Smoking weed was the best and worst thing for my social life. I met so many friends through partaking. Unfortunately once I was stoned, I became socially inept and crippled with anxiety. So it brought me to the water, but I was unable to drink.
I think the biggest problem with drug culture is the lack of education, discussion, or guidance around the reality that it’s very rare for any drug to be taken on a daily basis without eventually becoming a crippling or degenerative problem in some way(s). Also, I cannot thank you enough for explaining the importance of CBD being present in someone’s system whenever THC is being consumed.
@@BlakeElliott35 agreed man, when I was younger and didn’t understand it I would end up doing nothing but smoking but now that I know more on a neurological and physiological level I use it and it’s more of a net gain. It still has its negative but now that I know what those are I can just plan around it and make sure I do it at a time where that doesn’t come into play.
Its all about setting rules and sticking to them. If you just use things whenever you feel like it, you will feel like it more and more until its all you feel like doing. Saving it as a treat and rewarding your own discipline keeps you in check
Yeah, it always comes with downsides. For me, the weed has much less of them than my regular ADHD medication had though, it´s always a pros vs cons decision. Bigest factor for addiction is your 9-5 anyway. If you can only work on mediaction, you´re addicted/reliant on them by design.
Yeah I can believe that there are some people that some drugs help but its a very small portion of the people who say that it helps them. I smoke weed but I dont lie about it to myself or anyone else and thats the only way to keep it under control. If you start lying to yourself youre gonna lose control.
When you're subscribed to research journals and a part of circles of practitioners and researchers, sometimes a lot of this reaches people following it at the same time too.
Be careful with that channel, though, they tend to be sponsored by bill gates foundation and similar rich people... Not all they say is fact based or for the well being of their viewers.
As someone with ADHD who basically screwed up their life and opportunities as a habitual smoker in their 20s… I’m glad you’ve presented this research. I hope folks younger than me take this seriously and do actually therapeutic treatment to work through their life problems rather than numbing themselves.
@@shrubbie69 I wish you all the best. I don’t know what your life is like, but be patient embrace the pain that comes with your growth. It’s all worth it in the end.
@@J-jizzy_ it’s like a quote in South Park: “[weed] makes you fine with being bored.” Not necessarily just boredom, but complacent. Like Dr. K said, that’s ok for once a week or less, but only as a reset after tons of growth and hard work.
Love from another member of the ADHD tribe ❤ I had an association I'd like to share when reading your comment: I don't know your circumstances. Since you said that you screwed up your life, some videos come to mind - on the topics of: gifted kids, needing to catch up, not being ready yet. (Not sure about the titles rn, but I think just these terms will likely be sufficient.) Again, I don't know what your circumstances are, but I would encourage you to check those videos out to see if maybe your mind is tricking you into seeing a worse future than you actually are heading towards. ❤
My take away is people need to be honest with why they smoke weed. "To enhance pleasure" Once you accept you're doing it for recreation then you can put guardrails to avoic addiction. Thank you Doc❤
I mean for me it’s not like that cannabis has dramatically improved my quality of life by stopping rapid degeneration of my jaw joint I wasn’t able to eat or talk and they told me I would need yearly steroid injections for the rest of my life started using cannabis haven’t needed another injection yet which is great because they’re extremely painful it goes right into the jaw joint so it’s a whole expensive painful surgery
@@nothanks9503that definitely sounds painful and like a serious and debilitating condition like dr k mentioned, there is evidence that it’s more beneficial for people with severe conditions but for the rest of us just trying to numb our daily lives for that euphoric feeling that washes over you when you take a hit… not so much lol
Light cannabis use (dry herb vapes) alongside therapy and positive lifestyle changes have been beneficial to my PTSD. Therapy and positive lifestyle changes were helping a bit, but adding a very light amount of cannabis helped me make better progress in therapy and with my lifestyle changes. Since I use such a light amount, I'm able to use it when practicing emotional regulation/reducing panic attacks at home so I can be better at managing my symptoms even when I'm not actively using. I'm a medical card holder and follow my doctor's instructions. It is a tool like any other, and when part of a larger treatment plan, it can be a tremendously effective one. I would certainly have been OK without it, but I'm better off with than without. EDIT: Also, VERY important! I didn't even try it for the first time until I was 32.
@Baptized_in_Fire. Haha no, I got PTSD as a teen, lived with it for a very long time, then finally got some proper support in my early 30's. It's been a wild ride.
Could you describe how much exactly you use and for how long? I also started in my 30s when it was legalized for Fibromialgia and general chronic pain and spasms and never smoked so do dry herb vape too. But rarely do videos say around how much is fine in quantities I can understand. I usually vape the bit that fits into it multiple times until it doesn't give much of an effect cuz it's dried enough and that can be in multiple days or one during my bad moments.
@@Baptized_in_Fire.That's no how PTSD as a developmental disease works, it's a dominos effect that accumulates into the perfect strom, not a singular event.
I was a heavy weed smoker for a couple years and stopped cold turkey last fall. It pretty much distracted me from my misery, and when I stopped, I basically dove head first into mindfulness, meditation, introspection, things like that. I cant remember how it happened, but I realized that no amount of weed was going to make me feel better and if I wanted to stop being so sad and feeling empty all of the time, I was gonna have to take my life by the balls and actually do something about it. And I did! I'm much happier for it, albeit I still have moments when I struggle with depression and anxiety, but for me, the key to "beating" it was to change my mindset. I started smoking again at the beginning of summer every other week or so, and I'm thinking about quitting again because now it's just a fun thing to do, but the high is not so enticing anymore unless I'm focusing on something or lounging around for the day 😭 It didnt really help my anxiety and depression, but it did help me look at my life a different way and realize some really important things for myself.
I keep doing this same thing and unfortunately arriving at the same conclusion each time: No amount of willpower will get me the amount of money I need to live the life I want/need. Because according to my parameters and paradigms in accordance with this unfortunate world (dumb, but unavoidable)- it would take an absurd amount, or an equally absurd stream of "income." I wish I knew how to fix it. Can't even live in the woods or a trailer park due to some law or regulation or another. Y'know?
now only if you had noticed you can do all of that while smoking and boost your introspection multiple-fold. Moderate chronic depression was essentially a weeks fix with some weed and meditation - haven't had problems in a decade almost :)
The past 2 years I smoked all day every day, at work, at school, in bed, even just to spend time with my family. I recently quit for a new job that conducted a drug test, and I haven’t felt this good in a longggg time. Sobriety feels like a brand new drug and it’s now my favorite “drug”. I’m quite literally high on life and can’t wait for my next hit! 😋
For me, the deal-breaker that led to me quitting cannabis was the dreamless sleep. Dreams are so important for memory consolidation and recontextualization. There are many examples of times when dreams helped me to reprocess trauma and other junk from my past.
For some odd reason i only dream on rare occasions, but mostly when i am depressed or in general anguish in life. Or atleast that's when i actually wake up and know/remember i dreamed. But i kinda stopped dreaming when i was around 18-19 years old. Maybe you can dream without remembering it?
@@ouwle6618If you smoke weed, it’s a known side effect to stop you from having dreams completely. I have dreamt maybe 5 times in the past 12 years I’ve smoked. I do really dislike that about it, I used to lucid dream 😢
I was a heavy weed smoker for a few years, starting when I was 17. It created a lot of problems for me and I have a lot of shame about that time in my life. I am still young though and am accepting that part of my journey, and in many ways, I am wiser from the experience
Disabled Adult with Severe Chronic Pain, Major Depressive Disorder, long-term cannabis user and former "daily" opioid user. I find all this to be on point. Cannabis actually seems to aggravate my psychiatric symptoms to some degree. But the decrease in opiates that cannabis allows me to manage outweighs the negatives. I'm down from 140mg/week to 50mg/week. Cannabis lets me _forget_ that I'm hurting. I can't emphasize how important that is when rawdogging pain. I'm very active in therapy and I manage to keep things under control. After years of experimentation, I've found this to be _my_ happy medium. Everyone has to find their own path. I wish you luck.
@@purplemicrodot58 I'm a chronic neurologic pain patient and you are so right. It definitely helps you detach from your body's experience and be able to actually function and do daily activities. The pain isn't gone like an opiate, you can just work with it better. I've seen so many friends lose their lives or ruin their lives using opiates. I can say since I never opted for opiates and have managed using weed for 10 years and it was the best decision I've ever made!
@@TheZackinater Good for you buddy! I was the same and I just surpassed a year clean. I had shakes, felt SO nauseous and had some scary nightmares. Hard to have a good sleep and appetite wasn't there. Two solid weeks of it and the hardest two weeks. Please keep pushing and find someone you can trust to keep you accountable! You got this!
I'm a 22-year-old male with ADHD, dysthymia, anxiety, unofficial BPD, EDS, and fibromyalgia, which causes chronic neuropathic pain. I’ve been consistently using medical marijuana for the last 5-6 months to manage pain and have a UK licence. While marijuana helps with anxiety and depression, I see it as a double-edged sword. It quiets my overactive mind, reduces overthinking, and helps me stay calm, allowing me to engage in social situations I’d normally avoid. By using it as a tool, I’ve been able to gradually put myself in uncomfortable situations and, over time, do the same things without marijuana. I think of it like training wheels on a bike or SSRIs-it’s a support that helps you build the skills to manage independently. The key is using it thoughtfully to challenge yourself, rather than relying on it as a crutch. When approached this way, marijuana can be a helpful tool for mental health issues, alongside other strategies.
Oddly enough I feel it’s the opposite of what you described that’s what makes this so complex I like to take a toke then sit there and think on overdrive I’ll run over everything I did that day and that week and how I could have done better essentially fast forwarded meditation And I see it as the opposite of training wheels for me it’s like popping a wheelie once you’re very good at a situation it adds a little extra challenge and keeps things from getting stale and tedious which improves my performance in substantial and measurable ways
I Just tried shrooms for the first time last night, I've done acid and dippers, but shrooms was great, had me happy and let me almost create my reality in and unatural way if you know what I mean.
Been smoking nightly for 5 years and have “quit” like 8 times. Quitting feels like catching up on what I’ve been running away from, and it’s so easy to run away again. Gonna try to quit again next week, hopefully I find a healthy substitute.
This is very relatable. I hope you find success. I’m nine months weed free and i still have some difficult weeks. It comes and goes, but I never want to go back. Good luck ❤
I resonate with this, i def use it as a crutch sometimes. I working on cutting back, but life feels so overwhelming sometimes, that i have seasons of abusing it.
@@YouAreThatGuy I would start with exercise. I read a study that suggested that exercise was the best was to cure depression. - First hand accounts of people I know and have seen on TH-cam have all started with taking walks. It’s what I did to handle a difficult childhood. Abusing weed could be a symptom of depression. Regardless exercise is an excellent substitute. Start with walks, transition to the gym maybe. Your body and brain will help you if you give it a fair shot. Don’t try again next week. - Do it now
I used to smoke almost everyday for three years. I’ll be honest it helped me alot when i was having a hard time with life (getting over an ex, failing classes in college, etc etc) Weed really helped me loosen up and at the time it helped me stay in the moment. But at some point my mind started to suffer and i started to develop crippling social anxiety. What once saved me was now hurting me. Ive been 10 months sober and im happy i have my brain back.
Absolutely. The biggest reason to use imo is getting over a bad break up. Obviously it won't be a 24/7 fix but it assists you especially where you are extremely low. It might save some people from ending it
I started using weed about 3 months back. in the last 2 months its made me very introspective and reflective. It actually helped me get my life on track. I feel like I've not only found myself but accepted myself. I felt like it has helped me let go of past traumas and live in a way that's geared towards my life goals . I also would wake up with this weird sees of mental clarity in the morning after use. This is not to say it's not bad or anything( I've also had a panic attack from consuming too much) But my overall experience has been positive. Dr k usually talks about how people generally tend to "Slack off" after use or become less driven to do their healthy habits, for me its been the opposite. my "good habits" have been most consistent in a very long time. I've also decided to goon a long break just to regain tolerance and to see if there's any significant life improvements after leaving it. Ill report results late January next year. I would really love to hear if anyone had a similar experience.
Yes, for a lot of people the plant has healed a lot of trauma in peoples lives. It allows you a chance to separate from yourself and reflect on things from an outside view. And the whole stigma of weed making you lazy is an old trope of strong Indica's. A strong Indica is basically a sedative. Best used to sleep at night. Where as a Sativa is like the coffee of cannabis. A good Sativa will put a pep in your step, and motivate you to act. At the end of the day your healthy habits of daily life have very little to do with cannabis consumption. You're either a fat lazy slob, or you're not. It's not weeds fault.
Tbh I would be careful cause that’s how I started too, it felt like it did genuinely help me for a couple of months but I eventually ended up addicted to using weed and it became a daily heavy usage (like dr K said, I stopped doing things that ACTUALLY fix my problems) I’ve had 2 fails on quitting and those times were total sh*t but learned a whole lot from that through introspection and almost ready to try a 3rd time with a more sophisticated plan than “let’s quit and wait until things get better”
This video is interesting to pop up in my feed, so i felt i should share my story. A big topic in this video is about how people often aren't honest about marijuana whether it's about what benefits it provides people, or why people use it, and as a 10 year user of marijuana daily, to finally quitting cold turkey 4 days ago, PEOPLE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE WITHDRAWLS, it is AWFUL, and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. We need to be more honest about the fact that smoking anything isn't good for your body/lungs/brain, and although I'm on a new sober journey, I was honestly angry that I was never told how hard it is to quit when you've been dependent on something for years. I have stomach pain, nausea, trouble sleeping, and nightmares every time I actually do get to sleep, headaches, anxiety, it is almost cyclical, I've vomited many times and only eaten about 1 meal per day and its very disheartening, I've lost almost 10 lbs. and people would tell me that is a good thing but I'm not someone who's overweight, I've always been a skinny dude, I don't have a lot of weight to lose.. :( Another thing I've noticed after quitting is I get randomly VERY emotional. I was just talking to my fiancé about what I've been experiencing and I just burst into tears out of nowhere, and it felt good. I haven't cried like that in years. Almost like my body has built up this pressure and it's all coming out. I'm pushing through and I feel I will be a better person at the end of it. Maybe there is a future where weed can be a small part of my life, but for now, I'm on the healing journey and I promise to anyone who thinks weed can't be harmful, you are lying to yourself. This isn't to discredit anyone who uses it sparingly in a medical sense, I just want to warn the folks that smoke recreationally and think they aren't doing damage to their bodies.
