Any advice about dealing with anxiety?

Enchantre

Enchantre

Oil Painter
biohacker said:
Do you not eventually suffer adrenal fatigue/burnout and adrenal exhaustion?
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Yes. That is also part of my experience. "eventually" almost doesn't fit in... it's a cycle that chews through from one end, adrenaline rush (panic/pain) to burnout/exhaustion, in a go.

There is also the accumulative exhaustion that carrys underneath it all... now I'm getting rest from that when I medicate heavily enough. So, I'm gaining some ground now.
 
Vapor_Eyes

Vapor_Eyes

taste buds
I recently started experimenting with microdosing plain old ABV. My ABV tends to be potent and still a little green, I generally shoot for temp ranges 345-355 and 375-385. That makes up most of my ABV and then there is some that is roasted darker. I keep it all mixed together for a balanced effects profile.

I have just started playing around with this but it seems .025 grams every three or four hours works best for me. We all metabolize cannabis differently so it's important that you start small and work your way up.

I have been simply eating a spent load from my E-Nano, plain with no fat/oil. Usually nice and warm from the last hit. I don't feel high at all, but I have much less anxiety. I also feel less need to vape and have been consuming less since starting this experiment.

I've tried .05 gram loads but I got a little bit sedated at that dosage. I also got a little sedated when I tried .025g every two hours. Today my anxiety has been acting up again and I just realized I haven't eaten any ABV since last night.

I hope this may be able to help others, I encourage everyone to give it a try, there is very little to lose and it couldn't be any easier. The taste/texture may not be for everyone but it's such a small amount and you could always put it in a capsule if necessary.
 
BabyFacedFinster

BabyFacedFinster

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
I hope this thread never dies. I have gone back and re-read several of the pages here because it has been therapeutic for me. To know that others have had the same or similar experiences as me.

Bravesst, I read the physical symptoms you listed back in mid-September and was amazed that I have experienced almost all of the same things. Fear can be so damaging to your well-being, and it can encompass all your thoughts. And yes, it can take its toll on those around you also. I see that too.

I try to keep exercising. I think it helps, but sometimes it's the last thing I want to do when I'm stressing. I also have a lot of hobbies to keep my mind occupied. Cannabis can usually help, but sometimes it gets me thinking too much. Still, I think it has done me a world of good. I see some good people out there that are hooked on alcohol and other things that could really be helped if they gave up those poisons and went to cannabis instead.

Thanks everyone. Great thread.
 
biohacker

biohacker

H.R.E.A.M
I echo all that as well....anxiety has crippled my life from a very young age, and my wife has it even worse and we both have severe PTSD from a young age that keeps being retriggered due to extremely high stress careers. Recently I have discovered microdosing every 3 hours has made a massive difference in the quality of my day, which sets the tone for the quality of sleep at night, which then starts a positive feedback loop with decreasing anxiety. Unfortunately, i'm going through several layers of life's shit right now and negative feedback patterns start to emerge.

I have my first appointment with a specialist that does CBT-I (insomnia). Keeping an open mind, but don't think it will make a difference. Also have to read this entire thread....so many great points, and nothing IMO beats vaping for anxiety...i've literally seen it transform my wife, and she' mid 30's and brand new to cannabis and vaping, so no tolerance, no bias, I just see what it does and keep using her to experiment on as a clean slate cannabis patient. Obsolutely fascinating.

Off to the gym after a 3:30am wakeup, in order to work on my anxiety and burn off some energy and set the proper tone for the day.

But first, no coffee (horrible for anxiety) - instead, a nice .05g pack of Haze! I swear it's steroids in the gym! Followed by a long hot sauna and an ice cold shower!

FUCK combustion! FUCK Anxiety! The domain is available! Should we start our very own fuckanxiety.com for FC members? lol
 
hibeam

hibeam

alpha +
biohacker said:
I echo all that as well....anxiety has crippled my life from a very young age, and my wife has it even worse and we both have severe PTSD from a young age that keeps being retriggered due to extremely high stress careers. Recently I have discovered microdosing every 3 hours has made a massive difference in the quality of my day, which sets the tone for the quality of sleep at night, which then starts a positive feedback loop with decreasing anxiety. Unfortunately, i'm going through several layers of life's shit right now and negative feedback patterns start to emerge.

