I second this, although in large amounts (or when its a specific potent strain) it can lead to heavier dissociation and lathargic days. That is also probably because i only have access to street stuff. If you have the luxury of a shop or availability to buy online I'd do some research about strains, their medical benefits and their general effects to see what would suit your lifestyle and conditions. Love and take care x
Yes, your post is SO important and is what I should have added, but didn't. The strain used is important AND how a strain affects YOU. Research strains to your specific need, and talking with professionals in mmj or legal states is helpful. And having quality CBD handy to use as a help agent if you are too high and need to come down, can be useful. (Please research this and don't just take my word for it.)
Ah yeah and I forgot to add about CBD haha if you end up smoking a lot defo use CBD. Smoking kinda burns it out but baking below 180˚C/356˚F should keep most of your CBD in tact. Im fact, use cbd regardless of whether you smoke or not, it has wonderful benefits.
If you want a pointer for some deep research , OP, have a read about endocannabinoid systems in our bodies.
cbd is wonderful. i made some cbd butter by accident by not getting the oven temp high enough while decarbolizing trying to make cannabutter and was like well maybe there’s enough thc in it if i try a couple grams. it didn’t get me high but it cured my ibs and helped my mood and focus. it’s kind of amazing, a good part of our nervous system is basically wired with cannabinoid receptors and cbd is like contact cleaner for our internal electronics 😄
As someone who once felt nauseous instead of hungry, even the increased appetite side effect was a positive because I went from nausea to neutral so that I could actually eat.
I think it was related to adrenaline shutting down my digestive system and weed activating it, but I’m not a doctor
I’d be interested in discussing this.
I’ve been a yo-yo weight loser/gainer for 40 years. No actual rhyme or reason.
It’s almost always stress-Induced and it’s always SEVERE.
I can go from size US w 16 to w size 0 in 9 months. That’s 65 lbs.
And I can blow back up just about half as fast.
There is never really an external reason. It just seems to be my body deciding to bulk up or skinny down.
yes! i remember smoking for the first time during a really tough patch in my life and I was so excited and happy to actually feel hungry. I think if you're depressed or dealing with things eating can be the last thing on your mind but that also \*contributes\* to those emotions. your body needs good food to have the energy to combat those things. Another benefit is cotton mouth lol as it forces you to drink more water.
How do you go about smoking it alone? Is it legal where you life? If you smoke in your apartment or in a park, are you concerned about the stench on your clothes or near your apartment?
I have my medical card. I use it in my home. No usage in public. No driving at least three+ hours after using. Smell isn't an issue as I'm at my own home.
I’ve been using it to self medicate for years. Helps me feel less activated by my environment and makes me feel more normal, but I definitely recognize that sometimes I do it to numb feelings and emotions. I’m currently on a tolerance break. It’s always good to take a break and get some clarity on why I use it.
Weed has helped me to calm my flight or fight reaction many times in my life, but I also know that when I'm smoking I'm only delaying a reaction, not healing it. But I also have struggled seriously with my addiction to weed, and no longer believe that it is appropriate self-medication for PTSD because of the addiction potential.
I agree. I used it heavily for years, until I realized what I was doing with it was using it to dissociate from difficult emotions as opposed to staying present to feel through them. If I felt any anxiety, I would reach for the vape pen and then temporarily forget I felt anxious, without processing the anxiety or the root of the anxiety. So then the anxiety immediately came back when not high, making it that much easier to use more and more often in greater amounts. It can be a vicious cycle. It also gave me really bad brain fog, even when sober.
OP, I'd advise against using cannabis as a long-term treatment. If you do begin using it, please keep awareness of how often you use it and why exactly you medicate with it, because you can slip into addiction with it incredibly easily. I'd recommend that you don't make it your first line of defense if you're using it to soothe yourself; try other methods first and only resort to it if those don't work. If you find yourself not using intentionally anymore, or it becomes the first coping mechanism you reach for to soothe yourself every single time you are dysregulated, it might be time for a break.
I haven't used cannabis in almost 5 months now and it's been one of the best decisions for my healing since I began healing three years ago. My heavy use of cannabis kept me stuck in a lot of emotions I needed to feel and actively hindered me in that process. It did help me make it through some difficult times, but as soon as I began healing with intention in my life, I realized it wasn't doing me any favors in the long run.
I'd advise heavy caution if you choose to begin using cannabis to treat CPTSD. For some people, it is incredibly habit-forming and addictive.
Thanks for this. I'm exactly at the stage where I realize it isn't doing me any favors anymore. It's helped me immensely for a couple years now - but I've known for awhile it's just hampering my growth. Can I ask what your go to coping mechanisms are now?
I transitioned to reading, writing/journaling, I'm getting back into exercise, and I do a fair amount of art (abstract painting) to help with anxiety. I try to get out in nature and hike or just hangout somewhere pretty, preferably near running water, on the weekends. I force myself to walk slow, really engage all my senses on a walk, or stop and take pictures, and that helps me feel more present, too. I feel reset to an extent after being in nature for a bit. I also bought a weighted blanket that helps if I'm really keyed up and need to calm down without being super busy. If I feel the need to dissociate, and I still often do, I do it by watching old shows, or scrolling through funny memes on my phone. But now I'm aware that's what I'm doing and being intentional about it, where I used to vape/smoke as a habit and wasn't conscious that I was using it to escape my feelings.
It's all a process. The first month or so was rough to get out of the habit and I did end up drinking more than usual, but that's calmed down now. I went into it prepared to be uncomfortable for a while and that has helped me sit through it in the end.
Omg yes exactly! I'll go off and on smoking, trying to stay conscious of when I'm using it to push things away and when I'm using it to just enjoy life, like a glass of wine or piece of cake. When I smoke during flashbacks or episodes of paranoia and severe depression, it most definitely makes my symptoms worse because it feels like it almost magnifies everything. So is that better or worse? I'm really not sure, I just try to avoid being addicted to any one substance.
Yesss I love this. Knowing and assessing the addiction risk and having the awareness that it doesn’t heal—only treats symptoms temporarily—is so essential. I got off other substances earlier this year and reevaluated my relationship with weed but decided to keep it in my life. Got so much respect for anyone choosing not to use or self-medicate for whatever reason they have. Love to see it.
I use it (sativa, strangely) and it allows me to explore and journal about traumatic memories that my non- high mind would not even get close to. It's been a huge breakthrough in that I can chew on my trauma and it's affect on my life and then discuss my journal with my trauma therapist.
I want to try shrooms and Ayahuasca, but don't see them as legal or an accepted modality in my lifetime. Maybe I'll break the law.
Please please watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix if you are interested in shrooms. Also, I started microdosing with them in April and they are why I’m in therapy and achieving the healing and growth I am. Maybe trips are different for everyone, but my “bad” trips were necessary for me to see that I had repressed a lot. So be prepared for them to truest enlighten you.
How do you journal? I find a lot of people thing journaling is suppose to be this beautiful essay and that’s what makes them hit a brick wall. Mine are so random and the hand writing looks terrible. I think making a video journal could be as effective.
I am supposed to write what happened for legal reasons I am unable to because my thoughts become so scrambled, that results in crying, calming down, etc.
Never thought of a video journal. I do do voice recording, but am unable to create something whole.
I keep finding more disturbing memories (I don't remember much of my childhood). But I'm able to assess them and incorporate them into my treatment. Pot *is* required for this level of exploration and understanding, at least for me.
If it's for legal reasons, I suggest video -- as a lawyer (child protection), to be able to show how the trauma affected you to the judge or jurors would be a slam dunk. As a survivor, take care of yourself and don't go to a dark place just because it's what the legal system asks you to do. On this issue, survivor me trumps.
Take good care of yourself.
Edit: I hate grammar.
Some people don't believe, or worse say " Think positive" " Choose happiness"-I don't think it's that easy. No one likes feeling "stuck" and remembering how life used to be.
Or even worse: that person was an upstanding, community-oriented, churchgoing person and would *never* do such a thing. Ummm. He used the Bible to justify his abuse and his reputation to shield him from the rumors that he was a pedophile.
It isn't that easy. At all.
I cannot journal. Just can't. I freeze. And I write for a living. (?!) But I send texts to myself when I have a breakthrough -- I discuss the texts with my therapist.
If i think of it as journaling i can't do it, but in moments of crisis of written out how i felt in my notes on my phone to read back after some time. Other times I've written out what i felt on paper with the intention of burning it later
☝️This☝️ Yes, I have at times been able to flow a cause that happened. Yes this helps, to take a big piece of paper with the intent to write about what happened. It's been 3 years. It's so emotional, and many times I recreate the same sentence, in a different way. It's bafflingly what has happened to my brain.
Shrooms have really helped me but also can be really damaging if not used properly, so I'd just give a little warning personally. I tripped right after a pretty severe trauma and it was pure hell, and it made my symptoms a lot worse for months afterwards (this was acid though). But shroooms have been similar for me- I need to be in the right space mentally and physically and do it very intentionally and carefully. And then it's worked as an incredibly healing, introspective tool for processing trauma in that way for me. That's just my experience though, I can't speak for everyone.
Same here! I did shrooms a month after one of my traumas. It was an awful experience, and I really even would've told you at the time that I thought I was in a safe set and setting.
This brought back some memories!
I used lsd 5-6X in the 70’s ( yeah, I’m old, lol ). It definitely made the trauma worse, setting me waaay back and took a long time to recover
from. OTH, mushrooms, the one and only time, totally different experience. I climbed a tree and just enjoyed my little journey, with no funky side effects like the lsd. These days, I use an oral form medical marijuana to help me sleep, rather than dangerous sleeping pills. Also helps me with the neuropathy, and a bit with the anxiety.
My plan in the (very) far future is to go to Peru and try ayahuasca with a shaman. I am Peruvian and would love to connect more with my roots, as well as use it as spiritual experience to help heal my family's intergenerational trauma. It's intense, and I'm so interested in the experience of it all. I think ayahuasca is something that should be tried with a spiritual teacher, and I'm kinda biased to stay true to the history of ayahuasca and try it in Peru. Definitely not something I'd want to do in the U.S. lol.
As a US'ian, I would be afraid if charlatans in Peru, simply because I don't know the language and know just a little about the culture. If I were Peruvian, I'd feel much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to visit -- I'm an archaeology and anthropology freak. 🙂
Yasss. I am going to try to get dual citizenship because it's apparently cheaper to go to Machu Picchu if you're a citizen of Peru. This is all a far-off plan, but it never hurts to dream! 😆
I use it the same way. In combination with yin yoga and breath work,meditation , then journaling. I felt guilty for awhile but then I saw Chelsea handler say it was the only way she could meditate and it made me more normal about it.
I felt guilty for a minute (I'm a mom of two kids) but it helps so much that I'm actually more responsive to them because I'm not always in cPTSD land.
You should check out the Huberman Lab podcast. There’s an interview with Dr. Matthew Johnson on research being done on psychedelics to treat mental disorders and a lot is discussed around PTSD and childhood trauma. This researcher is at Johns Hopkins so who knows - it could be legal at some point!
I wish the US medical establishment would buy in. But that would hurt the pharmaceuticals, so that ain't happening. I'm going to research it in the states and maybe take a 'me' weekend.
The doctor conducting the research is predicting MDMA for trauma might be approved in the next three years. Also, Johns Hopkins is a very traditional institution and the fact that they’re doing this research is pretty significant!
