Yes, I too have anxiety issues that cause me insomnia. I haven't been diagnosed with PTSD, as I have never spoke with any doctor about the violent things I have seen and had to do to survive past situations. Some nights I can't sleep regardless of how much I smoke and Ambien has very little effect on me any more. I was prescribed Lexapro, but I was only able to take it daily for about 2 months. Then it started to make me feel really weird, loopy and completely out of it, almost like my brain was loose in my skull. It also made me have hart burn and always feel like I needed to yawn or "pop my ears". So I also said fuck the daily pills.
When the sun comes up, and I start to get really tired, the feeling of anxiety goes away, and I can function to complete daily tasks, then I fall asleep around 8-10pm. When I wake around 5am or so, I feel normal till something triggers the anxiety. Don't really know what brings it on, but once the anxiety starts, that's when the thoughts start running thru my mind all over again... And then the no sleep cycle starts over. By far anxiety is the biggest issue I have to deal with and it sometimes makes me act like an asshole toward people... In other words, I have a short fuse and tend to over-react if I feel someone is insulting me. Smoking MJ truly takes the edge off, helps me to function and helps prevent me from being a dick to others. I know this sounds stupid, but the anxiety prevents me from wanting to even perform tasks as simple as going to the grocery store. Smoking right before leaving the house really helps motivate me to go and can even make it somewhat enjoyable. Xanax helps more than anything, but long term dependency will make you slow and dopey to the point people will think you're stupid, so I avoid it (like I try to do with all pills) until I feel there is no other option. About once a month I have to take a Xanax because the anxiety is far too much to deal with (usually at this point the anxiety is so bad it feels like something is stuck in my esophagus). My depression is very mild and I only experience it occasionally .
So yes, smoking helps me with anxiety, however some strains can make it worse for me, usually indica dominant strains can bring on a physical feeling of panic with me, so I prefer sativa, a lighter more uplifting feeling that makes me smile. As I'm sure you've heard before, everyone's different, so try a few kinds and don't rule out eatables. Eating it could really help you mellow out. The other thing that I've started to look into for my anxiety is the
Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety . They have a in home program that I'm going to try.
Hope I addressed some of your concerns.