"marijuana maintenance program?" or "Anxiety relief?"

So here is my thought, and question and I would like some serious input on this and your feelings, and why.

Here goes nothing:
So I am 26 and struggle with some horrible anxiety esp. in public. Probably a fear of what the public thinks, or how I'm being judged in the public eye. So to battle these feeling have drank, smoked, snorted, and shot up everything I could with the exception of heron.

I did attend AA where I went 73 days completely sober.
I no longer attend.

What I'm up to now:
Smoking weed illegally. From the 6:00 am when I wake up till I hit the hay.
I toke all day it eases my Anxiety better than any med I've ever taken. I'm making more money than I've ever made. And I only smoke, nothing else and no meds.

I worked threw along stint of panic attacks from smoking about the first two weeks and have been free of any panic attack for the last month or so. I've gotten bad, but not to a full blown attack.

This is by far the longest I've gone doing the best I've done in my life no doubt, but is this just "marijuana maintenance program?" as 12 step people I know would put it.

And if it is, is that really a bad thing?

please be open minded in your responses I really want to get a feel on what you think and why?

fourwalls, i drank to relieve myself from life and what bothered me. i numbed myself continuosly. i've found a new way to live and cope with my emotions. i do attend AA but i also went into therapy. both helped me learn healthy life skills.
can't really express about your "maintinence program". i tried this with alcohol trying to convince myself it was ok. in my case eventually it backfired on me. but only you can decide what's best for you.
hope you will let us know how you are doing.

Please do some research on this subject. Originallly, it was permitted to be used in
medical conditions to relieve problems associated with terminal illness.

It is known to cause cancer of the lungs--and probably other things, as well. It is from that perspective that I think it can be harmful.

There is such a push among many to legalize the substance, just as tobacco is used. It was not until the 1963 Attorney General's report was published that people became seriously aware of the lethal dangers of using tobacco. None of the tobacco industries have closed their doors, however, to my knowledge.

Besides being illegal in all fifty states (except for medical permission in some states), you're placing your health at long-term risk.

Sorry to deflate the idea of the beneficial effects, but the whole truth needs to be shown for people to have insight into what is happening by using chemicals to alter brain function.

Hi,

I am a habitual pot smoker, but I also take medication for my MI. Currently, I am trying to quit smoking pot and having a very, very hard time. As a person being your senior, I look back on all my years of smoking and regret the boat loads of cash spent and all the BS that takes up your energy. You have to find a reliable source, pay a lot of money because your tollerance will go up, risk being busted, and then poof it's smoked and you start over again.

Don't get me wrong - I am 100% pro legalization and think it is fine for people who can take it or leave it. But I have an addictive personality and have been steadily smoking weed for 20 years. All it does for me now is add to unproductivity, weight gain, lethargy, and anxiousness when I get low on my supply. Maybe you're not like that now, but give it time and this could become a crutch in your life.

Peace & Hugs,

TnT

There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.

Erma Bombeck

Thank you so much for all your thoughts on the matter. Here's my stance thus far. I'm really not worried about lung cancer I already smoke marlbro's anyhow, that and the fact that smoking weed does not, or atleast it hasn't been proven to cause lung cancer and there are other means of getting THC into your system. I guess what I'm pondering is the moral aspect of it. I gotta say I'm on the fence. I'm not really to worried about the legal aspect of it either. I gotta say it has really helped with my ulcers, and got me eating again if left to my own devices I wont eat or eat one meal at night. So that's been nice. The money part is not currently an issue either, but I can see how it could be. So for now I think I'm gonna keep on doing what I've been doing for the most part, maybe cut back during the day. I'll keep you all informed on how it goes. Again thanks for all the replies.

People don't generally stop addictions until they have a visceral feeling that what they are doing is not helping their lives or their feeling tones one bit. You haven't reached that point, in my view, so you'll have to come to the point of recognizing that marijuana has its downside just as many chemicals do that are not natural to the body, despite the fact that they may give momentary elevated feeling tone.

Caffeine is one of them , and it's a very serious problem for anyone who is
sensitive to it. The same is true for sugar, gluten, cigarette smoke--you name it, you'll see the downside if you ever reach the point that you know you don't need that in your life for health.

Some people can manage these things. For those who cannot, forums, I think,
are alive and well for helping people know what others have done to overcome the
dilemma of "drug use" in this country.

Like the doctor in "Macbeth" said, "God help us all."

I hope you find the best health possible along the way to recovery.