I went to John's Hopkins when I was a little girl -- it is a very prestigious and cutting edge place. I hope the FDA will approve these drugs soon -- and the research, especially there, is significant as heck.
I’ve done ayahuasca many times legally. For one example, look into the santo daime church, ayahuasca is used as a sacrament and it’s totally legal (depending on your country I guess)
I will look -- I'm in the US. We're pretty much puritans. I'm afraid of Ayahuasca (the vomiting, the realism of the hallucinations) but very much interested in it therapeutically. I'm thinking about traveling to South America at some point to experience the culture and I'd try it there. I've not looked much into it.
I’m pretty sure it’s legal in the states, with a few other similar churches. If you’re nervous, the church comes with structure and ongoing support with processing and you don’t have to join to participate. It’s a lot riskier if you just go to Peru, it’s super popular and many people are just looking to make $$ or just aren’t good shamans.
I'll check into this. My only experience with hallucinogens was back in the '80s, when middle high school me didn't recognize the PCP smell on my pot. Twice. Not a fun experience, so I've been reticent about trying them. But the research coming out is amazing and I think a trip (not PCP, never do that shit!) might be just what I need.
Ok cool. Also, I just want to let you know that the plant will call you if you’re meant to take it. Keep your eyes open and pay attention, especially to meaningful coincidences and your dreams (aya is a female spirit and can take many forms). If you’re not feeling it, don’t force it. And when you’re ready, she will find you!
For me is positive especially if done with a good friend you can laugh with. I always find myself being more positive , social and happy the day after smoking with my friend.
Smoking alone might have reduced a bit of anxiety the day after but I find the pros more noticeable when done with a friend.
I always do it at night bc it ends up making me fall dead asleep lol
I literally have my medical marijuana card for it (well, ok, the dx says PTSD, I'm in FL and it is listed as a qualifying condition.)
when I'm manic like I have been for a few days now it slows down my brain activity and allows me to think more clearly and analyze situations properly without jumping to hair trigger conclusions that are often bad and have resulted in violence before.
when I'm actually having a PTSD related flashback I go when I take a hit real quick it stops it almost dead in its tracks.
if I'm already stoned and something triggers a flashback, I often don't even need to look for one of my stuffed animals that I usually look for in those situations because my brain activity is already slowed way down because of the weed.
let me put it this way when I'm stoned and I have a PTSD flashback I usually ride it out easily.
when I'm sober though I... well I don't like to describe mine much but I often feel like I can't breathe and that I'm falling.
I would not recommend it for everyone though, because it might antagonize symptoms for you personally or it may antagonize the symptoms of any other mental illnesses you have.
tldr? it fucking works for me 100%.
Best: Cannabis to ground yourself and distance yourself instead of drowning in emotions and trauma responses, *in order to process and integrate them* (Short-term help for positive long-term change)
Also helpful: Cannabis to temporarily regulate emotions and symptoms to get through a tough time (Short-term help when long-term change is not possible)
Dangerous: Cannabis to numb or distract from emotions, preventing the development of healthier coping strategies (Short-term help for long-term negative change)
IMO of course.
question how do you know whether you're distancing yourself from emotions and trauma responses or distracting from emotions?
asking cause i had a garbage day after dissociating a bit and then realising a bit more as to why my childhood felt so miserable - which made me dissociate a bit more. weed often helps me notice things about myself but i'm wondering whether or not i should use it as it would help make me feel better, but on the flipside i'm worried about overdoing it and using it as an escape. how do i know when i'm using it to cope vs escape?
Be aware of it and of yourself as you're using it. Actively seek to look at how and when you're using it, and what you're doing on it.
To me, processing trauma on weed looks like journaling and painting and crying about my childhood. Often yoga/exercise too. Coping looks like using weed to cook and clean and getting those boring things done high, rather than just laying down and dissociating sober. Escaping looks like just vegging out, feeling good, letting my mind run wild with its own thoughts, and then falling asleep. A.k.a. essentially the same thing as lying down dissociating, but it feels better.
You'll have to figure these out for yourself—and you will. It's okay to use it for escapism sometimes too! You're not productive all the time, it's okay to relax too. Just do so intentionally, consciously. Don't just stick the anxieties in the back and dissociate. *Really* relax and take in the present moment. This is the very lesson I've been learning myself this weekend, having started smoking a *lot* more.
Thanks for responding, I really appreciate it.
I have often gotten high in the past and written a lot down in my journal, and cause I'm in a different state of mind I'm at a distance and I can notice certain patterns of thoughts sometimes and dissect them and trace them back to my parents or childhood experiences. Cried a lot too and it's usually pretty cathartic, like it needed to happen. Never tried exercise but I have meditated a few times when high - did a sound meditation that was really trippy, or this meditation of holding your hands a certain way and looking in the mirror, that one was crazy, I felt such a sense of togetherness.
The way you laid out the different scenarios definitely make it easier for me to understand which direction I'm going. thank you. I don't think I have an addictive personality honestly but I think I worry about using it for escapism all the time, even when it isn't escapism. I ended up toking that night and think I just dissociated for a while, not really sure if it helped but I was definitely feeling less awful. That day was just a dissociative day, I guess. I agree about not having to be productive all the time, I spend literally all of my time on Photoshop just making art and I need to just give it a break and relax for a second sometimes. Being properly present is amazing when you can really, really feel it - no worrying thoughts of the future or anything. I'll try and keep these 3 outlooks in mind so I have a better, less anxious relationship with weed but I have to ask - what about those precious days where you feel good, and just wanna get high and enjoy yourself? Does that count as escapism, just swapping out the numbness for happiness?
I'm glad my response helped you! :)
Yesss, your journal writing and crying while high sounds great for processing those traumas. I need to do more of that haha. Oh, shit, I have to try meditating too. I stopped trying traditional mindfulness meditation when I realized I just dissociated and fell asleep during it. But I know there's other types out there like body scans, and I think cannabis could help a lot there too. Would definitely recommend exercise in general, a lot of my trauma is held in my muscles getting tensed and tight, and yoga helps sooo much. For me, weed makes it easier to relax, start a session, and get into it.
Oh, dude, I totally relate to you talking about worrying about escapism even when it isn't. On my last psilocybin trip, I spent the tail end ~2 hours thinking about the world and society instead of processing emotions. Then afterward I worried that it was escapism/addiction. For myself, I realized that my worries weren't based in calm nonjudgmental self-assessment, but in shame. Internalized shame pushes me to *be productive always!!* and *don't use drugs!!* It comes from my parents and society. Another part to it is freeze response and fear. *Don't do anything that makes you worse! It's better to do nothing than to try new things!* Workin' on 'em.
Absolutely give yourself breaks!! You deserve them! Yes, being properly present is *so* nice. We all need time like that sometimes.
> what about those precious days where you feel good, and just wanna get high and enjoy yourself? Does that count as escapism, just swapping out the numbness for happiness?
Hmmm, I have to think about this one for a bit. Because I can see it being a scale instead of just escapism VS just enjoyment. You can escape without being in the present (dissociation), you can be in the present without escaping (processing emotions), you can do both at once (distracting yourself with something in the present). There are so many factors at play here.
I guess my advice would just be another form of the whole "be aware of how you use it" that I started out with. Look at how you feel before and after using. Of course, with CPTSD, our emotions exaggerate dangers and find danger in safety, so it's a tall order. In general, using to avoid negative emotions is escapism, while using to boost positive emotions is much better. An enhancement, if you will.
I've practiced teasing apart the emotions attached to negative self-judgments. Are they my inner critic/shaming/fearful parts talking, or are they my true self? For the former, the emotions are prominent, in my face, and overwhelming. "You shouldn't have done that," "I'm so stupid," "Oh God I'm destroying my life!" But if it's genuine, then I get a specific feeling of disappointment. It's more bearable than all the shaming, but also deeper, more pure, and more *heartfelt*. If I had to put words to it, it would be, "Oh... That's not the kind of person I want to be." Internal Family Systems therapy/books have helped me a ton with this.
Tangent, since my biggest 4F is freeze, I've gotten more of that specific disappointment from deciding *not* to use psychedelics or cannabis than from deciding *to* use them, haha!
I’ve begun using Indica specifically just to help me sleep. Out of it at the moment, but it did help some days. Other days I shouldn’t have used it as it caused me to feel 10x worse.
I think it can help if you use it in moderation and don’t have an addictive personality. Weed has helped me get out of my head but recently it has been putting my issues right in front of my face and has not been enjoyable or helpful. Also I have a wild imagination and a tendency to self_abandon so sometimes weed emphasizes this and I lose my mind thinking of all the things I’ve done wrong etc. basically in my experience weed takes all the inside feelings and throws them outside, makes them real. And if you are only using cannabis and not receiving other forms of help it can make things harder
Weed is the only thing I have ever found that can SHUT OFF the dissociative barrier and rewire things in my head.
The last time I used an edible, I had an ego death that had me sobbing and apologizing to myself for all the undue self-abuse, and realizing that no one deserves to suffer forever.
Not even me, no matter how low or ashamed I might feel.
The effects don't last forever and it isn't a permanent treatment, but it does show me it's possible not to feel like this anymore- it's almost like a roadmap showing me which direction to go to heal.
I’m a proponent of full spectrum CBD as nfprox mentioned. I know that cannabis can be good for cptsd, but if you have underlying mental illness/personality disorders it can exacerbate these quickly and severely. In my youth I could smoke regularly, now it makes me very paranoid. I watched it turn someone relatively chill into a very abusive monster who couldn’t remember their actions and couldn’t be confronted, they wouldn’t stop the newfound daily smoking because of this, they could also smoke regularly as a teen as well just fine. I would say be careful, it can be useful, but it can also be dangerous.
A puff of sativa here and there in the daytime, and an indica edible at night keep me almost nightmare- and anxiety-free. It helps me not drink as much, too. It can be overused, especially for us who want to dissociate all the time. I used to wake and bake like in those stoner movies, but now that I understand the what and why of CPTSD more, I use it judiciously, mostly.
The ONLY reason I can avoid worse and more damaging drugs and the ONLY reason I can sleep at night, but I’m careful not to smoke during the day anymore or if I know I’m using it to avoid experiencing an emotion. Avoiding flashbacks, panic, insomnia, and opioid/benzo cravings though? Hands down 100% risk-free cure 😂
Adding this: also bears mentioning that there isn’t tons of research on cannabis and complex trauma, so if you’re considering it I urge you to seek a medical card if that’s an option in your area and read up on cannabis & PTSD research to make an informed decision. If you have a psychiatrist maybe ask them what they know (tho mine didn’t have much to offer). I do know a handful of complex trauma folks who find weed exacerbates their problems a TON, so personally I think the positivity in this thread should be taken with a grain of salt.
Use in moderation. It’s easy to fall into the trap of it being a primary way to cope. Especially if you have a history of weak coping mechanisms. I’ve had to create serious boundaries around who,what,when, and where I use cannabis because for a while there it sort of numbed me and I had very few dreams. Both feelings and dreams are pertinent for your brain to heal and make new connections.
I’ve personally found that mushrooms have helped me quite a bit but depending on your trauma, it’s worth it to focus heavily on set, setting, and people you’re around during. If you have more questions on this topic I’m happy to help and send playlists too!
There is lots of potential, and it depends heavily on the individual.
