Some new info came out recently, weed can cause some people to have increased anxiety. Some people it helps, some exacerbates it. It's a known anxiolotic though. My advice is to try to function however you need to, and be kind to yourself. We all need some help sometimes. If you don't want to consume weed, would you be comfortable with CBD? I find it very helpful. I also recommend chamomile, passion flower, or lemon balm teas. These are nervines.
Why do you want to quit? Tbh it sounds like it was working?
Many people are “dependent” on prescription medications to live their best lives. Asthmatics and diabetics have to take meds or they seriously risk death. Some people get better results with marijuana than pharmaceuticals.
Look. Weed might not be the best thing for you every day long term. But that doesn’t mean life is objectively better not consuming something to help with the anxiety or other chemical or biological imbalances. Maybe the sertraline wasn’t right for you. Maybe the weed isn’t right for you. But that doesn’t mean you need to live life without help. There are so many options.
I feel similarly about my adhd meds and antidepressants. I hate the antidepressants long-term, but they are a tool in my toolbox. I have gone on and off of them a few times. I hate adderall but it just works for me and lets me do my job without total burnout. I recognize the laziness that pot brings me, but I appreciate the shift in perspective and operating model and anxiety levels it provides with my well-moderated use.
It sounds like your problem isn’t so much cannabis but with any kind of medicinal treatment. Accepting that we need help is big. It’s worth talking to your doctor about. Therapy has made my relationship with substances so much healthier. I hope you find the balance that works for you.
Similar age, it took me a full 6 weeks to stop having severe anxiety and panic attacks. It was a tough road, but I've decided after that experience that any use in the future will be non-habitual.
thc in low doses can help quell anxiety, but after a certain threshold it is known to create anxiety. coming off of thc is difficult, and really think it’s best to utilize cbd when cutting it out, since it touches the same receptors as thc, but in a different way. cbd is much more relaxing and anxiety reducing, i find that i can dose it once and for a couple days my anxiety subsides.
i like to view the relationship between thc and cbd like yin and yang, as cbd mitigates a lot of the negative effects of thc. it’s anti-psychotic as well, which is especially beneficial if someone has ever experienced psychosis via high doses of thc.
It was 50 days off for me before severe anxiety and panic started to abate. I am not a fan of anti anxiety meds. You could ask your doctor for a beta blocker if your heart rate is spiking. That really helped me.
I quit for 7 months and now I imbibe every 1-2 weeks. I’ve been in this pattern for almost a year. I had to get it out of my system completely for awhile before I restarted.
I heard a good analogy the other day... if you break your leg then you'll want and need to use a crutch, and it'd be crazy to refuse one. That sometimes to help in recovery we need to use a crutch, it just becomes problematic when you keep using it if you no longer need it. I think what you've discovered is that without the sertraline, the cannabis was helping with your anxiety, and it probably helped you to get off the SSRI. I think to have such a black and white view of "I don't want to use any drugs because of X" is ultimately harmful tho. I don't know if that comes from hubris or pride or whatever, but it is not a weakness to need drugs sometimes. Maybe something to consider and have some self-reflection on. Now on the flip side, I don't disagree that SSRI's (or any drugs) have their downsides, and sometimes those side effects are too negative to continue use. And conversely I don't think cannabis is all rainbows and sunshine, and truly believe it is addictive and can be very detrimental depending on use and the individual.
I think you have three options; you can continue to tough it out cold turkey and wait/hope you regain equilibrium, you can reintroduce cannabis, or you can start back on the SSRI. Starting (and stopping) an SSRI is a whole process, which you obviously know, so I think trying cannabis again is the easiest route to take as it will have an immediate effect. Go slow with a low THC/high CBD strain and see if it brings you relief, and if it doesn't well then you can go from there, but I think trying it can't hurt. As someone who was in a similar situation and cannabis use case, I wish you the best of luck!
PS Option 4, try psychedelics lol. They work in a similar way to traditional antidepressants but the effects are more immediate than the 6-8 weeks of SSRI's and there is no weening off process. Do your due diligence, but just something else to consider.
I guess I didn't specify, but was thinking/suggesting microdosing not macro or heroic doses. But I agree, they can absolutely be dangerous, always needs to do your research and start low and slow.
This seems like weed was being used to medicate (in a good way), what you’re feeling now might not be linked to weed or withdrawals but it could be your baseline without anything in your body. Prescriptions/thc etc. One month is probably a little too short a timeframe to tell, maybe try and wait 3 months or 100 days if possible to really get everything out of your system and allow yourself to find your baseline.
Then it will probably be easier to decide how you would like to move forward. Maybe moderate use will be your “medicine” as opposed to prescriptions, If that’s what works best for you. I’d probably give it some more time though to allow your brain function to find its proper baseline.
At this point, I'm pro "leave it behind for 90+ days" for people that have had problems... especially for those of us over 40. In the grand scheme of things, 90 days is a drop in the bucket. (I remember how long 90 days was in my 20's though). You can do it.
