[haleylaurel]

my doctor told me to stop smoking weed.
i tell everyone i have, but i still smoke all the time. it's the only thing that keeps me sane. i love it. i'm tired of people trying to take it away from me

[Astriferous]

It's probably for the best. If you're taking any kind of psychiatric medications, the weed could be interfering with your meds.

[ifst5]

There are practical considerations when dependent on drugs but then there's also the immense psychological impact...would you say you're an addict? Is this something you recognize as a problem that needs sorting out before it escalates?

The problem with any sort of damaging behaviour is that it's just that - damaging. Drugs, alcohol, spending, food, promiscuity, gambling...all of it promises so much and delivers so little.

No one wants to deny you the right to do whatever you want with your body. But it saddens me that you feel you need drugs this badly. What is the next course of action do you think?

I hope things improve. And please remember - we're here for you.

[haleylaurel]

marijuana takes away my anxiety. it allows me to walk town the street without having a panic attack. you can't deny its medical qualities - more and more are becoming apparent each day. yeah i would say i'm dependent on it, but because it makes me feel able to cope.

[ifst5]

Originally Posted by haleylaurel

marijuana takes away my anxiety. it allows me to walk town the street without having a panic attack. you can't deny its medical qualities - more and more are becoming apparent each day. yeah i would say i'm dependent on it, but because it makes me feel able to cope.

No one is denying the medicinal qualities of marijuana...but the consequences of continued use are also well documented. Are you on any type of psychiatric drugs? Some anxiety medication or a readjustment/different type might be a good way to ease some of the difficulties you're having in relation to panic attacks. As i said before people are entitled to their own lives and bodies, but it might be useful to think about what would be the most suitable long term treatment. I hope i've been helpful. All the best.

[hurricane1992]

I think I understand where you're coming from. About 5 years ago I was sent to a dual unit crisis center (treating both drug addiction and mental health issues). I was sent there after a suicide attempt and although I had only smoked marijuana they threw me in with heroin addicts and the like. Like you I smoked weed to help cope (for me it was major depressive disorder and anxiety.) I was depressed, confused, and in a haze from the excessive smoking. So I believed what I was told and accepted that I was an "addict".

I spent a whole year avoiding alcohol, weed, and even cigarettes. It gave me the opportunity to find new ways to fix my issues. When I was getting high to cover up my problems I still couldn't escape them. It was like being a teenager and sneaking out to go to a party: you're having fun at the time but in the back of your head you know there's a world of trouble waiting back home once the party is over.

In the time that I avoided drugs and alcohol I was miserable. However, my misery forced me to face my problems. I got an excellent doctor, went to cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy. I tried all those stupid pills that never seemed to work. Eventually I found the answers I was looking for through patience and hard work.
I still smoke weed and drink occasionally. But it's wonderful because I don't feel like I HAVE to. I do it because it feels good not because I'm hiding or escaping.

I make a point to never preach about this stuff because for all I know you may have already spent years trying to fix things "the good old fashioned way" and weed is the only thing that seems to work. Or maybe it really does make you feel better to the point where you don't need anything else. But for me it was not the miracle cure I pretended it was. And if any part of your story sounds like mine I would urge you to just take a little break if you can. See if you can't find something that works better than marijuana. It was a crappy road to recovery for me but it was worth it.

[mad mother]

I find it helps to take away my anxiety too calms me down when i am feeling jittery or aggrivated, I am able to sort out my thoughts as they are racing I suffer from Bipolar and BPD when I am manic it helps to calm me down and when depressed it lightens my mood. I havent told my psychiatrist that I self medicate with weed as he wouldnt approve and would probably say that it is adding to the anxiety I feel although I know its not. I stopped smoking for a while a few months but found it hard to cope with the anxiety and worry. Like you I can go out when I have had a smoke I am able to engage in conversation much easier without feeling self conscious or jittery, A lot of people say that it adds to the problem but I myself find it helps a great deal if the doc could prescribe me something that works the same way then maybe I would consider stopping but for now its my crutch.

Meds I take: ABIFLY 30mg
CARBAMETHAPRINE
CITALAPRAM 40mg