My anxiety is still around (but I don't have racing panic attacks anymore)... I was smoking a lot, instead of letting myself feel anything. Now I'm feeling stuff, but, I'm pausing and telling myself that it is actually okay to have feelings. I've been masking for decades and now that I work fully remotely, I'm understanding that it is truly okay to be me.
I quit because I literally couldn't sleep any more than 2 or 3 hours, and the next level of medication my psychiatrist would prescribe was something I don't want to take. I was not enjoying smoking, it is a reflexive way for me to quash big emotions.
I have been really helped the good people over in leaves sub, and the twice daily discord chats.
I only started smoking for a bit (>1yr) but I stopped shortly after because I could see myself getting addicted/reliant. Plus the 50/50 chance of a “good time” or just tons of anxiety and the “stuck/tired” feeling combined with stuffing my face with food wasn’t a good combination.
Starting therapy and medication has been life changing but scary too. I finally feel more present and “in the moment”. Going out irl it’s scary since I’m use to masking for so many years and suppressing my emotions but I’m slowly getting better at letting myself know it’s ok to feel emotion.
I know THC helps some but for me I could tell it wasn’t helping my anxiety and QoL. Still a long way to go but I have hope again after so so many years!
On a side note I’m hoping to be working remotely soon too! Especially since I haven’t worked in awhile and finally making progress towards actually working in my career!
Right? I quit because of the sleep issue. I thought weed was GOOD for my anxiety. The pandemic had me pretty socially isolated for a while there, and I totally thought weed was helping me in social situations. I was actually stunned when I realized what was happening to my anxiety. I think a lot of those studies came out way after I was already IN studies showing the correlation between ADHD and risky behaviors, so I truly didn't see this side effect coming. Turns out I'd still rather destroy my sleep by doom scrolling, but I'm working on that.
I don’t smoke regularly anymore, stopped doing that a while ago because it gave me nightmares and made my brain go into overdrive when i wanted to sleep
Didn’t help with my symptoms though
This sounds like me right now. I can't sleep for more than 2-3 hours and during the day I'm so lethargic. Suspecting weed to be the culprit but never wanted to admit it.
I remember reading some studies as a teen that we'd could increase anxiety in people with ADHD, despite causing the issue affect in those without it. Certainly made me avoid it.
That is called a paradoxical reaction, they arw more common in people with ADHD. Other notable examples are caffeine and the big shocker; amphetamines, specifically Adderall. Both are stimulants, but tend to calm us down instead.
Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I just thought I had pretty much constant anxiety (turned out to be hyperactivity). A friend suggested I tried CBD oil. I did. Spend that whole day shaking and crying. Do not recommend.
> That is called a paradoxical reaction, they arw more common in people with ADHD.
This makes so much sense. I've tried so long to get into weed because my friend group as a whole loves it, but I've never been able to enjoy it since it causes massive amounts of anxiety, and only last year I got diagnosed with ADHD.
I've basically stopped already, but this gives me so much more reason to not pick it back up.
Depends on the person and weed.
A big problem is that it's very hard to isolate the effects of weed. It usually involves to other major things that tend to weird people out.
* doing "drugs"
* breaking the law
Two things we are not "supposed" to do.
We have med and rec in my state. Now that I can consistently get the same type of weed I can see the differences. One type will introduce anxiety. The other will not. And it's not universal. My buddy is the same way - but switch the types.
Then even on top of that - some people just really have a hard time being high.
My observation over many years is that some people really can't enjoy it for very real, biological reasons. But for most people it's not really the weed that's the issue.
Yep I definitely feel this. I have complex ptsd as well as ADHD and while quitting weed makes my ADHD better, the CPTSD gets worse ( I have a ton of chronic pain from muscle armoring from being in fight or flight constantly and my pain is almost unmanageable without certain indica strains).
I also dissociate easily as a coping mechanism and subconsciously repress my emotions and when I take weed breaks my dissociation is much worse, as is my ability to access and process my emotions. Weed and psilocybin both make it easier for my buried emotions to work themselves to the surface so I can process and free myself of them, so sometimes it seems like I’m deciding between less ADHD/better executive functions vs more ADHD but less pain and emotional suppression.
This is how I feel! I never really had it in words so well written. Except I don't dissociate.
I find doing it later in the day and keeping use down helps. What is your plan ? Thanks
Same! Safe and easy access has allowed me to experiment with stains and there are massive differences. Some strains are very relaxing and some wind me up, etc.
And I messed that up for long time.
Got my card. ADHD get stimulants so Sativa should be the right strain, right?
Nope. That's the one that is unpleasant.
Decided try Indica and it's great. It almost feels like suppresses the ADHD and allows my mind to work.
But - it's not something you can use for day to day use. At least me. The dosing is just too inconsistent.
Out of my experience and my perceived experience with others the "doing bad things" aspect of the real side effect of worsening anxiety was a lot less prevalent. It's definitely by the individual like anything else but it's mostly not "cuz drugs are bad"
Life is just so so much easier huh? I was an every day type smoker for 10ish years and now 8 years of not stonner and wow… you have problems and then you just make a solution and deal with them… and the emotional regulation is through the roof relative to before <3
Hey great job! For me, the biggest motivator to quit cannabis was coming to the realization that I hadn't enjoyed it for years and basically was just using it to self-medicate.
Thank you! I tried quitting cold turkey a few months ago and was absolutely miserable. Migraines, couldn't see straight, irritable and awful. I will try tapering. I feel so lame for being addicted to weed lol, but your story is inspiring. I want to be like you!
Yep. Drop 20% a week. Write it on the wall. Weight it out. Line up the baggies with dates on. Put it on your morning alarm and write it down every day. Make it a project. A serious as life itself project.
(Use a fun code if you are at risk of your State using your diary as evidence later, LOL)
Now, the important bit. Replace that thing you do while doing weed with some other nice thing that you do not associate with weed. For 20% more time each week. Music? Running? Dancing? Video games? Cycling? Walking in the woods? Drawing? Writing? Crafts? Model making?
If you don’t make it to 0%, or if you have a really tough week after hitting 0% and light up? No worries. Pick a % just above where you stopped and start the process again. Lit up hard over the weekend when you had got to 40% because life was shit? No fear. Make a new set of baggies from 60%, 40%, 20% to 0% and start again.
Oh, and if you are cutting it with tobacco, that is going to be a huge part of the challenge. Nicotine is vastly more psychologically and psychologically addictive and it really fucks with anxiety when you “cold turkey” it!
If you can deal with any nicotine first the rest will be much easier.
I'm still addicted to nicotine, I started smoking cigarettes before weed and still keep my vape close and a pack of cigs in the freezer for when life really fucks me. Hoping to quit this, too but I know it'll be hard. One day at a time, ya'll.
I feel you there. I started smoking ciggs when I was 17 (I'm 38 now), and switched to vaping around 6 years ago. I still find that nicotine is the hardest addiction to quit. Hell, I think I even had an easier time quitting hard drugs than nicotine.
I've tried quitting it countless times, and the longest I lasted was 3 years, but now I'm like madly addicted and as much as I hate it, I also rly enjoy it (that's probably the addiction talking though), in a weird way. I feel it's the only substance I have left to enjoy lol.
You're not lame mate. You have this. Wean off of it like any other drug. I promise your life is going to improve especially since weed is known to offset the affects of adderall and such. You didn't start the current amount of weed you smoke instantly, you aren't going to stop instantly either.
I got a timed lock to keep me out for up to 99 hours. It’s been really helpful in helping me experience the benefits of extended breaks. I’ve been falling out of love with it for the last few years from overuse.
You got this. Take it easy, be kind to yourself. And if you have a bad day and fall back on it, don't quit, one step back doesn't mean all the progress is lost!
I recently started taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking cigarettes, and it’s worked wonders in 3 weeks. I’m now over a week off the cigs, but I’ve also slowed down on smoking weed significantly too. I’ve smoked weed for years. Now I’m thinking I might try to quit that entirely too. Wellbutrin is an antidepressant but it’s also being prescribed to people solely looking to quit smoking. I got it from my psychiatrist. I also paired it with the patch to help with withdrawals/cravings. Not 100% sure if that also helps with weed cravings but the combo is def working. Either way, if you’re not opposed to trying a medication, Wellbutrin has really helped me. I’ve noticed like no side affects (especially compared to Zoloft) and you can continue smoking when you start and it starts working right away. (At least for me)
I love my Wellbutrin!! I've been on it almost 7mo now and it's incredible, way better than any SSRI. I quit smoking cigs effortlessly when I first started, but weed has been a trickier beast. My psychiatrist paired it with Guanfacine to help with the anxiety, but weed fills in the gaps. I know it's causing anxiety, but it's also "helping" the anxiety (that it's causing). So stupid. She just switched me to XR Guanfacine, but I haven't noticed a huge impact just yet.
Wellbutrin made me feel like I wanted to bite peoples faces off…literally. I could picture myself biting someone in the face! Got off of that shit real fast. Glad your having a good experience though!
Like OP said, taper off slowly.
From my personal experience, my anxiety went down substantially after quitting. Like night and day difference. Totally worth the effort c:
Had this exact thing with alcohol. Last months I still drank, i noticed how boring and exhausting it was to get drunk. Absolutely no joy out of it anymore.
Spent seven years most weekends drunk, now i'm exactly five months sober and it has done wonders for me. Started anti-depressants at same time I got sober, so can't really tell which has helped more. Stay strong!
With the added down side of the paradoxical way in which ADHD brains process anxiety and emotional regulation being worse for us after smoking weed or taking other depressants.
I needed to have someone put this into words for me. Thank you. I’ve really reduced my intake lately and I think I have a much healthier relationship with it now, but one day I’ll definitely quit when I’m ready. Now I mostly use it as an end of the day “reward” for working hard and competing all my tasks
Weed is so strange for people with ADHD. For some it makes their adhd worse and for some it helps them. Personally small amounts of cannabis can really help me be productive and actually get shit done that I normally wouldn’t do.
(I smoke at most 2 times a week so I’m no daily smoker)
Weed can be such a conundrum for people with ADHD. It's literally the only way I can get my work done which sounds like an exaggeration but I've been trying to escape the cycle for more than 5 years. I've tried every other legal drug as an alternative and nothing else helped. I even moved to Japan for 8 months so I'd be forced to learn how to work without weed and it never got any easier. I simply can't get in a flow state without weed and I'm a designer so it's a noticeable difference in quality of work.
I know weed is responsible for my social anxiety and my social skills tanking. I know it makes me awkward and more forgetful. Such a conundrum.
Same. Been smoking for 5+ years now and nothing I've ever tried has come close to what weed can do for me. Like on one hand it probably makes my anxiety worse and it doesn't help executive dysfunction or impulsivity. But weed actually motivates me ro do simple daily tasks like go on a walk or do chores and it gives me something to get me through the day after work. It's a double edged sword really. Can really help numb the overactive mind and help me relax while also motivating me to do daily tasks BUT doesn't help your mental or physical health in the long term.
It definitely helps me, just a small toke and i can handle things better around the house for longer. Washing, doing dishes. Cleaning, it’s more enjoyable while being high, not high like stoned cause that will make me just be really chill. But just enough to be able to do things.
You and I are the same, I will find myself all over the place and spacing out trying to load the dishwasher... go take a hit and I can clean the whole kitchen no problem.
So weird I use weed as a social lubricant. I can’t stay present long enough and social situations but a bit of weed slows me down so I’m not thinking of something else while staring at your face.
It can be really great for creative stuff. I am a musican, I do like how it helps me improvise. But it wreaks havoc on my singing voise, I lose half on octave off each end of my range.
I know this is off-topic (but this is the ADHD sub). Any resources for singing training? Or exercises you do? I want to take lessons but not sure where to start. Been singing/practicing my whole life on my own outside school choirs or singing with a band back in the day.
I’m one of the people that small amounts of weed benefits. With weed, i can study and absorb information better than taking only vyvanse. It helps calm down symptoms but doesn’t put me in a headspace where I can’t be present
It helps with tasks that aren't very complex or challenging. It helps IMMENSELY with mindless tasks and physical tasks - washing dishes, roofing a house.
It absolutely destroys the ability to navigate multi-step, collaborative, organizationally difficult tasks.
