Ways to Reduce Anxiety when smoking

[Mycophile]

Hey,

So, I love smoking weed but at the same time it usually gives me anxiety while high and I wish it didn't.

For this reason I drink a lot when I smoke cause it's the only thing I know that gets rid of the anxiety and it makes it really enjoyable but it makes me gain weight so it's a problem.

I'm also on Klonopin, but oddly even that doesn't get rid of my anxiety when smoking, only alcohol does.

The only other drug that ever totally eliminated the anxiety from weed was oddly shrooms, but shrooms are extremely hard for me to find. (actually percoset also did it but that's too addictive for me to want to do a lot).

One thing that produced the right kind of anxiety free high I wanted was when I one time made capsules out of my pre-vaped weed after I vaporized it and I wish every high I ever have could be just like that one.

I don't know why it worked, but vaping, smoking or even any other form of edible won't do that.

I've heard that indica strains can do this, but I have no access to them because weed's not legal in my area.

Does anyone else have any recommendations, either methods that don't involve drugs, or other drug mixtures, which might get rid of the anxiety I get when I smoke in the same way that alcohol does so I can just enjoy my highs?

 

[neurotic]

my first suggestion would be a benzo. how are you taking your Klonopins, and what dose? daily? 'cuz that could leave with benzo tolerance and that's why you don't get no relief. and how's your dose? may be it's too small
you can try to pop alprazolam (my suggestion is 2mg right before you start smokin) when you smoke, at least for me, when i mix weed and benzos the high is calm and kinda relaxing.

the idea behind indica's being less anxiogenic is the fact that they have a higher CBD/THC ratio, because THC is the one that induces paranoia and visuals and shit, but may be you already know that.

still, i know where you're coming from when you say you can't get indica. where i live it's the same, weed's not legal, you gon have to buy whatever the dude has to offer, no fancy choices.
so, to curb that i'd say smoke less. anxiety usually comes (at least ime) when you're already very high. and if you've been getting anxious it seems you've been getting some weed is mostly THC, so you know, smoke less so you get less anxious.

 

[dsesesy]

yeah just take it easy slowly build up your tolerance. when mine is low ill even start out with just 2 hits from a small glass pipe and feel high but still myself and fully in control. then once your tolerance builds up you can graduate to full bowls and bong hits and joints and blunts an all that fun shit remember moderation is key in everything

 

[Mycophile]

my first suggestion would be a benzo. how are you taking your Klonopins, and what dose? daily? 'cuz that could leave with benzo tolerance and that's why you don't get no relief. and how's your dose? may be it's too small
you can try to pop alprazolam (my suggestion is 2mg right before you start smokin) when you smoke, at least for me, when i mix weed and benzos the high is calm and kinda relaxing.

the idea behind indica's being less anxiogenic is the fact that they have a higher CBD/THC ratio, because THC is the one that induces paranoia and visuals and shit, but may be you already know that.

still, i know where you're coming from when you say you can't get indica. where i live it's the same, weed's not legal, you gon have to buy whatever the dude has to offer, no fancy choices.
so, to curb that i'd say smoke less. anxiety usually comes (at least ime) when you're already very high. and if you've been getting anxious it seems you've been getting some weed is mostly THC, so you know, smoke less so you get less anxious.

I take 1.5mgs of Klonopin daily so yeah, my benzo tolerance is very high and I don't have access to other kinds of benzos and don't think it would be great if I did either.

I've had times where I was getting really anxious while high and taken 1 1/2 extra Klonopins and it didn't help while 4 beers would help a lot more.

I guess a few ideas I have is that I should reduce my caffeine intake cause I drink WAY too much and it makes me anxious in general so I'd be more relaxed without it, but I've been trying to do that forever and can't seem to cut down.

I also know that when I have a really hard workout I feel more relaxed afterwards for some kind of chemical reason, so working out before smoking might help.

Or I could still drink while high, but drink a lot less and I'd probably still get the anxioylytic effect of the booze without as many calories as drinking like 3 times that amount to get drunk would have.

I'm not even smoking right now and haven't in 6 months, but I still want to figure out some solution for how I could without getting fat from drinking so much when I smoke cause that's what happened last time haha....

Like I said though, if I also use the pre-vaped weed from my vaporizer and eat it it gives me the PERFECT relaxed high, but all the weed I have to vape to get it to that point won't and I wonder why...

