# Weed and panic/ paranoia/ schizophrenia



## pamaris (Oct 8, 2008)

So yesterday I was over at Erowid reading "difficult experiences" and "bad trips" on cannabis. I am trying to demystify the whole cannabis/ psychosis/ schizophrenia link.

What I want to know is- what are these people smoking? I've had maybe 2 or 3 panic/ paranoia attacks on weed (about 13 years ago btw)- they consisted of me hearing voices saying bad things- like you're evil, you're ugly, you're stupid. Lasted 15-30 minutes, then it wore off. My general life circumstances at the time were that I was depressed most of the time, and my life just wasn't where I wanted it. Also each time it was the first time I had smoked after a hiatus. I've recently started smoking again after 10 years for a medical condition. I am in a completely different situation now- physically, mentally and emotionally.

Anyway, people at Erowid are reporting acid-like trips and full psychotic breakdowns on cannabis. How common is this? I've certainly had some tripped out experiences on weed, but it has never taken me to a completely dissociative state (thank God!)- like LSD has done.

Basically, I am asking very experienced smokers about this. Is it something that happens to everyone every once in awhile? Are these people full of crap? Are these people already mentally ill to begin with?

I think the scientific consensus is that cannabis will trigger schizophrenia in people already genetically predisposed to it- especially adolescent males. Beyond that I can't make heads or tails of it. The reason I am asking is because my husband had a breakdown with psychotic depression about 10 years ago. He's been fine for 8 years. He has been smoking with me though. I don't want to think he's just a time bomb if he smokes.

Any thoughts?


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## buffalosoulja (Oct 8, 2008)

I have been smoking for over 12 years, but i stopped for a year and a half while in the army. I had a few similar experiences while i was on medication for ptsd. I eventually had to ween myself of the meds, cuz the side effects were all f*cked up. I have had anxiety attacks while not high, but not while high. My doc says it is the herb, but i know it,s not cuz i quite for a month and a half to see what would happen. the attacks still happened, so i blazed back up, and get along alot better high. Hope you find out what the deal is.


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## pamaris (Oct 8, 2008)

buffalosoulja said:


> I have been smoking for over 12 years, but i stopped for a year and a half while in the army. I had a few similar experiences while i was on medication for ptsd. I eventually had to ween myself of the meds, cuz the side effects were all f*cked up. I have had anxiety attacks while not high, but not while high. My doc says it is the herb, but i know it,s not cuz i quite for a month and a half to see what would happen. the attacks still happened, so i blazed back up, and get along alot better high. Hope you find out what the deal is.


Thx- it's not really a problem for me; I just had a couple attacks when I was a kid. Mostly I'm just trying to research things for my husband, since he has a history but is "fine" now. He has started smoking and loves it of course but he does not have any stoner experience (unlike me)! I don't want him to go off the rails or anything and I'm not sure what to make of the headlines.


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## sarah22 (Oct 8, 2008)

i have some weird experiences when im high. i hear things a lot...either voices that arent there...or music that isnt there...1 time the plant in our kitchen was chirping at me like a bird...hahaha. i do get a lil paranoia too...but thats only really if im outside at night. i see things running thru the grass that arent there...or i think someone is following me...one time i was laying on my bed with my eyes closed and there was a loud noise and a flash of light from outside...and i immediately thought i was being abducted by aliens...lol. but i sat up and thought about it for a minute and laughed...so yea...it happens...i know im prone to being a schizo cuz i have a lot of mental health problems...but its not anything severe...and nothing like that happens when im sober...i think that i have weirder experiences than most people because i take meds for my head...but the meds make everything way more fun


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## pamaris (Oct 8, 2008)

sarah22 said:


> i have some weird experiences when im high. i hear things a lot...either voices that arent there...or music that isnt there...1 time the plant in our kitchen was chirping at me like a bird...hahaha. i do get a lil paranoia too...but thats only really if im outside at night. i see things running thru the grass that arent there...or i think someone is following me...one time i was laying on my bed with my eyes closed and there was a loud noise and a flash of light from outside...and i immediately thought i was being abducted by aliens...lol. but i sat up and thought about it for a minute and laughed...so yea...it happens...i know im prone to being a schizo cuz i have a lot of mental health problems...but its not anything severe...and nothing like that happens when im sober...i think that i have weirder experiences than most people because i take meds for my head...but the meds make everything way more fun


My husband was definitely tripping out the other night- he just said 'you're going to have to help me through this one'... then 5 minutes later he said 'whoa was that all in my head?'. I asked what and apparently we had this huge argument (that didn't exist in reality). Yay that's fun- get high and have a fake argument with your wife. Can't win!

