Marijuana and Anxiety

[olliegrow]

Ive been smoking non stop for about 2 years because of daily stress in my life and marijuan WAS helping but a few months back it caused me to have an anxiety attack, i was just sitting, relaxing and smoking and whamm! I started to get real scared, shake, sweat and couldnt calm down. I sat like that for about 6 hours and when it didnt go away I dragged myself to the ER. My blood pressure was very high and I was trembling an my palms were sweating like crazy, I couldnt focus on anything and terrified! The doctor though it was my thyroid or some adrenal gland that was making me race, I didnt tell him about my addiction fearing some trouble so he said I had a Anxiety Attack caused by stress!!! I was given Prozac and Xanex. I went home took the pills and wanted to smoke a little to see if it would relax me....Wrong! It made my heart race all over again but it went away faster than last time. Why did this happen? Because I abused marijuana too much daily. I took the pill for a month and felt better, since then I still smoke but take it easy, sometimes my heart srtats to race and I have to take a break....Anyone else?????????

[killerweed420]

Are you sure the weed you got wasn't laced with something?

[birdgirl73]

Weed causes anxiety attacks in lots of people, Killerweed, and doesn't necessarily have to have been laced. THC does that to lots of folks, as our long history of posts about this very subject attests to. You can find that reaction listed among all standard possible negative interactions with cannabis, too, like on Erowid.

The solutions for folks who have this reaction are fairly easy choices To stop smoking weed. To only smoke when you're in a particularly cool, calm frame of mind, and even then you might still have a panicky response. Or to try and find or grow your own Indica or Indica-dominant strains for a more sedating, calming effect. Sativas tend to be worse about producing the panic/heart-racing response.

[olliegrow]

Humm I never though of the specific strain would have something to do with it but it makes sense, because some stuff I smoke and Im high and relaxed others my hearts racing and im a little freaked out...Thanks Birdgirl

[bro777]

hey ollie,
i also suffer from anxiety while smoking weed,it caused me to quit for almost a decade.
anyway i still get the occasional anxiety attack but im finding for me cannabis is becoming a spiritual/meditational activity.
how that affects my use is i only take between 1 to 2 hits then im done
my attacks are seldom now and i have xanax on hand for when they do.
also the above posts about frame of mind/strain are dead on
i stay away from sativa and avoid haze like the plague.
remember that our minds are so strong we can "talk" ourselves into almost anything even dying.
so do the opposite when your not stoned think about how and why u like cannabis and how it helps others in need.also if you dont have much control over the types of weed you get trichrome color also helps you will want amber/red for a more body buzz.
ok i hope i've helped in some small way
:thumbsup:

[olliegrow]

Thanks bro777, Im still sober today, been 2 weeks since the anxiety attack and Ive been thinking about smoking but am too scared. I believe you and know its in my head as far as the comfort level goes when smoking, sometimes I just freak out because I was thinking about it too much when I was High, also the sativas and schwag would make me feel like I was going to lose control. I love cannabis and have been using for years on a daily and now this?? I hope I can go back to it...thanks again bro777

[smokestoomuch]

i have serious anxiety problems matey i was on diazepan for ages while i was smoking weed i stopped those stupid pills coz i was getting addicted to them i went on them for a year and then stopped and been smoking since i was 15 and now 24. The anxiety gets so bad when i smoke that my haert beats fast, i sweat, and my stomach beats like i have a pulse in my stomach but i also have ADHD so i cant sit and relax without weed so i know exactly how u feel matey all i can say is smoke with friends who u can smoke with ( dont act like muppets) or in ur own environment dont let the anxiety take over try and keep it on an evn keel as you know u have anxiety amd the smoke gets you more anxious so try and stay in the coolest, most relaxed places friends, at home etc until your anxiety stables. its hard to explain but i keep my anxiety cool as i smoke in the rite places wiv the rite ppl.

When i have no weed i am very anxious and cant control myself its very bad!!

peace bro hope its all cool for you in the future

keep toking, keep smiling, keep burning :rasta:

[olliegrow]

Well im still sober, gonna wait a full month before I start again, I'll tell everyone how I handle it when I start. It sucks but I wonder why it happened to me all of a sudden? Ive been smoing non-stop for 2 years and never a problem, just that one day a couple weeks ago I was stressed out and smoke and Wham! Heart felt like it was gonna burst, started shakeing, sweeting, blood pressure went up to about 160 and couldnt relax until I was in the ER!! They said I had a anxiety attack?? But I wonder if it was the weed or my stress level?? Thanks everyone for the feedback, keep it coming. Peace

[Coelho]

But I wonder if it was the weed or my stress level??

Well... i think it was a combination of both. Sativa strains can make you anxious, or even paranoid. Im sure most newbies that freak out smoked sativa ones. So if you was already stressed, and smoked some sativa, probably the anxiety caused by the weed increased the anxiety caused by the stress and you had the anxiety attack.
I would suggest you to smoke indica strains, as pure as possible. Indicas are relaxing and stress relieving, so it would help you.

[urbals]

Hey, my brother has those anxiety attacks when he smokes, I dont know why I never had 'em. I think he just gets really bombed on just a little smoke. He takes cannaclear like, 5 or 10 minutes, after he smokes, he also uses visine everytime, he says it controls his anxiety attacks, hope it helps!

[Dream of the iris]

Are you sure the weed you got wasn't laced with something?

I'm so tired of seeing people say this! Just because someone had a bad trip on weed does not mean it was laced! Everyone reacts differently! Stop saying this!

[couch-potato]

I suggest you take a single hit - then see what happens.

[olliegrow]

Well my weed wasnt laced, all the doctors Ive talked to told me that over use(chonic use) is going to have neative affect eventually. You can have too much THC in your system! Your not going to die but instead have anxiety problems because the THC and cannaboloids in yourbrain and your nervouse system are affected by everyday smoking! And thats a fact, my doctors some pro marijuana and some against it all agreed, too much of anything with have effects on you eventually. Ive smoked, high grade for ever and now i take a break every couple of days and its not a problem. I have no other medical problems or on any other medications so I know it was the chronic use of high grade marijuana, sucks to say it but I know its true...if you have the same problems take a break and you'll feel alot better...do the reasearch on the chemical found in cannabis and how they afffect your body, you'll be suprised. Respect your herb and your body and you will live a better high life!! Peace and be Safe...

[dorothyleanne]

Hi, does anyone know why I feel scared and shit when I smoke ?

[denial102]

Hi, does anyone know why I feel scared and shit when I smoke ?

Yes, it's likely a fight flight response usually brought on by emergent psychological (usually pre-existing) stress.. Delta9 has a significant effect on the brain and adrenaline release. If you consider it a fight flight response you will need to psychologically address the problem if you wish to continue use (don't expect someone to kill you when you walk downstairs in the dark to get milk, don't worry about noises you hear in your back garden, and if you do, try not to get hypersensitive - self control is possible - honest!).

Peace,
Denial

[denial102]

I found this article which is notably TOTALLY unrelated. A lot of you will however relate to the symptoms.. though:

Dealing With Trauma by Dr Maurice Kouguell (http://www.hypnos.co.uk/hypnomag/kougue29.html)

* Hypervigilance: being on guard all the time.
* Intrusive imagery such as flashbacks.
* Extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
* Hyperactivity, restlessness.
* Exaggerated emotional and startled reaction to noise, quick movements, etc.
* Nightmares and night terrors.
* Abrupt mood swings such as rage reaction, temper tantrums, shame.
* Reduced ability to deal with stress (easily stressed out).
* Difficulty sleeping
* Fear of going crazy
* Other symptoms include: panic attacks, phobias, anxiety
* Mental blankness, or spaciness
* Avoiding circumstances which remind one of the previous experience
* Attraction to dangerous situations
* Frequent anger or crying
* Mood swings
* Exaggerated or diminished sexual activity
* Amnesia and forgetfulness
* Inability to love, nurture or bond with other individuals
* Fear of dying or having a shortened life

Peace,
Denial

[zebulon]

I have the same problems as many here...if i smoke weed i get anxious...I was really thinking about quitting....but getting high is such a great thing, it helps me to deal whit many things, i NEED it, so i couldn't just stop smoking weed....

What helped me was, i realized this is only psychological, and now i enjoy smoking again...i only take 1-2 hits at one time....wait a few minutes, and if i feel the anxiety coming, i go for a walk, take a ride whit a bicycle, drink water, i keep myself busy whit something so i don't pay attention to the faster heart rate, and i KNOW this is only in my head, i will not get a heart attack, i just simply calm myself...I don't smoke that much now, so i get really baked...and i try to smoke my own grown weed, because that causes far less times anxiety, and also eating weed is good for me, or green dragon...

[Ghengis Chron]

I have the same problems as many here...if i smoke weed i get anxious...I was really thinking about quitting....but getting high is such a great thing, it helps me to deal whit many things, i NEED it, so i couldn't just stop smoking weed....

What helped me was, i realized this is only psychological, and now i enjoy smoking again...i only take 1-2 hits at one time....wait a few minutes, and if i feel the anxiety coming, i go for a walk, take a ride whit a bicycle, drink water, i keep myself busy whit something so i don't pay attention to the faster heart rate, and i KNOW this is only in my head, i will not get a heart attack, i just simply calm myself...I don't smoke that much now, so i get really baked...and i try to smoke my own grown weed, because that causes far less times anxiety, and also eating weed is good for me, or green dragon...

