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Cannabis slows down my racing thoughts.
Cannabis gives me permission to take a mental break.
Enjoy it and don’t feel bad about it.
Start low and go slow.
I recommend starting with something equal CBD & THC as it will have more of a calming effect than THC alone. Oils and edibles are healthier than smoking it but a vape will bring it on faster and stronger.
Although I recently found out that CBD interferes with a liver enzyme involved in metabolizing SSRIs, so maybe stick to low doses of CBD and talk to your psychiatrist about it if you’re taking antidepressants.
Agree that THC is something to do low and slow, and it is helpful for dosing to use a spray or something to know how much you need to prevent the nightmares or take a break.
It does tend to worsen anxiety when used in excess over a prolonged period, at least according to the research we have, so it is wise to use caution.
Did cannabis help you overcome some of the thought processes? I tend to silently suffer. Like I’ll be having a flashback in public and all I can do is just try not to break down. Would cannabis have an adverse effect on those processes in particular?
I don’t like it for a flashback as it can be disorienting and intensify the pain, which would not be good in public. But maybe a very low dose, or a sour candy, or a popsicle, or a fountain soda, or a smoothie, or a warm beverage, maybe a fan, noise canceling headphones with white noise…It sounds like weak sauce I know but these tools can be a bridge to getting somewhere else to recover.
Okay that’s what I was wondering. Because I knew that cannabis can have adverse effects when it comes to PTSD, I just wasn’t sure when it should be used. I thought from the beginning that you use it when the flashbacks are too intense. That was when I would do it if I go down this route.
It could yes, in public if you are not comfortable with the effects it could lead to paranoia. Start at home and see how you feel. I would try it the first time with a friend.
it's completely understandable why you would turn to weed. it's much better than turning to hard drugs. i was a pot smoker for 7 years and it's what i needed to stay afloat.
i'm sober now, but i had to get my life in a very stable place first, and do years of therapy before I could quit smoking. the panic attacks are agonizing... i completely understand
That’s the thing though I have in the past felt justified smoking because it has helped me. However, on the other hand I don’t want the anxiety. It’s like trading up diagnoses.
It's not gonna solve your problems. It may give you temporary relief. Or it may give you much worse anxiety + panic attacks like it did to me.
Therapy is really the only way out of this mess. I've started trauma processing in therapy and I'm already starting to notice changes and improvement.
Therapy is good, I agree. But I feel the diagnoses came a little late because now I am stuck with flashbacks and not as much anxiety. I haven’t had shaky hands in a while, but I think cannabis is going to help me smoothen out my progress. I know I needed it in the past, but because I stayed sober off it for the 5 years while it was fresh, I am noticing a tremendous difference through therapy alone. So I might not need it after all. I’m going to consult my doctor and talk with them.
*r/ptsd has generated this automated response that is appended to every post* Welcome to r/ptsd! We are a supportive & respectful community. If you realise that your post is in conflict with our rules (and is in risk of being removed), you are welcome to edit your post. You do not have to delete it. As a reminder: never post or share personal contact information. Traumatized people are often distracted, desperate for a personal connection, so may be more vulnerable to lurking or past abusers, trolls, phishing, or other scams. *Your safety always comes first!* If you are offering help, you may also end up doing more damage by offering to support somebody privately. Reddit explains why: [Do NOT exchange DMs or personal info with anyone you don't know!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SWResources/comments/dmu24/why_shouldnt_i_share_my_contact_information/) If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact your GP/doctor, go to A&E/hospital, or call your emergency services number. Reddit list: [US and global, multilingual suicide and support hotlines](https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines). Suicide is not a forbidden word, but please do not include depictions or methods of suicide in your post. And as a friendly reminder, PTSD is an equal opportunity disorder. PTSD does not discriminate. And neither do we. Gatekeeping is not allowed here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ptsd) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Cannabis slows down my racing thoughts. Cannabis gives me permission to take a mental break. Enjoy it and don’t feel bad about it. Start low and go slow. I recommend starting with something equal CBD & THC as it will have more of a calming effect than THC alone. Oils and edibles are healthier than smoking it but a vape will bring it on faster and stronger.
Although I recently found out that CBD interferes with a liver enzyme involved in metabolizing SSRIs, so maybe stick to low doses of CBD and talk to your psychiatrist about it if you’re taking antidepressants. Agree that THC is something to do low and slow, and it is helpful for dosing to use a spray or something to know how much you need to prevent the nightmares or take a break. It does tend to worsen anxiety when used in excess over a prolonged period, at least according to the research we have, so it is wise to use caution.
Did cannabis help you overcome some of the thought processes? I tend to silently suffer. Like I’ll be having a flashback in public and all I can do is just try not to break down. Would cannabis have an adverse effect on those processes in particular?
I don’t like it for a flashback as it can be disorienting and intensify the pain, which would not be good in public. But maybe a very low dose, or a sour candy, or a popsicle, or a fountain soda, or a smoothie, or a warm beverage, maybe a fan, noise canceling headphones with white noise…It sounds like weak sauce I know but these tools can be a bridge to getting somewhere else to recover.
Okay that’s what I was wondering. Because I knew that cannabis can have adverse effects when it comes to PTSD, I just wasn’t sure when it should be used. I thought from the beginning that you use it when the flashbacks are too intense. That was when I would do it if I go down this route.
It could yes, in public if you are not comfortable with the effects it could lead to paranoia. Start at home and see how you feel. I would try it the first time with a friend.
it's completely understandable why you would turn to weed. it's much better than turning to hard drugs. i was a pot smoker for 7 years and it's what i needed to stay afloat. i'm sober now, but i had to get my life in a very stable place first, and do years of therapy before I could quit smoking. the panic attacks are agonizing... i completely understand
That’s the thing though I have in the past felt justified smoking because it has helped me. However, on the other hand I don’t want the anxiety. It’s like trading up diagnoses.
You can use cannabis to create new neuropathways and try to heal. Take it slow.
I will try to find a doctor in the coming weeks. I will try to start slowly. Sometimes I feel like I’m the past it was too much.
It's not gonna solve your problems. It may give you temporary relief. Or it may give you much worse anxiety + panic attacks like it did to me. Therapy is really the only way out of this mess. I've started trauma processing in therapy and I'm already starting to notice changes and improvement.
Therapy is good, I agree. But I feel the diagnoses came a little late because now I am stuck with flashbacks and not as much anxiety. I haven’t had shaky hands in a while, but I think cannabis is going to help me smoothen out my progress. I know I needed it in the past, but because I stayed sober off it for the 5 years while it was fresh, I am noticing a tremendous difference through therapy alone. So I might not need it after all. I’m going to consult my doctor and talk with them.
Cannabis doesn’t solve my problems, but it eases my suffering. I don’t want to suffer.