That sort of stuff (general tripping out) doesn't really bother me- it's the full on psychotic breakdowns I've read about. Just trying to put them into context. I've had the feeling of a psychotic breakdown while on acid (long time ago)... though it subsided after the comedown. My husband has had a full psychotic breakdown with paranoia and complicated delusions- the doctors put it down to a general bad lifestyle of doing too much ecstasy, drinking too much and not eating or sleeping properly.

It hasn't happened to us while smoking so it's not a pressing issue. I was just considering our medical histories.

I guess we'll just have to play it by ear. I always tell him- clear your mind and deal with your anxieties before you toke up. I won't spark up if there is something gnawing at me that I need to sort out.


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## IheartKeif (Oct 8, 2008)

There is such a thing as controlling your high. If your going to get blown out high I suggest focusing on the positive (happy thoughts). Good or bad that takes practice. You dont want to go into the spirit world focusing on bad things or having a negative slant glass half empty attitude or its probably going to end up being a rough hour or so. For example if your really high and you think your chest hurts a negative state of mind could cause you to think your going to have a heart attack. Not a good place to be. I without question believe that there is a world beyond what we can see and feel. When you take something like high end hydro the insignificant things of this world go out of focus and the things beyond us can feel like they are a lot closer. Combine that with negative thinking and your in for a horrible experience. Obviously this can be avoided by taking reasonable sized doses. Everything in moderation right?


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## peaceb2usall (Oct 8, 2008)

I have experienced auditory hallucinations on good quality blueberry. I also have a history of minor mental issues. What I find is that it all depends on several factors *but* what it generally does is undercover the weakness or instability below that is not usually visible or noticeable when straight. 

So all in all I would say it basically peels back the mental layers and if there is a problem below you will see it rise above and make itself known on a conscious level. 

By mental problems I mean minor paranoia etc


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## pamaris (Oct 8, 2008)

IheartKeif said:


> There is such a thing as controlling your high. If your going to get blown out high I suggest focusing on the positive (happy thoughts). Good or bad that takes practice. You dont want to go into the spirit world focusing on bad things or having a negative slant glass half empty attitude or its probably going to end up being a rough hour or so. For example if your really high and you think your chest hurts a negative state of mind could cause you to think your going to have a heart attack. Not a good place to be. I without question believe that there is a world beyond what we can see and feel. When you take something like high end hydro the insignificant things of this world go out of focus and the things beyond us can feel like they are a lot closer. Combine that with negative thinking and your in for a horrible experience. Obviously this can be avoided by taking reasonable sized doses. Everything in moderation right?


I'm with you on everything you say. I seem to be able to control my mind state on cannabis. I mostly do it with music. Back in the day I had some overwhelming experiences on acid though! There were moments that I could not control my mind state as easily.

Mostly I was asking these questions because my man is not that experienced with "tripping out" and he also has a history. So far no problems though- in fact it's great; he's never stressed out now.

I do think it's good to be aware of one's state of mind before partaking, and sort through any issues beforehand. The "bad trips" at Erowid are really off the wall though. It just makes me wonder what the deal is.

I also agree that we are entering the spirit world on some level, and that can take us to good places or bad places. Thankfully I am a glass half full person and most of my thoughts are positive.


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## sarah22 (Oct 8, 2008)

i actually find that smoking pot helps prevent my psychotic episodes. i've had one moderate anxiety attack during a time when i was consistently smoking. i was sober when i had the attack...but i was smoking before bed every night. when i go a while without having any weed im way more prone to full blown psychotic episodes. thats why i smoke...to prevent it all...


