getblazed420

hey everyone,
i have been sobre for 2 yrs now because i started having panic attacks,
i thought that by quitting smoking they would go away when in fact my anxiety has just gotten worse over the yrs.

i have been smoking since i was 14 and had my first panic attack when i was 17 while smoking regs.
anyway i was introduced to kind bud when i went to college and moved in with my rom mates, i slowly smoked my way
threw my anxiety after about 6 monthes and built up a tolerence again, and things went back to normal, i also had good friends
that helped me threw my anxiety.

anyway though when i was 22 yrs old i had my second painc attack while i was high, i tried to smoke threw it again but just couldnt do it.
the anxiety was just to intense this time around so i gave up smoking altogether thinking that weed was the main cause of my anxiety when in fact that was not true at all but i had to know for sure.
its been 2 yrs since i quit smoking weed and im still having anxiety trying to cope with it the best i can.
i get perscribed xanax but only take them when i cant handle the anxiety anymore. i really miss smoking pot and would like to try again
but to be honest i am a bit scared. i was by no means a begginer when i use to smoke and had quite a high tolerence. i feel alot safer
smoking kind bud over regs though because i feel that the high is alot cleaner. mabe its all in my head but i will only smoke chronic if i choose to smoke again because both times i had panic attacks
were off of regs.
anyway i wanted to know is there any techniques or any advice anyone has for me that has had a similar expirience and are there any particular strains that help anxiety?
ive heard that strawberry cough is used for people who suffer from anxiety but am not sure if this is true or not. thanks for listening to me and any feedback would be great.

Audio

Try smoking less during a session, keep it to 1-4 hits and then stop, even if you don't feel high right after those hits.

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weed

mitchb

I had the same problem and quit for 30 years. Only after 30 years and missing it all the time I thought to myself that why I reacted the way I did. I learnt that the only way to be able to smoke is to take a small toke and wait half an hour.If you don't get high but your not in a panic then take a little larger of a toke and then wait another half an hour. Although this sounds tedious it is but you will be able to know when you've had enough before you go into a panic. You may find that with good weed you may only need one toke and that's plenty. Just go slow and you will find out more honestly if you can smoke without panic.
You should also know that you are not alone. I read somewhere that 1 of 5 people don't smoke due to negative reactions in the past. It is a common phenomenon where people panic from doing to much. Another way to try pot with less risk of panic is to eat some pot. It will take longer to hit you but the high is more level and panic less likely. Eat a tiny amount of pot or hash(around 0.2 gram) and wait. The effects could take up to 2 hours to work but can work as quickly as 20 minutes.When eating pot you rise slower and level off faster without the quick rush of smoking. You can eat a tiny bit wait then smoke 1 toke if your feeling good after eating but want more.
The trick is to be patient and have control over the dosing. 1 toke usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes to kick in.
If you smoke a joint in 5 minutes then in 10 minutes anyone might panic. Just go painfully slow at first. You will be grateful you did and you may find your dose after a few days. After smojking a few days your tolerance will allow you to smoke without fear but if you don't smoke for a few days then go slow again. I hope I helped.

kontroversy

Xanax is nothing but a band-aid for a real issue. You need to learn how to handle your anxiety, or get on a real prescription chemical that will do it for you.

I was plagued with anxiety and panic attacks, I still have them all the time. But I have learned the way of the force (LOL)...

I went to this cognitive therapy for a little while and over time I was able to literally talk myself through a panic attack, even while higher than you have probably ever been in your life.

You also need to understand that MJ is not going to do anything to you at all, nothing. You may feel your heart race, you may feel like your dying, you may feel like your throat is closing...these are all mental reactions and if you can learn to control them you will do OK.

Note that in MOST cases of anxiety disorders, they never ever go away. So you really need to figure out how you are going to handle them first. If going with drugs make sure what you are taking is compatible with MJ.

As far as strains....sativa's generally have a euphoric effect.

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roor.lux.strobel.royal.alexK.EA

sanfranciscosadhu

I agree 100% with kontroversy. MJ brings to the surface that which is already there. So you need to deal with the underlying issues with the help of a good therapist. It never ceases to amaze me how many people on this forum think of MJ as a cure all panacea. While the herb is wonderful, I agree, you need to do your own inner work first and foremost. MJ cannot do that for you.

Ævilgar

While I would be the last person anyone thought would ever say anything like this: weed isn't for everyone.

That being said, some people are just chemically imbalanced and require medications to balance themselves out, allegedly (according to medical professionals).

I have a suggestion beyond either of the ones listed above though: try some Yoga. You can find all kinds of videos online of techniques to practice, no matter where you are there is a relaxation technique for you. You can be at work, at home, in the car, in an elevator, on a plane, or on a train, there are yogic moves that can help you relax. I would try that before i moved on to pharmacuticals.

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<I sold my IFLi to the devil>


I stab people. 4 or 5 people, everyday.
There is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people.

jikaboom123

Marijuana is a very introspective drug. It reveals you to your most inner subconscious thoughts and feelings. Having negative realizations are fairly common but can be devastating. You have to deal with those thoughts, they won't just go away.

