Do you have experience with anxiety and depression?

[CannaBunkerMan]

I do. It's more anxiety than depression, but lately it's been both. And it's been horrible.

I started having troubles in my early 20's after a prolonged period of difficulty and significant loss. I've been on pretty much every pill they make for depression and anxiety, but I haven't had much luck. They turn me into a tin man, and I still have the panic attacks. The pills take the depression away, but they take all of the joy out of life too. A few years back, I had an anxiety/panic attack that lasted for months. I thought I was going crazy. Since then, I've found that it comes and goes in cycles. A few months of utter dispair, followed by times of bearable anxiety where I can get on with my life. Drinking seems to agrivate the situation, so I gave that up a while back.

I've found a lot of relief by smoking pot, it's worked better than any of the pills that I've taken and it allows me to focus less on the negatives things in life. It lets me live in the moment, so I don't need to constantly relive the times that give me pain.

Unfortunately, with my latest attack, I've found that I've developed a sensitivity to pot that I haven't had before. Normally, I'd smoke about a gram a day, with no negative side effects. Now, I can't even take a hit without aggravating my anxiety in a horrible way. It's very frustrating!

It's like night and day. Has anyone ever experienced this sudden reversal of canna-relief? A month ago I could enjoy as much as I wanted, several times a day, and now I can't even have my night cap without pulling a whitey! WTF!!!

 

[Calimed]

I have seen this happen to many people.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can be a helpful tool.

 

[German Shepherd]

My anxiety i seem to have outgrown you could say. Have some kids, protect them and get the "fuck everyone, this is my world too" attitude.

 

[turtle farmer]

I am with you 100%..anxiety and depression has been my nemisis for years.
When I feel a panic/anxiety attack coming on getting stoned is not always the answer.
I find that tinctures and medibles take my mind somewhere peaceful and life is good.
There are some flowers I smoke that make me get into my head and mindf@#k myself.
I have not found any certain strain that brings this on.I think a lot of variables might be involved. I'm no shrink,but cant wait to hear what others think.

 

[Iron_Lion]

I've dealt with untreated anxiety most of my life, only way to truly get rid of it is to find out what is causing it, confront it and get it the hell out of your life.

I get seasonal depression but I feel to a certain extent happiness, sadness, angery, fear, are all part of life and never went for the meds because they make people turned off. Most anti depressant users I know are still the most depressed people and seem to have more severe mood swings.

Get some sun, it will make you feel better.

 

[WelderDan]

Yep, worked through the depression, but still have anxiety issues. I have to be careful with the zippier strains. I lean toward the Indicas because they don't tend to trigger anxiety attacks like the headier Satties do

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Higher CBD/ lower THC strains might help reduce the anxiety.

 

[nycjb]

How is your breathing? A lot of people dont realize how important proper breathing is. Proper breathing is proper living. I bet part of the reason smoking helps is because it gets you to breathe deep.

 

[bentom187]

I do. It's more anxiety than depression, but lately it's been both. And it's been horrible.

I started having troubles in my early 20's after a prolonged period of difficulty and significant loss. I've been on pretty much every pill they make for depression and anxiety, but I haven't had much luck. They turn me into a tin man, and I still have the panic attacks. The pills take the depression away, but they take all of the joy out of life too. A few years back, I had an anxiety/panic attack that lasted for months. I thought I was going crazy. Since then, I've found that it comes and goes in cycles. A few months of utter dispair, followed by times of bearable anxiety where I can get on with my life. Drinking seems to agrivate the situation, so I gave that up a while back.

I've found a lot of relief by smoking pot, it's worked better than any of the pills that I've taken and it allows me to focus less on the negatives things in life. It lets me live in the moment, so I don't need to constantly relive the times that give me pain.

Unfortunately, with my latest attack, I've found that I've developed a sensitivity to pot that I haven't had before. Normally, I'd smoke about a gram a day, with no negative side effects. Now, I can't even take a hit without aggravating my anxiety in a horrible way. It's very frustrating!