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## Stoney McFried (Oct 8, 2008)

It's all in how you handle your drugs.Many of the folks on erowid who are posting new experiences are probably drug noobs.I've had minor panic, but I seized control, knowing it was just the particular type of weed I'd chosen.Do folks remember, back in the day, when you tried a new drug, you always had a more experienced person there with you to set you straight?This isn't being done anymore as far as I can tell, and so the new drug users are unable to cope with the intense feelings that can be sometimes experienced.If you absolutely cannot handle drugs, I think you should not do them and ruin it for the rest of the folks who can.(this is a generalization, not aimed at anyone specific in this thread) My solution?Sponser a noob drug user today.That's right...help them instead of fucking with them at parties when they start to freak....tell them what works for you, and what to expect...let's get the stoner community like it used to be,tight nit,with protocols and etiquette that were put there to ensure everyone had a good experience!Remember,your mind is still yours, even when your doing drugs...it's just a matter of realizing how the substance you are taking affects you, and adjusting accordingly.


pamaris said:


> So yesterday I was over at Erowid reading "difficult experiences" and "bad trips" on cannabis. I am trying to demystify the whole cannabis/ psychosis/ schizophrenia link.
> 
> What I want to know is- what are these people smoking? I've had maybe 2 or 3 panic/ paranoia attacks on weed (about 13 years ago btw)- they consisted of me hearing voices saying bad things- like you're evil, you're ugly, you're stupid. Lasted 15-30 minutes, then it wore off. My general life circumstances at the time were that I was depressed most of the time, and my life just wasn't where I wanted it. Also each time it was the first time I had smoked after a hiatus. I've recently started smoking again after 10 years for a medical condition. I am in a completely different situation now- physically, mentally and emotionally.
> 
> ...


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## FootballFirst (Oct 8, 2008)

Marijuana has shown no evidence to induce schizophrenia. In fact, many schizophrenics "self medicate" with marijuana as it seems to help sooth schizophrenic symptoms. LSD HAS been shown to induce the first schizophrenic episode in people who are predisposed to it.


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## pamaris (Oct 9, 2008)

sarah22 said:


> i actually find that smoking pot helps prevent my psychotic episodes. i've had one moderate anxiety attack during a time when i was consistently smoking. i was sober when i had the attack...but i was smoking before bed every night. when i go a while without having any weed im way more prone to full blown psychotic episodes. thats why i smoke...to prevent it all...


Yeah- interestingly I was reading a study that cannabidiol has strong anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties- like as effective as Haldol, but without the side effects. Just google "cannabidiol antipsychotic" for details. 

So my theory is that the ultra manic panic weed has high THC but hardly and CBD. I am prone to anxiety and restlessness and wow, the weed really takes care of it (in general, even while not under the influence).


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## pamaris (Oct 9, 2008)

Stoney McFried said:


> It's all in how you handle your drugs.Many of the folks on erowid who are posting new experiences are probably drug noobs.I've had minor panic, but I seized control, knowing it was just the particular type of weed I'd chosen.Do folks remember, back in the day, when you tried a new drug, you always had a more experienced person there with you to set you straight?This isn't being done anymore as far as I can tell, and so the new drug users are unable to cope with the intense feelings that can be sometimes experienced.If you absolutely cannot handle drugs, I think you should not do them and ruin it for the rest of the folks who can.(this is a generalization, not aimed at anyone specific in this thread) My solution?Sponser a noob drug user today.That's right...help them instead of fucking with them at parties when they start to freak....tell them what works for you, and what to expect...let's get the stoner community like it used to be,tight nit,with protocols and etiquette that were put there to ensure everyone had a good experience!Remember,your mind is still yours, even when your doing drugs...it's just a matter of realizing how the substance you are taking affects you, and adjusting accordingly.


Lots of good points there! Not everyone is cut out for mind expansion. I think some of us are a little (or a lot) out there to begin with so freaky mind trips don't bother us... in fact they can be quite entertaining.

I think it's really uncool to mess with newbies. It's just wrong... it's against the whole stoner ethos. I think people who do that are probably more likely to have been drinking... also some people just aren't cool anyway.


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## pamaris (Oct 9, 2008)

FootballFirst said:


> Marijuana has shown no evidence to induce schizophrenia. In fact, many schizophrenics "self medicate" with marijuana as it seems to help sooth schizophrenic symptoms. LSD HAS been shown to induce the first schizophrenic episode in people who are predisposed to it.


Well, there are a multitude of studies that show a correlation. However, they have not been able to prove causation. The conclusion of the studies is that if someone is genetically predisposed to schizo AND they are a male who is 16 or under AND they smoke heavily, it will bring the schizo to the surface.


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## Budsworth (Oct 9, 2008)

I smoked a fatty and got real scared that I would run out of pot. I ran to my grow room and sighed a relief.