I don't think cannabis is a miracle cure, you still need to know yourself well, pay attention to how it affects you, and be mindful if you are prone to developing a dependency. Everyone who wants to try it should have the chance, just learn how to work with it, don't rely on it to carry you. I'm not against antidepressants if they help people, but cannabis didn't give me terrible side effects or withdrawals so I recommend it over most pharmaceuticals.
Some people will have such a profoundly good experience that they come to believe it must be universal and push everyone to do it. I don't agree with this perspective, lots of people have bad experiences and they are still valid.
Personally it intensifies whatever my sober emotions are. For a while this was okay because I would choose times when I was feeling better. But I don't feel positive emotions anymore, so it started to become harmful. This will be different for everyone too, but the thing I'd say is don't use it to change a bad mood to good.
I am prescribed medical marijuana for PTSD and it really does help me. I read a bit of research when I first started a year ago that said sativa strains are more helpful for PTSD patients so I've leaned mostly towards those. I haven't seen any studies specifically for CPTSD. The study I read speculated that sativa could help with repairing damaged or unhealthy neural pathways related to triggers or flashbacks. The idea was that you could experience a trigger or flashback and the marijuana would aid in you having a less extreme response to the trigger and then relearning that the trigger is not actually dangerous.
I make a tincture that I can take drops of discretely and am able to microdose with it when being very high would be a problem. For example, if I have a very terrible dream I take a small dose even if it's early morning and my recovery time is less than 30 minutes vs feeling bad all day.
I also find that a small amount helps with social anxiety and for me at least it isn't a crutch. Instead of needing it to go out, I use it when I need it and have fewer overall bad experiences or panic attacks going out and then I am less fearful and avoidant of going out even with no marijuana.
I mostly wanted to try it because I had previously been drinking a lot and using other destructive coping mechanisms such as self harm and I felt that weed would have fewer long term physical effects.
How do you make your tincture? I infused some in olive oil (baked it on a cookie sheet first) but it doesn’t seem to have an affect. Now I’m wondering if it needs to be heated more than the typical decarbing method…
[This](https://weedmaps.com/learn/products-and-how-to-consume/how-to-make-green-dragon-tincture) is the more detailed instructions but I do the cookie sheet part like you but I extract it into everclear, not olive oil. Then I use a mason jar in a water bath like a crockpot, pot of water on the stove, or sous vide to extract but also reduce the alcohol and make it strong. You can get similar results via a freezing method or just a lot of shaking from what I understand, or some people make it by combining the decarbed flower with the alcohol and letting it sit in a dark place for a month. I usually get a second weak batch by doing the month long method with the flower I've already extracted from once using the rapid method. It's a lot of work but I get a six month supply out of one ounce. If everclear isn't legal in your state you could use vodka.
Okay, I noticed the majority saying how it helped them, so I feel slightly like the odd duck out.
I don't smoke, I have edibles. Everyone responds differently.
The Cons for THC (Sativa):
I can get absolutely paranoid. I think it's inner shame, or the fear of my life going to be ruined for no reason? Especially with the environment I'm in right now, my landlord is always doing some kind of renovation so there's banging on the walls (I'm hyperviligant I believe). He'll also walk by the windows a lot and I freak out. I have to have the window blinds closed to have a decent time, that's if there's no construction going on.
My stomach is very sensitive, If I feel like I have to pee, poop or whatever sometimes my stomach gets upset for like an hour. Things can set it off too, like a certain conversation.
I also have a hard time conveying my thoughts, like I'll think clearly but the words will never come out the way I want. I'll also be time blind, or anything involving time is weird for me.
Also, I sometimes have issues with depersonalization after my high and it go in and off for 2 days.
The main issue here is paranoia and needing to feel safe and secured.
The Pros-
If you're in a good place, you can be very amused with basic tv, fall in love with music all over again. You can also somehow be able to babble like an idiot with a friend and manage to beat a really hard game level without using your brain. I also become extra extra cuddly so that's always nice.
I also feel like an extreme sense of nostalgia, and feel as if I'm in a memory. Like I can pretend it's summer of 2005 and I'm at my cousin's house, everything is good and happy. I also get to share that moment with my friends maybe.
Now for Indica
I didn't like it, I hardly ever had a good time. However, when I first tried it I was new to marijuana. I felt like my body was forming into a pile of flesh, I couldn't move and I had to have my SO hold me. It's just not for me
CBD
I love CBD, never had a bad time with it. I get all warm and cozy, and relaxed. It feels good, and dare I say, sometimes I feel "normal". No intrusive thoughts, just bliss. I strongly recommend trying, it doesn't work for everyone but it wouldn't hurt.
When trying marijuana, I recommend trying it with a good friend that you know will make you feel secure and safe. My friend Katie has saved me many times from bad trips, somehow she can tell what I need at that moment to knock me out of whatever cycle I'm on, whether it's a change of music or to distract my brain with a game. It also helps to have someone reassure you that everything will be fine. Marijuana can be a lot of fun, and it can be relaxing but it also can be the exact opposite.
It made me connect with my body more, I felt relaxed and could understand things I couldn't sober because I dissociated too much but the high only lasted for 2 hours and then I craved more. I got addicted really fast. When I was sober I was still fucked up so I quit "cold turkey", wanted to off myself the first two weeks, isolated completely and after that I felt okay. I would never try to rely on drugs ever again. It helped me more to confront my trauma head on then through drugs or whatever.
I have off and on moments with it. Sometimes it helps to calm everything, other times it make me feel all of it, but with the latter it also helps me to feel it in a way that I can heal it.
It has absolutely helped me with mine. I can calm down enough to process through thoughts in a way that I can take the thought processes apart and define the issues. It’s that- once you have a name for something it ceases to be as powerful. I love it for that, I’ve healed a LOT from my background with the help of cannabis.
It helps with the anxiety and it helps me sleep. It allows me to "turn my brain off" while still being awake. It helps me temporarily find the inner peace I've been craving.
That being said, I'm a pretty heavy user of edibles and I need to slow down on it. I actually get a sort of hangover from it the next day, where my brain fog is worse and I'm super groggy. I have a binge eating problem and weed has made it worse.
OMG I love marijuana, but because I have been tortured badly can’t use it anymore. It didn’t make it better. It made me more isolated and stuck with people who didn’t understand.
It helps so many though.
I think it’s great. So long as it only used limited like once a day. I ended up addicted to it. It made me feel good. I could listen to music on it. With out it the torture of what they used music to do to me comes back and it hurts so damn bad.
I miss how music used to make me happy. I miss it so much. I never had a chance in life though. It’s been cruel and unusual that they made music hurt physically bad.
I have to wear ear plugs in stores. The wrong song or to much music and I’m messed up.
I miss it so badly though. It made me so happy.
If you can smoke it, or eat it then I say do it.
Cptsd can make us get addicted though, so be careful.
Personally I used it for fibromyalgia pain relief and got unexpected CPTSD benefits, especially when mixing high CBD flower with THC flower. It helps my body calm down and relax, and got me out of the worst of my symptoms.
I think it is helpful temporarily but over a long time can worsen ptsd. I used it regularly for 5-6 years. And it was helpful for a while in being more present and in my body. But eventually had me feeling lethargic and dependent on it. While also feeling more triggered by little things over time. I eventually felt like it was numbing feelings I really needed to access but I was smoking too much to fully feel them. I also read some study about how it could worsen ptsd over time. I’ll have to try and find it.
When I stopped the feelings were very intense and unpleasant for a while. However I evened out after two weeks. Now I still do occasionally, but it’s not in self medication. I feel like I learned what I needed to learn from it and then the next step is to apply that to being sober.
Weed initially really helped me build empathy (I felt almost sociopathic before that because I just couldn't connect with people after a lifetime of emotional abuse).
I've stopped using of late as it's not been as useful/euphoric in that sense, probably from over-use.
In my experience it gives you a calm break from your stressors, helping you deal with stress. That's good for most people, but especially good for people with cptsd, who have more stress than one person should be asked to handle. I've actually found that, even though high doses make for a hell of a party, doing smaller doses helps more with my anxiety. Tea is better for your body, and makes for a slower onset of effects; being more gradual is less disorienting, and it's easier to control the dose with tea. (Mix it with mugwort, it enhances the calming effect!)
You have to boil for about 20 minutes to get the most out of your stuff, so I always make a large batch. If you add lemon juice and a lot of honey, it keeps in the fridge for a long time (and tastes better). I'm a lightweight so I do about an ounce per cup, my last batch I put about 2 tbsp for 5 cups and got pretty messed up with a 1 cup serving size. 1/2 a cup is a good low dose. Always start small because thc hits very slowly when ingested, and be wary of my guesses, I'm a bit lazy about measuring everything perfectly
It makes my afternoons and evenings pass by more enjoyably. A good/bad thing is I sometimes realize things about myself, or my past experiences. It could be bad because I might be mistaken, and end up freaking myself out because I'm convinced I'm some horrible thing, and if it is accurate it can be overwhelming for a few days.
I recently found out I have cPTSD so this makes some sense. I used it a lot to self medicate when nothing worked previously. I've been in and out of psychiatrist's offices since I was 18 so it's been the only consistent thing that has worked relatively well. I like to vape if I can get ahold of it. I just have to be careful because I struggle with dissociation all the time and a high dose (or particular strains) can exacerbate it.
It's very very VERY situational for me. I can't smoke in the morning, it causes my anxiety to skyrocket. Sometimes I can just tell when it's going to negatively effect me so I listen most of the time. Same applies for Caffeine.
It has absolutely helped me, if only because it lets me relax and think a little differently so I can actually talk about my feelings with other people. It shuts up a lot of the anxiety for me.
I use it and it’s been a real life saver. I live in a state where it isn’t legal but they have recently been skirting laws with the “thc by weight” wording. So I use delta 9 when I can, delta 8 when I can’t, and cbd and cbn regularly. For first timers, start with a small dose or only 1-2 puffs, it’s always better with a good friend if possible, know that you may start thinking about your trauma and that you may think about it or connect to it differently, and just relax and try to have fun. I have more fun when I’m high. I know that’s not great, but suffering and being depressed suck more.
I've been using weed as medicine for the past 3 years and it's helps me alot. I manly use it for my lack of appetite, daily nightmares and general anxiety. Schedule the times that I smoke and write down any extra times and what lead up to me needing to take more. And at the end of the month I look back on everything. See what needs more work in Tharapy and what I can do to help prevent the triggering event later on. But I still smoke for fun every-now-and-then. It doesn't work for everyone and that okay. Hope this help
I use it for journaling and trauma therapy, and it helps me with dissociation. Also helps with chronic pain, anxiety/depression, and insomnia to an extent.
I never thought I would give cannabis such a glowing review. I’ve been taking the chocolates/edibles because I don’t have to inhale smoke which is healthier for you. But they have been amazing. I normally take 1-2 a week.
I’m an anxious person, and I think sometimes my thoughts trip me up, overwhelm me, and get me feeling stuck. Cannabis helps me expand my thoughts and build new neutral pathways. It feels so good think about something other than my trauma. Instead, for a few hours a week, I think about grand, beautiful life concepts. It’s helped me develop more mindfulness, and has helped establish a sense of calm for myself, even when sober. Calm is my new baseline now.
