It only exacerbates any kind of neuroses. There might be some really strong stuff out there that completely knocks it out but for the most part it just makes it much worse, short term and long term.
I am still able to enjoy it when I’m drinking (which counter-balances this effect) at home watching movies, but if I smoke and go in public I’m extremely uncomfortable.
I wouldn't say "it only exacerbates". As with any psychoactive drug, results are mixed.
That's why anxiety itself is listed as a potential side effect of most anxiety meds.
Yeah but that’s way different. I agree results are going to vary based on people’s chemistry but the fringe that experiences those side effects from prescription drugs is extremely small. I’d say paranoia and anxiety is experienced by a solid majority of people when they smoke.
shareI disagree that marijuana produces paranoia and anxiety in most people most of the time.
But there's a big difference between "it ONLY exacerbates" and a solid majority, no?
Like I said, it's mixed.
All would stop using it if what you say is true.
Then why do most people turn it down?
shareYou mean anxiety sufferers or just anyone?
If you mean anyone, it can be for any reason -- but you'd be ignoring the fact that marijuana is the most used illegal drug -- which is why it's creeping closer and closer to being as mainstream as alcohol. I know people who hate any med. I know people who don't drink. And I know people who do. Your notion that weed "only exacerbates anxiety" as some singular reason is to close your eyes to so many other possibilities that go into an individual's choice. Some don't like to mess with their mind in any way. Some do. Like anything else.
It's legal in Canada.
I think it's important to note that not all strains are the same. Higher levels of THC aren't that great for anxiety. You're better off using a strain that's higher in CBD, or getting just CDB oil.
Sure. Those two (THC & CBD) together are exactly what lead to mixed results for people. But I'm just questioning his definitive declarations that sound more like one person's experience extrapolated to all. If weed was really only an exacerbator of anxiety, it would not be as popular as it is. All those people are not seeking the "high" of increased anxiety and paranoia when they partake. It just happens to some, some of the time.
shareI probably should have responded to him with that second paragraph as I agree with your questions
shareFor me, the anxiety was a matter of choice. I could blaze and be miserable or I could enjoy the effect I paid for. It was that simple.
shareBecause it stinks? I have no idea what happened but it doesn't smell anything like it did when I was in college,(which was a long time ago - lol)
Can someone explain to me why it changed?
Weed today is much more potent than it was back then. Did you buy "lids" when you were in college? LOL.
shareI have to be honest - I never bought any - I went to parties and it was readily available. It did smell good back then - kind of sweet and now the stuff makes me gag. I especially love driving with the windows up and someone drives by and it still permeates my car.
shareTHATS ME DRIVING BY..BONG IN ONE HAND,JOINT IN THE OTHER...
shareBEEN WATCHING A LOT OF MOVIES AND TV SHOWS WHERE THEY SMOKE HUH?...WHAT YOU ARE SPEAKING ON IS THE FICTIONAL,COMICAL ENTERTAINMENT VERSION OF WEED...IN REALITY ITS NUMERO UNO FOR STRESS AND/OR ANXIETY.
I SHOULD KNOW...I HAVE A LOVELY MIX OF OCD,ADHD & A TOUCH OF THE SPECTRUM...THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MYSELF WITH AND WITHOUT IS NIGHT AND DAY.
I think perhaps some peoples' chronic anxiety is a kind of mechanism that a patient may accept and tolerate in order to endure some other painful mindset, (guilt, regret, etc), which would otherwise make them feel even worse: "Yes, I did that terrible thing. But I'll always feel bad about it, so I'm at least paying for it."
I have a theory, (ahem), that anxiolytics may cause anxiety perhaps because when the patient takes them, and begins to feel less anxious, he becomes alarmed that he's no longer "paying" for his "wrongdoing" with anxiety. That alarm causes anxiety.
You're overthinking it in my opinion. Anxiety is often caused by a stuff up with the ancient fight or flight response. Animals would get all keyed up in a threatening situation and they would either fight or run away.
But with humans and modern life it's not so simple. A person might find themselves in a situation that the old part of their brain regards as a threat but they can neither fight nor run away. If this happens day after day they begin to live in a state of chronic anxiety.
And if they start to become afraid of being afraid they get caught in a feedback loop of ever increasing anxiety and then their symptoms can get out of control and they are in a world of trouble.
It's all pretty simple really and involves the amygdala which is an older part of the brain. That is my theory which I have stolen from other people and now belongs to me.
