Weird weed phobia

[BrookeLynnnn]

I cannot be around anyone who I know smokes weed. Just being around them gives me anxiety. I think oh maybe they just smoked & I'll get high off the after smell. It's crazy & frustrating. Oh & if I'm out & about & I smell weed, I have to hold my breathe until it goes away.

[jshen]

Hi Brooke,

Not weird to me at all! I have the same thing. I'm 21 and I don't drink or smoke anything, I never have. It scares me and I also get very anxious to be around it, it's hard for me to pick friends or even my sister up when they have been around that. Tonight was a friends birthday dinner and a lot of the people there smoke and drink. His parents brought cake and I was scared to even eat the cake because I was nervous that there was something in it like weed because a good amount of the people there smoke. There was not any weed in it and his parents who bought the cake are great, it was just my anxiety and worrying. Ugh I know it's frustrating and exhausting.

Best,

Jonah

[BrookeLynnnn]

Hi Brooke,

Not weird to me at all! I have the same thing. I'm 21 and I don't drink or smoke anything, I never have. It scares me and I also get very anxious to be around it, it's hard for me to pick friends or even my sister up when they have been around that. Tonight was a friends birthday dinner and a lot of the people there smoke and drink. His parents brought cake and I was scared to even eat the cake because I was nervous that there was something in it like weed because a good amount of the people there smoke. There was not any weed in it and his parents who bought the cake are great, it was just my anxiety and worrying. Ugh I know it's frustrating and exhausting.

Best,

Jonah

I'm the same way!! I will not take food from anyone unless I REALLY trust them. I borrowed butter from my neighbors once (two older woman) & I was so paranoid that something was in the butter.

It is frustrating!

Especially now with my newborn.. Everyone wanting to hold him. I think oh what if they just smoked & now it's gonna be on my baby.

[MiST]

Strange, weed is normally good for anxiety. Helped me loads with my cancer treatments..:)

[BrookeLynnnn]

Strange, weed is normally good for anxiety. Helped me loads with my cancer treatments..:)

A certain strain right? Sativa maybe it's called? I'm too afraid to try it now though lol I use to smoke loads before my anxiety hit. Now I cant

[gadguy]

OK am going to probably get blasted for this, but its in my nature to Paternal ....I'm hard wired that way..stay away from people who use weed and do not use weed...why cause yourself undue anxiety. You are a Mother now...your number one responsibility is to take care of yourself so you can take care of your child...everything and everyone else is secondary. I have more than one person in my life that ruined their lives and their families because of drug use and it all started with weed, just ask my cousin, he just got out of prison for aggravated assault, he got to attend his Mothers funeral in an orange jump suit, shackles and two prison guards. He is about six months older than I am...I am almost 50, look good for my age and he looks bad for an 80 year old, also entire family has disowned him, we have gave him to many chances, he is reason I bought a gun just in-case he showed up on my door steps. And it all started with a little weed.

You are right to be afraid for people to hold your baby, if they have been smoking weed or regular cigarettes, its on their skin and can transfer...Happy to hear you are being cautious with the little one.

I understand the need for medical weed, but not recreational.

Remove this if I am out of line.

[Kuma]

Gadguy - I don't think you are out of line. I certainly would not let anyone who even might be stoned hold by new born baby, and I would not allow anyone to smoke around my baby. I am not opposed to people having the right to smoke cigarettes or pot. Whatever they want. But not near my kids.

[Ahlstrom]

You need to do exposure therapy. I was scared shitless of weed for a year because it gave me a massive panic attack, but eventually I started smoking it again recreationally and I've done at least once a day for the past 5 years without any bad side effects. I'm not saying you need to start smoking pot, it's definitely not right for everyone. But the more you resist, hold your breath, and dwell on the completely irrational thought that you're going to get high from 2nd hand smoke in a non-closed environment the harder time you're going to have. It's just a suggestion, but try and PURPOSEFULLY put yourself near some people smoking weed and eventually if you control your thoughts your mind will correct itself. Hack your brain into thinking that it's not a threat.

In reply to MiST's comment, I think that indica are the strains that are easier on anxiety, at least for me, since sativa heavily affects your brain, whereas indica affects your body. Most unnamed stuff you pick off the street is a hybrid of both sub-species.


if they have been smoking weed or regular cigarettes, its on their skin and can transfer

Could you explain what you mean by this?... I'm quite certain you can't "transfer" weed through skin contact lol.

[MiST]

Yea i'm not sure which strains I was smoking at which points in my life. I know when I was having my cancer treatment of chemotherapy and radiation I was grateful for whatever weed I could get my hands on and my friends always made sure I had some to smoke as it really complimented my treatment. It reduced the nausea and sickness considerably and also relieved my anxiety prior to a radiation treatment.

