[Mega] Anxiety and Paranoia Help / Discussion Thread

[MasterBaker]

[/QUOTE]I've found really helps with anxiety is treat Mary Jane like a very special lover as opposed to a whore. What that means for me is, no filthy bongs at parties, no drunken car sessions, no smoking with weird strangers, no buying filthy weed. Just special, relaxed occasions with your best mates and good buds. So far I've found that when I treat cannabis with respect I've been getting much nicer highs .[/QUOTE]

 

[Mawarumawaru]

Way too much to read through everything. Here's some of my experience with anxiety for what its worth.

Regarding caffeine and weed, if you have stress and anxiety issues (maybe your self-medicating with weed? I was), and constantly raised adrenaline and cortisol levels and you're getting panic attacks and constantly having negative thoughts, reducing or cutting out caffeine will probably help a lot, it did for me. I assume this is down to caffeine having an effect on sleep regulation and it can cause increased adrenaline and slightly increased cortisol response on its own anyway from what I've read. I found switching from coffee to tea helped, but had to quit for awhile too, it's just hard to stay off it permanently. Probably won't make a huge difference if you have a dreadful diet, take no exercise and don't look after yourself though. It really depends on what's causing your problems. Weed itself isn't for everyone after all, it can be too much of a head fuck for some people.

Logically though if you're adrenaline response has gotten wired to spark really easily, then even mild stimulants will trigger it, hence caffeine problems.

I think I made the mistake of trying to repress/reject negative thoughts for a long time which really just seems to make them worse, now I find discussing the fears as they arise with my unconscious/brain, which as stupid as it sounds, works. Still my problems were more related to drinking wayy too much coffee for way too long and compounding it with dodgy blended RCs and a couple of bad experiences and you find your own mind is trying to fuck you up Rather than weed that is, only thing I found with weed is like I said above, it makes it too easy to dwell, almost leads you into your own mind and if it's full of jagged mirrors and daggers it won't be much fun. But if you're mind is good then weeds always been good with me. Unless I'm around other people, then I wouldn't toke, makes me horribly self-conscious. Probably need to talk to my brain about that.

Don't underestimate what a high caffeine intake can do though, especially if you're already worrying a lot or not sleeping well.

 

[treezy z]

personally i either get drunk as fuck/barred out and pop an upper or 3 before i smoke, otherwise my mind gets twisted and i get tired and shit.

 

[RhythmSpring]

DO NOT CONSUME ANY CAFFEINE NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT FOR 3 WEEKS.
Once the caffeine clears your body and whatever has been thrown out of whack returns to normal, all the negative weed problems will go away,

Sorry, this is BS. It may work for you, but that doesn't mean it will work for everybody. I literally never consume coffee, and I will have lightly brewed green tea on average twice every three months. I *always* have severe anxiety in my smoked pot experiences, no matter when I smoke.

 

[TheCuriousOne]

sounds like complete bullshit and exaggeration and the placebo and all that....yeah

Well in 70% of the cases, anxiety stems from placebo. So, this is actually what could help. Just believing that it does help, actually helps. So, it helps.

 

[Mycophile]

I was wondering if anyone has had any success getting rid of the anxiety from smoking weed by drinking a lot of Chamomile tea and maybe smoking some also?

I vaped some chamomile the other day by itself and found it to have a very relaxing effect, even more so than drinking, but when I get REALLY anxious from weed I don't think one cup or a little smoked would do it. However, maybe REALLY like chugging a lot of Chamomile tea, like basically drinking it like beer...6 cups or something, might be able to get rid of some of the anxiety??

I know it sounds silly, but Chamomile works on GABA I believe and is actually a more potent herb than some people think.

Honestly, whoever suggested cutting out caffeine is IMO right because I get LOTS of anxiety because of the amount of caffeine I drink, I mean I already have GAD but the caffeine makes it so much worse.

Problem is, no matter how hard I try I can never consistently cut down on caffeine, it just ends up being too difficult for me for some reason and soon I'm back to drinking several cups a day.

Anything else I could do though to somehow lower my cortisol level or decrease stress while smoking would be great, because I haven't actually smoked any weed in 10 months now and was finding that in order to deal with the anxiety the only thing that worked was drinking and I got a beer gut from that process which I don't want to repeat...

I already take Klonopin and that doesn't get rid of the weed anxiety either.

 

[Mycophile]

^^^^

TTT for responses on this post.

Are there any other herbs or anxiolytic substances or anxiolytic techniques that people have found help for anxiety while on Cannabis?

 

[thujone]

I was wondering if anyone has had any success getting rid of the anxiety from smoking weed by drinking a lot of Chamomile tea and maybe smoking some also?

