How I use cannabis to treat my anxiety disorder

In Cannabis, Learn, Women by Weed Mama1 Comment


(Updated April 2021)
Cannabis is medicine for so many people, including me. However I never used to think that way, even though I’ve used cannabis since I was a teenager, it never occurred to me to use it medicinally, I just smoked weed and got high. It was until after I had my children that I started to use cannabis with intention.

Panic attacks from hell

Since I was a child I’ve suffered from generalized anxiety and panic disorder. Hands up if you have panic disorder and you know people are judging you as a hysterical idiot! (I’ve got both hands raised in the air)

That’s because those people, who are fortunate enough to not have panic disorder, think we’re being too self-indulgent and should just snap out of it. If only it was that simple, if only I could just think happy thoughts and *poof* my brain will stop short circuiting! Unfortunately it’s not that simple.

Panic disorder is like your brain hijacking your emotions and thoughts, taking you on the most terrifying ride from hell. If it’s a bad enough episode, you can feel insanity close by. That moment where the anxiety buries itself so deep inside your brain, it reaches a place you can’t go and that’s where you can end up in a very bad place. I’ve almost walked into a hospital twice, so exhausted and riddled with pain from the panic disorder; I just needed someone to make it stop.

Everything hurts

It’s not just the mental anguish, it’s the physical pain too, anxiety makes everything hurt.  Your thoughts, your muscles, your joints and your emotions are all screaming. It’s a full on brain attack and it’s really and truly torturous.

Anyone who has panic disorder fears the fear.  I don’t choose this, it’s some faulty wiring but I figure if monks can lower and raise their body temperature with the power of their mind, I can do the same with these mother fucking panic attacks from the 9 circles of hell.

And I’m winning with the help of cannabis!

I don’t get full blown attacks anymore, I feel them coming and I fight them off. Over time I’ve shortened their duration, cannabis helps me to relax so I can train my brain but I have to be careful as I could easily trigger one too, it’s a fine balance and it’s what I teach with weed Mama. I believe in the therapeutic effects of cannabis because it works but I also know we must respect the plant. Even still, I relapse when life throws me a nasty curve ball. When that happens I use cognitive behavioral therapy with CBD to find balance again.

Related article: Your ultimate guide to CBD

Cannabis works in many ways

Scientists are still trying to figure out how cannabis is able to treat so many different conditions. We do know it has natural anti-inflammatory properties. I know just from using it for so long, it relaxes you. It relaxes your muscles, reduces stress and calms your nerves. This helps to relieve pain, tension and anxiety.

Cannabis also works wonderfully for stomach ailments. It’s fabulous for women’s health issues such as pain from endometriosis, painful sex and hormonal issues. Cannabis works for kids with severe epilepsy, in some cases the kids are almost seizure free. It also helps adults with seizure disorders. It helps people with tremors, something that can be brought on by a disease or by aging. I’m naturally a shaky person and if I’m really rattled, I can’t hold a piece of paper or drink from a glass because I’m shaking so badly. Cannabis, specifically CBD, helps to calm that down.

I work hard to normalize cannabis through education because of its ability to help so many people. Cannabis has no lethal dose, doesn’t cause cancer (as far as we know) and it’s what’s used to help people ease off of other substances like opioids, cigarettes and it’s great for a bad hangover. There’s new research showing cannabis may help prevent liver disease from excessive drinking.

Related article: Got tummy troubles? Cannabis can help

Cannabis has evolved past just smoking a joint or eating a pot brownie

New products are popping up daily, including fast-acting edibles that mimic the effects of smoking, with shorter onset and duration than regular edibles. Eventually we’ll get Delta 8 THC which is like THC lite. There’s many different ways to take cannabis now from strips, powders, sprays, patches and more.

Everyone deals with something in their life, whether it’s chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress or any number of things that cannabis may help with. Cannabis lets you put your health into your own hands. You can even grow your own. There are so many things I could say about this magical botanical, it’s why I created this entire website!

Related article: How you can use mindfulness and cannabis to reduce stress and feel better

Explore the options to find what works for you

It’s a bit of trial and error to figure out which product will work best for you. There’s a cannabis oil I’ve tried that made my anxiety worse, so I tried a different cannabis oil and it calmed me down. You really do have to try different brands and methods to see what works for you. 

If you suffer from severe anxiety, use CBD in higher doses (50mg+) and avoid THC, or simply try a very low dose THC product (under 5mg) to see how it makes you feel. For some people THC completely calms their anxiety down, for most people though, THC can trigger anxiety if you use the wrong dose, so start low and go slow.

Related articles: 
3 reasons why you don’t like the way cannabis makes you feel
Can you overdose on cannabis? 5 ways to calm down when you’re too high

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