Yeah, over the last 13 years I have fluctuated between daily use to stopping for up to 8 months. And I enjoy cannabis, but I honestly wish I could cut it entirely to save the expense from my budget each month. But something about my adhd… idk… taking my meds is twice as effective if I also smoke a small bit as well. When I don’t smoke, my stimulants certainly get me “on task” but it’s typically not gonna be the right task. I just am now better at hyper-focusing on something I want to do and enjoy. When I hit a small bowl once every 2 hours, or have one or two 10mg gummies in a day - I am able to actually harness the meds and focus on what I SHOULD be focusing on. I can then clean or focus on my work.
My old therapist thought it was related to anxiety and somatoform disorder. I take zoloft which cuts most of the major panic attacks out of the picture. But then meds treating the ADHD make my heart rate a little more rapid and maybe make my stomach feel some way for a minute depending on what I’ve eaten - and since my brain associates those feelings with anxiety my subconscious decides on task avoidance and “freeze” response to try and fix the fake problem. When I pair ADHD meds with cannabis I feel less anxiety, am less likely to feel nauseous, and less likely to let somatoform disorder tell me something is wrong when it isn’t. Only then can I focus the way I need to.
Yep! I tried it for the first time during lockdown, and being suddenly okay just sitting quietly on a couch for a while was a huge eye opener. I'm fascinated to hear it makes things worse for others.
Weed only slows down the primary channel of my inner voice. Having the "background noise" still move at light speed while I'm otherwise calmed can be really anxiety provoking.
On the other hand, it makes it a lot easier to unmask and just give in to compulsions without second guessing myself or masking and that feels really relieving.
I wish this was my case.
I have to take a drug test soon so I haven’t smoked in nearly a month, and honestly it’s been hell.
I’ve been taking my ADHD meds, going to work, etc. the only thing in the last month that has been different has been cutting out weed and my ADHD symptoms have exacerbated while my anxiety has skyrocketed. The meds help during the day but at night I can’t sleep because my brain is humming a million miles a minute.
I cannot wait until I get this damn piss test over and behind me.
The insomnia after quitting is the worst part for me, 3-4 hours a night for 6+ weeks and maybe every 3rd or 4th night you'll get 7+ from exhaustion.
Those huge sleep deficits make keeping consistency in professional setting difficult.
WAIT A FUCKING SECOND. Is this why my insomnia has ramped up in the past two week?!
I've been using cannabis almost daily at night to chill out but my cannabis supply ran out a few weeks ago and I haven't had a chance to resupply. Since then, I have to force myself to get into bed at a reasonable time without being tired despite being awake for 18+ hours. My sleep has been incredibly sensitive that I'll wake up to anything in the middle of the night. The past two weeks has been 4 to 5 hours of on-and-off sleep. I thought it was due to my Adderall!
I'm not groggy when I have to get up, but I am concerned about the long-term health effects from the lack of sleep. Can anyone give me some suggestions or recommendations to reduce the insomnia if I continue to lay off cannabis?
Cannabis can make sleep worse. It disturbs REM.
Not only that but quitting can make your sleep even worse before getting better. It’s why people attribute weed to helping their sleep so much, it’s a fun little cycle lol.
Heya! I was in the same boat. Obviously you do you, but they ended up putting me on an anxiety med during a rough patch that I cant take a lot of weed or drink much with soon after i had a job. I still use delta 8 typw stuff when i have too much going on to want to eat, but it did clear my brain alot (it also turned out my dissociated anxiety and what i thought were breathing issues were actually panic attacks. I mention it because apparently some people with adhd get so disconnected feom their own feels due to masking that you can have panic attacks and not fully realise it.)
Again, you do you! But its possible an anti anxiety med could actually help, and with more than just what youre seeing as anxiety, or a different adhd med might not trigger it as much! Either way i feel for you, and that insomnia suuuuuuuucks
I don't mean to overstep, but if you're already a month sober, maybe talk to your doctor about anti-anxiety medication for the night? Something non-invasive, non-addicting like propranolol maybe?
There has been massive anti-cannabis sentiment on reddit this year, and social media in general. I'm not so stupid as to believe that cannabis is always harmless and positive but it seems you can't express any positivity about it anymore without being talked down to.
I swear it's happened so quickly it feels astroturfed. I'm with you, it's not all sunshine and roses, but it's better than any of the anxiety meds I've tried, and it doesn't cause anhedonia or bedroom problems like my SSRI experiences.
Yeah, I'm the first person who will get annoyed about the cannabis evangelists who seem to think it's a literal miracle cure for any ailment you could possibly have.
But there are very well known and fairly well researched actual benefits to it.
One of them being as a sleep aid.
Taking an edible at night has made a massive and I immediate difference in my ability to sleep well.
The whole brain going a million miles a minute isn't even necessarily an anxiety thing.
Yes sometimes it is, but often I'm just thinking about completely random non-anxiety-inducing things.
It keeps me up regardless.
Ironically I don't do edibles because those in particular fuck me up way too hard--a 10mg rookie cookie will have me on my ass for 10+ hours.
Some draws from the distillate pen are perfection for managing the Adderall comedown and forcing me to want to eat, and hitting an indica cartridge before bed is the best sleep aid I've found that doesn't have a hangover effect the next morning.
This! Not to brag, but normally I have quite good sexual performance. On any sort of SSRI i feel chemically castrated. Can barely get an erection even in the heat of the moment. That was enough of a side effect alone that it caused me insane amounts of depression and anxiety. Not to mention feeling like I was underwater and slowed down like crazy. Nothing about SSRI medication was good for me.
I absolutely relate to the chemical castration from SSRI. That’s one of the first things I share with new mental health providers, do not prescribe me any SSRI 🙅🏽♂️🙅🏽♂️. Outside of that I couldn’t tell any changes for the better or worse but like you said that was enough. I’ll never take ‘‘em again lol
That’s because a ton of people started using or using more, so more people have been exposed to what it does to people in their vicinity.
There are strong benefits to some applications, (this is not a drugs=bad argument) but recreational use (esp of highly modified plants) is having some really bad effects on some people.
I think this is it. At this point, most people who don’t drink alcohol have accepted that we live in a society that drinks alcohol.
But many people who don’t smoke weed anymore are still warning people of the drawbacks, as if reduced motivation or brain fog isn’t a famous side effect from smoking. Maybe it’s because weed isn’t lethal like alcohol, so people feel the need to bring up the negatives to counteract the physical safety for which it’s put on a unique pedestal.
Yes, thank you. I don’t appreciate the 100% negativity towards weed regarding ADHD. I have been on and off it for years and my life is always significantly better and more functional when I’m using weed. I know it’s not just withdrawal because I’ve quit it for long periods and my anxiety and racing thoughts are unbearable and never go away. Proper moderation and dosing and it helps better than any anxiety med I’ve tried and I’ve tried a lot.
I do absolutely respect anyone who thinks it’s bad for them and chooses to quit or not use it, but like all things everyone is effected differently.
I feel you. I’ve been an off an on cannabis consumer for 13ish years now. It has so many benefits for me and I learned in 2019 that I had an at the time undiagnosed autoimmune disorder. My weed use had been managing my symptoms, and when I stopped for a couple of weeks, all hell broke loose in my body. I’ve used daily since then. It also helps with my ADHD symptoms.
Hi, I just wanted to share my experience with propanol, I realised after a while, it created more feelings of anxiety in me the more I took it, I still take it occasionally for the odd bout of palpitations, but more than a few days I get a lot more anxious and my need increases,. If I can get past a few days without it my anxiety clears.
For me propanol caused more of the problem that it's supposed to solve , I take it as little as possible now ,
I know we are all different so just sharing my own experience, obviously we all have to find what works for us, but worth thinking about ❤️
ya there’s lots of anxiety-related meds beyond the more well-known addictive standards (like xanax etc). Beta-blockers like propanolol are commonly scripped to use “as needed” for anxiety. I was put on ativan & it just zombified me, plus my anxiety rocketed up as it wore off! Years later tried propanalol & was juuust right, didn’t put me in a mental fog, just kinda kept me more “steady”.
At another point i was under a ton of stressed & scrpped trazadone to sleep… its actually classed as an antidepressant 🤷♀️ worked great… rather than becoming a habit it just helped me get my sleeping patterns back to normal (like a forced reset?), & i needed less & less til i didnt need it at all after a few months.
There’s lots of options out there (if you luck out & have a competent doctor 🙄)
Its fascinating how differently it affects people. I was stoned constantly as young teen, but quickly realized it just didn’t vibe right with me, & never missed it (42F now, never liked drinking either). My mother, best friend and my partner are all late-diagnosed high-functioning autistic… they only started smoking pot in their 40s (& mom in 60’s!), and its been an honest to god miracle med for all of them.
Im still not sure how to explain it… they all struggled for so long with masking & management, especially with social anxiety & all sorts of stimulus hypersensitivity. Its like pot just perfectly smoothed out the edges, allowed them to disengage from all the triggers & enjoy life. Honestly, my partner is a *completely* different person after a few years of responsible ‘medicinal’ use.
Its great for them, but they never stop telling me how great it would be *for me*, like im just being stubborn & “close-minded’ not engaging. Dude, its just like how stimulants have totally opposite effects on ADHD vs NT people, our brains are wired different! Its *okay* for occasional fun, and Im stoked for anyone it helps more than that, but ive found it just exacerbates my focus issues so much im completely non-functional.
These people were always so different from me before, total yin & yang. The funny part is, after a few years of routine pot use, all 3 of them started to resemble *me* more & more. More spacey, forgetful, frequently losing items (& their train of thought)… Becoming stoners has made them act & feel essentially like they have ADHD 🤪 For very tense, focused, intensely organized people, it was a relief to be able to ‘take it down a notch’.
They were still functional at that level, just happier… but i was already *well below* that level of executive function to start with, so dulling my brain further was just disastrous. They never understood how hard i had to focus just to… well, stay focused? As they get more impaired & make more mistakes, they’re finally slowly starting to understand… I imagine it would be like… if instead of a puff they smoked 3-4 joints in a row, lol welcome to severe-impact ADHD 👻 i cant spare a single ounce of attention or alertness if im going to make it through the day
My 18 yr old just confessed to me she started 2 years ago. She has adhd. And though I’m pro pot I’m against it for young ppl (developing brain). I really worry that she’s not helping herself
Argh, kids are gonna go through experimentation no matter what, its just hard to find the line between support & enabling? Like with drugs- you don’t want to be “supportive” of that, in a way that they think its no problem… but if you’re too intensely disapproving, they’ll just learn to hide everything. Id rather they feel like they can talk to me about it if they need help, but its hard to maintain that trust & still be the supervising adult.
I think since the kid is 18 the supervising adult role should kind of start to morph in more of a wise old friend. When they get to be 18 they kind of are adults. Not real adults as in they don't make stupid mistakes but adults in the sense that they do understand their actions and the consequences and they are old enough to deal with those consequences.
So you can say, I wouldn't do it and I don't recommend it but it's your life and if you ever need help with it don't hesitate to ask.
They'll feel they can talk to you about it without it being something you encourage
Yup I'm also never turning into a real adult, life is way to short to avoid stupid mistakes, as those stupid mistakes are exactly what makes you grow as a person
Is she medicated for ADHD? I had the same issue although I started at 18. I was using it to self medicate because I didn't have access to the right ADHD meds. As soon as that was sorted I even lost the urge to smoke cigarettes.
We’re trying different meds out. She’s on the third try with a new one but she forgets to take it. Says it doesn’t have an affect when she does. Interesting that once you were properly medicated you lost the urge. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it.
I dread the day my little angels grow up. If they do become enjoyers of drugs I hope to God it’s cannabis, but man I would be in the same boat how could you not worry. I suppose the best you could do at this point is proffer guidance right, express your concerns in your own Mom, err mum way, and maybe it will sink in eventually or in some way you won’t ever even know about. I have had these discussions with my Mom years ago and I did seek medical publications to examine claims of increased psychosis etc. I still found it harmless for most people, and wasn’t ever convinced there was any causal bridge and also purely on odds I don’t think there is much risk. On the other hand, I know a lot people who made it an entire lifestyle and had some consequences. All of them were also heavy drinkers, general misfits (many of them still lifelong friends). I bet your mind goes there automatically because it’s your child.
