Cannabis, alcohol, depression and anxiety
Discussion
Morning all,
I'm not exactly a regular poster in here, but wanted to hear some advice/opinions/experiences from fellow PHers. I also thought it might be therapeutic in some way or another to talk about it. I do need to stress though, I am not after sympathy.
I guess I should probably tell you a bit about myself, and as I'm sure you've gathered from the title of this thread, it's not going to be about hitting the gym.
I'm 24, I've been smoking cannabis since I was 14, more or less constantly, I've also been drinking quite heavily (on and off) for a few years now. I'm a bit of a loner, have very few friends, and those I do have are either through drugs, or through work. I seem to struggle socially, find it quite difficult to make friends and talk to people freely, hate going out to pubs or clubs, would much rather stay in and watch motorsport or drive the ‘ring on my Playstation.
There was a point a few years ago, I think I was about 19, when I was headed down a very dark path, far harder drugs, the wrong sorts of people, and being arrested a few times. I managed to stop that (I like to think that in part this was due to PH, and my complete addiction to cars, and the engineering involved), but couldn’t stop cannabis, and that was when I started drinking a fair bit too.
So 4 years of constant smoking and regular drinking followed, and I guess I convinced myself that that lifestyle was ok, and I could manage that indefinitely.
In short that brings us up to now. I split up with the girl I was going to marry about a year ago (not solely due to my drug/alcohol usage, but we were both a mess), and that screwed me up hugely, still have huge feelings for her, and I have no idea if they’re reciprocated. Right now, I don’t think I can deal with finding out.
And that brings me nicely onto why I’m posting this. I stopped smoking cannabis last Friday, for good, I’m 6 days in, haven’t even felt an urge. But every day since I’m having these feelings I can only really describe as anxiety attacks mixed with intense depression. I’ve always suffered from mild depression, had extreme mood swings and that sort of thing, but never had these consistent feelings of… uneasiness and fear I suppose. I’m quite worried that they aren’t going to stop. I also can’t sleep, the most I’ve gotten is 2 hours in the past 6 days.
I think alcohol can’t be helping, and would really like to stop that too, but it’s about the only thing that helps me get some sleep.
Before anyone suggests it, I have an appointment with my GP to discuss this next week, and again, I’m really not after sympathy, purely other people’s experiences and opinions. It’s been quite difficult to type this out, and particularly to hit 'submit', there’s a whole shedload more, but I think this is long enough already.
Thanks for reading and for anything you might be able to add.
I'm not exactly a regular poster in here, but wanted to hear some advice/opinions/experiences from fellow PHers. I also thought it might be therapeutic in some way or another to talk about it. I do need to stress though, I am not after sympathy.
I guess I should probably tell you a bit about myself, and as I'm sure you've gathered from the title of this thread, it's not going to be about hitting the gym.
I'm 24, I've been smoking cannabis since I was 14, more or less constantly, I've also been drinking quite heavily (on and off) for a few years now. I'm a bit of a loner, have very few friends, and those I do have are either through drugs, or through work. I seem to struggle socially, find it quite difficult to make friends and talk to people freely, hate going out to pubs or clubs, would much rather stay in and watch motorsport or drive the ‘ring on my Playstation.
There was a point a few years ago, I think I was about 19, when I was headed down a very dark path, far harder drugs, the wrong sorts of people, and being arrested a few times. I managed to stop that (I like to think that in part this was due to PH, and my complete addiction to cars, and the engineering involved), but couldn’t stop cannabis, and that was when I started drinking a fair bit too.
So 4 years of constant smoking and regular drinking followed, and I guess I convinced myself that that lifestyle was ok, and I could manage that indefinitely.
In short that brings us up to now. I split up with the girl I was going to marry about a year ago (not solely due to my drug/alcohol usage, but we were both a mess), and that screwed me up hugely, still have huge feelings for her, and I have no idea if they’re reciprocated. Right now, I don’t think I can deal with finding out.