It's so great to read people experiencing the same issues I am when I smoke. It wasn't always like this for me, but beginning of the summer, I had a mental breakdown of sorts, and have been experiencing it ever since. I do have bad anxiety, however I do believe it will subside once I get some things straightened out in my life.

Before my issue, smoking weed absolutely controlled my life. I was high a majority of any given day. If I had weed, i'de wake up in the morning and have to smoke it right away. I was a complete stoner. Now, I still get high once in awhile, but it's far and in between, usually once a week.

[StickyIcky66]

Iv come to find a brilliant system for combating this which is really logical and makes full sense(i think lol). The reason that people have anxiety attacks after weed is because there is an underlying problem which automatically gets blown up and focused on when high. Even if you are unaware of the issue, its all locked in your subconcious, and weed opens up the minds flood gates. ie the creativity blasts and what not. My way in combating this and in helping me all round in being a stronger and more in control person is MEDITATING. For anyone unfamilliar with meditating, its about delving into your sub-concious and releasing inner stresses(can be felt through body twitches) and in the same way as weed, facing your inner demons! I think being high is just an over energetic meditation, which gets u VERY deep VERY fast....sometimes TOO fast for some. It makes sense that someone with a lot of issues will eventually find it tough. This is why i believe to always have a powerful and blissful high where creativity and enlightenment happens....MEDITATE :-) Dont meditate high at first but once u feel ur grounded enough, well, its a wonderfully powerfull experience to combine the both. Just to let you know im not a very spiritual person or anything but iv been meditating for a bout a year now and as a person who was once ALWAYS anxious, ALWAYS uncomfortable and genuinely un happy in my mind....i have came to be so grounded in my mind, calm and collected....and most of all HAPPY! I kinda went off the trail here a bit lol. I just felt i had to say something. I meditate through Holosync technology. Excellent!!!

Peace,
and happy Highs!! ;-)

[Coelho]

^^^^ Thats true. Very good post! :thumbsup:

[Ghengis Chron]

Iv come to find a brilliant system for combating this which is really logical and makes full sense(i think lol). The reason that people have anxiety attacks after weed is because there is an underlying problem which automatically gets blown up and focused on when high. Even if you are unaware of the issue, its all locked in your subconcious, and weed opens up the minds flood gates. ie the creativity blasts and what not. My way in combating this and in helping me all round in being a stronger and more in control person is MEDITATING. For anyone unfamilliar with meditating, its about delving into your sub-concious and releasing inner stresses(can be felt through body twitches) and in the same way as weed, facing your inner demons! I think being high is just an over energetic meditation, which gets u VERY deep VERY fast....sometimes TOO fast for some. It makes sense that someone with a lot of issues will eventually find it tough. This is why i believe to always have a powerful and blissful high where creativity and enlightenment happens....MEDITATE :-) Dont meditate high at first but once u feel ur grounded enough, well, its a wonderfully powerfull experience to combine the both. Just to let you know im not a very spiritual person or anything but iv been meditating for a bout a year now and as a person who was once ALWAYS anxious, ALWAYS uncomfortable and genuinely un happy in my mind....i have came to be so grounded in my mind, calm and collected....and most of all HAPPY! I kinda went off the trail here a bit lol. I just felt i had to say something. I meditate through Holosync technology. Excellent!!!

Peace,
and happy Highs!! ;-)

StickyIcky....Could you send me some detailed information on the type of meditation you do? Perhaps a website or something?

My parents are big into meditation and eastern thinking, I've been interested in it, but never acted my on interest. I have also been exposed a tad with holosync technology. I got a demo CD a while ago, but it was a lot of talking instead of actual sounds and music and whatnot.

Since May of 2007 I have been extremely uncomfortable, extremely anxious, and overall unhappy. Lately it's eased up a bit, maybe because the weather is finally getting nice and the plants are growing back. Or maybe it's because I'm about to take a major step in my life which will provide a huge relief for me.

Either way, I've been meaning to delve more into eastern thinking, particulary meditation. any info would be appreciated....thanks!

[Dreadscale]

Hi All :thumbsup:

I just posted about this problem in the strains thread.
I have the anxiety problem and was curious if anyone new a strain that wouldn't freak me out.:D

Glad I saw this thread, some good information.

THANKS

[TheSmokingMonkey]

1. Anxiety is a common side-effect of cannabis
2. Try smoking less often and less weed
3. Careful with your strains (if possible)
4. Work on cognitive behavioral therapy approaches to anxiety; they may help in such a situation.
5. Careful mixing with other drugs (caffeine, notably)

I get a little freaked out sometimes but I'm good at self-soothing.
My husband cannot smoke because he is anxiety-prone as it is and weed just makes it worse.

[StickyIcky66]

@Ghengis.....Yes i think the Holosync technology is INCREDIBLE to say the least. Iv gotten through alot of my own demons from it. The talking your refering to is just the introduction which bill harris reads at the begining. Once you actually purchase (or torrent) its just the binural beat sounds which are relaxing. Before starting i was very sceptical at this new age stuff but IT WORKS!!! It sends your brainwaves into phazes like delta. This opens your subconcious(forcefully) and u confront your stresses HEAD ON!! Just to let you know it isnt always very easy dragging up past emotions and can be tough at times....they call it upheval (sp?), the incredible thing about it is once you let it out its PERMENANTLY released and doesnt return. The program lasts years if u choose to complete. Im only really on the second stage but iv already got through shit and have changed alot in my mind. Anyways....best of luck if u choose it....its basically Meditation on speed! More info on Holosync: Centerpointe Research Institute: The Most Powerful Personal Growth, Meditation and Mind Development Tool on the Planet (http://www.centerpointe.com)


@DreadScale.......I hear Strawberry cough is a particular strain in combating anxiety!

[essencevfx]

Strange to hear you all say this. I have Anxiety/Hypercondriaism/Panic ect.

I have been taking Celexa for a few years , wich was helping. I have been a 'lite' toker for years, but recently have introduced it more as a medicine for my anxiety.

Not doctor perscribed, but I know when i feel better . Good smoke makes me feel better. I still am taking the Celexa. But the smoke brings back the 'focus and thought' the celexa trys to take away. Puts me in a good place :) ...Plus gets me a good night sleep.

Pot dosent cause panic attacks, our brains do. Its a cataclismic reaction to fear. We have an unreasonable fear , our body actually changes its chemistry to compensate. This increases axiety reaction, wich makes us more stressed out, and the cycle repeates , ect = panic attack.

Spend a bit of time looking over the wealth of info on the web about panic/anxiety...you can empower yourself and not have to worry about the smoke, just enjoy it :)

Check out

We Worry: A Blog for the Anxious (http://www.weworry.com)
or
Panic Attacks, Anxiety Disorders, Treatment, Forums, Blog (http://www.panicsurvivor.com)


peace
J.

[xxxvader]

My anxiety attack doesnt happen while im smoking weed or even after im done... It starts a few days later seemingly unrelated to my cannabis culture and last the rest of the day till i go to sleep. I find my self thinking about loosing control and doing something stupid like suicide, particularly jumping off the balcony. It gets hard to keep track of my breathing and i often forget to breath and have to really focus on my breathing. Worst thing is is that I cant concentrate on anything else but my fears, when I try to surf the net I often times finding myself just staring at a single word because im so focused on my fear. I went to the doctor a few times and after finally articulating my problem the psychologist prescribed me Celexa also. Its been about a week now since Im taking it no real change yet but he told me it should take more than a week to notice the changes

[essencevfx]

you will need to wait at least a month before the effects of the celexa sink in truly. Trust me Ive been on it ( for anxiety , panic) for the past 2 years.

You NEED to check out

Panic Attacks, Anxiety Disorders, Treatment, Forums, Blog (http://www.panicsurvivor.com/)

All the symptoms you're mentioning are classic's of anxiety / panic...
you'll be shocked when you check out those forums, and realize you're not alone , you'll instantly feel better as you read those forums...trust me ;)

Its a very friendly community there and it helped me on the path to recovery from anxiety. Now I can smoke, and realize it was the panic that made me panic ;) , not the weed.

[ldg420]

it was the panic that made me panic ;) , not the weed.

words to live by.....:stoned:

[panicsux]

Here is my story. A little lengthy but hopefully others can find it useful.

