Anxiety made me stop smoking - I used to LOVE it! HELP ME!

Here's my story:

I used to smoke a decent amount for about a year and a half straight (which isn't much, I know) but I loved the enjoyable relaxing effects that marijuana gave me! I used to smoke to make events more enjoyable or to help me fall asleep at night. I used it more like an enhancer than anything else.

Anyways, up until January of 2006 (over a year ago) I was having a great time with weed. One random night a friend and I decided to smoke a couple of pipes which normally wouldn't be a big deal. About 5 minutes after I started smoking, I had a terrible feeling in my chest and I decided to lay down. I didn't feel high at all, I just felt like I was going to pass out or something.. but when I was laying down, I kept thinking to myself... "If I pass out, I might never wake up"... so I got up, I kept putting my hand over my heart to feel it and see if it felt like it was beating normal. I kept saying that it felt like I was having a heart attack or something although there was no pain, it just felt like my heart kept getting bigger and then releasing mass amounts of blood into my body. I mean, I'm sure it wasn't doing that, but that's what it felt like to me. So i tried getting my mind off of it by going downstairs and watching a movie... I sat there for about a half an hour before deciding that maybe eating something might help me. I got some ice cream and held the ice-cold container against my heart to see if that was going to help me while I was eating it. Of course, that did nothing. So a few more minutes went by and I decided that since this has never happened to me before, something must be terribly wrong with me... I'm 20 years old and I'm going to be the first person ever to die from marijuana... So i drove myself to the emergency room at about 1:30am and I told them what I had done.

Upon my arrival, they did a number of tests on me to see if something serious was wrong. They hooked me up to some machines and put an IV in my hand and loaded it up with Ativan (an anti-anxiety medicine). When I felt normal after this point in time... they determined it was anxiety that caused my whole problem.

My question is. Why after a year and a half did it happen then? I loved smoking so much and I wish to acquire the effects of smoking again and would love to know how to do so without the crazy panic attack!

I notice that if I am pretty buzzed off of alcohol and I smoke, I do not get any anxiety at all. If I smoke or ingest THC on its own, that's when I become overwhelmed with anxiety and my heart starts racing etc. etc. This has only happened twice but I've tried smoking probably 10 or so times since it initially happened. I also made myself pot-brownies and I ate 2 of them and that set off a crazy anxiety attack as well. I've even been to Amsterdam last year and wasn't able to enjoy myself to the extent that I could have if I was there a year prior to when I had went.

I also got high ONE time after this event but it was for about 10 minutes and I smoked a mixture of hash / tobacco in joint form but it disapeared when I started feeling literally sick to my stomach for some reason. My face turned all white and I thought I was going to puke... but I just rinsed my face w/ cold water and stood out on a balcony for a few minutes to recover. I felt fine after but the high was completely gone.

Someone has got to know some sort of remedy for this... I hope anyway!! Please enlighten me!!!

that really fucking sucks man, ive had some panic attacks like i thought htat i was going to die just like if i blink i would die, it really sucked i stopped for a week and then went back and i was fine.

ah the old anxiety attacks... one of the only problems with marijuana. Just about every smoker has had one of these at some time or another. Anxiety happens when we are worried about something or embarresed about a situation etc. Even With out smoking weed people experience anxiety when doing certain things like giving a speech, performing infront of someone, presenting a project in class, etc etc. Anxiety is stress put on a person for some reason or another. When the human body has stress, blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, metabolism goes down you can begin to perspire and even your musscles tense up. After smoking marijuana some of the effects are your heart rate increases and your blood pressure increases, basically some of the same symptoms of stress. so it is no wonder why if given the right situation you can get anxiety from weed, a contributing factor to this and which is often the reason for an anxiety attack is YOU!