I wonder if there might be other solutions out there...

 

[coelophysis]

Maybe weed just isn't for you?
If you have to take other drugs to make weed enjoyable it sort of defeats to purpose in my opinion.
Try consuming less, only take a couple of hits and see how that makes you feel.

 

[neurotic]

Maybe weed just isn't for you?
If you have to take other drugs to make weed enjoyable it sort of defeats to purpose in my opinion.
Try consuming less, only take a couple of hits and see how that makes you feel.

that can be it too... i know now i should give it a break because it was making me too paranoid and worried about my sanity*, lots of people say you need a tolerance to enjoy it or else it becomes too strong, may be it's the same for you

so yeah, smoke little... may be try some Baclofen even, if you feel like playing around, it's available OTC. it's a GABA-B agonist and a mostly a muscle relaxant, take 80-100mg some time before smoking and you should be at least physically relaxed then, if that helps

 

[Mycophile]

Maybe weed just isn't for you?
If you have to take other drugs to make weed enjoyable it sort of defeats to purpose in my opinion.
Try consuming less, only take a couple of hits and see how that makes you feel.

I've been smoking weed long enough to know that it's for me...almost 20 years despite the fact that I haven't smoked in about 6 months.

I didn't always feel this way about it but I think that's probably because I used to have a MUCH higher tolerance so maybe it just didn't make me as anxious back then because I barely ever smoke anymore.

Even if it weren't for that I would still enjoy the combination with alcohol more than just weed by itself by far so for me that's not defeating the purpose, it's just getting the most out of the weed IMO by allowing only the good to come out and none of the anxiety.

Also, like I said, eating the pre-vaped weed produced a different kind of high that was the perfect high I was looking for, yet that's still weed, just a different form.

 

[Mycophile]

that can be it too... i know now i should give it a break because it was making me too paranoid and worried about my tolerance, lots of people say you need a tolerance to enjoy it or else it becomes too strong, may be it's the same for you

so yeah, smoke little... may be try some Baclofen even, if you feel like playing around, it's available OTC. it's a GABA-B agonist and a mostly a muscle relaxant, take 80-100mg some time before smoking and you should be at least physically relaxed then, if that helps

Is Baclofen safe to take with Klonopin and Prozac?

Also, is it addictive?

I thought I heard that it was.

If so that's not a good choice I don't think.

 

[neurotic]

i'm sure it is safe to take with Prozac. with benzos though i'm not completely sure. they work on different GABA sites (benzos work in GABA-A and Baclofen in GABA-B that's why benzos cause blackout, anxyolisis stuff and Baclofen causes muscle relaxation), so i don't think mixing them can cause respiratory depression or things, such as mixing them with alcohol and other powerful downer (Baclofen is a very light downer).

i assume if you don't take a massive dose (take 80mg may be?) and take your regular dose of daily Klonopin, you will be fine. but still i'm not 100% sure, you could ask your doctor or do a little research.

and yes it can cause physical dependence, but i doubt it has that much of a recreational value so not really cravings/psychological dependence.

in the end the best bet is to smoke less i guess.

 

[Shaal]

Just do some sport beforehand. I find that going to the pool and swimming 1 km puts me in a very good mood and gives me a nice body feeling. It's so nice to smoke a spliff after that.

Try some different strains too.

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

My solution to this problem was to permanently cease weed-smoking. It got to the point where the alcohol intake required for the proper anxiolytic effect became too much, and the addition of cannabis induced memory-impairment and sleep too quickly. And also gave me a kind of "toxic" physical feeling.

I definitely believed at one time, like you, that weed was the drug for me. I only developed the anxiety problem later, almost like some kind of allergy due to overexposure. The effects also just became too predictable.

However the few times that I consumed edibles, I had very different, anxiety-free kind of trip. If I were to use cannabis again, it would be in this form.

 

[Mycophile]

My solution to this problem was to permanently cease weed-smoking. It got to the point where the alcohol intake required for the proper anxiolytic effect became too much, and the addition of cannabis induced memory-impairment and sleep too quickly. And also gave me a kind of "toxic" physical feeling.

I definitely believed at one time, like you, that weed was the drug for me. I only developed the anxiety problem later, almost like some kind of allergy due to overexposure. The effects also just became too predictable.