Been smoking weed for about 8 years, weekly. Ive smoked all kinds of bud, from high grade to low grade to shake to stems (i was desperate) last month however, I picked up some weed from a new dealer, the bud was covered in crystals and looked to be super high grade. Upon leaving his house, he told me not to smoke it when I drove. So I got home, rolled a 1 paper, at my age a 1 paper is all i really need. I smoked only 4 hits and put it down cuz i had to go to the washroom. when i came back from the washroom, I sat down on my chair and all of a sudden my heart beat when real fast then within 2 mins my chest became tight and I hard a hard time breathing. Within 5 minutes I was gasping for air. Then the sweaty pallms and then the fear of death because I thought I was having a heart attack OR that the weed was laced. The sounds of my dealer telling me to not smoke it while I drove made me think that it was laced. I had to carefully concentrate on my breathing, I felt like dyson from terminator 2 before he detonated the bomb, I was gasping just like him. The feeling lasted like that for 5 minutes, went away for 2 then came back stronger, it went on like this for a good hour until finally, I gave in and for the first time, I called the ambulance to come get me. I specifically told the 911 operator to not send police or fire truck, and what does she do? the first ones to arrive are police and fire truck, followed a min later by ambulance. I told the cop and fire people that they could leave and i quickly got into the back of the ambulance. They asked me what was wrong and I told them i cant breath and my heart was racing fast, they hooked me up to a blood pressure machine and my heart beat was at 150. They asked me what i was doing and what I took. I didnt want to tell them it was from weed the cop car was still behind the ambulance and i had left the bag of weed on my bed, i was scared if i told them that yes i smoked weed they would search my house or charge me. So i told them i just worked out, which is true I did work out before i smoked. so then they asked me if i was on steroids, i said no, they asked me if im suicidal or if im on anti depressants, I said no to everything. then one of the paramedic guys started cracking "inside type jokes" to his buddy, all of which i caught him on and asked him what he meant to only hear him give me a super long explination about other shit to throw me off. This guy thought i was on sum kind of pcp or steroid and was being rather uinprofessional. after about 20 mins i was good enough to go back home and they told me that i should go to hospital i refused signed a form and went home. That night i was convinced the weed was laced. I planned on seeking revenge. the next day I went to the doctor office, and told her about the weed and she made me do chest xray , urine test and blood test, everything came back fine. so the next day i callled my dealer and asked himwhat kind of weed it was or if it was laced with anything, he said no it wasnt, but in my head i thought of course he would say that he wouldnt admit to me if it was laced, the tone in his voice was one of worry and fear that I was going to do something, which in fact i really wanted to because i was convinced he laced it, thats why he said "dont smoke it while i drive" ..

I laid low for a couple of weeks and did nothing. no smoke, no calls back to dealer, nothing.

Which brings me to now, 2 days ago another buddy called me up and asked me if i wanted to buy some weed, i wanted to and i missed getting high, so i said sure but i told him i wanted to smoke some first before i bought it, so he gave me a bit and i rolled a 1 paper and took 3 hits to test it out. and then, within 2 mins, the SAME thing happened. rapid heart beat and difficulty breathing. Fortunately tho, it was milder and not as intense becuase i think the weed was must lesser quality and potency and had like no crystals,. after about 5 mins i got scared and got in my car to drive to hospital on the drive there , the symptoms went away and i went home.

I then got home and researched online about weed and panic attacks and found many other people posting threads about the same thing that happened to me. I now know i get anxiety/panic attacks from weed. It sucks , I hate it and I have no choice but to not smoke any weed again. I mean even 3 hits makes me have a attack. this sucks and i hate it. it really is bad that it had to end this way. I just wish i could smoke the weed without this crap happening to me. the only solution I have heard that works is taking clonazepam 15 mins before you smoke up more info can be found here

Erowid Experience Vaults: Clonazepam & Cannabis - Conquered My Anxiety - 35836 (http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=35836)

but even doing that makes me nervous because im scared it might not work and the panic attack might come back severe as ever, I HATE the rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath its so scary and uncomfortable and i wouldnt wish it upon anyone! whats even scarier is i talked to a doctor and she told me that it is possible and there have been many cases where people have died from anxiety/ panic attacks. I wish she never told me that because if I have another one, In my head i will be thinking that oh shit i might die here.

anyways thats my story.

[SnSstealth]

I am diagnosed hypo-manic...which is basically anxiety disorder and super bi-polar all in one....yay...I have DEFINTELY had those episodes before, where i get a panic attack from ganja, but it has only happened when i smoked a pure sativa, or very sativa dominant strain. I know some sativas have THCV in them..don't know if that can be a reason they do this, but since my trips to amsterdam, and of the heavy indicas, (kush, afghani, the diesels) are very good medicine for these issues.
hope that helps,
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[panicsux]

how do i find indica strain weed? everyone here usually have sativa i think, how can you tell if its indica? i would love to get my hands on some indica if I only knew how to.

[essencevfx]

Indica is usually what you get , pretty much everywhere Ive lived ( up and down the west coasat) Sativa seems the harder to find IMO?

How can you tell ...hmm well by dried bud alone, hard to tell, maybe sativa is longer and thinner bright green bud indica more compact 'nugg' type darker buds.....but hard to tell.


Peace.

[essencevfx]

Listen, Your thoughts and worry/panic CAN NOT hurt you. Fear is your worst enemy with anxiety, because when we are scared , we're automatically in a heightened state of anxiety...this leads to panic attacks, racing thoughts, rapid heart beat....feling like you are gonna die, gonna go crazy, gonna 'lose control'....etc etc "

Trust me Ive had them ALL. The next day you feel uneasy because of the effect that fear has on the body chemestry....nothing bad..just kinda like a fear hangover ;)

So , this uneasy feeling leads to a touch of fear...is it happening again ? we ask ourselves = more fear = more anxiety , ect ect...

Once you recognize the cyclic pattern of it all, you'll automatically be back in more control...

If you find yourself caught in the cycle of anxiety , look back a few posts . I posted a few websites you should check out to find some awnsers. These sites helped me take control of my anxiety .

[SnSstealth]

thanks for that link essence....
panic...indica heavy crosses are predominantly what you get on the street, at least where i live as well.. The ones i am talking about are usually darker, more dense buds...but like essence said, its hard to tell...the leaves on indicas are much wider and shorter than sativa... black domina is a very good indica for anxiety as well.
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[panicsux]

Listen, Your thoughts and worry/panic CAN NOT hurt you.

I also was told this by others, that its mind over matter and its all in the head, BUT when i went to the emergency room and talked to the intake nurse I asked her if people can die from panic attacks and to my surprise she said yes they can, because you can hyperventilate to death, suffocate yourself, induce a heart attack, cardiac arrest, etc. In a way I wish she did not tell me this because now if I do happen to get brave and smoke weed again and have a panic attack , instead of saying "oh its just a panic attack and it wont hurt me and it will pass" I will be thinking "oh shit i can possible die from this" and that will scare me even more.

and as for the indica, im from toronto canada and over here im pretty sure its mostly all sativa bud, I really wanna get my hands on some indica im even thining about trying out that legal bud you can get online , i wonder if that would cause panic attacks and/if the high is the same as real weed, any of you guys try it out before? I heard you can buy like an ounce for 40 bucks. lol

[Nailhead]

Humm I never though of the specific strain would have something to do with it but it makes sense, because some stuff I smoke and Im high and relaxed others my hearts racing and im a little freaked out...Thanks Birdgirl

I have to be careful with strains that are mostly sativa, or I will have an anxiety attack. The other night I mixed two strains, one strain I have been using for about a week, and another strain that I have been avoiding because it tastes like crap. Turns out the one that tastes like crap causes anxiety for me, I stopped using it and went back to the other, and no more anxiety problems. I almost wonder if a strain high in CBD can reverse the symptoms of anxiety, though I have not tried this. Hmm, maybe that can be my project for tomorrow, self induce anxiety with the crap weed and see if the other will cure it, lol.

The best way to naturally overcome anxiety, I have found, is to constantly remind yourself that it won't hurt you, it's just in your head, and will pass. Eat a large meal if you can, drink some water, and watch a relaxing movie, you'll be fine.

[smokestoomuch]

when people talk about different strains working for different problems i agree totally 100%. However here in England and im sure its the same in most parts of the world we dont have the luxury of a menu, and a choice of which strain works for what. Unless you grow your own or try over a 100000 different strains your never going to know which suits you. You could be lucky and grow your own and experiment or know a grower to chat with im sure the many growers here will tell you which is good for what but to get that strain you have to grow yourself.

[SnSstealth]

thats why i grow my own meds....i have read recently that they found out CBDs aren't psychoactive....but it does have anti-anxiety properties...thats why i get the strains i do, the "heavy" indicas help my anxiety VERY well, much better than xanax, ativan, or clonopin..and i don't get all the shitty side-effects...they are also good for stomach issues...i would HIGHLY recommend going to amsterdam and getting some seeds smokestoomuch... being in england there are many seedbanks you can get to much easier than we can actually....heres a link on CBDs and anxiety....
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

What is the difference between CBD and CBN (http://www.idmu.co.uk/cbd.htm)

[smokestoomuch]

nice one snsstealth.

My anxiety is very high and while i love smoking high grade skunk, hash (good hash which i cant get regularly get) takes the anxiety away so much more. I feel far more relaxed smoking good quality hash than good quality skunk because i dont know what im smoking. Dealers may say this is this and that is that but unless you grow your own with your own seeds you dont know what is indica and what is sativa until your high. Smoking good quality skunk still keeps me cool dont get it twisted i just feel i could be far more relaxed.

