Cananbis FOR Anxiety, Indica or Sativa

I've heard mixed views on this, for some people it helps, for some it makes it worse or causes anxiety. Also some people say indicas are best, and some prefer sativas. Guess it depends on what their anxiety is toward. What do you prefer for anxiety, indica or sativa, why?

Personally I don't know because initially my anxiety started after a bad experience I've became very frightened of anything mind altering, weed, even alcohol or simple "relaxing herbs". Aint been actually HIGH for almost a year since it happened. But now I have bad anxiety about other things as well such as worry about food poisoning/being spiked with drugs, being alone for too long, not being in control, afraid of how certain foods will make me feel, lol a lot of anxiety towards foods in different ways so I don't eat enough.

Dispite my fear of drugs highs/trips, i think weed could help in a lot of ways but to afraid of it making me MORE anxious. It stupid because my sig is about this but I can't get over the problem myself lol...

Anyways just getting some shit off my mind, main focus is the first paragraph.

Edited by weedidas, 10 July 2009 - 10:46 AM.

what i've noticed with me is that with a really strong indica, sure it makes me
really relaxed but at the same time i'm so couch locked that i'm able to
sit down and let thoughts fly through my head. after i've let these thoughts run wild
i 'snap' back into a reality and this is the time that i'm most likely to have a mild
panic/anxiety episode.

on the other hand, sativas have always kept my mind alert and sharp while being
stoned to the point that none of these panic/anxiety causing states can be
achieved or had.

just my thoughts (while smoking some nice sativa buds )

I prefer Indica...i've never personally had anxiety problems but a friend of mine, as well as my mother both do, and they say that the indica helps them relax, sativa seems to trigger it sometimes...

Weed gave me Anxiety

Indica. Pure sativas will induce anxiety in those already prone to it.

/thread.

I have moderate to severe anxiety regarding new situations in which I am alone and/or feel vulnerable, and social anxiety. I also suffer from depression and PTSD (PTSD being the primary reason for me getting a recommendation).

It's my understanding that pure sativas aren't that common or cheap, and that most of what people will refer to as a "sativa" is a "sativa dominant hybrid". I actually prefer smoking these for my symptoms, including anxiety. Smoking a sativa dominant has never induced anxiety in me- oddly enough, smoking indicas has (however, I can't be sure this was a direct cause of the strain being an indica).

I think that perhaps since my anxiety is mostly related to being in unfamiliar situations and with unfamiliar people, sativas are fine for relieving it. I also have a personal need to be in control, all the time, and I feel like sativas give me a functional high- I can think clearly, and they don't couch-lock me, so I can still do whatever I want/need to do. I think the fact that they relieve my depression and PTSD symptoms also in and of itself alleviates much of the anxiety.

My vote probably contaminates the poll since my anxiety is primarily incidental; I had social anxiety before I got PTSD, but I think most of it is probably a symptom of PTSD.

Late harvested Indica for sure.

Indica. Pure sativas will induce anxiety in those already prone to it.

/thread.

I think that is not as universally true as you are making it sound.

Most blends are also OK, and much more common than pure sativas, anyway.

weedidas- Personally I don't know because initially my anxiety started after a bad experience I've became very frightened of anything mind altering, weed, even alcohol or simple "relaxing herbs". Aint been actually HIGH for almost a year since it happened. But now I have bad anxiety about other things as well such as worry about food poisoning/being spiked with drugs, being alone for too long, not being in control, afraid of how certain foods will make me feel, lol a lot of anxiety towards foods in different ways so I don't eat enough.

I would suggest you try some mellow edibles, and some cognitive therapy if you can get it.

You sound like you are naturally high strung, and fear is eating your energies, why are you so afraid of normal life? Have you been diagnosed with PTSD?

Cannabis can only do so much for you, you see your situation as unique, but many people share your feelings to some degree, so try to get some support around yourself.

Don't expect cannabis to change you, only you can do that. Cannabis is a tool you can use, but it's not a blueprint for a happy life.

I suffer from social anxiety (I'm not diagnosed, but I know I do; I have most of the symptoms). I find sativa to be more helpful, but indica works aswell.

I think that is not as universally true as you are making it sound.

Most blends are also OK, and much more common than pure sativas, anyway.
I would suggest you try some mellow edibles, and some cognitive therapy if you can get it.
.

Anyways. When you grow your own medicine you have the choice to grow Indica/Sativa or a Hybrid between the two.

All OSG is stating is maybe someone who is prone to anxiety might want to lay off the pure Sativa.
Which is true. I have had a friend take a Zong rip of some Sativa I had and he flipped out. He had to go outside and sit on the porch for a while he was freaking the fuck out. Total Anxiety attack.

So I mean as widespread as it may or maynot be, this thread is still a thread about weed and its effects on anxiety.

I find that very few people have really smoked a pure landrace Sativa. They will make the mellowest person a bit anxious at times. Probably 95%+ of the so called 'Satvias' on the market are blends.

I've heard mixed views on this, for some people it helps, for some it makes it worse or causes anxiety. Also some people say indicas are best, and some prefer sativas. Guess it depends on what their anxiety is toward. What do you prefer for anxiety, indica or sativa, why?