Your high, your heart is beating fast you begin to think you might have a heart attack you begin to really sketch out and before you know it you have a total anxiety attack. The only way to stop having these is to understand you can controll them, in a way its all in your mind. if you begin to feel antsy try to focus your attention on something else and tell your self its all in your head. tell yourself nothing is going to happen because no one has died from marijuana in our entire recorded medical history. If it comes to the point where you are ready to go to the hospital try putting clear eyes in, eating a little food and drinking some water. The clear eyes really help bring down a high and your high is often brought down enough for you to regain controll of your emotions. Know that you are not the only one who experiences anxiety from smoking marijuana actually a fair amount of people come in to hospitals every year high and freaking out from a anxiety attack.

hope this helps dont let paranoia hold you back from the wonderfull herb.:jointsmile:

i really was trying to tell myself it was all in my head the last time this had happened but i still had problems until i ate like 2.5mg of xanax then about a half an hour later the whole panic attack subsided and i fell asleep... i love weed and i hope to one day be able to enjoy it again without the shitty side effects

Dude that same shit happend to both me n my cousin but it only happens to us when we smoke alone..if we smoke with other ppl were fine so its prety much it only happens when your thinking about it happening.

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Originally Posted by letsburn06

Dude that same shit happend to both me n my cousin but it only happens to us when we smoke alone..if we smoke with other ppl were fine so its prety much it only happens when your thinking about it happening.

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yea i think it would definitely happen easier if ur smoking alone / thinking about it but the first time it happened was when i was smoking w/ one of my friends that i would normally smoke with... it's fucked up... i want to go back to the way it used to be, when i could enjoy a fine smoke and watch a great comedy movie or go out to a nice restaurant completely steamed and love the food so much more...

You can beat it imho, have a couple of very light smokes - one or two small hits, enough to feel it a little. After a few more "good times" you should start feeling better about it.

Also high THC Sativa strains can make this worse, if you can try and get an indica or even some hash as they tend to be be more of a "body stone" than a "head high"

Good luck and take it easy, my g/f had this for 2 years and it sucked

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Originally Posted by Th3 sand m4n

ah the old anxiety attacks... one of the only problems with marijuana. Just about every smoker has had one of these at some time or another. Anxiety happens when we are worried about something or embarresed about a situation etc. Even With out smoking weed people experience anxiety when doing certain things like giving a speech, performing infront of someone, presenting a project in class, etc etc. Anxiety is stress put on a person for some reason or another. When the human body has stress, blood pressure increases, heart rate increases, metabolism goes down you can begin to perspire and even your musscles tense up. After smoking marijuana some of the effects are your heart rate increases and your blood pressure increases, basically some of the same symptoms of stress. so it is no wonder why if given the right situation you can get anxiety from weed, a contributing factor to this and which is often the reason for an anxiety attack is YOU!

Your high, your heart is beating fast you begin to think you might have a heart attack you begin to really sketch out and before you know it you have a total anxiety attack. The only way to stop having these is to understand you can controll them, in a way its all in your mind. if you begin to feel antsy try to focus your attention on something else and tell your self its all in your head. tell yourself nothing is going to happen because no one has died from marijuana in our entire recorded medical history. If it comes to the point where you are ready to go to the hospital try putting clear eyes in, eating a little food and drinking some water. The clear eyes really help bring down a high and your high is often brought down enough for you to regain controll of your emotions. Know that you are not the only one who experiences anxiety from smoking marijuana actually a fair amount of people come in to hospitals every year high and freaking out from a anxiety attack.

hope this helps dont let paranoia hold you back from the wonderfull herb.:jointsmile:

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Well said,

I too suffer from anxiety attacks all my life but i didnt know what they were until I QUIT pot and they came back on, since then i have started smoking again and now im overall fine 90% of the time, at first it was hard to use pot again cos i would make my self get scared/paranoid/anxious but remember its in ur head.

INDICA strains are amazing for anti anxiety medicine

SATIVA has me in a ball under my duvet :rolleyes:

however if u think weed is NOT helping u simply quit

ALL THE BEST :)

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Originally Posted by robert42

Well said,

I too suffer from anxiety attacks all my life but i didnt know what they were until I QUIT pot and they came back on, since then i have started smoking again and now im overall fine 90% of the time, at first it was hard to use pot again cos i would make my self get scared/paranoid/anxious but remember its in ur head.