I really loved this. My only real issue is that those studies aren't defining what TYPE of weed they're using. I know these aren't super scientific terms but generally speaking, more CBD leaning indica strains have a calming effect. And the higher THC sativa strains (which are getting stronger and stronger bc they're popular) can cause more anxiety and even psychosis. So from my perspective, everything in the video made sense, but was based on either an average of weed or more likely a higher thc strain since they're more popular now. So I would love to see more studies looking at it as the spectrum it is
I am also interested in hearing about the different strains used. We well know that CBD is often beneficial for Physical health but that THC is a mind altering substance and is bound to have detrimental effects on mental health.
@ophiajahsoulworks6116 A good chunk of data shows a direct dose response of specifically thc with these negative effects. The other cannabanoids need much more research independently still but considering thc is the dominant psychoactive compound, it's pretty accurate to say more high =more negatives.
Dr huberman had a cannabis expert (they had some drama on twitter so look for that guy for the podcast episode) but it’s a solid podcast. Worth a watch
I’ve recently started smoking pot to help with my severe depression. I’m on antidepressants and find that I have a low-intensity enduring feeling of anxiety throughout the day. I definitely feel that I’ve gotten pretty strongly habitually addicted to pot and am currently trying to stop 😅 This definitely has given me more ammo on halting this bad habit of mine!
I'm lowk in the same boat but I've got it down. what I'd recommend is just incrementally lower the amount you take in succession, if you do choose to take high amounts take it at the end of the day but to where it's wearing off as you go to sleep (dr. k doesn't bring it up here but it's actually incredibly bad for your sleep even if you think it's improving it. this is actually just how sleep and sleep debt works in general), and at the beginning of the day micro-dose it. this has been massively helpful to me in pseudo-treating some problems, saving money, and improving my overall health.
Be careful mixing other substances with your antidepressant medicine. I'm not an expert, but i did read up on it before my first acid trip (same night i also smoked weed) and alot of shit can go REALLY bad when mixing shit without knowledge. Alcohol is one of those don't mix with ANYTHING, but weed did also have some suprising combinations that weren't physically fatal, but very bad for your mind and the trip in general. And some medications can 10x the paranoia and visuals which can quickly fuck with your mental health. Take care bud!
@@kin-of-orakio yes. Working out 6 days a week with an active rest day! Weed has def disrupted my quality of sleep which is another reason why I gotta stop haha
The recreational marijuana industry has ruined the enjoyability of weed for me as most products and flower have a very high THC content. I liked the mellow, creative, and giggly weed I occasionally had in high school pre-legalization in my state. The strong weed I've had now is hard to dose and just makes me dumb, and completely unable to socialize. It makes me fully recede into my head and unable to produce sentences. No thank you.
While I understand your concerns about potency creep, and I mean I can mirror them in some respects, I find the increased potency is rather handy for my chronic illness which at times flares up and my health rapidly deteriorates. It actually pulls me back up thanks to its effects on muscle spasticity. Suddenly, I'm no longer a cranky prick. Who woulda thunk that fixing pain also fixes bad mood. I think the industry needs a little more regulation and educational awareness narratives because right now we're in the middle of cannabis mania.
@@Execratos there's nothing wrong with high THC products being available. That's not what potency creep is. Potency creep would refer to the average THC % in the average cannabis product, going up over time. So on the whole, more people are consuming far more THC on average, than in previous decades. Thats the issue.
That's why I prefer growing my own. Homegrown weed is more mellow and balanced. And when I am writing it makes me more creative and words flow out of me. But sometimes you just get too high and it is hard to focus.
Im currently trying to quit thc. Ive smoked heavy every day for last 10 years and i wish i didnt but i loved it so much. Everything you said made sense to what I've been thru. Im glad you've said the truth i respect that. Gonna try my hardest to overcome this addiction and this helps but its definitely NOT easy man
Dude this exact same thing happened to me. Stopped using it a few months back and got a cannawater from my gas station to relax for the day and the second I got home this video got published lol
I feel like it really helped me push through survival mode when I was 18, reevaluate my childhood and thought about stuff I had long repressed. I feel like there was a notable difference in self-awarness/consciousness before and after consuming. That being said it just brought these memories back but i didn't cope at all, got super depressed feeling like I was a coward and kept smoking. I was using it like a crutch, barely went to class, really don't know how I graduated. Looking back at it, I spent 18 years just trying to avoid violence, then 5 years depressed about how I wasted my childhood. When I was 24 and doing something I was passionate about abroad, I remember thinking “damn I didn't know you could be this happy”. But after I came back I fell back into destructive habits. After 8 years of consuming it, I'm over a month clean. It was painfully clear that it had become a liability, especially the carts (carts really the devil man), I was just numb, letting days go by not doing much besides getting high and playing games. Learnt some coping techniques through cbt, feeling like I'm doing better, practicing mindfulness.
@@freezinginferno2106 the carts /vapes take the usage and addiction to a whole new level, so quickly. I'm turning 24 in December and have been smoking daily since I was 16. I think im done.
Not really like I don't know why ued comment that assuming. I'd do two pipes a day after work and never smoked the vapes cuz i didnt like em. Obviously worse off for it but if making wrong assumptions about people on the Internet makes u feel cool then go for it lol
It’s incredibly difficult to access therapy if you’re using or dependent on cannabis. Many therapists either outright refuse to work with you while you’re using it or demand that you stop completely before beginning treatment. This approach feels unrealistic, especially because cannabis is often being used to manage or suppress something deeper that’s not being addressed. What’s most frustrating-and a real shame-is that with proper therapy, cannabis use would likely decrease on its own. But that opportunity is being denied when therapists refuse to engage. On top of that, it’s deeply painful to talk to a therapist about cannabis. They often focus entirely on the cannabis use rather than the underlying issues, which makes it feel impossible to move forward. This is such an important part of the conversation, and it’s being completely mishandled in so many cases.
I'm surprised I don't see any positive comments here. Marijuana often makes me more motivated, especially a good sativa. As a PhD student and video editor, some of my most productive ideas, research, and art have come from a good high.
I also prefer a good sativa. It opens my mind while at the same time allowing for deep focus. I appreciate it for creativity with woodworking and also before intense exercise. More stimulating than numbing to the mind
A lot of people are sick of the over glorification of weed. I know as an addict it gets grating constantly hearing about how great this substance is and having my experience invalidated when I talk about how it doesn't benefit me. So I guess more people are starting to swerve in the opposite direction so to speak
The part about how it can help a lot with immediate relief but not long term made a lot of sense to me. I will say as someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, I've found that smoking can help prevent, or at least soften, a split. My rule is "if I'm about to off myself, I have to smoke first" and I will say 9/10 times it will dissolve my intense suicidal ideation. But then it's there a couple days later, and then the next day, and after the weekend, and so on. And I think once weed became my solution, I stopped committing to my DBT skills and other healthy life habits. It made me incredibly lazier and less motivated. And I'm still in the midst of that - I just smoked a little bit ago and i probably will smoke more tonight tbh. But if I look back at how things went after i started smoking, some things did not improve the way I thought that maybe they did in the moment. Like you said, it's weighing the pros and cons. And if I truly feel that intense where I am about to quit life itself, I like to have it around. But I really want to craft a more moderate use. I think it's possible even after a lot of use - it's just a very mindful process. I used to drink every single night, now I only drink alcohol for special occasions, and even then, it's a much more reserved usage. As an artist, I admire the creative possibilities that emerge while high! I think that's a benefit that isn't so much scientific in a clinical sense, but is still a very real benefit. And yet, chronic usage reduces your motivation to actually go out and accomplish things and realize ideas instead of just dreaming about them. Both idea time and execution time are important, and if you create too much of an imbalance, you don't actually set yourself up for success.
I'm sick of seeing people talk about the effects of weed without first talking about what leads people to a dependency. Mental health is the overwhelming factor that needs addressing, because simply quitting weed to replace that dependency with something else doesn't magically fix mental health or trauma history.
It’s a billion dollar business that makes many claims but acts as masking tape. If you do somatic experiencing , and work out all of the abuse, neglect, and trauma out of you’re body, learn to meditate, and adopt a mindfulness practice then weed or anything else is not required.
Low THC and higher CBD has been super helpful in my life with my ASD as I can go a lot further without feeling crippled by overwhelming stimuli, and has been good for my chronic pain condition in the past... but the weed on the market just gives me deep anxiety and heart palpitations. I have to take so little in order to not feel incredibly uncomfortable. It really blows honestly. I used to social smoke but now I don't because it just feels terrible for me at this point (I turned 30 earlier this year)
Dry Herb Vape + type 3 (I have flower with 23:1 CBD:THC ratio) is so much better than what’s considered the norm now. I can’t afford a MMJ card, but my care team is aware of the details and support my using it.
I was a daily smoker for my first 2 years of college and now that I’ve been sober for a couple months I feel so much better it’s actually astounding how much I didn’t realize weed was nerfing me. My classes now feel easier even though they’re objectively harder, it’s easier to wake up in the morning, and on the plus side whenever I decide to smoke again I’ll get wayyyyy more fucked up
I was a heavy marijuana user for a few years until I had a psychotic break. I had to drop out of college and it pretty much ruined my life for a while. If you have a family history of bipolar disorder or psychosis in your family PLEASE reconsider smoking weed regularly.
this happened to my older sister when i was in high school, and that shit scared me STRAIGHT. we didnt even know bipolar ran in the family. if it helps (for u or anyone else), she started yoga to manage her mental health which led to her finding her calling as a yoga instructor, and she found the love of her life who was also bipolar & going sober & now they keep each other accountable & are getting married! i just wanted to add that ending because even if i would not wish that nightmare upon anyone in the world, as long as you commit to improving (and admittedly, have a strong support system) things can absolutely get so much better🩵
I'm autistic and have bipolar disorder. When my mania hits, I have mixed episodes. Rather than being only manic, I'm depressed at the same time. So my depression gets energized. That's when suicidal ideation gets dangerous for me. Smoking weed chills me out enough that I don't feel like acting on the thoughts of suicide. But when I use while I'm depressed and not manic, it eases the emotional pain but it chills me out enough that I don't act on thoughts to improve my life. Weed is both good and bad for me when I use regularly. Keeps me alive when I need it and keeps me down the rest of the time. Took me waaaay too long to figure that out. Wasted my 20s and most of my 30s smoking weed every day. It's useful at times, but not all the time. Hopefully, with that knowledge, I can now not waste my 40s and build a life while I'm still physically healthy enough to do so.
My journey with weed taught me so many things. I'll never use it again, but I don't regret or beat myself up for using anymore. I've educated myself on it's effects, and realized the harm outweighs the benefits.
I relapsed so many times before I was able to officially quit smoking. My advice is that quitting isn’t the only thing you need to tackle, having a healthy diet and sleep schedule is key. One more thing i recommend is disciplining yourself from other vices like sugar and entertainment. All these things if not handled properly will make you uncomfortable and stressed which will make you seek an out, that’s where many people will relapse because if you feel like garbage from bad sleep, weed will make you feel better, if you feel like garbage from eating like garbage, weed will make you feel better.
I have social anxiety and at first, my social anxiety while being high felt worse than being sober. Currently, my social anxiety has improved over all from constant exposure to different social situations, both sober and high. I realized over time that while being high, my emotions are heightened and difficult to control, which led to some social dysfunction like crying uncontrollably during slight feelings of embarrassment. Since I began noticing these patterns over the past year, I’ve been trying to take better care of my emotional well being and at times, smoking weed did help me think through times of anxiety because it forced me to focus on one thing at a time and take things slow. I now try to practice this patience with myself in a sober state so soon I’ll be competent with putting this habit down.
I don't use marihuana at all, but I ocasionally eat magic mushrooms. When I finish some specific project and I know I will not have to be very focused in a couple of days I will eat a small piece of mushroom. Those days I listen to music, I sing and I look at my dog with lovey dovey eyes. It enhances the experience, it helps me focus on feeling my body and I have a good time. Some people tell me that I shouldn't do that, but I see it as drinking a beer after work, many people swear that it helps them decompress and all that. I take minimal dosis and I make my mushrooms last for months this way. I never, ever eat these before going to work and I wouldn't dare to drive in that state, I just hang out with my dog. I write if I want to and I reflect on the past days. One of my main issues in life is PTSD and the feeling that I can't rest or that I have to be alert, but this feeling gets a reset on those mushroom days. After it I feel light and happier, it lasts for months until I have some setback and I start feeling stressed again.
2 months sober from weed as of this week. I really resonated with this. Weed was an incredibly effective escape for me, but caused my problems to pile up, and my anxiety started bordering on psychosis. I'm now left with worsened adhd and my working memory is not what it used to be.
The biggest thing to consider is how long have you were smoking and how much. I've been a daily smoker for about 10 years now and I probably won't fully recover for 6 months to a year once I decide I'm ready to quit. Just give it more time fam. Your body and mind WILL recover/re-adapt
I think the most important thing he said is to limit usage to people over 25 years old. Trust me fellah's, partaking as a teenager or college student just isnt' worth it.
seriously like i was never more confused or mentally unwell than i was in high school and college…weed “fixing” me would have been a temptation i absolutely could not have resisted
I hung out with the weed groups during college because they were the only ones not actively pushing me away. They were chill with me being present. I didn't smoke much. Occasionally or share 1 J with them some days. They would go for 3-4 a sesh.
I use it for chronic pain and insomnia every day but also go to therapy twice a week and work pretty hard at it so I’ve appreciated having the science explained. It’s a lot to think about in my situation.
This was very insightful! Weed is "illegal" where I live but still pretty widely used as it's not illegal to be under the influence, just illegal to be in possession of. I struggle with occasional insomnia and a recent, unexplainable, and pretty severe uptick in anxiety and was ready to start smoking regularly to "help" with that, but now I'm definitely reconsidering. Moreover, if I'm being honest, I wanted to do it because it seemed like an easier option than what I most likely need, which is psychotherapy and getting in more exercise. But what is life if not embracing the suck, right?
I'm a recipient of medical cannabis. And also like using it recreationally. The way I check myself is before getting high is I ask myself "am I doing this to avoid feeling negative emotions?" If the answer is no, 420 time If the answer is yes, I abstain and do my best to sit with and process these feelings. I know all too well marijuana will help me deal in the short term but all these negative feelings will be waiting for me at the end of the high. With the addition of guilt for pushing them off. It's too easy to keep getting high to avoid engaging with hard feelings and that's when use turns from therapeutic to abuse for me.
I've been wanting to step away from the reefer because it's too expensive to build a tolerance, but I also enjoy it, and it does help with my MDD, ADHD, and PTSD. This video helped me set a goal to backpedal to once a week, or only during an episode. Great video, Dr. K!
