Will anxiety from weed go away?

Will anxiety from weed go away?

As weed contains some anxiolytic effects their removal helps the brain to go back to its normal.

This might also result in heightened sensitivity to anxiety. This may last for a couple of days or even months.

Individuals need to provide the brain with some time to return to its normal production of the neurotransmitters to lower the amount of anxiety experienced from weed and its use

What are the symptoms of weed-induced anxiety?

Weed induced anxiety is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms such as:

• Sweating
• Difficulty in breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Sense of choking
• Complaints of chest pain
• Shaking or trembling
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or Light-headedness
• Fear of losing control over oneself and their environment
• Fear of impending doom
• Hot or cold flashes
• Tingling or numbness
• Increased heart rate

These symptoms vary in severity from person to person. However, it is noted that many people experience anxiety attacks that are not significantly displayed.

What are the main triggers of weed-induced anxiety?

Even though anxiety is seen among many individuals, certain triggers make some people more vulnerable to anxiety than others after smoking weed. Some contributing triggers of anxiety are:

Genetics

Weed makes an individual feel relaxed and calmer by providing stimulation to the frontal region of the brain. However, if the back portion of an individual’s brain is more THC sensitive than the frontal part of the individual brain, they can experience an adverse effect or reaction which often leads to anxiety.

THC content

It is found that when an individual uses weed with a higher THC content it may contribute to feelings of anxiety or other negative symptoms.

This could help to conclude that even though THC when used in the right amount helps in reducing negative feelings, a higher dose of it can have an opposite effect on an individual by increasing the negative feelings that they have been trying to push back.

Sex of an individual

Studies have shown that higher levels of Estrogen increases weed sensitivity by about 30% and reduce its tolerance for weed. This means females may be more sensitive to weed and its effects. This could apply to pain relief, anxiety, and other negative effects.

Health diagnosis

Triggers associated with health diagnosis tend to have a strong impact on an individual because of the strong negative thoughts and emotions that are associated with it. These thoughts and emotions resurface after smoking weed.

 

Medications

It is believed that many over-the-counter medications may contribute to the symptoms of anxiety in some individuals. This is certainly because of the ingredients in this medication that makes an individual feel uneasy

The interaction between the chemicals of the medicine and the chemicals present in weed might heighten the effects of anxiety.

Use of caffeine

Even though it is said that the use of caffeine helps to activate an individual’s system studies show that over usage of caffeine might lead to adverse effects such as anxiety or even depression.

Apart from the overuse withdrawal from caffeine may also lead to anxiety. hence it is suggested that individuals take conscious amounts of caffeine per day.

Skipping meals

Apart from environmental factors, one’s eating habits might also contribute to an individual’s anxiety directly or indirectly. When an individual fails to maintain their food timings it might lead to fluctuations in their blood sugar levels.

These fluctuations might make an individual feel jittery which in turn triggers anxiety.

Hence maintaining a proper schedule and diet is important for various reasons not just for energy but also for maintaining one’s mood.

Negative thinking

An individual’s behavior and emotions are certainly controlled by one’s thoughts. When an individual is upset and dwells on negative thoughts post smoking weed it further leads to discomforting emotions and detrimental thoughts causing a vicious cycle.

These negative thoughts are then projected to various areas of an individual’s life creating an overall sense of lack of control over oneself and the environment which triggers anxiety.

Stress

Daily stressors as simple as traffic jams to major ones such as strained relationships might contribute to one’s intensity and frequency of anxiety and anxiety attacks after smoking weed.

However, long term or chronic stress leads to long term anxiety and a build-up of negative taught processes and emotions that impact an individual’s mental health

Conflict

Individuals might also experience weed-induced anxiety because of interpersonal or intrapersonal conflicts.

The inability to resolve these conflicts might lead to the build-up of negative thoughts, emotions that overwhelm an individual and triggers anxiety.

Personal triggers

Personal triggers can be as minor as a smell, place, or even a song that reminds an individual of negative and discomforting experiences. Personal triggers can remind an individual of an unconscious or conscious dramatic event in an individual’s life that triggers their anxiety after smoking weed.

