weed + anxiety + depression??

[ShawnD64]

i have a friend who has bad anxiety problems. she has been on meds since high school, which she says helps a lot. when she graduated college she delved more into weed and coke as well as alcohol... she was just working at a bar... so she was partying too much. when i found out i helped her get out of that shit and she found a job she loves. last i saw her we went to a concert, drank a good bit and she smoked as well (my job keeps me from doing that). but she was saying how she loves it cause it calms her down... even with meds the anxiety gets to her. i dont know what to say. she has said shit like she does not feel any side affects from weed... i know that drugs and alcohol are supposed to make anxiety even worse on the come down... but she says weed isnt bad...

well she hasnt returned a call from me in a while, and the only time she does that is when she is getting into drugs and feels depressed and doesnt want to talk to people. especially me cause she knows i care and would be disappointed if i knew she was smoking again. her job now is super busy, so that could be it... but shes always busy... i only dont hear from her when she is depressed. so i dont know... have people had success being able to smoke and feel fine? i know i never did.... i would feel shitty. but i never suffered from anxiety. i worry about her (i think i am one of the few who checks up on her too)... dont know what to think or say. its easy to say dont smoke, youll feel better, but i dont suffer the same as her....
opinions?

[lilsensa]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

I have done drugs, drank and smoked weed for most of my life....Sad, but true....The depression started about 5 years ago, and the anxiety came along with it....It's been about 6 months, with the occasional exception, since I have even drank...I have been exercising and I have never felt better...

The thing that did it for me was an anxiety attack like no other about 6 months ago....Had to take myself to the emergency room...Felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest....Numb arms, tunnel vision...Fear of everything around me....I decided it was time for a change....

There is nothing wrong with living healthy...Tell her to get off the medication, cut the drinking, maybe an occasional toke, and start exercising, and I bet she will feel better.

In my opinion, it's ok to do some things some of the time, we are only human..If she wants to smoke every now and then, it probably won't hurt....It's the excess that does it to you.. She will be fine.

[thesightless]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

to be honest, i had some serious medical problems early from anxiety attacks. usually when i was high, and i spoke with my doctor about it and he said it could have been from the pot, specifically, that once your breathing rythm is off, and you are high, your brain cannot properly adjust itself in regards to your current state. i was hospitalized a few times, once in the middle of a night out with some friends in manhatten. i suddenly had trouble breathing at a bar, and walked outside, i could not find my breathe, and was trying to breathe in a bag to calm myself, next thing i know, i wake up in the hospital... i had passed out and cops brought me there. one other time, i was really bad, to the point where i couldnt breathe, and my parents took me to the hospital, i was purple and unconcious by the time we arrived.....


on the other side, i have been a huge supporter of weed for medical purposes. my aunt annemarie is a cancer patient and she uses quite often under caluifornia law, and she vouches that it helps her live a respectable life. she isnt some kook either, she is head of nursing at her hospital in northern cali. i can vouch for its effects for insomia, as i have never been truly able to fall asleep when not smoking.

its up and down, certain people will have bad reactions, certianpeople will have great reactions, usually,, due to thought processes as opposed to physical effects. just my opinoin though.

[Jibgolly]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

as for advice, i dunno what to offer. but maybe you can form your own from this:

i was a heavy smoker for a long long time. 62 days ago i decided to give it up and i felt like shit for the first couple weeks. including severe depression. i felt like i was all alone in the world. now i feel better about myself having actually stuck with it. i was in a constant state of haziness and also thought the weed was "helping" me when in fact it was making it worse. i sought out similar aadvice in THIS thread and it did help. hope she overcomes her addictions as it seems she relies on a lot of different drugs to make her happy. sad thing is it's the drugs that are making things worse for her, but she is the only person to make herself realise that.

[thesightless]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

and yeah, in regards to lilsensa, excercise is paramount when considering conteracting the effects on your body.

i think in the end all be all.... everything in moderation. too much of anything, including wqater and oxygen, will kill you.