It is too often we go from extreme to the other when it comes to substances. Your data driven nuanced approach is always a breath of fresh air on these topics
I experienced an ego death after smoking a bunch of weed and doing yoga with Alan Watts in the background. I just hope that me continuing to smoke doesn't backfire
Weed was the best and worst thing for me, like many others here have commented. It taught me to dream big, but also to chase highs. It made me force myself to do “productive” things while I was high just to prove it wasn’t making me lazy. It taught me to think deeply about things and learn, it also made me overthink and fixate on stuff I shouldn’t. It made me happy and made life more interesting, it also started to stress me out because I was ALWAYS high and it saddened me that my go to hobby was, well… nothing. Just smoking weed and going for walks I guess. And from that perspective, my life was far LESS interesting. But hey. At least i realized all of this. Now, I get the best of all worlds. I stay sober for all but one day per month. On that one day, I don’t allow myself to worry. I do what I enjoy while I am high. It usually leads to a great yoga session and something creative, like songwriting. My tolerance stays low. And I wake up the next day feeling refreshed, ready to keep moving forward.
Weed got me through some rough stuff, if you’re in a rut and you want to numb yourself while you get out, I won’t fault ya. But yeah I think I’m ready to think clearly again :) I just gotta remember to exercise daily to get that dopamine
@@Baptized_in_Fire.This is a really bad mindset that will keep you dependent on it. You can infact think clearly without it, you just need to make changes that support that such as good diet and exercise to reset the gut.
@@Baptized_in_Fire. I know exactly what you mean, people don't realize that weed affects autistic people differently. And I didn't start smoking until 26
Thank you Dr.K for being honest. I am 21yo and I have been using weed for 4 years now daily. I suffer from an anxiety disorder and insomnia, I knew it was something that wasn't necessary good for me nor did it help my with my mental issues. I guess if I truly want to feel better, I should stop, even if I enjoy it. I am going to do my best to reduce my intake from daily to weekly and less in the future. Please keep doing these videos, I truly enjoy them a lot !!
I work at a medical dispensary. The amount of pregnant people I have to sell weed to is disgusting, I'm not even allowed to refuse them even though it can damage the fetus. And then they brag about driving high, these people really don't understand how addicted they are and it's sad cause they not only put themselves in harms way, they actively and willingly put others in harms way because they're so addicted, they can't go 5 mins without smoking. It does help some people but the vast majority are just getting high and running away from their problems. It's very sad to see.
That’s really messed up, my wife quit cold turkey the second she found out she was pregnant. I now have a very healthy and happy 4 month old. She told me that her co-workers continued to smoke when they got pregnant and I was so disappointed. The science is pretty clear on smoking during a pregnancy.
@@StoneyPrimateThey're so addicted, they're willing to put their kids at risk and they don't even see it. Very sad. Glad your wife actually did her part. Also congrats on the baby!!!
Yes!! I also worked at a dispo and the amount of customers coming in actively high with bloodshot eyes was kinda scary. Like zombies almost, and of course they always wanted "whatever is the strongest" 🙄 I had to tell multiple people your brain only posseses so many THC receptors, and at a point the excess THC gets thrown away. And I also had to explain THC %s mean nothing because they all wanted 30%+ flower. Ridiculous. The 18% works JUST FINE.
I'm on week 3 of quitting weed for a minimum of 3 months. Everything you said in this video is what I was personally thinking when I made the decision to quit. I've been an all day, everyday smoker for about a decade(I'm 29 now). I preached that smoking helped with my anxiety and depression, only to recently realize that I was just numbing myself with weed the same way one would numb themselves with Xanax. I hope to be able to come back to it as an every once in a while thing that I can enjoy, but for now staying off of it, I believe, is the healthiest thing I can do for myself. Thank you for this video, I'm glad it came across my feed. PS. I'm not saying I'm the end all be all for this, if you can smoke all day and live a happy and healthy life, then toke up. I, however, cannot do that
Hey Dr K, love the videos, but you made a slight error in this video. Synthetic marijuana, or K2, is not THC. Instead, it’s synthetic chemicals that also activate the cannabinoid receptors.
Thank you for commenting this. I got the idea someone might hear him saying it's weed and go on to try synthetics because they think it's safer than the literal research chemical spice is. They could have a bad trip or even brain injury, and the worst thing about this is that they're marketed as legal weed so they would be none the wiser. Additionally, him saying shops sell them bc of legalization is the opposite of why they exist, those chemicals were introduced _precisely_ to avoid THC screening in urine samples since they were so unknown there were no laws to ban them. The measures to bypass the legislation have made the substance worse, not the other way round
I commented the same. He dont know what he's talking about. Thc at a low dose for long enough just works like an anti psychotics because of the tolerance development which can be viewed as a good thing without abuse of thc depending on ur condition.
Yeah I appreciate what Dr k is trying to do here but his approach to the science is a little sketchy. I think he's basically right but the way he's looking at the studies contains a lot of confirmation bias
Weed can be a double-edged sword, for sure. I smoke the ganja almost every day but sometimes it’s really best not to. Whether I’m feeling fearful of the future or anxious about daily my responsibilities, smoking weed does not help. It just makes me more anxious. That being said, smoking a joint while watching Dr. K is always a treat! 🌲🌲🌲
Weed users get so pissed when you tell them it's not all rainbow and sunshine. Like alcoholics and hard drug users are even more chill when confronted.
Tbf there's been a lot of lies and stigma associated with use . People were gaslighted into thinking it's all bad. If you're doing it in moderation and for the right reasons it can be beneficial.
@@Candidoppyeah i think OPs point though is that because it had been so gaslighted in the horrible direction people now gaslight it in a positive light and some people dont realize what they are doing by calling weed perfect
I had some trouble with THC addiction this year and went to an online community for help/guidance as I was experiencing THC withdrawal. I was honestly shocked by the response that I got from this space that was supposed to be for promoting moderation and supporting each other through tolerance breaks. People told me I was imagining things when I described my withdrawal symptoms. After what I experienced, I know first hand that there is not enough honest conversation happening about what weed does and how it can affect your mind and body. I had heavy daily use for about three months and experienced very, very unpleasant withdrawal when I stopped cold turkey. I had to take time off from work and needed support from my family to get through it. People in this online community were telling me that there's no way I could be having that kind of withdrawal after only using for a few months. But there I was, living it. I've been off weed for over a month now and my memory is still not back to normal. It only took a few months of me having a sort of breakdown and turning to weed as an escape for me to cause this kind of damage to my brain and body. People say it's a "safe" drug because you can't OD and die from it. But it really is not safe. It can be used responsibly, but obviously I'm not someone who was using it responsibly. And it fucked up my life pretty bad for a while there. I could have lost my job and had to embarrass myself by going to family for help with an addiction that I had fallen into very quickly. And it's not easy now to stay away from it tbh, even though I know it's bad for me.
Cannabis helped me lose a shit ton of weight, and put my t2 diabetes in remission. A1c 5.5 for over 3 years now. It helped me regain control over my health. It helped with pain, desensitize to overstimulation, and sensory discomforts, like sweating, and heat so I could be more active. Big problem with the current system is that prescribing it doesn't come with ongoing followup care and support across the medical professions. The guidance in using it effectively for different conditions just isn't there yet. Federal legalization could really help .
@@TEEANVEE there's the million dollar question. Something I have been exploring myself for the past four years. For some reason weightloss seemed easier while on cannabis than without. I believe it is multifaceted but possibly unique for me and my body chemistry. But it helps dull pain. It helps reduce hunger pains so intermittent fasting is easier, and movement feels better. It may or may not have chemical properties that affect metabolism. I had read that despite cannabis users consumming more calories than the average person, they also have lower body mass indexes. Does it possibly affect hormones which, especially for women, makes a huge difference in whether weightloss efforts are effective. When a woman is stressed or feels chronically unsafe, the body responds by conserving energy and stores more fat. The cannabis was a tool to healthier habits. Good habits build upon each other when you go into it with intention. I keep searching for available research on, but it's just not there yet and I have limited access. But basically when you feel good, it's easier to build on habits that make you feel good. After awhile, the need for cannabis diminishes as restoration of healthy sleep, activities, and eating become integrated into lifestyle.
In time, I expect that we will get more structured care/advice for utilizing it for different conditions. Having protoclos and medical guidance is essential. It's different than pharmaceuticals though. It is not precision medicine, but it can still be dialed in( to an extent) and have guidelines. There are absolutely ups and downs, risks alongside the benefits, and all those need to be considered and addressed. Full legalization can help alleviate many issues, and pave the way to better research and understanding of this plant.
After 10 years of daily/weekly/monthly and occasional weed usage my conclusion to a healthy consumption is the following; - don't smoke before 18 and if u do, do it once at a cricle of friends you a comfortable with beeing yourself. - don't smoke daily u have to trust me on that one - do not use to cope with trauma or at least only temporary (it's important that you have someone you can talk to/reflect) - if possible don't smoke alone (except if you're sick) - always respect the substance!
Cannabis has always been 50/50 here, really helped my life and really harmed my life. A lot of the problems of the data will be how people use cannabis, what dosage, what time of day. what strain (cbd/thc,) what frequency etc If we could talk about drug culture / education to maximise benefits and minimize harms we would see different results. There's a difference in the benefit of me smoking a fat high thc joint with tobacco at a time of high stress / boredom to escape - eating dominoes and watching a film VS having some well dosed cannabutter, going to the gym or a yoga class, heading home to make dinner and finish up the day with some chores before preparing for a new one. The reality is, the mass public are like the first example
I’m going to disagree with the idea education will fix all problems with marijuana use - we’ve had drug education in schools since the ‘70s, and still have rampant drug abuse and addiction issues. I don’t think one can legislate away the problem either. I do think that a more supportive ($$$) systematic availability to quality mental healthcare would be a good start.
As a former healthcare worker with schizoeffective and Bipolar 1 this video was very informative and is accurate i was on antipsychotics such as vraylar etc i stopped it because i found that cannabis helped treat my symptoms quality of life etc however initially when i first get high i go through a peak of paranoia and eventually it just subdues with breathing exercises, if you’re going through similar issues psych therapy ,exercise meditation sauna everyday and praying have really helped me manage these psychological disorders god bless i love this channel.
I have schizophrenia and take low dose antipsychotics, but I still have really bad negative symptoms, unless i take a single 1mg thc/5mg cbd edible, and redose every 4ish hours, then i can just get stuff done without needing herculean effort just to start a task. I don't do it often, and I do the breathing exercises if I start to feel anxious at any point. I also take breaks every so often that are 2-4 months long.
Usually if you initially experience paranoia when you first get high it means you are taking too much up front. Try taking a smaller dose initially and then taking following doses more frequently.
Loved this video, HG team. Very high quality. The papers and dedication to nuance were superb. I personally love the incorporation of scientific papers in videos like these. This video could be used as a gold standard for future videos. Keep it up!
Yeah I'm glad somebody brought receipts as well... so many smokers will cite the cop outs like "well it's not as bad as alcohol" and the fact that it's being trialed as medicinal and just run with those vibes, shutting down any actual nuance in their mind in service to justifying their addiction.
I used to tell myself "i smoke for arthritis/depression" and the truth is that it does help the symptoms but it's such a temporary fix. Now I'm more truthful "I smoke because I like to get high" and that approach i find to be much more healthy. I'm more likely to moderate if I see it like drinking a soda (something harmful i do once in awhile) than to say "it's ok to take more because I'm in pain" I urge anyone who is using for similar reasons to take a good honest look at yourself. And anyone who doesn't think they're dependent, try quitting for a few weeks and see how it goes. I never would've guessed I had become so dependent that quitting gave me insomnia/nightmares for a few weeks. We want it to be a miracle drug, and it is! But the truth is there's not a single exogenous substance you can take, that doesn't have some adverse drawbacks. Not only that but it's a big barrier to getting better job opportunities, and a huge money pit for someone who's not wealthy. Smoke responsibly folks.
@@Carlos.Riverathe difference is we actually need water to survive unlike any recreational drug, so the brain tries to convince you you need it when really you dont
@@mattpassos5689 most recreational drugs are also forms of medicine who just happen to have desirable side effects. For instance heroin is a very popular recreational drug because it can make you feel incredibly relaxed and generally care free, but it was also an incredibly important part of my treatment once because without something like that i would have been in far too much pain to ever sleep or eat.
No, moderation is not key. If you can't go without it and need to justify it you are habitually addicted to the substance or in case of alcohol most likely actively addicted to the substance. Weed isn't good for you and the reason people use it often enough make it worse because the only reason you should use it is if you are actively enjoying a euphoric setting and want to heighten that setting for a time once in a blue moon.
It's sad that studies involving drugs/medicines/treatments and nutrition all assume every human is exactly the same. The process misses the entire point by compiling data into a single number. If something is a total cure for 50% of people, and makes it much worse for 50% of people, this is an absolutely huge and incredibly important difference from something that has no effect at all, yet these are still treated as the same "no effect" result. Its especially backwards where it's possible to differentiate which of those groups an individual is in.
"The more pathologic your situation is, the more weed helps" - that makes SO MUCH sense on a subconscious level. No wonder abused and traumatised ppl including myself use it as a foot crutch, yet it can get too much. Every poison or venom in moderation. 🙏 Thanks Doc - you're our hero🌹
there needs to be a much bigger emphasis on the statement at around 29:15 about people using it not continuing other treatments. my brother is currently dealing with crippling anxiety so bad he had to drop out of school , he used to spend most days just screaming wailing and crying all day long, he sits around and smokes weed through out most days, despite that he still just wants to sit around wailing about how bad everything is while refusing to make any effort to do anything at all to get better, instead just smoke weed.
when i was super depressed and suicidal weed did actually help because one of my biggest problems was every experience felt the same no matter what i was doing for years at that point, it was driving me insane. i think i got high a total of 15 times and never had any again. i think it worked like that for me because i genuinely did not enjoy it 70% of the time but it had such a strong effect i was able to reset during that time. the last time i got high was awful and effected me for about a year after
Thank you for this information. I’ve smoked for 6 years and have been sober for a week. My withdrawls haven’t been bad but my bf has had severe withdrawal symptoms. We both decided it’s not worth the temporary feeling at this point, especially because we both have mental health conditions we are trying to manage the right way.
I honestly don´t care. If I have the choice between no medication, which means not being able to live or work a normal life, chemical medication which means a sleep cycle of 1day sleeping, 2 awake or the final option of using weed, which doesn´t help with work either but tremendously increases quality of life, then the "bad" option wins every time. If society wants people being viable members without drugs, change society. Might be my ADHD but for me it´s pretty hard to get stoned anyway. If you are concerned with that, there´s plenty of low THC sorts which give similar results with much less high. Not to mention the consume method plays a big role as well.