I have my first appointment with a specialist that does CBT-I (insomnia). Keeping an open mind, but don't think it will make a difference. Also have to read this entire thread....so many great points, and nothing IMO beats vaping for anxiety...i've literally seen it transform my wife, and she' mid 30's and brand new to cannabis and vaping, so no tolerance, no bias, I just see what it does and keep using her to experiment on as a clean slate cannabis patient. Obsolutely fascinating.

Off to the gym after a 3:30am wakeup, in order to work on my anxiety and burn off some energy and set the proper tone for the day.

But first, no coffee (horrible for anxiety) - instead, a nice .05g pack of Haze! I swear it's steroids in the gym! Followed by a long hot sauna and an ice cold shower!

FUCK combustion! FUCK Anxiety! The domain is available! Should we start our very own fuckanxiety.com for FC members? lol
Click to expand...

We can probiotic hack too. Chemicals secreted in our digestive tract from stress actually stimulate the growth of bad bacteria, which can lead to a disordered mind. Here's a doctor lecture about the stress gut connection:

And here is about gut bacteria and mood: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/06/29/gut-bacteria-influences-mood
 
Enchantre

Enchantre

Oil Painter
herbivore21

herbivore21

Well-Known Member
I wanted to check in and say that with regard to the nominal topic here and the other reason we all came to FC (the herb):

The maturity of the flowers and the state of the resin at harvest has bearing on anxiety. You can observe the resin in your material under 20x or greater magnification. If the resin heads (balls on the end of the trichome stalks; clear masses that look like mushroom stalks but taller) are clear and have no color to them - this is not very developed resin yet, using it will carry a potential risk of anxiety if you consume too much too soon.

Some preference may apply, for example: I have found that my ideal material has mostly white cloudy heads with some yellow heads.

Whilst I enjoy the get up and go from nugs with super clear headies, I do find them to cause panic attacks in high dosage!

Also the way the material is treated/processed/stored will all have effects on the state of the resin, which in some cases may take the edge of very young clear resin.

This is all true whether you are using solvent based extracts (beware, poorly purged concentrates can be a one-way ticket to panic attack land), solventless extracts and flowers - perhaps not with edibles due to decarb.

A lot of people with anxiety will likely prefer more oxidated resin heads still, with amber domes all over, unless they can't carry out there day to day with the sleepiness that amber domes bring. Either way, this more oxidated amber stuff is going to be better for those of us with insomnia (high comorbidity with anxiety symptoms), I keep some lovely aged hash aside for this reason.

All the best to you fellow anxiety sufferers!
 
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hibeam

hibeam

alpha +
biohacker said:
@hibeam I couldn't agree with you more, and thanks for posting that video! I've seen massive transformations with my wife's health by introducing fermented foods like kefir, saurkraut, etc. She's swears by it!
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Your wife is very lucky! I wish I could get probiotics from fermented food. I feel like I am really missing out. However tendency to chronic migraine that has been validated by a genetic test shows that I don't process amines properly...too funny because my family are such krauts! Anybody else like me might do well to take probiotics that don't trigger histamines. Some people here probably know that histamine can be anxiety producing. This coversation can be found elsewhere online. http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/rethinking-probiotics.24643/

Histamine Excess- Histamine is a neurotransmitter that is released in connection with an allergic reaction which is why the typical allergy treatment is with antihistamines. However some people just produce too much histamine and causes a lot more than a stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes. The symptoms of excessive histamine are abnormal fears or compulsions, depression, OCD, cry easily, nausea, inner tension and suicidal thoughts.-- http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/kiran-ram/causes-of-anxiety-and-depression_b_6327486.html

You know that the tranq Trazadone is also an antihistamine (that gives me headaches!) http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...drug-is-little-known-antidepressant/index.htm
 
BabyFacedFinster

BabyFacedFinster

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
herbivore21 said:
I wanted to check in and say that with regard to the nominal topic here and the other reason we all came to FC (the herb):

The maturity of the flowers and the state of the resin at harvest has bearing on anxiety. You can observe the resin in your material under 20x or greater magnification. If the resin heads (balls on the end of the trichome stalks; clear masses that look like mushroom stalks but taller) are clear and have no color to them - this is not very developed resin yet, using it will carry a potential risk of anxiety if you consume too much too soon.

