Is it the problem or helping with the problem?

First of all does anyone here self-medicate with cannabis? Secondly, if so does it ever irritate you when people blame all your problems on cannabis? One thing I use it for is depression, and I've had people try to argue I'm depressed because of the cannabis. The reality is I was depressed before I even knew what the hell weed was.

Hopefully this topic has not already been done to death if so feel free to let this die.

 

I used to, but now I can't..... so now I'm worse.



Long story.

 

I usually am worse off without cannabis. The alcohol and ciggerettes are another story I'm having extremely mixed feelings about those two lately.

 

I don't drink so that's not a problem, but it is self destructive. (I used to, so that not a judgement, it's experience)

I used to smoke European Tobacco, while still not "healthy" it's not as bad as the crap most people smoked. Since the new rulings 2 years ago my "Drum" now comes from "Top Tobacco Co." and is giving me fits, so I'm gonna have to quit...... Bastards!

Anyways, the pot question..... It does have some drawbacks, but the benefit out weighs them by a long shot. I am talking for medical use too, I have multi site arthritis, chronic muscle pain, degenerative disc disease and depression/anxiety (The latter more than likely caused by not being able to work and play music like I used to) Smoke helps across the board with all of these symptoms, but NO, I can't have that. So I have to suffer with this crap. [/rant]

 

I don't know anyone who blames my problems on marijuana... because i don't hang out with assholes

 

damn man, that fucking sucks that you can't, so sorry about that prediciment. I don't really want to think of what I would do in that situation.

And yes alcohol is harmful, as are fucking ciggerettes which I really should just quit smoking right now because they don't even do anything. Its pointless to chase that feeling that first ciggerette gave me cause its not going to happen. But if I want to cut down/quit either of them I'll be needing the cannabis.

 

I think I was much worse off before I started smoking so it helps with me too. I drink but it hasn't done any harm, except for a couple hangovers of course. but like you said, if you're having problems with the bottle, just stick with weed.

 

See I was fine with my drinking until against my better judgement I decided it was ok to try and self medicate with it sometimes as an alternative to cannabis. Just to see if it would work in case I needed to go with out weed for some reason, like applying for jobs in case of drug tests. But its clear to me that is a very bad idea and not a road I care to venture down. I'd rather stick to the cannabis and have less options of what jobs I can get or no job, than resort to that sort of drinking.

 

Ugh. My mom's like that. Infact she's gone back and rewritten history to fit her pot theory. Apparently pot was why I went from good grades to shitty in highschool - but I never even smoked that much back then.

Now if she had said booze, lsd and social life, she would have been way closer.

 

Well, I'd be lying to say I smoke because of my anxiety alone and not for the fact that it's just fun, but anxiety is definitely the reason I smoke as much and as often as I do. It has made a world of difference, seriously, I was terrified of the world and could barely function as a normal human being before I started smoking. I still get anxious, sure, but it doesn't rule my life anymore. And the people who know about the weed don't disagree that it has helped. I'm sure my dad would shit if I confirmed to him that I do, indeed, partake, but I'm also sure he's not an idiot and deep down, he probably knows. He'd be the only one I could see blaming my anxiety on the weed, and that's just because he'd be grasping for straws for reasons I shouldn't smoke.

 

Maybe you should find new friends.

But you should also be wary of just assuming that weed can do no harm or that it's automatically helping you because it makes you feel nice.

It probably won't cause you any real problems (and if it does, you'll know, you'll start having "panic attacks" because of improper use/trying to fight parts of weed, basically the bad trip of pot, it is psychedelic and all, and you avoid bad trips in the same way, set/setting/not fighting it) but a lot of people have problems with not being able to properly channel cannabis, basically because they're lazy.

*edit* the fact that you would ever see ANY similarity to "coping" drinking/alcoholism shows that you should not be smoking pot at this time. Or if you'd consider replacing it with alcohol at all..... Or if you'd see it as the choice between drinking and smoking, while forgetting that there's the "neither" option. So no, you should not be smoking right now and are going to hurt yourself, IMO.

 

I don't make friends with people I plan on abandoning, and at the moment there is no reason to do that.

Also, I love to read about drugs erowid.org is pretty much the most awesome thing ever and I don't mind reading a real book either so I have looked into all the risks and benifits of cannabis and I feel the positives outweigh the negatives.

I actually use the cannabis to avoid panic attacks, I am more likely to have one if I don't at least take a couple hits in the morning. I am also aware of its psychedelic effects. Not to mention since I am going to work on quitting ciggerettes and greatly reducing my drinking I know i am going to want to smoke weed because I don't want to feel horrible when I want a ciggerette but can't have one.

 

I've never been told I have a cannabis problem. I don't really know anyone that believes you can be a 'weed junkie' lol. I've been smoking weed for over a decade and a daily user for more than half of that. When I don't have it it doesn't really affect me any. I don't crave it or anything. The only time I ever set out to smoke weed for a reason is when I am on my period and hurting bad. It is the only thing to help. MJ is very useful to my boyfriend though. He is Bi-Polar and sometimes weed is the only thing to snap him out of mania despite that he is heavily medicated for it.

 

strangely haven't smoked in the last month. was only doing a couple days a week the month before. My tolerance is too high, and before even the day's end it's not fun anymore.

drank too much though so i'm cutting out spirits, just beer after responsibilities. Got a couple other things I'm hoping get handled first. Hope to be back to a safe-net of comfort a month from now. We'll see.

 

cannabis is a drug and it alters your mind and makes you feel different it is as simple as that. so simply people smoke weed cus often they don't wanna think about their problems so they just smoke a joint and chill and what is the point of wasting a nice high thinking about bad shit. so simply people smoke and enjoy their high and are somewhere else for a little while haha.

but do keep in mind there are plenty of studies that show that cannabis can bring out mental illness or make current mental illness worse. cannabis also is different for every person cus we all have different brains.

 

Well my mental state is already rather fucked up, and cannabis seems to be the thing that helps the most with the least downsides.....otherwise I would just subsitute it with alcohol or something worse. So its best I stick to the cannabis.

 

Yeah, people do that. An ex of mine had asthma and everyone blamed it on the weed, when in reality it made it better. Weed can bring you down, but its effects are different for everyone so if it works for you then rock on.

 

loled..tried to rep but need to spread the love

 

I see people use that blanket statement all the time when it comes to cannabis...

I can honestly say that my cannabis use does not make me forget all my problems, nor make me adopt an apathetic attitude towards my life and whatever challenges or difficulties I am facing in life.

For me personally, the mental capacity cannabis provides is an EXCELLENT opportunity to step back from the fog of ego; it allows me to open up to new ideas and possibilities I would have never even considered if it werent for that stimulation of the mind and thought process that cannabis provides me.

For instance, if I'm in an argument with somebody and it gets heated and I fly off the handle, I know I can turn to bud; not to escape and forget about the problem, but to take a step back out of my own shoes and ideologies and look at the situation in a whole new light. Often times I'll smoke after an intense argument with someone, and wonder how the hell I let something so stupid and trivial stifle out the good vibes & love to begin with...

For a lot of people I think cannabis mimics psychedelics in the sense that there is a very good chance that at some point in the experience your mind is going to throw you face first into that issue you've been fearing/running from etc. It can be difficult, but overcoming your worries through the power of perspective, love and an open mind is a very powerful and beneficial experience

Much love,