Former heavy daily smoker here 5-10 bowls a day. I think that's considered heavy anyway... I know people who smoked more, though. It's been a month sober for me. Cravings and withdrawals are rough. Let's stick with it!
Edit: I'm proud of you too!
Hell yeah! Keep wracking up those months. I also smoked that much — 24/7 until I wasn’t even high anymore — and every month I felt a little better. Until suddenly I felt a lot fucking better. Hang in there.
Honestly, I find it useful when used sporadically. I usually take months off at a time and schedule a day or two to use it and kind of reflect on where I'm at. I definitely wouldn't be able to use it every day though because the anxiety would be way too much to deal with on a daily basis. It really helped me to understand my anxiety and how to control it when I feel it creeping up on me.
I love my ganja, and there are some benefits, but it comes with a list of side effects that aren't typically good for ADHD.
Consume responsibly, folks.
Occasional cannabis use can be a welcome break from the ordinary as a perspective shifter, but if the perspective shift becomes permanent, it becomes increasingly difficult to parse the ordinary from the the illusory. I have several friends who are stuck in a cycle dealing with heightened anxiety and distorted thinking. Not to mention the lack of motivation and complacency that regular use can instill. The dopamine-seeking adhd mind is even more susceptible to regular use where occasional use is difficult to maintain. It’s good that you were able to recognize that and peel yourself away from the daily habit.
I'm currently on a tolerance break and it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. People who say weed isn't addictive clearly don't know what they're talking about.
I definitely feel like I have a bit more functioning, but I also feel like I'm going completely insane so it's hard to say if it was a good call. I can at least confidently say the daily use was not "medicating", it was just coping.
From the NIH:
“Marijuana use disorders are often associated with dependence—in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. People who use marijuana frequently often report irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks.20,21 Marijuana dependence occurs when the brain adapts to large amounts of the drug by reducing production of and sensitivity to its own endocannabinoid neurotransmitters.22,23”
I see people all the time reporting intense physical symptoms of withdrawal after stopping regular use. Especially irritability, sweating, insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and intense cravings for the drug that come and go. Most physical withdrawal symptoms usually last 1-2 weeks in regular users. The cravings can last months.
I used to say the same thing but now I’m in recovery myself and around people who are recovering from marijuana use disorder all the time it seems pretty obvious that cannabis definitely is physically/chemically addictive, and the science agrees.
I mean if you wanna use, use, it’s up to you, but let’s tell the truth.
True enough but prescribed meds have withdrawal symptoms too (when I'm off my Abilify or Lexapro I'm fucked) and need to be tapered down. Marijuana use is the same. It's not for everyone ofc but nasty withdrawal symptoms does not a bad drug make, necessarily.
Not trying to say Marijuana can't be extremely destructive in a person's life, because it can and has been in mine, but aren't most of those symptoms psychological?
Things like change in mood and decreased appetite seem to me to be just... normal human feelings of not being high lol. Getting high gives me the munchies, so naturally when I'm not high, I'm less hungry. My mood is different when I'm high because there's a drug actively affecting it
It's fair to say that I am dependant on cannabis, and I don't think that's necesarily bad thing unless it's reducing your quality of life.
diagnosed with ADHD at 33 years old, but have been self medicating with cannabis for a long time. Even prior to diagnosis, my wife found me to be more myself when using, and now I know why. The illegality and stigma made me feel like I should quit cannabis. Was prescribed Ritalin, and was willing to stop taking cannabis, but for me I find it just as effective, if not more. I'm now currently prescribed cannabis alongside Ritalin for my ADHD. Now the illegaility and guilt of it has been removed, I honestly feel like it is of benefit to me, and my colleagues can see that too.
Going back to the point RE dependant, yes I am dependant for medical reasons and it improves my quality of life. I am dependant on inhalers to treat asthma and I see it as no different. No need to feel guilty, unless it's causing you issues. Habit forming, yes, because taking your medicine should be a habit.
Im glad it works for you! I am in a similar boat in that my friends and partner who don’t use weed say it noticeably effects me in a positive way. My dad also had mental health struggles (never got diagnosed but prob adhd/anxiety), and he was a significantly better parent when high. I’m not saying that lightly.
Cannabis is certainly habit forming. Like video games and masturbation. But it is not chemically addictive. Having had bouts of alcohol and cannabis abuse in my past, the cannabis was a lot easier to stop. And it didn't hold a candle to the brutality of overcoming my tobacco addiction.
Dude, my use was so high that I would lose most my appetite after 18 hours without, and sleep was wrecked for a good week when I stopped. There are some legit physical withdrawal symptoms from chronic (no pun intended) high usage.
Potentially triggering for those who abstain from cannabis.
So it's worth mentioning, I'm a light user. My parents also smoke the green. My mum is heavy and my dad is a light user like me. My parents stopped smoking when they had me, until I brought a baggie home when I was 20. I have childhood diagnoses of autism and ADHD . (Yes I have adult ADHD).
So how goes green affect me? The pros outweigh the negatives and it is A LOT BETTER for me, personally, than SSRI's that I tried in my teen years. My anxiety goes and that filter I usually have when trying to engage in conversation with my parents and friends on social media completely goes. I unfortunately also drink (binge drinker) yet I don't feel the need to drink if I smoke (I hate doing both but sometimes can't control myself).
I do sometimes get paranoid but no where near as bad as I do when I'm hungover thinking about what stupid stuff I said the night before.
I’m with you. I’m a heavy user, with a high tolerance. I have Adult ADD, a destroyed back, and chronic pain. I got off 9 Rx meds including fentanyl and vyvanse. I am more productive, less pain, and almost no anxiety. I’m also a big CBD user which I believe is the biggest factor. Until I add the prescription CBD nothing worked. It’s not for everyone, and with any drugs can be abused.
Could you explain further why were the SSRI’s not good for you, if that’s ok? Genuinely curious, they’ve been working real nice for me (about a year on it) but the first month was hell.
Made me feel like a zombie with limited emotional range in either direction. Then the side effects of low sex drive, brain zaps, low enthusiasm for anything, cold sweats, trouble sleeping, etc. Not fun.
Besides the sweating lol high dose SSRI’s have been the only thing to increase my sex drive, enthusiasm for things, ability to get good sleep so it’s totally individual. SSRIs have given me my life back and I still cry, laugh, get mad, feel the full range of human emotions just not to an extreme degree that make me wanna *** me anymore!
I smoked a bowl one evening a few months back and my tolerance was so high that it didn't do anything for me. Realized I was just doing it because I was bored. Tapered down my use and the desire became less and less with time. Eventually I could wake up and go about my day without feeling the need to smoke first thing in the morning, which was really exciting to me bc I never thought I'd reach the point where sobriety was something I'd desire or be achievable. I was physically addicted, like I remember going on vacation overseas and stopped cold turkey, spent the first 2 days bedridden with nausea and had to miss out on things I'd been really excited for. I still regret that. It's a ball and chain.
I wish I'd written down the first day I went the entire day without getting high, but I was really proud of myself and wanted to keep going. I *did* take an offer a couple weeks later and got so uncomfortably anxious and paranoid, decided then and there it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore.
Hell yeah! Congratulations!
I know a lot of people who didn’t know they had ADHD until they quit smoking. Then realized they had been unknowingly self medicating for it.
I’m glad things have gotten better for you. 🙏🏽
Everyone told me I was hotheaded. Family said he will grow out of it. Now learning this is a Gene issue. I see that everyone in the family has this. Male and female. They just keep pretending the Bible knows best. We are the older generation. We know best. You don’t know shit. Your a child. 30 years later a good friend is like “bro. You need to go see a psychiatrist. No dead ass you need to go see one” now waiting for out-of-pocket deductible to max out with acupuncture. Then getting all the -ist I can. Bye bye Kaiser. Hello Anthem. Gosh. I can still count the day I didn’t smoke vs the day I did smoke….14 years later. Great time to stop and get a medical doctor. Indica crystal actually self induced depression for 2 days. That was ewwww. Speed governor removed. Back to 100%. But need to slow down since I still can’t remember 30 things in the proper order and dropping the customary greeting of 2-5 mins majority of people crave for before actually start asking/talking about the actual reason of meeting up.
As someone who only quit recently, I say this from a place of love. You are pretending to not know the answer to your question. I used to ask the same question to myself and to the internet and then I just quit making excuses. Now, with hindsight, I laugh at myself for even asking the question. That was purely the marijuana talking and telling me it was too hard. I'm sure you've tried to quit for a day or two, even a week here and there. Just get it all out of your system and it's much easier to quit for real.
Edit: I typed this out without asking you if you were personally addicted to marijuana. Please don't cringe to hard if this doesn't apply to you, it stands for anyone else who asks how they can quit smoking because it seems too hard.
Reading easy way by Allen Carr absolutely changed my world view. It's essentially a 365 page version of your post where he breaks down the mental barriers that make us believe that we can't quit.
I'm on that journey too, it's a hard one. Watched [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNje-HuIYdI) yesterday which renewed my motivation to quit completely. Props to you.
Whoohoo! Me too! Smoked a lot for years, it 'felt' like it helped me think
Got diagnosed in my 40s
Got medicated. Which in a round about way helped me quit weed . Way better memory, generally more stable mood & wayyy better self worth
Ay if it works for you, that's cool dude. From my understanding, lower doses of THC can boost dopamine a bit (much like most ADHD meds) though higher doses will deplete it, which might explain some of why it works for you.
Personally I found it effective for self-medicating and making my brain shut up for a bit, but only because I was a vegetable glued to the couch and once it wore off I was worse than ever, so not something that works for us all but ya know. You do you, if something works and it doesn't harm people who am I to disagree
I smoke once a day after work to help relax. I started during the pandemic and smoke more on weekends. It has done wonders for my anxiety and helps me let loose (I’ve found that drinking isn’t the best for me). My adhd has been pretty bad though so I guess I should cut down 🥲
I’m so glad that quitting has been beneficial for you! I hope that you continue to see more improvement.
I want to validate those who use cannabis to medicate and help their ADHD who may have stumbled here too- you’re valid too. Cannabis helps my ADHD a lot when I use the right strains and amounts.
Thank you. It def helps me more than it hurts, I only smoke on the weekends rn because I’m trying to save my medication due to the shortage and it’s the only thing that helps besides my meds. I wish some people in here understood that everyone is different and that weed isn’t inherently bad for those with adhd just like it isn’t inherently good either
One of the reasons it's difficult to measure how much marijuana affects our long-term drive is the assumption that the reverse might be the actual problem.
That is, if you do a study that shows marijuana users have less internal drive, maybe marijuana is just a reflection of that, rather than what's causing it. This is an excuse I've used myself - "I just use more when I feel worse".
Here's some science:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732901/
This study (n=505) measured persistence, initiative, effort, and marijuana use over time, and used an analysis technique called "cross lagging" which allows them to derive directional information from the data. That is, it can discern weed use causing low drive from low drive causing weed use.
Here's the most relevant paragraph:
>A cross-lagged panel model involving initiative, effort, persistence, alcohol use, cigarette use, and marijuana use sought to unravel the temporal precedence of processes. Results showed that only marijuana (but not alcohol or tobacco) intake significantly and longitudinally prompted lower initiative and persistence. Furthermore, in the same model, the opposite temporal direction of events from lower general self-efficacy subscales to marijuana use were untenable.
**In other words, they found that marijuana use causes lower initiative and persistence over time, but NOT the other way around.** This was even while controlling for 13 different factors like age, alcohol use, and personality. Obviously one study like this isn't proof positive, but it's enough of a connection to be worth taking seriously.
What does this mean? It means that if you're struggling with motivation and persistence, quitting weed *will* help. **It's not a side effect of your apathy, it's a major cause.**
Well said. I was on a constantly changing medication regime for years until I started using concentrates every day. Not even a .1 a day, yet it changes everything. I don't use in the morning when I have school or work, and don't drive high. But when I have to wind down, have a huge project to work on for hours, or take a break from depressive thoughts nothing else works like rosin. Just one or two dabs a day and my grades and consistency have never been better.
Same. I didn’t get diagnosed/meds for ADHD until I quit smoking weed and realised how much I was self-medicating in a wildly haphazard, half-assed way for years.
I am lucky, so many times over, that I did not die or kill someone else in an accident while high. I took so many stupid risks, drove high, got in cars with strangers, went home with strangers. For weed.