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## Stoney McFried (Oct 9, 2008)

Right...I had an older brother who introduced me to pot, and older friends I used to smoke with.They were always very calm when a situation arose with anyone around, and I try to be as well.If you see someone freaking out, help them, that's what stoners should be about.


pamaris said:


> Lots of good points there! Not everyone is cut out for mind expansion. I think some of us are a little (or a lot) out there to begin with so freaky mind trips don't bother us... in fact they can be quite entertaining.
> 
> I think it's really uncool to mess with newbies. It's just wrong... it's against the whole stoner ethos. I think people who do that are probably more likely to have been drinking... also some people just aren't cool anyway.


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## pamaris (Oct 10, 2008)

Stoney McFried said:


> Right...I had an older brother who introduced me to pot, and older friends I used to smoke with.They were always very calm when a situation arose with anyone around, and I try to be as well.If you see someone freaking out, help them, that's what stoners should be about.


I learned from older people too... older boys, yum... I totally loved it.


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## Ghost420 (Oct 10, 2008)

while i cant relate to you guys having these intense experiences with weed i can tell you the one time this ass cut some sour d with xanex. now at the time i didnt know and i found out the next day. it was a very intence experiance with visuals ect way to much for me. worst of all it was at a party.

ground rules for smoking pot:
1. no parties
2. only smoke wiht people you know trust
3. no more then 5 people at a time.

i still to this day dont know why people smoke at parties. its the worst place for it and will be a bad trip so dont do it. and people that fuck with others highs goto the worst layer of hell bucause that isnt cool.


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## bradlyallen2 (Oct 10, 2008)

Those are some interesting comments. I know that Schizophrenia is due to an abundance of dopamine and the bodies response is downregulation by decreasing dopamine receptor density (as determined by autopsy). Parkinsons disease is the exact opposite. Some studies indicate marijuana affects levels of dopamine. Marijuana is also purported to affect 5HT (Serotonin) levels, generally associated with beneficial effects on mood. Probably the most important thing to consider is that much of this is guesswork, requires lots of research studies of which there are few with marijuana, and individual experiences can vary widely. Occasional use may be ok but some physicians report you should "avoid marijuana like the plague" if you are predisposed to mental illness" (Schizophrenia.com - Marijuana Cannabis and Schizophrenia).


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## bradlyallen2 (Oct 10, 2008)

As an aside I've often wondered if the occurence of negative reactions to marijuana would be less if it were legal and people didn't need to be paranoid about using it...


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## pamaris (Oct 11, 2008)

bradlyallen2 said:


> As an aside I've often wondered if the occurence of negative reactions to marijuana would be less if it were legal and people didn't need to be paranoid about using it...


I've wondered the same thing- do people get paranoid in Amsterdam? The biggest problem is that because of its illegality it's easy for some to always have the thought in the back of their mind: "Should I really be doing this?"


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## trippymonkey (Oct 13, 2008)

I've been smoking for eight years and have just recently begun to have what I guess are panic attacks. I can't predict when they'll happen (most of the time I toke, and I'm fine) or even if that's what is happening when I'm having one. Most recently, I went to the hospital because I was convinced something in my stomach had ruptured and that I was going to internally bleed to death. Turns out it was good that I went to the hospital, because though it was just a panic attack, I was actually severely dehydrated by the time I got there (from being sick for the past month). My personal theory on that aspect is that if there's something bothering you, even if it's on an unconscious level, it can still manifest itself quite easily when you alter your mind. 

As far as marijuana contributing to/even causing psychotic breakdowns, I must say that I think it indeed can help worsen symptoms in someone who's developed schizophrenia. I know I've shared this before, but I have a friend who threw out moderation one summer and ate insane amounts of LSD. He then developed what I believe to be paranoid schizophrenia. Now whether it's just LSD-induced or he actually was going to develop it on his own, I don't know. But anyways, he was starting to improve after disappearing from all of our friends for awhile. One day, he seemed to be alright until he smoked some chronic. Then, it was like he was digressing back into that
state where he couldn't distinguish reality from his perception of reality. 
I think in a person who's already mentally ill, absolutely marijuana can influence your mental state. 

I've dealt with bipolar disorder and a number of other things, and I've just come to realize that sometimes it's going to affect me, and there's really nothing I can do about it unless I quit smoking, which I don't think is worth it. All I can say is exercise caution.


