Have been getting panic attacks/ extremely paranoid thoughts from marijuana

I have smoked for 4 years (NOT JWH, marijuana), (I got real heavy in JWH-18/73 about 8 months ago because my cannabinoid tolerance got so high that they seemed they only way to get me high), well I ended up abusing that to the point where I would have crazy panic attacks and things I was dying, but wouldn't stop using until my tolerance got to a 50mg+ level)
I stopped completely for two months and a half (cannabis), (had stopped JWH for at least 4 months and will never do it again, horrible stuff) which figured would lower my tolerance all the way back to nil, which it did, but I recently havebeen having very serious anxiety issues, and I was hoping to go back when I myself had control over my use and us sparingly to chill out..
Well, I took a bong rip and I freaked out and panicked and it was an overall very unpleasant experience (very psychedelic), but nonetheless, not fun at all. Is there a way I can counteract this? Because I have had countless fun, and marijuana used to be my all time favorite besides some psychedelics, i.e, 2ce.

Now it seems I cannot smoke without getting extremely paranoid/negative thoughts that make the whole experience very negative and unpleasant. I'm not sure what's wrong with me (at one point I convinced myself I was going to go in a drug induced psychosis, because my brain kept reapeting over and over, "WAHWAHWAHWAH", and it scared me shitless) Am I just imagining these things and overreacting, and should I try to somehow relax myself to be able to enjoy it again as this has been very disheartening. As I used to love this stuff like nothing else, I couldn't stop doing it everyday, but now after my prolonged break, it just seems I get a panic attack of sorts.. This is an extremely upsetting problem to me, because I used to enjoy cannabis beyond almost anything, and now it's giving me a very negative experience. That is horrible! I want to enjoy cannabis again, and I don't understand what is happening!

What could be my problem??

I've recently gotten better at avoiding panic attacks due to high doses of Cannabis. You can do it, just don't smoke too much, and tell yourself that it's all in your head. If the paranoid/negative thoughts start to build up, change activities fast, try going for a little walk or interact with some animals or something. Anything that will make you forget those paranoid thoughts will help you stop them. Secondly you have no reason to be afraid, at all.

Weed used to put me on the floor with my heart going 200bpm and I was afraid to move. Don't let it get that far, it doesn't have to end up like that. I don't know if that's really dangerous, to fall into an EXTREME panic attack, but I started to put my foot down to them and tell myself if I keep having panic attacks I might actually get hurt. So I started being more courageous more and more with weed.

You can do it man

Maybe smoke again and try to meditate, if that doesnt work you may just have severe anxiety and might need to take harder drugs.

Are you growing any cannabis right now? If not, you should start. If you can't grow MJ grow tomatoes or flowers. Plants are great for keeping a healthy head.

brandon. said:

Are you growing any cannabis right now? If not, you should start. If you can't grow MJ grow tomatoes or flowers. Plants are great for keeping a healthy head.

Click to expand...

So true, sometimes when I had panic attacks the first thing I would do is head to my garden, look at my plants and smell them, play with the leaves/buds etc, things like that take your mind off the anxiety.

Oh, and here's another one. Hope it doesn't gross people out. If you are having a panic attack, try masturbating/fantasizing. That will most of the time take your mind off the attack.

Same thing used to happen to me when I was a teenager Haddaway. The trick I learned to cope with it when I started slipping down into, I always got these paranoid thoughts that all the universe/pseudoreality was, was an infinite loop of the same thought, over, and over, and over and over again. My trick was when I started slipping back into the psychosis, was surmised in one phrase, "FUCK IT" I thought if I was going to be stuck in this loop I might as well enjoy it. So I did. Just give in, and enjoy life if that happens. Sounds crazy, because it is. Find your own coping mechanism. Or just smoke a whole bunch until your tolerance builds, that's what happens eventually.

such a pity my friend =[. I hope everything gets better for you soon! Keep your head up dude, and just try to enjoy the smoke for the smoke man. Once its in your system, no one can say bugger all to you! Just try smoking less, I used to have severe anger issues on weed, but I learnt to just cut down a bit and enjoy it for what it was. And Brandon., you are so right just checking up on my lady, and talking to her about your worries (she cant answer back! and she loves your cO2 so talking to your ladies is good!) can really take your mind off things!

Thanks for the replies, guys, it's just I used to smoke everyday for years and I would always love smoking a lot and getting super stoned/relaxed. I quit for awhile because I was fucking up my life with synthetic cannabinoids (JWH because my tolerance got so high, and it wasn't a good idea) So I got my tolerance back to 0, and decided to only stick with marijuana now, but now that I've started, this happens with only a .2 of bud! And it's not like I get relaxed, it's almost like I get only like a mind high, and have no body stone that relaxes you, and I just feel really stressed out and get really tense (very uncomfortable) from just a .2, I know if I smoked more the body stone probably would come, but that would exponentially make the mind high worse and that is the main problem here!!

