Side effects - Horrible time when smoking weed..

[CY33]

i'll start off with this. SWIM used to smoke beginning of his freshman year of high school. when SWIM first smoked weed, he felt amazing and so it began. swim was a casual user back then, smoking with friends on weekends up until about december of 11th grade. it wasn't every weekend, swim would take some weekends off, and of course some weeks swim would smoke pretty much everyday so it would vary. SWIM is a senior in high school now and about to graduate and has a different view of weed now.

now when SWIM smokes, all of these negative thoughts in the back of swim's mind just take over me. it's pretty much the only thing swim think about when swim is high. swim admits if he is doing something like a videogame, a good conversation, a good movie, etc, he can enjoy it but other times just ridin' around chillin with friends swim doesn't talk much and just thinks of all these negative thoughts. SWIM has some of these bad thoughts when he is sober, just general stuff about his future and how he doesn't want to fail. but they are just so overwhelming when he smokes some weed! is there anything SWIM can do to enjoy the high? SWIM wouldn't say that he is full blown depressed, but SWIM would agree that he is somewhat depressed at random points in the day. some days good, some days worse.

but just some food for thought, when SWIM does some OC's or hydrocodone SWIM feels amazing and extremly euphoric. SWIM wishes he could go back to the days when weed produced similar feelings, as pills cost more and the thought of addiction makes SWIM worried. but if weed stays this way for SWIM, he will just have to occasionally abuse opiates.

[Gradient]

CY33,

This is somewhat of a standard effect in long-term users; the strange paranoia associated with a cannabis high can begin to be dominated by irrational anxiety or worries. Some users can actually never derive any pleasant effects from the plant due to it's anxiety-inducing effects. Others find it to be entirely anxiolytic in effects, and actually use it to relieve stress.

Some have found tiny doses of benzodiazepines to relieve this paranoia, and actually slightly enhance the pleasant body effects. This isn't, however, a recommended daily administration due to the inevitable resulting tolerance. I've heard stories of people simply anticipating the anxiety, and actually consciously associating humor with their behavior; the once paranoid individual recognized the absurdity of his behavior, and the paranoia was actually turned into humor. He is now a daily cannabis-smoker.

Most individuals I've met that have this reaction to cannabis decide to stop ingesting the substance altogether. I believe that this is a temporary, reversible interaction, however, that can be attenuated by some focused thinking along with some great friends to facilitate.

Good luck!

[faren1]

SWIM has the exact same problem. SWIM once LOVED the effects of cannabis..smoking four times daily.. and ANYWHERE he could, in the bathrooms of ferrys etc. SWIM had a few bad experiences in life, and now when SWIM smokes he becomes TERRIBLY paranoid, thinks very negative thoughts about himself, usually in a social way. SWIM is a social person, but can't even interact with his friends when high now. SWIM finds if he mixes smoking with alcohol it lessens the chances of this paranoia and benzodiazpines completely make it disappear and SWIM again has a great time! All of SWIMs friends smoke, and pressure SWIM to smoke as he once used to, but SWIM usually can't do it do to the horrible way he feels. SWIM hopes you find a solution!

[wmdkitty]

:urrs and nosetouches to CY33::

It should try distracting itself with something pleasant, even if it is petting a cat or playing with the dog. It can try meditating on something positive, as well.

This one likes to look at LOLcats when it is in a dark mood, which always cheers it up.

Perhaps it can use video games, chase its virtual prey, so to speak, to reduce the anxiety?

This one does not experience paranoia or anxiety unless it is *already* paranoid or anxious before inhaling the "catnip", and will *not* indulge if it is feeling that way.

wmdkitty added 0 Minutes and 49 Seconds later...

Whoops! That was supposed to read: "purrs and nosetouches".

Silly automatic smileys...

[vantranist]

Yup... very common in long term users.

Even tho bud gives SWIM bad anxiety these days with paranoia he still finds himself smoking all day long. He takes the good with the bad I guess you could say.

Using other drugs with it can be helpful but even when swim is shitfaced drunk and smokes he feels the cannabis induced Anxiety starting to take over, still its very enjoyable.

The only drugs that completely knock out the anxiety is doing cocaine or meth, he really cant do cocaine or tweak without having a bowl, but then again, when swim is spun the bud is a really different drug.


What grad said about dealing with with the anxeity is really good. Try and make you're self beflive its just the cannabis, and know that all these feelings you feel are just imagined and not worth worrying about... it works sometimes but its kinda a hard thing to do.