Snus and anxiety

[skruf_mcgruff]

Just wondering if anyone has any opinions on tobacco and anxiety? I'm still new to snus, but I've gotten to enjoy anxiety, panic attacks, and insomia, for at least a couple years straight now.

Tonight I was pretty on the edge, put some ettan in for longer then I usually would, and instead of getting sick like I expected I seem to be pretty used to the nicotine, and enjoying the dizzyness, pretty relaxing really.

Cheers to anyone else who has found the same, hoping a few of you can tell me if you think it is a good or bad idea.

[Jason]

I used to have panic attacks all the time; I actually still have them on occasion, but they are nowhere near as bad as they used to be. It's a horrible experience, and most people have no idea what to do when one comes along.

They always tell you that tobacco use makes it worse, but I always felt better if I had a smoke when I was having an attack. It could have been a mental thing, I don't know...after all, the whole cause of panic and anxiety is largely mental, anyway. All I know is that quitting during that time would not have been a good idea at all.

[Zeno]

A close friend of mine suffers from panic attacks since years. She smokes and feels better when smoking. One day she has tried to quit and the attacks got more frequent and worse, so she has started again. She told me with smoking she's able to control the attacks better. A possible explanation is the serotonine level in the brain. A higher level makes you feeling happier and more relaxed. Nicotine triggers the release of serotonine, helping to stabilize. Although, she told me that her attempt to quit smoking was so bad that she will never try it again, she has started now to try it again with the help of snuse. She saw that it worked for me effortlessly and encouraged by this, she has ordered a women's try out box. I'm eagerly waiting for her feedback...

[Soft Morning, City!]

I suffer from panic attacks.

Ironically, a massive string of panic attacks was what got me on the path to quitting smoking. During one such attack, I was smoking a cigarette to calm down and began coughing. I coughed up a big piece of brown sputum and the panic got even worse because I knew I was slowly killing myself. At that moment, I decided to find an alternative. That led me to find snus and the rest is history.

Snus has no effect on the frequency of my panic attacks. They come around sometimes, always unexpectedly. They've happened when I've had snus in my mouth and also when I haven't.

[STORM6490MT]

i had a little ptsd from the military. i self medicated myself with marijuana. took care of it almost instantly. sure beat the hell out of drinking. an older vet told me you smoke to forget and drink to remember.

snus does calm me down a little but not like the herb. montana has a medical marijuana permit now so I don't feel like a criminal and can't be placed in the same category as a crack head.

http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/

[bondzai]

Marijuana Snus?

I have heard you can eat Maryjane brownies, ... I wonder about snussing it.

[TropicalBob]

Use nasal snuff for your brownies. I've done that, plus I use it in yogurt milkshakes I make.

[Zeno]

Use nasal snuff for your brownies. I've done that, plus I use it in yogurt milkshakes I make.

You should be renamed to Hardcore Bob... :wink:

[Premium Parrots]

LMAO I was just thinkin the same thing Zeno.......GO BOB.

[Soft Morning, City!]

i had a little ptsd from the military. i self medicated myself with marijuana. took care of it almost instantly. sure beat the hell out of drinking. an older vet told me you smoke to forget and drink to remember.

snus does calm me down a little but not like the herb. montana has a medical marijuana permit now so I don't feel like a criminal and can't be placed in the same category as a crack head.

http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/

This is what I do for my anxiety too. And for fun, I will admit, but marijuana keeps me under control. I'd take pot over those damn pills they tried prescribing me any damn day of the week.

Oregon also has medical marijuana legislation, but I haven't signed up for the program yet. Honestly, it's easier for me to get it illicitly. It's sad, really. Pot is good for four conditions that I have... those being depression, anxiety, pain associated with muscle tension in my back, and GERD (reflux). And yet, there's so much red tape involved with actually signing up for the program that I'd rather just get it illegally.

We need to just reschedule it already. According to the government, it currently has "no accepted medicinal use."

My ass.