That's true, Quasi. Anxiety feeds itself until it becomes chronic anxiety. But I don't think it's only the thwarting of the Flight or Fight reaction that causes it. The common "what will happen if.." mindset will cause anxiety every time. If no answer is found to that question, it keeps getting asked, and the anxiety keeps on.
If, however, the person is motivated enough to end his suffering by taking a course of anxiolytics, it may have a paradoxical effect. If the medication subdues that harping question in his mind, he will at first feel better, but soon he'll begin to get anxious because he's no longer asking the question and thus can't possibly get an answer.
That... sounds horrible. I couldn't live like that. At some point I would snap.
shareYes, and some people do snap. Hence the OP's remarks.
Whether you're taking prescribed medications to suppress anxiety, or using weed to try to achieve the same result, in some people the effort is counterproductive. Drugs don't take into account the personal temperament and even the morals of those who use them. If one's anxiety is caused by persistent guilt feelings, or a nagging anticipation of some bad outcome, or an unresolved conflict in one's past, or repeated failures in one's attempts to better oneself, the effect of the drug can often be counteracted by the person's normal, human mental mechanisms, which are usually ingrained from childhood. Many people, in fact most people, feel one should "fix things that are wrong".
Psychoactive drugs should be regarded as pontoon bridges, and discarded once you've got to the other side of your problem.
Huh. That's interesting. For me, it helps with peace of mind. Tempers my anger issues and promotes a general good feeling. Calmness.
sharei'll leave it to the experts to be the final authority on such matters, but i had to quit smoking because, around the time i turned...30 or so i guess, i found it would put me in a deeply depressive state any time i got high.
which is a real drag, because when i was younger, getting baked and putting on a good set of headphones and zoning out to music was the great joy of my life.
Yeah same, I used to be able to go to family functions high. I wonder what changed? Must have burned out the receptors.
sharei know for myself, 30 was a bit of a tough age, the one time in my life i might say i genuinely went through a bit of a depressive period. but smoking pot definitely made things worse. it seemed like it tore away the false image i managed to construct of myself, and i was left looking at the person i actually was, and i didn't seem to like looking at that very much.
not to prattle on about myself. i'd actually be interested to try it again and see what kind of reaction i have to it, since i feel quite at peace with the person i am these days. & perhaps i will one of these days...but i also can't help but feel that it might be best if i just leave it all in the past.
I quit the weed some years ago
I do recall that a couple of beers or a stiff drink prevented the paranoia for me
I'm not pushing drugs and alcohol here, I'm just being sincere
3 cans of Bud and a joint...No paranoia and you feel like the wisest dude ever!
I miss those days:)
Yup, love my beer and weed. For me it’s a German lager though.
shareI drink a couple of beers with my weed as well. It is for the paranoia as well.
When I was younger I could just smoke weed and be carefree. I think it has something to do with having less responsibilities as a younger person. As you get older and have more responsibilities it's harder to shut your brain off and not worry. You need a two-pronged attack, lol.
I had too many vices 5 years ago, poor diet, weed, booze and cigs
I trimmed the weight way down and cut off the weed...as you suggested, I do think a lot of the paranoia stems from having serious responsibilities
I need to kick the Menthols pretty soon, but I'll always love the booze
I can relate, it's just a little different. I dropped 30lbs (feels great, right?), I enjoy a cigarette or two most days (never a big smoker), but I drink less and less as the years go by. If I'm gonna alter my brain chemistry it'll be with sweet, sticky, stinky green bud ;)
shareThe weight loss does feel good (I shed 60 pounds and my stomach has shrunk...no more seconds for me though I do cheat once a month)
The butts are my next thing to cut out...I may need hypnosis, I really love the coffin nails and probably require some Jedi level mind trick to walk away from them...maybe this summer when I have a vacation week👍
If you smoke with any regularity they truly are killers. My Dad probably cut 10 years off his life, even though he quit 25 years before he passed. Very heavy smoker, 2 to 4 packs a day.
Man, I cut the pain meds completely, cut out cigs and lost 30lbs and it's a new world ;) Hard to believe.
Good for you. Please cut the cigs out. You come across as a good fella that I'm sure has plenty to give. Stick around for awhile! Have you tried vaping? It would be a good way to taper off of nicotine and it eliminates the tar and god knows how many chemicals.
shareThank you, I will try...these cigs are as bad as heroin to kick
from what I hear!
