Pure O and Cannabis

[Joewest439]

Hi all,

I have been smoking cannabis on a nightly basis every night for the past couple of years. I have had severe Pure O for an even longer time.

I'm trying to move on from a 9 week old obsession at the moment and can't decide wether giving up smoking will be beneficial, or make things even worse.

I find smoking it can help me think about other things, but there's no denying the anxiety and confusion it's use can also cause.

Coming off it could make me see things more clearly, I think.

[PolarBear]

You're smoking pot every night but you have an obsession that hasn't gone away in nine weeks. Now, does it appear smoking pot is working for you?

Don't self medicate with illicit drugs.

[Ashley]

Is this for real?

Seriously, if you want to get better from OCD then we all have to do what we can to help ourselves.  Surely you know that cannabis will be only making things worse, not better for you? 

[Ashley]

Ok, I was a bit condescending there, and I apologise. But my point remains, we all have to do what we can to help ourselves, so if that means we stop smoking weed, or stop getting drunk every other night then we have to do that. Sad, but true.

I see it like this, if we damage our leg we would not dream of going running or playing football. The same must apply with our mental well-being too, we have to do all we can to improve our mental well-being and stop drinking or taking substances that will make our mental health worse in the long run.

My other advice for everyone is educate yourselves about what OCD is and how CBT works. It will really help you understand why I made the above points

[Cupcake4]

Are you getting therapy at the moment? If not I would strongly recommend you go to your doctor and get referred to CBT. 

I don't know much about drugs as I've never done them myself, however I have heard that they can make mental health much worse. The same goes for bad diet, lack of exercise, etc. 

If you really want to get better then I would go to your doctor and discuss your options if you have not done so already. 

I hope you feel better soon  

[Joewest439]

Fair points but anyway no it's not working for me, I'm just not sure stopping it would make any difference, as I've been doing it for years and only recently has my OCD become extremely bad.

Its not that I don't take this fight seriously enough to stop smoking, more that I am at breaking point and I don't want to antagonise my mental state any more.

From what I've read in the past, opinion on weed being bad for OCD or not is divided, but perhaps that's wrong. 

I have started seeing a councillor this week yes, he tells me I first have to stop believing that this nightmare will never end.

And it's funny you mentioned the damaged leg - I've had one for months too but can't help but still play every week.

[Guest ashipinharbor]

It doesn't really affect me that negatively.

I did have one bad experience, with a false memory, but it didn't last very long.

With how many times I've smoked it, one bad trip isn't really enough to deter me.

[Cupcake4]

Maybe explore your options and see if stopping it does make a difference. If you've smoked it for years then you won't know what affect it will have? 

Maybe stop and see how it goes? Surely it's worth exploring?  

[Ashley]

8 minutes ago, ashipinharbor said:

With how many times I've smoked it, one bad trip isn't really enough to deter me.

You really, really think this is helpful for other people to read?    

[Ashley]

15 minutes ago, Joewest439 said:

And it's funny you mentioned the damaged leg - I've had one for months too but can't help but still play every week.

No helping some people.

[Guest ashipinharbor]

I was just stating my experience, but maybe I shouldn't of.

I won't lie, it does help my anxiety, but others can have adverse experoences, I realize that.

It won't happen again.

[Ashley]

18 minutes ago, Joewest439 said:

opinion on weed being bad for OCD or not is divided

It's not divided, it's a well known fact it can impact on a persons mental health. 

[Guest ashipinharbor]

Just now, Ashley said:

It's not divided, it's a well known fact it can impact on a persons mental health. 

Not to start anything, but it is known for anti-anxiety.

[Guest ashipinharbor]

Also, for the record, I'm across the pond, in the states, where its legal, in parts.

[Ashley]

3 minutes ago, ashipinharbor said:

Not to start anything, but it is known for anti-anxiety.

Medicinal cannabis might be, but there is a huge difference between that and the stuff purchased elsewhere.  But the BBC published something not long ago which showed there is not thought to be any benefit for OCD. 