I vaped some chamomile the other day by itself and found it to have a very relaxing effect, even more so than drinking, but when I get REALLY anxious from weed I don't think one cup or a little smoked would do it. However, maybe REALLY like chugging a lot of Chamomile tea, like basically drinking it like beer...6 cups or something, might be able to get rid of some of the anxiety??

I know it sounds silly, but Chamomile works on GABA I believe and is actually a more potent herb than some people think.

Honestly, whoever suggested cutting out caffeine is IMO right because I get LOTS of anxiety because of the amount of caffeine I drink, I mean I already have GAD but the caffeine makes it so much worse.

Problem is, no matter how hard I try I can never consistently cut down on caffeine, it just ends up being too difficult for me for some reason and soon I'm back to drinking several cups a day.

Anything else I could do though to somehow lower my cortisol level or decrease stress while smoking would be great, because I haven't actually smoked any weed in 10 months now and was finding that in order to deal with the anxiety the only thing that worked was drinking and I got a beer gut from that process which I don't want to repeat...

I already take Klonopin and that doesn't get rid of the weed anxiety either.

I'm planning to do a blog article at the end of the week you should check out (remind me if I forget, it's a busy week), I'll be discussing the supplementation I'm on now and why it's been so effective at neutralizing anxiety. None of what I'll cover have been hot topics on BL so I'm hoping it will be new information for some.

 

[Mycophile]

I'm planning to do a blog article at the end of the week you should check out (remind me if I forget, it's a busy week), I'll be discussing the supplementation I'm on now and why it's been so effective at neutralizing anxiety. None of what I'll cover have been hot topics on BL so I'm hoping it will be new information for some.

I'm definitely interested.

Are you using natural supplements are over the counter herbs?

 

[Bare_head]

so anyone tried weening thereselves off cannabis? as in using shatter and smoking less and less each and every day? i really find with the different strengths / varieties its hard to smoke less and less but with shatter your close to pure cannabanoids so dosage willl be better to measure, i know it aint physically addictive like benzos but the anxiety i get from no use is horrible

 

[rave_itsrealfun!!!]

If you get horrible anxiety from no use then that is really not a good sign. It would be best to address that issue by quitting weed before it gets any worse, because one of the most common long term effects is anxiety. Assuming that is where the anxiety is coming from, it's quite possible for heavy weed use to cause this. Not sure if you had severe anxiety to begin with but I most definitely did not.

Actually it was physically addictive in my case - notably via appetite suppression. Not being able to eat food without puking for two weeks qualifies as a physical dependency in my books. I lost 20 pounds before my appetite came back with a vengeance, that's physical enough for me. It was hell trying to eat an apple and puking it out 20 minutes later as my digestive tract was at a standstill. To say it is not physically addictive is a generalization that does not apply to every heavy marijuana user on Planet Earth. In my case, the first two weeks to one month were physical agony and I have powerful residual anxiety 9 months after quitting which I never had before I picked up the habit. The recovery in my case will take years of constant vigilance - wish I never touched the stuff, never knew it could fuck with your head so bad.

I tried to slowly wean myself off, but as my tolerance dropped I began to experience horrible panic attacks from the tiniest puff. It's because cutting back would cause me extreme rebound anxiety since I was heavily addicted, and then getting stoned wouldn't be the same because it would just amplify the withdrawal anxiety instead of providing relief. Weed was always all or nothing for me, and I wasted a decade of my life as a slave before waking up to the bullshit denial. So I quit forever and never looked back, best decision I ever made.

If you are prone to anxiety, paranoia, or panic symptoms while stoned, then weed does not agree with you. I became one of those people after smoking it too frequently and it is quite common. The side effects can appear out of the blue after extensive use even though you had none of that at first; perhaps you had been enjoying it for years with no issues so it can be confusing. It can also go away as you build up a tolerance and then you can get pleasure out of weed that way, but then you have to be an addict. Instead of searching for some wonder strain, or building up a tolerance, or trying to use "mental strength" to ignore obvious physical discomfort I would search for a better drug to suit your purposes.

Alcohol and benzos can mask the weed anxiety, but it's still not going to agree with you. A silly weed isn't worth a damn of your time if it causes you horrible side effects such as paranoia, forms of anxiety, and panic symptoms and if you keep putting yourself through those uncomfortable highs it can lead to long term effects.