And that brings me nicely onto why I’m posting this. I stopped smoking cannabis last Friday, for good, I’m 6 days in, haven’t even felt an urge. But every day since I’m having these feelings I can only really describe as anxiety attacks mixed with intense depression. I’ve always suffered from mild depression, had extreme mood swings and that sort of thing, but never had these consistent feelings of… uneasiness and fear I suppose. I’m quite worried that they aren’t going to stop. I also can’t sleep, the most I’ve gotten is 2 hours in the past 6 days.
I think alcohol can’t be helping, and would really like to stop that too, but it’s about the only thing that helps me get some sleep.
Before anyone suggests it, I have an appointment with my GP to discuss this next week, and again, I’m really not after sympathy, purely other people’s experiences and opinions. It’s been quite difficult to type this out, and particularly to hit 'submit', there’s a whole shedload more, but I think this is long enough already.
Thanks for reading and for anything you might be able to add.
cocopop said:
And that brings me nicely onto why I’m posting this. I stopped smoking cannabis last Friday, for good, I’m 6 days in, haven’t even felt an urge. But every day since I’m having these feelings I can only really describe as anxiety attacks mixed with intense depression. I’ve always suffered from mild depression, had extreme mood swings and that sort of thing, but never had these consistent feelings of… uneasiness and fear I suppose. I’m quite worried that they aren’t going to stop. I also can’t sleep, the most I’ve gotten is 2 hours in the past 6 days.
I think alcohol can’t be helping, and would really like to stop that too, but it’s about the only thing that helps me get some sleep.
You, like many other people, have used sedatives like alcohol and dope for a while and you've become dependent on them. Your brain adjusts its own chemistry to cope with your adding sedatives to it, so you're now running with too little of the the brain's natural sedatives, like dopamine, to keep you naturally calm, and a bit too much adrenaline. Think of it like an engine management system of a car adjusting to altitude or poor fuel. Eventually your brain will correct the imbalance to suit the new conditions. You're not going mad, although you might feel as if you are.
Someone mentioned 'beer fear' on another thread - that feeling of anxiety which some get when they have a bad hangover. It's what you're going through as part of the withdrawal process, but in a smaller way.
Your symptoms might last for a few weeks, but will pass eventually. Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_withdrawal and other relevant sites for more info. You just need to hang on in there.
Well done for seeing your GP. See what they say, and try to keep an open mind. What you're attempting is actually quite hard. If quitting drugs were easy then there'd be very few addicts in world.
Hi Jamie and well done for posting. 6 days is not long for your body to adjust to the chemical changes that it is going through at the moment. Your brain has been used to compensating for the effects of THC for the past ten years, making stoned feel normal and not stoned feeling "off", it's obviously going to take a while to get used to being straight all the time.
I've seen a family member go through this after 20 years of smoking weed, it takes time. They felt that the weed made them relax and better able to cope with the world but it was in fact the opposite. Addiction tricks you this way (I know weed isn't necessarily addictive but the comfort blanket feeling is).
The thing is to stick with it, you'll feel much better once you settle into living without it. Be careful you don't swap one crutch for another and let your drinking become a problem too. Drink does not help you sleep, it just helps you pass out. Try a few nights without a drink and see how much more tired you feel at bedtime.
As I've said already, be brave and stick at it. Things do get better. Good luck.
I've seen a family member go through this after 20 years of smoking weed, it takes time. They felt that the weed made them relax and better able to cope with the world but it was in fact the opposite. Addiction tricks you this way (I know weed isn't necessarily addictive but the comfort blanket feeling is).
The thing is to stick with it, you'll feel much better once you settle into living without it. Be careful you don't swap one crutch for another and let your drinking become a problem too. Drink does not help you sleep, it just helps you pass out. Try a few nights without a drink and see how much more tired you feel at bedtime.
As I've said already, be brave and stick at it. Things do get better. Good luck.
Hi mate,
I was in a similar situation to you last year. I had been smoking more or less constantly for 15 years and last year I was finding myself becoming more and more anti-social to a point where I would bail on going out with mates, or even out on a date in favor of a night-in getting baked and watching movies. It was at this point that I decided things had to change so I simply stopped buying it.