Personally I don't know because initially my anxiety started after a bad experience I've became very frightened of anything mind altering, weed, even alcohol or simple "relaxing herbs". Aint been actually HIGH for almost a year since it happened. But now I have bad anxiety about other things as well such as worry about food poisoning/being spiked with drugs, being alone for too long, not being in control, afraid of how certain foods will make me feel, lol a lot of anxiety towards foods in different ways so I don't eat enough.

Dispite my fear of drugs highs/trips, i think weed could help in a lot of ways but to afraid of it making me MORE anxious. It stupid because my sig is about this but I can't get over the problem myself lol...

Anyways just getting some shit off my mind, main focus is the first paragraph.

Most sativas are going to make your mind race and may even increase paranoia. In my experience, I've found that a nice indica works nicely for anxiety. If you want something that will help you with anxiety without giving you couchlock of sending you to sleep, try a nice hybrid, I tend to go with ones that are 60% indica/40% sativa. For me, that works very nicely.

Also, I've noticed that certain strains make me very paranoid or increase anxiety, so I take note of those when I discover their effects and typically avoid those strains in the future.

I find that very few people have really smoked a pure landrace Sativa. They will make the mellowest person a bit anxious at times. Probably 95%+ of the so called 'Satvias' on the market are blends.

I remember Acapulco Gold.

That stuff calmed my social anxiety back in high school, just fine. Pure Sativa.

We used to think it was expensive at 100 dollars an ounce.

We were wrong, apparently.

It's not too hard to admit when your wrong about something so open to interpretation. We didn't know how good we had it then.

If you could get it now, it would go at a med shop for 5-6 hundred.

But you would be very happy, if you got some!

I remember Acapulco Gold.

That stuff calmed my social anxiety back in high school, just fine. Pure Sativa.

We used to think it was expensive at 100 dollars an ounce.

We were wrong, apparently.

It's not too hard to admit when your wrong about something so open to interpretation. We didn't know how good we had it then.

If you could get it now, it would go at a med shop for 5-6 hundred.

But you would be very happy, if you got some!

The Oaxacan Sativa I have from Southern Mexico is very similar to the Acapulco Gold I used to get.

Social anxiety is different than actual anxiety attacks in terms of mechanism and treatment. I wouldn't be surprised if Sativas OR Indicas helped, depending upon the person.

People prone to regular old anxiety attacks would probably be smart to stay away from pure Sativas though.

Don't expect cannabis to change you, only you can do that. Cannabis is a tool you can use, but it's not a blueprint for a happy life.

Bless you, sir. +rep

I suffer from social anxiety (I'm not diagnosed, but I know I do; I have most of the symptoms). I find sativa to be more helpful, but indica works aswell.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way; I was beginning to worry that perhaps something was wrong with me.

Social anxiety is different than actual anxiety attacks in terms of mechanism and treatment. I wouldn't be surprised if Sativas OR Indicas helped, depending upon the person.

People prone to regular old anxiety attacks would probably be smart to stay away from pure Sativas though.

I think you're right about this, and I find it interesting because I suffer both from social anxiety and anxiety and panic attacks as a result of extreme stress and PTSD. I like sativa dominants for the relief they provide for my social anxiety (they also seem to help with my anxiety that stems from unfamiliar situations in which I feel alone/vulnerable, perhaps because they make me feel less isolated and afraid of other people), but I wonder what my reaction would be if I were to try strains that were closer and closer to "pure" sativa. At what point, if any, would my more generalized anxiety be triggered by sativas?

Edited by Ice Queen, 08 August 2009 - 03:15 PM.

The Oaxacan Sativa I have from Southern Mexico is very similar to the Acapulco Gold I used to get.

Social anxiety is different than actual anxiety attacks in terms of mechanism and treatment. I wouldn't be surprised if Sativas OR Indicas helped, depending upon the person.

People prone to regular old anxiety attacks would probably be smart to stay away from pure Sativas though.

My best friend has bad social anxiety and she avoids pure sativas like the plague for the most part.

She's smoked some that haven't made her too anxious, but she says it lets her mind run faster than it normally would and that is the problem ...

My best friend has bad social anxiety and she avoids pure sativas like the plague for the most part.

She's smoked some that haven't made her too anxious, but she says it lets her mind run faster than it normally would and that is the problem ...

Like I said it probably depends on the person.

In general I recommend people stick to blends or pure Indicas for anxiety but not everyone's brain chemistry is the same.

I've personally never suffered from any anxiety related to pot or anything else really. When I smoke my Sativas I just get a bit manic is all. It's fun.

When I smoke sativas, I just laugh, and laugh, at how seriously the world takes itself.

I feel great!

Like I said it probably depends on the person.

In general I recommend people stick to blends or pure Indicas for anxiety but not everyone's brain chemistry is the same.

I've personally never suffered from any anxiety related to pot or anything else really. When I smoke my Sativas I just get a bit manic is all. It's fun.

Very interesting choice of words.



I was just adding my friend's experience with it as you guys were talking about social anxiety.

I have a recommendation for anxiety. For me Indica clears up anxiety for the most part but in high doses. It makes me really relaxed but usually not good for me if I have a lot to do. Sativa works the best for me but only in small doses. I find that when I smoke a lot of Sativa that my anxiety actually becomes a lot worse.

Edited by calicheese23, 09 August 2009 - 05:26 AM.