true that weed CAN bring on anxiety disorders and other issues sometimes.

However, I actually believe Caffeine has had a WORSE effect on my anxiety and my most major panic attack was almost directly cause by caffeine but also during a period of weed use so both were factors.....that's not important for you to know, just trying to say weed's not the only drug that can cause anxiety.
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That was actually extremely helpful. It gave me some good info and tips. My doctor just said it can cause psychotic symptoms and i need to stop. I will definitely stop for at least two months, and hope it gets better.

The part about caffeine also draws my attention. I love coffee and cokes and drink them way more than i should. I'm gonna cut those too.

If after two months my anxiety is gone, i will have it narrowed down to 3 things: The weed, the caffeine, or it could just be me getting ready for junior year and driving which it could be stress induced anxiety that only time could help.

I'm hoping its not the weed because I would like to continue exploring it. My friends and cousins swear by it, and i would love to enjoy it as much as them! Thanks for all the help!
 
Marijuana has been known to "bring out," or trigger, so to speak, mental illness that you may have a hereditary predisposition for.
 
Schizophrenia

psychman71 said:
I had a Dr appt today due to anxiety that i just recently developed. She asked if I smoked pot and i said yes because i think its important to be truthful with your doctor. (By the way, i have only used about 3 times, but i have been high every time) She told me that's likely causing it. Now i know its commonly known that weed can reduce anxiety, but some research says it can also bring it on? The anxiety is similar to the anxiety people with depersonalization/derealization have. So what are your thoughts? What do you think could be it?
Click to expand...

If you have a personality disorder it can cause paranoia, general anxiety and a feeling of restlessness
 
You're 15, even without anxiety you should be avoiding cannabis at such a young age. Sure plenty of people smoke in their teens without any long term effects, but ask anyone with serious long term drug problems and they will more often point to their early dabbles with cannabis as a significant factor.

If your brain is struggle then it's in your best interests to avoid potential triggers. Whether or not the cannabis is the cause there is no argument that will only be an adverse factor going forward. Some people use cannabis to relax but plenty more find it causes more anxiety. You have only tried weed three times, better to quit now.
 
One Thousand Words said:
You're 15, even without anxiety you should be avoiding cannabis at such a young age. Sure plenty of people smoke in their teens without any long term effects, but ask anyone with serious long term drug problems and they will more often point to their early dabbles with cannabis as a significant factor.

If your brain is struggle then it's in your best interests to avoid potential triggers. Whether or not the cannabis is the cause there is no argument that will only be an adverse factor going forward. Some people use cannabis to relax but plenty more find it causes more anxiety. You have only tried weed three times, better to quit now.
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I'm completely with you. I forget how young i am sometimes, which might be due to my appearing older haha...(nearly everyone i meet thinks I'm over 18). But besides that, I am definitely going to hold it off for a long while...I know so many people who have used it at my age and earlier and they are fine (at least currently) so didn't really make me think otherwise. Everyone's thoughts and advice have been extremely helpful, and it find it helpful just to talk about it.
 
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