Ways to minimize marijuana induced anxiety? Why does weed sometimes cause happiness / sometimes cause paranoia?

[OpiateKiller]

So a little background... marijuana was my heart and soul for a long time. I smoked it daily for years through high school, and I loved it. everything about it literally was the miracle drug. Eventually I graduated to harder drugs (unfortunately) and was forced to quit, and when I smoked again after a long period of abstinence was overwhelmed with paranoia, anxiety and great social fear. Now in the event I smoke I make sure I only take 1 hit and usually am not too high to get extreme anxiety...

This is a pretty broad question, but do you guys think marijuana amplifies your current emotional state? Like a lot of drugs if you take them in good spirits you'll have fun, but if you take them in a depressed state it could make things worse...

Like last week I smoked weed one night and had a great time (I have basically no tolerance). Before I smoked I was in good spirits and a good mood. Then the next night I thought I was in a pretty good mood and smoked the same weed and the same amount and found myself consumed with negative thoughts and anxiety? It's so strange and hard to differentiate why sometimes its positive and sometimes its negative.

On a side note, I somewhat believe being addicted to opiates changed my brain chemistry, because before I abused opiates I never had the same problems with anxiety and weed but afterwards it was fairly common, that or some other drug such as K2 or benzos, but never really abused them that hard.

I know this is kind of a ramble, but does anyone have any insight on all of this? I know if I smoked more I could likely overcome the anxiety and paranoia as a became more accustomed, but I don't really want to smoke weed all day everyday like I used to because it's not conductive to my life? Has anyone else faced anxiety from smoking? I love marijuana I just hate how I can't predict if I'm gonna be overwhelmed with anxiety and fear.. which is why I used to smoke in the first place all those years ago to help overcome.

 

[Unclefittytucker]

Hell yes great post... extended response in processsss.
Hey I'm epin and Ifeel you bro almost instantly i clicked with the social discomfort.
I've been a stoner for almost 16 years and I'm only 26 but ever since my transition into sniffing a snap of speed then roping a bowl of it, my chemistry must have changed too.. anxiety through the roof I swear I'm about to crawl out of my skin. It part I think it's definitely whatever we think it might be. Thoughts become things. We think we are something or someway and so it becomes so to a reasonable extent .

 

[Unclefittytucker]

Think back to your most recent experience with anxiety. Where does the feeling come from. Where does that feeling actually feel like it's coming from in your body?
Dive hella far if u can.
Where does that feeling come from when its met with something from your past that might have been diverted into a new feeling.. for me it's the social stigma of "ugh we high people"
But where did that come from because people been getting out oftheir minds since sumeria. And once u get out of your mind you seem to look in..
It's no wonder we feel savagely underestimated and furiously inferior. All the society imagery leads to "you're not enough" which may be the exact stem from where we developed the hi anxiety

 

[swilow]

take anxiolytics such as benzos to help deal with said anxiety (obviously

This advice makes me nervous tbh. I would seriously suggest just not smoking weed rather than take benzos to enable it. Benzos are incredibly damaging drugs to become dependant on. Just don't smoke if you need medication to handle it.

But i do agree that as you get older, it seems to become easier to handle. I still get sort of awkward when I smoke but I can ignore it now. I get very analytical and start feverishly assessing how shitty my life is...yeah, that's just a distortion caused by the drug. You can use the same hyper analysis to look at the good things in your life too which is a trick I suggest learning.

 

[Unclefittytucker]

1. Keep introspection purely logical
2. Observe self awareness of your self awareness and see who is really talking deep inside your mind using your mental voice as though you truly hear it.
3. Stemming ... assess every memory from its tip to its core and find that very first recollection of an experience inducing said negative emotion

I sincerely believe I've become paranoid and lightweight under psychosis because of my guilt.
Who you are is not what you've done.
How you behave should logically be how you're perceived

 

[Juniper Bruhmomentius]

Get some CBD weed and mix it with your normal weed! That should do the trick, but if it doesnt try CBD/THC weed.

