# Is Smoking Weed a Form of Therapy?



## BobbyByThePound (Apr 4, 2012)

I ask you to decide!....

But the answer is yes.


----------



## HopelessAtLife (Aug 1, 2013)

lol no. For me it usually makes my anxiety worse when i'm in a group setting, so when I smoke it's usually by my self now. But all depends on what type of therapy your talking about?


----------



## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

It changed me.

I got my first social circle in my last two years at school.
This progressed to university.


----------



## Overthinker80 (Jun 19, 2013)

I enjoy it greatly, but is it a form of "therapy"??

Probably not in the sense that it will probably not progress you.

COULD it?

Sure, if done in just the right way I could see almost any mind altering drug being part of a therapy regime.

Like if you are too closed minded and need to break out of it, it could really help.

Really, it all depends on how you use it.

But if you are like me and are just like "man, getting high feels good"...then no, probably not, it probably just feels nice.


----------



## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

No tobacco was a strong choice. One friend always papers up with no baccy

I've recently thought that my evidence of all my family and all friends are heavily reliant on cigarettes and they might boost my social morale after all these years. I see it as an empty offering that makes everyone feel normal or below, and never anything more, and can't do without. Worth a test.


----------



## Consider (May 1, 2013)

Sure, it can be used therapeutically, much like MDMA could; I just see it as an intoxicant more than anything, though.


----------



## ecudes (Aug 15, 2013)

It depends if you want to suffer from paranoia later in life or not. 

There are no 'quick fixes' and easy solutions here I'm afraid. Trying to hide from the feelings with weed/alcohol/drugs etc only makes matters much worse in the long term. Go to any addiction recovery group and you'll find the vast majority of people there started their addiction to cope with feelings of anxiety/depression/panic/anger/stress, etc. 

Drugs (both legal/illegal) are NOT the way to solve this problem in the long term.


----------



## Overthinker80 (Jun 19, 2013)

ecudes said:


> It depends if you want to suffer from paranoia later in life or not.
> 
> There are no 'quick fixes' and easy solutions here I'm afraid. Trying to hide from the feelings with weed/alcohol/drugs etc only makes matters much worse in the long term. Go to any addiction recovery group and you'll find the vast majority of people there started their addiction to cope with feelings of anxiety/depression/panic/anger/stress, etc.
> 
> Drugs (both legal/illegal) are NOT the way to solve this problem in the long term.


While you are PARTIALLY correct here, there is real potential for Weed to be used therapeutically in a clinical setting under doctor supervision if it's done just right and it's the right strain and everything.

New uses for marijuanna are popping up everyday, it's already been proven to help with glaucoma, cancer, pain from chemotherapy, arthritis, various muscular disorders, seizures, loss of appetite and many other things.

It's use as a medicine is growing everyday so don't be so quick to say that ANYONE who does it is just trying to get high.

Also, there is no proof that it will cause you to "develop paranoia in later life".

I and many others have gotten paranoid WHILE high, but there's no proof that it has any LASTING effect of paranoia once it is out of your system, unless of course you are in the small percentage of people with latent schizophrenia, in which case it can cause those symptoms to come out early.

Unlike alcohol, weed DOES have some medicinal uses.


----------



## Nonsensical (Mar 29, 2013)

If you stick with medical strains that are more indica than sativa they are good for anxiety. Weed might increase laziness, cause weight gain, and increase depression though.


----------



## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

Overthinker80 said:


> Also, there is no proof that it will cause you to "develop paranoia in later life".
> 
> I and many others have gotten paranoid WHILE high, but there's no proof that it has any LASTING effect of paranoia once it is out of your system.


That's not true.

http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/aggression.htm

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Cannabisdangers.aspx

http://www.schizophrenia.com/prevention/streetdrugs.html

My advice is use it carefully to reap the benefits and remember that what you may think is social anxiety, could be a blanket term for something else.


----------



## Nonsensical (Mar 29, 2013)

dontwaitupforme said:


> That's not true.
> 
> http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/aggression.htm
> 
> ...