The good news is that I went through I similar rough patch when I stopped. I found myself snapping at people, unable to sleep, and basically getting sudden moments of depression similar to what you describe. I think this is typical of suddenly giving up any long-term dependency. The one thing that really helped me get through it was a bit of exorcise. I am not really one for the gym but I took up swimming again and found myself going almost every night for an hour or so and I felt so much better for it. Needless the say the effects of giving up were pretty immediate. I started to remember dreams again, I could concentrate better at work and I generally felt like my I.Q. had jumped back up good 20 points.
Ultimately I think you will find getting off the green a doddle after the first few weeks as you will see the benefits of not smoking constantly… and I say constantly as I really think this is the problem.
Best of luck man.
I was in a similar situation to you last year. I had been smoking more or less constantly for 15 years and last year I was finding myself becoming more and more anti-social to a point where I would bail on going out with mates, or even out on a date in favor of a night-in getting baked and watching movies. It was at this point that I decided things had to change so I simply stopped buying it.
The good news is that I went through I similar rough patch when I stopped. I found myself snapping at people, unable to sleep, and basically getting sudden moments of depression similar to what you describe. I think this is typical of suddenly giving up any long-term dependency. The one thing that really helped me get through it was a bit of exorcise. I am not really one for the gym but I took up swimming again and found myself going almost every night for an hour or so and I felt so much better for it. Needless the say the effects of giving up were pretty immediate. I started to remember dreams again, I could concentrate better at work and I generally felt like my I.Q. had jumped back up good 20 points.
Ultimately I think you will find getting off the green a doddle after the first few weeks as you will see the benefits of not smoking constantly… and I say constantly as I really think this is the problem.
Best of luck man.
Edited by Mintyhit on Thursday 27th December 10:36
Edited by Mintyhit on Thursday 27th December 10:37
Edited by Mintyhit on Thursday 27th December 10:38
Thanks guys. It's certainly helped my current mindset just reading your responses.
Mintyhit - I think you're definitely onto something there with exercise helping, I have found that just going for a walk does help hugely with whatever mood I'm in. I'm sure it'll also help with getting some sleep.
897sma said:
Be careful you don't swap one crutch for another and let your drinking become a problem too. Drink does not help you sleep, it just helps you pass out. Try a few nights without a drink and see how much more tired you feel at bedtime.
You're absolutely right of course, and I'm very aware how careful I need to be. I think I'll give your suggestion a try this evening and see how I manage. Mintyhit - I think you're definitely onto something there with exercise helping, I have found that just going for a walk does help hugely with whatever mood I'm in. I'm sure it'll also help with getting some sleep.
Edited by cocopop on Thursday 27th December 10:37
Good on you
Alcohol is a depressant, you perhaps need to experiment with other ways of getting to sleep, reading a book, warm milk etc.
I dont know about the rest of your lifestyle but it also might be worth having a look at your diet (drink more water, eat more fruits etc) and getting some exercise (going for walks every other day to start with)
Things take time, life is a marathon not a sprint
Alcohol is a depressant, you perhaps need to experiment with other ways of getting to sleep, reading a book, warm milk etc.
I dont know about the rest of your lifestyle but it also might be worth having a look at your diet (drink more water, eat more fruits etc) and getting some exercise (going for walks every other day to start with)
Things take time, life is a marathon not a sprint
Good luck man, me and the wife gave up 18 months ago. I only really miss getting baked for a good film session.
After you've been to the doc's and you're feeling more settled and comfortable go find soem car meets and hang out with other addicts of the internal combustion engine. I have to warn you though, I think that's a worse habit than weed in omst peoples eyes these days, lol.
Nick
After you've been to the doc's and you're feeling more settled and comfortable go find soem car meets and hang out with other addicts of the internal combustion engine. I have to warn you though, I think that's a worse habit than weed in omst peoples eyes these days, lol.