However the few times that I consumed edibles, I had very different, anxiety-free kind of trip. If I were to use cannabis again, it would be in this form.

Yeah, that's a similar reaction to me, but again, I think a HUGE reason I get so more anxious now is because my tolerance is so low because I almost NEVER smoke and used to smoke everyday which is of course when I would get the least paranoid/anxious from it cause my tolerance was high.

I really DON'T smoke weed anymore, the last time was last August actually, but I always want to smoke but one of the biggest reasons I don't is because I know how much more I'll drink if I do and I already drink too much.

But really I think it must be a matter of time before they figure out the strains to produce the high I am after because for some reason I got it PERFECTLY when I ate pre-vaped weed.

I had ZERO anxiety, no desire to drink with it, just a clear and great high.

I think it must have been because certain negative elements from the weed were removed by the vaping process.

I bet they already have strains of indica that produce similar effects where I wouldn't want to drink, but I have no access to them in my area, which makes me hope they speed up the legalization process.

The difference between the pre-vaped weed and other weed in terms of effects was like it was two TOTALLY different drugs...so I know there is a solution of some kind out there in terms of types of weed which will produce the effect I want, if I only I can ever have access to it...

 

[Cuzie]

Just do some sport beforehand. I find that going to the pool and swimming 1 km puts me in a very good mood and gives me a nice body feeling. It's so nice to smoke a spliff after that.

Try some different strains too.

Yes right here. Or immediately after. By the time you're done, the effects will have settled down and you'll feel like a million bucks.

 

[drew4008]

Yup, benzos for suuuuure... can't recommend 'em enough (with weed).

Weed + valium (or etizolam, which isn't technicallyyy a benzo, but close enough for this discussion) is just a killer combo, at least for me personally. I won't go as far as to say it intensifies the high, as technically, it should be doing the opposite if anything. But almost all anxiety is just gone... everything turns into face value enjoyment/entertainment, rather than getting too 'in your head'. Clarity is still there, and deep conversations can still be had (at normal dosages), but you never mull on anything too long. Hard to fully explain, but hopefully I encapsulated it a bit.

To be honest, it comes close to being a 'baby' MDMA trip, as euphoria is increased (particularly with etizolam) and the anxiety barriers are broken down so you can be more social, etc.

I'd also recommend a Sativa strain as opposed to an Indica when using this combo. Sativas can be very heady/anxiety-ridden without the benzo, but with it, you just get all the positives of the mental high. Anything very Indica-heavy is just too 'couch-lock' inducing.. so I don't really see the social value that others might.

 

[Mycophile]

Yup, benzos for suuuuure... can't recommend 'em enough (with weed).

Weed + valium (or etizolam, which isn't technicallyyy a benzo, but close enough for this discussion) is just a killer combo, at least for me personally. I won't go as far as to say it intensifies the high, as technically, it should be doing the opposite if anything. But almost all anxiety is just gone... everything turns into face value enjoyment/entertainment, rather than getting too 'in your head'. Clarity is still there, and deep conversations can still be had (at normal dosages), but you never mull on anything too long. Hard to fully explain, but hopefully I encapsulated it a bit.

To be honest, it comes close to being a 'baby' MDMA trip, as euphoria is increased (particularly with etizolam) and the anxiety barriers are broken down so you can be more social, etc.

I'd also recommend a Sativa strain as opposed to an Indica when using this combo. Sativas can be very heady/anxiety-ridden without the benzo, but with it, you just get all the positives of the mental high. Anything very Indica-heavy is just too 'couch-lock' inducing.. so I don't really see the social value that others might.

Thanks for the advice but I think you missed my posts where I said I already take Klonopin and can't take other Benzos and it doesn't get rid of the anxiety for me, probably because my tolerance is so high.

Perhaps I could try Etizolam but I don't know how it mixes with Klonopin.

Indicas in general are probably better for me for anxiety over sativas but I have no choice in the matter.

Alcohol seems to serve the purpose that benzos serve for you, but too many calories and too many health defects to get drunk every time I get high.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

This is the main problem with marijuana: it can easily make you dependent while causing psychoses. No other drug can be used so little and habitually with such possible negative mental effects. Can't imagine what kind of conundrum you'd be in without the klonopin.

 

[sexNcandy]

I really didn't want to be rude but it's hard when you insist on being so stupid.

