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Anxiety Trying different strains, I'm still new at this.

Discussion in 'Medical Marijuana Usage and Applications' started by Elivas, Oct 16, 2018.

  1. Hey guys :)

    I'm currently living in the Netherlands where I can quite easily get pot. No idea how good it is, don't know how medicinal cannabis works either. I'm a novice in all of this.

    A quick description of my situation; I live with my boyfriend and have done so for about 10 years now, that's also about how long I've had anxiety issues. I've been depressed ever since I can remember and had lots of issues as a kid that went mostly unaddressed completely. I've been diagnosed, I guess, because I went to a doctor many years ago, like 7 years ago and he send me to a psychologist who gave me a few weeks of mindless, I mean, mindful therapy, that didn't work.

    I've been smoking cannabis this past month with varying results. I'm also keeping a journal, but I'm too embarrassed to post that here!

    So, I've had a rough weekend where I was very nervous. I have trouble falling asleep too. I'm a big mess really, barely able to get myself out of the house. Everything was quite fine before that, but then suddenly smoking started making me much more nervous. I spend most of my weekend lying in bed because of it.

    I'm mostly trying this strain called Green Poison, it's a 70% indica and has given me lots of relaxed moments. I've also tried a high CBD strain called Sweet CBD but it hasn't really helped me much yet. I also have OG Kush which doesn't seem to be doing anything for me at all. And a strain called Dreamsicle which has been very pleasant and I really love the smell of that one, it's a 50/50 strain.

    I really want to try some more indica strains like Bubblegum Kush because that's one that Leafly suggests so I've been reading up on it and I had some Bubble Gum before which was kind of nice and it helped me take the final step to really try this stuff.

    I should also mention I smoke from a bong, because it seemed the healthiest and cheapest way for me to use it. I have these little pipe screens that I can bend a little so it allows me to use very small amounts. I read somewhere here that you should avoid bongs because they're meant to 'fuck you up' :D But it has been great up until a few days ago, so, I don't see the problem.

    Hope that wasn't too much all at once! I'm open to private messages if anyone wants to talk to me, I'd like that :) I could use some support, perhaps from a veteran smoker :D
     
  2. You should consider giving edibles a try.
    They take longer to kick in than smoking, but last about 3 times as long.
    A properly dosed, strong indica edible taken about 2 hrs before bedtime should make falling asleep easy.
    Everyone's different, but for me the higher the percentage indica, the better strains are for sleep. I sleep best on 80% or higher indicas.
    If you decide to try edibles, make your own, because commercial edibles are hit or miss.
    The best edible advice will be found on this website.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Thanks for replying!

    I have actually seriously considered edibles, because I didn't enjoy smoking at first. But now I kind of like smoking. I also have very severe anxiety sometimes, so I can't really wait for it to kick in. And I've read that edibles are unpredictable and not good for beginners sooo.. I'll wait with it for now, but I definitely aim for it in the future because I want to mind my health and all that.

    Do you have a favourite strain? :)
     
  4. Smoking and edibles are very compatible.
    And tolerance to one is not 100% correlated with tolerance for the other.
    It is true that edibles can have different effects on different days, but that's easily compensated for.
    New users have a tendency to overdose, and that's why you've read that edibles aren't good for beginners.

    My advice to ease into edibles is to smoke to fall asleep, and take a small dose edible right before bedtime.
    When the smoke wears off, the edible should kick in.
    But if you didn't start small, feelings of paranoia could become an issue, characteristic of an edible overdose.
     
  5. So glad you reached out! I suffer from bipolar disorder, and during certain periods of my illness I suffer from intense anxiety. It is crippling. I also go through periods of deep depression and mania, so I’ve learned to cater my Cannabis use to whatever phase I’m in.
    I agree with the reply above that edibles may be useful to you. For my anxiety, the slower onset of the high when I eat it is preferable to the rocket ride I experience when I smoke. It will also make it easier to enjoy larger doses, which I recommend for sleep. I often will take an edible, take one or two puffs for an immediate effect, then let the edible kick in over the next few hours.

    My personal preference is for Sativas, but most people prefer indicas for anxiety. My favorite strain to treat anxiety is Blueberry, which has a nice balanced effect and is a pleasure to smoke. To treat depression my favorites are pure sativas (Thai) and Space Bomb from TGA Subcool.