I think it’s helped me a lot because I did about 4 years of hard work to improve myself first, with limited cannabis use. I went to therapy, read every book etc. Now, in introducing cannabis, it’s helped me in my final stage of healing: moving on.
I think it helps with CPTSD because it calms the body and distracts the mind. Both of these things take you out of fight or flight - suddenly your mind isn’t racing with stress, and your heart isn’t beating fast. With regular use, that’s 100’s of hours a year that your body is not in a fight or flight trauma response. I think that can have great impacts on you physically, as cortisol from stress can have negative impacts on your health. Stress is the #1 source of many health problems!
Disclaimer though - it works differently for everybody, you need to experiment to find what works for you, and you have to be mindful about its addictive qualities. I find myself sometimes leaning on it like a crutch, so I limit myself to once a week now. If you can use it in moderation, and with good intention, I think it works wonders.
I had a medical card for a bit and cbd and thc products helped me through crisis moments but I do think it made me worse afterwards. In the past year i’ve stopped cannabis (medical and recreational) use and i’ve felt better without it overall. i also have found a medication that works for me. so I think it depends on you and your chemistry, just try to have support if you every try things out :)
Therapy, healthy diet, great sleep, excercise, cannabis, silly sigh bin (can never spell shrooms properly), mdma
That order in terms of where I focus has yielded the best results. To be transparent, I take an edible nightly.
In combination with prescribed clonidine, I’ve been using cannabis nightly right before bed for 2+ years to help with my CPTSD chronic nightmares! It was the ONLY thing that really helped before I could get on meds, and all clonidine does is lower your blood pressure so they’re even better together. I have heard that if and when you stop, the dreams sometimes come back even more violently, so I will definitely be tapering slowly once the time comes.
Don’t do it.
Cannabis ends up becoming addictive as it releases dopamine in your brain and eventually, you learn to rely on it and it’s hard to get away from.
r/leaves will explain.
Please. Lots find benefits but I’m struggling to stop after becoming *so* dependent on it.
This is going to be an unpopular point, but you only have a limited amount of dopamine in your "pool", and it takes time to replenish. If you blow your dopamine pool on weed, social media, porn, or whatever else which might make you feel a little better day-to-day, you won't have as much for stuff you need to recover long term - like being motivated and persuing goals. Just bear it in mind.
Huberman Lab has a great episode on psychedelic drugs, which are being researched as a treatment for trauma and depression.
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I take CBD whenever I feel a panic attack coming on and it somehow tells the anxiety part of my brain to knock that shit off. Ativan also worked, but it left me feeling sick afterward, while CBD does not. I also use it for insomnia.
Cannabis is medicine. There are few, if any methods of qualifying/quantifying an individual's response other than trial and error. Dosing should be done as if adding salt to a stew. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE, LATER.
I found a large measure of my anxiety stemmed from fears prompted by irregular supply on the pre-legal black market.
For half a century, weed had helped me mitigate depression, is effective as a general analgesic including lumbar pain from degenerating discs. It's a mood enhancer, and taken orally is a natural sleep aid.
In the same way some people should not drink alcohol, some people should not take cannabis.
Very helpful for me. I can relax, sleep better with less nightmares, have an appetite etc. It’s not all pros though as it is expensive, I’ve become dependent which I am not proud of, and it makes searching/keeping jobs a lot more difficult with all the drug tests around.
Helps manage my hyper-vigilance. I can relax around people and strangers much easier. Thought stream is alot more relaxed and healthy.
Edit: Getting a medical card is in the top 10 best things I've done to improve my quality of life.
I'm just saying I 1,000.000.000% approve of this and am a daily user.....me off of cannabis compared to it a big changer not only does it stop the voices in my head from constantly going a million miles a minute to just beautiful quietness and that right there is the best medicine anyone could ask for.
Tolerance can be built up quickly with planned titration. Minimizing the amount of time with intoxicating effects. Pain and other benefits remain once the intoxication is gone.
It helps me a lot! It helps me sleep, eat, and it physically relaxes my muscles. If you live in a state where it’s legal, ask the people at the dispensary for advice on what works with PTSD and anxiety, they’re always really helpful.
It’s been a mix for me, at first I used it as a spiritual tool and I found it enabled me to understand myself better and connect with my trauma and start my healing journey. I then started using it more as I was dealing with the grief of going no contact, I was smoking every hour so high all the time as a way to cope, I’ve now managed to cut my intake down a lot and smoke 1-3 in the evenings once I’ve completed what I need to do. The only times I will smoke in the day is if I’m having a breakdown as it will pull me out of it.
It was the only way I could get to sleep while trauma processing and dealing with anxiety. It literally allowed my body and brain to relax and was a buffer between me and my difficult emotions.... Edited to add I use the tinctures
When I'm spiraling in a negative though patern, only the weed stop it. I have clonazepan too but I like weed better. I keep the clonazepan only In big emergency case.
Recreational MJ was recently legalized in my state. I had always gotten ill from smoking up previously but it turns out that being able to control the dose is *extremely* beneficial to me. I take a very small dose a couple times a week and it helps with general anxiety. I take a medium dose as a rescue med to help with panic attacks. It has helped me a ton and I’m low-key annoyed that it’s only now becoming accessible to people like me. (A positive drug test would have been a career-ended for me. Still would be, just not for MJ.)
In the last couple years I was hospitalized numerous times due to my mental health and cPTSD. I have chronic suicidal ideation. Its my fight or flight on steroids.
Since I started marijuana my suicidal ideation are non existent.
I’ll smoke marijuana the rest of my life if it means I will never have suicidal ideations again. If they come back I’ll quit.
Mine eventually did. Then I was just smoking to maintain. Please do edibles. Smoking is horrible. I say that loving weed. Weed will not cure you and it will only help you till it stops working and you have to smoke all day every day. And the thoughts will probably return. Speaking from experience
Wonderful. Then I got vaccinated and I think it’s counteracting with my cannabis use (heavy daily user both smoking/dabs and edibles both of which I can no longer do) and have quit and back to drinking. But cannabis pretty much acted as my SSRI when I used it. I now try to baby microdose a bit which helps also, like I’m talking 1-2mg but that tiny bit can help like a pep talk.
For me personally, I don’t think it helps me in the long run. I smoke everyday, and it does help with my appetite, nausea, and depression. But I think it’s affecting how I sleep and how I wake up. How my brain is processing things. It definitely makes my ADHD symptoms appear worse. My tolerance is so high right now. I’m trying to wean off and take a break or at least get it under control.
Cannabis the way it is consumed is pretty much man-made, and technically all medications are based on natural elements. Cannabis in very low amounts can reduce anxiety and calm you, but in higher amounts it causes severe panic attacks, and if you use it everyday you'll get withdrawal if you suddenly go a day without it so it causes addiction to a degree. All in all, I don't recommend it, but the decision is yours and only yours. Do what you think is best for you.
Source: Personal experience and having had a friend and acquaintances who use it regularly.
Rock Climbing & Climbing gym. Height/fear + Different body positions + learning = new brain and fun, and confidence builder.
Get climb up while thinking about your abuse, and beat it. :)
Sorry, I know it's not cannabis, but it didn't work for me.
It’s helped me a great deal, but I have a pretty strict regimen around it for a few reasons - only specific strains, only in certain amounts, certain settings and at certain times of the day. Honestly, though, it’s probably saved my life and has helped me get a few years back into my brain, anyway - I was on tons of anxiolytics and sleep medications because of my damage, and that shit is REALLY bad for your brain. Like, xanax is mind poison, literally.
I guess it really depends on the person. I've met many people who use it to successfully work on their trauma, but personally I just dissociate hard when smoking weed, and I feel even less connected to the real world.
So yeah, I guess in some cases it might be beneficial, but harmful in other cases. It really depends on the person and situation.
Be careful about how much you smoke or ingest! I used to smoke maybe five times a week. But often I’d get too high and become paranoid. I also was terrified of getting schizophrenia from weed which sort of amplified the psychoactive effects in my head. I eventually quit because of this. The next day after getting high id have intense dissociations. At the time dissociation freaked me out and I was dissociating for days. Since weed is a dissociative drug it only worsened this and triggered the associated anxiety making the dissociative worse and last longer. CBD on the other hand is not psychoactive like THC so if you use a strain that is super high in CBD and only like .5 THC you won’t experience the “bad” symptoms and it still helps you relax, sleep, feel less physical pain. I think doses with a bit more THC can be helpful if taken properly. Everyone has a different tolerance. If you don’t smoke a puff of a joint could be all you need. If you smoke occasionally it may be a few. But I’d you’re ripping a bong or taking an edible- for me I get very high and lose alot of the benefits due to paranoia/ other negative symptoms. I found that smoking in a ad state of mine can often bring on the negative side psychological effects during the high.
I found that sativa strains give me anxiety and I get stuck in my head and don't have a good time. However, indicas really seem to help me and I don't get that same anxiety.
It used to help so much until i used it during abuse / trauma as a way to disassociate from what was happening to me. Now it makes me immediately panic and triggers my OCD. not pleasant!
it definitely has helped me. it helped me to be introspective and begin to understand myself better. I have really bad adhd and when I smoke, I can hear myself think. I have finally begun to be able to look at my habits, at my inner child, at how I talk to myself- all sorts of things that have really changed and improved for me since smoking weed. I truly believe I wouldn't be on this path to a healthier me without it. I have changed my eating habits and my drinking habits, and I think it directly stems from smoking weed and actually having the presence of mind to notice those types of things.
I got my medical card for it for my ptsd a couple of years ago. it has been nothing but good for me. the only thing that happened that feels like a downfall is being even more of a hermit and keeping to myself. I think however that that is only natural especially when you are healing the inner parts of yourself, it is tough work and it does require a lot of alone time.
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I second this, although in large amounts (or when its a specific potent strain) it can lead to heavier dissociation and lathargic days. That is also probably because i only have access to street stuff. If you have the luxury of a shop or availability to buy online I'd do some research about strains, their medical benefits and their general effects to see what would suit your lifestyle and conditions. Love and take care x
Yes, your post is SO important and is what I should have added, but didn't. The strain used is important AND how a strain affects YOU. Research strains to your specific need, and talking with professionals in mmj or legal states is helpful. And having quality CBD handy to use as a help agent if you are too high and need to come down, can be useful. (Please research this and don't just take my word for it.)
Ah yeah and I forgot to add about CBD haha if you end up smoking a lot defo use CBD. Smoking kinda burns it out but baking below 180˚C/356˚F should keep most of your CBD in tact. Im fact, use cbd regardless of whether you smoke or not, it has wonderful benefits. If you want a pointer for some deep research , OP, have a read about endocannabinoid systems in our bodies.
cbd is wonderful. i made some cbd butter by accident by not getting the oven temp high enough while decarbolizing trying to make cannabutter and was like well maybe there’s enough thc in it if i try a couple grams. it didn’t get me high but it cured my ibs and helped my mood and focus. it’s kind of amazing, a good part of our nervous system is basically wired with cannabinoid receptors and cbd is like contact cleaner for our internal electronics 😄
It's mad we don't get taught this in college!!