Stop fucking smoking, it isn't for you. Who the fuck smokes a joint while having shrooms on the side just because they can't handle the weed high by itself? That doesn't make any sense.

You are on klonopin and you are still anxious smoking, stop smoking. What's your obsession with it? Is this some attempt at self harm?

 

[sexNcandy]

Alright, you have some anger management issues for sure. Take some more clonazepam maybe?

I said I didn't want to be, meaning I was initially hesitant but chose to be anyway. It's entirely different from saying I don't want to be. So it seems you also have interpretation issues when reading.

And quit being silly trying to dicksize in an internet forum, no one is going to take you seriously. There are many testimonies here in bluelight of people who used to have a great time smoking but found weed turned on them and haven't been able to smoke again without issues. So it doesn't make any difference how long you have smoked.

You can't close threads here, rager.

You can't handle a weed high (that's understandable, it can be hard on some people) even when you are on klonopin (that's not so common).

Now, there's nothing to be gained for either of us from showing animosity here, so I do apologize for my post that hit you the wrong way and made you so angry. I acknowledge that is was rude and unnecessary, I was irritated with something else at that time and I took it out on you. I hope you are able to smoke again without the anxiety. But if you find it is still present, you might want to consider the possibility that for whatever reason weed isn't agreeing with you anymore and you might want to stay off it. Instead of repeating this "weed is for me!!" mantra while being super anxious when smoking weed without drinking.

 

[Mycophile]

Alright, you have some anger management issues for sure. Take some more clonazepam maybe?

I said I didn't want to be, meaning I was initially hesitant but chose to be anyway. It's entirely different from saying I don't want to be. So it seems you also have interpretation issues when reading.

And quit being silly trying to dicksize in an internet forum, no one is going to take you seriously. There are many testimonies here in bluelight of people who used to have a great time smoking but found weed turned on them and haven't been able to smoke again without issues. So it doesn't make any difference how long you have smoked.

You can't close threads here, rager.

You can't handle a weed high (that's understandable, it can be hard on some people) even when you are on klonopin (that's not so common).

Now, there's nothing to be gained for either of us from showing animosity here, so I do apologize for my post that hit you the wrong way and made you so angry. I acknowledge that is was rude and unnecessary, I was irritated with something else at that time and I took it out on you. I hope you are able to smoke again without the anxiety. But if you find it is still present, you might want to consider the possibility that for whatever reason weed isn't agreeing with you anymore and you might want to stay off it. Instead of repeating this "weed is for me!!" mantra while being super anxious when smoking weed without drinking.

Well, at least you apologized...

I clearly misread you...you had "thought" about not being rude, but decided against it and decided that instead, you were, in fact, going to choose to be rude...ok, kudos on that.

I believe that the issue for me is that I used to have a high tolerance and no longer do, ESPECIALLY due to the fact that I used to NOT get anxious when I WASN'T on Klonopin, even though now I am, but that was back when I smoked regularly.

Weed WITH other substances that can reduce the anxiety, like alcohol, is my favorite type of drug experience, but I've been drinking too much and wanted to see if there were other substances or methods to reduce anxiety other than alcohol, and it's not a crazy thing to like the combo of 2 drugs but have a hard time with one of them by itself and choose to continue to engage in a combination of drug vs one drug alone...this is, afterall, a drug forum and I'm not the first to say that they aren't crazy about a certain drug by itself but that in combination with others they find it highly enjoyable.

I've been irritated about other things as well, but there's no need to seek out others to disagree with.

Also, as I'd said before, certain components of weed agree with me completely without drinking, like pre-vaped weed material swallowed and indica strains, but I have no access to those.

It is entirely my right to seek out other methods to reduce the anxiety of a weed high so that I can enjoy it to it's fullest, which is the way I feel about drinking while smoking.

Either way, I think this thread has outlived any value it had, if it ever had any at all, so I accept your apology that you were just taking your frustrations out on me for no reason and realize that you were being rude.

 

[Doldrugs]

Taking a class on mindfulness and meditation was hugely helpful for my anxiety. I couldn't smoke even the tiniest amount of weed without having a full on panic attack before it, but now I'm basically a pothead. :D I was on a bunch of different meds including benzos but I'm not on anything for anxiety anymore, just lexapro for depression. I highly recommend looking into mindfulness.