Marijuana Inudeced Anxiety

[MR.Kitty55]

I know the obvious answer here is "stop smoking weed"...However, I smoked for 4 years without any problem until a few months ago...

Since then I've become overwhelmingly self-conscious and introspective whenever I smoke and its even been so bad that I've experienced several panic attacks...I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and I've been on lexapro for a little over 3 weeks and I smoked for the first time with a couple of close friends in a relaxed environment for the first time since going on meds and my anxiety was just as bad as ever...

So, I was wondering, is there any other way to remove my self-conscious introspection whenever I smoke weed and just relax on it like everyone else?

[Promethazine]

not everyone relaxes. Anxiety is listed pretty much everywhere you go under the effects of marijuana.

I got anxiety/paranoia/self-hatred for about... maybe the first 3 months of almost-daily smoking.

I find you have to learn to let go.. it's just weed. nothing out of the ordinary is gonna happen just because you're stoned.

[Crystal Antlers]

do you have any thought about the medication having an effect on you? That would be my first guess. But if you were just diagnosed, then that psychological blow is probably still hovering in your mind a lot. Is that what you think about when you're high?

just pretend like you don't have social anxiety disorder- like you're normal. In my experience, marijuana is just an experience enhancer, so like, if I smoke and I've been worrying about something, I feel WORSE about whatever it was. Because that's just what you do when your high, you just think and think and think.....and thinking is always bad when you're anxious.

try smoking alone???

[charlie k-pin]

well ya could take the shorterm medical route and eat a small dose of benzos before smoking, but thats guaranteed to bite you in the ass in the long run, so be cautious...

IMO- just tell youself that its just the weed thats making you needlessly overthink things, when youre feeling panicked, just say "its just the fucking weed doing this to me, i dont believe in these problems therefore they dont exist, its all in my head" thats helped for me before, and maybe itll help you out.

If theres a specific cause or theme to your panic attacks and anxiety, then the best thing to do is get to the bottom of it, face your problems head on, thats the only way youll be able to solve them for good.

[spl1ff]

im on lexapro and i always get bad anxiety unless im in a good setting like on the couch at home. in that case, im fine.

[HaloAddict]

I had recently quit smoking buds also due to severe panic attacks. Everything was fine for the first 3-4 years i smoked and then i started getting random attacks where i would think i was going to die or something. I couldn't even be in public places when i was high and when i was with myself i would sit there and listen to my heartbeat the whole time thinking i was on the verge of a heart attack. I've quit smoking for a while now and don't have those problems anymore and i am really happy. I miss smoking bud so bad but i could not stand feeling like i was going to die.

I could smoke at random times and feel ok but it wasnt worth it and i will smoke again once i am 100% stress free.

[red_foreman]

what is inudeced?

[Defekt]

Smoke smaller doses and focus on actually doing something while high.

[RwithTF]

I know exactly where you're coming from, I had been smoking for at least a year every day and at the end of this past summer, my anxiety came back worse than ever and I got put back on Lexapro and it helps, but i am still anxious every single day. Smoking used to be all I would do, but I had to give it up. It's not that big of a deal. Good luck, It sucks.

[silverballs]

I find you have to learn to let go.. it's just weed. nothing out of the ordinary is gonna happen just because you're stoned.

This.

You've gotten into the habit of getting anxious whenever you get stoned.
i'm guessing something made you anxious a few months ago and ever since then you've associated getting high with anxiety, rather than what it actually was that made you anxious.

Everybody gets it to some degree.

[xanned]

Pop a xanax a little bit before you smoke. Takes the edge right off!

[Ezekiel35]

Any benzo would work, as long as you moderate.


GHB is about the most synergistic drug I've ever tried with weed and you can dose every evening without becoming addicted (although I've found doing so makes me in a perpetual hangover). It is great for anxiety.


Pretty much any GABA-acting drug will help as long as you avoid addiction. Picamilon, phenibut, baclofen, theanine, alcohol (before!), etc.


5-HTP, l-tryptophan or any excess of serotonin would be the best idea. Just don't take 5-HTP on an empty stomach or you will regret it.


When I was on a high dose of prozac it totally changed the feel of the high; there was pretty much no anxiety and it was incredibly fun.


Avoid caffeine, as you should be doing anyway if you have anxiety.


Try to analyse your anxiety and see what you are actually anxious about. If you've tried CBT you should know how to rationalise your thoughts; if not, look it up online.


If weed makes the social anxiety worse, it probably isn't such a good idea -- I usually just drink with other people.


If you have the anxiety under control under normal conditions, a benzo would probably be easiest for when you smoke.

[D.E.A-D]

I know the obvious answer here is "stop smoking weed"...However, I smoked for 4 years without any problem until a few months ago...

Since then I've become overwhelmingly self-conscious and introspective whenever I smoke and its even been so bad that I've experienced several panic attacks...I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and I've been on lexapro for a little over 3 weeks and I smoked for the first time with a couple of close friends in a relaxed environment for the first time since going on meds and my anxiety was just as bad as ever...

So, I was wondering, is there any other way to remove my self-conscious introspection whenever I smoke weed and just relax on it like everyone else?

I really thought it was just me. Havent smoked in a year and a half because of this. Done everything else from shooting oxys to meth. Some reason I just dont like weed now, I end up getting really paranoid, feel real depressed, and start to think everyone thinks im freaking out or something. I suppose being bi polar, having social anxiety disorder, and god knows what else might be the cause. Back when I always had an oz on me I wasnt so unstable. Still kind of pisses me off that I dont like the most easy to get and cheap drug out there.

[midnight rider]

I know the obvious answer here is "stop smoking weed"...However, I smoked for 4 years without any problem until a few months ago...

Since then I've become overwhelmingly self-conscious and introspective whenever I smoke and its even been so bad that I've experienced several panic attacks...I've been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and I've been on lexapro for a little over 3 weeks and I smoked for the first time with a couple of close friends in a relaxed environment for the first time since going on meds and my anxiety was just as bad as ever...

So, I was wondering, is there any other way to remove my self-conscious introspection whenever I smoke weed and just relax on it like everyone else?

I get a little panicky (sp?) when I smoke sometimes. Its only when I'm around new people or havent smoked in a while. Take a muscle relaxer before you smoke. :)

[toast_and_bananas2002]

If i dont smoke weed every day i get horrible panick attacks when i smoke after a break from it. So i just make sure i smoke everyday.