 

[OpiateKiller]

1. Keep introspection purely logical
2. Observe self awareness of your self awareness and see who is really talking deep inside your mind using your mental voice as though you truly hear it.
3. Stemming ... assess every memory from its tip to its core and find that very first recollection of an experience inducing said negative emotion

I sincerely believe I've become paranoid and lightweight under psychosis because of my guilt.
Who you are is not what you've done.
How you behave should logically be how you're perceived

I like what you said. Definitely could be a combination of guilt of past mistakes overbuilt causing anxiety, and marijuana definitely makes you think. Maybe I feel I don't have the right to smoke weed because of my past? Crazy I know but maybe I feel guilty trying to get high which is nonsense.

 

[swilow]

1. Keep introspection purely logical
2. Observe self awareness of your self awareness and see who is really talking deep inside your mind using your mental voice as though you truly hear it.
3. Stemming ... assess every memory from its tip to its core and find that very first recollection of an experience inducing said negative emotion

I sincerely believe I've become paranoid and lightweight under psychosis because of my guilt.
Who you are is not what you've done.
How you behave should logically be how you're perceived

I like what you wrote here. Particularly part 2. I didn't think other people felt like that.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

Weed clearly generates anxiety and paranoia.

The intensity of the effects will depend on many factors.

If you wanna to continue smoking and not feeling bad, the secret is to train you mind to find out which are the paranoia's triggers. That is, by identifying that your thoughts and feelings at an specific moment are weed-induced and not real ones. This is important because in the course of time we tend to believe in our paranoia and, worse yet, take them as absolute truths

Be careful with doses and THC levels, that's also important. Depending on the strain, it is almost impossible to trip balls without anxiety.

To me, this is the main collateral effect of weed: it accentuates our manias, fears, and so on. Nevertheless, once we identified when we are being moved by them, the situation improves.

 

[Yourbaker]

I agree that marijuana can heighten anxiety or paranoia. I don't believe for a minute that it creates it.

I use marijuana daily, I usually use it as an edible and occasionally smoke it. I used to be paranoid until I went to see the doctor and he gave me a legal license (before it was recreationally legal here in Canada). He explained very simply that my paranoia was perhaps caused by my internal fear that I was doing something either against the well being of my body or against the well being of society as a whole and had guilt associated with it causing anxiety over being caught and paranoia from my own fears being heightened by the effects of THC.

His suggestion was lower my regularity of doses and lower my dose until these feeling became none existent. Once this was achieved he suggested I spend some time researching the drug I was using and confirm in my own understanding that it was acting correctly in helping me increase my available dopamine levels and use the amount I felt comfortable with in the timing I found best.

Ultimately I am using about 25% of my initial amounts on a regular basis but can comfortably use more when I am wanting to experience a blissful high.

I don't experience paranoia except sometimes randomly at airports when they begin searching my luggage until I remember it's legal for me to have it and the law and I are both now on the same side. Instead of fear of police and legal authorities I now fear very little of significance.

No anxiety and no paranoia, I am also only medicated to average or slightly elevated most times and no so often to high or intoxicated (no certain I can be intoxicated on marijuana at all).

Find the reason you feel anxiety or paranoia and consider if it's valid, learn what you're putting in your body and don't take my word for it, study yourself.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

Yes, it does creates it. As the brain loses the ability to locate itself when it is too high on THC, it begins to interpret ordinary situations as "danger situations".

So you may have a panic attack on a public transport just because your brain thought that this normal situation was putting you in danger. There are many examples of situations like that, such as when high on weed in crowded places and you start acting strangely, paying attention to everything, like "people is thinking that I am high" even if you give a shit what people think about you; your brain thinks you're in danger. There are other examples, especially manifested in stoners who smoke alone at home. It is incredible the power that weed has to "create" histories in our minds, lies, subtleties that are very difficult to identify.