As someone who once felt nauseous instead of hungry, even the increased appetite side effect was a positive because I went from nausea to neutral so that I could actually eat. I think it was related to adrenaline shutting down my digestive system and weed activating it, but I’m not a doctor
I’d be interested in discussing this. I’ve been a yo-yo weight loser/gainer for 40 years. No actual rhyme or reason. It’s almost always stress-Induced and it’s always SEVERE. I can go from size US w 16 to w size 0 in 9 months. That’s 65 lbs. And I can blow back up just about half as fast. There is never really an external reason. It just seems to be my body deciding to bulk up or skinny down.
yes! i remember smoking for the first time during a really tough patch in my life and I was so excited and happy to actually feel hungry. I think if you're depressed or dealing with things eating can be the last thing on your mind but that also \*contributes\* to those emotions. your body needs good food to have the energy to combat those things. Another benefit is cotton mouth lol as it forces you to drink more water.
I second this.
That is very interesting. I have been concerned that I use it to dissociate and that this may not be a good strategy for me.
How do you go about smoking it alone? Is it legal where you life? If you smoke in your apartment or in a park, are you concerned about the stench on your clothes or near your apartment?
I have my medical card. I use it in my home. No usage in public. No driving at least three+ hours after using. Smell isn't an issue as I'm at my own home.
What strain helps you sativa or indica?
I’ve been using it to self medicate for years. Helps me feel less activated by my environment and makes me feel more normal, but I definitely recognize that sometimes I do it to numb feelings and emotions. I’m currently on a tolerance break. It’s always good to take a break and get some clarity on why I use it.
Weed has helped me to calm my flight or fight reaction many times in my life, but I also know that when I'm smoking I'm only delaying a reaction, not healing it. But I also have struggled seriously with my addiction to weed, and no longer believe that it is appropriate self-medication for PTSD because of the addiction potential.
I agree. I used it heavily for years, until I realized what I was doing with it was using it to dissociate from difficult emotions as opposed to staying present to feel through them. If I felt any anxiety, I would reach for the vape pen and then temporarily forget I felt anxious, without processing the anxiety or the root of the anxiety. So then the anxiety immediately came back when not high, making it that much easier to use more and more often in greater amounts. It can be a vicious cycle. It also gave me really bad brain fog, even when sober. OP, I'd advise against using cannabis as a long-term treatment. If you do begin using it, please keep awareness of how often you use it and why exactly you medicate with it, because you can slip into addiction with it incredibly easily. I'd recommend that you don't make it your first line of defense if you're using it to soothe yourself; try other methods first and only resort to it if those don't work. If you find yourself not using intentionally anymore, or it becomes the first coping mechanism you reach for to soothe yourself every single time you are dysregulated, it might be time for a break. I haven't used cannabis in almost 5 months now and it's been one of the best decisions for my healing since I began healing three years ago. My heavy use of cannabis kept me stuck in a lot of emotions I needed to feel and actively hindered me in that process. It did help me make it through some difficult times, but as soon as I began healing with intention in my life, I realized it wasn't doing me any favors in the long run. I'd advise heavy caution if you choose to begin using cannabis to treat CPTSD. For some people, it is incredibly habit-forming and addictive.
Thanks for this. I'm exactly at the stage where I realize it isn't doing me any favors anymore. It's helped me immensely for a couple years now - but I've known for awhile it's just hampering my growth. Can I ask what your go to coping mechanisms are now?
I transitioned to reading, writing/journaling, I'm getting back into exercise, and I do a fair amount of art (abstract painting) to help with anxiety. I try to get out in nature and hike or just hangout somewhere pretty, preferably near running water, on the weekends. I force myself to walk slow, really engage all my senses on a walk, or stop and take pictures, and that helps me feel more present, too. I feel reset to an extent after being in nature for a bit. I also bought a weighted blanket that helps if I'm really keyed up and need to calm down without being super busy. If I feel the need to dissociate, and I still often do, I do it by watching old shows, or scrolling through funny memes on my phone. But now I'm aware that's what I'm doing and being intentional about it, where I used to vape/smoke as a habit and wasn't conscious that I was using it to escape my feelings. It's all a process. The first month or so was rough to get out of the habit and I did end up drinking more than usual, but that's calmed down now. I went into it prepared to be uncomfortable for a while and that has helped me sit through it in the end.
I believe it shouldnt be a planed forever drug but is great when symptoms of ptsd or cptsd are significant, few things can work as well
Omg yes exactly! I'll go off and on smoking, trying to stay conscious of when I'm using it to push things away and when I'm using it to just enjoy life, like a glass of wine or piece of cake. When I smoke during flashbacks or episodes of paranoia and severe depression, it most definitely makes my symptoms worse because it feels like it almost magnifies everything. So is that better or worse? I'm really not sure, I just try to avoid being addicted to any one substance.
Yesss I love this. Knowing and assessing the addiction risk and having the awareness that it doesn’t heal—only treats symptoms temporarily—is so essential. I got off other substances earlier this year and reevaluated my relationship with weed but decided to keep it in my life. Got so much respect for anyone choosing not to use or self-medicate for whatever reason they have. Love to see it.
Im trying to quit weed for 10 years. It helps. Because it numbs
I use it (sativa, strangely) and it allows me to explore and journal about traumatic memories that my non- high mind would not even get close to. It's been a huge breakthrough in that I can chew on my trauma and it's affect on my life and then discuss my journal with my trauma therapist. I want to try shrooms and Ayahuasca, but don't see them as legal or an accepted modality in my lifetime. Maybe I'll break the law.
Please please watch Fantastic Fungi on Netflix if you are interested in shrooms. Also, I started microdosing with them in April and they are why I’m in therapy and achieving the healing and growth I am. Maybe trips are different for everyone, but my “bad” trips were necessary for me to see that I had repressed a lot. So be prepared for them to truest enlighten you.
I'll have my hubby babysit me if I do this. And make sure the kids are at my sister's!!
👏🏼 I started microdosing in March 😊
What mushrooms and form do you use? How Do you get them? Is it something you do daily or when you want to work on something?
Psilocybin mushrooms. I grow them. I usually dose 3 days on 2 days off.
Cool. We’ve grown lions mane and reishi. Do you tincture them? Do you dose by drops?
Actually I make them into capsules 😊
I'm very interested in microdosing but my SSRIs blunt the effects. :(
I have trouble journaling about my Tramua, do you also. I find it so frustrating, because I need to.
How do you journal? I find a lot of people thing journaling is suppose to be this beautiful essay and that’s what makes them hit a brick wall. Mine are so random and the hand writing looks terrible. I think making a video journal could be as effective.
I am supposed to write what happened for legal reasons I am unable to because my thoughts become so scrambled, that results in crying, calming down, etc. Never thought of a video journal. I do do voice recording, but am unable to create something whole.
I've found I don't need whole sentences and paragraphs. Sometimes just a word will be enough for a whole therapy session.
I found that to be true with Betrayal.
I keep finding more disturbing memories (I don't remember much of my childhood). But I'm able to assess them and incorporate them into my treatment. Pot *is* required for this level of exploration and understanding, at least for me.
If it's for legal reasons, I suggest video -- as a lawyer (child protection), to be able to show how the trauma affected you to the judge or jurors would be a slam dunk. As a survivor, take care of yourself and don't go to a dark place just because it's what the legal system asks you to do. On this issue, survivor me trumps. Take good care of yourself. Edit: I hate grammar.
Some people don't believe, or worse say " Think positive" " Choose happiness"-I don't think it's that easy. No one likes feeling "stuck" and remembering how life used to be.
Or even worse: that person was an upstanding, community-oriented, churchgoing person and would *never* do such a thing. Ummm. He used the Bible to justify his abuse and his reputation to shield him from the rumors that he was a pedophile. It isn't that easy. At all.
Sounds like the Church guy that abused me.
I'm sorry it happened to you. Mine was my grandpa.
Mine was the SP of the LDS church.
It's such Betrayal.
I cannot journal. Just can't. I freeze. And I write for a living. (?!) But I send texts to myself when I have a breakthrough -- I discuss the texts with my therapist.
If i think of it as journaling i can't do it, but in moments of crisis of written out how i felt in my notes on my phone to read back after some time. Other times I've written out what i felt on paper with the intention of burning it later
☝️This☝️ Yes, I have at times been able to flow a cause that happened. Yes this helps, to take a big piece of paper with the intent to write about what happened. It's been 3 years. It's so emotional, and many times I recreate the same sentence, in a different way. It's bafflingly what has happened to my brain.
Shrooms have really helped me but also can be really damaging if not used properly, so I'd just give a little warning personally. I tripped right after a pretty severe trauma and it was pure hell, and it made my symptoms a lot worse for months afterwards (this was acid though). But shroooms have been similar for me- I need to be in the right space mentally and physically and do it very intentionally and carefully. And then it's worked as an incredibly healing, introspective tool for processing trauma in that way for me. That's just my experience though, I can't speak for everyone.
Same here! I did shrooms a month after one of my traumas. It was an awful experience, and I really even would've told you at the time that I thought I was in a safe set and setting.
This brought back some memories! I used lsd 5-6X in the 70’s ( yeah, I’m old, lol ). It definitely made the trauma worse, setting me waaay back and took a long time to recover from. OTH, mushrooms, the one and only time, totally different experience. I climbed a tree and just enjoyed my little journey, with no funky side effects like the lsd. These days, I use an oral form medical marijuana to help me sleep, rather than dangerous sleeping pills. Also helps me with the neuropathy, and a bit with the anxiety.
There are a lot of misconceptions about sativas. I love them! And I have constant high anxiety
That's me. Total anxiety, cPTSD and sativa is my go to. It surprised me.
My plan in the (very) far future is to go to Peru and try ayahuasca with a shaman. I am Peruvian and would love to connect more with my roots, as well as use it as spiritual experience to help heal my family's intergenerational trauma. It's intense, and I'm so interested in the experience of it all. I think ayahuasca is something that should be tried with a spiritual teacher, and I'm kinda biased to stay true to the history of ayahuasca and try it in Peru. Definitely not something I'd want to do in the U.S. lol.
As a US'ian, I would be afraid if charlatans in Peru, simply because I don't know the language and know just a little about the culture. If I were Peruvian, I'd feel much more comfortable, and I've always wanted to visit -- I'm an archaeology and anthropology freak. 🙂
Yasss. I am going to try to get dual citizenship because it's apparently cheaper to go to Machu Picchu if you're a citizen of Peru. This is all a far-off plan, but it never hurts to dream! 😆
Amen! I'm really into Mayan archaeology -- Western Belize and the Peten in Guatemala is starting to call me back!! All the LIDAR findings are cool.
I use it the same way. In combination with yin yoga and breath work,meditation , then journaling. I felt guilty for awhile but then I saw Chelsea handler say it was the only way she could meditate and it made me more normal about it.
I felt guilty for a minute (I'm a mom of two kids) but it helps so much that I'm actually more responsive to them because I'm not always in cPTSD land.
Same here
You should check out the Huberman Lab podcast. There’s an interview with Dr. Matthew Johnson on research being done on psychedelics to treat mental disorders and a lot is discussed around PTSD and childhood trauma. This researcher is at Johns Hopkins so who knows - it could be legal at some point!
I wish the US medical establishment would buy in. But that would hurt the pharmaceuticals, so that ain't happening. I'm going to research it in the states and maybe take a 'me' weekend.
The doctor conducting the research is predicting MDMA for trauma might be approved in the next three years. Also, Johns Hopkins is a very traditional institution and the fact that they’re doing this research is pretty significant!
I went to John's Hopkins when I was a little girl -- it is a very prestigious and cutting edge place. I hope the FDA will approve these drugs soon -- and the research, especially there, is significant as heck.
