Another question: I hear that hashish has a higher cbd content. im thinking a small hit of hash could be a good idea for the first time back on the pipe. wise? no? yes?
I know Honeybean has been answered pretty well, I just wanted to add a couple of things and highlight a bit of my own story.
I don't know enough about about the medical side, and I'm just assuming you are definitely going to continue smoking but really you know your situation better than anyone here...anyway here's my two cents! To me it seems like the anxiety is mostly due to set/setting...all of these intense experiences occured in a pretty short amount of time, with few of them being very positive. These people you were interacting with were also a new crowd, so it makes sense that being high around them didn't necessarily have a calming effect. I had a similar time in my life where so many things were new and changing and unstable, I was smoking around people I wasn't very connected with and to add to the mix I didn't have all that much experience...during this time weed was a very intense, uncomfortable and sometimes terrifying experience for me (I also had panic attacks seemingly from nowhere). So I went cold turkey for a while (I'm talking months), while acknowledging that the problem was with me, not the herb, and I had to get my shit together and take care of myself...Once my set/setting had changed pretty radically and was in a comfortable environment I started on small doses and went from there. The experience really taught me to respect drugs a lot more and I enjoyed lighting up sooo much more after that.
So I don't know if this will help you (or anyone else) but I just thought I'd share...
I think a lot of people here mistake anxiety with bad thoughts.
I know a lot of people who just simply cannot smoke pot, yet they can drink way more than me.
Bad thoughts or generally depression seems to manifest itself in "anxiety". Focusing too much on your heart rate isn't anxiety, it's basically a normal reaction to cannabis. Most people do not grow up in a culture which is suitable to cannabis consumption, thus initially and very ignorantly compare it to alcohol. This is done either conciously, or subconciously.
I'm quite bothered by the "just stop" attitude here. Of course, if you do not like cannabis and think that you are not suitable to cannabis consumption, stopping is the best idea. But when anxiety comes in the picture, I think people should just stand back a minute and think about WHY they react so badly to cannabis.
When you "trip out" you basically overreact to your heightened senses. Feeling your heartbeat, or thinking about it for the first time can force you to ask yourself, "am I ok?". Yes, you are ok, but isn't it just a little bit odd that you are realizing your heartbeat now? Or do you really, truly give two fucks about how you come across to other people?
I mean, you do know just who you are... don't you? Well... do you?
Adressing the problem is important. Letting go is the answer.
Remembering can be hard. Forgetting sometimes harder.
I always forget to remember.
And remember to forget.
Switching strains is just a practical way out. Cheap way outs, shouldn't be a part of cannabis culture. It works for many, but I'm opposed to it in principle.
It's probably the THC/CBD ratio. In your case I would wager a guess that you dislike high THC weed and would maybe enjoy some chilling with high CBD weed.
I've read through this thread a bit but haven't yet found the answers I'm looking for. What is there to do about weed anxiety? Any mental exercises or supplements to make the mind relax?