Anxiety and Marijuana. What came first.

[DansW333]

Hi,

My questions and concerns relate to Marijuana use and my anxiety. I have experianced anxiety and depression for a long while, i have good days and bad days. Although i am known as confident and always seem to "have it together" i still find myself constantly axious about what people think of me, the way i look, i get anxious with small little noises to the point where i get very angry and irritated ( like people sniffling, chewing with there mouth open, whistling ect). I have constantly got thoughts running thought my mind non stop, i feel like nervous even when everything is going amazingly, that something bad is going to happen and i get anxious over it. Why cant just enjoy myself while times are going good instead of talking myself into thinking that things cant always be this great and that something bad is going to happen soon.
I am known as a positive person but always seem to come back to these emotions. I find it very hard to handle critisim and negative coments said about me (even if i no they arnt true) and i tend to try and relax myself in the evenings by smoking a small amount of marijuana. I no that marijuana does cause anxiety as i have looked into this but even before i started smoking i used to experiance depression/ anxiety and things like that. How do i no what came first and if the marijuana is causing this. Realisticly i no there is nothing in my life to anxious about. I just really want to find out why i get anxious and try and control it once and forall. I am very strong minded and dont want to give up and live like this, there has to be a reason right?
I hope this has made sense and i really appreciate you taking your time to read my question.

[mamascrazy1985]

i highly doubt pot caused your anxiety... pot is a downer it causes you to relax. just dont do what i did.. i got really upset one night and start to smoke kinda heavily like i was trying to hurry up and get high... well mind you i had been smoking for 2 years well i guess i got way to high way to fast because i tryed to stand up and i was so high it gave me a panic attack. This is the last day i smoked... i didnt have anxiety issues till about a year later when my frustration started to build after i had my second child... i have no help from my husband hes always working and when he is home he doesnt do anything so i was frustrated and still am....i am the same way as far as when some one says something that isnt true i try to relax and blow it off because i know who i am and what ive done but i just cant seem too... best of luck

[DansW333]

i highly doubt pot caused your anxiety... pot is a downer it causes you to relax. just dont do what i did.. i got really upset one night and start to smoke kinda heavily like i was trying to hurry up and get high... well mind you i had been smoking for 2 years well i guess i got way to high way to fast because i tryed to stand up and i was so high it gave me a panic attack. This is the last day i smoked... i didnt have anxiety issues till about a year later when my frustration started to build after i had my second child... i have no help from my husband hes always working and when he is home he doesnt do anything so i was frustrated and still am....i am the same way as far as when some one says something that isnt true i try to relax and blow it off because i know who i am and what ive done but i just cant seem too... best of luck

Thanks heaps for your reply, that makes me feel alot better. Did you find any changes in yourself after you quit? i just dont no if i go through all the hardship of giving up and it doesn't help me, i feel it may be me more worse then good??
I am sorry to hear of you anxiety, especially with kids it must be difficult. I suppose if we don't give up and just soilder on and try and understand the condition, we will become better people. I just say never give up and dont settle for living an unhappy life. Best of luck to you aswell.

[palow]

These negative thought patterns that you have are what is causing your anxiety. You predict disaster constantly, you worry constantly about what people think of you. YOu are probably also a perfectionist.

These patterns are now habits programmed into your subconscious and you can't talk or think your way out of this. Hey you practiced your way into these patterns, so what you do is practice your way out. Practice means giving yourself time, like a couple of months, to change.

You need to stop thinking about yourself so much. Go volunteer for something and take care of others. When you start wondering if someone you're talking to thinks you're an idiot, start having some concern for that person. Do something nice for that person without wanting anything in return. Throw parties and make sure they have a good time. Call your mother and buy her flowers.

You are addicted to negativity. Admit it to yourself and vow to change. Then re-evaluate your life's purpose and commit yourself to something positive that would bring some light into this world.