    Everybody’s experience is different, so my best suggestion is to just keep experimenting! I hope you feel better soon!
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. Thanks for the replies guys, it's great to talk to people about this :)

    Oh, I probably won't take too much, I'm learning from the smoking right now because a small amount is sometimes plenty for me.

    I actually have a sativa dominant one ready to be tried, Moby Dick.. it just.. sounds scary :p

    I do like the idea of taking edibles before sleep, in combination with some smoking. I have tried smoking just before bed but so far it hasn't really helped yet, I might not be using enough. I haven't gotten stoned yet, let's put it that way. Though one of the first times I tried it I felt kind of stoned, but I could move around easily too.

    Just had a little extra again, to see how it works today. Feels like the pot and the fear are fighting each other and I hope the green guy wins!
     
    • Like Like x 2
  7. I've been very anxious again, it's really weird how the Green Poison which made me feel so amazing a few days ago, is now making me feel so scared.

    The other day I had Dreamsicle first.. Maybe I somehow can't handle indica, though Green Poison is 70/30 so there's plenty of sativa..

    One of my theories is that when my body relaxes, I get scared.. But to be honest, it seems the anxiety is just always there and it just varies how it's triggered..
     
  8. I've noticed that using the same strain several times in a row decreases its effectiveness for sleep.
    Now I cycle thru about 8 different strains, which makes all of them more effective.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. #9 Elivas, Oct 17, 2018
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2018
    I haven't really tried it for sleep yet, I generally sleep fine once I manage to get to sleep.. it can take a few hours but then I can sleep almost all night and fall back asleep without issues too.

    Today I'm trying the Sweet CBD, can't find any info on it online, but according to the baggy it's a 50/50 strain with 2/3% THC and 12.6% CBD .. How I'm anxious now, I don't know :p I still believe that CBD doesn't really work for me, somehow

    I've also felt extremely depressed with some suicidal thoughts this morning, I woke up very early to go to the bathroom and thought to myself; ''Well.. I didn't die in my sleep, but the night isn't over yet!'' Because I was basically praying for it before I fell asleep, I do that a lot >_>

    Anyhow! I'm doing my best to stay optimistic. My boyfriend is buying some new stuff in Amsterdam soon, he thinks we might be able to find Kosher Kush and Hindu Kush there. Though Kosher Kush is apparently very high in THC.. but since I get nervous with a low THC one, I don't even know if it matters to me..

    Also, I have no idea if it's okay if I post a lot of thoughts and things in this topic, I hope it is, I find it a little therapeutic. If I had the money I'd go and talk to a professional, but I don't so I'll bother people here instead :D

    I'm thinking... if CBD doesn't make me less anxious, maybe THC won't make me more anxious, because I seem to work in the opposite way of most people (story of my life). I just hope I'm not one of the people who simply can't have ganja :(
     
  10. CBD gives me jitters and insomnia, and is a mild stimulant.


    Kosher Kush is great for sleep.
     
    • Like Like x 2
  11. After reading your post it seems to me you may not be smoking enough to get the benefits from your herb. You should definitely feel stoned after you smoke, and as a new smoker you should feel reeeaaallly stoned. I’m guessing you are getting really good quality herb, so try taking nice, deep hits and keep smoking until you feel an effect. If you aren’t getting stoned, you’re not smoking enough.

    On a side note, mental health issues are very serious and it sounds like you would benefit from some professional help. I’m not familiar with medical care in your country, but maybe see if there are some services for those in your situation that are free or less expensive. Suicidal ideation is a sign that your mental state is in bad shape. Make sure you seek all available avenues of help. Herb is wonderful, but not necessarily a cure-all. Reach out any time if you’re really low. Hope this helps ❤️
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. Thanks for the info and the video is very informative :) He's nice to hear him talk, somehow.
     