Some preference may apply, for example: I have found that my ideal material has mostly white cloudy heads with some yellow heads.

Whilst I enjoy the get up and go from nugs with super clear headies, I do find them to cause panic attacks in high dosage!

Also the way the material is treated/processed/stored will all have effects on the state of the resin, which in some cases may take the edge of very young clear resin.

This is all true whether you are using solvent based extracts (beware, poorly purged concentrates can be a one-way ticket to panic attack land), solventless extracts and flowers - perhaps not with edibles due to decarb.

A lot of people with anxiety will likely prefer more oxidated resin heads still, with amber domes all over, unless they can't carry out there day to day with the sleepiness that amber domes bring. Either way, this more oxidated amber stuff is going to be better for those of us with insomnia (high comorbidity with anxiety symptoms), I keep some lovely aged hash aside for this reason.

All the best to you fellow anxiety sufferers!
Click to expand...

This is great information. Thanks. I heard that you're supposed to wait until at least 50% of your heads are cloudy before harvesting. Now I'm putting two and two together :wave:

I will almost always buy indicas, but now I'll also bring a jeweler's loop with me when I hit the dispensary. Are the heads as easy to read when the flowers are dry vs fresh?
 
CarolKing

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
I felt like I needed to dust off this thread.
I have to keep reminding myself that worrying about something or someone doesn't make them better or make the situation better. It's like with all my worrying I'm going to figure out how to help this person or make things better. It doesn't happen I only make myself sick by dwelling on it and I feel miserable in the long run. The holidays brings out some of my anxiety.

I have a loved one that is addicted to something and has been homeless for a year. I refuse to let this person live at our home because said person has stolen from us. This person had stolen quite a bit of my medical cannabis and emergency cash we had on hand. We've had tools that have come up missing. I have given this person thousands of dollars, until I found out that he was an addict. This person is a close relative so I can't unfriend him. I love him but tough love is the only way. He's probably stealing from others if he's willing to steal from me. I've just been giving him food and no money.

Yesterday he was arrested and will probably spend some time in jail because this isn't the first time. He needs to go through a rehab. We don't know what it is that he's addicted to but we think it's meth. He tells me he's not addicted to anything. For some reason he can't work and has odd behavior and all his friends have distance themselves from him. I just feel really sad and the anxiety has kicked up.

Maybe surfing through FC I can divert my attention elsewhere.
 
hibeam

hibeam

alpha +
@CarolKing I had a partner for a few years who I helped get early release from a prison sentence. He was in and out of rehab until he got blacklisted from all state funded facilities. He would attend AA and NA religiously sometimes twice a day, but after three years with me he got arrested for assault across town at four in the morning. Before this guy I always believed anyone who sincerely tried could recover from addiction. Fast forward to 25 years later and he found me on facebook. He apologized for how he used to be, but he talked out of his head about his becoming a new life form, a beam of energy from God. I guess mental illness finally set in permanently. I think he has been committed to a mental institution because of some pix of him I saw. I do not want to cast negative light on your relation, but I want to reassure you to protect yourself. My guy had a very charming personality, striking good looks, and he was a gifted musician.
 
Stu

Stu

Maconheiro
Staff member
psychonaut said:
I am currently making an effort to clear my thoughts of future. Trying to focus on the moment. It's not easy especially when others anxiety brings you in. I figure if I make it a practice, it might have some benefit.

I hope all are doing well, this time of the year isn't easy.
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Staying in the present is really key for me. When I begin to let the stress of the future get me down, I try to remind myself that I'm on this organic spaceship whizzing around a star and have had the good fortune of having all my ancestors live long enough to get laid. And the mere fact that I can comprehend that is somehow equally amazing. Enjoy life while it lasts. It's a gift with an expiration date, so I'll make the best of this moment because it's all I have. Weed helps, too.:nod:

:peace:
 
sativasam

sativasam

NO SMOKING
I suffer from depression and anxiety also. It runs in my family. I get it often in long waves and it is outside of my control to a certain degree.