I will definately be growing my own soon, but gaining as much info on which strain to grow is far more important.

could you let me know which strains are the best for anxiety

safe

keep toking, keep smiling, keep burning :rastasmoke:

[SnSstealth]

any of the "heavy hitter" indicas will be great for ya....afghani's, diesels, kushs, anything over 70% indica I would say...some strains are way more suited for anxiety, and not just a couch-lock stone...check the med-strain section for some others....
WT

[StickyIcky66]

Im also the same when it comes to different strains and deal with anxiety bouts. i never know wat im getting so its so much harder to tell. Some types make me feel very relaxed and happy and some just make me light-headed and panicy!! Hate having to test my luck AFTER buying!

Today i got some Orange Bud and its DEFINITELY Orange bud. Its nice to know.....havent smoked it yet. Just wondering is this strain good for Anxiety? Any experience with it?

Thanks:hippy:

[SnSstealth]

I have had a few of the Orange strains....orange bud (cali) is damn good for anxiety....is the bud dense? or airy?....look at the leaf blades...you can KINDA tell if its predominantly indica...
WT

[StickyIcky66]

Hey....not to sure how to tell but i can tell u the buds are fat chunky firm nuggets? heavy looking babies:thumbsup::jointsmile:

Is that what you mean by dense? lol

[SnSstealth]

yeah...a gentle squeeze will tell ya density...there are dense sativas, but as a GENERAL rule, wider leaflets darker color, and density are indica traits...hard to tell on a dried nug, but you can get an idea...
WT

[StickyIcky66]

Yup they'r very dense.....a darkish colour on some of the little leaves still around the bud too!! Nice amber hairs.

This should do the job for anxiety so yeah?

[SnoopDoggyDog]

I have the same exact problem you can even see my post on the forum. What I do is I've realized that the increased heart rate does absolutely nothing, it can't kill you all it does is make you uncomfortable so I just keep telling myself it's nothing and that works. I also realize that weed can't kill you so whenever I'm feeling really bad I just tell myself it can't kill me and I just lay down somewhere, even if it's on the ground it's better to lay down on the ground then freak out.

Also don't take too many hits. Take like 1 or 2 hits and then save the rest for later, if you feel you're not high then take a few more, but if you start to feel panicky or increased heart rate then stop.

I considered quitting but I just said fuck that, getting high is way too good of a feeling to give up.

[SnoopDoggyDog]

Here is my story. A little lengthy but hopefully others can find it useful.

Been smoking weed for about 8 years, weekly. Ive smoked all kinds of bud, from high grade to low grade to shake to stems (i was desperate) last month however, I picked up some weed from a new dealer, the bud was covered in crystals and looked to be super high grade. Upon leaving his house, he told me not to smoke it when I drove. So I got home, rolled a 1 paper, at my age a 1 paper is all i really need. I smoked only 4 hits and put it down cuz i had to go to the washroom. when i came back from the washroom, I sat down on my chair and all of a sudden my heart beat when real fast then within 2 mins my chest became tight and I hard a hard time breathing. Within 5 minutes I was gasping for air. Then the sweaty pallms and then the fear of death because I thought I was having a heart attack OR that the weed was laced. The sounds of my dealer telling me to not smoke it while I drove made me think that it was laced. I had to carefully concentrate on my breathing, I felt like dyson from terminator 2 before he detonated the bomb, I was gasping just like him. The feeling lasted like that for 5 minutes, went away for 2 then came back stronger, it went on like this for a good hour until finally, I gave in and for the first time, I called the ambulance to come get me. I specifically told the 911 operator to not send police or fire truck, and what does she do? the first ones to arrive are police and fire truck, followed a min later by ambulance. I told the cop and fire people that they could leave and i quickly got into the back of the ambulance. They asked me what was wrong and I told them i cant breath and my heart was racing fast, they hooked me up to a blood pressure machine and my heart beat was at 150. They asked me what i was doing and what I took. I didnt want to tell them it was from weed the cop car was still behind the ambulance and i had left the bag of weed on my bed, i was scared if i told them that yes i smoked weed they would search my house or charge me. So i told them i just worked out, which is true I did work out before i smoked. so then they asked me if i was on steroids, i said no, they asked me if im suicidal or if im on anti depressants, I said no to everything. then one of the paramedic guys started cracking "inside type jokes" to his buddy, all of which i caught him on and asked him what he meant to only hear him give me a super long explination about other shit to throw me off. This guy thought i was on sum kind of pcp or steroid and was being rather uinprofessional. after about 20 mins i was good enough to go back home and they told me that i should go to hospital i refused signed a form and went home. That night i was convinced the weed was laced. I planned on seeking revenge. the next day I went to the doctor office, and told her about the weed and she made me do chest xray , urine test and blood test, everything came back fine. so the next day i callled my dealer and asked himwhat kind of weed it was or if it was laced with anything, he said no it wasnt, but in my head i thought of course he would say that he wouldnt admit to me if it was laced, the tone in his voice was one of worry and fear that I was going to do something, which in fact i really wanted to because i was convinced he laced it, thats why he said "dont smoke it while i drive" ..

I laid low for a couple of weeks and did nothing. no smoke, no calls back to dealer, nothing.

Which brings me to now, 2 days ago another buddy called me up and asked me if i wanted to buy some weed, i wanted to and i missed getting high, so i said sure but i told him i wanted to smoke some first before i bought it, so he gave me a bit and i rolled a 1 paper and took 3 hits to test it out. and then, within 2 mins, the SAME thing happened. rapid heart beat and difficulty breathing. Fortunately tho, it was milder and not as intense becuase i think the weed was must lesser quality and potency and had like no crystals,. after about 5 mins i got scared and got in my car to drive to hospital on the drive there , the symptoms went away and i went home.

I then got home and researched online about weed and panic attacks and found many other people posting threads about the same thing that happened to me. I now know i get anxiety/panic attacks from weed. It sucks , I hate it and I have no choice but to not smoke any weed again. I mean even 3 hits makes me have a attack. this sucks and i hate it. it really is bad that it had to end this way. I just wish i could smoke the weed without this crap happening to me. the only solution I have heard that works is taking clonazepam 15 mins before you smoke up more info can be found here

Erowid Experience Vaults: Clonazepam & Cannabis - Conquered My Anxiety - 35836 (http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=35836)

but even doing that makes me nervous because im scared it might not work and the panic attack might come back severe as ever, I HATE the rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath its so scary and uncomfortable and i wouldnt wish it upon anyone! whats even scarier is i talked to a doctor and she told me that it is possible and there have been many cases where people have died from anxiety/ panic attacks. I wish she never told me that because if I have another one, In my head i will be thinking that oh shit i might die here.

anyways thats my story.
Try to use paragraphs next time because that was hell to read.

That story, however was very scary. I've had my heart rate go up to 100 but NEVER 150. I can't imagine what that would feel like. What I think your problem was is that you took 2 too many hits. Just take 1 hit at a time and that's it and take relatively small hits. That way if you do have a panic attack it won''t be as severe and you can use that panic attack as experience to find out how to better deal with future panic attacks.

Also, learn as much about panic attacks as you can. I did and it helps me tremendously. Like I said, ever since I learned that the increased heart rate can't kill me It's stopped bothering me. I also learned that this happens to a lot of people and those people are still smoking which means they were able to get through it and you can too. Also panic attacks can only last for I think 15 minutes at a time so remember that and you can kind of count down when the panic attack will end. And also you will not die from weed. Just use all of this as reassurance. I do this all the time and it helped me on 4/20 when I actually smoked $20 worth of weed with no problems at all. Really, you'll get through this.

And are you having any problems at all unrelated to weed? Because if you're stressed while smoking then you're gonna get more panic attacks. Try to resolve whatever it is that's bothering you

I hope this helps. Seeing someone in the same position as me makes me sad because I don't think anyone deserves to go through this. Having a panic attack is one of the worst feelings ever so I hope this helps you out.

[essencevfx]

Erowid Experience Vaults: Clonazepam & Cannabis - Conquered My Anxiety - 35836


This article touches on some important information about the combination of benzodiazepenes and cannabis--and how they work together.

[BananaMan]

I have no idea man, either you're trippin' or someone slipped a little something in your weed man... My man, my homie tripped out like that once, alittle different though... It was back in the ol' days: we were just smoking with my bong, you know, we are chillin'. then we get back in, and he started trippin balls man! He started asking me if he had pissed his pants,man it was sick! he was paranoid!! Apparently he was burning up, he got some kind of fever from the weed!! I had smoked the same amount, but i couldn't stop laughing, but was standing there dead serious as if he had seen a ghost saying: "Dude! DID I PISS MY PANTS??!"... It was fucked up - Excuse my french -

"What do i do with it?" - You're supposed to smoke it not look at it...

[birdgirl73]

Moderating

Essencevfx, I altered your post above to reflect simple sharing of the article/information and take out your personal recommendations about specific medicines. It's important that people on this forum share information but steer away from recommending specific medicines or combinations of medicines to others. We need to leave that to physicians, pharmacists, and other credentialed practitioners.

[essencevfx]

fair enough . Thanks :thumbsup:

[StickyIcky66]

Hey.

Right said id follow up on my previous question about orange bud and being good for anxiety!

:stoned::rasta::rastasmoke:

Well i lit up yesterday with the strain for the first time.....the setting prob wasnt the best as firstly i had just finished working out at the gym....also had an empty stomach lol!!