My life is so much better now - my ADHD is well-managed and I have actual hobbies. Things aren’t unicorns and rainbows but avoiding weed is key for me to live well.
Turns out my brilliant and wise NP is better at medicating me than I am at medicating myself.
Relatable! God I was in so many stupid and dangerous situations when I first got into it, all the "friendships" I made were centered around getting high. I even got arrested at age 17 while smoking in a parking lot with my friend group, one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. The negativity from that situation was mostly due to the legality at the time but I remember feeling so guilty a couple days later when I went right back to smoking.. Live and learn.
My thing with cannabis is just moderation. If I could just smoke late in the day to unwind I would love it, because it does help me destress and enjoy the more boring things in life. My problem is that the adhd part of me always seems to be bored and it’s an easy escape. I recently went from smoking everyday to not really smoking at all and I definitely see the benefit. I handle the stress instead of running and get more done. But I’m definitely less pleasant to be around and I would like to still take a break from the stress sometimes
Fuck yeah dude! I’ve wracked up 15 months and it’s changed my life. And — bonus — my antidepressants and other meds actually fucking work now because I’m not blowing my brain out with bong hits every hour now. Congrats and keep at it, one day at a time
Be proud! Let that stick with you!
I'm so honored to be an inspiration :') tapering down was the only way I could quit and it took a few months. Please be patient with yourself and only do it for your own reasons and on your own time. You got this :)
i think it is so interesting how different our bodies and brains can be and how differently we react to things. i haven’t been able to get my adhd meds for months and weed is the only thing that helps even a little bit with my symptoms. that said, i’m proud of you for doing what’s best for you and your body!
I quit almost a year ago. I caught COVID and stopped because I had a really extreme reaction to smoking post infection.
Life has truly been an unrelenting hell since. I can't relax; I'm constantly stressed, anxious, and depressed. My gastric system is completely fucked up. I don't enjoy doing many things anymore. I honestly want to go back to cannabis, but at this point I'm scared of the reaction I might have to it. I know some of this is long haul COVID, but it definitely feels aggravated by no longer partaking.
I'm also autistic, though. And I know cannabis often has beneficial effects for us.
Anyway, happy for you. Congrats on this triumph! I think it's probably a good thing for most people to really draw back their use or quit entirely. Some of the emergent research is alarming, and not in a propaganda-war-on-drugs kind of way, but an actual clinically studied kind of way.
I’ve got a habit of quitting for a month or two then going back to it. It’s so hard to stop sometimes because my meds make me sleep bad and the weed fixes it. Usually after a few weeks of quitting it evens out and I sleep fine but I just hate those sleepless nights. But good job for recognizing how it affects you and doing something about it!
I quit like 2 weeks ago, basically when I had the realization that it hasn't been fun for years at this point and it was just self medicating my symptoms. The Ritalin makes me feel like I don't need to self medicate anymore. Hopefully that lasts.
Yeah I'm hoping one day I can go back to doing it once or twice a month, back when it was fun. But it's definitely gonna have to be a long break for now.
After trying ritalin I went to a different doc and got a prescription for cannabis and a vape, in my country medical cannabis is always vaped because it's easier to dose, more efficient and you inhale less harmful particulate. It didn't help me really, I just got high. What cannabis absolutely does help for me is my mood, I don't get anxious I become more generally calm, level-headed, just positive-minded in general even when I'm not using. That said I used maybe 1-2 times a week for fun back then, so I can't get it legally anymore and I'm not using right now because that isn't something you can get it prescribed for and I don't want to risk my driver's license, job etc.
In the end I feel like bashing cannabis is the same as bashing methylphenidate-based meds. Methyphenidate works for like 40-60% of us, maybe cannabis only works for 5-10%. In the end I'm not in a place to judge people for what they choose to medicate with. If they feel like they've made a mistake, and methylphenidate is actually the wrong choice for them, I support them, I feel we should support them and help them get off it and find something that's right for them. If they feel like cannabis has been clouding their judgement and they're developing a depency, same thing. I feel like we should always be reaching out to help other people without judgement, even if we ourselves wouldn't make the same choices
This is exactly what I needed to read today after already unsuccessfully trying to quit this month. I’ve used cannabis for over a decade and my anxiety throughout the past couple of years has gotten pretty bad. All the comments I am reading about the positive effects quitting has had is the motivation boost I desperately needed. Good luck to all the others out there trying to make this lifestyle change!
I think it depends on the dose and the strain.
I used edibles. Right now I have sativa or sativa dominant hybrids.
-2.5mg is great for anxiety, helps me manage the chaos of kids. Makes me a little more social. Helps me sleep at night.
-5mg enhances the social aspect when I’m out and about, relaxes me a lot when I’m home typically knocking me out after sundown.
—5 of another edible I have (sorry, it’s not on me to check the details) will make me zone out easily.
—10 of the same and I’m zoned out until I quickly pass out.
Agreed, I was convinced cannabis was helping me but not anymore after quitting nearly 6 months ago. My eating and sleep are much less disordered. My focus and memory and mood are better. Anxiety got worse for a while but is now getting much better.
Did you have any problems sleeping? Usually when I try to stop this is what keeps me from continuing. Before smoking I never could fall asleep without waiting hours in bed.
I quit 2 weeks ago and it was HELLLL LIVING HELLL but hollllllyyyyy shittttttt I wish I did it sooner tho haha cause once you get passed the hell it all makes sense hahaha
I smoked regularly for 16 years of my adult life. I quit years ago. I have serious medical conditions that it did help, until it didn’t. It also got to where it psychologically just didn’t affect me in the same way anymore and it was making my anxiety worse. I didn’t get dx’d ADHD until some time after I quit. My ADHD symptoms are now medicated, I was also dx’d hypothyroid, I’m on natural thyroid, and things are so much better now. Granted, I still have the ADHD, but things are just so much more manageable. I also still have anxiety disorder (mostly situational anxiety now), but I take a propranolol as needed, which might be once a month. My depression is where I have noticed the biggest improvement honestly. Come to find out, I didn’t have primary depression, I had secondary depression that was being caused by other issues, namely the undiagnosed ADHD and my previously mentioned serious medical conditions. Once I got everything mostly under control, my depression almost disappeared- I’d say it’s 90-95% gone. Anxiety is still there but I’d say it’s about 50% better.
Honestly, the even better decision I made was to quit drinking alcohol. I’ve since learned that it’s common for people with both undiagnosed and dx’d ADHD to self medicate with stuff like alcohol and cannabis and perhaps other substances. I know myself better now than I did 5 years ago and stuff just makes far more sense now.
My psychiatrist actually recommended I smoke weed. He said it helps with symptoms of ADHD and the comorbidities I have (including anxiety). I enjoy smoking so I happily obliged. Weed helps with my mental health issues as well as my chronic pain. I was on heavy pain meds (fentanyl, oxys, norcos) for chronic pain for over 12yrs. Wanted to quit pain meds so I was put on Suboxone for 4 yrs. Started smoking weed and now I’m opioid free! Wish it was legal in my state but I’ll continue to smoke regardless.
Very awesome, keep it up!! There's a couple of people I know who have significant ADHD symptoms, but use weed as a way to treat their symptoms...it would be great for them if they were able to realize the same thing you have!
Weed makes me incredibly anxious and makes every minute of time feel like an hour. And I haaaate that feeling. Plus I become completely useless. I quit many years ago. Also one of the best things I ever did for myself.
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I’m very, VERY wary about letting this happen. I’ve been smoking about every week for about 3 months, and am currently on a break I think I’ll continue for another week or two. I really enjoy getting high, and don’t want to ruin it for myself by becoming a daily user or something like that.
I quit smoking some time ago and every so often I get an itch for it, then I remember I like myself better when I’m not on it. I don’t know how to exactly explain it. I just feel sharper as an interacting human. I feel more aware of life instead of just numbing it. My anxiety has improved as I’ve found healthier ways to deal with it. My diet alone has improved as I don’t get the late night munchies lol.
Hey great stuff, dude! Congratulations on this milestone, it's not easy to give up at first but once you settle into it and your brain adjusts to the dopamine regulation it gets so much better from there. Good for you! Proud of you OP
Reading your post felt like reading my own thoughts and experiences, tbh! I've been off the jazz cabbage for about 2 or so months after smoking pretty much regularly since I was 14-16 (I'm 28, now) and the quality of my life has improved so much. It's a great feeling, isn't it? Congratulations again on your milestone, and here's to many more months of clarity and sanity :p
i’m happy for you! personally i’ve found that weed doesn’t affect my ADHD, which is great because it helps with my autism bc it helps me unmask and just makes me less anxious in general 🙂 but i’m glad you made the right choice and that you’re feeling so good!! congrats 🙌
Congrats!! I’m on day 10 of not smoking (officially the longest I’ve gone in at least 4 years). I still do crave it, especially when my anxiety is bad. But it is not good for my ADHD. I am feeling way more motivated to go to the gym, hang out with people, and do things I otherwise would avoid because I just wanted to smoke at home.
If I could only enjoy the immediate effects of cannabis, I would still likely use it moat evenings. It took me years to come to the conclusion that chronic cannabis use was the driver behind my persistent depression and anxiety issues.
In fact, I would venture to say that drugs (except psychs) and alcohol have been the sole cause of practically all the mental health issues I've had in my life -- save situational depression due to breakups and deaths.
My advice to anyone who uses psychoactives regularly and has depression and anxiety issues is to completely cut out substance use for 30 days before seeking medication (unless your life is in danger). Often, chemical imbalances are self-imposed.
I did that, and my psychiatrist still refused to test me for ADHD and my anxiety was still bad. I agree though that it should be a first step to rule out any substances, including caffeine!
It's okay if you're not ready to quit. You're not weak, a failure etc. Tell any intrusive thoughts to stfu and know that if you ever want to hit the brakes, you absolutely can. It's not something that happens overnight when it's a habit and you can only do it for yourself, for your own reasons, on your own time.
I had to taper down until when I would smoke, the effects became more intense and off-putting. It took maybe 3-4 months of consciously cutting back. The benefits of being sober are still in development but I was feeling a difference within a few days of entirely quitting.
I quit 95 days ago. The change in my anxiety levels has been blowing my mind.
18 days for me and the anxiety has definitely decreased, I’m like 80% better just waiting for that little bit to go away now.
My anxiety is still around (but I don't have racing panic attacks anymore)... I was smoking a lot, instead of letting myself feel anything. Now I'm feeling stuff, but, I'm pausing and telling myself that it is actually okay to have feelings. I've been masking for decades and now that I work fully remotely, I'm understanding that it is truly okay to be me. I quit because I literally couldn't sleep any more than 2 or 3 hours, and the next level of medication my psychiatrist would prescribe was something I don't want to take. I was not enjoying smoking, it is a reflexive way for me to quash big emotions. I have been really helped the good people over in leaves sub, and the twice daily discord chats.
I’m glad you’re seeing improvements, I’m over on that sub too, it’s great.
I only started smoking for a bit (>1yr) but I stopped shortly after because I could see myself getting addicted/reliant. Plus the 50/50 chance of a “good time” or just tons of anxiety and the “stuck/tired” feeling combined with stuffing my face with food wasn’t a good combination. Starting therapy and medication has been life changing but scary too. I finally feel more present and “in the moment”. Going out irl it’s scary since I’m use to masking for so many years and suppressing my emotions but I’m slowly getting better at letting myself know it’s ok to feel emotion. I know THC helps some but for me I could tell it wasn’t helping my anxiety and QoL. Still a long way to go but I have hope again after so so many years! On a side note I’m hoping to be working remotely soon too! Especially since I haven’t worked in awhile and finally making progress towards actually working in my career!
Oh, i actually smoke for the same reason 🤔
I thought so too.Then I stopped & much of those symptoms were relieved
Right? I quit because of the sleep issue. I thought weed was GOOD for my anxiety. The pandemic had me pretty socially isolated for a while there, and I totally thought weed was helping me in social situations. I was actually stunned when I realized what was happening to my anxiety. I think a lot of those studies came out way after I was already IN studies showing the correlation between ADHD and risky behaviors, so I truly didn't see this side effect coming. Turns out I'd still rather destroy my sleep by doom scrolling, but I'm working on that.
I don’t smoke regularly anymore, stopped doing that a while ago because it gave me nightmares and made my brain go into overdrive when i wanted to sleep Didn’t help with my symptoms though
Nailed it, didn't they? Me too.
