I have a problem?

LOL This is how I was. 2 Years later OG KUSH OOOOO RIGHT! Just face it, its harmless. Unless it obstructs job oppertunity due to testing, your gonna smoke man. i didnt read the benzo part, figured u were pot only. anyways im pot only \

 

ya it sounds like you have some substance dependancy issues, but its good youre smoking weed. it will do nothing but help you, just keep blazing and stay away from the benzos

 

Ive always been against pharma, a couple days ago psych doctor put me on ciraplex (escitalopram) and told me to quit smoking pot. He said it may help in some ways, but it could raise my anxiety.

I've quit cold turkey about one week ago and although I hate to admit, I feel much better over time.

Give it a couple weeks, if you still have anxiety issues that are getting worse and worse, maybe look into different strains like stawberry cough

 

Its all in your head. When you run out of bud/force yourself to not smoke, you have to try your hardest to fight off the anxiety, and the best way to do that is to occupy your time usually spent toking with something else. I find that getting outside and going on a walk or a bike ride helps. If you're a musician I find that playing an instrument helps a lot as well.

If you really feel like you have a problem, it might help to cut back. Use it as a reward for the end of the day instead of an all day thing, and after a little bit you'll be fine going without it when you run out. You just have to control your intake, and cut back bit by bit, day by day.

 

I just passed a similar time. I just started to realize that there is more to life than getting high, be glad that it exists

 

I don't know if this is allowed to be discussed, but..it isn't illegal drug use in this situation. If this is not okay it will just get deleted.

What should really freak you out is that your psychiatrist can pull your benzo prescriptions at any time because you are admitting to illegal drug use (unless you are a medical patient).

I don't know if you have ever detoxed from benzos, but I have, I was prescribed them for a couple years, and it was hellish and horrific, even withdrawing under doctor supervision..and a mean doctor can cold turkey cut you off.

Detoxing from benzos can kill you, so be careful what you say and do.

 

I suffer from BPD, Avoidance Personality Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobias, and am on Ativan (1mg/day) and Xanax (up to 50mg/month). I see a psycho-pharm therapist weekly and a psychologist bi-weekly and have been in and out of therapeutic programs for 2 and 1/2 years now.

My best advice is to ask your therapist about DBT and CBT therapy (dialectical behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy). These two types of therapies have many different skills you can learn and use to sit with your emotions. Personally these skills have worked wonders for me and have done more than prescribed Meds have ever done. After learning them I started using them during my T-Breaks to make them easier.

These skills will help you sit with your anxiety and any other things that are coming up when not smoking, and who knows, maybe you will find them really helpful as I and many of my friends have and you could leave those nasty benzos in the dust behind you.

I wish you luck with you current anxieties and whatever you decide to do. If you or anyone else has any questions feel free to message me.

Hope this helps!


EDIT: I would not necessarily say you have a problem, but there is always a chance you do, but there is an even bigger chance you don't and just need a T-Break and some help getting through your t-break. Personally I almost needed to use these skills to help me through mine because my psychiatric symptoms would start to be coming back into my life, but with these skills (CBT & DBT) I learned to manage them. Another tip, I wrote this in another thread, but find someone who is sober as well (whether it's permanent, for that week, or just while they're hanging out with you) to hang out with, makes it easier to not ruminate.

 

Sorry but you are wrong if a person is physically dependant on benzos and legally getting them prescriped no Dr in the world can cut them off because they are using weed it would brake every rule going and as you say could potetially kill them.

All a Dr could do is reduce your dose if they think you are abusing them but even then this is doubtful as it could open up a whole can of worms for the Dr as a lot of Drs a now being sued for over prescribing benzos and leaving people addicted to them for years so you have nothing to worry about in the department.

My advice to you would be ditch all those nasty pharma pills and use weed as tool help you through withdrawal then you can start to live your life benzo free.

Dont use weed as the answer just use it make a bad situation better.