Just wanted to share my personal thoughts. The continuous use of marijuana will make you complacent with where you are at in life. I can't deny that i was happy, but I never progressed in any way. I guess it goes to show you that displeasure and pushing through the pain will make you a better person in the end
I don't get how you come to the conclusion that it doesn't help with insomnia when people are reporting that it helps with insomnia. It's helped my sleep a lot, Maybe it's a dosage/form thing idk. I take a very small dose gummy every night and it helps me fall asleep.
Psychology student from Poland here. Idk how it works where you guys live, but at our universities we have to work for free for a short period of time in bunch of places before we can graduate and one of places that I was doing it was in a high school, and one of things I did there was telling teenagers why not to do drugs. And they seemed to really like my lessons for I was telling them how that shit really works instead of just bullshitting them that if they do it they die instantly. During the lessons I focused on meth and other stimulants cause in Poland practicly noone is stupid enough to do harder drugs than that, but weed is something really popular and I prayed for them not to ask for this topick. It seemed kinda hard to find any data about why exactly weed is harmful, and now I finally have someone with a good research in this topick! Thanks, dr K 😊 I'm done with that school, but I'm pretty sure I'll use this knowledge.
We dont really understand your context I guess. But that sounds like saying “alchohol has done nothing but hurt me and my driving skills on the highway”
Got into smoking this summer and it coincided with and at least partially supported a series of life-changing realizations that made me quite a lot happier in recent months. However, as of recently, my use has become more problematic with diminishing returns and a subtle yet noticeable increase in anxiety and negative thoughts. I think weed was wonderful at the start because it was such a massive shock to my brain and opened up new perspectives which allowed me to explore avenues of my consciousness that I was never able to before (I started with edibles which I would not recommend but was absolutely the reason my highs felt almost psychedelic in the beginning). I am realizing now that I have been trying to chase that feeling of novelty which isn't going to happen, at least not with my use being as frequent as it is. I think weed was really helpful in introducing my brain to new ways of thinking and feeling, but you can quite quickly go overboard and as Dr K said, you stop doing the things that can actually help you because you think weed is doing all the heavy lifting, but in many cases it isn't.
It's actually really nice to get more insight because I've been looking everywhere on the long term and over all well being of the individual on weed, but I could never find a concrete answer. Thank you so much for this video, it was very helpful and helped me understand myself a bit more too!
Not all cannabis is the same. How the plant is grown and cared for makes a massive difference. Especially when it comes to meditation. Dr K is right, daily use of a shamanistic medicine is not advised. Life just sucks for most of us, most of us were raised by shit parents and cannabis helps us manage life. It’s still an addiction and is just a coping mechanism for the inner pain. I changed my life as a daily user and it was my last my crutch to drop.
Your videos about Marijuana alone have begun to REALLY show me how much I'm maybe putting myself into the mental illness I'm in or at the least it's amplifying my negatives. Sooooo I gotta quit, I don't like being sick in general so I Mena I gotta treat the illness of my brain the same lol. Thank you
I have Epilepsy and I will, occasionally, have CBD honey (with NO THC) in my tea in the evening. And it doesn't get me high, it can sort of quell some of the pre-seizure triggers I might have started to feel (like small twitches, headaches, some weird 'heart skips' if you will). But I've never been comfortable with weed, even when people would tell me "Hey pot can really help your seizures". Like, there are so many weird things that your brain COULD already do to you, that most of the people I know, even WITH neurological conditions, would rather use something CBD based and eliminate the "high" or euphoria state altogether.
Yess! I also have epilepsy and my neurologist always told me that CBD can be beneficial, but THC (that is what makes you high) can actually be dangerous. I think it is very important to understand the difference. Smoking some weed and getting high is not going to cure seizures, but CBD can absolutely help
Hi Dr. K, I wanted to speak on using MMJ to numb emotions. I used it for a year or so and I found my anxiety getting worse when I used it to alleviate negative emotions. However after lots of trial and error I understood a core principle: you have to feel your emotions to process them, otherwise those emotions will come back and be more persistent later. This creates that cycle of constant use and thinking "see, it's helping!" Though now when I feel negative emotions, I just sit with them and let them go, and then later when I'm feeling happy I feel comfortable using MMJ. This completely changed my mental health recovery and I'm now able to use MMJ to help me feel my deep emotions and bring them to the surface for me to sit with and let go. I don't think most people are able to make this distinction and chase the euphoria to dampen their negative emotions, even subconsciously. Hopefully one day we will discover how to best use MMJ and other substances for our own recovery progress safely
Please remember that while it's TRUE that cannabis is absolutely a safer choice than alcohol and most, if not ALL other drugs, it STILL isn't right for everyone. No. Also, I want to strongly warn against MIXED USE, for example if you consume a lot of alcohol and cannabis together over time, then that's a combination that can really start to mess with you.
It's not safer than cigarettes and if we are going on technical matters. Not safer than coffee. It is only safer than alcohol and mostly it's due to the safety of those around you. But weed it's up there
Speaking of mixed use this is probably odd to others but I had really bad times mixing cannabis with coffee or sugar. Especially all three together would make me feel insane.
@@SuperGoose42 TH-cam does not allow any links on comments so up to you to go to pubmed and do research in the literature. But basically cigarrete smoke and weed smoke are equally as unhealthy and damaging to our lungs, in fact, there are unique hydrocarbons from weed exposed in the smoke that cause extra damage to our tissue, cells, DNA, Microbiome among others. Smoke in general its terrible for you, but weed smoke comes with many more nasty surprises for your health
This is rough for me because I'm 17 and have been smoking cannabis since I was 14 and I've known it's bad for me for almost as long. I got addicted to it because I thought it had no harmful effects at first, but as I saw how moderately heavy daily usage was effecting my mental health I cut back my usage alot. At this point Im smoking way less than I used to, because it takes a lot less to get me high, but I've still consumed a lot of THC over a long period of time, and I have now learned that doing so in that period of time when I'm still developing has been deeply detrimental to my mental health, my memory, my long term reasoning, etc etc, and now I'm at a point where I can't delude myself into thinking it's helping my mental health somehow and I can recognize that I am addicted and I like getting high because I like how it feels, even when it makes me feel insane or anxious or I smoke knowing that I shouldn't, I still want to and I don't know how to break that desire, because i still find myself justifying it. Lately I've been smoking more than usual, for a while it would be like every other day roughly but lately it's been every day and my tolerance is actually going up which it wasn't for a while. I'm worried I have permanently damaged myself in a way I can't really heal, and that if I keep going at the rate that I am it's not going to even make that big of a difference compared to stopping completely, so I don't even feel like it's worth trying to quit. A big reason I still use cannabis is to cope with my loneliness. It kind of feels like I'm being held when I'm really high, and lately I've been relying on it for that. I have mostly been using it alone, or to be alone, because when I get high around others I get paranoid and anxious and often end up just self isolating, which is ironic considering I started smoking in the first place to try and make more friends. Unfortunately, in the long run, it has only done the opposite, and it often feels like I'm right back where I started 3 years ago, and like I'm permanently damaged already, so why not just keep enjoying it because it's not like I can be fixed (even when I don't always enjoy it and often times I just feel insane and have to ride it out, but some part of me actually likes that). Idk, it's a cop out, I know I should stop but I really want to keep using it recreationally and spiritually but it feels like that might be impossible for me at this point which makes me feel like that's just another way I have damaged myself and I won't be able to enjoy this thing I love without destroying myself because I was introduced to it too early and it all just makes me wanna smoke so I stop thinking about it even if i promised myself I wouldn't today (still haven't and still won't) I think the main reason I don't want to quit is that it makes me kinda manic and I think I love that feeling And because theres a sort of perverse freedom to giving into my impulses and just letting myself self destruct Anyway I'm pretty stuck and not sure where to go if anyone has advice that would be great I'm gonna talk to my therapist about this soon
It was kinda painful emotionally to watch this video, being high and bipolar and trying to fix my life… thank you for the information, I guess I have to start my sober journey 😔
Ff you want your life to get better as a bipolar, you need to get away from weed. Far away from it, weed with bipolar is like seeing a forest fire coming your way and then deciding to hide in a 18 wheeler full of gasoline. It really sucks, I know what you feel, I wish I never had to stop too. But when you get clean for a long time, you start to look at the situation from afar and then learn how, why and what the substance was doing with you. Life with bipolar is shit, but it can be less shit. I hope you get well soon!
A psychiatrist prescribed me with Rivotril medication for anxiety, 1/4 twice a day. I can confidently say that it helped me finish my studies. It helped me in many ways, frustration by being overly self critical while studying something new wasn't as painful, helped me not isolate as much which resulted in attending class, asking questions not just in class but also reaching out to people I've never talked to at the uni for help. Occasionally i would smoke weed while on it and it was scary, breathing stopped being automatic, i had to remind myself to breathe otherwise i was suffocating. Eventually Rivotril stopped working for me, probably built up tolerance
I think this is a great video because i dont think weed is a crutch that helps you with your problems, it just feels like. It really should only be used to enhance your experience on a special occasion. I can say this as someone who smokes weed everyday because I don't want to i literally just cant stop cuz im addicted. I'm gonna try to take it slower and get to that once a month stage but for now i can confidentiality say i agree with dr.K. marijuana is not some cure all that will solve your problems and isnt something that should be used daily. Cuz i just smoke to basically feel normal and i bet once i stop smoking so frequently ill feel way better. Its just hard to get to that point since im ADDICTED. but yeah thats my take thank you.
Hi, i'm a chronic weed smoker, and have been for 6 years, i'm 24, almost 25 now. i am diagnosed with adhd, and major depressive disorder, and with my ADHD, the RSD i got is REALLY bad, and weed helps me not really care about how i'm perceived from the outside, and i often don't really think about all the things that make me upset and i can just indulge myself, but lately the effect hasn't been nearly as strong, and i'm only sending this message because a lot of these weed videos mention weed and it's relationship with neurological disorders but it's just like a passing mention for the most part, all i really know is that things like mushrooms and weed shut off my Default Mode Network, which is apparently the reason my RSD isn't so bad when i'm high, i'd really appreciate it if there was a video getting more into weed and ADHD, because i'm thinking of quitting weed and switching to microdosing mushrooms in order to treat my severe ADHD and depression issues.
I’ve subconsciously been looking for these videos, partly because i know im addicted and i want someone to tell me its okay and im fine but the other half i get is “no you are addicted and its cause issues” and i see them, i feel them. I use it to mask my problems and when its not working i take more. These videos have allowed me to see what i need to do and what the same limit is. Thankfully its not expensive (yet) and its hasn’t ruined my life but i understand a healthy thing unmonitored can become unhealthy.
See doc .. the tracking and improving of said thing isn’t a goal of us chronic weed smokers … it’s simply having fun and enjoying life …. We scammed the studies only to get medical marijuna … if we truly had problems, we surly could improve them just like a non smoker …. I feel for the people who join the marijuana community with actually problems looking for a solution because you’re right, it doesn’t improve any complications …in conclusion they’re in for the money and we’re in for the enjoyment ! 20:00
As a person who has used it to help me tremendously in life, I absolutely love when people talk about the good and the bad. Yes it's helped me, but I also understand at times it's been a crutch and it does effect your mind. Learning to properly understand it and understand when it's helpful is essential to learning how to manage appropriate use to help people.
Imo as an addict, I suggest staying away from ALL drugs. People love to say marijuana is "natural". By the time you smoke it, it's not. Realistically, you shouldn't have to ingest something to feel good. Look, life sucks sometimes, but doing something to "take the edge off" leads to bigger problems that you don't need. Believe me..
"Natural" doesn't mean anything where else is it supposed to come from? The Nether realm? Poison dart frogs are natural too aren't they? Salt water covers ~70% of this planet so I would argue it could be seen as natural too. You still should not drink it.
@ketongu That's disingenuous and I think you know that. The body produces sugar and yes, ask anyone who's drank coffee and soda for years and they'll tell you the effects on their body when they stop.
I love that there is more research in this field. It's definitely a very complex piece of nature. In duality, maybe it can help us learn more about nervous systems and consciousness. I personally experienced pros and cons. Marijuana aided me in recovering from a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. It's also helped to me deal with trauma. It's helped me reach states of bliss, new perspectives, and creativity. As I say this, I know it's not for everyone. And it's definitely a cruel mistress if you abuse it. Also, it can get in the way of messing with REM sleep. Stay curious, everyone.
Dr. K is on point, here. Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow. Cannabis made me able to tolerate my life for a long time. It did nothing to help me truly accept my situation and do something about it.
I'm working steadily for a goal I deeply care about so the weed has been fine last 4 months. But I took a year off it and alcohol and sober Ben is way calmer and happier more often. When talking to other people, weed definitely increase my potential for social anxiety. It's nice to take long breaks and be able to look other people in the eye for a while. But for now, I am grinding and weed provides a nice ongoing distration from my tendency towards restlessness and going on trips after being in one place a while. I need to just stay where I am and keep doing what I'm doing and weed is wonderful for pleasantly drifting through a period of your life. I'll stop next summer when I get busy with the gardening work season, let sober Ben kick ass all summer and then chill and save more slowly next winter. That'll probably be enough money to buy some raw land and get going making gardens and planting nut and fruit trees. Gonna make abundance and eat it and share it :)
Anyone else feel kinda, like, alien with discussions like these? I don’t drink or smoke, never have in my life. Never felt like I needed to, but it’s like everyone around me no matter where I go has done before, does, or at least tolerates drinking or smoking. Maybe I’m just too sensitive coming from both parents having histories of addiction in some shape or form, but it’s like… we don’t *need* this stuff, but we encourage it like a rite of passage. I’m always feeling like a total alien when it comes to stuff like this.
I would have loved Dr. K focuses more in the difference between THC and CBD. While more THC weeds are made. In Europe, we have CBD legalized, and those contain a minimal amount of THC, and I think the benefits/side effects are different.
What does the research say for long term effects of weed for someone who has used it daily for a few months or years and then stopped? How long for a person to recover from them? Is it possible for some people to not ever recover fully?
As a heavy user for the majority of my adult life, from around 20 to 31, I'm 33 now. My takeaway is that it helps you avoid problems and stagnates your life if you allow it to. The problem is if you're constantly in a state of being high, you're never working on those problems or issues, you may think you are, but you aren't. That's why I believe people have panic/anxiety attacks when they never had issues before. Your problems continue to build and build while you continue to get high and avoid them, eventually it all boils over. I like to look at it like alcohol now, I use it every now and then, not daily, not even weekly. But I would be lying if I said it's easy, I still enjoy smoking, but I enjoy being sober more.