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## pamaris (Oct 14, 2008)

trippymonkey said:


> I've been smoking for eight years and have just recently begun to have what I guess are panic attacks. I can't predict when they'll happen (most of the time I toke, and I'm fine) or even if that's what is happening when I'm having one. Most recently, I went to the hospital because I was convinced something in my stomach had ruptured and that I was going to internally bleed to death. Turns out it was good that I went to the hospital, because though it was just a panic attack, I was actually severely dehydrated by the time I got there (from being sick for the past month). My personal theory on that aspect is that if there's something bothering you, even if it's on an unconscious level, it can still manifest itself quite easily when you alter your mind.
> 
> As far as marijuana contributing to/even causing psychotic breakdowns, I must say that I think it indeed can help worsen symptoms in someone who's developed schizophrenia. I know I've shared this before, but I have a friend who threw out moderation one summer and ate insane amounts of LSD. He then developed what I believe to be paranoid schizophrenia. Now whether it's just LSD-induced or he actually was going to develop it on his own, I don't know. But anyways, he was starting to improve after disappearing from all of our friends for awhile. One day, he seemed to be alright until he smoked some chronic. Then, it was like he was digressing back into that
> state where he couldn't distinguish reality from his perception of reality.
> ...


Thanks for your input and honesty. It seems a very balanced perspective. Do you think you've "learned your lesson"? I mean, if you were to wig out again, do you think you'd be able to talk yourself out of it, after having the experience of going to the hospital and it just being a panic attack?

Sometimes with this schizo thing and psychedelics- it's hard to say which came first- the chicken or the egg (is it the underlying disease or the drugs). I think that people with mental imbalances (bipolar, schizo, depression etc) will be more prone to panic attacks... however, if one has come to terms with the deficiencies in their own mind and learned ways to cope with bad thoughts, they'll be able to handle it fine.

I think some people can look at the mind head on and take it, while others are scared and (metaphorically) run kicking and screaming. Those prone to fear will be less able to handle a panic attack gracefully. Just my opinion.


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## Philly_Buddah (Oct 14, 2008)

Let me 1st say that I for sure have anxiety and some degree of depression all the time, I also had episodes of psychosis. Ive had the depression and anxiety LONG before I started smoking, but the psychosis seems to get worse when I smoke.

Yes I have had panic attacks and experiences like that while high. The only time I had a real bad panic attack while high was when I stopped smoking for 3 1/2 months and then started again, and smoked way too much to just start out. I smoked a whole joint and my heart was beating like crazy, I had chest pains, and I was having a full blown panic attack. I was very close to calling 911 and going to the emergency room. Most experiences like that happen when you are already pretty anxious, I know I was. But the opposite also happened, after that high and when I started smoking again my bad panic attacks stopped completely and only a little anxiety was left. In other words I stopped smoking for 2 months, I had my first panic attack and had at least one bad panic attack everyday for the next 1 1/2 months, then I started smoking again and had 1 bad panic attack, and then they were gone. So the weed helped me with them, but the first initial high didnt. I think the weed relaxes your mind and relieves stress which helps stop panic attacks for up to a week, because when I wasnt smoking it was all anxiety with no relaxation in life, the weed helped me relax after the initial high. I developed psychosis a year or so before that from the weed and a LOT of stress and bad things I went through at that time.


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## trippymonkey (Oct 14, 2008)

pamaris said:


> Thanks for your input and honesty. It seems a very balanced perspective. Do you think you've "learned your lesson"? I mean, if you were to wig out again, do you think you'd be able to talk yourself out of it, after having the experience of going to the hospital and it just being a panic attack?
> 
> Sometimes with this schizo thing and psychedelics- it's hard to say which came first- the chicken or the egg (is it the underlying disease or the drugs). I think that people with mental imbalances (bipolar, schizo, depression etc) will be more prone to panic attacks... however, if one has come to terms with the deficiencies in their own mind and learned ways to cope with bad thoughts, they'll be able to handle it fine.
> 
> I think some people can look at the mind head on and take it, while others are scared and (metaphorically) run kicking and screaming. Those prone to fear will be less able to handle a panic attack gracefully. Just my opinion.



It's really hard to say. It hasn't happened in a while, but when it happens, I try to tell myself it's all in my mind. It's hard though, because I'll feel like I'm having a seizure or a heart attack, and I never know if I really am about to die or if it's just a panic attack. I usually just tell my friends "don't let me have a panic attack" and someone will distract me for a couple minutes. 
This usually works pretty well.


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## krunkpot (Oct 15, 2008)

I get very very very bad Social Anxiety disorder and if i smoke it makes it 100 times worse, it sucks because it never used to be like that when i was younger. I ususally only smoke when im by myself.