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  13. Thank you for your comment and concern <3

    I did get close to stoned from the Green Poison a few times, but since everywhere I read I should take it easy, that's exactly what I've been doing. I have no idea about the quality, my boyfriend has looked it up and in our area the ganja is apparently not very well received :D But that might just be coming from people who want to get super high, I don't know. The coffeeshop where we buy is very nice, according to him, I haven't been up for going there with him yet. Is there any way of finding out if the ganja is high quality? The Sweet CBD one probably is, because, I figure that it's grown by people who care because people who are in it for the money will grow different kind of stuff. Then again, I dunno :)

    I'm a bit worried for taking much more, though it's possible that because I take too little, I only notice a small amount of effects which is giving me the creeps. Then if I'd take more, it would overtake me and calm me down.. That would explain why the first few tries, it really worked, because my tolerance was still very low. And now that it's building up, I would need a little extra..

    I guess I can take the risk tonight with Green Poison, what do you guys think? I also have OG Kush but that one isn't that great for sleep I think.. Dreamsicle sounds like it would be, but probably isn't :D

    When we have some more money, with some luck somewhere next year, we can probably afford therapy but right now my insurance covers like.. 2 to 4 sessions, there are a few psychologists that charge less for people who can't afford it, I think there is one nearby, but then I'd be very lucky to find a therapist who I feel comfortable talking to. A lot of them are also women, I don't always feel very comfortable with women especially because I have a lot of issues with my own body image and sexuality (I'm a boy and I'm gay sooo... that's why!).

    I do want to add, I really enjoy posting this stuff here, I hope to keep it up :)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  14. So, the other night I couldn't fall asleep. it wasn't until early in the morning I finally fell asleep. Every time I tried I kept having panic attacks. And this was without smoking any ganja, because I was too scared to try.

    Last night, I smoked a lot of Green Poison and that kind of helped, but I still had panic attacks. I still don't think I got very stoned, even though other people report getting very stoned from this strain. I had about 4 decent inhales.

    Today I've only smoked Dreamsicle so far and I'm very anxious right now, it's probably wearing off by now though.

    My boyfriend is going to try and get some proper indica strains this weekend I hope that helps.

    Here's a theory I have; I think I get nervous from some of these strains because they are supposed to be uplifting, maybe when my anxiety is at a peak like it has been this week, my body misinterprets the uplifting feeling and fuels the anxiety? Because before this week my anxiety was less, but I was more depressed and both Dreamsicle and Green Poison and before that Bubble Gum all helped me out and made me feel good. Maybe I need a heavier indica for these times? And a hybrid or sativa might help during those times of depression when anxiety is less?
     
  15. no one has mentioned this in your thread= whole peppercorns reduce anxiety... you can use them a few ways and they actually increase the bio-activity of cannabis Too via cannabimimetic activity of Beta Caryophyllene ( BCP) .
    just chew on one or two when you feel anxious ... that works more long term... mortar pestle/ grind peppercorns ( you can grind them in weed grinders) and smell the aromas for instant relief but not as long lasting .
    you can also find certain cannabis strains that have BCP for the main terpene.
    a few links for your perusal and consideration ..
    Cannabis Black Pepper.
    duckduckgo is a non tracked search engine.. links are for that
    beta caryophyllene is a dietary cannabinoid at DuckDuckGo
    beta caryophyllene reduces anxiety beta caryophyllene reduces anxiety at DuckDuckGo
    a PDF from Russo ( guy in vid ) (PDF) Beyond Cannabis: Plants and the Endocannabinoid System
     
    • Like Like x 1
  16. Thanks Galaxy!

    I have tried the peppercorns (both smelling and then chewing when that didn't work) after you posted that, but can't tell if it helped me or not. Again, my anxiety might just be too severe at times ><" Or maybe I didn't chew it for long enough, it was soooo spicy!

    I keep a little cup with peppercorns near my desk now, though.

    I've tried a few different strains again, these were from Amsterdam.

    I had Master Kush (they call it High Rise, it seems to be organic), it didn't seem to do much for me with the small amounts that I use. But when I tried some more it gave mixed results. One time it made me feel kind of stoned for a little while, and had some pleasant thoughts, it was overwhelming so I didn't get to enjoy it much but think I could enjoy it next time I can get some again, but then it turned around as I was trying to do things and it made drinking water difficult. I felt as if I had to throw up the water. This happened again later.

    I also tried Milkshake Kush but that one is way too harsh for me, which is too bad because it works all right. But, like the Master Kush, these were all, like, crumbs or something. So maybe that had something to do with it. I'm keeping it around as a backup.