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [1/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vLGjxFL6U_I/mqdefault.jpg)
Smoking weed was the best and worst thing for my social life. I met so many friends through partaking. Unfortunately once I was stoned, I became socially inept and crippled with anxiety. So it brought me to the water, but I was unable to drink.
What
@@egodblessn6363 he is stoned right now
if the only benefit for you was a social circle, the good news is this is what every hobby where you meet up irl does.
@@xXx_Regulus_xXxHey man, what you wrote has given me a lot of food for thought, thank you stranger
woah well said
I love getting high and watching Dr. K tell us why marijuana is good but also bad
Real shiz
What I’m doing
Real asf
FR i literally just ripped
I feel called out
I think the biggest problem with drug culture is the lack of education, discussion, or guidance around the reality that it’s very rare for any drug to be taken on a daily basis without eventually becoming a crippling or degenerative problem in some way(s).
Also, I cannot thank you enough for explaining the importance of CBD being present in someone’s system whenever THC is being consumed.
@@BlakeElliott35 agreed man, when I was younger and didn’t understand it I would end up doing nothing but smoking but now that I know more on a neurological and physiological level I use it and it’s more of a net gain. It still has its negative but now that I know what those are I can just plan around it and make sure I do it at a time where that doesn’t come into play.
funnily enough thats true for stuff like caffeine too.
Its all about setting rules and sticking to them. If you just use things whenever you feel like it, you will feel like it more and more until its all you feel like doing. Saving it as a treat and rewarding your own discipline keeps you in check
Yeah, it always comes with downsides. For me, the weed has much less of them than my regular ADHD medication had though, it´s always a pros vs cons decision.
Bigest factor for addiction is your 9-5 anyway. If you can only work on mediaction, you´re addicted/reliant on them by design.
Yeah I can believe that there are some people that some drugs help but its a very small portion of the people who say that it helps them. I smoke weed but I dont lie about it to myself or anyone else and thats the only way to keep it under control. If you start lying to yourself youre gonna lose control.
So, Kurzgesagt and Healthy gamer both doing a video on weed the same week. Coincidence?!! Probably yes.
"explosion of research recently" still coincidence; i agree!
@@JJimskyit’s in the last few years, this last year about 4000 on pubmed and 2023 even more
When you're subscribed to research journals and a part of circles of practitioners and researchers, sometimes a lot of this reaches people following it at the same time too.
Be careful with that channel, though, they tend to be sponsored by bill gates foundation and similar rich people... Not all they say is fact based or for the well being of their viewers.
It's a start to understanding. If only we had more research behind it.
As someone with ADHD who basically screwed up their life and opportunities as a habitual smoker in their 20s… I’m glad you’ve presented this research. I hope folks younger than me take this seriously and do actually therapeutic treatment to work through their life problems rather than numbing themselves.
same, im only 21 tho and im quitting :) been about a week ❤
Daily smoker with depression. I suppose he’s right when he said those that are high stop doing things to rid of their problems haha
@@shrubbie69 I wish you all the best. I don’t know what your life is like, but be patient embrace the pain that comes with your growth. It’s all worth it in the end.
@@J-jizzy_ it’s like a quote in South Park: “[weed] makes you fine with being bored.”
Not necessarily just boredom, but complacent. Like Dr. K said, that’s ok for once a week or less, but only as a reset after tons of growth and hard work.
Love from another member of the ADHD tribe ❤
I had an association I'd like to share when reading your comment:
I don't know your circumstances. Since you said that you screwed up your life, some videos come to mind - on the topics of: gifted kids, needing to catch up, not being ready yet. (Not sure about the titles rn, but I think just these terms will likely be sufficient.)
Again, I don't know what your circumstances are, but I would encourage you to check those videos out to see if maybe your mind is tricking you into seeing a worse future than you actually are heading towards.
❤
I'm so happy to see certain topics being treated so openly by a specialist, wish tv was at least 70% about contents like this
Unfortunately this kind of content does not attract a lot of eyes in the mainstream mass media. Which means less ad revenue.
Great point! I also wish TV was like this
who even watches tv now
@@samaron still a big part of voters sadly
hightimes magazine has had a few articles with doctor's advice on the use of cannabis
My take away is people need to be honest with why they smoke weed.
"To enhance pleasure"
Once you accept you're doing it for recreation then you can put guardrails to avoic addiction.
Thank you Doc❤
This
I mean for me it’s not like that cannabis has dramatically improved my quality of life by stopping rapid degeneration of my jaw joint I wasn’t able to eat or talk and they told me I would need yearly steroid injections for the rest of my life started using cannabis haven’t needed another injection yet which is great because they’re extremely painful it goes right into the jaw joint so it’s a whole expensive painful surgery
@@nothanks9503 yeah, its important to note that there are severe conditions that this stuff can really help with.
@@nothanks9503that definitely sounds painful and like a serious and debilitating condition like dr k mentioned, there is evidence that it’s more beneficial for people with severe conditions but for the rest of us just trying to numb our daily lives for that euphoric feeling that washes over you when you take a hit… not so much lol
Light cannabis use (dry herb vapes) alongside therapy and positive lifestyle changes have been beneficial to my PTSD. Therapy and positive lifestyle changes were helping a bit, but adding a very light amount of cannabis helped me make better progress in therapy and with my lifestyle changes. Since I use such a light amount, I'm able to use it when practicing emotional regulation/reducing panic attacks at home so I can be better at managing my symptoms even when I'm not actively using.
I'm a medical card holder and follow my doctor's instructions. It is a tool like any other, and when part of a larger treatment plan, it can be a tremendously effective one. I would certainly have been OK without it, but I'm better off with than without.
EDIT: Also, VERY important! I didn't even try it for the first time until I was 32.
So you got PTSD later in life. Gotcha.
@Baptized_in_Fire. Haha no, I got PTSD as a teen, lived with it for a very long time, then finally got some proper support in my early 30's. It's been a wild ride.
Could you describe how much exactly you use and for how long? I also started in my 30s when it was legalized for Fibromialgia and general chronic pain and spasms and never smoked so do dry herb vape too. But rarely do videos say around how much is fine in quantities I can understand. I usually vape the bit that fits into it multiple times until it doesn't give much of an effect cuz it's dried enough and that can be in multiple days or one during my bad moments.
Brother, if you want your PTSD cured outright, i highly recommend EMDR therapy. It has ABSOLUTELY changed my life.
@@Baptized_in_Fire.That's no how PTSD as a developmental disease works, it's a dominos effect that accumulates into the perfect strom, not a singular event.
I was a heavy weed smoker for a couple years and stopped cold turkey last fall. It pretty much distracted me from my misery, and when I stopped, I basically dove head first into mindfulness, meditation, introspection, things like that. I cant remember how it happened, but I realized that no amount of weed was going to make me feel better and if I wanted to stop being so sad and feeling empty all of the time, I was gonna have to take my life by the balls and actually do something about it. And I did!
I'm much happier for it, albeit I still have moments when I struggle with depression and anxiety, but for me, the key to "beating" it was to change my mindset. I started smoking again at the beginning of summer every other week or so, and I'm thinking about quitting again because now it's just a fun thing to do, but the high is not so enticing anymore unless I'm focusing on something or lounging around for the day 😭 It didnt really help my anxiety and depression, but it did help me look at my life a different way and realize some really important things for myself.
I keep doing this same thing and unfortunately arriving at the same conclusion each time: No amount of willpower will get me the amount of money I need to live the life I want/need.
Because according to my parameters and paradigms in accordance with this unfortunate world (dumb, but unavoidable)- it would take an absurd amount, or an equally absurd stream of "income."
I wish I knew how to fix it. Can't even live in the woods or a trailer park due to some law or regulation or another. Y'know?
@@authaire the life you want is too much hard work, you say? Welcome to the real world...
now only if you had noticed you can do all of that while smoking and boost your introspection multiple-fold. Moderate chronic depression was essentially a weeks fix with some weed and meditation - haven't had problems in a decade almost :)
@@ErosArkheinym dr k just laid out years of clinical research and thats ur argument?
@@ErosArkheinym Well hey, everyone's different. What works for me might not work for you and vice versa, and that's okay 😊
The past 2 years I smoked all day every day, at work, at school, in bed, even just to spend time with my family. I recently quit for a new job that conducted a drug test, and I haven’t felt this good in a longggg time. Sobriety feels like a brand new drug and it’s now my favorite “drug”. I’m quite literally high on life and can’t wait for my next hit! 😋
you gotta get drug language out of your head
So happy for you!
Beautifully and accurately said.
This is awesome man, happy for you!
@@ketonguseems like a rhetorical device tbh, not pathological behavior
For me, the deal-breaker that led to me quitting cannabis was the dreamless sleep. Dreams are so important for memory consolidation and recontextualization. There are many examples of times when dreams helped me to reprocess trauma and other junk from my past.
Take melatonin and B vitamins...you shouldn't need drugs to have dreams. You probably just have a vitamin deficiency and don't get enough REM sleep
@@DishDetergent898i think what OP is saying is that marijuana stopped their dreams, and that was not good for them
@@DishDetergent898 Oh I meant I quit cannabis because it was affecting my sleep haha. Yes REM is super important!
For some odd reason i only dream on rare occasions, but mostly when i am depressed or in general anguish in life. Or atleast that's when i actually wake up and know/remember i dreamed. But i kinda stopped dreaming when i was around 18-19 years old. Maybe you can dream without remembering it?
@@ouwle6618If you smoke weed, it’s a known side effect to stop you from having dreams completely. I have dreamt maybe 5 times in the past 12 years I’ve smoked. I do really dislike that about it, I used to lucid dream 😢
I was a heavy weed smoker for a few years, starting when I was 17. It created a lot of problems for me and I have a lot of shame about that time in my life. I am still young though and am accepting that part of my journey, and in many ways, I am wiser from the experience
great mindset bro 🙏🏾 you’ll do well like this
bro is 18
@@matianz 100%
Glad you got out of it. Do your best to recover.
@@matianz23
Disabled Adult with Severe Chronic Pain, Major Depressive Disorder, long-term cannabis user and former "daily" opioid user. I find all this to be on point. Cannabis actually seems to aggravate my psychiatric symptoms to some degree. But the decrease in opiates that cannabis allows me to manage outweighs the negatives. I'm down from 140mg/week to 50mg/week.
Cannabis lets me _forget_ that I'm hurting. I can't emphasize how important that is when rawdogging pain.
I'm very active in therapy and I manage to keep things under control. After years of experimentation, I've found this to be _my_ happy medium.
Everyone has to find their own path. I wish you luck.
@@purplemicrodot58 I'm a chronic neurologic pain patient and you are so right. It definitely helps you detach from your body's experience and be able to actually function and do daily activities. The pain isn't gone like an opiate, you can just work with it better. I've seen so many friends lose their lives or ruin their lives using opiates. I can say since I never opted for opiates and have managed using weed for 10 years and it was the best decision I've ever made!
After 11 years of smoking every day ive finally decided to stop sedating myself. Thanks Dr K im almost a week sober now.
@@TheZackinater Good for you buddy! I was the same and I just surpassed a year clean. I had shakes, felt SO nauseous and had some scary nightmares. Hard to have a good sleep and appetite wasn't there. Two solid weeks of it and the hardest two weeks. Please keep pushing and find someone you can trust to keep you accountable! You got this!
Nice one!🙌
@@TheZackinater
I'm a 22-year-old male with ADHD, dysthymia, anxiety, unofficial BPD, EDS, and fibromyalgia, which causes chronic neuropathic pain. I’ve been consistently using medical marijuana for the last 5-6 months to manage pain and have a UK licence. While marijuana helps with anxiety and depression, I see it as a double-edged sword. It quiets my overactive mind, reduces overthinking, and helps me stay calm, allowing me to engage in social situations I’d normally avoid.
By using it as a tool, I’ve been able to gradually put myself in uncomfortable situations and, over time, do the same things without marijuana. I think of it like training wheels on a bike or SSRIs-it’s a support that helps you build the skills to manage independently. The key is using it thoughtfully to challenge yourself, rather than relying on it as a crutch. When approached this way, marijuana can be a helpful tool for mental health issues, alongside other strategies.
Oddly enough I feel it’s the opposite of what you described that’s what makes this so complex I like to take a toke then sit there and think on overdrive I’ll run over everything I did that day and that week and how I could have done better essentially fast forwarded meditation
And I see it as the opposite of training wheels for me it’s like popping a wheelie once you’re very good at a situation it adds a little extra challenge and keeps things from getting stale and tedious which improves my performance in substantial and measurable ways
I think i have all my agenda on cannabis and mushrooms, they put me in the right spot!
I Just tried shrooms for the first time last night, I've done acid and dippers, but shrooms was great, had me happy and let me almost create my reality in and unatural way if you know what I mean.
After my trip yesterday, I did understand why mushrooms are praised... you can have some beautiful experiences on them..
I can't find a source anywhere for any good psychedelics in my area I suffer from cptsd, any idea how to get ?
Can you help with a reliable source I would really appreciate it.
medicgael
Been smoking nightly for 5 years and have “quit” like 8 times. Quitting feels like catching up on what I’ve been running away from, and it’s so easy to run away again. Gonna try to quit again next week, hopefully I find a healthy substitute.
This is very relatable. I hope you find success. I’m nine months weed free and i still have some difficult weeks. It comes and goes, but I never want to go back. Good luck ❤
Tolerance to cannabis drops faster than it gains so maybe try a week on 5 days off?
@@nothanks9503This person wants to take back control over their life, not cut tolerance to smoke more efficiently.
I resonate with this, i def use it as a crutch sometimes. I working on cutting back, but life feels so overwhelming sometimes, that i have seasons of abusing it.
@@YouAreThatGuy I would start with exercise.
I read a study that suggested that exercise was the best was to cure depression.
-
First hand accounts of people I know and have seen on TH-cam have all started with taking walks.
It’s what I did to handle a difficult childhood.
Abusing weed could be a symptom of depression.
Regardless exercise is an excellent substitute.
Start with walks, transition to the gym maybe.
Your body and brain will help you if you give it a fair shot. Don’t try again next week.
-
Do it now
I used to smoke almost everyday for three years. I’ll be honest it helped me alot when i was having a hard time with life (getting over an ex, failing classes in college, etc etc) Weed really helped me loosen up and at the time it helped me stay in the moment. But at some point my mind started to suffer and i started to develop crippling social anxiety. What once saved me was now hurting me. Ive been 10 months sober and im happy i have my brain back.