Nick
cocopop said:
And that brings me nicely onto why I’m posting this. I stopped smoking cannabis last Friday, for good, I’m 6 days in, haven’t even felt an urge. But every day since I’m having these feelings I can only really describe as anxiety attacks mixed with intense depression. I’ve always suffered from mild depression, had extreme mood swings and that sort of thing, but never had these consistent feelings of… uneasiness and fear I suppose. I’m quite worried that they aren’t going to stop. I also can’t sleep, the most I’ve gotten is 2 hours in the past 6 days.
I think that is perfectly normal when you stop taking any sort of a drug complexly, after so long living with it. Hell, when I was in my 20's it would take me from Sunday to Wednesday to stop the anxiety and numbness that would come from just a heavy weekend on beer, dope and speed. Eventually it got so bad that the come down was not worth the weekends fun, and I stopped taking any drugs apart from beer.
You need to start doing some sort of exercise, and MODERATE everything. You can still drink a few beers, but don't get drunk, and the anxiety will more than likely fade away. Eat properly too, get some vitamins into your body.
Everything will eventually balance out and you'll be back to normal.
Hi OP. I quit smoking green about 7 years ago, it was the best decision I ever made but it was hard as I'd smoked it almost constant from the age of 16 until I was about 25. I had the panic attacks as well as mild agraphobia which I attribute in part to weed.
You really, really have to stick with it mate, go the distance and you will start to feel the real you rise up out of the fog and haze that weed has brought to you.
I can remember the sense that my brain and mind had sharpened after I stopped, I could interact with people better, I was quicker off of the mark when it came to the banter too
plus you will gain confidence and esteem from the knowledge that you and only you kicked a really addictive habit out of your life. Plus all those £20 bags over the years mount up to a lot of cash that could be spend on something worth spending money on.
Good luck
You really, really have to stick with it mate, go the distance and you will start to feel the real you rise up out of the fog and haze that weed has brought to you.
I can remember the sense that my brain and mind had sharpened after I stopped, I could interact with people better, I was quicker off of the mark when it came to the banter too
plus you will gain confidence and esteem from the knowledge that you and only you kicked a really addictive habit out of your life. Plus all those £20 bags over the years mount up to a lot of cash that could be spend on something worth spending money on.Good luck
"Beer fear", I like that. Horrendous hangovers for me turned into nothing, then turned into anxiety.
I'm going to cut out the booze now for a bit.
As for the weed, I quit for 14 months at the beginning of 2010. Took a few months (2/3 IIRC) of stress, some anxiety but mainly what felt like depression before I felt clear and, I suppose, normal.
Now I can take it or leave it, quite happy at having the occasional smoke.
The main thing personally is to never drink when I'm stressed, whether that be habitually or a binge every now and then. Only drink when you're winning.
I'm going to cut out the booze now for a bit.
As for the weed, I quit for 14 months at the beginning of 2010. Took a few months (2/3 IIRC) of stress, some anxiety but mainly what felt like depression before I felt clear and, I suppose, normal.
Now I can take it or leave it, quite happy at having the occasional smoke.
The main thing personally is to never drink when I'm stressed, whether that be habitually or a binge every now and then. Only drink when you're winning.
You sound like me few years back (at around the same age). In fact I've been through the same route...
All I can say is realisation is the first step. Thinking that you could sustain your current lifestyle forever would be foolish and the future you would definitely agree
For me the birth of my first child started to change things around. I've quit all the substances one by one and now my only vice perhaps is alcohol (of which I am also trying to keep to a sensible level).
It's going to be hard but for a better future you need to try and look for something you want to achieve and work towards achieving it. Speaking to the GP is a first step but you can also be referred to specialists. Drop me a PM if you would like to have a more private chat
All I can say is realisation is the first step. Thinking that you could sustain your current lifestyle forever would be foolish and the future you would definitely agree
For me the birth of my first child started to change things around. I've quit all the substances one by one and now my only vice perhaps is alcohol (of which I am also trying to keep to a sensible level).
It's going to be hard but for a better future you need to try and look for something you want to achieve and work towards achieving it. Speaking to the GP is a first step but you can also be referred to specialists. Drop me a PM if you would like to have a more private chat
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