Question for the tokers (everyone)

[BeyondBasic]

i recently started smoking the herb again. and i enjoy it very much. but i have a little issue. awhile back up i was put on medication for anxiety disorder/panic attacks. i just recently got off the meds like 2 months ago which is when i started smoking. for the most part the weed calms me a bit. but sometimes i get serious panic attack, death fears, tight chest, etc. is it the strain im smoking? am i smoking to much? i mean i dont get it. 85% of the time im high chill and feel amazing yet some times im just hit with horrible panic attacks. thanks in advance sorry for a dumb question.

also as weird as it sounds i've heard people say smoking out of a bowl,bong will give you less anxiety than a blunt sounds a bit iffy to me..

 

[FreakNature]

You had the attacks before you started smoking. You're having them after you started smoking. Smoking Cannabis and your attacks are unrelated.

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

^^ That's not exactly true Freak... I've had many panic attacks triggered by weed, and if I smoke a really potent sativa strain, I can guarantee that my heart will start skipping beats which is how mine usually manifest.

Indica strains have never triggered an attack in me, so you might want to try and stick to those if you have a choice... hard to do unless you really know your supply well or grow your own.

 

[BeyondBasic]

You had the attacks before you started smoking. You're having them after you started smoking. Smoking Cannabis and your attacks are unrelated.

edit.. not sure if this guy is serious..

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

Beyond,

(edit) Thanks.

 

[FreakNature]

Of course I'm serious. I know smoking some strains can cause feelings of anxiety. Some can get your heart racing. Especially if you smoke too much (meaning you smoke enough to have these effects and you don't like it). The situation of where and when you smoke might have an impact as well...do you have reasons to be paranoid?

Now think it through. You had these panic attacks before you started smoking it. You can smoke 85% of the time without the attacks. If it wasn't Cannabis consumption that caused the attacks before you started smoking again, why do you think it's causing them now?

The logic escapes me.

Why did you stop taking the meds? Did you think you were cured? Or did you stop after you started smoking again because you found some relief?

I hope you figure out the problem and get it solved. Best wishes.

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

Freak - from my personal experience, lots of things can trigger panic attacks, and logic often plays no role.

I used to get them when I'd drink a beer... it was just a trigger. Same thing with weed - if you smoke some powerful stuff, start feeling out of control... boom, panic attack starts. Your heart races and you think you are going to die. Sometimes they start out of the blue, with no trigger at all. If it was logical, it'd be a lot easier to handle.

Thankfully I've found some meds that work for me, plus the indica I grow.

 

[FreakNature]

Yeah that's a tough situation. I just don't think we should be blaming the herb on something that drinking a beer , stubbing your toe, or other random events could also trigger.

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

Yeah that's a tough situation. I just don't think we should be blaming the herb on something that drinking a beer , stubbing your toe, or other random events could also trigger.

Ahh, I see the reason for the resistance now.

I understand your point, however the point you may be missing is that if a certain strain of weed will trigger an attack, then that weed is to blame for that person's attack.

No need to generalize anything.

 

[FreakNature]

I get it. There are plenty of studies linking Cannabis use to the onset of panic disorder. I guess to get a good understanding of the potential impact of that statement there would have to be studies of all of the various things that can precipitate the anxiety.

Is Cannabis more of a concern than any other thing that acts as a trigger? Could be, since it has the ability to alter your perception of the world. I know the first time I smoked some high quality bubble hash before bed after years of smoking nothing, it really made my heart pound hard and fast, to the point where I thought it was all over. Now it only calms me down.

If I were handing out advice it would be to not use any mind altering substances, including alcohol, if panic disorder is a concern.

 

[Irish]

i recently started smoking the herb again. and i enjoy it very much. but i have a little issue. awhile back up i was put on medication for anxiety disorder/panic attacks. i just recently got off the meds like 2 months ago which is when i started smoking. for the most part the weed calms me a bit. but sometimes i get serious panic attack, death fears, tight chest, etc. is it the strain im smoking? am i smoking to much? i mean i dont get it. 85% of the time im high chill and feel amazing yet some times im just hit with horrible panic attacks. thanks in advance sorry for a dumb question.

also as weird as it sounds i've heard people say smoking out of a bowl,bong will give you less anxiety than a blunt sounds a bit iffy to me..

Think back to the varieties of cannabis that you've smoked. Did your panic attacks occur when smoking certain ones? Different strains of cannabis can have different effects.

I suffer from alternating anxiety/depression symptoms. When I'm dipping into depression, I'll smoke a more sativa based variety--it's uplifting. When I'm waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks or hating the day with ambient anxiety that won't go away, I tend towards the more indica based plants. Once you find the varieties that work for you, you'll be able to relax and understand what you benefit more from, and which ones you should avoid.

Hope things go well for you and you can figure this out to your advantage.

 

[BeyondBasic]

thanks to all guys.