Absolutely. The biggest reason to use imo is getting over a bad break up. Obviously it won't be a 24/7 fix but it assists you especially where you are extremely low. It might save some people from ending it
I started using weed about 3 months back. in the last 2 months its made me very introspective and reflective. It actually helped me get my life on track. I feel like I've not only found myself but accepted myself. I felt like it has helped me let go of past traumas and live in a way that's geared towards my life goals . I also would wake up with this weird sees of mental clarity in the morning after use. This is not to say it's not bad or anything( I've also had a panic attack from consuming too much) But my overall experience has been positive. Dr k usually talks about how people generally tend to "Slack off" after use or become less driven to do their healthy habits, for me its been the opposite. my "good habits" have been most consistent in a very long time. I've also decided to goon a long break just to regain tolerance and to see if there's any significant life improvements after leaving it. Ill report results late January next year. I would really love to hear if anyone had a similar experience.
Yes, for a lot of people the plant has healed a lot of trauma in peoples lives. It allows you a chance to separate from yourself and reflect on things from an outside view.
And the whole stigma of weed making you lazy is an old trope of strong Indica's. A strong Indica is basically a sedative. Best used to sleep at night. Where as a Sativa is like the coffee of cannabis. A good Sativa will put a pep in your step, and motivate you to act.
At the end of the day your healthy habits of daily life have very little to do with cannabis consumption. You're either a fat lazy slob, or you're not. It's not weeds fault.
Tbh I would be careful cause that’s how I started too, it felt like it did genuinely help me for a couple of months but I eventually ended up addicted to using weed and it became a daily heavy usage (like dr K said, I stopped doing things that ACTUALLY fix my problems)
I’ve had 2 fails on quitting and those times were total sh*t but learned a whole lot from that through introspection and almost ready to try a 3rd time with a more sophisticated plan than “let’s quit and wait until things get better”
This video is interesting to pop up in my feed, so i felt i should share my story.
A big topic in this video is about how people often aren't honest about marijuana whether it's about what benefits it provides people, or why people use it, and as a 10 year user of marijuana daily, to finally quitting cold turkey 4 days ago, PEOPLE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE WITHDRAWLS, it is AWFUL, and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. We need to be more honest about the fact that smoking anything isn't good for your body/lungs/brain, and although I'm on a new sober journey, I was honestly angry that I was never told how hard it is to quit when you've been dependent on something for years.
I have stomach pain, nausea, trouble sleeping, and nightmares every time I actually do get to sleep, headaches, anxiety, it is almost cyclical, I've vomited many times and only eaten about 1 meal per day and its very disheartening, I've lost almost 10 lbs. and people would tell me that is a good thing but I'm not someone who's overweight, I've always been a skinny dude, I don't have a lot of weight to lose.. :(
Another thing I've noticed after quitting is I get randomly VERY emotional. I was just talking to my fiancé about what I've been experiencing and I just burst into tears out of nowhere, and it felt good. I haven't cried like that in years. Almost like my body has built up this pressure and it's all coming out.
I'm pushing through and I feel I will be a better person at the end of it. Maybe there is a future where weed can be a small part of my life, but for now, I'm on the healing journey and I promise to anyone who thinks weed can't be harmful, you are lying to yourself. This isn't to discredit anyone who uses it sparingly in a medical sense, I just want to warn the folks that smoke recreationally and think they aren't doing damage to their bodies.
I really loved this. My only real issue is that those studies aren't defining what TYPE of weed they're using. I know these aren't super scientific terms but generally speaking, more CBD leaning indica strains have a calming effect. And the higher THC sativa strains (which are getting stronger and stronger bc they're popular) can cause more anxiety and even psychosis. So from my perspective, everything in the video made sense, but was based on either an average of weed or more likely a higher thc strain since they're more popular now. So I would love to see more studies looking at it as the spectrum it is
I am also interested in hearing about the different strains used.
We well know that CBD is often beneficial for Physical health but that THC is a mind altering substance and is bound to have detrimental effects on mental health.
@ophiajahsoulworks6116 A good chunk of data shows a direct dose response of specifically thc with these negative effects. The other cannabanoids need much more research independently still but considering thc is the dominant psychoactive compound, it's pretty accurate to say more high =more negatives.
Dr huberman had a cannabis expert (they had some drama on twitter so look for that guy for the podcast episode) but it’s a solid podcast. Worth a watch
I’ve recently started smoking pot to help with my severe depression. I’m on antidepressants and find that I have a low-intensity enduring feeling of anxiety throughout the day. I definitely feel that I’ve gotten pretty strongly habitually addicted to pot and am currently trying to stop 😅
This definitely has given me more ammo on halting this bad habit of mine!
I'm lowk in the same boat but I've got it down. what I'd recommend is just incrementally lower the amount you take in succession, if you do choose to take high amounts take it at the end of the day but to where it's wearing off as you go to sleep (dr. k doesn't bring it up here but it's actually incredibly bad for your sleep even if you think it's improving it. this is actually just how sleep and sleep debt works in general), and at the beginning of the day micro-dose it. this has been massively helpful to me in pseudo-treating some problems, saving money, and improving my overall health.
Be careful mixing other substances with your antidepressant medicine. I'm not an expert, but i did read up on it before my first acid trip (same night i also smoked weed) and alot of shit can go REALLY bad when mixing shit without knowledge. Alcohol is one of those don't mix with ANYTHING, but weed did also have some suprising combinations that weren't physically fatal, but very bad for your mind and the trip in general. And some medications can 10x the paranoia and visuals which can quickly fuck with your mental health. Take care bud!
Treat depression with exercise, weight lifting, and consistent regular sleep
@@kin-of-orakio yes. Working out 6 days a week with an active rest day! Weed has def disrupted my quality of sleep which is another reason why I gotta stop haha
@@Baditow thanks for the advice brother 🫡
“What makes it helpful and what makes it harmful?” Is an excellent introspective question!
The recreational marijuana industry has ruined the enjoyability of weed for me as most products and flower have a very high THC content. I liked the mellow, creative, and giggly weed I occasionally had in high school pre-legalization in my state. The strong weed I've had now is hard to dose and just makes me dumb, and completely unable to socialize. It makes me fully recede into my head and unable to produce sentences. No thank you.
Potency creep is a GIANT factor here. 99% of the negatives are only because of the insanely high dosages of the modern era.
While I understand your concerns about potency creep, and I mean I can mirror them in some respects, I find the increased potency is rather handy for my chronic illness which at times flares up and my health rapidly deteriorates.
It actually pulls me back up thanks to its effects on muscle spasticity. Suddenly, I'm no longer a cranky prick. Who woulda thunk that fixing pain also fixes bad mood.
I think the industry needs a little more regulation and educational awareness narratives because right now we're in the middle of cannabis mania.
@@Execratos there's nothing wrong with high THC products being available. That's not what potency creep is. Potency creep would refer to the average THC % in the average cannabis product, going up over time. So on the whole, more people are consuming far more THC on average, than in previous decades. Thats the issue.
That's why I prefer growing my own. Homegrown weed is more mellow and balanced. And when I am writing it makes me more creative and words flow out of me. But sometimes you just get too high and it is hard to focus.
Im currently trying to quit thc. Ive smoked heavy every day for last 10 years and i wish i didnt but i loved it so much. Everything you said made sense to what I've been thru. Im glad you've said the truth i respect that. Gonna try my hardest to overcome this addiction and this helps but its definitely NOT easy man
I know Dr. K always says he's not psychic but I just used cannabis for the first time in 10 years this week and now he's coming out with this video 😆
How was it? Thats quite an amount of time to be away from it then return. I'm curious what your experience coming back to it was like.
Dude this exact same thing happened to me. Stopped using it a few months back and got a cannawater from my gas station to relax for the day and the second I got home this video got published lol
exact same thing here lol i’m using today after an 8 month break 😅
Yeah. I'm an occasional user. I was just planning to get some for the weekend after a month. Next thing I know, this video pops up.
I feel like it really helped me push through survival mode when I was 18, reevaluate my childhood and thought about stuff I had long repressed. I feel like there was a notable difference in self-awarness/consciousness before and after consuming. That being said it just brought these memories back but i didn't cope at all, got super depressed feeling like I was a coward and kept smoking. I was using it like a crutch, barely went to class, really don't know how I graduated. Looking back at it, I spent 18 years just trying to avoid violence, then 5 years depressed about how I wasted my childhood. When I was 24 and doing something I was passionate about abroad, I remember thinking “damn I didn't know you could be this happy”. But after I came back I fell back into destructive habits. After 8 years of consuming it, I'm over a month clean. It was painfully clear that it had become a liability, especially the carts (carts really the devil man), I was just numb, letting days go by not doing much besides getting high and playing games. Learnt some coping techniques through cbt, feeling like I'm doing better, practicing mindfulness.
@@freezinginferno2106 the carts /vapes take the usage and addiction to a whole new level, so quickly. I'm turning 24 in December and have been smoking daily since I was 16. I think im done.
@@DuckTreeGaming Your lungs are cooked
Not really like I don't know why ued comment that assuming. I'd do two pipes a day after work and never smoked the vapes cuz i didnt like em. Obviously worse off for it but if making wrong assumptions about people on the Internet makes u feel cool then go for it lol
It’s incredibly difficult to access therapy if you’re using or dependent on cannabis. Many therapists either outright refuse to work with you while you’re using it or demand that you stop completely before beginning treatment. This approach feels unrealistic, especially because cannabis is often being used to manage or suppress something deeper that’s not being addressed.
What’s most frustrating-and a real shame-is that with proper therapy, cannabis use would likely decrease on its own. But that opportunity is being denied when therapists refuse to engage.
On top of that, it’s deeply painful to talk to a therapist about cannabis. They often focus entirely on the cannabis use rather than the underlying issues, which makes it feel impossible to move forward. This is such an important part of the conversation, and it’s being completely mishandled in so many cases.
I'm surprised I don't see any positive comments here. Marijuana often makes me more motivated, especially a good sativa. As a PhD student and video editor, some of my most productive ideas, research, and art have come from a good high.
I also prefer a good sativa. It opens my mind while at the same time allowing for deep focus. I appreciate it for creativity with woodworking and also before intense exercise. More stimulating than numbing to the mind
A lot of people are sick of the over glorification of weed. I know as an addict it gets grating constantly hearing about how great this substance is and having my experience invalidated when I talk about how it doesn't benefit me. So I guess more people are starting to swerve in the opposite direction so to speak
@@hex9077 Moderation is key, as in all things. No one should be compelled to distort their experience to meet someone else's artificial expectations.
@@draw4everyone completely agree 💯
The part about how it can help a lot with immediate relief but not long term made a lot of sense to me. I will say as someone with Borderline Personality Disorder, I've found that smoking can help prevent, or at least soften, a split. My rule is "if I'm about to off myself, I have to smoke first" and I will say 9/10 times it will dissolve my intense suicidal ideation. But then it's there a couple days later, and then the next day, and after the weekend, and so on. And I think once weed became my solution, I stopped committing to my DBT skills and other healthy life habits. It made me incredibly lazier and less motivated. And I'm still in the midst of that - I just smoked a little bit ago and i probably will smoke more tonight tbh. But if I look back at how things went after i started smoking, some things did not improve the way I thought that maybe they did in the moment.
Like you said, it's weighing the pros and cons. And if I truly feel that intense where I am about to quit life itself, I like to have it around. But I really want to craft a more moderate use. I think it's possible even after a lot of use - it's just a very mindful process. I used to drink every single night, now I only drink alcohol for special occasions, and even then, it's a much more reserved usage. As an artist, I admire the creative possibilities that emerge while high! I think that's a benefit that isn't so much scientific in a clinical sense, but is still a very real benefit. And yet, chronic usage reduces your motivation to actually go out and accomplish things and realize ideas instead of just dreaming about them. Both idea time and execution time are important, and if you create too much of an imbalance, you don't actually set yourself up for success.
I'm sick of seeing people talk about the effects of weed without first talking about what leads people to a dependency. Mental health is the overwhelming factor that needs addressing, because simply quitting weed to replace that dependency with something else doesn't magically fix mental health or trauma history.
It’s a billion dollar business that makes many claims but acts as masking tape. If you do somatic experiencing , and work out all of the abuse, neglect, and trauma out of you’re body, learn to meditate, and adopt a mindfulness practice then weed or anything else is not required.
Low THC and higher CBD has been super helpful in my life with my ASD as I can go a lot further without feeling crippled by overwhelming stimuli, and has been good for my chronic pain condition in the past... but the weed on the market just gives me deep anxiety and heart palpitations. I have to take so little in order to not feel incredibly uncomfortable. It really blows honestly. I used to social smoke but now I don't because it just feels terrible for me at this point (I turned 30 earlier this year)
Dry Herb Vape + type 3 (I have flower with 23:1 CBD:THC ratio) is so much better than what’s considered the norm now. I can’t afford a MMJ card, but my care team is aware of the details and support my using it.
I was a daily smoker for my first 2 years of college and now that I’ve been sober for a couple months I feel so much better it’s actually astounding how much I didn’t realize weed was nerfing me. My classes now feel easier even though they’re objectively harder, it’s easier to wake up in the morning, and on the plus side whenever I decide to smoke again I’ll get wayyyyy more fucked up
I was a heavy marijuana user for a few years until I had a psychotic break. I had to drop out of college and it pretty much ruined my life for a while. If you have a family history of bipolar disorder or psychosis in your family PLEASE reconsider smoking weed regularly.
this happened to my older sister when i was in high school, and that shit scared me STRAIGHT. we didnt even know bipolar ran in the family.
if it helps (for u or anyone else), she started yoga to manage her mental health which led to her finding her calling as a yoga instructor, and she found the love of her life who was also bipolar & going sober & now they keep each other accountable & are getting married! i just wanted to add that ending because even if i would not wish that nightmare upon anyone in the world, as long as you commit to improving (and admittedly, have a strong support system) things can absolutely get so much better🩵
Happened to me as well. Few months of just being straight 24/7 sent me thinking of the meaning of everything.
I'm autistic and have bipolar disorder. When my mania hits, I have mixed episodes. Rather than being only manic, I'm depressed at the same time. So my depression gets energized. That's when suicidal ideation gets dangerous for me. Smoking weed chills me out enough that I don't feel like acting on the thoughts of suicide. But when I use while I'm depressed and not manic, it eases the emotional pain but it chills me out enough that I don't act on thoughts to improve my life. Weed is both good and bad for me when I use regularly. Keeps me alive when I need it and keeps me down the rest of the time. Took me waaaay too long to figure that out. Wasted my 20s and most of my 30s smoking weed every day. It's useful at times, but not all the time. Hopefully, with that knowledge, I can now not waste my 40s and build a life while I'm still physically healthy enough to do so.
My journey with weed taught me so many things. I'll never use it again, but I don't regret or beat myself up for using anymore. I've educated myself on it's effects, and realized the harm outweighs the benefits.