But I also do agree with your words

"my paranoia was perhaps caused by my internal fear that I was doing something either against the well being of my body or against the well being of society as a whole and had guilt associated with it causing anxiety over being caught and paranoia from my own fears being heightened by the effects of THC. "

Weed accentuates what is inside of us, if it is fear, fear will be accentuated, and so on

 

[Yourbaker]

You make a good point about the brain being unable to locate itself as bei g a point of potential panic, IMHE I have never experienced this level of intoxication from marijuana. I have experienced this from mushrooms and acid and to some degree alcohol during blackouts. Marijuana just doesn't take my awareness of me or alter my surroundings but heightens my perception considerably.

I will have to just accept you have a different metabolism then I do and I can only speak for myself and say I don't experience that level of intoxication from either smoking or eating marijuana and I've never tried heroic size doses but certainly overdoing any drug isn't advisable and results will vary.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

Drugs can affect people in different ways

Moreover, how long have you been smoking? Are you a heavy smoker? let's say more than 10 years smoking daily? I think that anxiety and paranoia are more correlated to time and frequency of use than to quantity.

 

[albatross]

Probably repeating posts above but here are my tips

-smoke 50/50 cbd:thc weed. mild and comfy high.
-try different strains but indicas in particular.
-alter set/setting if panic begins.
-listen to guided meditations. Helps you breathe and center yourself.
-chill videos/movies/tv help me a lot. weed paranoia often leads to me being alone in the dark getting deep into watching a interesting documentary etc.

Don't worry, you CAN control your anxiety. You'll always have anxiety in your life but it's possible to cope with it easier.

 

[Coffeeshroom]

Sometimes?

That's cause sometimes you smoke a bucket and get fucket?

 

[Yourbaker]

I've been using marijuana for 10 years, I use 125mg THC 25mg CBD every 8 hour. It doesn't make me high at this dose. I use 500mg THC and get high. If I use 1000mg I don't get higher it just lasts a bit longer. If I also smoke while on oil I get a second kinda lazy high that doesn't produce any anxiety at all. Smoking makes me hungry and I wake up lazy compared to oil alone.

I would say you should just be aware that you get paranoia and anxiety and weed is accelerating these issues for you. I don't have these issues regardless of dose, perhaps if I dosed real high and tried to take city buses for a 3 hour trip to somewhere I had never beenbeen or did something complicated in a crowded setting I might. I'm just not that foolish to go try. When I have things to do that require long spans of focused timed events I wouldn't dose like a hero and see how bad I can make it.

Having anxiety? Try using less and pay attention to what is causing your anxiety, look at your thinking and see if it's not something misplaced in the way your concern about the medication you're using. Study your medication to know where a good amount for your personal use is.

I realize people talk about anxiety and paranoia and weed a lot, I think both of those issues are because of lack of understanding of the drug and that is effecting set and setting. Dont smoke and drive or you'll be paranoid of being busted.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

I've been using marijuana for 10 years, I use 125mg THC 25mg CBD every 8 hour. It doesn't make me high at this dose. I use 500mg THC and get high. If I use 1000mg I don't get higher it just lasts a bit longer. If I also smoke while on oil I get a second kinda lazy high that doesn't produce any anxiety at all. Smoking makes me hungry and I wake up lazy compared to oil alone.

I would say you should just be aware that you get paranoia and anxiety and weed is accelerating these issues for you. I don't have these issues regardless of dose, perhaps if I dosed real high and tried to take city buses for a 3 hour trip to somewhere I had never beenbeen or did something complicated in a crowded setting I might. I'm just not that foolish to go try. When I have things to do that require long spans of focused timed events I wouldn't dose like a hero and see how bad I can make it.

Having anxiety? Try using less and pay attention to what is causing your anxiety, look at your thinking and see if it's not something misplaced in the way your concern about the medication you're using. Study your medication to know where a good amount for your personal use is.

I realize people talk about anxiety and paranoia and weed a lot, I think both of those issues are because of lack of understanding of the drug and that is effecting set and setting. Dont smoke and drive or you'll be paranoid of being busted.

