Why marijuana is not an appropriate treatment for anxiety disorders

[Funkydrummer]

Pot should be legal.

That aside I can't really do it anymore.  I did it for a couple of years, it worked well on anxiety at first but then it got worse and actually led to panic attacks.  Even afterward I would feel anxious, for days or weeks.

I wish I could do it, cause when it's fun it's really fun, but when it's not I feel like I'm dying.

[kindofblue]

I've been smoking weed for about 9 years now (give or take, I didn't really smoke that often when I was younger), and I've never had any significant problems with it. I have gotten some anxiety triggered on weed, but I would get that in any other situation as well. Other than the fact that weed is expensive and I probably could buy so many other things if I didn't smoke, I've had way more benefits to smoking than not smoking. In many ways it relieves a lot of my creative anxiety. For example, when I'm improvising on the piano, or playing hand drums, I do so much better when I'm high. Not because of some magical awakening taking place on weed, but simply because I'm not worried about whether I sound good or not. It really does free me up. I always take it when I have to go up in front of people.

But everyone is different. Some people hate weed. My best friend tried it once and got horrible anxiety and never did it again. It's really not black and white. It really depends on the person, as well as the strain. Some types of pot will make you very anxious, while others will make you feel much better. I think that if want any kind of therapeutic value from weed, you have to smoke quality bud and work on cognitive therapy like anything else.

[jen2213]

I can track smoking pot back to some of my very first panic attacks....it is NOT relaxing for me like it is for most people...makes me feel like I'm on crack or something (never done crack, but I'd imagine that's how it'd feel) lol

[to HOPE]

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.

My exboyfriend said the about the same thing.  It is not an effective treatment.   
Once someone is buzzed their reality starts to lose reality, perception, and judgement. 

[kindofblue]

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.

My exboyfriend said the about the same thing.  It is not an effective treatment.   
Once someone is buzzed their reality starts to lose reality, perception, and judgement.

The thing is that you can't judge from one person's reaction. If that were the case, penicillin would be banned. It's work well for some doesn't for others. Even many medical professionals have agreed to marijuana's medical benefits. Just because your ex boyfriend has issues with it doesn't mean that everyone does. 

[pauly j]

Marijuana is a stimulant, just as a cigarette is.  Both give people the false sense of calmness, when reality it increases heart rate, raises blood pressure, and makes one feel anxious.  Of course not all feel this way.  Marijuana is responsible for causing many their first ever panic attack.  This can cause some to have panic disorder.  Marijuana also makes some feel paranoid, lethargic, lazy, unmotivated, and delusional.  I would not use this drug for any reason.  Just my opinion.

pauly j

[kindofblue]

Marijuana is a stimulant, just as a cigarette is.  Both give people the false sense of calmness, when reality it increases heart rate, raises blood pressure, and makes one feel anxious.  Of course not all feel this way.  Marijuana is responsible for causing many their first ever panic attack.  This can cause some to have panic disorder.  Marijuana also makes some feel paranoid, lethargic, lazy, unmotivated, and delusional.  I would not use this drug for any reason.  Just my opinion.

pauly j

Actually, it's not a stimulant. Does anyone on here even read any more?

[pauly j]

Actually, it's not a stimulant. Does anyone on here even read any more?

Marijuana can have stimulant effects on some people and depressant effects on others without pharmacologically being considered a stimulant or depressant . THC from Marijuana is in the class of drugs known as Cannabinoids. Marijuana can increase heart rate like a stimulant but it does not typically speed up thought processes like a classic stimulant such as Amphetamine. Marijuana can dilate time perception and slow down movements in many people but it isn't capable of powerful sedation, respiratory depression, coma or anesthesia like a typical opioid depressant. Many users experience psychedelic effects including altered thought processes and mild visual hallucinations.

Didn't mean to offend you kindofblue.  It sounds as though you are a supporter of marijuana and the way it makes you feel.  I use to dabble with it when younger.  Did nothing for me but made me tired, lazy, unmotivated, and stupid!  Many people like to smoke weed and use other drugs to change the way that they feel.  Sometimes life is so miserable they need to change their state by using these sort of things.  To each their own!


pauly j