INDICA strains are amazing for anti anxiety medicine

SATIVA has me in a ball under my duvet :rolleyes:

however if u think weed is NOT helping u simply quit

ALL THE BEST :)

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Thanks for the info sir, I appreciate any feedback I can get...

I've basically quit for the past year but since I liked it on occasion, I wanted to get back into it but I'm basically afraid to do it... I mean I've lived without it for the past year and I have no problem with it but I would definitely like to enjoy it again from time to time.

How do I know which is Indica and which is Sativa... people talk about it all the time but I have no idea how to tell. I mean... I don't live in Amsterdam and don't plan on going back there any time soon.. haha

Well unless u have a good dealer, or u grow, or know a grower then it will be hard to tell,

But make sure if u do smoke that ur relaxed and not scared to do so or u will have a panic attack.

Also how do u feel (anixety wise) now u dont smoke? Better?

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Originally Posted by robert42

Also how do u feel (anixety wise) now u dont smoke? Better?

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i never felt what anxiety was until that time it happened after i smoked... i never had an "attack" when i wasn't smoking... just know what it is now and i sometimes overthink situations too much now... for example, if i'm in my car driving and i get a weird feeling in my chest, i start breathing deep like an idiot and i just say to myself... "stop being a retard, it's all in your head"

but after this whole situation i got xanax prescribed for me and i take it when i need it, although i've never really felt like i need it...

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Originally Posted by paulcky411

but after this whole situation i got xanax prescribed for me and i take it when i need it, although i've never really felt like i need it...

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Good for u

tbh this sounds more like a physocolical problem where ur causing phatom pains and thoughts if u understand what i mean, people can over worry about something and sometimes if they smoke they become a lil paranoid which ADDS to this feelin of anxiety which leads u to think "im goin insane" "wots wrong with me" "do i have a anxiety disorder" when all it is is you.

The brain is POWERFUL.

:)

If u hit ur head and didnt know it wouldnt hurt :p

my 2 cents.

Im glad to hear that things aint as bad as they seem.

:)

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Originally Posted by robert42

Good for u

The brain is POWERFUL.

:)

If u hit ur head and didnt know it wouldnt hurt :p


:)

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exactly... which is why i should stop over worrying about this and just man up... but it's hard after what had happened, i actually think i may never enjoy smoking again... but only time will tell

time will tell

but remain positive my friend

all the best ;)

Sometimes that can't be overcome. My husband had to stop smoking b/c he has panic attacks and vomits. I think it's possible to develop a sensitivity or allergy to cannabis... some of it might be mental but he hasn't been able to overcome the panic reaction.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Certain heads need to movealong.

It doesnt happen to me alot but man when i do get the anxiety attacks from highs its some intense shit. My heart pounded and I could sware someone was going to break into my house. Stupid now that I look back at it but fuck man, at the time it was scary.

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Originally Posted by rebgirl420

It doesnt happen to me alot but man when i do get the anxiety attacks from highs its some intense shit. My heart pounded and I could sware someone was going to break into my house. Stupid now that I look back at it but fuck man, at the time it was scary.

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yea def crazy...

but on another note, last night i was laying in my bed thinking of what anxiety is... it's a total joke... im like, why can't i just stop it from happening by thinking anxiety is like a complete false alarm... i might have to attempt it again sometime in the near future... and if anything happens, ill just have to eat a bunch of xanax... then i'd know for a fact i cant do this anymore

I hate anxiety attacks. If I smoke something that is too much of a sativa I ussually have one. I feel like shit,start shaking, keep thinking paranoid thoughts involving inpending doom, and I sweat A LOT. After the high is over it goes away. And indicas can stop them.

in all seriousness try obtaining a prescription for valium or xanax or something of that sort

u dont even have to take it daily if u dont want, just whenever u feel anxious

i have the anxiety...i dont get it bad like you do when i smoke, but when im sober im really anxious and those drugs do wonders....so im just thinking maybe it could help u as well

i dunno, just my two cents