If you feel anxious it is normally either because you have smoked to much or simply smoked the wrong strain for your environment and a common side effect of benzos is of course anxiety, the next step is to fully understand weed then start to explore your mind, those who understand their weed usually have a very good understanding of their mind.

Once you deal with the problems rooted deep down which all those nasty benzos are hiding but the weed is trying to address you can live your life again, get off benzos as quick as you can they are the main cause of your anxiety trust me.

Hope this helps.

 

[quote name='"nomoredoubts"']
Sorry but you are wrong if a person is physically dependant on benzos and legally getting them prescriped no Dr in the world can cut them off because they are using weed it would brake every rule going and as you say could potetially kill them.

All a Dr could do is reduce your dose if they think you are abusing them but even then this is doubtful as it could open up a whole can of worms for the Dr as a lot of Drs a now being sued for over prescribing benzos and leaving people addicted to them for years so you have nothing to worry about in the department.
[/quote]

This is very true, it would be against HIPPA if a doctor cold turkey cut you off. They ARE legally required to slowly taper you off. There is a second option of a fast taper, but you have to stay in an inpatient detox unit for a 2-3 week stay. Benzodiazepine withdrawals are the only withdrawals that can kill you if done improperly as far as I know.

EDIT: I am also on benzodiazepines and all my doctors ask is that I am truthful about using, not the amount or frequency, just asking that I don't say I'm sober when I'm not as this can skew their ability to diagnose and treat you which makes your appointments a complete waste of time.

 

Wrong. The doctor can cold turkey cut you off and require you to get a detox prescription elsewhere, such as the ER, or check into an inpatient detox facility.

I've seen it happen. Doctor thinks you're an addict, bye-bye controlled substances. If you think they care more about your health than their liability, you are wrong. The truth is that most doctors would not cut you immediately, but they will give you a pretty uncomfortable rapid taper and refuse to prescribe anything useful again, but the thought that they can't just leave you hanging is just that - a comforting thought.

I don't think there is a problem with mixing weed and benzos, no..and yes, be cautions what you tell him. He doesn't need to know that you smoke IMO, you can save it for your therapist.

 

[quote name='"Ironic"']

Wrong. The doctor can cold turkey cut you off and require you to get a detox prescription elsewhere, such as the ER, or check into an inpatient detox facility.

I've seen it happen. Doctor thinks you're an addict, bye-bye controlled substances. If you think they care more about your health than their liability, you are wrong. The truth is that most doctors would not cut you immediately, but they will give you a pretty uncomfortable rapid taper and refuse to prescribe anything useful again, but the thought that they can't just leave you hanging is just that - a comforting thought.

I don't think there is a problem with mixing weed and benzos, no..and yes, be cautions what you tell him. He doesn't need to know that you smoke IMO, you can save it for your therapist.[/quote]

Diagnosing someone as an addict requires documented proof of The following. You need 4 out of 7.


1. Tolerance

2. Repeated attempts to stop or cut down.

3. Psychological/physiological changes.

4. Changes in social life due to use.

5. Time spent. (using, talking about, etc.)

6. Continued use despite knowledge of adverse effects.

7. Withdrawal. (with marijuana it would be a psychological withdrawal, physical obviously doesn't apply except with other substances.)

Source: DSM-IV

http://www.csam-asam.org/sites/default/files/pdf/misc/DSM_criteria_for_diagnosis.doc

As long as you aren't abusing your benzodiazepines, you don't have anything to worry about.

 

Fucking trust me take a break from weed for 2 months you will feel better everyday weed sshouldnt be your life only part of your life and you should smoke in moderation it will be hard going without it for the first month but after that it should be easier

 

[quote name='"orangegrovekush"']

Fucking trust me take a break from weed for 2 months you will feel better everyday weed sshouldnt be your life only part of your life and you should smoke in moderation it will be hard going without it for the first month but after that it should be easier[/quote]

Last time I took a break I let my therapist know and he helped a lot with managing the feelings that may come up and struggles that may come up. Given I am not your doctor and haven't read your chart, I'm not sure if this would help or hurt.