Patrick

[DansW333]

These negative thought patterns that you have are what is causing your anxiety. You predict disaster constantly, you worry constantly about what people think of you. YOu are probably also a perfectionist.

These patterns are now habits programmed into your subconscious and you can't talk or think your way out of this. Hey you practiced your way into these patterns, so what you do is practice your way out. Practice means giving yourself time, like a couple of months, to change.

You need to stop thinking about yourself so much. Go volunteer for something and take care of others. When you start wondering if someone you're talking to thinks you're an idiot, start having some concern for that person. Do something nice for that person without wanting anything in return. Throw parties and make sure they have a good time. Call your mother and buy her flowers.

You are addicted to negativity. Admit it to yourself and vow to change. Then re-evaluate your life's purpose and commit yourself to something positive that would bring some light into this world.

Patrick

Wow that was enlightening!!! You are so very right and thankyou!! But how do i stop thinking like this? ...any suggestions??

[forwells]

HI Dans :D

I think what Palow is saying is. Instead of sitting and dwelling on things get away and do something . Read a book , take a walk , ring someone , do a jigsaw , reads some jokes on the net,games on the net, get a DS to play etc etc

When i was at my worst i would go outside and sit in the garden and brake clay up by hand just so i wasn't sitting and thinking about my problems .

Distraction is a great thing to learn when we have anxiety . The other is to learn when your thinking is becoming poisonous and how to stop it with distraction .

Just think about the times when you were stuck in your neg thoughts and someone rung or came to talk to you and within minutes you forget about it until you are back with your own thoughts again .

As for the dope , well as i dont smoke it i cant say much but the worry you are having about it is feeding your anixety. If you feel it may not be helping then stop it for a while and see how you go . Is there a reason you cant stop it or are you just using it to relax. Maybe replace it with something a bit more healthy

cheers kev :)

[lawandorder]

yeah stop smoking the bud, i used to all the time but since anxiety days i can't even touch it.
marijuana actually induces derealization to an extent, but because we expect a change in our senses no body ever really gets scared of it.
I can relate to your thought patterns, start challenging them, and they just become 'thoughts' that pop in, and pop out. They soon mean nothing, still occur everynow and then, sometimes more often, but don't impact you the way they are now.
When things have been really good, and then you expect something bad to happen - does something bad occur? I think when nothing goes wrong, you need to reinforce that you were being very irrational, so that next time around you can be like 'oh, i'm being silly again. Everything will be fine'. You may still feel a level of anxiety, it won't disapear completely, but it is definitely reduced. practice makes perfect.
take care

[mamascrazy1985]

yeah stop smoking the bud, i used to all the time but since anxiety days i can't even touch it.
marijuana actually induces derealization to an extent, but because we expect a change in our senses no body ever really gets scared of it.


this is so so so true i think thats what happened to me that night but i didnt notice any changes after i quit i never became really addicted to pot anyway i just like the feeling of being relaxed and happy and i could eat a house and it wouldnt have bothered me at all. but anyways i missed it for the first week or so but i was so scared to smoke it again i didnt touch it... no if this could only happen with cigarettes and caffeine i would be in ship shape because i have heard what you eat contributes to anxiety as well...

[palow]

Dans, by asking how you stop thinking like this you are already trying to use your mind to stop your mind. It is understandable because when you have a problem, like say your computer freezes up, you troubleshoot, weigh your options and take appropriate action.

Anxiety disorder uses your troubleshooting instincts AGAINST YOU! That thinking process is used to maintain your anxiety because trying to stop your thoughts using your conscious mind will generate only frustration and more anxiety.

You have to get into a structured program. You can buy one off the internet or develop your own from a good book. Try this book called The Worry Trap by Chad Lejeune. Whether you buy a program or get a workbook, make sure you do everything it says and NEVER listen to your mind. The anxiety beast trusts no one and thinks everything is bullshit. It will try to talk you out of the program. Have faith and patience.

Patrick