[lilsensa]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

I like how we all hopped on this at the same time...We are concerned

[matthewjames]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

i have several friends who have high powered jobs and smoke a lot of gear without any side effects (other than being stoned in the evening!)

i also have several friends who started having panic attacks. when they stopped smoking weed, the panic attacks stopped.

make of that what you will... but she needs to stop smoking weed imo.

weed isn't the answer to 'calming your self down'.

[Jibgolly]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

I like how we all hopped on this at the same time...We are concerned

it's just that so many of us can relate.

techno + drugs = depression

[feather]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

I think weed can be very subtle with its side effects. Because it has this calming and and relaxing quality, weed is not the first thing that comes to mind when people start feeling anxious or paranoid. It's almost like, how can this stuff that puts me to sleep be fucking me up big time when I'm sober? That's my experience anyway.

Excess consumption could also be a sign of some problems she has, and quitting weed doesn't mean the problems won't manifest themselves in some other form of excess. Would be better if she can see somebody and figure things out.

[Shpira]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

Yeah... I agree with all of you that excercisse is VERY important. To be honest I have done a lot of drugs for my age and I haven't had any urge to continue doing them i.e. a habbit. I smoked weed on and off for most of my life and I have never had any problems, I used to think that its bullshit that it has side effects, but I guess if so many people complain there must be some truth in it...
Perhaps people should not smoke anything they get their hands on e.g. some dodgy purple buds...tell your friend not to smoke skunk but try smoking bush weed cuz its melow and won't fuck her up as much...thats my experience anyway.

As for coke tell her to stop using that!!!
That IS dangerous...very difficult to stop..get hooked real quick and rots your teeth fuck with your brain...dangerous stuff

[ShawnD64]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

I like how we all hopped on this at the same time...We are concerned

seriously! just went for a quick walk and look at the responses!

As for coke tell her to stop using that!!!
That IS dangerous...very difficult to stop..get hooked real quick and rots your teeth fuck with your brain...dangerous stuff

i got her to stop that shit.



in regards to everyone esle....


thanks for your replies. i agree every now and again a puff is ok, which is why when we were at the concert i didnt say anything. but the shit fucks with her on a day to day basis im sure. right now her schedule is crazy and for her to fit in exercise is tough id say, which is the best medicine i agree. my dad is a psychologist and thats what he ALWAYS says to his patients. but she is up at 4.30am commutes an hour, works till 5.30pm commutes an hour home. she lives a crazy life. she works on movie sets doing prop's, set design etc... so she is constantly doing a new job, new city etc... she loves her job, but i dont think it suits her lifestyle... the constant unknown of where she'll live or get paid. after i posted i called and no answer again... she better call back or ill drive down there and make her talk to me!!!

[AndyH]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

... she better call back or ill drive down there and make her talk to me!!!

Good man..!

[floridaorange]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

You can't control anyone the choices that other people make, especially with regard to what strategies they choose when coping with "life", all you can do is be a good example and a good friend, the rest is up to her my-man...I'm assuming she has a very structured and consistent work out routine right? If not she should start there imo...

[DJJEFFJONES]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

1 month clean tomorrow from the weed for me! I am kicking ass at work again and it seems if I am back to my old self which I like a lot better. Get her off the weed.

Weed should be if anything a weekend buzz... not a life buzz

IMO it should be considered the same as alcoholism...

Good luck to your friend

[feather]

Re: weed + anxiety + depression??

right now her schedule is crazy and for her to fit in exercise is tough id say, which is the best medicine i agree. my dad is a psychologist and thats what he ALWAYS says to his patients. but she is up at 4.30am commutes an hour, works till 5.30pm commutes an hour home. she lives a crazy life. she works on movie sets doing prop's, set design etc... so she is constantly doing a new job, new city etc...

Having an unpredictable schedule is definitely a bitch if she is trying to get off the weed and begin an exercise routine. But exercise doesn't need to be like 2 hours slogging away in a gym. Convince her to start by setting aside half hour a day, just do some skipping indoors or brisk walks or jogs outdoors, anything to get the heart going. Exercising at the end of the day can also help her get a better sleep at night (doesn't work on me though) and rely less on the weed.