 

First off, hon, you have to have an inkling about what happens when you use cannabis (I'll try to keep this simple, but it is going to be long! )

In your brain are chemical receptors that are activated by compounds your body makes, or various similar chemicals. The receptors that get you high and also prevent depression are called CB1 receptors.

Now, CB1 receptors can't be made right without Omega 3 in your diet. A tiny piece called a G i/o receptor protein doesn't get attached properly without Omega 3. This leaves you with dud receptor that can't function! Too many duds and it starts to affect your mood and your high!

Nutritional omega-3 deficiency abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated neuronal functions.
[FONT=&quot](abst – 2011) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Nutritional omega-3 deficiency abolishes endoca... [Nat Neurosci. 2011] - PubMed - NCBI[/FONT]

When you get high, THC floods your brain. Whatever working CB1 receptors you have, get activated, and you feel good!

Normally those receptors are supposed to be activated by the endocannabinoid called Anandamide, which fights depression, kills cancer cells and much more. To your body, Anandamide and THC "look alike" and can be used in the same ways. This is WHY cannabis heals- it can fill in for your own Anandamide!

However, some people have a lot of dud receptors because of our lousy diet, or they are not producing enough endocannabinoids. A Dr. Ethan Russo wrote a good piece about clinical endocannabinoid deficiency-

Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (full - 2004)
[FONT=&quot]Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CECD) - Russo[/FONT]

You are going to have to educate yourself about nutrition!

Cannabinoid Receptor Function is Altered by Nutrionally Deficient Diet (news – 2012)
Cannabinoid Receptor Function is Altered by Nutrionally Deficient Diet - Philadelphia medical marijuana | Examiner.com


Nutritional n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids deficiency alters cannabinoid receptor signaling pathway in the brain and associated anxiety-like behavior in mice.
[FONT=&quot](abst – 2012) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry, Online First[/FONT]

Eating a healthy diet (ocean fish, fresh fruits & veggies, whole grains, etc) gives your body the building blocks to make the endocannabinoids. The modern "average American diet" has an overdose level of sugars (a single 12 oz soda has about 1 1/2 oz of sugar- it's 1/8 sugar! ). And there is way too much fat- and it is often "bad fat"! We got LOTS of Omega 6, but almost no Omega 3.

[FONT=&quot]O-6 vs. O-3 ratio[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Omega-6+to+Omega-3+Ratio+-+Discover+the+Shocking+Reality+That+Ruins...-a01073970178[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]


Good Oils and Fatty Substances http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~ebender/Health%20&%20Nutrition/Nutrition/oil_good.html

The cannabis you smoke should have CBD (cannabidiol) in it. CBD can prevent anxiety attack and has been used as an anti-psychotic.

Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug. (full - 2006)
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research - Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug

CBD doesn't get you "high", it gets you "mellow"! You just feel "right". The strains Harlequin and Pineapple Thai have decent amounts of CBD. They can be found in MMJ dispensaries, if you are lucky enough to be in the right state.

Hope that helps! Take good care of yourself!

Granny

 

[quote name='"cannister"']

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice I'm just wondering, what happens after the two months? Do you think I should just start smoking again but in moderation?[/quote]

My best advice, don't think about that right now, focus on getting through the two months and then assess where you are at. I would say whatever you decide to do, make sure you ease yourself into it.

 

Read this post and REALLY think about it.

1. You have dependancy issues
2. You want to trade one sependancy for another.

This does NOT make sense. I would defend Marijuana to my death, but sometimes it is nessecary to stay Clean From EVERYTHING.

This is comming from the guy on my 4th day sober, after smoking 2-3 times daily, 2 years straight.

You Can do it, and so can i