[koops]

i had a little ptsd from the military. i self medicated myself with marijuana. took care of it almost instantly. sure beat the hell out of drinking. an older vet told me you smoke to forget and drink to remember.

snus does calm me down a little but not like the herb. montana has a medical marijuana permit now so I don't feel like a criminal and can't be placed in the same category as a crack head.

http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/medicalmarijuana/

This is what I do for my anxiety too. And for fun, I will admit, but marijuana keeps me under control. I'd take pot over those damn pills they tried prescribing me any damn day of the week.

Oregon also has medical marijuana legislation, but I haven't signed up for the program yet. Honestly, it's easier for me to get it illicitly. It's sad, really. Pot is good for four conditions that I have... those being depression, anxiety, pain associated with muscle tension in my back, and GERD (reflux). And yet, there's so much red tape involved with actually signing up for the program that I'd rather just get it illegally.

We need to just reschedule it already. According to the government, it currently has "no accepted medicinal use."

My ass.

i dont know man...depression and anxiety were two of many reasons i decided to give up weed, about three months ago now...but then i guess its different for different people...and to be honest it often depended on what weed i was smoking and what my mood was at the time.

[Kadett]

Weed exacerbates any mental condition, especially depression. Anyone who is going to self-medicate for PTSD is really kidding themselves by operating like a junkie. I have personal experience of this.
Unless your going to work through the problem(s) fundamentally causing the issue through therapy its never going to go away and all the self-medication in the world is not going to stop it coming out and biting you in the ass when you least expect it.

[Soft Morning, City!]

Kadett:

Operating like a junkie? You're on a snus message board, pal. We all operate like junkies.

Don't dismiss medicinal cannabis' ability to treat PTSD. I've seen it work wonders on several people I know who suffer from it, old and young alike. Just because it didn't work for you doesn't mean that it isn't a treatment option for certain individuals.

Weed does not exacerbate my depression. When my depression gets particularly debilitating (i.e., keeps me from getting out of bed or leaving the apartment), I take a few hits of pot, sit for a moment, and go outside. It forces me to be somewhat sociable and gets me out and about, even if just for a walk. I don't need to be high to not be depressed, but when I'm feeling particularly low, a little bit of pot and a walk around the neighborhood work wonders.

I know people personally who get more depressed when they smoke. However, this has not been my experience at all.

I do not use marijuana to treat a panic attack in progress. Rather, I use it to avoid the panic attack altogether. In combination with meditation, which I practice daily, I make regular use of marijuana to regulate my mood and anxiousness.

I also smoke it, simply, to have a good time with friends. I don't strictly limit my reason of consumption to medical reasons. I initially started smoking pot because it was fun. I realized the medicinal value later on.

Everybody's different. Don't discount the medical value of pot. It's not for everybody, but it works for me.

[itchystiches]

Interesting debate going on here! Well, I for one... am a pretty hardcore marijuana smoker / abuser... depends on your point of view I suppose.

Been doing it for about 10 years... the only time I've ever had any panic attacks was when I gave up for about 9 months. Nicotine seems to have an imperceptible effect on the panic attacks, apart from taking away some of the 'out-of-your-head' feeling you get when they come on, doesn't really seem to effect the uncontrollable convulsions etc too much, just makes me aware of myself.

As for bud, well... it could either be seen as the usage contributed to the attacks, or conversely, kept them under control as I was a regular user, and they only occurred when I stopped using?

Either way, it's for sure that both these drugs have some effect on one's nervous disposition.

Peace!

[STORM6490MT]

Weed exacerbates any mental condition, especially depression. Anyone who is going to self-medicate for PTSD is really kidding themselves by operating like a junkie. I have personal experience of this.
Unless your going to work through the problem(s) fundamentally causing the issue through therapy its never going to go away and all the self-medication in the world is not going to stop it coming out and biting you in the ass when you least expect it.

I totally disagree with you. I doubt you have ever had combat or service related ptsd. Suggesting therapy is the only way to recover is what you have been well trained to think. Believe it or not, people have the capacity to heal themselves. That part about the Junkie pisses me off. If you think veterans who use medical marijuana are similar in any way to junkies, I suggest you pull your head out of your ass. You may want to be careful not to say this in public as you may end up beaten severely.