If you can identify and understand your triggers, you can work to avoid them and learn to cope with them. You can learn specific coping strategies to handle the triggers when they happen.

What are the tips for identifying triggers of anxiety?

Start a journal.

Write down when your anxiety is noticeable and record what you think might have led to the trigger

Work with a therapist.

 Some anxiety triggers can be difficult to identify, but a mental health specialist can help you. They may use talk therapy, journaling, and other methods to find triggers.

Be honest with yourself.

Anxiety can cause negative thoughts and poor self-assessments. This can make identifying triggers difficult because of the anxious reactions. Be willing to explore things in your past to identify how they may affect you today.

How can you manage anxiety caused by smoking weed?

The occurrence of anxiety post the use of weed is very unpredictable. However, there might be some self-help techniques that an individual can adopt to get through the week moment.

Some self-help techniques that can be adopted by an individual are:

Remind oneself that you’re not in danger

Weed-related anxiousness or panic attacks may vary from individual to individual. The uncomfortable feelings that an individual experience during these attacks is due to the physiological reactions that the body displays.

However, an individual must remind themselves that this is a temporary mechanism and will pass away once they start to calm themselves down consciously.

Try and relax

When an individual is feeling anxious, they should most importantly settle themselves down in a comfortable position. Following which they can practice alternate nostril breathing where they hold on to one side of the nose closed and breathe in and out several times after which they switch sides and repeat the circuit.

Use of pepper

Pepper and cannabinoids share similar chemicals. To counter the effect of too much THC if an individual can use fresh peppercorns in the powdered form and inhale them the sneezing and stinging eyes may help to distract an individual from the anxiety for a brief period however this method is not very user friendly and might cause some level of discomfort.

Eat something

 

Studies showed that the consumption of weed on an empty stomach can influence its intensity leading to a higher sensation in the body.

By taking something to snack on regardless of being hungry at the moment can help to reduce the effects of THC as well as the panic attack.

Do something challenging

Weed-related anxiety or panic attacks can be overwhelming. Using grounding techniques can be another alternative method to modulate these attacks and their effects.

Here are a few steps one can adopt:

• Pick up several objects that you like. focus on its characteristics and its texture.
• Cuddle or hold your pet close
• Try and run your hands under cold or warm water
• Try aromatherapy such as lighting up a scented candle or making a cup of spiced tea.

Conclusion

Many individuals experience anxiety after smoking weed. The primary cause for this is the level of THC in cannabis. This anxiety might take some time to subside after its cessation such that the brain returns to its normal functioning.

Research indicates that increased levels of these chemicals activate the amygdala making individuals feel a sense of fear and anxiety.

However, it is safe to say that not every individual experiences anxiety after smoking weed, and on the other hand some individuals might experience anxiety upon some instances of smoking weed and not all.

Therefore, there might be many other factors that might contribute to an individual experiencing anxiety after smoking weed than just the chemicals in weed.

Frequently asked questions

How can I stop being anxious when high?

Many individuals might feel anxious after smoking weed. Under such circumstances, an individual must try and relax and carry out distracting techniques and do brain soothing activities.

In certain cases, carrying out yoga or deep breathing might also help.

How long does it take to recover from weed?

The effects that weed causes usually fade away within one to three hours post its use. However, some effects such as disturbances in memory or troubled sleep can last for a few days.

On the other end, long-term effects can last for a few weeks or even a few months after the use of weed has stopped.

 

Can you go back to normal after smoking weed?

When individuals decide to give up on smoking weed after regular use, they might experience withdrawal symptoms over a period.

Depending on how often an individual use to smoke the withdrawal symptoms could become intense making an individual more vulnerable to relapse.

How long does it take for your brain to go back to normal after smoking weed?

Researchers indicate that brain receptors called cannabinoid 1 receptors start to go back to normal within two days post cessation of the drug.

 

Citations

https://www.healthline.com/health/marijuana-panic-attack#eat-something