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Desperado

I believe Anxiety attacks can go away.

I, like everyone else who has posted on this thread seems to, have been effected by anxiety and panic attacks. And yes, they seem to have started when i smoked weed... But, as sanfran said, they seem to be there before you smoke, and not caused by smoking marijuana, only brought out.

I kind'a like this idea because it means we are really not "insane" as panic attack'ies sometimes think they are. We are just people, and have thoughts about certain things involving Satan and animal sacrificing >=) (Just kidding ;P)

It means that we are just people! and Fuck! There is nothing wrong with us. It is kind'a like a tick, something that you developed during your younger years (a certain fear, or a certain habit) and you grow uup with it. When you smoke weed, somehow you realize that you have this fear or nervous tic within you. And the weed makes you realize that you need to get rid of this fearful thing so you can be the best you can be! (this is ONE of weeds many realization quality's)

I think that the fact you still have panic attacks is because when you stooped smoking you only forgot about what your "problem" was, or you just ignored it. While when you high YOU CANNOT IGNORE IT.

I think you need to do some introspective thinking of your own, and most of all. Learn to Like yourself! and Love yourself (not in the sexual way :P) in the Loving thyself way. Learn to enjoy yourself (if you do not already do.)

I've found a big help with my anxiety was that I was constantly putting myself down, contradicting myself, and disliking myself. (wanting to be someone else). One funny thing though, when I contradicted myself, I would contradict the contradiction to try and make myself feel better but it would only make me worse in the end because I would hound on myself for contradicting myself in the first place thus disliking myself even more and going deeper into the spiral of anxiety.

I would fear a panic attack from happening. I would be nervous about getting one, which in turn would cause one. Thus repeating the cycle. One thing you gotta DRILL into your head is that panic attacks are not a bad thing! Learn to Not care about them, and if you could enjoy them For if you enjoy them, they will cease to be panic attacks, and become enjoyment

If you watch the show Obsessed on A&E, you can see parallels in those peoples lives with your own. (well at least I could a little, not any of the Extreme stuff mind you, but just the mind set)

One helpful thing to think about is that you are not alone. Many people have these thoughts or whatever you could call them, I would be one of them.

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"Do you know what its like to feel that nothing is quite real-- including youself?"
"It sometimes happens when one's just on the point of discovering that everything, including oneself, is much more real than one ever imagined; You must switch to Neutral before High.

Balazin

Wow, Im still new to the forums but reading this thread I really had to post something.

You have to understand that Anxiety is a form of fear, and ANY fear can be beatten. It won`t go away after just 1 day. It takes a bit of time. Its like if your scared of the elevater, but you gotta go on the elevater to get to your work floor, lets say its the 20th floor. You wont be able to go from the 1st floor to the 20th all at once cause youll be too scared. But the goal is to always push a bit further then last time, or atleast get comfterble with the number of floors you move up. But never going down. Slowly but surely you`ll beat that fear
And its pretty much the same with anxiety, you gotta always push yourself a bit further. And one day youll realise you went up 20 floors in 1 elevater ride. If you keep avoiding the elevater, then your fear of the elevater will only get stronger.

Anxiety is ALL in your head, that was the hardest part to convince myself. But its normal to be feeling like you gotta get the hell out of the room, or your gonna have a heart attack, or faint, or feel really warm and sweaty and shaky. Thats how fear works, its sends a bit of adrenaline and keep you concentrated on the problem. Your gonna want to get out of there cause you cant stop thinking about it.

But heres something that will help, and its soo easy. Just conscentrate on your breathing, take big breaths and let go small, and breath slowly trying to relaxe yourself. It sounds retarded but it works, also talk to yourself, in your head lol, like tell yourself you can do this, and try to fight it a bit longer. Also think about something you enjoy and thats relaxing like lets say, a day on the beach. At first it might seem like it doesnt work, but when you do these, and push yourself to fight it longer and longer, youll realise that you can do it and pull threw them were you feel comfterble being where you are with the people your with.

Another thing, when your gettin a panic attack, you feel like everyone around you is noticing that somethings not right with you and that your having a hard time with the situation? Well they don`t, You look perfectly normal, and its all in your head. Unless your talking to yourself out loud lol.

Now whenever i get a panic attack, i either just accept it and relaxe my way out of it, or just use it like a sort of adrenaline and be hyper active lol.

As for weed. Weed has affected my panic attacks in the beggining. But its cause i was doing it with the wrong people in the wrong places. If your about to toke and your already nervous about it, it will only duplicate. Best place to do it i find is at home or a place you feel really comfterble, alone or with some close friends. Also stay away from public areas as youll feel like everyone is lookin at you and it will trigure a panic attack.

Anyways, face your fears, slowly or fast. Don`t ever quit. And I GARANTEE you`ll pull threw panic attacks, And I Garantee you`ll be able to smoke weed and enjoy it.