Sativas increase paranoia because they are more of a head high than indica which is a body buzz. It's a proven fact that indica is high CBD which actually acts as a blocker to THC from the brain. It's still not understood fully how these two interact with each other, plus the host of other chemicals in natural marijuana. However, it is known that it is the high produced by THC that causes underlying schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders to surface. I can't say that is a horrible thing to be honest because as more symptoms appear the more likely you can be treated effectively for your condition.

Anyway, if you stick with medical strains which are mainly indica because they have the strongest sedative, pain reducing, and munchies effects it is good for anxiety short term. My largest concern for highly relying on MJ for countering anxiety is addiction (it is real with withdraws that are mentally charged) and suffering from sloth from the "couch lock" that comes with it. Depression is at serious risk of increasing as motivation and energy levels go down as it is with benzodiazipines.


----------



## Overthinker80 (Jun 19, 2013)

dontwaitupforme said:


> That's not true.
> 
> http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/aggression.htm
> 
> ...


For every link saying that I am sure there are tons of others that say the opposite.

I skimmed those and maybe didn't spend enough time reading but I didn't see any of them that said that smoking weed causes LASTING paranoia in people who DON'T have latent schizophrenia, only that it can cause paranoia in people who are currently high or have recently been high.

You linked a study to schizophrenia, but I already said that it can bring out latent schizophrenia in those who might have developed it anyway, that is not the same thing as saying it poses risks for people who do not have latent schizophrenia.

If you have latent schizophrenia you were probably going to develop it anyway.

There's no SOLID set in stone proof that smoking weed will produce LASTING paranoia after you stop in anyone who isn't psychotic or who doesn't have latent or current schizophrenia.

In fact, it seems you didn't read the links you posted well enough yourself:

"Schizophrenia can sometimes be triggered by heavy use of hallucinogenic drugs, especially LSD; but it appears that one has to have a genetic predisposition towards developing schizophrenia for this to occur."

^^^^^

IF....IF you have a predisposition for schizophrenia, smoking weed can make you more likely to develop it or develop it sooner, and I already admitted that, but if you have a predisposition towards schizophrenia then you might have gotten it anyway. If you DON'T have a predisposition towards schizophrenia weed will not MAKE you schizophrenic. Weed doesn't cause people to go insane, it's their predisposition towards a condition like schizophrenia COMBINED with weed which might put them over the edge.

And then there is this:

"sometimes when marijuana is used it can cause fear, anxiety, panic or paranoia, which can result in an aggressive outburst. For most people, however, once the effects of the drug wear off, their behaviour gradually improves."

^^^^^

Like I said, if you DON'T have a predisposition towards schizophrenia, your paranoia will go away after you stop smoking. The poster I quoted was basically saying that weed "MAKES people insane". NO, it doesn't. It is your predisposition to schizophrenia that really did it, but the weed brought it out sooner, or yes, it might have brought it out when you may not have become schizophrenic otherwise, but your predisposition is still the main CAUSE.

So, if you think you have a predisposition for schizophrenia, then don't smoke weed.

If you can find me a case of weed causing schizophrenia or LASTING paranoia in those who had ZERO prior previous predisposition to it, I am all ears.

Have you ever smoked yourself, or are you another non-user who wants to demonize the drug??

Having smoked many times myself I know the negative and positive effects. But it's never been shown to cause insanity in anyone who didn't have a previous likelihood of developing schizophrenia to begin with.


----------



## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

Overthinker80 said:


> For every link saying that I am sure there are tons of others that say the opposite.
> 
> I skimmed those and maybe didn't spend enough time reading but I didn't see any of them that said that smoking weed causes LASTING paranoia in people who DON'T have latent schizophrenia, only that it can cause paranoia in people who are currently high or have recently been high.
> 
> ...


It also induces mood swings and aggression they say. Do you have any proof to back up your claims? Sources perhaps?

Yes I have smoked recreationally in the past, endured both good and bad experiences. Who hasn't? Also, im not "demonising" the drug. This is just something that could happen if your not careful overthinker, there are a lot of people who have quit smoking cannabis on this site because of the negative effects it has had on their own mental health. No need to get testy.