I took a TINY bit of bud...pea sized! Put it into my pipe...while observing the heavily coated thc crystals(like nothing i had seen before)....excitedly i took 3 average sized hits off my little glass pipe and put it down......GOOD LORD!!!!!!

I have never felt that stoned in my life!!.....it kept getting heavier and heavier for about ten minutes to the point where my head and neck was EXTREMELY numb. This sudden feeling of being WAY TOO STONED at the wrong time(i had stuff to do) didnt help and i started getting anxious nervous feelings. Very proud of myself as i held it off and after an hour of being TOO stoned i got an earthly calm like never before. If i had let the anxiety take over i was definitely into a Whitey!! NOT FUN!! Next time i shall only be hittin it ONCE :stoned::stoned::stoned:

Truley heavy shit!!

Orange Bud i salute you!!:rastasmoke:

[JDMBoy420]

It's a damn shame that I cant smoke bud anymore... Out of nowhere I developed this anxiety disorder. Now when I smoke I get an anxiety attack, & it's scary. Feels like your body is going to shut down, my breathing gets heavy, palms sweat like crazy, my stomach is in knots, and i feel very anxious. I hope It wasnt the bud, But I did start taking a whole lot of bodybuilding supplements that had some hormonal effects. Combined maybe with the bud, it Created this anxiety. I now wake up with sweaty palms, and a tight tummy. Anyone else have a similar experience..? Ive been sober off of bud for 2 weeks now...It's easy not smoking, its just I enjoy it. Sigh.... Does this anxiety stuff ever go away..? im sorry for hijacking this thread, its just I want some advice or answers. Im taking Protonix, propranolol, N some nausea promethizine stuff.. anyone similar cases..? I Always outsmoke everyone and never get phazed, I even outsmoke the workers at dispenseries in L.A. ..lol ..But Now this..? ..im lost...:cool:

[superhit]

:thumbsup: Hey I was just wanting to say thanks for the post on Holosync. I had questions about blazing and Holosync and this was the only place I found any body else with experience. I was having some major anxiety about it and it really helped a lot to find someone else with some insight. Thanks!

[SnoopDoggyDog]

It's a damn shame that I cant smoke bud anymore... Out of nowhere I developed this anxiety disorder. Now when I smoke I get an anxiety attack, & it's scary. Feels like your body is going to shut down, my breathing gets heavy, palms sweat like crazy, my stomach is in knots, and i feel very anxious. I hope It wasnt the bud, But I did start taking a whole lot of bodybuilding supplements that had some hormonal effects. Combined maybe with the bud, it Created this anxiety. I now wake up with sweaty palms, and a tight tummy. Anyone else have a similar experience..? Ive been sober off of bud for 2 weeks now...It's easy not smoking, its just I enjoy it. Sigh.... Does this anxiety stuff ever go away..? im sorry for hijacking this thread, its just I want some advice or answers. Im taking Protonix, propranolol, N some nausea promethizine stuff.. anyone similar cases..? I Always outsmoke everyone and never get phazed, I even outsmoke the workers at dispenseries in L.A. ..lol ..But Now this..? ..im lost...:cool:
Well you know panic attacks can develop out of nowhere. Check my other posts for advice but currently I'm still trying to overcome my paranoia of weed. I always have panic attacks just before smoking but I try and face my fears of sorts and just smoke anyway. Each time I have crazy panic attacks before smoking (I'm able to control it though) but while high I have the time of my life and I can't wait to do it again. Although the next time I smoke I still have the pre-smoking paranoia.

First thing you have to is acknowledge the fact that weed can't kill you, the most it can do is raise your heartbeat and make you uncomfortable. Try to ignore your heartrate but if you just can't do it then just lay down for a while. Also what else I do is just remember all the good times I've had while high and just think to myself how ridiculous it is that I'm getting panic attacks from something that has only brought joy to my life.

Start out taking 2 or 3 hits and do not let anyone peer pressure you into taking more hits. This is very important because you have to find your limit. If you take more hits then you can handle then you'll never overcome your anxiety.

Now this may or may not work for you. About 2 months ago I started becoming paranoid of weed but I kept on smoking and facing my fears until I would be able to smoke as much as I used to. And now after about 1 month of taking 3 hits each time I smoked I'm ready to finally smoke a whole blunt again and all my anxiety has practically vanished. So as I said this may all be some stupid shit that means absolutely nothing and just makes things worse but I'm just sharing with you what worked for me.

Good luck, and I hope you can enjoy being high out of your mind for many more years.:rastasmoke:

[Kitarist]

Ok so lets say a little story here.

I've been into out of body experiences etc.. for a long time.
I used to get high to have out of body experience. (i smoke usually 3x a month)

Now a strange thing happened. I got stoned and after i wasnt stoned anymore i still got that weird feeling in my chest like its opened or something.

This is almost the 7th day and i still have that feeling. It's like my emotions are lower i dont feel so much and i can mostly only feel that feel (its like adrenaline and like theres a hole in my chest)

I posted the the above post in some other forums and they told me it's anxiety for sure. Did anyone have this weird feeling for 7 days or more (i still have it atm but its getting better).

I'm not a everyday smoker but when i smoke i smoke very strong stuff so i'm almost trippin.

I hope everything will get better

[SnoopDoggyDog]

I don't think it's anxiety. I had the same problem too. I smoked this stuff and it just made me dumber for the time I was high. When I became sober I was still dumb. I was still feeling the effects of the weed for 4 days and then on the 5th day I felt my normal self again.

The point is, the feeling will probably go away and by how you're describing it it's not anxiety.

[Kitarist]

Well did you also feel the chest feeling like theres a hole like you cant feel it. You are also right i still feel like i'm a little bit stoned but its not so strong. It's like that afterglow effect you have hehe

And yes its getting better day by day it's possible that i have too much THC in my body and it cant handle it. I rode that it can take MAX a month to get back sober again.

[SnoopDoggyDog]

No, I didn't feel any chest pain but I didn't feel the high over there so that's why. I say just enjoy the feeling of being half high, it actually feels pretty cool once you get past the fact that it isn't permanent.:jointsmile:

[RobPA]

It's a damn shame that I cant smoke bud anymore... Out of nowhere I developed this anxiety disorder. Now when I smoke I get an anxiety attack, & it's scary. Feels like your body is going to shut down, my breathing gets heavy, palms sweat like crazy, my stomach is in knots, and i feel very anxious. I hope It wasnt the bud, But I did start taking a whole lot of bodybuilding supplements that had some hormonal effects. Combined maybe with the bud, it Created this anxiety. I now wake up with sweaty palms, and a tight tummy. Anyone else have a similar experience..? Ive been sober off of bud for 2 weeks now...It's easy not smoking, its just I enjoy it. Sigh.... Does this anxiety stuff ever go away..? im sorry for hijacking this thread, its just I want some advice or answers. Im taking Protonix, propranolol, N some nausea promethizine stuff.. anyone similar cases..? I Always outsmoke everyone and never get phazed, I even outsmoke the workers at dispenseries in L.A. ..lol ..But Now this..? ..im lost...:cool:

This happened to me actually after making some super-strong Edibles that were truely way to strong. Hasent happened since. Is it both indicas and SAtivas taht make you this way? I notice I am able to function socially when using sativas, but with indicas i just get totally wacked and paranoid so I like doing that in a relaxing setting.

[SnSstealth]

definitely has to do with sativas, i have anxiety disorder, and am hypo-manic...and i get panic attacks alot...there are VERY few sativa dominant strains i can smoke anymore, but there are also alot of great strains for anxiety...think i posted them in this thread a while back...I also have had the dumb-after feeling...but it only lasted a day or 2, and was after 4/20....lol
basically its a weed hangover, thats all:thumbsup:
whiskeytango

[Fnatic]

Thanks for the link, SnSstealth. I had actually wondered for a while if the THC/CBD ratio in cannabis had anything to do with helping or causing anxiety.

Around here, most mids are indica, dank is sativa. Works for me.

[SnSstealth]

:thumbsup:

[ojitos1985]

well, for those who think indica wont make you anxious, 2 weeks ago i got one panic attack from my afgani lol,

[tomm01]

Sorry this is so massive, just wanted to post my story as it is the main reason I joined this forum, (anxiety and weed issues), and maybe some other people can get help from this info.

Cool, some other people that have the same problems as me!
Not cool for you, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but it's good to know.
I always got bagged out for getting panic attacks until one of my friends brothers got the same thing so my friend realised how bad it was.

I have OCD and have for a VERY long time, since I can remember, like 3-4 years old. I started smoking weed sometime between ages of 14-16. I used to get so high and it was just AWESOME, laughing for hours! Laughing at feeling like I was being sucked into the chair etc.

Then one day I smoked WAY to much red haired, sticky skunk and I flipped out, but looking back it wasn't THAT bad. But then a few months later I started smoking again every day and one day all of a sudden I thought, fuck what if someone laced this with acid or something. And I thought I would totally flip out and go crazy and shit. All normal things during a panic attack. Anyway I couldn't leave the house for weeks and when I did I just felt sick and anxious. Took me months to get back to normal, finally got some anti-depressants and Xanax on prescription and I am relatively back to normal, or how I used to be before smoking. That's if I take my meds anyway.