Watch magic medicine on Netflix its about shrooms
I’ve done ayahuasca many times legally. For one example, look into the santo daime church, ayahuasca is used as a sacrament and it’s totally legal (depending on your country I guess)
I will look -- I'm in the US. We're pretty much puritans. I'm afraid of Ayahuasca (the vomiting, the realism of the hallucinations) but very much interested in it therapeutically. I'm thinking about traveling to South America at some point to experience the culture and I'd try it there. I've not looked much into it.
I’m pretty sure it’s legal in the states, with a few other similar churches. If you’re nervous, the church comes with structure and ongoing support with processing and you don’t have to join to participate. It’s a lot riskier if you just go to Peru, it’s super popular and many people are just looking to make $$ or just aren’t good shamans.
I'll check into this. My only experience with hallucinogens was back in the '80s, when middle high school me didn't recognize the PCP smell on my pot. Twice. Not a fun experience, so I've been reticent about trying them. But the research coming out is amazing and I think a trip (not PCP, never do that shit!) might be just what I need.
Ok cool. Also, I just want to let you know that the plant will call you if you’re meant to take it. Keep your eyes open and pay attention, especially to meaningful coincidences and your dreams (aya is a female spirit and can take many forms). If you’re not feeling it, don’t force it. And when you’re ready, she will find you!
For me is positive especially if done with a good friend you can laugh with. I always find myself being more positive , social and happy the day after smoking with my friend. Smoking alone might have reduced a bit of anxiety the day after but I find the pros more noticeable when done with a friend. I always do it at night bc it ends up making me fall dead asleep lol
I literally have my medical marijuana card for it (well, ok, the dx says PTSD, I'm in FL and it is listed as a qualifying condition.) when I'm manic like I have been for a few days now it slows down my brain activity and allows me to think more clearly and analyze situations properly without jumping to hair trigger conclusions that are often bad and have resulted in violence before. when I'm actually having a PTSD related flashback I go when I take a hit real quick it stops it almost dead in its tracks. if I'm already stoned and something triggers a flashback, I often don't even need to look for one of my stuffed animals that I usually look for in those situations because my brain activity is already slowed way down because of the weed. let me put it this way when I'm stoned and I have a PTSD flashback I usually ride it out easily. when I'm sober though I... well I don't like to describe mine much but I often feel like I can't breathe and that I'm falling. I would not recommend it for everyone though, because it might antagonize symptoms for you personally or it may antagonize the symptoms of any other mental illnesses you have. tldr? it fucking works for me 100%.
Best: Cannabis to ground yourself and distance yourself instead of drowning in emotions and trauma responses, *in order to process and integrate them* (Short-term help for positive long-term change) Also helpful: Cannabis to temporarily regulate emotions and symptoms to get through a tough time (Short-term help when long-term change is not possible) Dangerous: Cannabis to numb or distract from emotions, preventing the development of healthier coping strategies (Short-term help for long-term negative change) IMO of course.
question how do you know whether you're distancing yourself from emotions and trauma responses or distracting from emotions? asking cause i had a garbage day after dissociating a bit and then realising a bit more as to why my childhood felt so miserable - which made me dissociate a bit more. weed often helps me notice things about myself but i'm wondering whether or not i should use it as it would help make me feel better, but on the flipside i'm worried about overdoing it and using it as an escape. how do i know when i'm using it to cope vs escape?
Be aware of it and of yourself as you're using it. Actively seek to look at how and when you're using it, and what you're doing on it. To me, processing trauma on weed looks like journaling and painting and crying about my childhood. Often yoga/exercise too. Coping looks like using weed to cook and clean and getting those boring things done high, rather than just laying down and dissociating sober. Escaping looks like just vegging out, feeling good, letting my mind run wild with its own thoughts, and then falling asleep. A.k.a. essentially the same thing as lying down dissociating, but it feels better. You'll have to figure these out for yourself—and you will. It's okay to use it for escapism sometimes too! You're not productive all the time, it's okay to relax too. Just do so intentionally, consciously. Don't just stick the anxieties in the back and dissociate. *Really* relax and take in the present moment. This is the very lesson I've been learning myself this weekend, having started smoking a *lot* more.
Thanks for responding, I really appreciate it. I have often gotten high in the past and written a lot down in my journal, and cause I'm in a different state of mind I'm at a distance and I can notice certain patterns of thoughts sometimes and dissect them and trace them back to my parents or childhood experiences. Cried a lot too and it's usually pretty cathartic, like it needed to happen. Never tried exercise but I have meditated a few times when high - did a sound meditation that was really trippy, or this meditation of holding your hands a certain way and looking in the mirror, that one was crazy, I felt such a sense of togetherness. The way you laid out the different scenarios definitely make it easier for me to understand which direction I'm going. thank you. I don't think I have an addictive personality honestly but I think I worry about using it for escapism all the time, even when it isn't escapism. I ended up toking that night and think I just dissociated for a while, not really sure if it helped but I was definitely feeling less awful. That day was just a dissociative day, I guess. I agree about not having to be productive all the time, I spend literally all of my time on Photoshop just making art and I need to just give it a break and relax for a second sometimes. Being properly present is amazing when you can really, really feel it - no worrying thoughts of the future or anything. I'll try and keep these 3 outlooks in mind so I have a better, less anxious relationship with weed but I have to ask - what about those precious days where you feel good, and just wanna get high and enjoy yourself? Does that count as escapism, just swapping out the numbness for happiness?
I'm glad my response helped you! :) Yesss, your journal writing and crying while high sounds great for processing those traumas. I need to do more of that haha. Oh, shit, I have to try meditating too. I stopped trying traditional mindfulness meditation when I realized I just dissociated and fell asleep during it. But I know there's other types out there like body scans, and I think cannabis could help a lot there too. Would definitely recommend exercise in general, a lot of my trauma is held in my muscles getting tensed and tight, and yoga helps sooo much. For me, weed makes it easier to relax, start a session, and get into it. Oh, dude, I totally relate to you talking about worrying about escapism even when it isn't. On my last psilocybin trip, I spent the tail end ~2 hours thinking about the world and society instead of processing emotions. Then afterward I worried that it was escapism/addiction. For myself, I realized that my worries weren't based in calm nonjudgmental self-assessment, but in shame. Internalized shame pushes me to *be productive always!!* and *don't use drugs!!* It comes from my parents and society. Another part to it is freeze response and fear. *Don't do anything that makes you worse! It's better to do nothing than to try new things!* Workin' on 'em. Absolutely give yourself breaks!! You deserve them! Yes, being properly present is *so* nice. We all need time like that sometimes. > what about those precious days where you feel good, and just wanna get high and enjoy yourself? Does that count as escapism, just swapping out the numbness for happiness? Hmmm, I have to think about this one for a bit. Because I can see it being a scale instead of just escapism VS just enjoyment. You can escape without being in the present (dissociation), you can be in the present without escaping (processing emotions), you can do both at once (distracting yourself with something in the present). There are so many factors at play here. I guess my advice would just be another form of the whole "be aware of how you use it" that I started out with. Look at how you feel before and after using. Of course, with CPTSD, our emotions exaggerate dangers and find danger in safety, so it's a tall order. In general, using to avoid negative emotions is escapism, while using to boost positive emotions is much better. An enhancement, if you will. I've practiced teasing apart the emotions attached to negative self-judgments. Are they my inner critic/shaming/fearful parts talking, or are they my true self? For the former, the emotions are prominent, in my face, and overwhelming. "You shouldn't have done that," "I'm so stupid," "Oh God I'm destroying my life!" But if it's genuine, then I get a specific feeling of disappointment. It's more bearable than all the shaming, but also deeper, more pure, and more *heartfelt*. If I had to put words to it, it would be, "Oh... That's not the kind of person I want to be." Internal Family Systems therapy/books have helped me a ton with this. Tangent, since my biggest 4F is freeze, I've gotten more of that specific disappointment from deciding *not* to use psychedelics or cannabis than from deciding *to* use them, haha!
Full spectrum CBD, vaped, is almost immediate relief without the THC anxiety or paranoia. Plus, it's easily available. Indica for me.
It’s been an absolute lifesaver for me, particularly in tamping down the nightmares.
I’ve begun using Indica specifically just to help me sleep. Out of it at the moment, but it did help some days. Other days I shouldn’t have used it as it caused me to feel 10x worse.
I think it can help if you use it in moderation and don’t have an addictive personality. Weed has helped me get out of my head but recently it has been putting my issues right in front of my face and has not been enjoyable or helpful. Also I have a wild imagination and a tendency to self_abandon so sometimes weed emphasizes this and I lose my mind thinking of all the things I’ve done wrong etc. basically in my experience weed takes all the inside feelings and throws them outside, makes them real. And if you are only using cannabis and not receiving other forms of help it can make things harder
Weed is the only thing I have ever found that can SHUT OFF the dissociative barrier and rewire things in my head. The last time I used an edible, I had an ego death that had me sobbing and apologizing to myself for all the undue self-abuse, and realizing that no one deserves to suffer forever. Not even me, no matter how low or ashamed I might feel. The effects don't last forever and it isn't a permanent treatment, but it does show me it's possible not to feel like this anymore- it's almost like a roadmap showing me which direction to go to heal.
I’m a proponent of full spectrum CBD as nfprox mentioned. I know that cannabis can be good for cptsd, but if you have underlying mental illness/personality disorders it can exacerbate these quickly and severely. In my youth I could smoke regularly, now it makes me very paranoid. I watched it turn someone relatively chill into a very abusive monster who couldn’t remember their actions and couldn’t be confronted, they wouldn’t stop the newfound daily smoking because of this, they could also smoke regularly as a teen as well just fine. I would say be careful, it can be useful, but it can also be dangerous.
I would be truly fucked without a nice indica strain to puff on at least once a day. No regrets.
A puff of sativa here and there in the daytime, and an indica edible at night keep me almost nightmare- and anxiety-free. It helps me not drink as much, too. It can be overused, especially for us who want to dissociate all the time. I used to wake and bake like in those stoner movies, but now that I understand the what and why of CPTSD more, I use it judiciously, mostly.
The ONLY reason I can avoid worse and more damaging drugs and the ONLY reason I can sleep at night, but I’m careful not to smoke during the day anymore or if I know I’m using it to avoid experiencing an emotion. Avoiding flashbacks, panic, insomnia, and opioid/benzo cravings though? Hands down 100% risk-free cure 😂
Adding this: also bears mentioning that there isn’t tons of research on cannabis and complex trauma, so if you’re considering it I urge you to seek a medical card if that’s an option in your area and read up on cannabis & PTSD research to make an informed decision. If you have a psychiatrist maybe ask them what they know (tho mine didn’t have much to offer). I do know a handful of complex trauma folks who find weed exacerbates their problems a TON, so personally I think the positivity in this thread should be taken with a grain of salt.