I have never taken prescription medication and wouldn't want to take mood altering chemicals like that. But my father and sister swear by them and they have been on them for years. I have a lot of friends who say anti-depressants messed them up so I stay away.

I take 5HTP when things are getting really difficult, and for me it really helps. It's mild, but clears my head and often helps me to able to get on with the things I need to do. It really is a life saver for me at times.

Remember to make time to see friends and family don't lock yourself away from the world. A light jog in the park never goes amiss either.

Keep your head up!
 
CuckFumbustion

CuckFumbustion

Lo and Behold! The transformative power of Vapor.
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There is a wealth of information here. :tup:Wish there was a 'Like all' button. Another avenue to recover is outlets.
Anxiety and depression is hard to sort out, if you are already in that state of mind. You almost have to catch yourself in the act to recognize it sometimes. I have to remind myself from time to time to hit the reset button. Some of my more irrational thoughts get dismissed when I simply take a pause and refresh my 'information' (and not believing everything you think helps too.;) )The bigger trick is remembering to hit that reset.

Another thing to separate is how much of it is physiological or psychological. I try not to give my anxiety and depression marching orders. :D I also try to recognize better when I am tired. Also, I try to look a situation with more than one perspective and I can hold several opinions on a single subject. Tunnel-vision will occur if someone over obsess on a problem. Sometimes, jokingly, I as myself, have I poured enough attention on this problem? Have I done everything reasonable to affect this problem? If So, then I have exhausted the subject and anything that I think beyond that point is technically obsessing over it. "Yes, I believe I have obsessed over this problem enough. I need to distract myself." Sometimes choosing that distraction is beneficial and the answer to said problem will surface on it's own.
And what are you outlets? Are they healthy? Hiking and biking away from work and home, seem to help me. I often feel like I am running on all cylinders the next day.

I have a stress related job and while I'm working, sometimes a memory of a hike or vista will enter my head at random and my sense of calm returns. I do think how 'normals' handle their everyday situations/problems and imagine how a level headed person might handle something that I seem to be bothered with. I try to imagine the problems having a physical size and I need to diminish the size of the problems in my head, if I somehow can't solve it directly. Once I imagine the problems being SMALLER than myself, It no longer controls me and I don't make the mistake of trying to control it or other people who are 'contributing' to my anxiety. Recognize it, evaluate it, diminish it, then if possible attempt to solve it. If not, know when to set it down.

These are simple coping mechanisms and there is no 'one size fits all' for this type of problem. The good news if you are a sufferer, one of the healthier outlets is to help others with their stress. :peace:
 
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TeeJay1952

TeeJay1952

Well-Known Member
My Granddaughter (24) has a heart condition and is emotionally retarded. (permanently 12). She has been banned from all local hospitals because her stomach pain is "anxiety" as determined by 10 ERs. She called me Friday (Mom was out of town) and wanted ride to Ann Arbor (35 miles) because they won't turn her away. I refused. "Only local" I said. She swore at me and I hung up.
I really don't understand anxiety but I do understand she only has emergencies and does nothing to resolve situation in between Hospital runs. Sometimes you decide what you are willing to do and you stick to it.
 
hibeam

hibeam

alpha +
TeeJay1952 said:
My Granddaughter (24) has a heart condition and is emotionally retarded. (permanently 12). She has been banned from all local hospitals because her stomach pain is "anxiety" as determined by 10 ERs. She called me Friday (Mom was out of town) and wanted ride to Ann Arbor (35 miles) because they won't turn her away. I refused. "Only local" I said. She swore at me and I hung up.
I really don't understand anxiety but I do understand she only has emergencies and does nothing to resolve situation in between Hospital runs. Sometimes you decide what you are willing to do and you stick to it.
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I believe very strongly in your description of a tough love.