[Guest ashipinharbor]

Just now, Ashley said:

Medicinal cannabis might be, but there is a huge difference between that and the stuff purchased elsewhere.  But the BBC published something not long ago which showed there is not thought to be any benefit for OCD. 

Fair enough, yeah.

[Cupcake4]

My sister works in mental health and she believes that one of the biggest causes for mental illness is drugs and alcohol. 

Whist weed might ease your anxiety initially/at the time of smoking it, I don't believe it will have any positive long term effects on your health, in fact I'm sure it will be the opposite. Even alcohol for me can make me feel worse. 

If weed was a great thing then I am sure it would be legalised everywhere in the world. This is just my opinion but I am with Ashley on this one! 

[Guest ashipinharbor]

3 minutes ago, Cupcake4 said:

My sister works in mental health and she believes that one of the biggest causes for mental illness is drugs and alcohol. 

Whist weed might ease your anxiety initially/at the time of smoking it, I don't believe it will have any positive long term effects on your health, in fact I'm sure it will be the opposite. Even alcohol for me can make me feel worse.

I actually know people who suffer from anxiety, and smoke it to relieve it. Just saying.

4 minutes ago, Cupcake4 said:

If weed was a great thing then I am sure it would be legalised everywhere in the world.

Out of curiosity, what's your opinion on places that have legalized it?

[Ashley]

2 minutes ago, ashipinharbor said:

Out of curiosity, what's your opinion on places that have legalized it?

It's irrelevant.

The point is if you have OCD or any mental health issue, then taking it is more likely to make things worse, not better.  So legal or illegal is irrelevant.

[Guest ashipinharbor]

Just now, Ashley said:

It's irrelevant.

The point is if you have OCD or any mental health issue, then taking it is more likely to make things worse, not better.  So legal or illegal is irrelevant.

How about we just agree to disagree?

[Joewest439]

I stopped smoking for over three months not so long ago and I did not feel any better mentally, in fact I think I felt worse. And three months is usually how long it takes to flush out of ones system. Point is, last time I tried stopping, I still felt just as ****, but was just more bored as well.

I think I potentially have more to gain than lose though from stopping, it's just a shame to give up the last thing I have that gives me relative amusement. But it's true - it's worth exploring.

What I have been smoking would not be described as strong, but that's beside the point I know.

[Cupcake4]

Maybe try and find new things in your life? I know when you are in this frame of mind the last thing you want to do is to get new hobbies and find things to do but even by just doing the actions of something simple, is great mindfulness and distraction. You might think it sounds ridiculous but the time you spend smoking why don't you replace it with reading a book? Keep your mind occupied in other ways. Join a gym perhaps, take up running or join a sports team? I think you get my point. Replace it with something positive to give your mind something else to do. 

Check out future learn, they offer loads of free courses. Perhaps pass the time away and occupy yourself with something like that? 

Good luck with what you decide but in my opinion, give it a try and see what happens!  

[Cupcake4]

16 minutes ago, ashipinharbor said:

I actually know people who suffer from anxiety, and smoke it to relieve it. Just saying.

Out of curiosity, what's your opinion on places that have legalized it?

They might smoke it to relieve stress but I'm talking about long term negative effects. 

I have no problem with places that have legalised it. Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities in the world but I don't do drugs because I know it has a negative effect on mental health and health in general. The same reason I don't smoke cigarettes.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Cupcake4

[Guest ashipinharbor]

Just now, Cupcake4 said:

They might smoke it to relieve stress but I'm talking about long term negative effects. 

I have no problem with places that have legalised it. Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities in the world but I don't do drugs because I know it has a negative effect on mental health and health in general. 

Fair enough. I see it differently, however, so how about we agree to disagree?

[Joewest439]

Yes I've been trying to explore new avenues of occupying myself for a while now, perhaps cutting out smoking will assist with this.

I need to read up on how to not respond to doubtful thoughts, as I feel this is what my main problem is, smoke or no smoke. I find it very very hard to let them be, one minute I'm resisting the urge to ruminate and the next I've just realised I've been ruminating for hours.