Why marijuana is not an appropriate treatment for anxiety disorders

[AnxiouSteve]

Full disclosure:  I am not anti-marijuana, and I actually think it should be legal for adult recreational use.

That said, for most people it is not an appropriate treatment for anxiety.  Take the case of Officer Sanchez as evidence.  He confiscated some marijuana from a suspect, and made it into brownies with his wife.  Long story short, he had to call 9-1-1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrZLc9lqQM0

LOL

[AnxiouSteve]

Here is the news report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwfe5lH1n9Q&feature=related

Here is a nicely animated version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtVAMNivQMk&feature=fvw

I got this from http://failblog.org

[forwells]

well done steve that is so funny 

[AnxiouSteve]

Best one yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FggmyW-qeuU

I just couldn't help but share.

[(HAWK)]

Man these videos are funny I couldn't stop LOL   

[mendiolaadam]

funny videos...honestly almost every time i smoke i get bad anxiety or have a panic attack

[weird era]

If I get heavily stoned, I start to get anxious, but if I have a light buzz, my anxiety goes away. it may be an effective treatment, it really depends on the person.

[Grandma]

OMG this is too funny!  I do know from personal experience that it is possible to have a "bad trip" from eating marijuana.  The problem seems to be that there is no way to control your high.  When you smoke marijuana, you can pretty much stop where you want to be, and unless it is "creeping" marijuana, you will stay right where you are.  Eating laced baked goods, on the other hand, is a crap shoot.  You don't know until too late if you are more stoned than feels alright.

This happened to me once back in the day.  (I am not going to say one way or the other whether I smoke or do not smoke now.  However, I came of age in the hippie days of the late 60s and early 70s, and if anyone in my age range tells you they never smoked what we called "pot", they are either lying or they are serious geeks.)  Anyway, my husband at the time had planted some in the backyard.  Come the harvest, we were sad to discover that smoking our crop was pretty much like smoking cabbage.  No way could you get high.

Just so it wouldn't be a total waste, I decided to throw a handful or two into some chocolate chip cookie batter that was ready to go in the oven.  About an hour later, out of nowhere I was hit with the highest high I have ever had, and believe me, it did not feel good at all.  I couldn't walk straight, think straight, see straight.  I had the only anxiety attack I have ever had while stoned.  It was nothing at all like the mellow high from smoking.

Anyway, on the serious side, I just did about half an hour of research and found out that, based on the limited number of studies I read, opinion is pretty equally divided in the medical community as to whether marijana helps or hurts depression and anxiety.  The only mention of PTSD that I came across showed positive results.  As far as anecdotal evidence (personal stories), opinion is also divided.  Some people feel incredibly better, some people feel incredibly worse.

This is pretty much what happens with traditional anti- anxiety and depression medications.  What one person hails as a breakthrough, another person might find a disaster.

Okay, Grandpa wants to know why I was falling out of my chair laughing, so I'm going to show him the videos. 

[Hairgirl1985]

I think marijuana should be legalized for good i think alcohol shoud be legal!Thanks  Hairgirl1985.

[Hairgirl1985]

Oh sorry everyone i mean alcohol should be illegal!!!!!

[camel]

Hi
awesome videos

I personally found that marijuana triggered my anxiety in the first place. i was a very very heavy smoker. it took me many failed attempts to quit. I have now been clean for 10 months and 11 days. If it helps some people, go for it. But for those that it creates more problems, please quit. your mind becomes clear, dreams are vivid, and you remember them, as well as many other things

I used to have to write things down a lot as my short term memory was very bad. Now I dont need to.
Whatever works for you :)

[strangeloop]

Ha ha - I've seen that video before.

But you're right - I was sort of "normal before I started smoking dope...  Fifteen years later and my brain is a total mess.  I don't know if I was crazy to start with, but I certainly am now.  I get anxious if I try to cut down, but in the long run smoking makes me a lot more stressed - I just zone out and don't realise or remember how tense I am when I'm stoned, and then I feel stressed (and monged) all the next day.