    Today I have OG Kush again (lots of Kush, I still have Afghan Kush lying around but I'm waiting for a good moment to try it because it's probably going to knock me out, which is fine if I'm watching a movie but not when I'm doing stuff). It's good so far, but I've also had 2 nights of good rest. And I didn't smoke all day yesterday.

    My boyfriend bought me the OG Kush today along with Black Mamba, which is a confusing strain to read about. But, the baggie says it's mostly indica, so I'm going to trust 'ilovegrowingmarijuana' on it's review as well as most of the Leafly reviews. But this is one that scares me to try it as well, though the one website says it's really quite gentle with almost no side effects. And a smooth smoke, so that's something to look forward to.

    The road so far is full of trial and error and a lot of disappointments to be very honest. I've had a great day yesterday, without any ganja, so I honestly don't know if this is going to help me at all. Because so far it's been very much divided in half.. Half the time I feel good, half the time I feel bad after smoking.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  17. Finding the right strains, delivery method, and dosage can be challenging.

    Another thing to consider is sublingual tincture, which is a compromise between smoking and edibles.
    The immediate (but small) sublingual absorption will be felt within a half hour, and the swallowed part will kick in later and last longer. A major advantage to enlisting the digestive system is longer lasting (but less predictable) medication.
     
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  18. Here's a little update for whoever actually reads this,

    2 days ago I was smoking Zkittlez which is a 80/20 indica strain but can make you feel pretty energetic at first. I've been smoking it for a while without any problems, but then I suddenly started having very uncomfortable thoughts and images. Saturday was in a way the worst, very scary thoughts and at some point when I closed my eyes I was in some kind of dark, bloody, fleshy tunnel that was moving around, I only saw it for a brief moment so I don't really have more to say about it other than it was terrifying! Yesterday, after having had a pretty good day, I decided to smoke some in the evening because I hadn't since 2 in the afternoon the day before, thinking I'd be fine this time. I was wrong :( While I was feeling pretty happy, I was just listening to some music and chatting with a friend when suddenly there was this invasive thought telling me to hurt someone. One of the first things I did was tell my boyfriend and while he tried to calm me down I had thoughts of hurting him which scared me even further, obviously. Took me a while to fall asleep after that, but I managed and today has been pretty good so far but I'm not going to smoke anything for a while, I think.

    It's actually rather tempting, because I've done a lot of thinking and I think these thoughts are just that, thoughts. Chatting with friends, listening to Alan Watts and especially dancing around like nobody is watching, convincing myself I'm free to do whatever I want, all helped to make me feel better than ganja has made me feel lately.

    To be fair, I may have been smoking too much. Almost every day for weeks, I figured if it makes me feel better (and it has helped with my anxiety in a way) I should be using it all the time. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea :p But I don't have anyone to compare with, my brother smokes but he lives far away and we don't talk much. I know he smokes a pure joint by himself in a evening, but I have no idea how much ganja he puts in there. I figure way more than what I even smoke in a day.

    Also, I've been even more depressed for a while, it kinda passed now, though it's always lurking in the shadows. But in any case, smoking hasn't really helped with that, of course it won't when I'm just sitting around playing games but it hasn't been able to really help me relax either.

    I'd really like to find a strain that can help me relax and not make me go insane. Because I am worried about what it might do in the long run if it doesn't work for me and so far it's still hard to tell if it's working. I have felt great at times, been able to relax and everything, it has helped me to calm down when I'm jittery and such. I've had a lot of mental breakdowns in the past too, but I've never been out of touch with reality or anything, as far as I know I've never had a psychoses nor am I in any way schizophrenic, but what do I know right? :D

    Anyhow, I hope people here can help me figure this out further.
     
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  19. I've noticed that with me, using the same strain too often causes it to not work as well.
    Try rotating among at least 3 different strains to see whether that eliminates problems.
    I use mainly for sleep, and rotate among half a dozen strains or so for best results.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  20. this may seem odd and come out of left field but get some White Sage and smoke or vaporize it before your cannabis session... you may find the sage enough to help for a while and not even need cannabis right away ETC... Sage helps remove negative associations and cleans the space around you and in you ETC...
     

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