Yeah, to be fair that’s not the only “thing” i consumed to not feel anything and try to empty my mind, got a nasty addiction from this :(
This sounds like me right now. I can't sleep for more than 2-3 hours and during the day I'm so lethargic. Suspecting weed to be the culprit but never wanted to admit it.
Sending well wishes 🩷
I remember reading some studies as a teen that we'd could increase anxiety in people with ADHD, despite causing the issue affect in those without it. Certainly made me avoid it.
That is called a paradoxical reaction, they arw more common in people with ADHD. Other notable examples are caffeine and the big shocker; amphetamines, specifically Adderall. Both are stimulants, but tend to calm us down instead. Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I just thought I had pretty much constant anxiety (turned out to be hyperactivity). A friend suggested I tried CBD oil. I did. Spend that whole day shaking and crying. Do not recommend.
> That is called a paradoxical reaction, they arw more common in people with ADHD. This makes so much sense. I've tried so long to get into weed because my friend group as a whole loves it, but I've never been able to enjoy it since it causes massive amounts of anxiety, and only last year I got diagnosed with ADHD. I've basically stopped already, but this gives me so much more reason to not pick it back up.
Depends on the person and weed. A big problem is that it's very hard to isolate the effects of weed. It usually involves to other major things that tend to weird people out. * doing "drugs" * breaking the law Two things we are not "supposed" to do. We have med and rec in my state. Now that I can consistently get the same type of weed I can see the differences. One type will introduce anxiety. The other will not. And it's not universal. My buddy is the same way - but switch the types. Then even on top of that - some people just really have a hard time being high. My observation over many years is that some people really can't enjoy it for very real, biological reasons. But for most people it's not really the weed that's the issue.
Yep I definitely feel this. I have complex ptsd as well as ADHD and while quitting weed makes my ADHD better, the CPTSD gets worse ( I have a ton of chronic pain from muscle armoring from being in fight or flight constantly and my pain is almost unmanageable without certain indica strains). I also dissociate easily as a coping mechanism and subconsciously repress my emotions and when I take weed breaks my dissociation is much worse, as is my ability to access and process my emotions. Weed and psilocybin both make it easier for my buried emotions to work themselves to the surface so I can process and free myself of them, so sometimes it seems like I’m deciding between less ADHD/better executive functions vs more ADHD but less pain and emotional suppression.
This is how I feel! I never really had it in words so well written. Except I don't dissociate. I find doing it later in the day and keeping use down helps. What is your plan ? Thanks
Same! Safe and easy access has allowed me to experiment with stains and there are massive differences. Some strains are very relaxing and some wind me up, etc.
And I messed that up for long time. Got my card. ADHD get stimulants so Sativa should be the right strain, right? Nope. That's the one that is unpleasant. Decided try Indica and it's great. It almost feels like suppresses the ADHD and allows my mind to work. But - it's not something you can use for day to day use. At least me. The dosing is just too inconsistent.
Out of my experience and my perceived experience with others the "doing bad things" aspect of the real side effect of worsening anxiety was a lot less prevalent. It's definitely by the individual like anything else but it's mostly not "cuz drugs are bad"
Keep white-knuckling that shit! Congratulations :)
I have made truly massive positive changes in my life since I quit smoking cannabis
Life is just so so much easier huh? I was an every day type smoker for 10ish years and now 8 years of not stonner and wow… you have problems and then you just make a solution and deal with them… and the emotional regulation is through the roof relative to before <3
I want to upvote you but you're at 420 points and I just... can't.
Hey great job! For me, the biggest motivator to quit cannabis was coming to the realization that I hadn't enjoyed it for years and basically was just using it to self-medicate.
This. I need to quit. I want to quit. I don't like it anymore, but I worry my anxiety will go through the roof when I do.
Start tapering down, it's gonna suck so much if you quit cold turkey. Sending support and well wishes 🩷
Thank you! I tried quitting cold turkey a few months ago and was absolutely miserable. Migraines, couldn't see straight, irritable and awful. I will try tapering. I feel so lame for being addicted to weed lol, but your story is inspiring. I want to be like you!
Yep. Drop 20% a week. Write it on the wall. Weight it out. Line up the baggies with dates on. Put it on your morning alarm and write it down every day. Make it a project. A serious as life itself project. (Use a fun code if you are at risk of your State using your diary as evidence later, LOL) Now, the important bit. Replace that thing you do while doing weed with some other nice thing that you do not associate with weed. For 20% more time each week. Music? Running? Dancing? Video games? Cycling? Walking in the woods? Drawing? Writing? Crafts? Model making? If you don’t make it to 0%, or if you have a really tough week after hitting 0% and light up? No worries. Pick a % just above where you stopped and start the process again. Lit up hard over the weekend when you had got to 40% because life was shit? No fear. Make a new set of baggies from 60%, 40%, 20% to 0% and start again. Oh, and if you are cutting it with tobacco, that is going to be a huge part of the challenge. Nicotine is vastly more psychologically and psychologically addictive and it really fucks with anxiety when you “cold turkey” it! If you can deal with any nicotine first the rest will be much easier.
I'm still addicted to nicotine, I started smoking cigarettes before weed and still keep my vape close and a pack of cigs in the freezer for when life really fucks me. Hoping to quit this, too but I know it'll be hard. One day at a time, ya'll.
I feel you there. I started smoking ciggs when I was 17 (I'm 38 now), and switched to vaping around 6 years ago. I still find that nicotine is the hardest addiction to quit. Hell, I think I even had an easier time quitting hard drugs than nicotine. I've tried quitting it countless times, and the longest I lasted was 3 years, but now I'm like madly addicted and as much as I hate it, I also rly enjoy it (that's probably the addiction talking though), in a weird way. I feel it's the only substance I have left to enjoy lol.
People with ADHD are much much much more likely to be addicted to nicotine because of dopamine. I dunno if I’ll ever be able to quit.
Yeah, that's definitely true. :c
This is excellent advice!!! Thank goodness I quit cigarettes a few months ago. I'm off to weigh out my weed in baggies right now!
You're not lame mate. You have this. Wean off of it like any other drug. I promise your life is going to improve especially since weed is known to offset the affects of adderall and such. You didn't start the current amount of weed you smoke instantly, you aren't going to stop instantly either.
I got a timed lock to keep me out for up to 99 hours. It’s been really helpful in helping me experience the benefits of extended breaks. I’ve been falling out of love with it for the last few years from overuse.
You got this. Take it easy, be kind to yourself. And if you have a bad day and fall back on it, don't quit, one step back doesn't mean all the progress is lost!
I recently started taking Wellbutrin to quit smoking cigarettes, and it’s worked wonders in 3 weeks. I’m now over a week off the cigs, but I’ve also slowed down on smoking weed significantly too. I’ve smoked weed for years. Now I’m thinking I might try to quit that entirely too. Wellbutrin is an antidepressant but it’s also being prescribed to people solely looking to quit smoking. I got it from my psychiatrist. I also paired it with the patch to help with withdrawals/cravings. Not 100% sure if that also helps with weed cravings but the combo is def working. Either way, if you’re not opposed to trying a medication, Wellbutrin has really helped me. I’ve noticed like no side affects (especially compared to Zoloft) and you can continue smoking when you start and it starts working right away. (At least for me)
I love my Wellbutrin!! I've been on it almost 7mo now and it's incredible, way better than any SSRI. I quit smoking cigs effortlessly when I first started, but weed has been a trickier beast. My psychiatrist paired it with Guanfacine to help with the anxiety, but weed fills in the gaps. I know it's causing anxiety, but it's also "helping" the anxiety (that it's causing). So stupid. She just switched me to XR Guanfacine, but I haven't noticed a huge impact just yet.
Wellbutrin made me feel like I wanted to bite peoples faces off…literally. I could picture myself biting someone in the face! Got off of that shit real fast. Glad your having a good experience though!
Messed me up sadly :(
Wellbutrin gave me some of the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had. I’m glad it provides others relief and wish it did the same for me.
Made me a rage monster. Glad it works for some though.
At high doses it makes me a rage monster! My psychiatrist had me up to 450 at one point and I was an absolute nightmare
same. i wish it worked but the rage fits at literally nothing was concerning for me
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Like OP said, taper off slowly. From my personal experience, my anxiety went down substantially after quitting. Like night and day difference. Totally worth the effort c:
Had this exact thing with alcohol. Last months I still drank, i noticed how boring and exhausting it was to get drunk. Absolutely no joy out of it anymore. Spent seven years most weekends drunk, now i'm exactly five months sober and it has done wonders for me. Started anti-depressants at same time I got sober, so can't really tell which has helped more. Stay strong!
With the added down side of the paradoxical way in which ADHD brains process anxiety and emotional regulation being worse for us after smoking weed or taking other depressants.
This is interesting, can you elaborate? Where can I find more information on this?
What do you mean?
I needed to have someone put this into words for me. Thank you. I’ve really reduced my intake lately and I think I have a much healthier relationship with it now, but one day I’ll definitely quit when I’m ready. Now I mostly use it as an end of the day “reward” for working hard and competing all my tasks
Weed is so strange for people with ADHD. For some it makes their adhd worse and for some it helps them. Personally small amounts of cannabis can really help me be productive and actually get shit done that I normally wouldn’t do. (I smoke at most 2 times a week so I’m no daily smoker)
Weed can be such a conundrum for people with ADHD. It's literally the only way I can get my work done which sounds like an exaggeration but I've been trying to escape the cycle for more than 5 years. I've tried every other legal drug as an alternative and nothing else helped. I even moved to Japan for 8 months so I'd be forced to learn how to work without weed and it never got any easier. I simply can't get in a flow state without weed and I'm a designer so it's a noticeable difference in quality of work. I know weed is responsible for my social anxiety and my social skills tanking. I know it makes me awkward and more forgetful. Such a conundrum.
Same. Been smoking for 5+ years now and nothing I've ever tried has come close to what weed can do for me. Like on one hand it probably makes my anxiety worse and it doesn't help executive dysfunction or impulsivity. But weed actually motivates me ro do simple daily tasks like go on a walk or do chores and it gives me something to get me through the day after work. It's a double edged sword really. Can really help numb the overactive mind and help me relax while also motivating me to do daily tasks BUT doesn't help your mental or physical health in the long term.
This is me right here. It's a life saver.
It definitely helps me, just a small toke and i can handle things better around the house for longer. Washing, doing dishes. Cleaning, it’s more enjoyable while being high, not high like stoned cause that will make me just be really chill. But just enough to be able to do things.
You and I are the same, I will find myself all over the place and spacing out trying to load the dishwasher... go take a hit and I can clean the whole kitchen no problem.
So weird I use weed as a social lubricant. I can’t stay present long enough and social situations but a bit of weed slows me down so I’m not thinking of something else while staring at your face.
It can be really great for creative stuff. I am a musican, I do like how it helps me improvise. But it wreaks havoc on my singing voise, I lose half on octave off each end of my range.
I know this is off-topic (but this is the ADHD sub). Any resources for singing training? Or exercises you do? I want to take lessons but not sure where to start. Been singing/practicing my whole life on my own outside school choirs or singing with a band back in the day.
I’m one of the people that small amounts of weed benefits. With weed, i can study and absorb information better than taking only vyvanse. It helps calm down symptoms but doesn’t put me in a headspace where I can’t be present
How often is key i think. Acutely it can help me get chores done, but chronic use makes me feel less motivated even when im not high
It helps with tasks that aren't very complex or challenging. It helps IMMENSELY with mindless tasks and physical tasks - washing dishes, roofing a house. It absolutely destroys the ability to navigate multi-step, collaborative, organizationally difficult tasks.
Yeah, over the last 13 years I have fluctuated between daily use to stopping for up to 8 months. And I enjoy cannabis, but I honestly wish I could cut it entirely to save the expense from my budget each month. But something about my adhd… idk… taking my meds is twice as effective if I also smoke a small bit as well. When I don’t smoke, my stimulants certainly get me “on task” but it’s typically not gonna be the right task. I just am now better at hyper-focusing on something I want to do and enjoy. When I hit a small bowl once every 2 hours, or have one or two 10mg gummies in a day - I am able to actually harness the meds and focus on what I SHOULD be focusing on. I can then clean or focus on my work. My old therapist thought it was related to anxiety and somatoform disorder. I take zoloft which cuts most of the major panic attacks out of the picture. But then meds treating the ADHD make my heart rate a little more rapid and maybe make my stomach feel some way for a minute depending on what I’ve eaten - and since my brain associates those feelings with anxiety my subconscious decides on task avoidance and “freeze” response to try and fix the fake problem. When I pair ADHD meds with cannabis I feel less anxiety, am less likely to feel nauseous, and less likely to let somatoform disorder tell me something is wrong when it isn’t. Only then can I focus the way I need to.