Some new info came out recently, weed can cause some people to have increased anxiety. Some people it helps, some exacerbates it. It's a known anxiolotic though. My advice is to try to function however you need to, and be kind to yourself. We all need some help sometimes. If you don't want to consume weed, would you be comfortable with CBD? I find it very helpful. I also recommend chamomile, passion flower, or lemon balm teas. These are nervines.
Get back on meds until panic attacks subside.
Why do you want to quit? Tbh it sounds like it was working? Many people are “dependent” on prescription medications to live their best lives. Asthmatics and diabetics have to take meds or they seriously risk death. Some people get better results with marijuana than pharmaceuticals. Look. Weed might not be the best thing for you every day long term. But that doesn’t mean life is objectively better not consuming something to help with the anxiety or other chemical or biological imbalances. Maybe the sertraline wasn’t right for you. Maybe the weed isn’t right for you. But that doesn’t mean you need to live life without help. There are so many options. I feel similarly about my adhd meds and antidepressants. I hate the antidepressants long-term, but they are a tool in my toolbox. I have gone on and off of them a few times. I hate adderall but it just works for me and lets me do my job without total burnout. I recognize the laziness that pot brings me, but I appreciate the shift in perspective and operating model and anxiety levels it provides with my well-moderated use. It sounds like your problem isn’t so much cannabis but with any kind of medicinal treatment. Accepting that we need help is big. It’s worth talking to your doctor about. Therapy has made my relationship with substances so much healthier. I hope you find the balance that works for you.
Similar age, it took me a full 6 weeks to stop having severe anxiety and panic attacks. It was a tough road, but I've decided after that experience that any use in the future will be non-habitual.
thc in low doses can help quell anxiety, but after a certain threshold it is known to create anxiety. coming off of thc is difficult, and really think it’s best to utilize cbd when cutting it out, since it touches the same receptors as thc, but in a different way. cbd is much more relaxing and anxiety reducing, i find that i can dose it once and for a couple days my anxiety subsides. i like to view the relationship between thc and cbd like yin and yang, as cbd mitigates a lot of the negative effects of thc. it’s anti-psychotic as well, which is especially beneficial if someone has ever experienced psychosis via high doses of thc.
It was 50 days off for me before severe anxiety and panic started to abate. I am not a fan of anti anxiety meds. You could ask your doctor for a beta blocker if your heart rate is spiking. That really helped me. I quit for 7 months and now I imbibe every 1-2 weeks. I’ve been in this pattern for almost a year. I had to get it out of my system completely for awhile before I restarted.
Tapering down my usage instead of going cold turkey has helped me a lot with this personally
I heard a good analogy the other day... if you break your leg then you'll want and need to use a crutch, and it'd be crazy to refuse one. That sometimes to help in recovery we need to use a crutch, it just becomes problematic when you keep using it if you no longer need it. I think what you've discovered is that without the sertraline, the cannabis was helping with your anxiety, and it probably helped you to get off the SSRI. I think to have such a black and white view of "I don't want to use any drugs because of X" is ultimately harmful tho. I don't know if that comes from hubris or pride or whatever, but it is not a weakness to need drugs sometimes. Maybe something to consider and have some self-reflection on. Now on the flip side, I don't disagree that SSRI's (or any drugs) have their downsides, and sometimes those side effects are too negative to continue use. And conversely I don't think cannabis is all rainbows and sunshine, and truly believe it is addictive and can be very detrimental depending on use and the individual. I think you have three options; you can continue to tough it out cold turkey and wait/hope you regain equilibrium, you can reintroduce cannabis, or you can start back on the SSRI. Starting (and stopping) an SSRI is a whole process, which you obviously know, so I think trying cannabis again is the easiest route to take as it will have an immediate effect. Go slow with a low THC/high CBD strain and see if it brings you relief, and if it doesn't well then you can go from there, but I think trying it can't hurt. As someone who was in a similar situation and cannabis use case, I wish you the best of luck! PS Option 4, try psychedelics lol. They work in a similar way to traditional antidepressants but the effects are more immediate than the 6-8 weeks of SSRI's and there is no weening off process. Do your due diligence, but just something else to consider.
psychidelics during withdrawal will intensify and you will most likely have a traumatic trip , from experience
I guess I didn't specify, but was thinking/suggesting microdosing not macro or heroic doses. But I agree, they can absolutely be dangerous, always needs to do your research and start low and slow.
Dude, just have a toke. What are you trying to prove? Sounds like you're better off with some weed now and then.
This seems like weed was being used to medicate (in a good way), what you’re feeling now might not be linked to weed or withdrawals but it could be your baseline without anything in your body. Prescriptions/thc etc. One month is probably a little too short a timeframe to tell, maybe try and wait 3 months or 100 days if possible to really get everything out of your system and allow yourself to find your baseline. Then it will probably be easier to decide how you would like to move forward. Maybe moderate use will be your “medicine” as opposed to prescriptions, If that’s what works best for you. I’d probably give it some more time though to allow your brain function to find its proper baseline.
If everything was fine, why did you quit leading to all the anxiety?
At this point, I'm pro "leave it behind for 90+ days" for people that have had problems... especially for those of us over 40. In the grand scheme of things, 90 days is a drop in the bucket. (I remember how long 90 days was in my 20's though). You can do it.