Anxiety and Smoking

[AOD2012]

Hey everyone, hope everyone's week went well.

I haven't been on IC in awhile, got a new job in August, been working like crazy.

Anyways, I got a DWI in 2011, and was unable to smoke for 18 months, and started again in January. I was sooo happy, but something happened that I was not expecting.

My anxiety levels SKYROCKETED. I have dealt with panic attacks my whole life, and weed always helped.

It has gotten so bad that I can't even smoke anymore. I am smoking the same strains before, and they do have a decent Sativa influences.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I know I probably need to get some pure indica or something, but has anyone else here experienced this, and if so, what have you done?

Thanks in advance, is place has always been my home away from home for years, and I cat think if a better group of people to ask for advice.

Help. A brother out!!

aod

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Hey AOD, good to see you. I have suffered anxiety from certain strains for a long time, it actually scared me away from sativas for quite a while. I still have smoke some indica dom from time to time that have some anxiety.

I found that ECSD was the SUPER ANTI ANXIETY plant for me, while my cousin still says it gets him feeling anxiety. ECSD literally makes me feel better then anything, better then being sober to. It is my #1 medicinal plant, forget the hype, smell, flavor, it makes me smile like nothing else. I also don't normally go out and do to much stoned, especially drive due to the anxiety that comes along with it. With ECSD I will arrive somewhere and be doing whatever and then I realize how baked I was on the ride over, pretty sure if I got pulled over on ECSD they would suspect me of using whatever the joker is using because of my grin lol.

So two pieces of advice, try ECSD and see if it works for you. Also, it doesn't seem to work for everyone, so I would say try as much of everything as you can until you find something that lets you enjoy the stone again. Hope that kind of helps.

 

[lost in a sea]

try taking a small handful of mushrooms..

 

[killa-bud]

mandala's sadhu...a nice "easy going" high

 

[intotheunknown]

welcome back man!

this happens to me a lot. I deal with anxiety on a daily basis, and most of the time really struggle with it.
but when I smoke sometimes makes it a lot worse, sometimes not.

but I had quit for a while as well years ago, and when i started back up the anxiety hit like a ton of bricks. just took some time to build up a tolerance again and it smoothed back out.

hardcore sativas give me bad anxiety, so possibly lean more towards an indica, or a hybrid. its the straight up sativas that do me in. if i do grow a straight sativa, i grow it out with lots of amber trichs, seems to help me out. and with indicas, ill grow it out until i see one or two amber and thats that. seems to help IMO. everyone is different though.

just build up your tolerance and do whats best for you.

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

It's not the herb that's doing it, herb amplifies it.

Im going to go out on a limb and say subconsciously something else in your life is causing it and the herb is what is bringing it to the surface.

Find out what it is and confront it. This is the best way to deal with it.

 

[Big D]

The same thing happened to me coincidentally, after 18 months not smoking.
I have dealt with anxiety my whole life.
It took a little while but I think its just a matter of building your tolerance.... take baby steps and let your plants go a few extra daze for a more sedating buzz.

 

[qwerty]

What does everyone's anxiety feel like specifically? For me, I feel like I can't breathe, or, that the air is not registering somehow. Then, I think of how long I have smoked (cannabis, 13 years basically [truly] all day everyday), and the situation compounds. My mind races. Being around people stimulates anxiety sometimes. In extreme cases, which are rare, I feel that death is imminent. I find that walking or working helps tremendously. Anxiety sucks.

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Brownies usually are the least anxiety inducing method for me.

 

[LeeROI]

I've got mild autism complicated by PTSD. I haven't experienced serious anxiety when starting up smoking again but definitely do when I "quit". Anxiety meaning, I feel like I can never get a full breath because my chest muscles are constricted. Never feeling like I had a good night of sleep. I've had two solid months of insomnia before. Severe anger management problems.

So anyway, stuff that makes me feel worse: Trainwreck crosses (never tried straight trainwreck); Killing Fields (green pheno is OK if you just wanna get "drunk"); Cheeseberry Haze (not too bad--nervousness followed by muddiness); OG Kush (said to have sativa--I fully believe it).

Stuff that makes me feel good: Aurora Indica from Nirvana; Sage (from a dispensary--I do believe it is S.A.G.E.). I don't want to be couch locked. These ones allow me to wake and bake and then take periodic maintenance hits throughout the day while getting things done.

Self awareness is an excellent start but don't expect it to be the "answer". Use the awareness to direct your life.

 

[BrnCow]

Blueberry seems to not do that...but some strains actually fuck with heart rhythms and that can make anxious feelings also...

 

[oldbootz]

yes i also had this problem when starting back up smoking. the way i worked it out was to just take one drag for a few smoke sessions. then two drags for another few smoke sessions. then three and so on. right now i still dont smoke too much and i dont get any anxiety and my weed goes a LONG way compared to how i was before smoking 8 fullsize joints a day. I am enjoying the low potency landrace genetics the most at the moment. Great quality of high and i can get through half a joint without feeling like i've double dropped some acid. with such low tolerance you really get a good grip of the type of high that each weed gives.