So if I ran dry they just topped me up, my doctors also had no problem with me taking weed as they could see how it helped me, although they never encouraged it, they also didn't advise against it.

Bear in mind I was only 16 at the time so they let a lot of things slide.

I miss weed because it sure helped ease anxiety on so many levels including the physical symptoms.

[DrStrangeluv]

My EX-fiance used to do weed and smoke cigarettes around me, I was worried I might get serotonin syndrome all the time( I'm on SSRIs ) so I know how you feel. I would always taste the marihuana on her lips. Needless to say we are no longer together, a day came where I thought to myself... do I want the mother of my children to smoke MJ around them? To see her spend money on an an ounce instead of baby formula, a toy or anything else that the kids might need or even us a family? We started fighting a lot over this, until I gave her an ultimatum and that was it... The eternal party girl chose drugs(not only M.J but acid and mushrooms) over having a family, a job, a career, all the things she lost interest for because of her daily consumption. Yes I was sad about it, but it was for the best.

You see you can always make a choice, you can tolerate up to a certain point or you can decide what you want in your life. It's hard but it is the right choice when you stick up to your beliefs. Else you turn into an empty shell.

I believe and know from personal experience that marihuana alters your reality, it stops your emotional growth, it hijacks your reward system making you think everything is ok, but is it?. Thus making you lose any drive for the things that make you happy in the first place.

It makes you nausea and sickness go away? Well that's great but there are nausea pills and even natural remedies around. We always tend go for the "quick fix", but nature is wise and it is the long and hard route that takes you to a better place.

People shouldn't be doing drugs in the first place but deal with her mental problems in an everyday basis with the help of professionals.

[MiST]

It makes you nausea and sickness go away? Well that's great but there are nausea pills and even natural remedies around. We always tend go for the "quick fix", but nature is wise and it is the long and hard route that takes you to a better place.

People shouldn't be doing drugs in the first place but deal with her mental problems in an everyday basis with the help of professionals.

Clearly you have never had anti-sickness drugs that are dished out as part of chemotherapy. They make the nausea worse, trust me on that.

"Natural remedies" exactly, what do you think weed is? LOL I'm all about mother nature my friend..;)

People can take drugs if they so choose, to say someone shouldn't be doing something because it doesn't adhere to YOUR standards is wrong and totally biased.

I can respect people who choose not to take any drugs, but I notice a lot of the time that these people can not extend the same courtesy to those who do choose to take them.

[BrookeLynnnn]

Thank you everyone for the replies!!

I don't let anyone hold baby if they smell like smoke or I know that they just smoked. My sister goes home & showers before coming to see baby after smoking a cigarette.

I just get paranoid about the weed thing because so many people have been coming to see baby.

[gadguy]

You need to do exposure therapy. I was scared shitless of weed for a year because it gave me a massive panic attack, but eventually I started smoking it again recreationally and I've done at least once a day for the past 5 years without any bad side effects. I'm not saying you need to start smoking pot, it's definitely not right for everyone. But the more you resist, hold your breath, and dwell on the completely irrational thought that you're going to get high from 2nd hand smoke in a non-closed environment the harder time you're going to have. It's just a suggestion, but try and PURPOSEFULLY put yourself near some people smoking weed and eventually if you control your thoughts your mind will correct itself. Hack your brain into thinking that it's not a threat.

In reply to MiST's comment, I think that indica are the strains that are easier on anxiety, at least for me, since sativa heavily affects your brain, whereas indica affects your body. Most unnamed stuff you pick off the street is a hybrid of both sub-species.



Could you explain what you mean by this?... I'm quite certain you can't "transfer" weed through skin contact lol.


Sure, people were nicotine patches to help prevent cravings for cigarettes...you get your fix through your skin, same with weed. When marijuana was first used instead of smoking it it would be boiled and made into a poultice or or cream and applied to area in which you were having pain( google it). When you smoke cigarettes of any variety the residue settles on your skin...that's why you can smell smoke on people even if they are not smoking at the time...the same substance you are inhaling are also settling on your.....ever clean a car that belonged to a smoker,,,that brown stuff on windows is tar and nicotine. So yes it can be transferred by skin contact, maybe not a great deal but it can. And why would anybody put that possibility ahead of a newborns welfare. Good call Brooklyn.