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## Dfunk (Oct 15, 2008)

WOW.......in my opinion I think all of you should consider not smoking after what I just read. There is no way I personally would use if I experienced any of those symptoms. I agree with Bob Marley - " The herb reveals you to yourself." This statement is the best way to sum up what Cannabis does to people in my opinion. If you have some mental disorders the herb will reveal them more most times. I have been diagnosed with major depression & mild anxiety before. They tried to put me on Zoloft & Trazadone, but I experienced some unwanted side effects. I've been smoking for 14 years no breaks & it's helped me with everything. I very rarely get sick, helps with mood swings, aches & pains, etc. The only negative impacts I've experienced are short-term memory loss & social rejection.


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## trippymonkey (Oct 16, 2008)

The only symptoms I experience due to smoking is occasionally panic attacks. It does not worsen my bipolar disorder, and in fact, sometimes I think it helps.


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## NLseeker (Oct 20, 2008)

When I was younger, I rarely had panic attacks. Every once in a while, I would think every car that drove by my house was the narcs but it would soon go away. 

In the last couple of years, things have change a bit. Five years ago, a friend got me some Durban Poison (stativa) and I had a pretty bad panic attack. My heart was racing above 100 bpm and I thought I was going to die. It was scary. 

About two years ago, I had a similar experience but worse. I pretty sure that stash was laced with angel dust. It was much worse than before. 

I have always believe that mj helped me focus inwardly and helped me find solutions that I refused to accept when I am not on mj. I do have a low tolerance and I think I over smoked. If I have top quality, 1-2 hits is all I need. 

What doesn't make sense is that I have never been diagnosed with depression, panic attacks, or any mental disorders and I do not take any prescriptions. I have never had a panic attack in my daily life. Confusing....


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## KidCreole (Oct 20, 2008)

so maybe im just paranoid and i know this is the wrong topic to ask in but if were gettin high and havin paranoia spasms and frreakouts, then how do we not know that the things that we think are out to get us are not just the random workings of a normal, twisted macrebe mind with a hint of paranoia to make things seem true? its like i know i shouldnt trust my government and i dont, but people seem to say things that are put of the ordinary about the government that make me wonder. if theyre so bad, how does this shit NOT affect them? yea they got money, but in a failing economy, they dont have money either right? im paranoid enuf as it is... i dont need my stash to lend a hand! yea im high, sorry if this didnt make any sense


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## trippymonkey (Oct 20, 2008)

NLseeker said:


> When I was younger, I rarely had panic attacks. Every once in a while, I would think every car that drove by my house was the narcs but it would soon go away.
> 
> In the last couple of years, things have change a bit. Five years ago, a friend got me some Durban Poison (stativa) and I had a pretty bad panic attack. My heart was racing above 100 bpm and I thought I was going to die. It was scary.
> 
> ...


I'd never, ever had a panic attack until I smoked (and this was after like, five years of smoking) as well. I've heard that smoking increases your risk for one and a lot of friends I have who have never been diagnosed with a mental illness get panic attacks.


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## Philly_Buddah (Oct 21, 2008)

The thing with me is, I have bad paranoia and anxiety even when I dont smoke.

The worst happens when Im alone and high though. Youd be surprised to see all the paranoid thoughts that went through my head. I could have sworn this car was following me once, it hid in an alleyway facing the way I was walking and just stopped there for a long time, it looked like they were stalking me. Other times I would be on a quiet backroad smoking and I hear a car coming, so I put my face down, hide my blunt, and look the opposite way, and then when I look back I realize there was never a car there in the first place. Other times I would hear quiet voices like ppl were observing and talking about me, then I look around and noone is there and its only a faucet barely turned on. Imagine how weird that can be when your all alone with bad sleep deprivation... That stuff gets freaky, and it got a lot worse than that. It didnt help that I was a borderline schizophrenic/bipolar with severe anxiety lol. Weed really helped with my panic attacks though, thats why I kept smoking it, it helped me relax when the paranoia wasnt so bad. And honestly I would rather deal with this stuff then go on medication again anyday.


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## Higher Education (Dec 18, 2008)

My mom was bipolar and allegedly schizophernic. I have always believe I have mild to moderate depression. I smoke weed and it never bothers me unless I get baked out of my mind from a sativa strain. Then I have aweful panic attacks for the duration of my high. Afterwards things are fine again though. CBD has actually been proven to be an antipychotic. I would suggest smoking heavy indica strains over sativa for anyone with any type of mental problems, be it anxiety or depression.