It's like night and day. Has anyone ever experienced this sudden reversal of canna-relief? A month ago I could enjoy as much as I wanted, several times a day, and now I can't even have my night cap without pulling a whitey! WTF!!!

canna i recomend staying away from doctors.
i find natural ways to releive anxiety are whats called for.

try like another suguested to just breath ,but count the breath or just say to yourself i am breathing in and now i am breathing out, dont think of a single other thing, this should center you long enough to stop dwelling on the negitive thought.
you were onto somthing when you said it just cycles around you,you have to stop the cycle,because thoughts gain more momentum the more you engage in them.to the point of being uncontrollable i think this is what is called a anxiety attack,a caustraphobic feeling when the thought is out of control and almost incomprhencable.
you probabley have to break a few different types of concepts and cycles you have,not ignore them but recognize accept and move on with life. you can transorm the past by turning it into somthing valuable to you or others.

try not watching tv or listening to music its mostly violent garbage anyway,wich does have a effect on you mind after watching that sort of stuff constantly.
just take out time to center yourself back in reality where as long as your breathing theres always somthing to enjoy.

i want to recomend a book i think it will help you as much as it did me,its called " you are here" by tich nhat hanh its incredable and im sure you wont be disappointed for around 12 bucks,it cant hurt.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-here-thich-nhat-hanh/1100310030?ean=9781590309834

 

[longearedfriend]

for panic attacks

lorazepam (ativan) is a recommendation

there is a sublingual, dissolvable stripes that work in under 20 mins

when you get that paralyzing, heart pounding like crazy, losing my mind moments

addiction potential (like everything)

but that is only a band aid... I believe there has to be some work done on the inside

 

[Nog Onsigbare]

Take up running, that will relax you.
Also steer clear of sugary foods and refined carbohydrates like white bread and rice and cakes. Eat brown rice and wholemeal or rye bread.
Don't use much caffeine; green tea is lower in caffeine than black tea or coffee and is very good for you (antioxidants).
Caffeine can make you feel anxious.
If pot is triggering panic attacks give it up, at least for a while, and if you go back on it just do it occasionally and only smoke a small amount.
Better off trying lyfestyle factors before you decide if you need pills after that.

 

[sso]

well, i use some calming techniques,breathing and shit when its really bad, but what works best, is just going "fuck this shit, everything is ok, look damnit!"

forcing oneself calm.

pushing negativety and fear away.

also using diversions, entertainment, something fun. and or the right human contact. taking a long walk. pets. (social animals.)

im getting better and better.

 

[187020]

Drinking, chain smoking, hookers and drugs keep my demons at bay...you can beat this homie

 

[Stoner4Life]

I'd like to offer some simple advice to anyone suffering from depression, rarely is it brought on by a single problem but usually by an accumulation of issues over time.

Finally you may feel the pressure from what seems to be every aspect of your life, you've probably let all of these problems become a monster that seems unbeatable. Nobody can slay a dragon.

Pick apart those issues and try to resolve them one at a time, start w/the easiest of them first, with the resolution of each issue you'll feel a sense of relief and accomplishment allowing you to move forward in life.

 

[longearedfriend]

there is decaffeinated green tea and if it's not available or you simply have the typical kind

if you boil some water, pour it over the bag, pour half a cup approx, let sit for 30 seconds, get rid of the water, pour some new water

it will rid you of most if not all of the caffeine

 

[Infinitesimal]

I think a lot of anxious and depressive behavior stems from our "dual identities". The conflict between who we think we are as individuals, and who we think we are supposed to be from a sociologic viewpoint. And the fact that sometimes, and maybe a lot of the times we don't often measure up to what we think, others think, a "good" or "successful" human should be. That being said...

modern pharmaceutical antidepressants are serotonin antagonist's, similar to the way LSD works on the brain, they plug the re-uptake receptors on the neurons there by temporarily increasing the amount of free serotonin within the synapse. In fact it was LSD trials that led to the discovery of brain/behavioral chemistry in the first place

but the brain adapts by reducing the amount of serotonin produced there by needing more medication which leads to an increase of side effects and can include hallucinations and delusional thoughts etc., like LSD.