I relapsed so many times before I was able to officially quit smoking. My advice is that quitting isn’t the only thing you need to tackle, having a healthy diet and sleep schedule is key. One more thing i recommend is disciplining yourself from other vices like sugar and entertainment. All these things if not handled properly will make you uncomfortable and stressed which will make you seek an out, that’s where many people will relapse because if you feel like garbage from bad sleep, weed will make you feel better, if you feel like garbage from eating like garbage, weed will make you feel better.
I have social anxiety and at first, my social anxiety while being high felt worse than being sober. Currently, my social anxiety has improved over all from constant exposure to different social situations, both sober and high. I realized over time that while being high, my emotions are heightened and difficult to control, which led to some social dysfunction like crying uncontrollably during slight feelings of embarrassment. Since I began noticing these patterns over the past year, I’ve been trying to take better care of my emotional well being and at times, smoking weed did help me think through times of anxiety because it forced me to focus on one thing at a time and take things slow. I now try to practice this patience with myself in a sober state so soon I’ll be competent with putting this habit down.
Anyone that has bad panic attacks from THC dosnt have enough CBD to balance it out. I switched up to a 1:1 ratio and it’s a game changer.
I don't use marihuana at all, but I ocasionally eat magic mushrooms. When I finish some specific project and I know I will not have to be very focused in a couple of days I will eat a small piece of mushroom. Those days I listen to music, I sing and I look at my dog with lovey dovey eyes. It enhances the experience, it helps me focus on feeling my body and I have a good time. Some people tell me that I shouldn't do that, but I see it as drinking a beer after work, many people swear that it helps them decompress and all that. I take minimal dosis and I make my mushrooms last for months this way. I never, ever eat these before going to work and I wouldn't dare to drive in that state, I just hang out with my dog. I write if I want to and I reflect on the past days. One of my main issues in life is PTSD and the feeling that I can't rest or that I have to be alert, but this feeling gets a reset on those mushroom days. After it I feel light and happier, it lasts for months until I have some setback and I start feeling stressed again.
Sounds like you’re using it with a healthy amount of moderation, good on you! 🙌
2 months sober from weed as of this week. I really resonated with this. Weed was an incredibly effective escape for me, but caused my problems to pile up, and my anxiety started bordering on psychosis. I'm now left with worsened adhd and my working memory is not what it used to be.
trust me it gets better
The biggest thing to consider is how long have you were smoking and how much. I've been a daily smoker for about 10 years now and I probably won't fully recover for 6 months to a year once I decide I'm ready to quit.
Just give it more time fam. Your body and mind WILL recover/re-adapt
I think the most important thing he said is to limit usage to people over 25 years old. Trust me fellah's, partaking as a teenager or college student just isnt' worth it.
seriously like i was never more confused or mentally unwell than i was in high school and college…weed “fixing” me would have been a temptation i absolutely could not have resisted
I hung out with the weed groups during college because they were the only ones not actively pushing me away. They were chill with me being present. I didn't smoke much. Occasionally or share 1 J with them some days. They would go for 3-4 a sesh.
I use it for chronic pain and insomnia every day but also go to therapy twice a week and work pretty hard at it so I’ve appreciated having the science explained. It’s a lot to think about in my situation.
This was very insightful! Weed is "illegal" where I live but still pretty widely used as it's not illegal to be under the influence, just illegal to be in possession of. I struggle with occasional insomnia and a recent, unexplainable, and pretty severe uptick in anxiety and was ready to start smoking regularly to "help" with that, but now I'm definitely reconsidering. Moreover, if I'm being honest, I wanted to do it because it seemed like an easier option than what I most likely need, which is psychotherapy and getting in more exercise. But what is life if not embracing the suck, right?
I'm a recipient of medical cannabis. And also like using it recreationally. The way I check myself is before getting high is I ask myself "am I doing this to avoid feeling negative emotions?"
If the answer is no, 420 time
If the answer is yes, I abstain and do my best to sit with and process these feelings. I know all too well marijuana will help me deal in the short term but all these negative feelings will be waiting for me at the end of the high. With the addition of guilt for pushing them off.
It's too easy to keep getting high to avoid engaging with hard feelings and that's when use turns from therapeutic to abuse for me.
I've been wanting to step away from the reefer because it's too expensive to build a tolerance, but I also enjoy it, and it does help with my MDD, ADHD, and PTSD. This video helped me set a goal to backpedal to once a week, or only during an episode. Great video, Dr. K!
It is too often we go from extreme to the other when it comes to substances. Your data driven nuanced approach is always a breath of fresh air on these topics
I experienced an ego death after smoking a bunch of weed and doing yoga with Alan Watts in the background. I just hope that me continuing to smoke doesn't backfire
It almost certainly will backfire one day, but one has to make mistakes to be able to learn, so follow your gut!
Weed was the best and worst thing for me, like many others here have commented. It taught me to dream big, but also to chase highs. It made me force myself to do “productive” things while I was high just to prove it wasn’t making me lazy. It taught me to think deeply about things and learn, it also made me overthink and fixate on stuff I shouldn’t. It made me happy and made life more interesting, it also started to stress me out because I was ALWAYS high and it saddened me that my go to hobby was, well… nothing. Just smoking weed and going for walks I guess. And from that perspective, my life was far LESS interesting. But hey. At least i realized all of this.
Now, I get the best of all worlds. I stay sober for all but one day per month. On that one day, I don’t allow myself to worry. I do what I enjoy while I am high. It usually leads to a great yoga session and something creative, like songwriting. My tolerance stays low. And I wake up the next day feeling refreshed, ready to keep moving forward.
Weed got me through some rough stuff, if you’re in a rut and you want to numb yourself while you get out, I won’t fault ya. But yeah I think I’m ready to think clearly again :) I just gotta remember to exercise daily to get that dopamine
I only think "clearly" on weed. I'm autistic AF tho
Coming out the fog is always the best. Living is better than not.
@@Baptized_in_Fire.This is a really bad mindset that will keep you dependent on it. You can infact think clearly without it, you just need to make changes that support that such as good diet and exercise to reset the gut.
@@Baptized_in_Fire. I know exactly what you mean, people don't realize that weed affects autistic people differently. And I didn't start smoking until 26
Thank you Dr.K for being honest. I am 21yo and I have been using weed for 4 years now daily. I suffer from an anxiety disorder and insomnia, I knew it was something that wasn't necessary good for me nor did it help my with my mental issues. I guess if I truly want to feel better, I should stop, even if I enjoy it. I am going to do my best to reduce my intake from daily to weekly and less in the future. Please keep doing these videos, I truly enjoy them a lot !!
I work at a medical dispensary. The amount of pregnant people I have to sell weed to is disgusting, I'm not even allowed to refuse them even though it can damage the fetus. And then they brag about driving high, these people really don't understand how addicted they are and it's sad cause they not only put themselves in harms way, they actively and willingly put others in harms way because they're so addicted, they can't go 5 mins without smoking. It does help some people but the vast majority are just getting high and running away from their problems. It's very sad to see.
That’s really messed up, my wife quit cold turkey the second she found out she was pregnant. I now have a very healthy and happy 4 month old. She told me that her co-workers continued to smoke when they got pregnant and I was so disappointed. The science is pretty clear on smoking during a pregnancy.
@@StoneyPrimateThey're so addicted, they're willing to put their kids at risk and they don't even see it. Very sad. Glad your wife actually did her part. Also congrats on the baby!!!
@@xombiebrainz I agree! Thank you!
Yes!! I also worked at a dispo and the amount of customers coming in actively high with bloodshot eyes was kinda scary. Like zombies almost, and of course they always wanted "whatever is the strongest" 🙄 I had to tell multiple people your brain only posseses so many THC receptors, and at a point the excess THC gets thrown away. And I also had to explain THC %s mean nothing because they all wanted 30%+ flower. Ridiculous. The 18% works JUST FINE.
That’s so disturbing 😔
I'm on week 3 of quitting weed for a minimum of 3 months. Everything you said in this video is what I was personally thinking when I made the decision to quit. I've been an all day, everyday smoker for about a decade(I'm 29 now). I preached that smoking helped with my anxiety and depression, only to recently realize that I was just numbing myself with weed the same way one would numb themselves with Xanax. I hope to be able to come back to it as an every once in a while thing that I can enjoy, but for now staying off of it, I believe, is the healthiest thing I can do for myself. Thank you for this video, I'm glad it came across my feed.
PS. I'm not saying I'm the end all be all for this, if you can smoke all day and live a happy and healthy life, then toke up. I, however, cannot do that
Hey Dr K, love the videos, but you made a slight error in this video. Synthetic marijuana, or K2, is not THC. Instead, it’s synthetic chemicals that also activate the cannabinoid receptors.
Yes he got it very wrong. It's two completely different things and saying that weed without CBD is synthetic weed is just such a wild statement.
Thank you for commenting this. I got the idea someone might hear him saying it's weed and go on to try synthetics because they think it's safer than the literal research chemical spice is. They could have a bad trip or even brain injury, and the worst thing about this is that they're marketed as legal weed so they would be none the wiser. Additionally, him saying shops sell them bc of legalization is the opposite of why they exist, those chemicals were introduced _precisely_ to avoid THC screening in urine samples since they were so unknown there were no laws to ban them. The measures to bypass the legislation have made the substance worse, not the other way round
I commented the same. He dont know what he's talking about. Thc at a low dose for long enough just works like an anti psychotics because of the tolerance development which can be viewed as a good thing without abuse of thc depending on ur condition.
Yeah I appreciate what Dr k is trying to do here but his approach to the science is a little sketchy. I think he's basically right but the way he's looking at the studies contains a lot of confirmation bias
Weed can be a double-edged sword, for sure.
I smoke the ganja almost every day but sometimes it’s really best not to. Whether I’m feeling fearful of the future or anxious about daily my responsibilities, smoking weed does not help. It just makes me more anxious.
That being said, smoking a joint while watching Dr. K is always a treat! 🌲🌲🌲
Weed users get so pissed when you tell them it's not all rainbow and sunshine. Like alcoholics and hard drug users are even more chill when confronted.
Tbf there's been a lot of lies and stigma associated with use . People were gaslighted into thinking it's all bad.
If you're doing it in moderation and for the right reasons it can be beneficial.
@@Candidoppyeah i think OPs point though is that because it had been so gaslighted in the horrible direction people now gaslight it in a positive light and some people dont realize what they are doing by calling weed perfect
It’s about balance
@@JustSkram addicts get pissed not all users are addicted same with alcohol
I had some trouble with THC addiction this year and went to an online community for help/guidance as I was experiencing THC withdrawal. I was honestly shocked by the response that I got from this space that was supposed to be for promoting moderation and supporting each other through tolerance breaks. People told me I was imagining things when I described my withdrawal symptoms. After what I experienced, I know first hand that there is not enough honest conversation happening about what weed does and how it can affect your mind and body. I had heavy daily use for about three months and experienced very, very unpleasant withdrawal when I stopped cold turkey. I had to take time off from work and needed support from my family to get through it. People in this online community were telling me that there's no way I could be having that kind of withdrawal after only using for a few months. But there I was, living it. I've been off weed for over a month now and my memory is still not back to normal. It only took a few months of me having a sort of breakdown and turning to weed as an escape for me to cause this kind of damage to my brain and body. People say it's a "safe" drug because you can't OD and die from it. But it really is not safe. It can be used responsibly, but obviously I'm not someone who was using it responsibly. And it fucked up my life pretty bad for a while there. I could have lost my job and had to embarrass myself by going to family for help with an addiction that I had fallen into very quickly. And it's not easy now to stay away from it tbh, even though I know it's bad for me.
Cannabis helped me lose a shit ton of weight, and put my t2 diabetes in remission. A1c 5.5 for over 3 years now. It helped me regain control over my health. It helped with pain, desensitize to overstimulation, and sensory discomforts, like sweating, and heat so I could be more active. Big problem with the current system is that prescribing it doesn't come with ongoing followup care and support across the medical professions. The guidance in using it effectively for different conditions just isn't there yet. Federal legalization
could really help .
And completely stopped drinking alcohol which was killing me.
@@habanerofirehow did weed help you lose weight??
@@TEEANVEE there's the million dollar question.
Something I have been exploring myself for the past four years. For some reason weightloss seemed easier while on cannabis than without. I believe it is multifaceted but possibly unique for me and my body chemistry. But it helps dull pain. It helps reduce hunger pains so intermittent fasting is easier, and movement feels better. It may or may not have chemical properties that affect metabolism. I had read that despite cannabis users consumming more calories than the average person, they also have lower body mass indexes. Does it possibly affect hormones which, especially for women, makes a huge difference in whether weightloss efforts are effective. When a woman is stressed or feels chronically unsafe, the body responds by conserving energy and stores more fat. The cannabis was a tool to healthier habits. Good habits build upon each other when you go into it with intention. I keep searching for available research on, but it's just not there yet and I have limited access. But basically when you feel good, it's easier to build on habits that make you feel good. After awhile, the need for cannabis diminishes as restoration of healthy sleep, activities, and eating become integrated into lifestyle.
In time, I expect that we will get more structured care/advice for utilizing it for different conditions. Having protoclos and medical guidance is essential. It's different than pharmaceuticals though. It is not precision medicine, but it can still be dialed in( to an extent) and have guidelines. There are absolutely ups and downs, risks alongside the benefits, and all those need to be considered and addressed. Full legalization can help alleviate many issues, and pave the way to better research and understanding of this plant.
After 10 years of daily/weekly/monthly and occasional weed usage my conclusion to a healthy consumption is the following;
- don't smoke before 18 and if u do, do it once at a cricle of friends you a comfortable with beeing yourself.
- don't smoke daily u have to trust me on that one
- do not use to cope with trauma or at least only temporary (it's important that you have someone you can talk to/reflect)
- if possible don't smoke alone (except if you're sick)
- always respect the substance!
Cannabis has always been 50/50 here, really helped my life and really harmed my life. A lot of the problems of the data will be how people use cannabis, what dosage, what time of day. what strain (cbd/thc,) what frequency etc
If we could talk about drug culture / education to maximise benefits and minimize harms we would see different results.
There's a difference in the benefit of me smoking a fat high thc joint with tobacco at a time of high stress / boredom to escape - eating dominoes and watching a film VS having some well dosed cannabutter, going to the gym or a yoga class, heading home to make dinner and finish up the day with some chores before preparing for a new one.
The reality is, the mass public are like the first example
I’m going to disagree with the idea education will fix all problems with marijuana use - we’ve had drug education in schools since the ‘70s, and still have rampant drug abuse and addiction issues. I don’t think one can legislate away the problem either. I do think that a more supportive ($$$) systematic availability to quality mental healthcare would be a good start.