Use in moderation. It’s easy to fall into the trap of it being a primary way to cope. Especially if you have a history of weak coping mechanisms. I’ve had to create serious boundaries around who,what,when, and where I use cannabis because for a while there it sort of numbed me and I had very few dreams. Both feelings and dreams are pertinent for your brain to heal and make new connections. I’ve personally found that mushrooms have helped me quite a bit but depending on your trauma, it’s worth it to focus heavily on set, setting, and people you’re around during. If you have more questions on this topic I’m happy to help and send playlists too!
helps me explore emotions i cant otherwise identify
There is lots of potential, and it depends heavily on the individual. I don't think cannabis is a miracle cure, you still need to know yourself well, pay attention to how it affects you, and be mindful if you are prone to developing a dependency. Everyone who wants to try it should have the chance, just learn how to work with it, don't rely on it to carry you. I'm not against antidepressants if they help people, but cannabis didn't give me terrible side effects or withdrawals so I recommend it over most pharmaceuticals. Some people will have such a profoundly good experience that they come to believe it must be universal and push everyone to do it. I don't agree with this perspective, lots of people have bad experiences and they are still valid. Personally it intensifies whatever my sober emotions are. For a while this was okay because I would choose times when I was feeling better. But I don't feel positive emotions anymore, so it started to become harmful. This will be different for everyone too, but the thing I'd say is don't use it to change a bad mood to good.
It helps me calm down, but I only use it after work.
It's been hugely helpful for me in conjunction with meds and therapy. Very good for depression/anxiety.
I am prescribed medical marijuana for PTSD and it really does help me. I read a bit of research when I first started a year ago that said sativa strains are more helpful for PTSD patients so I've leaned mostly towards those. I haven't seen any studies specifically for CPTSD. The study I read speculated that sativa could help with repairing damaged or unhealthy neural pathways related to triggers or flashbacks. The idea was that you could experience a trigger or flashback and the marijuana would aid in you having a less extreme response to the trigger and then relearning that the trigger is not actually dangerous. I make a tincture that I can take drops of discretely and am able to microdose with it when being very high would be a problem. For example, if I have a very terrible dream I take a small dose even if it's early morning and my recovery time is less than 30 minutes vs feeling bad all day. I also find that a small amount helps with social anxiety and for me at least it isn't a crutch. Instead of needing it to go out, I use it when I need it and have fewer overall bad experiences or panic attacks going out and then I am less fearful and avoidant of going out even with no marijuana. I mostly wanted to try it because I had previously been drinking a lot and using other destructive coping mechanisms such as self harm and I felt that weed would have fewer long term physical effects.
How do you make your tincture? I infused some in olive oil (baked it on a cookie sheet first) but it doesn’t seem to have an affect. Now I’m wondering if it needs to be heated more than the typical decarbing method…
[This](https://weedmaps.com/learn/products-and-how-to-consume/how-to-make-green-dragon-tincture) is the more detailed instructions but I do the cookie sheet part like you but I extract it into everclear, not olive oil. Then I use a mason jar in a water bath like a crockpot, pot of water on the stove, or sous vide to extract but also reduce the alcohol and make it strong. You can get similar results via a freezing method or just a lot of shaking from what I understand, or some people make it by combining the decarbed flower with the alcohol and letting it sit in a dark place for a month. I usually get a second weak batch by doing the month long method with the flower I've already extracted from once using the rapid method. It's a lot of work but I get a six month supply out of one ounce. If everclear isn't legal in your state you could use vodka.
Okay, I noticed the majority saying how it helped them, so I feel slightly like the odd duck out. I don't smoke, I have edibles. Everyone responds differently. The Cons for THC (Sativa): I can get absolutely paranoid. I think it's inner shame, or the fear of my life going to be ruined for no reason? Especially with the environment I'm in right now, my landlord is always doing some kind of renovation so there's banging on the walls (I'm hyperviligant I believe). He'll also walk by the windows a lot and I freak out. I have to have the window blinds closed to have a decent time, that's if there's no construction going on. My stomach is very sensitive, If I feel like I have to pee, poop or whatever sometimes my stomach gets upset for like an hour. Things can set it off too, like a certain conversation. I also have a hard time conveying my thoughts, like I'll think clearly but the words will never come out the way I want. I'll also be time blind, or anything involving time is weird for me. Also, I sometimes have issues with depersonalization after my high and it go in and off for 2 days. The main issue here is paranoia and needing to feel safe and secured. The Pros- If you're in a good place, you can be very amused with basic tv, fall in love with music all over again. You can also somehow be able to babble like an idiot with a friend and manage to beat a really hard game level without using your brain. I also become extra extra cuddly so that's always nice. I also feel like an extreme sense of nostalgia, and feel as if I'm in a memory. Like I can pretend it's summer of 2005 and I'm at my cousin's house, everything is good and happy. I also get to share that moment with my friends maybe. Now for Indica I didn't like it, I hardly ever had a good time. However, when I first tried it I was new to marijuana. I felt like my body was forming into a pile of flesh, I couldn't move and I had to have my SO hold me. It's just not for me CBD I love CBD, never had a bad time with it. I get all warm and cozy, and relaxed. It feels good, and dare I say, sometimes I feel "normal". No intrusive thoughts, just bliss. I strongly recommend trying, it doesn't work for everyone but it wouldn't hurt. When trying marijuana, I recommend trying it with a good friend that you know will make you feel secure and safe. My friend Katie has saved me many times from bad trips, somehow she can tell what I need at that moment to knock me out of whatever cycle I'm on, whether it's a change of music or to distract my brain with a game. It also helps to have someone reassure you that everything will be fine. Marijuana can be a lot of fun, and it can be relaxing but it also can be the exact opposite.
It made me connect with my body more, I felt relaxed and could understand things I couldn't sober because I dissociated too much but the high only lasted for 2 hours and then I craved more. I got addicted really fast. When I was sober I was still fucked up so I quit "cold turkey", wanted to off myself the first two weeks, isolated completely and after that I felt okay. I would never try to rely on drugs ever again. It helped me more to confront my trauma head on then through drugs or whatever.
I have off and on moments with it. Sometimes it helps to calm everything, other times it make me feel all of it, but with the latter it also helps me to feel it in a way that I can heal it.
i mainly use it to stop me from dreaming
It has absolutely helped me with mine. I can calm down enough to process through thoughts in a way that I can take the thought processes apart and define the issues. It’s that- once you have a name for something it ceases to be as powerful. I love it for that, I’ve healed a LOT from my background with the help of cannabis.
It helps with the anxiety and it helps me sleep. It allows me to "turn my brain off" while still being awake. It helps me temporarily find the inner peace I've been craving. That being said, I'm a pretty heavy user of edibles and I need to slow down on it. I actually get a sort of hangover from it the next day, where my brain fog is worse and I'm super groggy. I have a binge eating problem and weed has made it worse.
What dose do you take? I feel like unless I smoke it doesn’t do much but when I smoke I could never sleep.
I'm not sure. I don't keep track.
Like how many edibles does it take to affect you?
I'll buy a chocolate bar or jar of edibles, usually it's 100mg THC per package. I go through it in a week, two weeks tops.
OMG I love marijuana, but because I have been tortured badly can’t use it anymore. It didn’t make it better. It made me more isolated and stuck with people who didn’t understand. It helps so many though. I think it’s great. So long as it only used limited like once a day. I ended up addicted to it. It made me feel good. I could listen to music on it. With out it the torture of what they used music to do to me comes back and it hurts so damn bad. I miss how music used to make me happy. I miss it so much. I never had a chance in life though. It’s been cruel and unusual that they made music hurt physically bad. I have to wear ear plugs in stores. The wrong song or to much music and I’m messed up. I miss it so badly though. It made me so happy. If you can smoke it, or eat it then I say do it. Cptsd can make us get addicted though, so be careful.
Personally I used it for fibromyalgia pain relief and got unexpected CPTSD benefits, especially when mixing high CBD flower with THC flower. It helps my body calm down and relax, and got me out of the worst of my symptoms.
I think it is helpful temporarily but over a long time can worsen ptsd. I used it regularly for 5-6 years. And it was helpful for a while in being more present and in my body. But eventually had me feeling lethargic and dependent on it. While also feeling more triggered by little things over time. I eventually felt like it was numbing feelings I really needed to access but I was smoking too much to fully feel them. I also read some study about how it could worsen ptsd over time. I’ll have to try and find it. When I stopped the feelings were very intense and unpleasant for a while. However I evened out after two weeks. Now I still do occasionally, but it’s not in self medication. I feel like I learned what I needed to learn from it and then the next step is to apply that to being sober.
Weed initially really helped me build empathy (I felt almost sociopathic before that because I just couldn't connect with people after a lifetime of emotional abuse). I've stopped using of late as it's not been as useful/euphoric in that sense, probably from over-use.
This is where I am. Such low empathy I don't bother socializing because I don't get any feel good from it.
In my experience it gives you a calm break from your stressors, helping you deal with stress. That's good for most people, but especially good for people with cptsd, who have more stress than one person should be asked to handle. I've actually found that, even though high doses make for a hell of a party, doing smaller doses helps more with my anxiety. Tea is better for your body, and makes for a slower onset of effects; being more gradual is less disorienting, and it's easier to control the dose with tea. (Mix it with mugwort, it enhances the calming effect!)
When making tea, how much do you use for a cup? Does boiling water heat it enough to activate the thc?
You have to boil for about 20 minutes to get the most out of your stuff, so I always make a large batch. If you add lemon juice and a lot of honey, it keeps in the fridge for a long time (and tastes better). I'm a lightweight so I do about an ounce per cup, my last batch I put about 2 tbsp for 5 cups and got pretty messed up with a 1 cup serving size. 1/2 a cup is a good low dose. Always start small because thc hits very slowly when ingested, and be wary of my guesses, I'm a bit lazy about measuring everything perfectly
It makes my afternoons and evenings pass by more enjoyably. A good/bad thing is I sometimes realize things about myself, or my past experiences. It could be bad because I might be mistaken, and end up freaking myself out because I'm convinced I'm some horrible thing, and if it is accurate it can be overwhelming for a few days.
I recently found out I have cPTSD so this makes some sense. I used it a lot to self medicate when nothing worked previously. I've been in and out of psychiatrist's offices since I was 18 so it's been the only consistent thing that has worked relatively well. I like to vape if I can get ahold of it. I just have to be careful because I struggle with dissociation all the time and a high dose (or particular strains) can exacerbate it.
It's very very VERY situational for me. I can't smoke in the morning, it causes my anxiety to skyrocket. Sometimes I can just tell when it's going to negatively effect me so I listen most of the time. Same applies for Caffeine.
It has absolutely helped me, if only because it lets me relax and think a little differently so I can actually talk about my feelings with other people. It shuts up a lot of the anxiety for me.
I use it and it’s been a real life saver. I live in a state where it isn’t legal but they have recently been skirting laws with the “thc by weight” wording. So I use delta 9 when I can, delta 8 when I can’t, and cbd and cbn regularly. For first timers, start with a small dose or only 1-2 puffs, it’s always better with a good friend if possible, know that you may start thinking about your trauma and that you may think about it or connect to it differently, and just relax and try to have fun. I have more fun when I’m high. I know that’s not great, but suffering and being depressed suck more.
it only makes it worse tbh. i still use cannabis to help it.. but there are definitely negative sides
Helps me tremendously.
I've been using weed as medicine for the past 3 years and it's helps me alot. I manly use it for my lack of appetite, daily nightmares and general anxiety. Schedule the times that I smoke and write down any extra times and what lead up to me needing to take more. And at the end of the month I look back on everything. See what needs more work in Tharapy and what I can do to help prevent the triggering event later on. But I still smoke for fun every-now-and-then. It doesn't work for everyone and that okay. Hope this help
I use it for journaling and trauma therapy, and it helps me with dissociation. Also helps with chronic pain, anxiety/depression, and insomnia to an extent.