I find it quite interesting how many weed users say that weed helps with anxiety, when anyone around them can see that that's not true.

Anyway, congrats on a whopping 10 months clean, camel!  The longest I've done is about 2 consecutive days in the last 15 years.  How did you manage it?!

[JustIMaybe]

It's not treatment by ANY means AND it's counterproductive for some people with mental health ailments BUT speaking only for myself everything in moderation including moderation 

[chinaski87]

I had my first ever panic attack after smoking weed which led to my panic disorder. Probably would have happend some other way though

[BrambleRose]

Even though I have friends who think it's best to make weed legal, I think it would be awful. I smoked weed in my early 20's and could not leave my house, let alone drive a car, after a few hits. Maybe scientists will be able to come up with some sorta small dose pill form, and keep it restricted. I just think any substance that alters your perception of reality is dangerous and needs great care in prescribing.

[JustIMaybe]

You shouldn't drive while under the influence of anything legal or illegal.

[Pug60647]

It's not treatment by ANY means AND it's counterproductive for some people with mental health ailments BUT speaking only for myself everything in moderation including moderation

I agree with this...everything in moderation. It makes some people more anxious, and for some people it decreases thier anxiety by a whole lot... but you notice, when people have medical marijuana, it's just like any other substance they give you. they don't tell you here smoke a giant blunt. Just like the doctor doesn't tell you "here take Klonopin, whenever you want, however much you want".

I think especially for us MH patients it's important to smoke smaller amounts or just whatever amount agrees with you ( lol ), and keep it pretty consistent, just like a dosage of prescribed meds is kept consistent.

if you smoke about every other day, try not to change it. If you smoke twice a day, try and keep it consistent. that's what I mean by 'everything in moderation'

[lovelylaurajayne]

I used to smoke weed everyday heavily during my teens for about 3 years, i had no problems at all apart from a bit of paranoia every now and again.
I stopped after at the age of 18 i could hear a man beating a woman up and a baby crying wen i smoked, i looked everywhere for the event that was all happening in my mind..cannabis psychosis i think it's called but it was very scary and it began to trigger thought that maybe other thing i hear aren't real and that has also turned into an obsessional thought pattern...very recently i decided to test the water with this drug and i inhaled once and passed it on...i had the most extreme anxiety, fear and panic i have ever experienced....very scary stuff...everyones different though i suppose

[camel]

To Strangeloop

Sorry I took so long to reply. Im still off the weed 10months 27 days. i quit after a massive panic attack when I smoked. I decided that it was making me worse and that I just couldnt do it anymore. Since that last big attack I have been too scared to even try again so that kept me clean. Look, it really hasn't been easy, especially the first few months. Now I have zero desire or cravings to smoke.

Best decision I ever made

[Murdock311]

First few times I smoked, no problems, no real effects either. Then it started giving me panic attacks. Then I would try another type, more panic, then another, and more panic attacks. So finally I stopped and haven't touched the stuff in over a year. I'm one of those people who just isn't meant to do drugs.

[BrambleRose]

Weed is like booze, it's not something easily controlled if you're a person with a mood disorder. I don't see how it could help people with mental disorders. I only see it helping cancer and autoimmune disease patients, and similar ailments. Unless, it's delivered in a medical setting, pot like booze, is dangerous to people with mood and anxiety illness.

[BuschLegion]

I used to smoke pot once in a while, the guys I hung out with were pretty big pot heads... last time I smoked was 2 years ago and had the worst high ever, I freaked out for about an hour before I finally past out.

I usually got paranoid/more anxious while doing it, so i've quit it all together.

[camel]

1 year, 1 month and 9 days off weed..YAY!! 

[Gregory3]

LOL great vid

herb is perfect for my anx, so i guess everyone is diff

[iamthenormal]

I find that I want to smoke pot all the time now...I smoked it once or twice with friends and I was the most relaxed I've ever been. Third time I had a three hour long panic attack. I find myself thinking though.....2 out of 3 times feeling good isn't bad...I mean, it's better odds than I've ever gotten with my medication...