Yeah man, that's why we called it addiction. I mean, if I could choose which times I take drugs, i would be a user and not an addict. I have learned how to function high on drugs doing basically everything. During this tempestuous way, I have suffered but I end up learning.

 

[Yourbaker]

Yeah man, that's why we called it addiction. I mean, if I could choose which times I take drugs, i would be a user and not an addict. I have learned how to function high on drugs doing basically everything. During this tempestuous way, I have suffered but I end up learning.

So I'm guessing a bit at what you're saying here, please correct me if I miss understand you.

'Because I'm using for a long time at high doses regularly, I'm not having anxiety. You are because you are using randomly and not on a schedule like myself?'

I experienced anxiety early in my usage and paranoia until my doctor suggested to lower my dose below the anxiety point and then consider what was making me paranoid and anxious. Once I discovered those misplaced ideas I was able to easily raise my dose back and not experience any anxiety or paranoia.

I still use randomly recreationally and may smoke 4 times as much while out with friends or use nothing for a few weeks or months. Because I've studied what I'm using and the affects I'm observing in myself are consistent with my doctors predicted results my anxiety and paranoia over marijuana use ended. My doctor is a specialist in marijuana and has treated other members of my family previously so I am lucky to have a person in whom I have high confidence, still it's my brain and I really had to work it out myself. Everyone really does have to work it out themselves but it is a lot simpler then I first thought it would be.

I not here to say your experience isn't accurate just to say mine has been smooth now for nearly 6 years of the 10. My addiction is physical to marijuana, when I stop use it's like I have a cold. It lasts about 1 week starting around day 4. Mentally I don't feel compelled to use. I was a long term alcoholic before I began using canabis, now I don't drink at all, just quit one day because I gave it a long think and made a decision. I credit marijuana with ending alcoholism.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

So I'm guessing a bit at what you're saying here, please correct me if I miss understand you.

'Because I'm using for a long time at high doses regularly, I'm not having anxiety. You are because you are using randomly and not on a schedule like myself?'

I experienced anxiety early in my usage and paranoia until my doctor suggested to lower my dose below the anxiety point and then consider what was making me paranoid and anxious. Once I discovered those misplaced ideas I was able to easily raise my dose back and not experience any anxiety or paranoia.

I still use randomly recreationally and may smoke 4 times as much while out with friends or use nothing for a few weeks or months. Because I've studied what I'm using and the affects I'm observing in myself are consistent with my doctors predicted results my anxiety and paranoia over marijuana use ended. My doctor is a specialist in marijuana and has treated other members of my family previously so I am lucky to have a person in whom I have high confidence, still it's my brain and I really had to work it out myself. Everyone really does have to work it out themselves but it is a lot simpler then I first thought it would be.

I not here to say your experience isn't accurate just to say mine has been smooth now for nearly 6 years of the 10. My addiction is physical to marijuana, when I stop use it's like I have a cold. It lasts about 1 week starting around day 4. Mentally I don't feel compelled to use. I was a long term alcoholic before I began using canabis, now I don't drink at all, just quit one day because I gave it a long think and made a decision. I credit marijuana with ending alcoholism.

The different ways that marijuana affects us may be due to several factors, it is difficult to affirm exactly which factor is preponderant. Below, it follows some highlights

• You’re mentally healthy and I am not.
• We are genetically different and we live in different environments
• You are almost strictly following a doctor in terms of your use of drugs while I am smoking from morning till night, non-stop. Eventually, I am also taking other drugs that may be influencing my psychological state
• Weed is legal in your country, so you can control what you are in fact smoking, controlling the concentrations of THC/CBD and having the best products (no contaminants best genetic). I am buying shit with dealers.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

But I am not saying that I have anxiety every time that I smoke. But it happens sometimes, depending on how many grams I have smoked, my mood, where I am, and so on

Thanks to JAH the paranoia is becoming less frequent, It is like you said, it is needed to understand the drug, oneself, and the interaction drug-mind