Some people agree with it, other people do not. In many cases heavy users eventually develop negative side effects while stoned. I know so many people who have had this reaction, they don't touch weed anymore even though they used to be aficionados. Problem solved. Otherwise you can continue to smoke through the side effects, or put off the withdrawal but you will most likely regret that decision because it is unnecessary stress for the body and mind. If you are in this predicament, just let it go. After 5 - 6 months of potential obsessive thoughts and cravings, the thought of smoking weed won't even cross your mind.

 

[Mycophile]

Some of us still find so much enjoyment either from Indica strains or mixing things like alcohol and any strain of weed, that we don't necessarily feel like quitting and never touching it again.

I smoke for about 3 weeks of every year.

I haven't smoked in 11 months, but each August I usually go on a bit of a binge and will drink and smoke quite a bit which sure, might not be healthy...but FOR ME....the combination of a few large glasses of red wine + weed is HEAVEN ON EARTH.

Just because smoking weed WITHOUT drinking usually causes me anxiety does not mean that I do not want to enjoy this highly pleasurable synergy a few times a year.

Done MUCH more than that it just becomes unhealthy to drink that much, but for me at least, it's certainly worth it a few times a year, especially since I ALWAYS enjoyed the alcohol + weed combo more than weed alone even when it caused me less anxiety.

Also, Indica strains don't cause me a problem, but I have no access to them, and likewise, pre-vaped weed if eaten/swallowed in capsules or any other method gives me a PERFECT anxiety free high for whatever reason.

If I had access to infinite weed I'd just use the inflatable bag machine that comes with my vaporizer to vape all my weed, then simply release the vapor into the air or give it to someone else...then wait to build up enough pre-vaped weed to put it all in capsules and have hundreds and hundreds of high CBD--Zero Anxiety Producing THC capsules which I'd enjoy to my hearts' content and then--Problem solved.

There ARE solutions to finding ways to enjoy a THC high without having to give it up altogether and though for many quitting for the rest of their lives might be advisable...at least for me, once or twice a year for a couple weeks I enjoy cutting loose and it's not necessarily the case that because a sativa high gets a person anxious they should stop smoking entirely and weed just "isn't for them".

When weed becomes legal where I am I think that Indica edibles will solve my problem.

Also, having issues in your life taken care of is a BIG part of reducing weed anxiety.

Sometimes the problem may not be the weed but rather whatever issues in your own life you are avoiding thinking about that come out while you are high.

If there's literally NOTHING to be anxious about and your very happy with your life then it's pretty hard for even heavily anxiogenic drugs to produce anxiety...and that's coming from some one with an anxiety disorder BEFORE I ever smoked, so I should know...

 

[tripnnface]

currently taking a break. definintely one of those people where marijuna evolved from a carefree fun time to more of an introspective anxiety ride. not to say i no not still enjoy it. people grow up , people change. all the psy i did certainly changed thr nature of my mind and the weed trip as well haha. marijuna is a great too to investigate yourself and your subconscious. we hide alot of underlying issues from ourselves that thc blatently brings out. things we need to introspect on or realize or work on.atleast for me. i also not not ever consume caffeine. maybe when i eat mdma cut with it so that cant be the issue.

"When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself." - Bob Marley

 

[downerhead]

So is this a thread only for anxiety brought on by weed smoking?I haven't read every single post but the few pages I scanned seemed to only have posts related to that aspect of anxiety.Are those of us with anxiety/panic disorders who aren't pot smokers welcome to post and discuss on here as well or would that be considered off-topic?If that is the case I think a thread for non pot smokers with these issues would be in order.I,for one,suffer from a severe panic disorder and I know I can't be the only one who would like to see such a thread if our issues are not welcome on this thread.I would be happy to start the thread myself if need be but I don't want to start a redundant thread if the topics and dicussions can be handled here.I guess I felt a bit alienated by the marijuana emphasis on this thread,being a non-smoker with anxiety/panic issues.Could a mod please enlighten me as to where this stands?Thank you.

 

[MagickalKat777]

I decided to try smoking again and the guy at the dispensary gave me a trick and it actually works. Chew a few peppercorns if you get anxious. It brings the high down just a little but it calms faster than a benzo. No idea how it works but it does. Try that next time.

He recommended Pre 98 bubba kush and pre 97 bubba kush. Only tried the 97 so far with my vaporizer I decided to buy and its not bad.

Keep in mind pot used to give me panic attacks so bad that no amount of benzos would kill them and they lasted for hours.

 

[puking]

When I was 16 years (24 now) I smoked myself a fairly big joint in the sixth or seventh time that I was smoking cannabis. What happened was that I had a panic attack that lasted 5 hours and spent the next week feeling like I was on the verge of becoming schizophrenic. It took about two weeks for me to go back to normal.