Now take this with a grain of salt, i will admit I have never smoked cigarettes of any kind, I have a prejudice against them because I have seen to many people die to soon from cigarette smoking,( chain smoking Grandparents and Uncles). An Aunt who coughed up tar constantly after a lifetime of smoking and other family members and friends who are hopeless addicted and live basically in the gutter now all because it was just a little weed. Believe me the results are not pretty or pleasant. I know some people are able to do it a life time with no ill effects but is it worth the risk. OK I'm off my soap box and I hope I did not offend or step on anyone's toes. My apologies if I did.

Now I realize why my parents kept such a tight leash on myself and my brothers.

[Kixxi]

I cannot be around anyone who I know smokes weed. Just being around them gives me anxiety. I think oh maybe they just smoked & I'll get high off the after smell. It's crazy & frustrating. Oh & if I'm out & about & I smell weed, I have to hold my breathe until it goes away.

Same thing here and I used to smoke it. I actually got my first panic attack while smoking weed, hence why I freak out around it now. I just try to avoid it as much as I can. I don't judge people who smoke though, I just don't like it being done around me.

[DrStrangeluv]

Clearly you have never had anti-sickness drugs that are dished out as part of chemotherapy. They make the nausea worse, trust me on that.

"Natural remedies" exactly, what do you think weed is? LOL I'm all about mother nature my friend..;)

People can take drugs if they so choose, to say someone shouldn't be doing something because it doesn't adhere to YOUR standards is wrong and totally biased.

I can respect people who choose not to take any drugs, but I notice a lot of the time that these people can not extend the same courtesy to those who do choose to take them.

Dear Mist, I had cancer, i was on the cancer ward and saw what chemotherapy does to you, even had a personal friend slowly die from it. Question, did you try Ginger tea before MJ? Did you go to a macrobiotic store? Did you know that chemo is only effective in less than 10% of all cases and not even recommended as opposed to boosting your inmune system because it kills healthy cells as well.

You see...Poison Ivy it's from mother nature and doesn't mean it's safe to drink in your morning tea cup as you can see from this list of poisonous plants.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poisonous_plants

Dear Mist, it's not about standards as much as it's about people making excuses for taking it while avoiding the real question... Like why are you taking it in the first place? If it's not addictive why the thought of quitting cold turkey makes you so anxious?

Yes it is your life after all, but who is in control you or the drugs?

[ShaunAlex]

I've noticed that when people (i.e. ME) have a bad experience with a substance there is a fear of going back there - that's what happened to me. It can be caffeine or whatever. I'm trying my best to cut it all out of my life.

[MiST]

why the thought of quitting cold turkey makes you so anxious?

Yes it is your life after all, but who is in control you or the drugs?

I quit very easily, I made a conscious decision to stop smoking weed because it became to expensive of a habbit. I never had an addiction to weed and smoked it purely for the high, and the very act of taking the time out to build a well crafted joint was relaxing in itself.

It is mother natures miracle plant..:)

It also helped with my creativity, which was important for work purposes, anyone who knows about writers block will understand.

I was however addicted to alcohol, that is the real evil and that sh!t almost killed me. Thank god I've been clean and sober for five years now..:)

[ShaunAlex]

I quit very easily, I made a conscious decision to stop smoking weed because it became to expensive of a habbit. I never had an addiction to weed and smoked it purely for the high, and the very act of taking the time out to build a well crafted joint was relaxing in itself.

It is mother natures miracle plant..:)

It also helped with my creativity, which was important for work purposes, anyone who knows about writers block will understand.

I was however addicted to alcohol, that is the real evil and that sh!t almost killed me. Thank god I've been clean and sober for five years now..:)

I admire your resolve. But I think your right. The thing with weed is, yes it can be addictive, but if you're just doing it for a high or to relax you can stop whenever you want and no harm done. Hence why it's being legalized more and more. I have only ever done it socially but, for me, found it increased my anxiety so stopped. Wish I was one of those folks who could chill out with it.

[MiST]

I admire your resolve. But I think your right. The thing with weed is, yes it can be addictive, but if you're just doing it for a high or to relax you can stop whenever you want and no harm done. Hence why it's being legalized more and more. I have only ever done it socially but, for me, found it increased my anxiety so stopped. Wish I was one of those folks who could chill out with it.

Your right, there are those of us who just liked to relax in the back garden in the evening with a joint watching the sunset and listening to the nature and just chilling after a hard days work, and there are other people, whom I have known personally, who use weed as a coping mechanism and smoke chronic all day, every day and get physical withdrawal if they go without.

It's important to remember that drug use is all about fractions and it's also important not to place people in a box and label them just because they partake in a bit of natures finest.

Now I really fancy a joint, damn this thread..Hahaha!

:D

[isaacA]

My anxiety is why I stopped smoking too.. smoked for along time even with anxiety, effects me bad now, it's funny you used to smoke and now you don't like being around it