However, my OCD is still progressing as it always has been, this also leads to more anxiety. So I'm looking into errrr.... how do i put this.... overcoming my fear of dealers lacing my weed by uhhh, cutting out the middle man.

So this will help with some of my problems hopefully and not just while I am smoking but afterwards aswell. Just as people have mentioned bad effects lasting afterwards, I am hoping the good effects can last afterwards also. Like does anyone else get the feeling for a long time after smoking where you lie down and feel your body spinning like when you're high? It's very similar to the meditation feeling of being very relaxed.

[Revanche21]

I also get anxiety, even when I'm not high anymore...

I've tried Prozac, lexapro, xanax

for both depression and anxiety

none have worked for the depression except marijuana

the anxiety, the xanax works for perfectly but I cannot get Xanax prescribed to me, they just want to try SSRI's on me so I said F it and looked into some natural remedies and got myself some valerian root capsules they work pretty good. It's no xanax, but it works pretty good! :thumbsup:

[SnSstealth]

I too have been on prozac,ativa,xanax,buspar,trazadone..blah blah...but like revanche, pot helped better than all the others in any cocktail...you just gotta find the strains that suit your needs...MOST of anxiety from pot is sativa related...try afghani's, diesels, kush's...any of your "heavy" indica/indica crosses...thats whats helped for me and many i have suggested to...hope it helps
WT

[silkyblue]

Hypervigilance: being on guard all the time.
* Intrusive imagery such as flashbacks.
* Extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
* Hyperactivity, restlessness.
* Exaggerated emotional and startled reaction to noise, quick movements, etc.
* Nightmares and night terrors.
* Abrupt mood swings such as rage reaction, temper tantrums, shame.
* Reduced ability to deal with stress (easily stressed out).
* Difficulty sleeping
* Fear of going crazy
* Other symptoms include: panic attacks, phobias, anxiety
* Mental blankness, or spaciness
* Avoiding circumstances which remind one of the previous experience
* Attraction to dangerous situations
* Frequent anger or crying
* Mood swings
* Exaggerated or diminished sexual activity
* Amnesia and forgetfulness
* Inability to love, nurture or bond with other individuals
* Fear of dying or having a shortened life





sounds like my relatives! they all partake in herby

:thumbsup:

[tomm01]

none have worked for the depression except marijuana

the anxiety, the xanax works for perfectly but I cannot get Xanax prescribed to me, they just want to try SSRI's on me so I said F it and looked into some natural remedies and got myself some valerian root capsules they work pretty good. It's no xanax, but it works pretty good! :thumbsup:

SAME! God it's annoying, the doctor still giving me it but only one script at a time and i'm meant to be weaning myself off it. So my natural remedy is hopefully going to be weed, these forums have been great so far for seeing what causes anxiety from smoking etc.

[LeVeL420]

I found myself caught in a panic attack after smoking sativa strains as well.I don't like to talk to my friends about my health issues,
so when im smoking with them(they like smoking sativa) sometimes I smoke the wrong strain and my anxiety starts to kick in,I usually try and keep calm but sometimes it gets really bad, I mean it gets to a point where i get tremors and it gets hard for me to stand still.
so when that happens i have to rap it up and get out as soon as I'm done smoking, and I realized that it pisses my friends of when i do that.I wish i could tell them what my problem is but its hard for me to do that. not to mention I am a social phobic and i also suffer from OCD so i hate to even think of what my friends might think of me. I'm on Prozac but I don't really like it sometimes it helps at other times I feel like it makes me more anxious and I feel restless.I'm thinkin about telling my doctor i wanna stop taking them but idk

I can always count on some good ol'indica to take care of all that plus my insomnia and depression.:D Since i dont have my MMJ card its a lil hard for me to find what im looking for.

[Dream of the iris]

Here's a technique for all those that suffer from anxiety while high. While stoned, one reason I noticed that getting high can be scary is because it makes you more present. Now, bear with me here. While stoned, if you really notice it, you feel timeless, very here in the moment. It's why the Hindus feel it is a gift from the god Shiva. It's a presence-inducing substance. Next time you get stoned, try to be more aware of this presence. Feel yourself being in the moment, realize that you are here. Realize that this presence is what all of life is and that there is nothing to be afraid of. You'll be surprised at how calm you can get just from that simple awareness. It works for me, although I can understand that some anxiety stems from deeper problems. This simple technique is useful mainly for the occasional anxiety sufferers. Try it out and see if it works for you. It's a bit spiritual, but I feel it holds fundamental truths.

[zosozelena]

i find all of this funny because marijuana actually helps with my anxiety attacks, if i feel like i am having an anxiety attack it usually does the trick

[03Dmartin]

Now a strange thing happened. I got stoned and after i wasnt stoned anymore i still got that weird feeling in my chest like its opened or something.

This is almost the 7th day and i still have that feeling. It's like my emotions are lower i dont feel so much and i can mostly only feel that feel (its like adrenaline and like theres a hole in my chest)

I posted the the above post in some other forums and they told me it's anxiety for sure. Did anyone have this weird feeling for 7 days or more (i still have it atm but its getting better).

I'm not a everyday smoker but when i smoke i smoke very strong stuff so i'm almost trippin.

I hope everything will get better




arightttt,
ive been looking for someone that has this too....:O
basically i smoked some pretty strong stuff last saturday
im pretty inexperienced and usually i freak out, i make the mistake of smoking in the most inappropriate places at the wrong time. but i geuss im learning (hopefully).

i smoked the TINIEST amount in my back yard and didnt feel much at first, when i settled down back indoors i suddenly had some sort of realisation that im losing it and im in serious danger (lol).

so i started pacing around the place and whatnot, my friends didnt really help -_-. it was a pretty gay night overall and from past experience i knew that id feel pretty freaky for about 5 days afterwards (i smoked my first blunt at home then went into town at about 1 oclock in teh day).

Its been a week now and i still feel like i have brain damage and find it hard to get to sleep for fear of talking to myself :S... (im not sure about the whole in teh chest thing though)

i REALLY would like to know the period of time that it takes for this to pass. Because it doesnt seem clear at all, one site will say ten years, another will say this shouldnt happen at all its ridiculous,gahhh .O_O. because like that guy said, i feel like im trapped in the present, its okay for a little while (or when i get hammered) but i have college, and i feel like im guna throw up in every frikkin lesson.

i think thats all,
plees halp meh :(
big love xox :D

[weedidas]

Anxiety, and returning to smoking again: Please read and respond - Page 4 - Grasscity.com Forums (http://forum.grasscity.com/medical-marijuana/304060-anxiety-returning-smoking-again-please-read-respond-4.html)


This is a repost, but I think it might help one or two here. It isn't applicable to everyone, but certainly to quite a few, myself included:

4:20 And Why It's Not A Good Idea For Some
The causes of dope anxiety and paranoia are both mental and chemical. Although some episodes can be created by your expectations and fears about having a bad high, it's more likely that much of your discomfort is being created by the things I talk about below. Even if you've never had a moment's anxiety with weed in your life, it'll be useful if you can read through the following just in case it should ever happen â?? and just to check that you really are avoiding these pitfalls.

Blood Sugar & Mood
Changes in blood sugar levels can be responsible for pretty extreme effects when you're high, both good and bad, so you have to pay real attention to it if you want to get, and keep, a good high.

Too much blood sugar, from eating a lot of candy, for example, and you get a rush as the dope high and the sugar high combine â?? but the sugar high is short-lived, and will make you want to fall asleep as your system burns off the excess insulin that all the sugar has forced the release of. Too little blood sugar, and things go from uncomfortable to extremely unpleasant very quickly.

As you first start to get stoned, your metabolism hikes up a notch and causes a sudden dip in blood sugar. That's no problem if you've just eaten, but if you're already on the edge of being hungry without realising it, that first toke can make you feel pretty nasty in less than ten minutes. Never take the chance of getting high when you're somewhere without access to the right kinds of food and drink, just in case. If you have the added 'pleasure' of being a borderline diabetic and you don't know it, you could get into quite a state from just that one first high, if you're not careful.

The problem for we tokers is that many regular users begin their day's session in the late afternoon at 4:20, as work is winding down, and maybe an hour or two before their evening meal â?? just at the very time when their blood sugar is already on the wane. If this is you, you'll more than likely feel a lot of the symptoms below within ten minutes or so of getting high. Eat! Better still, make sure that you've eaten well in advance of getting high.

For any weed user, even without food binges, the increase in metabolism that dope creates burns off blood sugar very quickly, so you're much more likely to have the symptoms listed below. Look out for any of the following as indicators of low blood sugar:

Sweating, shaking, anxiety, hunger, dizziness, faintness, pounding heart, personality changes, confused thinking, impatience, numbness of lips and tongue, headache, nausea, blurred vision, slurred or slow speech, convulsions, coldness, white hands and face. Eventually, if not attended to, can lead to unconsciousness.

If all of that's not bad enough, you can also have low blood sugar at night when you're asleep, and you may wake up with some of these same symptoms. As I said earlier, the rhythm of your high could mean that you get your best highs when you're asleep at night, so the weed is still working away on your metabolism into the early hours of the morning.