I get seasonal depression but I feel to a certain extent happiness, sadness, angery, fear, are all part of life and never went for the meds because they make people turned off. Most anti depressant users I know are still the most depressed people and seem to have more severe mood swings.

^^ and another problem with the current drugs is they have a short period of effectiveness followed by relapse into depression. So while on the medication they may feel happy, but when it begins to wear off before their brain can produce more serotonin; since we know they don't produce serotonin at normal levels, an already fragile individual is left without a good balance of neurotransmitters and falls back into a possibly even deeper depression


NOTE: that, I in no way suggest someone with severe depression or anxiety go and attempt to treat themselves with entheogen's... instead i suggest one looks into this field of research. Where scientists are looking into how these substances work on the brain in order to hopefully engineer better anti depressant drugs based on these molecules, much like the former LSD trials and modern anti depressants. Though i believe the natural substance will likely always be better than a patent medicine because the natural substance serves a natural purpose where the "medicine" serves shareholder profit
^^Though I do think that at the very least these substances do help one properly quantify and apportion the roles of their "dual identities." to help one to understand the importance of being an individual while also understanding and maintaining their part in the collective whole.

DMT and psilocybin on the other hand are serotonin agonist's meaning they act directly on the receptor site by mimicking the serotonin molecule there by increasing one sense of happiness and enjoyment.

the brain reacts to the increased presence of these tryptamine molecules by increasing serotonin receptor sites there by increasing ones tolerance and minimizing the substances psychedelic properties (like we see in cannabis tolerance). and since these molecules, DMT and psilocybin, are non toxic and facilitate an increased tolerance their doses can be incrementally increased without much of an increase to the risk of side effects.

members of the UDV church in brazil, including some teenagers, drink Ayahuasca tea containing DMT twice a month. And they report very low incidences of dysfunctional family life, depression, drug and alcohol abuse.


peace,
Infi

 

[longearedfriend]

I think cities and our culture have something to do with it

 

[bench warmer]

Lots of helpful peeps here.

I'm no doctor, so take this with a grain of salt

I've dealt with anxiety & depression for about a dozen years. Failed relationships, death of family, friends, pets & using alcohol as an extremely poor crutch.

Some of the most helpful things that I've done are
- reject pharmaceutical poisons as they made things much worse for me
- took 5-HTP and Inositol in addition to multi-vitamins, extra B-Complex, Vitamin C, D
- eat lots of green leafy vegetables
- walk for at least 20 minutes a day (preferably somewhere with a calming environment).
- listen to positive hypnosis recordings
- learn to meditate & practice it as often as possible
- as stated above, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) can work wonders at disarming our inner demons.

These may not work for everyone (or anyone else) but it's taken me from the brink of hopelessness to a calmed, reasonably happy state of acceptance that the world (as far as humans go) really is imperfect... but that's OK.

Hope you find your inner peacefulness CBM.

 

[RugerBaby]

get out, get some sun, and exercise!

 

[sso]

I think cities and our culture have something to do with it

well, isnt it supposed to be a dog eat dog world?

a world where basically you are in competition with others about the means of income.
basically an animal in the jungle.
lol , sure ,though its not quite like that in most places, still, we get other pressures in return (though mostly jungly)

judged on looks, skills, charm and brains. (and in that order. ) (still jungly, looks, like peacocks, skills, the bringer home of the bacon.)
even in the civilized world, there is a chance for most anyone to end up homeless on the streets.
a world where people are often ostracized for being different.

and even legally and systematically hounded for it in some cases (drug users)


want to see how enlightened the world is in general?

look to its children (people dont really change That much lol, plus children imitate their elders)
look how the children behave towards one another and particularily to the different.
a world of fear.

though its getting better and all the time.

people are just like children, we are basically like the boys on that island in the story the lord of the flies.
raised ourselves and used our imagination as our nursery and nanny.
and basically we are an animal too, with all the urges that entails, will to survive and needing to compete for resources (or at least we needed to in the past..)

so its not a bad job, considering, it could have been and could be worse anyway lol.