Here's the way I tend to look at it. I have spent years in therapy and at the very least 6 months in AA. I have PTSD and really nothing has seemed to help other than pot or klonipin. I want people to understand I'm not choosing to smoke over any small thing. I'm choosing to smoke instead of more pills. I already have ulcer issues, so the last thing I need is more pills to be a zombie. I am not saying you are wrong I actually agree with like 75% of what your saying here. I just feel out of options, and I'm so sick and tired of panic attacks, and triple locking doors, and feeling like I am gonna die everyday from something that is probably purley in my head. It seems at least to me now this is a okay thing pot is legal for Rx use in my town and I have two Dx's from two highly thought of medical health experts. I am seriously considering getting my card. I love sitting on my stoop at night and smiling when all the cars stop going by and it's dead silent and I can see the stars again. I'd rather be there than sitting on my stoop crying, cause I think my world is gonna crash around me and poundering over the shame I carry on my shoulders. Until I work my self up to the point I think I'm having a heart attack. To me this just seems better, and I feel lighter and I smile more. Also I haven't used or really wanted any drinks or other drugs in probably 2 or 3 months. Thanks to everyone I am really glad we could talk about this in a calm manner the people of PC have always been so sweet and understanding.

You give some understable reasons for your use of marijuana, Fourwalls. And it just may surpass the phamaceutical methods of dealing with personal problems. I think thatyou may have some problems along the way to recovery the longer you use marijuana,but seeing the stars at night and smiling and feeling less psychic pain is difficult to combat.I hope you find the best recovery for you as time goes by.Take care, and I enjoyed communicating with you.

You are basically replacing the alcohol with the pot.

That would be one way to look at it, and I figured sooner or later I'd see a response saying just that. So let me give you some information before you jump to a conclusion. I am not nor have I ever drank daily to calm nerves numb up ect. When I drank I probably drank once a month maybe twice. Problem is I drank until drinking was no longer an option, and then quickly started calling people up for other things. This went on for quite sometime and pretty much always the same results I drank out of depression not to ease anxiety, but more like I give up let's see if we can bite the dust this go round. I have gone sober 100% and cold to this day however. Even while being 100% drug and drink free to include coffee and marlbro's. My panic attacks never stopped not once. Guess what they stop now, I start getting wrong thoughts get shaky or dizzy I know what's coming next, so I smoke smile and go back to work, so that's how it's working out. I never asked about replacing, if you take the time and carefully read through the conversation here you can clearly see I'm talking about morality issues, and I don't see how it's any worse than a Rx for klonopin.... pretty much the same effects by the way except I don't slur or stumble around like a drunk when I smoke. Thank you for your insight though I do appreciate it, and respect your opinion it just isn't the topic of the post. That coupled with the fact that I don't care about replacing because it's marijuana or klonopin taking neither is just simply not an option for me. So I think this thread is pretty much closed out for me. I'll be sure and let those concerned know how I'm doing. If I don't talk with you guys soon have a happy holidays.

So something unexpected happened. I adopted a 3 year old German shepherd named Leyna she is so beautiful, and I threw away the pot... right down the toilet probably a couple hundred bucks worth. We just got back from our morning run. I really hope we can help each other out as we are both not fans of people. She is by no means mean just shy, the foster family said she needed to be re-socialized and quite frankly so do I. I'm so excited. She can totally tell when I'm scared last night I had a panic attack probably from stopping smoking, she knew, she was right on point watching out for me. I think this maybe a way way better way to go. So that's where I am at. Happy Holidays.

good news!!! and your doggie adoption is super. my dog calms me too. son was in iraq 5 times and i know my mind was saved cause my rescued dog-cody, love of my life, comforted me. i only got a few white hairs. if he hadn't been with me i think my head would've turned white. sobriety and dogs. a great combination. thanks for the update!

4 walls,

I just lost my dog Saturday. It makes me happy that you are excited. And just FYI a dog TRUMPS pot anyday of the week

TnT

There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.

Erma Bombeck

Yeah it does. I'm sorry you lost your pooch.

Honestly you seem perfectly fine to me. If your happy and its making you a successful person then do it. I have been around smokers for a long time my boyfriend does it 7 days a week like you. I never understood why he does it but it makes him happy. He slightly acts different after smoking weed but i have grown to be okay with it.

Im sure weed will be legal in the near future and also i havnt seen any medical issues related to weed. Maybe cutt back a little like every other day but other then that we only live once so g for it.