The relationship between cannabis and anxiety – cannabis anxiety
Yes, well spotted, we made the heading for this video deliberately ambiguous.
Why?
Because this is definitely a coin with two sides.
On the one hand, progress is being made towards a legitimate cannabis0based treatment for stress and anxiety.
True, many of you who suffer from stress and anxiety enjoy the calming and sedative effects of a joint or toke.
But there are others of you who experience a sense of anxiety, of varying degrees, when you smoke cannabis or afterwards.
That degree can extend from mild anxiousness to full-on paranoia and panic attacks.
So, what’s going on?
Well, for those of you who feel relaxed after a joint, chances are your brain and body have ‘connected’ with the calming CBD element of the cannabis.
Perhaps you have found a ‘golden strain’ where you have that perfect balance between CBD for the calming effect and THC to give you a sufficient high, without sending you over the top.
The problem exists for those of you who don’t feel good after a smoke.
Sure, you got the buzz of the hit, but that usually comes with a sense of unease, which can last for anything between ten minutes and two hours.
So, what, if anything, can you do to reduce the level of what is known as ‘cannabis anxiety’?
The following should help…
Check the strain you are using isn’t a THC-rich variety with low CBD levels – this is asking for trouble if you are susceptible to cannabis anxiety. Instead, temper the high with a good dose of CBD.
Reduce the amount of cannabis you use – consider microdosing, especially if you and cannabis have only just begun a relationship.
Set the mood for enjoying a joint – lower the lights and put on some music, so that your mind and body are already beginning to relax before the THC can have any effect, and to give the CBD a helping hand.
Next, what can you do if you get hit by cannabis anxiety during or after a joint or a toke or two?
First off, tell yourself you know what is happening and that the anxiety you are feeling is ‘normal’. Don’t get involved with the vicious circle of something must be wrong, which will make you feel even more anxious, and so on…
Take a cold shower or at least splash cold water on the back of your neck. This will ‘shock’ you back into a present reality and help you to understand that everything that is going on is all in your head.
Try and distract yourself and your thought processes.
Turn on the TV and try and watch a film or a comedy.
Make yourself something to eat, even if the munchies haven’t yet struck!
Finally, accept that what you are experiencing will pass in time, even if it seems like time is passing desperately slowly.
Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below…
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