----------



## Overthinker80 (Jun 19, 2013)

dontwaitupforme said:


> It also induces mood swings and aggression they say. Do you have any proof to back up your claims? Sources perhaps?
> 
> Yes I have smoked recreationally in the past, endured both good and bad experiences. Who hasn't? Also, im not "demonising" the drug. This is just something that could happen if your not careful overthinker, there are a lot of people who have quit smoking cannabis on this site because of the negative effects it has had on their own mental health. No need to get testy.


Sorry, I didn't mean to get testy, I just thought you were someone who was saying it's evil and causes insanity but I see that you are not saying that.

"The proof to back up my claims" is in the same quotes you listed which I re-quoted, which say that unless someone has latent schizophrenia the paranoia and mood swings should usually go away once someone stops smoking.

I am sure there are more links, but I don't feel like looking for them.

I will also admit as someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and SA and NLD that smoking weed has many times made my problems worse, but any paranoia I get goes away when I stop smoking, and I also never get it if I drink with weed which seems to eliminate the paranoia.

I will admit that I'm probably better off not smoking, but I enjoy it so whenever I can get away with it I do...which isn't that often these days.

My worst panic attack DID come after I was smoking a lot of weed and then I needed Klonopin after that, HOWEVER, I'd been smoking for years without needing it, and most importantly....I needed Prozac at age 14 for concerns that others were staring at me and obsessive thoughts and was diagnosed with Non Verbal Learning Disability at age 5 which my neurologist and Psychotherapist agree is the primary cause for and reason that I have any anxiety at all.

So you see, I had anxiety and NLD before I ever touched a single drug at age 5 and also needed Prozac at 14 when I had never touched weed, but it IS possible that it was a factor in more of my anxiety surfacing in my 20s, though believe it or not I also think Caffeine was a factor in that as well and causes me significant stress though I can't quit it.

Honestly I think weed or no weed my anxiety would still be the same as it is today but maybe it sped up the anxiety that I already did have.

So I think the weed for me can exaccerbate the problem at times, and at other times it actually makes me feel better, but it's not the CAUSE is all I am saying.

It makes sense that many people would have anxiety come to the surface after smoking....but I don't think the smoking CAUSED it is all I am saying.

It's kind of like if you have a bad back from bad genetics and never noticed it, then one day you lifted too much weight at the gym and your back started hurting after that.

It didn't CAUSE it, but it made it surface.

I guess I get defensive about weed, and I am kind of in denial about problems of my own it has made rise to the surface more quickly, but which it certainly did not CAUSE and which were already there long before.

I wish they could get more of those Indica strains available which are supposed to help with anxiety...the science is growing fast, so maybe if/when weed becomes legal in my state I can get those and have my fun without any extra anxiety...which even other strains doesn't ALWAYS cause, though it can.

I like weed too much to ever say I can PERMANENTLY quit, but I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it.

Sometimes it makes me feel great, other times not so much.


----------



## Steve French (Sep 17, 2012)

I hear from one person that if you smoke only indicas, that it will have a beneficial effect on your anxiety. Then I turn around and the next person says it is only sativas that have the beneficial effect. Then I hear from some people that it doesn't matter if it is indica, sativa, ruderalis, or whatever, that you need a strain with a high amount of CBD(which I suppose in most cases would be an indica).

I have to have my doubts, but when you are buying off some wannabe gangbanger drug dealer in his basement, everything is called "kush" and you can't really pick and choose without growing your own.

I can make a somewhat uneducated guess at the variant of my reefer, and when I'm getting tired, hungry, zoning out, with a good body high, I'd have to go with indica. Oddly enough, this still seems to lead to panic attacks and looking out my window for the government vans with their mind probes.

I suppose the point of this all is weed is no panacea. There are positives, and negatives, and it effects some people differently. So I guess there was no point to all this. We're back at square one man.

It's good to see some people can step back from the reefer and look at it in an objective light though. Seems most tokers think the plant is this great gift from god with no downsides and if you talk ill of it you should be thrown down and stoned. Which probably isn't helping anybody. It was hard for me to see if my weed use was having a positive or negative effect on me, when I had been spoon fed for years that it had no downsides.


----------