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## cannabiscult (Dec 18, 2008)

i love when i get high because i get paranoid and do the funniest unnessicary paranoid shit. i love just tweakin out and then sobering up and laughing at myself for it. been doing this for 8 years now lol

school high was the best, i was the anchor on the morning show! lol


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## amsterdayum (Dec 19, 2008)

*i actually had a "bad trip" the other day, hardly ever happens but i did go from smoking only the sativa variety to running out and hitting up a friend for some** afghani so maybe jumpin from diff strains might be a facter? just a thought not implying  
*


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## hom36rown (Dec 22, 2008)

pamaris said:


> I think the scientific consensus is that cannabis will trigger schizophrenia in people already genetically predisposed to it- especially adolescent males. Beyond that I can't make heads or tails of it. The reason I am asking is because my husband had a breakdown with psychotic depression about 10 years ago. He's been fine for 8 years. He has been smoking with me though. I don't want to think he's just a time bomb if he smokes.
> 
> Any thoughts?


ive heard that about LSD, but not weed. Weed just causes some people to have really bad anxiety, if it doesnt bother him or he likes it, than I dont that there should be any adverse affects randomly later...but I'm no doctor


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## EdgeWyse (Dec 22, 2008)

There are already a bunch of good posts, but I feel compelled to do the same.

How common is it for a bad Erowid trip? Probably more often than in reality because there are plenty of (Lobbyist..esque) people who would love to plant seeds in all the brains who visit Erowid... and other people who would altogether just like a laugh.

It can happen though, I was laying in bed after hitting it hard and slipping off to sleep when I started to hear a man and woman's voice talking at me simultaneously. That was a first and it definitely creeped me out a bit because there is a history of schizophrenia in my family. I'm not saying I'm schizophrenic, but that is a psychotic positive sympton called a hallucination, which is a big part of the schizophrenia puzzle. The rest of the puzzle for me is the fact that I was somewhat in a dream state and I most likely had a pretty high THC content in my system. The other part of the puzzle for actual people with schizophrenia lies within a most likely difficult developmental period (even up to the point of the early 20's), and an actual predisposition passed on by the mother during pregnancy, as I understand it.

Regardless, some people are prone to having problems with marijuana usage. I would most definitely say that if your husband wishes not to abstain at all, he should at least use it sparingly and feel it out. 

If your husband is having problems already and has a history of them, marijuana could probably easily throw him out of wack if he lets it. This is especially true if he is on any type of psychoactive medication.


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## Philly_Buddah (Dec 22, 2008)

Yea, with erowid u have to understand that ppl may exaggerate or some anti-drug ppl could put a lot of reports in there. Its ridiculous, but nothing u say can stop these idiots. U also have to understand that if someone had a memorable bad trip, theyre much more likely to want to put up a report of it than if they had a normal or good trip. Even if u read most of the bad trip reports, most the ppl admit that they smoked everyday for years and it never happened before then. So basically they smoked hundreds of times (if not more) and had only 1 bad trip but they wanted to put it up. Then there is the 1st timers with bad anxiety that just dont know how to smoke it right or handle the high. There is definitely bad trips but they dont happen that often as it says on there.

Going back to the point of this thread I feel like I should add more. I dont have schizophrenia, but I have anxiety and I went through a period of psychosis before. It was a little over a year ago, I had been smoking for several years at this time. What I found interesting is that I actually developed the psychosis and panic attacks after I _stopped_ smoking for 3 months. Thats interesting to me. And after I started smoking again, it was still there but a lot more mild and the panic attacks stopped almost completely. So the marijuana actually helped with that I guess. One thing that I will admit is I have some very weird thoughts sometimes when Im high or within days of smoking that may last longer. Im not as stressed out now, but when I was stressed it made it much worse. I believe that marijuana-schizophrenia connection though to some extent, at least in ppl who have possible genetics for schizophrenia. Weed had me feeling like I was in a different reality or in a dream before, its more powerful than some would think.