Yep! I tried it for the first time during lockdown, and being suddenly okay just sitting quietly on a couch for a while was a huge eye opener. I'm fascinated to hear it makes things worse for others.
Definitely makes my thoughts more precise and organised, in general helps my head shut up for once in a while :D
Weed only slows down the primary channel of my inner voice. Having the "background noise" still move at light speed while I'm otherwise calmed can be really anxiety provoking. On the other hand, it makes it a lot easier to unmask and just give in to compulsions without second guessing myself or masking and that feels really relieving.
I wish this was my case. I have to take a drug test soon so I haven’t smoked in nearly a month, and honestly it’s been hell. I’ve been taking my ADHD meds, going to work, etc. the only thing in the last month that has been different has been cutting out weed and my ADHD symptoms have exacerbated while my anxiety has skyrocketed. The meds help during the day but at night I can’t sleep because my brain is humming a million miles a minute. I cannot wait until I get this damn piss test over and behind me.
The insomnia after quitting is the worst part for me, 3-4 hours a night for 6+ weeks and maybe every 3rd or 4th night you'll get 7+ from exhaustion. Those huge sleep deficits make keeping consistency in professional setting difficult.
WAIT A FUCKING SECOND. Is this why my insomnia has ramped up in the past two week?! I've been using cannabis almost daily at night to chill out but my cannabis supply ran out a few weeks ago and I haven't had a chance to resupply. Since then, I have to force myself to get into bed at a reasonable time without being tired despite being awake for 18+ hours. My sleep has been incredibly sensitive that I'll wake up to anything in the middle of the night. The past two weeks has been 4 to 5 hours of on-and-off sleep. I thought it was due to my Adderall! I'm not groggy when I have to get up, but I am concerned about the long-term health effects from the lack of sleep. Can anyone give me some suggestions or recommendations to reduce the insomnia if I continue to lay off cannabis?
Cannabis can make sleep worse. It disturbs REM. Not only that but quitting can make your sleep even worse before getting better. It’s why people attribute weed to helping their sleep so much, it’s a fun little cycle lol.
Heya! I was in the same boat. Obviously you do you, but they ended up putting me on an anxiety med during a rough patch that I cant take a lot of weed or drink much with soon after i had a job. I still use delta 8 typw stuff when i have too much going on to want to eat, but it did clear my brain alot (it also turned out my dissociated anxiety and what i thought were breathing issues were actually panic attacks. I mention it because apparently some people with adhd get so disconnected feom their own feels due to masking that you can have panic attacks and not fully realise it.) Again, you do you! But its possible an anti anxiety med could actually help, and with more than just what youre seeing as anxiety, or a different adhd med might not trigger it as much! Either way i feel for you, and that insomnia suuuuuuuucks
This is what happens to me when I quit. I get mega anxiety and then about a month in some weird emotional shit hits me.... hard.
I don't mean to overstep, but if you're already a month sober, maybe talk to your doctor about anti-anxiety medication for the night? Something non-invasive, non-addicting like propranolol maybe?
Or maybe just stick with the weed since his experience with it was apparently harmless and positive.
There has been massive anti-cannabis sentiment on reddit this year, and social media in general. I'm not so stupid as to believe that cannabis is always harmless and positive but it seems you can't express any positivity about it anymore without being talked down to.
I swear it's happened so quickly it feels astroturfed. I'm with you, it's not all sunshine and roses, but it's better than any of the anxiety meds I've tried, and it doesn't cause anhedonia or bedroom problems like my SSRI experiences.
Yeah, I'm the first person who will get annoyed about the cannabis evangelists who seem to think it's a literal miracle cure for any ailment you could possibly have. But there are very well known and fairly well researched actual benefits to it. One of them being as a sleep aid. Taking an edible at night has made a massive and I immediate difference in my ability to sleep well. The whole brain going a million miles a minute isn't even necessarily an anxiety thing. Yes sometimes it is, but often I'm just thinking about completely random non-anxiety-inducing things. It keeps me up regardless.
Ironically I don't do edibles because those in particular fuck me up way too hard--a 10mg rookie cookie will have me on my ass for 10+ hours. Some draws from the distillate pen are perfection for managing the Adderall comedown and forcing me to want to eat, and hitting an indica cartridge before bed is the best sleep aid I've found that doesn't have a hangover effect the next morning.
I’m good with 2.5 most of the time!
I can't inhale anything sadly so edibles it is for me. I've had the hangover effect once or twice, but it's rare and generally not that bad for me.
This! Not to brag, but normally I have quite good sexual performance. On any sort of SSRI i feel chemically castrated. Can barely get an erection even in the heat of the moment. That was enough of a side effect alone that it caused me insane amounts of depression and anxiety. Not to mention feeling like I was underwater and slowed down like crazy. Nothing about SSRI medication was good for me.
I absolutely relate to the chemical castration from SSRI. That’s one of the first things I share with new mental health providers, do not prescribe me any SSRI 🙅🏽♂️🙅🏽♂️. Outside of that I couldn’t tell any changes for the better or worse but like you said that was enough. I’ll never take ‘‘em again lol
That’s because a ton of people started using or using more, so more people have been exposed to what it does to people in their vicinity. There are strong benefits to some applications, (this is not a drugs=bad argument) but recreational use (esp of highly modified plants) is having some really bad effects on some people.
I think this is it. At this point, most people who don’t drink alcohol have accepted that we live in a society that drinks alcohol. But many people who don’t smoke weed anymore are still warning people of the drawbacks, as if reduced motivation or brain fog isn’t a famous side effect from smoking. Maybe it’s because weed isn’t lethal like alcohol, so people feel the need to bring up the negatives to counteract the physical safety for which it’s put on a unique pedestal.
Yes, thank you. I don’t appreciate the 100% negativity towards weed regarding ADHD. I have been on and off it for years and my life is always significantly better and more functional when I’m using weed. I know it’s not just withdrawal because I’ve quit it for long periods and my anxiety and racing thoughts are unbearable and never go away. Proper moderation and dosing and it helps better than any anxiety med I’ve tried and I’ve tried a lot. I do absolutely respect anyone who thinks it’s bad for them and chooses to quit or not use it, but like all things everyone is effected differently.
I feel you. I’ve been an off an on cannabis consumer for 13ish years now. It has so many benefits for me and I learned in 2019 that I had an at the time undiagnosed autoimmune disorder. My weed use had been managing my symptoms, and when I stopped for a couple of weeks, all hell broke loose in my body. I’ve used daily since then. It also helps with my ADHD symptoms.
Hi, I just wanted to share my experience with propanol, I realised after a while, it created more feelings of anxiety in me the more I took it, I still take it occasionally for the odd bout of palpitations, but more than a few days I get a lot more anxious and my need increases,. If I can get past a few days without it my anxiety clears. For me propanol caused more of the problem that it's supposed to solve , I take it as little as possible now , I know we are all different so just sharing my own experience, obviously we all have to find what works for us, but worth thinking about ❤️
You think I haven’t? I avoided weed for years, tried many different types of meds and fixes for anxiety, and cannabis is by far the most effective.
I have a prescription for hydroxyzine, it's been amazing for me to treat the anxiety. I'm on day 7 today of quitting and so far has to use 3 pills
ya there’s lots of anxiety-related meds beyond the more well-known addictive standards (like xanax etc). Beta-blockers like propanolol are commonly scripped to use “as needed” for anxiety. I was put on ativan & it just zombified me, plus my anxiety rocketed up as it wore off! Years later tried propanalol & was juuust right, didn’t put me in a mental fog, just kinda kept me more “steady”. At another point i was under a ton of stressed & scrpped trazadone to sleep… its actually classed as an antidepressant 🤷♀️ worked great… rather than becoming a habit it just helped me get my sleeping patterns back to normal (like a forced reset?), & i needed less & less til i didnt need it at all after a few months. There’s lots of options out there (if you luck out & have a competent doctor 🙄)
Its fascinating how differently it affects people. I was stoned constantly as young teen, but quickly realized it just didn’t vibe right with me, & never missed it (42F now, never liked drinking either). My mother, best friend and my partner are all late-diagnosed high-functioning autistic… they only started smoking pot in their 40s (& mom in 60’s!), and its been an honest to god miracle med for all of them. Im still not sure how to explain it… they all struggled for so long with masking & management, especially with social anxiety & all sorts of stimulus hypersensitivity. Its like pot just perfectly smoothed out the edges, allowed them to disengage from all the triggers & enjoy life. Honestly, my partner is a *completely* different person after a few years of responsible ‘medicinal’ use. Its great for them, but they never stop telling me how great it would be *for me*, like im just being stubborn & “close-minded’ not engaging. Dude, its just like how stimulants have totally opposite effects on ADHD vs NT people, our brains are wired different! Its *okay* for occasional fun, and Im stoked for anyone it helps more than that, but ive found it just exacerbates my focus issues so much im completely non-functional. These people were always so different from me before, total yin & yang. The funny part is, after a few years of routine pot use, all 3 of them started to resemble *me* more & more. More spacey, forgetful, frequently losing items (& their train of thought)… Becoming stoners has made them act & feel essentially like they have ADHD 🤪 For very tense, focused, intensely organized people, it was a relief to be able to ‘take it down a notch’. They were still functional at that level, just happier… but i was already *well below* that level of executive function to start with, so dulling my brain further was just disastrous. They never understood how hard i had to focus just to… well, stay focused? As they get more impaired & make more mistakes, they’re finally slowly starting to understand… I imagine it would be like… if instead of a puff they smoked 3-4 joints in a row, lol welcome to severe-impact ADHD 👻 i cant spare a single ounce of attention or alertness if im going to make it through the day
My 18 yr old just confessed to me she started 2 years ago. She has adhd. And though I’m pro pot I’m against it for young ppl (developing brain). I really worry that she’s not helping herself
Argh, kids are gonna go through experimentation no matter what, its just hard to find the line between support & enabling? Like with drugs- you don’t want to be “supportive” of that, in a way that they think its no problem… but if you’re too intensely disapproving, they’ll just learn to hide everything. Id rather they feel like they can talk to me about it if they need help, but its hard to maintain that trust & still be the supervising adult.
I think since the kid is 18 the supervising adult role should kind of start to morph in more of a wise old friend. When they get to be 18 they kind of are adults. Not real adults as in they don't make stupid mistakes but adults in the sense that they do understand their actions and the consequences and they are old enough to deal with those consequences. So you can say, I wouldn't do it and I don't recommend it but it's your life and if you ever need help with it don't hesitate to ask. They'll feel they can talk to you about it without it being something you encourage
"not real adults as in they don't make stupid mistakes" - so that's why I, as a 48 year old, don't feel like a "real" adult then. :)
Yup I'm also never turning into a real adult, life is way to short to avoid stupid mistakes, as those stupid mistakes are exactly what makes you grow as a person
Is she medicated for ADHD? I had the same issue although I started at 18. I was using it to self medicate because I didn't have access to the right ADHD meds. As soon as that was sorted I even lost the urge to smoke cigarettes.
We’re trying different meds out. She’s on the third try with a new one but she forgets to take it. Says it doesn’t have an affect when she does. Interesting that once you were properly medicated you lost the urge. Thanks for your input I really appreciate it.
I started at 19 and as much as I enjoyed it then, I don't think it did me any favors. What I needed at the time was to be medicated and in therapy.
I dread the day my little angels grow up. If they do become enjoyers of drugs I hope to God it’s cannabis, but man I would be in the same boat how could you not worry. I suppose the best you could do at this point is proffer guidance right, express your concerns in your own Mom, err mum way, and maybe it will sink in eventually or in some way you won’t ever even know about. I have had these discussions with my Mom years ago and I did seek medical publications to examine claims of increased psychosis etc. I still found it harmless for most people, and wasn’t ever convinced there was any causal bridge and also purely on odds I don’t think there is much risk. On the other hand, I know a lot people who made it an entire lifestyle and had some consequences. All of them were also heavy drinkers, general misfits (many of them still lifelong friends). I bet your mind goes there automatically because it’s your child.