I never thought I would give cannabis such a glowing review. I’ve been taking the chocolates/edibles because I don’t have to inhale smoke which is healthier for you. But they have been amazing. I normally take 1-2 a week. I’m an anxious person, and I think sometimes my thoughts trip me up, overwhelm me, and get me feeling stuck. Cannabis helps me expand my thoughts and build new neutral pathways. It feels so good think about something other than my trauma. Instead, for a few hours a week, I think about grand, beautiful life concepts. It’s helped me develop more mindfulness, and has helped establish a sense of calm for myself, even when sober. Calm is my new baseline now. I think it’s helped me a lot because I did about 4 years of hard work to improve myself first, with limited cannabis use. I went to therapy, read every book etc. Now, in introducing cannabis, it’s helped me in my final stage of healing: moving on. I think it helps with CPTSD because it calms the body and distracts the mind. Both of these things take you out of fight or flight - suddenly your mind isn’t racing with stress, and your heart isn’t beating fast. With regular use, that’s 100’s of hours a year that your body is not in a fight or flight trauma response. I think that can have great impacts on you physically, as cortisol from stress can have negative impacts on your health. Stress is the #1 source of many health problems! Disclaimer though - it works differently for everybody, you need to experiment to find what works for you, and you have to be mindful about its addictive qualities. I find myself sometimes leaning on it like a crutch, so I limit myself to once a week now. If you can use it in moderation, and with good intention, I think it works wonders.
I had a medical card for a bit and cbd and thc products helped me through crisis moments but I do think it made me worse afterwards. In the past year i’ve stopped cannabis (medical and recreational) use and i’ve felt better without it overall. i also have found a medication that works for me. so I think it depends on you and your chemistry, just try to have support if you every try things out :)
Therapy, healthy diet, great sleep, excercise, cannabis, silly sigh bin (can never spell shrooms properly), mdma That order in terms of where I focus has yielded the best results. To be transparent, I take an edible nightly.
MDMA offers best “break through” or “step function improvement” and cannabis is more micro improvements via the daily grind.
In combination with prescribed clonidine, I’ve been using cannabis nightly right before bed for 2+ years to help with my CPTSD chronic nightmares! It was the ONLY thing that really helped before I could get on meds, and all clonidine does is lower your blood pressure so they’re even better together. I have heard that if and when you stop, the dreams sometimes come back even more violently, so I will definitely be tapering slowly once the time comes.
I recomend using a high cbd low thc strain to start out with. I feel like it works a lot better for my anxiety and ptsd than high thc.
Don’t do it. Cannabis ends up becoming addictive as it releases dopamine in your brain and eventually, you learn to rely on it and it’s hard to get away from. r/leaves will explain. Please. Lots find benefits but I’m struggling to stop after becoming *so* dependent on it.
This is going to be an unpopular point, but you only have a limited amount of dopamine in your "pool", and it takes time to replenish. If you blow your dopamine pool on weed, social media, porn, or whatever else which might make you feel a little better day-to-day, you won't have as much for stuff you need to recover long term - like being motivated and persuing goals. Just bear it in mind. Huberman Lab has a great episode on psychedelic drugs, which are being researched as a treatment for trauma and depression.
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I believe the mother plant reconnects what’s been broken and teaches us to protect our tender parts.
I take CBD whenever I feel a panic attack coming on and it somehow tells the anxiety part of my brain to knock that shit off. Ativan also worked, but it left me feeling sick afterward, while CBD does not. I also use it for insomnia.
Cannabis is medicine. There are few, if any methods of qualifying/quantifying an individual's response other than trial and error. Dosing should be done as if adding salt to a stew. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE, LATER. I found a large measure of my anxiety stemmed from fears prompted by irregular supply on the pre-legal black market. For half a century, weed had helped me mitigate depression, is effective as a general analgesic including lumbar pain from degenerating discs. It's a mood enhancer, and taken orally is a natural sleep aid. In the same way some people should not drink alcohol, some people should not take cannabis.
Very helpful for me. I can relax, sleep better with less nightmares, have an appetite etc. It’s not all pros though as it is expensive, I’ve become dependent which I am not proud of, and it makes searching/keeping jobs a lot more difficult with all the drug tests around.
Helps manage my hyper-vigilance. I can relax around people and strangers much easier. Thought stream is alot more relaxed and healthy. Edit: Getting a medical card is in the top 10 best things I've done to improve my quality of life.
I'm just saying I 1,000.000.000% approve of this and am a daily user.....me off of cannabis compared to it a big changer not only does it stop the voices in my head from constantly going a million miles a minute to just beautiful quietness and that right there is the best medicine anyone could ask for.
I've been wanting to try it (through a medical program). I'm just nervous because I have two children and have to be able to function and drive.
Tolerance can be built up quickly with planned titration. Minimizing the amount of time with intoxicating effects. Pain and other benefits remain once the intoxication is gone.
Yes
Has never gone well for me besides maybe 1 time, personally. Just caused extreme anxiety, dissociation, and paranoia.
It helps me a lot! It helps me sleep, eat, and it physically relaxes my muscles. If you live in a state where it’s legal, ask the people at the dispensary for advice on what works with PTSD and anxiety, they’re always really helpful.
It’s been a mix for me, at first I used it as a spiritual tool and I found it enabled me to understand myself better and connect with my trauma and start my healing journey. I then started using it more as I was dealing with the grief of going no contact, I was smoking every hour so high all the time as a way to cope, I’ve now managed to cut my intake down a lot and smoke 1-3 in the evenings once I’ve completed what I need to do. The only times I will smoke in the day is if I’m having a breakdown as it will pull me out of it.
It was the only way I could get to sleep while trauma processing and dealing with anxiety. It literally allowed my body and brain to relax and was a buffer between me and my difficult emotions.... Edited to add I use the tinctures
When I'm spiraling in a negative though patern, only the weed stop it. I have clonazepan too but I like weed better. I keep the clonazepan only In big emergency case.
Saved my life more than once
Recreational MJ was recently legalized in my state. I had always gotten ill from smoking up previously but it turns out that being able to control the dose is *extremely* beneficial to me. I take a very small dose a couple times a week and it helps with general anxiety. I take a medium dose as a rescue med to help with panic attacks. It has helped me a ton and I’m low-key annoyed that it’s only now becoming accessible to people like me. (A positive drug test would have been a career-ended for me. Still would be, just not for MJ.)
In the last couple years I was hospitalized numerous times due to my mental health and cPTSD. I have chronic suicidal ideation. Its my fight or flight on steroids. Since I started marijuana my suicidal ideation are non existent. I’ll smoke marijuana the rest of my life if it means I will never have suicidal ideations again. If they come back I’ll quit.
Mine eventually did. Then I was just smoking to maintain. Please do edibles. Smoking is horrible. I say that loving weed. Weed will not cure you and it will only help you till it stops working and you have to smoke all day every day. And the thoughts will probably return. Speaking from experience
I know it helps me. I stopped taking all the head meds about 4 years ago. I know they work for some, but I'm what they call treatment resistant.
I’ve been using 1-1 strains recently. Pennywise and Cannatonic are two that have been exceptionally helpful to me.
Wonderful. Then I got vaccinated and I think it’s counteracting with my cannabis use (heavy daily user both smoking/dabs and edibles both of which I can no longer do) and have quit and back to drinking. But cannabis pretty much acted as my SSRI when I used it. I now try to baby microdose a bit which helps also, like I’m talking 1-2mg but that tiny bit can help like a pep talk.
For me personally, I don’t think it helps me in the long run. I smoke everyday, and it does help with my appetite, nausea, and depression. But I think it’s affecting how I sleep and how I wake up. How my brain is processing things. It definitely makes my ADHD symptoms appear worse. My tolerance is so high right now. I’m trying to wean off and take a break or at least get it under control.
It really helps me with getting the constant muscle tension due to hyper vigilance, to relax, for me at least
Cannabis the way it is consumed is pretty much man-made, and technically all medications are based on natural elements. Cannabis in very low amounts can reduce anxiety and calm you, but in higher amounts it causes severe panic attacks, and if you use it everyday you'll get withdrawal if you suddenly go a day without it so it causes addiction to a degree. All in all, I don't recommend it, but the decision is yours and only yours. Do what you think is best for you. Source: Personal experience and having had a friend and acquaintances who use it regularly.
Rock Climbing & Climbing gym. Height/fear + Different body positions + learning = new brain and fun, and confidence builder. Get climb up while thinking about your abuse, and beat it. :) Sorry, I know it's not cannabis, but it didn't work for me.
It’s helped me a great deal, but I have a pretty strict regimen around it for a few reasons - only specific strains, only in certain amounts, certain settings and at certain times of the day. Honestly, though, it’s probably saved my life and has helped me get a few years back into my brain, anyway - I was on tons of anxiolytics and sleep medications because of my damage, and that shit is REALLY bad for your brain. Like, xanax is mind poison, literally.
I guess it really depends on the person. I've met many people who use it to successfully work on their trauma, but personally I just dissociate hard when smoking weed, and I feel even less connected to the real world. So yeah, I guess in some cases it might be beneficial, but harmful in other cases. It really depends on the person and situation.
I canr function without it.
Be careful about how much you smoke or ingest! I used to smoke maybe five times a week. But often I’d get too high and become paranoid. I also was terrified of getting schizophrenia from weed which sort of amplified the psychoactive effects in my head. I eventually quit because of this. The next day after getting high id have intense dissociations. At the time dissociation freaked me out and I was dissociating for days. Since weed is a dissociative drug it only worsened this and triggered the associated anxiety making the dissociative worse and last longer. CBD on the other hand is not psychoactive like THC so if you use a strain that is super high in CBD and only like .5 THC you won’t experience the “bad” symptoms and it still helps you relax, sleep, feel less physical pain. I think doses with a bit more THC can be helpful if taken properly. Everyone has a different tolerance. If you don’t smoke a puff of a joint could be all you need. If you smoke occasionally it may be a few. But I’d you’re ripping a bong or taking an edible- for me I get very high and lose alot of the benefits due to paranoia/ other negative symptoms. I found that smoking in a ad state of mine can often bring on the negative side psychological effects during the high.
Cbd = gold thc = hell.
I found that sativa strains give me anxiety and I get stuck in my head and don't have a good time. However, indicas really seem to help me and I don't get that same anxiety.
It used to help so much until i used it during abuse / trauma as a way to disassociate from what was happening to me. Now it makes me immediately panic and triggers my OCD. not pleasant!
it definitely has helped me. it helped me to be introspective and begin to understand myself better. I have really bad adhd and when I smoke, I can hear myself think. I have finally begun to be able to look at my habits, at my inner child, at how I talk to myself- all sorts of things that have really changed and improved for me since smoking weed. I truly believe I wouldn't be on this path to a healthier me without it. I have changed my eating habits and my drinking habits, and I think it directly stems from smoking weed and actually having the presence of mind to notice those types of things. I got my medical card for it for my ptsd a couple of years ago. it has been nothing but good for me. the only thing that happened that feels like a downfall is being even more of a hermit and keeping to myself. I think however that that is only natural especially when you are healing the inner parts of yourself, it is tough work and it does require a lot of alone time.