 

[darkshadow]

What does everyone's anxiety feel like specifically?

I start thinking so much i forget to breath.

After realizing it i start swallowing excessively, at some point i end up chocking on my saliva then, i cough so much i can no longer breath and death becomes imminent unless i calm down very quickly.

My ears improve, i can hear noises/people talk at 100 meters from me and finally, i start hearing voices talking shit about me.

When in public, i start shaking like crazy, feel like I'm acting like a robot and stop moving completely.

Ever since i stopped smoking stuff lower than 60% indica I've never experienced something like that again.

 

[LeeROI]

Oh man, auditory hallucinations--I've been there but not for many years. The first session lasted weeks (months?), following a prolonged deep depression. I think it was skunk I was smoking at the time. Quit smoking but the voice continued. A counselor helped me sort that out.

 

[TOKA]

i would think that these new high cbd strains should be good for anxiety.

 

[yesum]

I have similar problems and the difference is that some indica dominate strains can also induce a minor freakout.

I currently use Maple Leaf Indica and Grandaddy Purple and never had a bad trip. Am starting to use SAD from Sweet Seeds and that is good so far.

You may have become strain sensitive and will have to avoid the bad ones.

 

[ydijadoit]

My first panic attack came the first time I smoked pot. I had never experienced that before, and I thought the world had ended. I was going insane, it was gonna last forever, it must have been "laced", I was dying, etc.
For me, it's genetic. My Dad had panic attacks, and he never touched weed in his life.
The best explanation I can give, (I'm not a doctor, by any means), is that panic attacks usually begin with a form of depersonalization. How to describe that? Well, I all of a sudden feel like I am not "Me"... That kicks my heart rate up, and then I take a deep breath or two, blowing off carbon dioxide, and making me light headed. Sometimes my arms start tingling, feel faint, like I stood up too quickly.
The best the doc could tell me, is that they are essentially the body's fight or flight instinct, triggered at an inappropriate time.
I have honestly faced death square in the eye several times, and it isn't as terrifying as a panic attack. My Dad confirmed this also. I asked him a month before he died of cancer if he was afraid, and if it was anything like a panic attack. he said it was scary, but nothing like one of those!
Keep in mind, these attacks can feed on themselves, and leave you afraid of fear itself. I know that sounds weird, but ponder it for awhile.
The unbelievably intense feeling of a panic attack are so terrifying, you can easily become obsessed with them, and cause yourself to have another. "Oh, god, what if I have another one of those? What if it happens in public, and nobody knows what to do???"
That's the beginning of Agoraphobia, for some, or (Me) Hypochondria..
I can tell you you will certainly live through them, but you might wanna lay off the smoke for awhile.
Get in shape, eat a good diet, and seek counseling (Cognitive therapy helped me out more than I can express).
If you choose to smoke, maybe my trick will help you. You know for a proven fact, nobody has EVER died from weed. Nadda one. If you start to panic, look at the clock. Note the time, and tell yourself "I will be laughing at myself for feeling this way in one hour. I just have to keep my shit together for one hour.."
I promise, it will be a long hour, but you will be laughing at yourself, once that time has gone by.
FWIW, pure indica, or pure sativas are no-no's for me. I grew some Aurora indica, that made me feel like I was falling into the couch, and dying. Some sativas activate me so much, I can't slow my mind down, and for coherent thoughts. I prefer a hybrid, and I am very careful to take one vape hit, wait awhile, one more, etc.
I hope this helps the OP, and anyone else.
I have had these attacks off and on since 1986. After counseling, and turning 40, I get them extremely rarely, and never without smoking.
Peace.

 

[Hubbleman]

Nothing to do with strains, well actually indica would help, but the reason you guys get anxiety paranoia and bad trips in general is due to BLOCKAGES in your etheric energy body.

Practise meditation and remove the negative energy residue and your good.

 

[bombadil.360]

Nothing to do with strains, well actually indica would help, but the reason you guys get anxiety paranoia and bad trips in general is due to BLOCKAGES in your etheric energy body.

Practise meditation and remove the negative energy residue and your good.

I'll second this.

I dunno if I'd call it 'energy body' or whatever...

but someone else already said this; when you get a bad trip, you need to have whatever is ailing your well-being be brought up to the surface and illuminate it with your awareness.

plus, taking one hit and wait (15 min + or -) for the effects to show up will also help you manage your breathing as well as catching up to whatever is actually bothering you.

peace!

 

[CosmicGiggle]

IMO, a lot of the anxiety is social - the fact that we have to hide the fact that we are high or get high,
the fear of getting caught and facing the shame of society's condemnation.