I think it has to be because I've been really struggling with severe depression lately and that has caused my anxiety to skyrocket. I started taking Celexa a little more than 2 weeks ago and am hoping that is going to help! I just can't understand what is wrong with me. Could it be my severe depression/anxiety causing the problem??

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't get this - what are you referring to as JWH? I started smoking MJ when I was 15 and initially it would actually rid me of all anxiety (I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression long before I ever found the stuff). I literally wouldn't drive or go out in public without smoking first, and I was always perfectly comfortable with it. Years later I've got MUCH better bud and I'm smoking lots more of it, and it makes me so anxious I'm actually on the highest dosage of benzodiazepines I've ever heard of - just so I can keep using MJ for depression. I literally have to wake up and take my anxiety meds then wait a half hour before I can have my first puff, else I will go into a very uncomfortable panic and start hyperventilating. My first recommendation if MJ is causing you anxiety is to try to take a break, or at least cut back. Chances are, your tolerance has gotten so high that it takes you a large dose of THC to get your fix, meanwhile it's so much that it would make anybody paranoid. One recommendation I have if you find that you've gotten yourself overwhelmingly stoned is to take Omega 3-6-9 supplements, such as Fish Oil, or my personal favorite, a blend of fish, flaxseed, safflower, and olive oils by NatureMade (available in the vitamins section at any grocery store). These fatty acids will bind with that overabundance of THC in your system to help it pass more quickly.

One thing that really helps me not become paranoid is to take 30 seconds before I rip a bong load, and just sit and think with a clear head, "Everything is fine, there is absolutely nothing to worry about".

I sort of have to get into a place mentally, where if I start to feel anxious, or if I hear a dog barking next door I'm not going to fucking flip out and think the cops are surrounding my house. I just think back to my 30 second mental session before I started and remember that everything is totally fine and there is nothing to worry about. I don't know, panic attacks suck, hope that helps. It has helped me immensely.

Haddaway said:

Thanks for the replies, guys, it's just I used to smoke everyday for years and I would always love smoking a lot and getting super stoned/relaxed. I quit for awhile because I was fucking up my life with synthetic cannabinoids (JWH because my tolerance got so high, and it wasn't a good idea) So I got my tolerance back to 0, and decided to only stick with marijuana now, but now that I've started, this happens with only a .2 of bud! And it's not like I get relaxed, it's almost like I get only like a mind high, and have no body stone that relaxes you, and I just feel really stressed out and get really tense (very uncomfortable) from just a .2, I know if I smoked more the body stone probably would come, but that would exponentially make the mind high worse and that is the main problem here!!

I think it has to be because I've been really struggling with severe depression lately and that has caused my anxiety to skyrocket. I started taking Celexa a little more than 2 weeks ago and am hoping that is going to help! I just can't understand what is wrong with me. Could it be my severe depression/anxiety causing the problem??

Click to expand...

SSRI's like Celexa will DEFINITELY affect your response to MJ. I spent 5 years on Zoloft (almost identical, they just move a molecule around to patent it as a different drug), and also took Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor, and Remeron. Personally I remember I always had to smoke twice as much weed while on these drugs to get high, but drink only half as much alcohol to get tanked. I've been off all anti-depressants for a little over a year now, which is the main reason I smoke MJ honestly.

i bleed resin said:

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't get this - what are you referring to as JWH? I started smoking MJ when I was 15 and initially it would actually rid me of all anxiety (I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression long before I ever found the stuff). I literally wouldn't drive or go out in public without smoking first, and I was always perfectly comfortable with it. Years later I've got MUCH better bud and I'm smoking lots more of it, and it makes me so anxious I'm actually on the highest dosage of benzodiazepines I've ever heard of - just so I can keep using MJ for depression. I literally have to wake up and take my anxiety meds then wait a half hour before I can have my first puff, else I will go into a very uncomfortable panic and start hyperventilating. My first recommendation if MJ is causing you anxiety is to try to take a break, or at least cut back. Chances are, your tolerance has gotten so high that it takes you a large dose of THC to get your fix, meanwhile it's so much that it would make anybody paranoid. One recommendation I have if you find that you've gotten yourself overwhelmingly stoned is to take Omega 3-6-9 supplements, such as Fish Oil, or my personal favorite, a blend of fish, flaxseed, safflower, and olive oils by NatureMade (available in the vitamins section at any grocery store). These fatty acids will bind with that overabundance of THC in your system to help it pass more quickly.

Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JWH-018
JWH018 is a synthetic cannabinoid that acts as a full CB1 agonist, (whereas THC is just a partial agonist of the CB1 receptor). It is easily bought online in pure powder form (similar to buying pure thc) without the legal ramifications (the law is starting to get wise about it though). It is similar to a THC high (and there are different types with different highs,i.e., jwh-073, jwh-200, at various potencies) They cause different highs because the selectivity of the agonist chooses different parts of the receptor to active, thus causing many different highs which are all similar (Analogous to the fact that different strains cause different highs also but are all similar in that they all have to do with activating the CB1 receptor in some way)

Also, as I aformentioned in my first post, I have taken a at least two and a half month break from smoking and just started trying to smoke again (which is when all this panicking started happening). The experiences I've had is a result from smoking a .2 at the most, so it has nothing to do with my tolerance, as that is virtually nil.
But even so, thanks for your comments because I do relate to the fact that when I first started smoking it did ELIMINATE my anxiety, but now it seems to do the opposite. I am not sure what changed for you and me.. I wish I could figure it out..

i bleed resin said:

SSRI's like Celexa will DEFINITELY affect your response to MJ. I spent 5 years on Zoloft (almost identical, they just move a molecule around to patent it as a different drug), and also took Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor, and Remeron. Personally I remember I always had to smoke twice as much weed while on these drugs to get high, but drink only half as much alcohol to get tanked. I've been off all anti-depressants for a little over a year now, which is the main reason I smoke MJ honestly.

Click to expand...

Well I have noticed it does take less alcohol to get drunk, yet I have noticed (as I just stated in the post above to you) that the amount to get me high is extremely small (as my tolerance is not existant at the moment), and I was hoping that the antidepressant would eliminate the anxiety from smoking (I never use to get anxiety from smoking though, so this is just a recent hope as all this panicking from marijuana started happening recently). I do not think the antidepressant has started working yet.
There's a question I have for you, since you seem to have a multitude of experience with antidepressants, how effective are they are eliminating anxiety and depression for you, and how long have they taken to work for you? I have been on Celexa for 17 days and haven't noticed much difference (still been feeling extremely horrible, like I barely want to live) I have a hope that if it starts working maybe it'll elimiante the anxiety I've been getting from MJ.

Haddaway said:

Well I have noticed it does take less alcohol to get drunk, yet I have noticed (as I just stated in the post above to you) that the amount to get me high is extremely small (as my tolerance is not existant at the moment), and I was hoping that the antidepressant would eliminate the anxiety from smoking (I never use to get anxiety from smoking though, so this is just a recent hope as all this panicking from marijuana started happening recently). I do not think the antidepressant has started working yet.
There's a question I have for you, since you seem to have a multitude of experience with antidepressants, how effective are they are eliminating anxiety and depression for you, and how long have they taken to work for you? I have been on Celexa for 17 days and haven't noticed much difference (still been feeling extremely horrible, like I barely want to live) I have a hope that if it starts working maybe it'll elimiante the anxiety I've been getting from MJ.

Click to expand...

I'm hesitant to let myself go off on a rant about antidepressants because I have indeed had a lot of unique personal experience with them, and my experience in no way represents what happens to most people. In fact, they affect just about everybody pretty differently. But if you really just want my 2 cents on what I remember happening with ME, I don't mind sharing a bit. I will say first, that I sympathize with your battle with depression, and now anxiety. I know what it's like to be rendered paralyzed, unable to function by both of these conditions, and the only way to figure out what might be helpful for you is to try different things, including (if necessary), meds. So good luck!

Now please bear with me, I'm a heavy smoker nowdays and my memory isn't what it used to be. I guess I'll start with some background info: I remember my depression and anxiety both becoming really pronounced around age 11. It took me maybe a year to even realize what was happening, and I still had very little understanding of depression, and didn't realize anxiety was a very real medical thing. When I was 14 I had a psychological evaluation at my own request, which diagnosed me with chronic depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Shortly after I was put on 50mg of Zoloft daily, which eventually helped me stop feeling miserable, but unfortunately rendered me unable to feel much of anything, which is one of many reasons I stopped taking it when I was 19 (I was up to 100mg daily by that time). When I was 15 I started smoking pot, which totally relieved my anxiety and provided temporary relief for the depression. It was like I'd discovered a key to a door that had never been open. It was when I discovered pot's effect on my depression, that I knew that I would do whatever I could to one day get off pills forever, and always have pot.

I'm gonna skip most of the rest of the story here because I'm a little groggy and most of it isn't all that relevant to my answer to your question. Here are some key points that I guess I'd like to get across:

-When it comes to antidepressants, I really only have a good grip on SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), so it's this family of drugs I'm referring to. Not everything I've tried is an SSRI, but Zoloft and Lexapro both are (as is your Celexa), and those are what I spent the majority of my medicated time on. I can only describe how these drugs worked on ME.