There's no getting away from the fact that too much weed can make getting out of bed the following day a bit of a struggle, but if you get headaches, muscle aches and a grogginess that you can't seem to shake and that seems disproportionate to your weed intake, then low blood sugar could be the cause. If you're already prone to night time dips in blood sugar (as many people are), then the dope will exacerbate that and make you feel much worse when you wake up. Check out your diet.

What foods then?
When you appreciate that not eating properly is going to reduce the amount of pleasure you can get from your weed a lot, then things have become truly serious. To overcome this, eat foods that release sugars slowly, if they contain them. 'Slow-release' sugars, such as fructose â?? as opposed to fast-release, quick up, quick down, glucose sugars - are poorly absorbed (hence why they're referred to as 'slow'). Potatoes and bananas are slow-release, for example; bread is possibly the fastest release of all. At the very least, have toast and a good bowl of cereal an hour or two before you start getting high; that way, you're sure to begin with a steady glucose supply to keep you, and your brain, stable.

If you're high and going through a sugar crash, and are in need of quick relief (without the downside of see-sawing blood sugar levels that you'll get from things like chocolate), bread, figs and especially dates, are very good for getting you rapidly back to normal.


From: 'Cannabis & Meditation â?? An Explorer's Guide'


MelT

[weedidas]

and


I thought I should include the second part of the chapter above to include general another of the causes of bad highs:


Adrenaline & Cannabis
A second cause of dope-anxiety is something I term here the 'Adrenaline Cascade'; really a mild form of 'shock'. After any stressful event, anxiety causes your system to dump adrenaline (also called epinephrine) into your blood-stream, creating a rapid heart-beat, a growing demand on your BSL, and thus deeper and deeper feelings of anxiety as your BSL levels drop. Of course, you'll usually find these effects uncomfortable or worrying, thus causing the release of even more adrenaline and a worsening of symptoms. This vicious circle of adrenaline release will be increasingly hard to overcome, and the deeper it gets the more likely it is to lead to a 'white-out' due to its depressive effects on your blood sugar.

Many things trigger the release of adrenaline:

* Apprehension about potentially bad highs
* Stress
* Anxiety
* Fatigue
* Stimulants, such as alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, and heroin.
* Bright lights
* Loud noises
* Exercise
* Sugar sensitivity
* Abnormal glucose metabolism

Again, do not underestimate the mental effects that adrenaline can cause by itself - irregular heart-beat, palpitations, abnormal behaviour, anxiety and headaches - even before it starts reducing our BSL to a point where it can no longer support full brain function (about 60% of our blood sugar is used by our brains).

Unfortunately, there's very little you can do to remove excess adrenaline from your system once it's in there, and it can only really be counteracted by 'nor-adrenaline', something that usually only our bodies can provide. It can be burned off by exercise, but if adrenaline has caused a very deep dip in your BSL then that may not be a viable option. The only things you can truly do are: eat to get rid of some of the more unpleasant symptoms; or, simply wait it out, knowing that it is a brief physiological effect.

I've seen a number of people offering advice to 'just suck it up and it'll go away' on this particular kind of anxiety and, to some extent that is helpful, as relaxing and trying to be calm will help break the cycle of adrenaline release. On the other hand, if someone is having an intense version of this then relaxing is far easier said than done and, if you should experience the above yourself, then you need to treat yourself as you would for low BSL and the effects of a grade 4 high (see later), removing yourself from any strong stimuli - lights, noises, etc. - that might help promote the effects of the high and further adrenaline release.

It's interesting to consider all of the effects that adrenaline has on our systems, especially when we're high, especially in light of the small amount of research that's been done into cannabis and the control of BSL in diabetics. Cannabis works for some diabetics in this respect, but not all. Some have found that it lowers BSL and helps control the illness, others that it has no effect at all, which may simply be down to the amount of adrenaline they might or might not produce when they're high. Many have rigorously self-tested their BSL and found that cannabis causes an initial rise in blood sugar (caused by increased hydrolysis of glycogen to glucose), followed by a low period where they're unable to return their background sugar levels to a normal level.

If we look at the actions of adrenaline in this respect then the mechanism that prevents this rise becomes obvious (remember that this same effect will be present in anyone who has a burst of adrenaline in their systems, not just diabetics): adrenaline prepares the body for 'fight or flight' in an emergency by increasing the supply of glucose and oxygen to the brain and muscles, whilst at the same time suppressing other less-important processes, digestion in particular. This means that the initial elevation in blood-sugar (through increased catabolism) may be short-lived, and whether it then leads to a later dip and anxiety is dependent on the amount of adrenaline present in the blood at the time. Not only does it reduce the bodies ability to take in new blood sugar to redress the balance, but it increases speedier depletion of stored blood sugar, preventing restoration.

Some people, particularly those with bad diets or who are subjected regularly to stress, may have semi-permanent hypoglycemia (a deficiency of glucose in the blood), resulting in adverse reactions to cannabis through their bodies inability to control adrenaline and/or cortisol through 'adrenal fatigue'.

The Answer
In light of the above, those who know they're already at risk from fluctuating BSL will find that their symptoms of anxiety during cannabis use will be significantly reduced if they can pay full attention not only to those levels before use, but also setting and mood before use, as recommended in other chapters here.

Testing for Hypoglycemia
'Many more people believe they have hypoglycemia than actually test positive when given blood-sugar tests...
Dr. Callaway suspects that people can experience pharmacological effects from sugar, even if blood-sugar levels remain within the normal range. People's responses to fluctuating blood-sugar levels vary greatly. Some people experience symptoms when blood-sugar levels are well within the normal range, while others report no symptoms even when blood-sugar levels have dropped substantially. It is likely that each person has a unique blood-sugar range, with fatigue or mood changes occurring when levels fluctuate above or below these levels. (Pages 109, 112)'
'Food & Mood' Somer, Elizabeth, M.A., R.D. (Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 1999.)

From 'Cannabis & Meditation â?? An Explorer's Guide'

MelT

[wishfulsmoker]

heres the thing, i loove weed. i used to love just unwinding at the end of the day with a blunt and some music cuz i am a fairly depressed person and liked to just escape reality for a little. i was an every day smoker for about 3 years ive been smokin for 4 and im so pissed off cause i get panic attacks when i smoke now too its horrible. i quit for about a month after my second panic attack just started again a couple weeks ago and the other night i had another one after smokin a nice amount. this really sucks because i miss the feeling of just being retardedly stoned but now i could barely smoke or ill either A have an attack or B think im going to have one the whole time which usually almost starts one. i mean i could still smoke but it has to be when im at home and i no i got no where to go but to sleep and i still feel somewhat anxious when i do that....shits beat. i wonder if i smoked an indica if it would be different but unfortunatly where i am its impossible to know what your getting. anyway i feel for your situation i just had to respond because ive been lookin all oer the place for a solution so i could keep smokin but it looks like im gonna have to quit..never would have though the one thing that relieved my stress the most causes it now

[4harley]

INDICA.100% hope this helps.

[kailazee]

Okay here's my story.

I smoked yesterday and was fine till i lost my high then i panicked and felt like i was still high and my mind was numb and i couldnt focus on anything, I almost felt delirious. I smoked today before church and was fine when I lost my high. but after church we smoked again and i panicked and now I feel like before I feel like my mind is permanantly high or numb.
Please help?

[Mark S]

Anxiety Attacks/Panic Attacks/Pain Management And Marijuana:

I have been a heavy pot smoker most my adult life. At the age of 16 I started using recreationally, I am currently 37. Over the past decade or even more the only time I am not high/smoking was when I was sleeping, seriously. Because of my work being a massage therapist and owning my own clinic, I was able to live this life style without it affecting my every day life. So I thought. I have no medical problems, healthy as they come and had a possitive/healthy state of mind and well-being. About 2 months ago from this day I had a severe anxiety/panic attack. So severe I had to call 911 and go to the hospital. I thought I was going to die, having a heart attack. This was my first time ever experiencing an attack. I didn't even know what they really were until they explained at the hospital. Thank goodness that has been my only "severe" attack in the past 2 months although I have had two smaller ones and am still in the "critical" stage of this ordeal. Why I am posting this is because of what I found out after seeing numerous doctors and doing my own research over the past couple of months. I saw two MDs, psychiatrist and a psychologist. After sitting down with each one and being honest about my marijuana abuse for so long they all told me the same thing, "I have over-dosed and have been over dosing on the levels of THC in my system for to long.". This affects the GABA receptors which when affected will produce the feelings of depression and will cause panic/anxiety disorders among other things. These are both results in my case of an abnormal interference with the GABA receptors caused by long term over dosing of marijuana.

Each person's body is different of course and moderation is always key. You always hear how marijuana is natural and what not and all these great things about it. Through all my experiences with weed and especially now, I don't agree. Once again in moderation, fine. In certain medical cases after the patient has tried everything else, why not? Especially cancer patients and what not. But for pain? I just don't think marijuana is the answer. At first it may work for the individual especially if THC is new to the body. Just the new feeling of being "high" can be enough of a new sensation to the body that it may interfere positively to the pain cycle. But like with everything else our bodies build up tolerances and the more THC that is put in to the body for a duration of time is only opening the door to more unrelated problems to the pain, like severe anxiety.