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## HighThinker (Dec 30, 2008)

i must say i panic like EVERY time on practically any weed............i know ive got some other mental issues with ocd and and anxiety, so its def not the weed...........but these problems really only come out when i get high, and after panic-ing so much, i kinda got used to convincing myself that being high was okay and nothing bad was goign to happen to me.................my stomach would practically lock up, and i would get all shaky, like a scared dog............of course it doesnt keep me from my habit...........but it does blow balls.........you just have to get used to it if your one of those people like me..............and for all those losers trying to bash the herb with lies........well, im the "example" of someone who ALREADY has problems, and smoking ganja didnt CAUSE them, it jsut makes them blown up only while im intoxicated..................i think smoking may have actully helped me learn to cope with my illness by teaching how to deal with fear and paranoia, almost by crisis................and then in times when im not intoxicated i can deal with problems so much easier.............kinda weird how that works


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## Philly_Buddah (Dec 30, 2008)

Same thing with me HighThinker.

I can relate.


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## misshestermoffitt (Dec 30, 2008)

I used to get panic attacks all the time. It would drive me crazy, I blamed on smoking, weed, drinking, dairy products, but then I realized that I really hated my job, I mean truely hated it, I would wake up every morning hoping the building burnt down overnight. Once I quit that piece of shit job, I've never felt better. I have some stress about budgets and whats not, but the panic thing is gone.


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## bradlyallen2 (Dec 30, 2008)

HighThinker said:


> i must say i panic like EVERY time on practically any weed............i know ive got some other mental issues with ocd and and anxiety, so its def not the weed...........but these problems really only come out when i get high, and after panic-ing so much, i kinda got used to convincing myself that being high was okay and nothing bad was goign to happen to me.................my stomach would practically lock up, and i would get all shaky, like a scared dog............of course it doesnt keep me from my habit...........but it does blow balls.........you just have to get used to it if your one of those people like me..............and for all those losers trying to bash the herb with lies........well, im the "example" of someone who ALREADY has problems, and smoking ganja didnt CAUSE them, it jsut makes them blown up only while im intoxicated..................i think smoking may have actully helped me learn to cope with my illness by teaching how to deal with fear and paranoia, almost by crisis................and then in times when im not intoxicated i can deal with problems so much easier.............kinda weird how that works


 To contrast what you said, no one ever suggests prohibiting alcohol again when someone who has a violent nature gets drunk and beats his wife. People just accept that the fool was violent, not that alcohol made him do it. Sadly the same logic doesn't seem to get applied to weed. People go out of their way to ascribe developing mental illness to marijuana use.


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## klmmicro (Dec 30, 2008)

What an interesting thread. I was thinking about this the other day when I had a mini panic attack. The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes, but it seemed like a half hour. It came on when i got home from a friends house and was sitting alone on the couch. I recognized it for what it was worth and was able to "change it". It was in my head after all and was nothing more than some perceptions that could be controlled.

Interestingly, I had a similar trip on LSD in my youth that really soured that drug for me. Basically, it was a feeling like I all got it wrong and that I was focused on too much stuff. MJ feeling was very similar, but easy to distinguish as just a feeling amplified.

Reading what a lot of people have relayed here, it does seem like a lot of these "bad experiences" could be curbed or controlled with the proper shifting of focus or thought. It makes great sense to have someone experienced around when you first start, especially someone you can trust to be _with_ you. When did this change?


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## misshestermoffitt (Dec 30, 2008)

According to my doctor, you can't die from a panic attack, just knowing that might help out.


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## klmmicro (Dec 30, 2008)

misshestermoffitt said:


> According to my doctor, you can't die from a panic attack, just knowing that might help out.


You are correct, the panic attack is not going to kill you. The discomfort of the panic attack though certainly can outweigh the benefit of medical use.

When I had my experience a few weeks ago, knowing what it was made all the difference. It was easy to just treat it as another experience and move on. The point that it brings up is for those that do not see it for what it is. The potential to let the bad feeling run away with them shows why having a small group of understanding and caring people is good when beginning.


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## dannyking (Jan 3, 2009)

Theres a guy I used to hang around with when I was younger. His parents were old time hippies and instead of money as a weekly allowance they gave him weed. This guy was very very cool indeed. but over a few years you could see somthing changing in him. Today he's totallly schizophrenic, paranoid, and suffering with anxiety. He's an absolute freak. He's in and out of mental homes, he's left his own mother in hospital, done thousands of pounds damage to his council house. just Crazy. This is the only time I've heard of somthing like this though. 

Myself? I'm still looking for a strain that doesn't make me paranoid. I only smoke by myself really. Only time I'm comfortable. But then again I have had past psychological issues and it runs in the family.


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