I came from people running around fixing everyone else but themselves. I have spent 56 years pulling at my own roots for this problem. I must be on guard every day not to succumb to fix it temptation. Now that I have a much better handle on the social, chemical, and genetic causes of my own general anxiety, I happily stopped needing to fix everyone else around me. I don't even lead horses to water any more IRL, but online I still can't help myself. I do think I am less of a control freak, but... :)
 
CuckFumbustion

CuckFumbustion

Lo and Behold! The transformative power of Vapor.
hibeam said:
We can probiotic hack too. Chemicals secreted in our digestive tract from stress actually stimulate the growth of bad bacteria, which can lead to a disordered mind. Here's a doctor lecture about the stress gut connection:

And here is about gut bacteria and mood: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/06/29/gut-bacteria-influences-mood
Click to expand...
Been gluten free for over a year. Never technically diagnosed with it, but I lost over 50 lbs in a summer with no other change of dietary habit.
Did not know about the adrenaline connection before. But it makes perfect sense. I may have been bouncing between adrenaline and IBS for a while. Thanks for enlightening me on that. Well guess I'll keep eating that yogurt :D and plan on cutting back on sugars and carbs in the future. Not a recommendation, But vaporizing Lemon grass and Lemon balm with some other herbs actually helped me with one episode of IBS. I have actually got some relief/enjoyment without the dependence of big pharm.

With Celiac disease, you stomach keeps releasing all these antibodies to the point where your body is always in defense mode. Then you aren't absorbing all the nutrients from you food. You become more fatigued by this and the problem continues to loop until you have a full fledged weight problem with a possible diabetic condition. On top of a physiological state of depression to sort out.
 
hibeam

hibeam

alpha +
@CuckFumbustion big thanks about the lemon grass and balm vaping! The connections between gut flora health, nutrition, and weight management are getting press coverage. I can't wait for good research on cannabis and gut health and stress. So many veterans these days have severe chronic digestive issues. I especially wish them relief.

@killick does your town have a tree board? My town is losing ground for its road canopy trees, these awesome live oaks that reach across streets, branches covered in resurrection fern and Spanish moss. To the road builders nothing is sacred, but residents are banding together exactly for your words above. I get such a sense of calm from fighting for the trees when I get together with my tree loving neighbors.
 
N

Nok21

Well-Known Member
I hope we sticky this thread. For real.

I've dealt with anxiety since I was young, from heart pounding to the point you literally think your having a heart attack, moderate to severe chest tightness, bad insomnia, freaking out and dwelling on shit that really effected me on an emotional level, and just being in a pissy/snappy attitude during/after these attacks that are tough to break.

One of, if not the worst parts is how nobody understands that being diagnosed or living with panic/anxiety is different from having every day anxiety that people normally experience as part of human life. :disgust:

So I suppose my advice, based on my experience without going into full detail is this:

-Research any medication you are on or are considering starting thoroughly, know their side effects both short and long term. Lots of people have no idea how addictive anxiety medicine is. It never solved my problems, at least. :worms:
-Talk to someone, find a friend, family member, anyone, someone to chat with. Maybe even trust a bit. Open up slowly or talk about it all, just get some of that anxiety out of you and get some input on the situation or how your feeling.
-Write a journal. I prefer pen & paper myself, but a journal is VERY helpful for reflecting on the past in addition to letting your frustrations out. Ever forget why you were so upset? Well, there it is. This has been one of my biggest helpers, I even wrote a shorthand for it so no one can read it. I'd be tempted to share my basic one if anyone is interested. ;)
-Find a physical activity you like, something you have to at least get some minimum exercise with. Something you enjoy doing.
-Get some outdoor time, even if its just laying in the grass a bit or vaping with a fishing line in the water.
-Read books, watch tv, play a video game during the attacks -if you can bear through them- Take your mind of things you dwell on, or your anxiety in general.

These have all helped me a lot, I hoped I helped some people out, but a lot if it is much easier said than done when your in the middle of an attack or feeling really down. For me starting a journal, not even daily, has really helped me keep things under control. :2c:

I deal with it every day, maybe tomorrow I'll go into some more detail but I just don't feel it tonight.

It is a struggle, and no one is alone in dealing with it.
 
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