I spent two years without touching marijuana. And since the time I tried it again (at 18 years old)until now, I've only smoked small amounts, like 3 to 4 big hits at most. I like the low-key euphoria and the appetite enhancer effect that comes with a few hits, but it also always bring some anxiety. For me marijuana is an excellent morning drug. I absolutely love the afterhigh that lasts through afternoon until 6PM. It makes me care less about what people think of me and it makes social-work life more bearable and less tedious.

I would like that weed didn't have this anxiogenic effect on me so I could enjoy its good effects to a better extent.

Also I wonder if me being sensitive to weed is a sign that I shouldn't try mushrooms. I've never tried any psychadelic. I don't have any interest in ever trying MDMA, LSD, salvia or other chemicals. The only one I'm curious to try is mushrooms. There is lots of them just lying around in a field close to my home. It's shame to think I may not be able to enjoy something that is so free and easy to get.

 

[MagickalKat777]

You can have panic attacks from those drugs of course... Especially mushrooms in my experience. It's all about set and setting. MDMA that's real tested clean it's impossible to have a panic attack while high but you can have them when you're coming down. Still clean MDMA is probably the best bet for an intro to psychedelics that is least likely to make you panic.

Honestly you seem to have recovered already for the most part because you can still smoke. I have to be careful as all hell.

 

[justsayknow]

I decided to try smoking again and the guy at the dispensary gave me a trick and it actually works. Chew a few peppercorns if you get anxious. It brings the high down just a little but it calms faster than a benzo. No idea how it works but it does. Try that next time.

He recommended Pre 98 bubba kush and pre 97 bubba kush. Only tried the 97 so far with my vaporizer I decided to buy and its not bad.

Keep in mind pot used to give me panic attacks so bad that no amount of benzos would kill them and they lasted for hours.

Has anyone else tried the peppercorn thing?

I had a completely anxiety free high on the weekend which was great. Usually I get at least some degree of racing thoughts especially at the start. This time I had edibles with less than 0.5g Indica per dose and divided the dose into 3 and took them 40 minutes or so apart. I was also up to about 6 beers which is normal for me on a weekend. Anyway very gradual come up and giggling and grinning like I used to when I smoked as a teenager. Watched some comedy and had a good nights sleep.

Low dose edibles for me next time for sure.

 

[Abu Vince]

1st post on bluelight. First time doing research about crazy symptons/effects I get after I blaze. It's been happening to me for a long time & several times a day. Or at least every bowl, j, or blunt I smoke. After a few hits of the first bowl or sometimes first bowl or toke of the day il cough really bad (as everyone knows me for a loud cougher). When I'm driving I sometimes start to lightly lose vision or daze out driving past my exit lol (yes I smoke and drive, especially recently since I stopped smoking cigarettes). I noticed at work when I'm sitting down, after a toke or two, my arms, hands, legs, or body will start shaking. I'm in a stuck mode, knowing I'm breathing, but am completely... Stoned Still ... tripping in my head just honestly trying to breathe & stay alive..! Friends that notice it tell me they've never experienced it before so it really trips me out. Whats crazy is the fact it happens daily-multiple times. I'm a heavy smoker and always compliment my weed with double-apple hookah. Stopped smoking cigarettes after about 10 years of it. Glad I did, but now I rely on weed and hookah way more. My coughs are less harsh and I feel better breathing and everything. Things to add if u guys have any feedback:
Blazing over 11 years, I'm 27 280lb 5'11, smoke about 1.5g daily. Indica user- high end OG only. Will smoke chronic if I have nothing! Glad I found bluelight ?

 

[Romsel]

Reading this thread i realize every person is different.
Some people have anxiety and will relax while smoking.
Other people have anxiety while smoking the first time, or after 10 years.

My anxiety developed within ten years and god knows why.
When i was younger i just did not give a fuck.
Failing at school? I did not care.
Getting locked up? I did not care.
No matter what occurred, i did not care.
Nowadays i care and i'm very conscious.

In the last four months had two panic attacks from smoking weed, including extreme paranoia/derealization.
I was sure my friends conspired against me, were going to kill me, could read my mind.
It would be the result of all my wrongdoings in my entire life. It was payback time.
NOT cool. Everything that was happening seemed staged, pre-planned, to kill me. While being paralyzed.

Started with smoking when i was 14 and i'm almost 28 now. Mostly fun and cool.
The last two years i smoked maybe 10 times, not more then 3 small hits.
What happened the last two times? I call it insane, lunatic, psychotic, illusions, completely crazy in the coconut.
So no more weed/hash/THC for me.

Take care folks!