Yes, I tried the vaping for over a year and enjoyed it well enough but then work got really stressful and I caved in like a wimp...not my proudest day:/
THEYRE SO GOOD THOUGH...SHIT...IMGONNA LIGHT A MARLBORO RIGHT NOW...
shareI don't drink or smoke; I used to a long time ago. The best way I have to deal with anxiety/stress is exercise, natural food, Valerian, GABA, and Kava Kava.
shareThe only time I smoked weed, (yes, just one time), it most definitely caused a stress reaction. Because I thought I could drive, so I got in my car and headed out. That very minute, it started to rain, and a minute later, when I turned a corner, I came face to face with a road accident which several Police were attending.
Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to drive past it very slowly, and once I had, I immediately took the next turn and went straight back home.
I seemed to lose interest in it after that...
I think it depends of what causes your anxiety.
For example, I have an extremely hyperactive mind, which can be very stressing, to the point that I've studied methods to cope with it. I make breaks to use relaxation and breathing techniques during the day. In my case, some weed after dinner does wonders.
But that's my case. Each person is different.There's people who feel very anxious when they have some weed because they feel they're losing control. If you need to be constantly in control, chances are it will increase your anxiety.
Some people will find weed relaxing, some people won't. There's no universal answer to that question.
There is a direct link between pot and schizophrenia, so the only reason people would think it's good for stress is the same reason people think drugs, too much sex, S and M and speed racing is good for stress: they're addicts.
shareUh hunh. You're right. Of course you're right. I mean, why wouldn't you be right? You made a broad sweeping generalization with an ultimatum based on an obscure study of a subject that no one can definitively measure.
With obviously zero experience and a mindset thats, let's say, is well... CLOSED -
Oh you're right, you MUST be.
Oh, look, an ignoramus is "schooling" me on the subject. Hi, ignoramus!
WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-marijuana-link
Harvard Medical School: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/teens-who-smoke-pot-at-risk-for-later-schizophrenia-psychosis-201103071676
Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317170
Only a fool thinks that habitually using a substance that alters your brain chemistry doesn't have long term effects. But whatever. Smoke up! The beauty of schizophrenia is that you won't know it's happening to you.
Let's put our critical thinking and reading hats on. These quotes are from the articles you linked:
Neurological biochemical analysis and behavioral tests carried out on the animals (mice) showed that only the genetically susceptible mice developed schizophrenia-related changes after being exposed to cannabis.
The authors warn that young people who have a family history of psychiatric conditions or have responded strongly to drugs previously should be particularly cautious around marijuana during their adolescence.
Because this study was conducted on mice, it will not finalize the debate around cannabis and psychiatric conditions, and more work will need to be done.
One analysis of several studies found that marijuana, also called cannabis, is one of the most commonly abused substances among people with schizophrenia. Young people with the condition, in particular, may abuse it more often than alcohol
Researchers also have found that if you carry certain types of specific genes that affect brain chemistry, marijuana use can raise the chance you’ll have schizophrenia. One of those genes is called AKT1. Another is called COMT.
Those most at risk are youths who already have a mother, father, or sibling with schizophrenia or some other psychotic disorder.
So far, this research shows only an association between smoking pot and developing psychosis or schizophrenia later on. That’s not the same thing as saying that marijuana causes psychosis.
YOUR POSTS GIVE ME ERECTIONS.
shareThank you for taking the time for this thoughtful post.
shareAwesome.
shareThese present a different picture from the reefer madness you're espousing.
Clearly you're heavily biased and not approaching the subject scientifically.
The irony of this post is palpable.
I ignored all the "snippets" you posted because you do what everyone does when ignoring scientific data and research. You carefully cherry pick parts of the study to argue that the experts and scientists are wrong. Everyone does this--Truthers, Derp Staters, anti-vaxxers, etc.Do you not see that cherry picking is exactly what you're doing here?
By the way, you need to settle down. There's this problem I notice with pot users. Just being merely critical of pot and its negative effects is enough to make them shrill.I'm very relaxed. Meanwhile your posts are cranking the snark up to 11 and calling people fools and ignoramuses. I'll let others decide which of us is coming off shrill. If you had read my reply you'd know that I blatantly laid out many negative points regarding pot use. I'm not a pot advocate, nor am I currently a pot user. I'm only interested in trying to look at the subject objectively. I know the facts both pro and con, and have personally experienced both positive and negative sides of weed use. My whole message is that we need to be objective and look at all the facts in context. That is as neutral as it gets.
You've just been atomicgirl'd.
I've seen this movie before. It always begins and ends in the same way.
You'll be blocked soon if you haven't been already.
Hey. Take your insults and stick them up your ass, Einstein. Don't like being schooled, don't act like your brains fell out on the floor.
shareDon't you realize if you do the pots you will become schizophrenic!!!! Mwah Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!
share