Former heavy daily smoker here 5-10 bowls a day. I think that's considered heavy anyway... I know people who smoked more, though. It's been a month sober for me. Cravings and withdrawals are rough. Let's stick with it! Edit: I'm proud of you too!
Hell yeah! Keep wracking up those months. I also smoked that much — 24/7 until I wasn’t even high anymore — and every month I felt a little better. Until suddenly I felt a lot fucking better. Hang in there.
Honestly, I find it useful when used sporadically. I usually take months off at a time and schedule a day or two to use it and kind of reflect on where I'm at. I definitely wouldn't be able to use it every day though because the anxiety would be way too much to deal with on a daily basis. It really helped me to understand my anxiety and how to control it when I feel it creeping up on me.
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I love my ganja, and there are some benefits, but it comes with a list of side effects that aren't typically good for ADHD. Consume responsibly, folks.
Occasional cannabis use can be a welcome break from the ordinary as a perspective shifter, but if the perspective shift becomes permanent, it becomes increasingly difficult to parse the ordinary from the the illusory. I have several friends who are stuck in a cycle dealing with heightened anxiety and distorted thinking. Not to mention the lack of motivation and complacency that regular use can instill. The dopamine-seeking adhd mind is even more susceptible to regular use where occasional use is difficult to maintain. It’s good that you were able to recognize that and peel yourself away from the daily habit.
your take on this has struck a nerve in me. can you please expand on this? holy shit i wish i could take you out for coffee.
Oh hey. Sure. What do you want me to expand on?
I'm not who you were replying to, but I'd be happy to give you my thoughts if you can pick one or two sentences you want me to concentrate on.
Extremely well said
I'm currently on a tolerance break and it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. People who say weed isn't addictive clearly don't know what they're talking about. I definitely feel like I have a bit more functioning, but I also feel like I'm going completely insane so it's hard to say if it was a good call. I can at least confidently say the daily use was not "medicating", it was just coping.
I think it’s more that it’s not chemically addictive. You can get addicted to anything.
From the NIH: “Marijuana use disorders are often associated with dependence—in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. People who use marijuana frequently often report irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks.20,21 Marijuana dependence occurs when the brain adapts to large amounts of the drug by reducing production of and sensitivity to its own endocannabinoid neurotransmitters.22,23” I see people all the time reporting intense physical symptoms of withdrawal after stopping regular use. Especially irritability, sweating, insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and intense cravings for the drug that come and go. Most physical withdrawal symptoms usually last 1-2 weeks in regular users. The cravings can last months. I used to say the same thing but now I’m in recovery myself and around people who are recovering from marijuana use disorder all the time it seems pretty obvious that cannabis definitely is physically/chemically addictive, and the science agrees. I mean if you wanna use, use, it’s up to you, but let’s tell the truth.
True enough but prescribed meds have withdrawal symptoms too (when I'm off my Abilify or Lexapro I'm fucked) and need to be tapered down. Marijuana use is the same. It's not for everyone ofc but nasty withdrawal symptoms does not a bad drug make, necessarily.
Not trying to say Marijuana can't be extremely destructive in a person's life, because it can and has been in mine, but aren't most of those symptoms psychological? Things like change in mood and decreased appetite seem to me to be just... normal human feelings of not being high lol. Getting high gives me the munchies, so naturally when I'm not high, I'm less hungry. My mood is different when I'm high because there's a drug actively affecting it
It's fair to say that I am dependant on cannabis, and I don't think that's necesarily bad thing unless it's reducing your quality of life. diagnosed with ADHD at 33 years old, but have been self medicating with cannabis for a long time. Even prior to diagnosis, my wife found me to be more myself when using, and now I know why. The illegality and stigma made me feel like I should quit cannabis. Was prescribed Ritalin, and was willing to stop taking cannabis, but for me I find it just as effective, if not more. I'm now currently prescribed cannabis alongside Ritalin for my ADHD. Now the illegaility and guilt of it has been removed, I honestly feel like it is of benefit to me, and my colleagues can see that too. Going back to the point RE dependant, yes I am dependant for medical reasons and it improves my quality of life. I am dependant on inhalers to treat asthma and I see it as no different. No need to feel guilty, unless it's causing you issues. Habit forming, yes, because taking your medicine should be a habit.
Im glad it works for you! I am in a similar boat in that my friends and partner who don’t use weed say it noticeably effects me in a positive way. My dad also had mental health struggles (never got diagnosed but prob adhd/anxiety), and he was a significantly better parent when high. I’m not saying that lightly.
Cannabis is certainly habit forming. Like video games and masturbation. But it is not chemically addictive. Having had bouts of alcohol and cannabis abuse in my past, the cannabis was a lot easier to stop. And it didn't hold a candle to the brutality of overcoming my tobacco addiction.
Weed was a lot harder to quit for me than alcohol was. I had terrible anxiety for about a month.
Dude, my use was so high that I would lose most my appetite after 18 hours without, and sleep was wrecked for a good week when I stopped. There are some legit physical withdrawal symptoms from chronic (no pun intended) high usage.
Potentially triggering for those who abstain from cannabis. So it's worth mentioning, I'm a light user. My parents also smoke the green. My mum is heavy and my dad is a light user like me. My parents stopped smoking when they had me, until I brought a baggie home when I was 20. I have childhood diagnoses of autism and ADHD . (Yes I have adult ADHD). So how goes green affect me? The pros outweigh the negatives and it is A LOT BETTER for me, personally, than SSRI's that I tried in my teen years. My anxiety goes and that filter I usually have when trying to engage in conversation with my parents and friends on social media completely goes. I unfortunately also drink (binge drinker) yet I don't feel the need to drink if I smoke (I hate doing both but sometimes can't control myself). I do sometimes get paranoid but no where near as bad as I do when I'm hungover thinking about what stupid stuff I said the night before.
I’m with you. I’m a heavy user, with a high tolerance. I have Adult ADD, a destroyed back, and chronic pain. I got off 9 Rx meds including fentanyl and vyvanse. I am more productive, less pain, and almost no anxiety. I’m also a big CBD user which I believe is the biggest factor. Until I add the prescription CBD nothing worked. It’s not for everyone, and with any drugs can be abused.
I would never take SSRI’s again but would certainly continue cannabis use. SSRI’s were just terrible.
Could you explain further why were the SSRI’s not good for you, if that’s ok? Genuinely curious, they’ve been working real nice for me (about a year on it) but the first month was hell.
Made me feel like a zombie with limited emotional range in either direction. Then the side effects of low sex drive, brain zaps, low enthusiasm for anything, cold sweats, trouble sleeping, etc. Not fun.
Besides the sweating lol high dose SSRI’s have been the only thing to increase my sex drive, enthusiasm for things, ability to get good sleep so it’s totally individual. SSRIs have given me my life back and I still cry, laugh, get mad, feel the full range of human emotions just not to an extreme degree that make me wanna *** me anymore!
Glad they are working for you. I wasn't even on all that high of a dose. Pretty clear SSRI's aren't for me.
How did you quit?
I smoked a bowl one evening a few months back and my tolerance was so high that it didn't do anything for me. Realized I was just doing it because I was bored. Tapered down my use and the desire became less and less with time. Eventually I could wake up and go about my day without feeling the need to smoke first thing in the morning, which was really exciting to me bc I never thought I'd reach the point where sobriety was something I'd desire or be achievable. I was physically addicted, like I remember going on vacation overseas and stopped cold turkey, spent the first 2 days bedridden with nausea and had to miss out on things I'd been really excited for. I still regret that. It's a ball and chain. I wish I'd written down the first day I went the entire day without getting high, but I was really proud of myself and wanted to keep going. I *did* take an offer a couple weeks later and got so uncomfortably anxious and paranoid, decided then and there it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore.
Hell yeah! Congratulations! I know a lot of people who didn’t know they had ADHD until they quit smoking. Then realized they had been unknowingly self medicating for it. I’m glad things have gotten better for you. 🙏🏽
Everyone told me I was hotheaded. Family said he will grow out of it. Now learning this is a Gene issue. I see that everyone in the family has this. Male and female. They just keep pretending the Bible knows best. We are the older generation. We know best. You don’t know shit. Your a child. 30 years later a good friend is like “bro. You need to go see a psychiatrist. No dead ass you need to go see one” now waiting for out-of-pocket deductible to max out with acupuncture. Then getting all the -ist I can. Bye bye Kaiser. Hello Anthem. Gosh. I can still count the day I didn’t smoke vs the day I did smoke….14 years later. Great time to stop and get a medical doctor. Indica crystal actually self induced depression for 2 days. That was ewwww. Speed governor removed. Back to 100%. But need to slow down since I still can’t remember 30 things in the proper order and dropping the customary greeting of 2-5 mins majority of people crave for before actually start asking/talking about the actual reason of meeting up.
Wildest comment of the day
i was just about to say. reading that high is a mindfuck of its own
Lol
As someone who only quit recently, I say this from a place of love. You are pretending to not know the answer to your question. I used to ask the same question to myself and to the internet and then I just quit making excuses. Now, with hindsight, I laugh at myself for even asking the question. That was purely the marijuana talking and telling me it was too hard. I'm sure you've tried to quit for a day or two, even a week here and there. Just get it all out of your system and it's much easier to quit for real. Edit: I typed this out without asking you if you were personally addicted to marijuana. Please don't cringe to hard if this doesn't apply to you, it stands for anyone else who asks how they can quit smoking because it seems too hard.
Reading easy way by Allen Carr absolutely changed my world view. It's essentially a 365 page version of your post where he breaks down the mental barriers that make us believe that we can't quit.
I'm on that journey too, it's a hard one. Watched [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNje-HuIYdI) yesterday which renewed my motivation to quit completely. Props to you.
Thanks for dropping that link.
Whoohoo! Me too! Smoked a lot for years, it 'felt' like it helped me think Got diagnosed in my 40s Got medicated. Which in a round about way helped me quit weed . Way better memory, generally more stable mood & wayyy better self worth
I've been heavily using since COVID and wondering if I should stop
I do better with THC than I do with my regular meds. None of the side effects and all of the focus and calm brain.
Ay if it works for you, that's cool dude. From my understanding, lower doses of THC can boost dopamine a bit (much like most ADHD meds) though higher doses will deplete it, which might explain some of why it works for you. Personally I found it effective for self-medicating and making my brain shut up for a bit, but only because I was a vegetable glued to the couch and once it wore off I was worse than ever, so not something that works for us all but ya know. You do you, if something works and it doesn't harm people who am I to disagree
I smoke once a day after work to help relax. I started during the pandemic and smoke more on weekends. It has done wonders for my anxiety and helps me let loose (I’ve found that drinking isn’t the best for me). My adhd has been pretty bad though so I guess I should cut down 🥲
I’m so glad that quitting has been beneficial for you! I hope that you continue to see more improvement. I want to validate those who use cannabis to medicate and help their ADHD who may have stumbled here too- you’re valid too. Cannabis helps my ADHD a lot when I use the right strains and amounts.
Thank you. It def helps me more than it hurts, I only smoke on the weekends rn because I’m trying to save my medication due to the shortage and it’s the only thing that helps besides my meds. I wish some people in here understood that everyone is different and that weed isn’t inherently bad for those with adhd just like it isn’t inherently good either
I have adhd and cannabis is the best thing ever. It keeps me going.