From what my doctors told me and through my research I have found that pot isn't all that it is made out to be. Especially these days where pot has become stronger and stronger and more unhealthy chemicals in them as well which is mostly dependent on how it was grown (certain toxic fertilizers/water sources/ground soil and so on) are just a couple factors. I have been told by professionals that I will feel like a new man once all the THC is out of my system and allow time for my brain to literally heal. I know there are other issues and factors at work here. But I was very relieved. So relieved I cried in one of the doctor's offices when they told me this because I thought I was going crazy. I am currently on pharmaceutical medication for the first time in my life. I am taking the lowest dosage possible(other then not taking any) of Alprazolam and the same with Lamotrigine. The Alpra to calm the daily anxiety symptoms I still experience and the Lamotrigine as a mood stabilizer. I have always gone the natural/nutritional path but in certain situations like this one I felt I had little choice. It is still unclear how long it will take to get the majority of the THC out of my system. My system which has had it in it for so long and so much. And it also unclear how long it will take for my brain to almost fully recover to a healthier state. I was told 4-6 months and I should start noticing a difference from not having it in my system anymore. All I know is I have been pot free for 2 months now and don't plan on using it again. I don't even miss it, which is great! I got scared shitless and that was all I needed to quit. I hope over the next couple months I can ween off the medications and start going the natural route. I am ready to heal. I am ready for peace. I am ready for a sense of "well-being". And for me my friends, marijuana robbed me of those things. I'm at fault of course because of my depth of usage. But, don't let anyone fool you about marijuana. Although, no body has died from an overdose, overdosing is real and is a very common and a very valid thing that leads to other disorders. You would be surprised how many conditions/problems are misdiagnosed and the underlying cause was the overdosing of THC in the body's system. There's a long list and I included the website. Marijuana overdose Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments and Causes - RightDiagnosis.com (http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/m/marijuana_overdose/intro.htm)

Once again, I am not anti-pot as long as it used in moderation but I am not a fan of people medicating themselves with it. You may become very dependent of it and it may for you open the door to more serious medical problems. Don't forget marijuana alters our brain and it's functions. Have fun but don't be like me. Once again, moderation is key. I am a drastic example of what large amounts of THC for extended amount/s of time can do your body's system. I have smoked it all, this strand that strand;Amsterdam, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Israel... it's still THC. "Thoughts become things" if you truly believe pot will help you on a cellular level then maybe it will. But still the facts are the facts. I hoped I helped some of you by using my experiences to guide some light on this topic. Take it from a veteran-over-the-top smoker.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling. Just trying to help and inform from my experiences..

[Mark S]

I don't know why all those clickable links showed up. Don't click on any of them other then the website link near the end if interested. When I clicked on the green links it took me to some b.s. where I couldn't click "back" to get back here. Just a heads up. May peace and happiness always find you :)

[smithsupport]

Hi ollie,

Remember of that our minds are so strong we be able to "conversation us" in barely something even dying. Then do the contrary one when itâ??s done not stone thinks about as and because or like marijuana and as help others in need.

I also suffer from anxiety upon smoking herb little mischief, caused give me up for barely a decade. Anyway I still I receive the occasional attack of anxiety but I find for myself marijuana becomes-itself an activity of spiritual/meditation.

I remain far from sativa and avoid fog as the pest.

[DynastyOmen]

Hi guys, i am new to this forum and i have a story to tell and maybe you guys can tell me whats going on with me.

I started smoking marijuana when i was 16 years old (I am now 20). I would smoke quite a bit and feel fine. Everything was fine and dandy until this past year. One day my brother and i were driving to work. He had rolled a joint and we smoked half of it on the way there and saved the rest of it on the way back. When i took a hit, and i mean lung-buster, i started feeling so weird. I could not catch my breath, and i had to tell my brother to pull over because i was freaking out. I decided that we go ahead to work. When we get there my heart was racing so fast it was unbelievable. My hands were tensing/clenching up; feeling numb and tingly and my eyes were twitching back and forth. after drinking some Gatorade and eating a little something, trying to calm my self and taking deep breaths, this all went away but felt so weak afterwards.

Ever since that first episode, i have had about 4 or 5 more like it this past year but please do note that this ONLY HAPPENS WEN I SMOKE MARIJUANA and it will go away about 30 minutes later.
It doesn't matter what strain i smoke, how i feel before smoking it, how much i smoke or anything.

Now a couple days ago, i hit a gravity bong of some reggie, and it triggered this again only this time the symptoms i mentioned above haven't gone away after stop smoking. I cant sleep, If i walk around or do anything strenuous my heart start to beat rapidly and occasionally palpitations in the heart and numbness and tingling in my legs and arms. I went to the Emergency Room last night and they said the EKG they took of my heart came back clean and my blood work was excellent other than some low potassium levels (which they gave me some potassium pills for that) basically they said there was nothing life threatening for them to keep me there. Does this sound like an anxiety or panic attack? or something else wrong with me? Somebody please help. i feel like this almost everyday since i took that hit of weed and i dont really feel much better. now but my brother gave me a quarter of a Zanex and it has given me the ability to type this right now without flipping the hell out. any ideas?

[painretreat]

:jointsmile:Dynesty Omen,

I'd say get your Potassium back to normal and wait. Since, you are having a problem with your Potassium level. You need to correct that first. And start eating, at least a banana a day (at your age), try potassium rich foods..oranges, avocado, potato off the top of my head, there are plenty. Get on a good well balanced diet.

You sound like you are having issues with hyperventilation, to me.
Try breathing in a brown bag.
Generally, the signs you are reporting, are more of a result of Hyperventilation.
Not much else, can't believe the ER, did not pick up, on that. Unless, you only reported your rapid pulse. The increase in your pulse, can be associated with the pot. However, it doesn't really sound like that is the problem. Your pulse will go down. There are threads here on how to address it. And if it was up, in the ER, they would not have let you out with it elevated.

I'd deal with one issue at a time. Get your emotions balanced, with your diet.

THEN I would try a non-sativa. And I can tell you, most people really don't have a clue if their bud has sativa in it or not. So, all the more reason to find some Indica and learn to grow. The growing will help you with your anxieties. However, they seem, relatively mild.

I must tell you though. To be perfectly honest.. I also felt you had a hang-over(using that word lightly) and might be dehydrated. And thats all I got for ya! Hope someone else chimes in! :rasta: pr

[drew225]

Funny I was reading some of this (couldn't get through all of it) and I have some of the same symptoms myself. I am normally a very anxious person and have actually been to therapy a few times for this and have been even prescribed with some low dose medicine for it. I stopped taking it though as I felt I was getting better and didn't like how unbalanced I felt sometimes when taking it and then if I missed a few days or whatever. My point is I get anxiety attacks sometimes when I smoke pot. It doesn't happen very often but I do get them. Now im going to pay attention and even try and notate down what I smoke and what effects it has on me. Maybe ill try and stick more to indica from now on. Not sure I can completely stop smoking sativa as I like the cloudy head high some of them give, but ill definitely be more careful

[donny101]

Iv come to find a brilliant system for combating this which is really logical and makes full sense(i think lol). The reason that people have anxiety attacks after weed is because there is an underlying problem which automatically gets blown up and focused on when high. Even if you are unaware of the issue, its all locked in your subconcious, and weed opens up the minds flood gates. ie the creativity blasts and what not. My way in combating this and in helping me all round in being a stronger and more in control person is MEDITATING. For anyone unfamilliar with meditating, its about delving into your sub-concious and releasing inner stresses(can be felt through body twitches) and in the same way as weed, facing your inner demons! I think being high is just an over energetic meditation, which gets u VERY deep VERY fast....sometimes TOO fast for some. It makes sense that someone with a lot of issues will eventually find it tough. This is why i believe to always have a powerful and blissful high where creativity and enlightenment happens....MEDITATE :-) Dont meditate high at first but once u feel ur grounded enough, well, its a wonderfully powerfull experience to combine the both. Just to let you know im not a very spiritual person or anything but iv been meditating for a bout a year now and as a person who was once ALWAYS anxious, ALWAYS uncomfortable and genuinely un happy in my mind....i have came to be so grounded in my mind, calm and collected....and most of all HAPPY! I kinda went off the trail here a bit lol. I just felt i had to say something. I meditate through Holosync technology. Excellent!!!

Peace,
and happy Highs!! ;-)

May I ask what sort of meditation you're doing? A specific type of yoga? martial arts?

I've been an anxiety sufferer all my life and want to try soemthing proven to work on someone else! thanks

[weedman419+1]

from 2008, that's what's up.

[mikesrozer]

Hello,
Smoking is always injurious to health. Marijuan is helpful if you take it as a medicine. Always remember before using marijuan you have to consult with some health expert.

[mikesrozer]

Hey olliegrow! Oh really sorry to hear that you have faced a lot of problems due to Marijauna. But one of my friend has gone through this Marijauna treatment, he did not face any kind of issues or anxiety after using Marijauna. I would like to suggest that you should contact to a medical person related to Marijauna.