-When I was first prescribed Zoloft, I was told that it was to treat both my depression AND anxiety. However, I found not long after I started it, that it greatly exacerbated my anxiety, and worked more as an anesthetic than a real "elimination" for my depression. My Dr. would confirm to me a couple years later that it was a common complaint that Zoloft actually made patients nervous. I was smoking tons of cigarettes, unable to sleep, and lost a bit of weight. With pot on the other hand, depression and anxiety were both greatly relieved. Nowdays, pot remains a huge relief for my depression (though nothing has ever been fully effective), but does make me anxious/paranoid after I smoke it. I'm only able to smoke with the help of a large dosage of benzodiazepines daily, which I don't recommend. Benzo's are extremely physically addictive, which I was never warned when I first started them for anxiety. Unless you really need it, I don't recommend getting on benzo's for anxiety. They work the best for ME, but I realize now I'm just replacing a bad problem with a worse one.

-It should be noted that during the whole time I was on Zoloft (age 14-19), I was experiementing with plenty of other substances than just pot, so I was bound to be a pretty rebellious patient who never really wanted to NEED to take a pill every day. Heck, who would that sound good to?

-Just because I haven't taken an antidepressant in over a year, opting to continue using MJ for my depression, and benzo's for my anxiety, doesn't mean I recommend this to anybody. I smoke weed like it's nobody's business, and depression will still always be a part of who I am. I simply prefer the side effects and level of depression I have on pot to those on SSRI's.

Having said all that, I DO believe antidepressants have a lot of potential for positive results. I think it's something to try if your depression gets so overwhelming that you're unable to try anything else. Don't be discouraged that you haven't noticed much difference in your first 17 days on Celexa. These things typically take a month or so until you first realize something's changing, so you need to keep up with it for at least a couple months to say you've really given it a fair try. Now that you're on it, the most important advice I can give you is to NEVER stop taking it all of a sudden. You will lose your grip on reality. You might feel better at first, like you've regained some kind of freedom, but your moods will swing violently. I'm fortunate to have survived 3 suicide attempts that all happened within a couple months of quitting Zoloft cold turkey when I was 19. If you don't want to be on it anymore, tell your doctor and s/he'll give you a safe amount of time over which to decrease your dosage and ween yourself off. As for anxiety, I will tell you based on my own experience, that I think SSRI's make it MUCH worse. I'm nowhere near a doctor, but my first guess as to the cause of your anxiety is the Celexa. I just know this is the effect I got from these drugs, but not just when I smoked. All through highschool, I was extremely nervous, shy, fidgety, sweaty, and chainsmoking. I know this is probably not all that uncommon in highschool anyway, but I attribute the degree to which my anxiety soared solely to being on Zoloft. Things I've found to be good for anxiety: Chamomile, Kava, Valerian root, sex, and breathing exercises (in through the nose, out through the mouth, google it!)

Anything beyond this you'd like my take on, it'd probably be more appropriate to shoot me a PM. I don't mind sharing my experience with this stuff, but I don't think most people want to read about it here.

I listen to my sounds of nature cds (usually the ocean waves) to calm me down when I'm flying off the handle.

I have that too, and I never seemed to have that before I started smoking.. I would be in class and every single giggle or word that people said behind me would ALWAYS be directed towards me, I thought maybe I was one of the few who marijuana causes schizophrenia in or something for awhile. Until I started talking to other people about it, and it happens to a lot more people than I thought

People say THC is a mild and wonderful drug. EVERY drug has the potential to be wonderful. I've heard of people who have had amazing experiences on PCP and say that the dose just needs be lowered, as skeptical as I am of that, I still except that as quite possible. THC is not mild. It can be, but it's still a powerful drug in its own right.

yeah man, i get the same damn thing and it is pissing me the fuck off! My friends tell me that i was smoking out of this little sneak a toke, and then i went straight to and 18" bong clearing it. I had it for two weeks and then the panic attack happened, same shit as what you said, and now my chest isnt the same anymore, i am taking a break from smoking but still have weird feelings in my chest. Every time i go for a walk my heart seems to pound more, or its just that i check my heart all the fucking time again to see if its going to explode or something. I wanna smoke weed again but its just these weird feeling in my chest are getting the best of me, got and EKG, chest x-ray, and blood test. Doctors say nothings abnormal, and i used to be a long distance runner in middle school, but since high school i got out. yeah so i'm taking a break to see if this persists and if its all in my head. if it is then its all in your head too thats what i am hoping and not to have a heart attack or something.... somebody reply with knowledge.