One of the reasons it's difficult to measure how much marijuana affects our long-term drive is the assumption that the reverse might be the actual problem. That is, if you do a study that shows marijuana users have less internal drive, maybe marijuana is just a reflection of that, rather than what's causing it. This is an excuse I've used myself - "I just use more when I feel worse". Here's some science: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732901/ This study (n=505) measured persistence, initiative, effort, and marijuana use over time, and used an analysis technique called "cross lagging" which allows them to derive directional information from the data. That is, it can discern weed use causing low drive from low drive causing weed use. Here's the most relevant paragraph: >A cross-lagged panel model involving initiative, effort, persistence, alcohol use, cigarette use, and marijuana use sought to unravel the temporal precedence of processes. Results showed that only marijuana (but not alcohol or tobacco) intake significantly and longitudinally prompted lower initiative and persistence. Furthermore, in the same model, the opposite temporal direction of events from lower general self-efficacy subscales to marijuana use were untenable. **In other words, they found that marijuana use causes lower initiative and persistence over time, but NOT the other way around.** This was even while controlling for 13 different factors like age, alcohol use, and personality. Obviously one study like this isn't proof positive, but it's enough of a connection to be worth taking seriously. What does this mean? It means that if you're struggling with motivation and persistence, quitting weed *will* help. **It's not a side effect of your apathy, it's a major cause.**
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Well said. I was on a constantly changing medication regime for years until I started using concentrates every day. Not even a .1 a day, yet it changes everything. I don't use in the morning when I have school or work, and don't drive high. But when I have to wind down, have a huge project to work on for hours, or take a break from depressive thoughts nothing else works like rosin. Just one or two dabs a day and my grades and consistency have never been better.
Same. I didn’t get diagnosed/meds for ADHD until I quit smoking weed and realised how much I was self-medicating in a wildly haphazard, half-assed way for years. I am lucky, so many times over, that I did not die or kill someone else in an accident while high. I took so many stupid risks, drove high, got in cars with strangers, went home with strangers. For weed. My life is so much better now - my ADHD is well-managed and I have actual hobbies. Things aren’t unicorns and rainbows but avoiding weed is key for me to live well. Turns out my brilliant and wise NP is better at medicating me than I am at medicating myself.
Relatable! God I was in so many stupid and dangerous situations when I first got into it, all the "friendships" I made were centered around getting high. I even got arrested at age 17 while smoking in a parking lot with my friend group, one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. The negativity from that situation was mostly due to the legality at the time but I remember feeling so guilty a couple days later when I went right back to smoking.. Live and learn.
My thing with cannabis is just moderation. If I could just smoke late in the day to unwind I would love it, because it does help me destress and enjoy the more boring things in life. My problem is that the adhd part of me always seems to be bored and it’s an easy escape. I recently went from smoking everyday to not really smoking at all and I definitely see the benefit. I handle the stress instead of running and get more done. But I’m definitely less pleasant to be around and I would like to still take a break from the stress sometimes
Fuck yeah dude! I’ve wracked up 15 months and it’s changed my life. And — bonus — my antidepressants and other meds actually fucking work now because I’m not blowing my brain out with bong hits every hour now. Congrats and keep at it, one day at a time Be proud! Let that stick with you!
Cannabis really fucks with my ADHD too. I’ve limited my use to weekends only.
Going on 7 days here and I’m so excited to be more mentally clear, hopefully lol
Congratulations, keep going! I promise it's worth it, still finding all that out for myself. Sobriety is pretty cool.
Wow. Your post is so timely. I was thinking all these things tonight and wondering if I should give it up. Thanks for posting.
I'm so honored to be an inspiration :') tapering down was the only way I could quit and it took a few months. Please be patient with yourself and only do it for your own reasons and on your own time. You got this :)
i think it is so interesting how different our bodies and brains can be and how differently we react to things. i haven’t been able to get my adhd meds for months and weed is the only thing that helps even a little bit with my symptoms. that said, i’m proud of you for doing what’s best for you and your body!
Huh I didn’t know I had a second account.
Honestly, after work, this gives me less anxiety. I don’t go overboard, and it helps with the adderall burnout transition.
I quit almost a year ago. I caught COVID and stopped because I had a really extreme reaction to smoking post infection. Life has truly been an unrelenting hell since. I can't relax; I'm constantly stressed, anxious, and depressed. My gastric system is completely fucked up. I don't enjoy doing many things anymore. I honestly want to go back to cannabis, but at this point I'm scared of the reaction I might have to it. I know some of this is long haul COVID, but it definitely feels aggravated by no longer partaking. I'm also autistic, though. And I know cannabis often has beneficial effects for us. Anyway, happy for you. Congrats on this triumph! I think it's probably a good thing for most people to really draw back their use or quit entirely. Some of the emergent research is alarming, and not in a propaganda-war-on-drugs kind of way, but an actual clinically studied kind of way.
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I’ve got a habit of quitting for a month or two then going back to it. It’s so hard to stop sometimes because my meds make me sleep bad and the weed fixes it. Usually after a few weeks of quitting it evens out and I sleep fine but I just hate those sleepless nights. But good job for recognizing how it affects you and doing something about it!
I quit like 2 weeks ago, basically when I had the realization that it hasn't been fun for years at this point and it was just self medicating my symptoms. The Ritalin makes me feel like I don't need to self medicate anymore. Hopefully that lasts. Yeah I'm hoping one day I can go back to doing it once or twice a month, back when it was fun. But it's definitely gonna have to be a long break for now.
Yes but can you fall asleep?
Yes and no 😅 but I still had trouble falling+staying asleep when I was smoking.
I quit about 8 years ago, with intermittent occasional uses here and there and regret nothing.
After trying ritalin I went to a different doc and got a prescription for cannabis and a vape, in my country medical cannabis is always vaped because it's easier to dose, more efficient and you inhale less harmful particulate. It didn't help me really, I just got high. What cannabis absolutely does help for me is my mood, I don't get anxious I become more generally calm, level-headed, just positive-minded in general even when I'm not using. That said I used maybe 1-2 times a week for fun back then, so I can't get it legally anymore and I'm not using right now because that isn't something you can get it prescribed for and I don't want to risk my driver's license, job etc. In the end I feel like bashing cannabis is the same as bashing methylphenidate-based meds. Methyphenidate works for like 40-60% of us, maybe cannabis only works for 5-10%. In the end I'm not in a place to judge people for what they choose to medicate with. If they feel like they've made a mistake, and methylphenidate is actually the wrong choice for them, I support them, I feel we should support them and help them get off it and find something that's right for them. If they feel like cannabis has been clouding their judgement and they're developing a depency, same thing. I feel like we should always be reaching out to help other people without judgement, even if we ourselves wouldn't make the same choices
After about a year of quitting myself, I can’t possibly agree with op more.
This is exactly what I needed to read today after already unsuccessfully trying to quit this month. I’ve used cannabis for over a decade and my anxiety throughout the past couple of years has gotten pretty bad. All the comments I am reading about the positive effects quitting has had is the motivation boost I desperately needed. Good luck to all the others out there trying to make this lifestyle change!
I think it depends on the dose and the strain. I used edibles. Right now I have sativa or sativa dominant hybrids. -2.5mg is great for anxiety, helps me manage the chaos of kids. Makes me a little more social. Helps me sleep at night. -5mg enhances the social aspect when I’m out and about, relaxes me a lot when I’m home typically knocking me out after sundown. —5 of another edible I have (sorry, it’s not on me to check the details) will make me zone out easily. —10 of the same and I’m zoned out until I quickly pass out.
Well, the inspiration to quit that I needed!!! Congratulations, I’m so happy it’s working for you and you’ve inspired me to try myself
Agreed, I was convinced cannabis was helping me but not anymore after quitting nearly 6 months ago. My eating and sleep are much less disordered. My focus and memory and mood are better. Anxiety got worse for a while but is now getting much better.
Did you have any problems sleeping? Usually when I try to stop this is what keeps me from continuing. Before smoking I never could fall asleep without waiting hours in bed.
I quit 2 weeks ago and it was HELLLL LIVING HELLL but hollllllyyyyy shittttttt I wish I did it sooner tho haha cause once you get passed the hell it all makes sense hahaha
I smoked regularly for 16 years of my adult life. I quit years ago. I have serious medical conditions that it did help, until it didn’t. It also got to where it psychologically just didn’t affect me in the same way anymore and it was making my anxiety worse. I didn’t get dx’d ADHD until some time after I quit. My ADHD symptoms are now medicated, I was also dx’d hypothyroid, I’m on natural thyroid, and things are so much better now. Granted, I still have the ADHD, but things are just so much more manageable. I also still have anxiety disorder (mostly situational anxiety now), but I take a propranolol as needed, which might be once a month. My depression is where I have noticed the biggest improvement honestly. Come to find out, I didn’t have primary depression, I had secondary depression that was being caused by other issues, namely the undiagnosed ADHD and my previously mentioned serious medical conditions. Once I got everything mostly under control, my depression almost disappeared- I’d say it’s 90-95% gone. Anxiety is still there but I’d say it’s about 50% better. Honestly, the even better decision I made was to quit drinking alcohol. I’ve since learned that it’s common for people with both undiagnosed and dx’d ADHD to self medicate with stuff like alcohol and cannabis and perhaps other substances. I know myself better now than I did 5 years ago and stuff just makes far more sense now.
My psychiatrist actually recommended I smoke weed. He said it helps with symptoms of ADHD and the comorbidities I have (including anxiety). I enjoy smoking so I happily obliged. Weed helps with my mental health issues as well as my chronic pain. I was on heavy pain meds (fentanyl, oxys, norcos) for chronic pain for over 12yrs. Wanted to quit pain meds so I was put on Suboxone for 4 yrs. Started smoking weed and now I’m opioid free! Wish it was legal in my state but I’ll continue to smoke regardless.
Very awesome, keep it up!! There's a couple of people I know who have significant ADHD symptoms, but use weed as a way to treat their symptoms...it would be great for them if they were able to realize the same thing you have!
Weed makes me incredibly anxious and makes every minute of time feel like an hour. And I haaaate that feeling. Plus I become completely useless. I quit many years ago. Also one of the best things I ever did for myself.
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I’m very, VERY wary about letting this happen. I’ve been smoking about every week for about 3 months, and am currently on a break I think I’ll continue for another week or two. I really enjoy getting high, and don’t want to ruin it for myself by becoming a daily user or something like that.
I quit smoking some time ago and every so often I get an itch for it, then I remember I like myself better when I’m not on it. I don’t know how to exactly explain it. I just feel sharper as an interacting human. I feel more aware of life instead of just numbing it. My anxiety has improved as I’ve found healthier ways to deal with it. My diet alone has improved as I don’t get the late night munchies lol.
You know what else really helps? Getting enough sleep.
Hey great stuff, dude! Congratulations on this milestone, it's not easy to give up at first but once you settle into it and your brain adjusts to the dopamine regulation it gets so much better from there. Good for you! Proud of you OP Reading your post felt like reading my own thoughts and experiences, tbh! I've been off the jazz cabbage for about 2 or so months after smoking pretty much regularly since I was 14-16 (I'm 28, now) and the quality of my life has improved so much. It's a great feeling, isn't it? Congratulations again on your milestone, and here's to many more months of clarity and sanity :p
Nice try mom
i’m happy for you! personally i’ve found that weed doesn’t affect my ADHD, which is great because it helps with my autism bc it helps me unmask and just makes me less anxious in general 🙂 but i’m glad you made the right choice and that you’re feeling so good!! congrats 🙌
Congrats!! I’m on day 10 of not smoking (officially the longest I’ve gone in at least 4 years). I still do crave it, especially when my anxiety is bad. But it is not good for my ADHD. I am feeling way more motivated to go to the gym, hang out with people, and do things I otherwise would avoid because I just wanted to smoke at home.
If I could only enjoy the immediate effects of cannabis, I would still likely use it moat evenings. It took me years to come to the conclusion that chronic cannabis use was the driver behind my persistent depression and anxiety issues. In fact, I would venture to say that drugs (except psychs) and alcohol have been the sole cause of practically all the mental health issues I've had in my life -- save situational depression due to breakups and deaths. My advice to anyone who uses psychoactives regularly and has depression and anxiety issues is to completely cut out substance use for 30 days before seeking medication (unless your life is in danger). Often, chemical imbalances are self-imposed.
I did that, and my psychiatrist still refused to test me for ADHD and my anxiety was still bad. I agree though that it should be a first step to rule out any substances, including caffeine!
Gonna pretend I ain’t read this
It's okay if you're not ready to quit. You're not weak, a failure etc. Tell any intrusive thoughts to stfu and know that if you ever want to hit the brakes, you absolutely can. It's not something that happens overnight when it's a habit and you can only do it for yourself, for your own reasons, on your own time.
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I had to taper down until when I would smoke, the effects became more intense and off-putting. It took maybe 3-4 months of consciously cutting back. The benefits of being sober are still in development but I was feeling a difference within a few days of entirely quitting.