Effects - Why is Cannabis doing this to me???

[beena]

SWIMs been a member of this forum for a while now (although is more akin to the opiates/cocaine and recovery threads. Still though, SWIM can't fot the life of her begin to think why she hasn't posted this question/story before....

SWIM started smoking cigarettes at thirteen, probably had her first beer not long after and was regularly smoking pot by the time she reached fifteen. When I say regularly, I mean SWIM was buying an eighth a night and smoking it all in a session plus joints made and passed around by other friends. This pattern of cannibus use was continued non-stop for the next three years at least. Then a terrible thing happened...and I'm not exaggerating either....one day SWIM had a joint and instead of feeling relaxed, at ease, sociable, talkative, giggly, happy, etc she felt uncomfortable, ill at ease, unsociable, disconnected from the rest of the room (her friends) and basically was not having a good time at all.
Surprised (and more than a little upset) she assumed it was a one off.
Next day same thing happened and it continued from there...for the next year at least SWIM would force herself to smoke pot every night with her friends (she couldn't bring up the subject matter with them for some reason) and every time she would go home feeling like shit: sometimes she would cry into her pillow at night because she had convinced herself that she must've been acting odd and that everyone must thing she was a freak. SWIM moved away from the area (not because of this - it was just a coincidence). SWIM tried to smoke with different people in different area but exact same feelings surfaced and the paranoia was increasing all the time whilst her mood had plummeted.
SWIM moved again and this time made a lot of friends in her new location with the help of double vodkas (turning SWIM into 'life and soul' of party). SWIM's new friends took ecstasy and SWIM decided to try: SWIM had best night ever. SWIM started to take ex every night cos they gave her what pot used to give her (but was even better).
Then SWIM tried coke - again she felt ten times better than eva, next came crack, then opiates (prescription painkillers) then heroin.
Some of SWIY's probably know SWIMs story anyway, but others can guess the rest.
Point is though - SWIM knows some people who've been smoking twenty odd years and still enjoy it. I can't believe it's the same feeling as when they first started but they seem okay - surely they wouldn't keep taking it for so long if they didn't.....
SWIM has also met a few people who have had to stop cos of extreme paranoia (although SWIM has never met anyone who tells a story like hers) SWIM can't understand how something that was so good to her in the beginning can do a 360 degree turn on her and crucify her in the way it has.
Without sounding full of pity, SWIM really believes that if it wasn't for the weed letting her down so out of the blue and so severely that she would never have touched another drug - If pot still had the same effect as it did when she was younger she wouldn't need anything else. Honest.

[Nature Boy]

Excessive cannabis use, like the use of any psychedelic, can bring up underlying issues in people. Other times, its simply in the physiology, smoking weed doesn't agree with them. Seeing as SWIY could smoke without trouble for years, I wonder what triggered this sudden change. Outside of drug use, has SWIY been suffering from depression? Is there a history of anxiety in SWIY's family?

Out of curiosity, where is SWIY located? In the UK, we hear often hear (exaggerated stories) about anxiety possibly being triggered by disproportionately high THC level "skunk" where there are not enough other cannabinoids; CBN, CBD etc.; present in order to balance the effects of the cannabis experience. Regular cannabis smokers should attempt to change strain frequently and smoke organic if possible.

[Richi]

It sounds as though something triggered a psychological change in this persons mind, and cannabis was only the vehicle - not the driver.

I say this because the way you titled this thread bring up an important issue. The blame cannot fall onto a less than sentient plant, drug, object, or anything else. Cannabis produces THC for it's own purposes, an individuals choice in its consumption is entirely their own.

That being said, the blame cannot fall onto the individual either. By the sounds of it, something was underlying that came out as all underlying things do.

Now that being said, I have always been a strong advocate of moderation. Smoking cannabis every day in large amounts sounds like a bad idea from the start.

I'm not going to recite what should have been done, because this wont aid this person now. What should be done now, in my opinion, is a personal re-assessment of this individuals drug use. Walking the fine line between use and abuse is a treacherous activity.

[Junket]

Even if weed didn't make you freak out, you probably would have moved, been around new friends, drank at that party and probably popped E anyways.

swim thought he would never have a need or desire to try anything but weed, then opportunities arise, curiosity is sparked and next thing you know you are eating a quarter oz of shrooms freaking out trying to watch someone play guitar hero. shit happens..

I don't know if any of this is good advice I'm just saying..

but yea some people and weed just don't click, although its weird yours happened after steady smoking for so long, maybe thats just the way it is. I don't have any scientific explanations..

oh and

Smoking cannabis every day in large amounts sounds like a bad idea from the start.

Not to be a smart ass, but thats never sounded like a bad idea to me.

hahah

[Richi]

Originally Posted by Junket

Not to be a smart ass, but thats never sounded like a bad idea to me.

That statement wouldn't make you a smart-ass, you're not being cynical or pointing out the obvious. You are simply stating your opinion.

I'm sure you read my statement in full, which included my own belief in moderation. I realize some people are able to indulge to excess in certain pleasures in life. However, I chose not to.

I've found that the middle way is the best way.

...Well I shouldn't take the credit. I believe the Siddhartha said it before me.

[Junket]

Originally Posted by Richi

That statement wouldn't make you a smart-ass, you're not being cynical or pointing out the obvious. You are simply stating your opinion.

I'm sure you read my statement in full, which included my own belief in moderation. I realize some people are able to indulge to excess in certain pleasures in life. However, I chose not to.

I've found that the middle way is the best way.

...Well I shouldn't take the credit. I believe the Siddhartha said it before me.

Ya, I completely understand man..

[drug-bot]

Originally Posted by beena

Point is though - SWIM knows some people who've been smoking twenty odd years and still enjoy it. I can't believe it's the same feeling as when they first started but they seem okay - surely they wouldn't keep taking it for so long if they didn't.....
SWIM has also met a few people who have had to stop cos of extreme paranoia (although SWIM has never met anyone who tells a story like hers) SWIM can't understand how something that was so good to her in the beginning can do a 360 degree turn on her and crucify her in the way it has.
Without sounding full of pity, SWIM really believes that if it wasn't for the weed letting her down so out of the blue and so severely that she would
never have touched another drug - If pot still had the same effect as it did when she was younger she wouldn't need anything else. Honest.

swims story is basically the opposite of yours regarding why were not smoking much or at all any more, here it is -
swim used to be a real pot head, even though then he had anxious reactions at times, but never bad enough in retrospect to stop.
swim also used crack but never got addicted, but once he got on heroin he practically stoped smoking pot and lost all desire to, and even now that he's on methadone he still doesnt have any desire to smoke and when he does he has alot more anxiety reactions to it than before he became an opiate addict.
someone at a detox he was at told him this analogy - ' when some one gets in the habit of driving 80mph ( hard drugs) then slows down to 20mph(soft drugs), their going to be bored with the slower speed and no longer going to have fun unless going at the hgher speed'. swim knows this is an overexageration but basically proved true for swim.

peace beena