As a former healthcare worker with schizoeffective and Bipolar 1 this video was very informative and is accurate i was on antipsychotics such as vraylar etc i stopped it because i found that cannabis helped treat my symptoms quality of life etc however initially when i first get high i go through a peak of paranoia and eventually it just subdues with breathing exercises, if you’re going through similar issues psych therapy ,exercise meditation sauna everyday and praying have really helped me manage these psychological disorders god bless i love this channel.
I have schizophrenia and take low dose antipsychotics, but I still have really bad negative symptoms, unless i take a single 1mg thc/5mg cbd edible, and redose every 4ish hours, then i can just get stuff done without needing herculean effort just to start a task. I don't do it often, and I do the breathing exercises if I start to feel anxious at any point. I also take breaks every so often that are 2-4 months long.
@ i do the 2-4 second breathing also i find it helps with impulsivity also
Usually if you initially experience paranoia when you first get high it means you are taking too much up front. Try taking a smaller dose initially and then taking following doses more frequently.
Loved this video, HG team. Very high quality. The papers and dedication to nuance were superb. I personally love the incorporation of scientific papers in videos like these. This video could be used as a gold standard for future videos. Keep it up!
Yeah I'm glad somebody brought receipts as well... so many smokers will cite the cop outs like "well it's not as bad as alcohol" and the fact that it's being trialed as medicinal and just run with those vibes, shutting down any actual nuance in their mind in service to justifying their addiction.
Haven’t smoked weed in roughly 9 months one of the best things I’ve done
Same I'm at 2 months. It was messing up my REM sleep done being chronically tired.
I used to tell myself "i smoke for arthritis/depression" and the truth is that it does help the symptoms but it's such a temporary fix.
Now I'm more truthful "I smoke because I like to get high" and that approach i find to be much more healthy. I'm more likely to moderate if I see it like drinking a soda (something harmful i do once in awhile) than to say "it's ok to take more because I'm in pain"
I urge anyone who is using for similar reasons to take a good honest look at yourself.
And anyone who doesn't think they're dependent, try quitting for a few weeks and see how it goes.
I never would've guessed I had become so dependent that quitting gave me insomnia/nightmares for a few weeks.
We want it to be a miracle drug, and it is! But the truth is there's not a single exogenous substance you can take, that doesn't have some adverse drawbacks.
Not only that but it's a big barrier to getting better job opportunities, and a huge money pit for someone who's not wealthy.
Smoke responsibly folks.
Like any drug, moderation is key
Like everything. Water is healthy but drinking to much, and your body will have hipocalemia and could get a heart arrest
@@Carlos.Riverathe difference is we actually need water to survive unlike any recreational drug, so the brain tries to convince you you need it when really you dont
yes, like cocaine
@@mattpassos5689 most recreational drugs are also forms of medicine who just happen to have desirable side effects. For instance heroin is a very popular recreational drug because it can make you feel incredibly relaxed and generally care free, but it was also an incredibly important part of my treatment once because without something like that i would have been in far too much pain to ever sleep or eat.
No, moderation is not key. If you can't go without it and need to justify it you are habitually addicted to the substance or in case of alcohol most likely actively addicted to the substance. Weed isn't good for you and the reason people use it often enough make it worse because the only reason you should use it is if you are actively enjoying a euphoric setting and want to heighten that setting for a time once in a blue moon.
Ball out of the park with this one Dr.K, I thank you for your marvelous insights and perspectives
It's sad that studies involving drugs/medicines/treatments and nutrition all assume every human is exactly the same. The process misses the entire point by compiling data into a single number. If something is a total cure for 50% of people, and makes it much worse for 50% of people, this is an absolutely huge and incredibly important difference from something that has no effect at all, yet these are still treated as the same "no effect" result. Its especially backwards where it's possible to differentiate which of those groups an individual is in.
"The more pathologic your situation is, the more weed helps" - that makes SO MUCH sense on a subconscious level. No wonder abused and traumatised ppl including myself use it as a foot crutch, yet it can get too much. Every poison or venom in moderation. 🙏 Thanks Doc - you're our hero🌹
Thanks for telling me the reasons I realised already. Helps me move on.
there needs to be a much bigger emphasis on the statement at around 29:15 about people using it not continuing other treatments. my brother is currently dealing with crippling anxiety so bad he had to drop out of school , he used to spend most days just screaming wailing and crying all day long, he sits around and smokes weed through out most days, despite that he still just wants to sit around wailing about how bad everything is while refusing to make any effort to do anything at all to get better, instead just smoke weed.
when i was super depressed and suicidal weed did actually help because one of my biggest problems was every experience felt the same no matter what i was doing for years at that point, it was driving me insane. i think i got high a total of 15 times and never had any again. i think it worked like that for me because i genuinely did not enjoy it 70% of the time but it had such a strong effect i was able to reset during that time. the last time i got high was awful and effected me for about a year after
Thank you for this information. I’ve smoked for 6 years and have been sober for a week. My withdrawls haven’t been bad but my bf has had severe withdrawal symptoms. We both decided it’s not worth the temporary feeling at this point, especially because we both have mental health conditions we are trying to manage the right way.
I honestly don´t care. If I have the choice between no medication, which means not being able to live or work a normal life, chemical medication which means a sleep cycle of 1day sleeping, 2 awake or the final option of using weed, which doesn´t help with work either but tremendously increases quality of life, then the "bad" option wins every time.
If society wants people being viable members without drugs, change society.
Might be my ADHD but for me it´s pretty hard to get stoned anyway. If you are concerned with that, there´s plenty of low THC sorts which give similar results with much less high.
Not to mention the consume method plays a big role as well.
Just wanted to share my personal thoughts. The continuous use of marijuana will make you complacent with where you are at in life. I can't deny that i was happy, but I never progressed in any way. I guess it goes to show you that displeasure and pushing through the pain will make you a better person in the end
I don't get how you come to the conclusion that it doesn't help with insomnia when people are reporting that it helps with insomnia. It's helped my sleep a lot, Maybe it's a dosage/form thing idk. I take a very small dose gummy every night and it helps me fall asleep.
Psychology student from Poland here. Idk how it works where you guys live, but at our universities we have to work for free for a short period of time in bunch of places before we can graduate and one of places that I was doing it was in a high school, and one of things I did there was telling teenagers why not to do drugs. And they seemed to really like my lessons for I was telling them how that shit really works instead of just bullshitting them that if they do it they die instantly. During the lessons I focused on meth and other stimulants cause in Poland practicly noone is stupid enough to do harder drugs than that, but weed is something really popular and I prayed for them not to ask for this topick. It seemed kinda hard to find any data about why exactly weed is harmful, and now I finally have someone with a good research in this topick! Thanks, dr K 😊 I'm done with that school, but I'm pretty sure I'll use this knowledge.
Marijuana has done nothing but hurt me and my career
you got all wrong, Marijuana is for those who want to avoid a career (and artists)
@@coldkuroithat's a very broad and generally incorrect observation
Maybe more specifically, daily cannabis use is for those who don't want those things /artists. I sort of get it.
We dont really understand your context I guess.
But that sounds like saying “alchohol has done nothing but hurt me and my driving skills on the highway”
@@BraveProgramZ looks like you smoke a lot of weed. 😂😂
Got into smoking this summer and it coincided with and at least partially supported a series of life-changing realizations that made me quite a lot happier in recent months. However, as of recently, my use has become more problematic with diminishing returns and a subtle yet noticeable increase in anxiety and negative thoughts. I think weed was wonderful at the start because it was such a massive shock to my brain and opened up new perspectives which allowed me to explore avenues of my consciousness that I was never able to before (I started with edibles which I would not recommend but was absolutely the reason my highs felt almost psychedelic in the beginning). I am realizing now that I have been trying to chase that feeling of novelty which isn't going to happen, at least not with my use being as frequent as it is. I think weed was really helpful in introducing my brain to new ways of thinking and feeling, but you can quite quickly go overboard and as Dr K said, you stop doing the things that can actually help you because you think weed is doing all the heavy lifting, but in many cases it isn't.
I started smoking weed primarily for relaxation and later discovered its potential benefits through research.
It's actually really nice to get more insight because I've been looking everywhere on the long term and over all well being of the individual on weed, but I could never find a concrete answer. Thank you so much for this video, it was very helpful and helped me understand myself a bit more too!
Not all cannabis is the same. How the plant is grown and cared for makes a massive difference. Especially when it comes to meditation. Dr K is right, daily use of a shamanistic medicine is not advised. Life just sucks for most of us, most of us were raised by shit parents and cannabis helps us manage life. It’s still an addiction and is just a coping mechanism for the inner pain. I changed my life as a daily user and it was my last my crutch to drop.
Your videos about Marijuana alone have begun to REALLY show me how much I'm maybe putting myself into the mental illness I'm in or at the least it's amplifying my negatives. Sooooo I gotta quit, I don't like being sick in general so I Mena I gotta treat the illness of my brain the same lol. Thank you
I have Epilepsy and I will, occasionally, have CBD honey (with NO THC) in my tea in the evening. And it doesn't get me high, it can sort of quell some of the pre-seizure triggers I might have started to feel (like small twitches, headaches, some weird 'heart skips' if you will). But I've never been comfortable with weed, even when people would tell me "Hey pot can really help your seizures". Like, there are so many weird things that your brain COULD already do to you, that most of the people I know, even WITH neurological conditions, would rather use something CBD based and eliminate the "high" or euphoria state altogether.
Yess! I also have epilepsy and my neurologist always told me that CBD can be beneficial, but THC (that is what makes you high) can actually be dangerous. I think it is very important to understand the difference. Smoking some weed and getting high is not going to cure seizures, but CBD can absolutely help
Hi Dr. K, I wanted to speak on using MMJ to numb emotions. I used it for a year or so and I found my anxiety getting worse when I used it to alleviate negative emotions. However after lots of trial and error I understood a core principle: you have to feel your emotions to process them, otherwise those emotions will come back and be more persistent later. This creates that cycle of constant use and thinking "see, it's helping!" Though now when I feel negative emotions, I just sit with them and let them go, and then later when I'm feeling happy I feel comfortable using MMJ. This completely changed my mental health recovery and I'm now able to use MMJ to help me feel my deep emotions and bring them to the surface for me to sit with and let go. I don't think most people are able to make this distinction and chase the euphoria to dampen their negative emotions, even subconsciously. Hopefully one day we will discover how to best use MMJ and other substances for our own recovery progress safely
Please remember that while it's TRUE that cannabis is absolutely a safer choice than alcohol and most, if not ALL other drugs, it STILL isn't right for everyone. No. Also, I want to strongly warn against MIXED USE, for example if you consume a lot of alcohol and cannabis together over time, then that's a combination that can really start to mess with you.
It's not safer than cigarettes and if we are going on technical matters. Not safer than coffee.
It is only safer than alcohol and mostly it's due to the safety of those around you. But weed it's up there
@@ViDeToolsource?
What's the result of prolonged mixed use of weed and alcohol? I haven't heard anything about this, I'm genuinely curious
Speaking of mixed use this is probably odd to others but I had really bad times mixing cannabis with coffee or sugar. Especially all three together would make me feel insane.
@@SuperGoose42 TH-cam does not allow any links on comments so up to you to go to pubmed and do research in the literature.
But basically cigarrete smoke and weed smoke are equally as unhealthy and damaging to our lungs, in fact, there are unique hydrocarbons from weed exposed in the smoke that cause extra damage to our tissue, cells, DNA, Microbiome among others.
Smoke in general its terrible for you, but weed smoke comes with many more nasty surprises for your health
This is rough for me because I'm 17 and have been smoking cannabis since I was 14 and I've known it's bad for me for almost as long. I got addicted to it because I thought it had no harmful effects at first, but as I saw how moderately heavy daily usage was effecting my mental health I cut back my usage alot. At this point Im smoking way less than I used to, because it takes a lot less to get me high, but I've still consumed a lot of THC over a long period of time, and I have now learned that doing so in that period of time when I'm still developing has been deeply detrimental to my mental health, my memory, my long term reasoning, etc etc, and now I'm at a point where I can't delude myself into thinking it's helping my mental health somehow and I can recognize that I am addicted and I like getting high because I like how it feels, even when it makes me feel insane or anxious or I smoke knowing that I shouldn't, I still want to and I don't know how to break that desire, because i still find myself justifying it. Lately I've been smoking more than usual, for a while it would be like every other day roughly but lately it's been every day and my tolerance is actually going up which it wasn't for a while. I'm worried I have permanently damaged myself in a way I can't really heal, and that if I keep going at the rate that I am it's not going to even make that big of a difference compared to stopping completely, so I don't even feel like it's worth trying to quit. A big reason I still use cannabis is to cope with my loneliness. It kind of feels like I'm being held when I'm really high, and lately I've been relying on it for that. I have mostly been using it alone, or to be alone, because when I get high around others I get paranoid and anxious and often end up just self isolating, which is ironic considering I started smoking in the first place to try and make more friends. Unfortunately, in the long run, it has only done the opposite, and it often feels like I'm right back where I started 3 years ago, and like I'm permanently damaged already, so why not just keep enjoying it because it's not like I can be fixed (even when I don't always enjoy it and often times I just feel insane and have to ride it out, but some part of me actually likes that). Idk, it's a cop out, I know I should stop but I really want to keep using it recreationally and spiritually but it feels like that might be impossible for me at this point which makes me feel like that's just another way I have damaged myself and I won't be able to enjoy this thing I love without destroying myself because I was introduced to it too early and it all just makes me wanna smoke so I stop thinking about it even if i promised myself I wouldn't today (still haven't and still won't)
I think the main reason I don't want to quit is that it makes me kinda manic and I think I love that feeling
And because theres a sort of perverse freedom to giving into my impulses and just letting myself self destruct
Anyway I'm pretty stuck and not sure where to go if anyone has advice that would be great I'm gonna talk to my therapist about this soon
It was kinda painful emotionally to watch this video, being high and bipolar and trying to fix my life… thank you for the information, I guess I have to start my sober journey 😔
Ff you want your life to get better as a bipolar, you need to get away from weed. Far away from it, weed with bipolar is like seeing a forest fire coming your way and then deciding to hide in a 18 wheeler full of gasoline. It really sucks, I know what you feel, I wish I never had to stop too. But when you get clean for a long time, you start to look at the situation from afar and then learn how, why and what the substance was doing with you. Life with bipolar is shit, but it can be less shit. I hope you get well soon!
A psychiatrist prescribed me with Rivotril medication for anxiety, 1/4 twice a day. I can confidently say that it helped me finish my studies. It helped me in many ways, frustration by being overly self critical while studying something new wasn't as painful, helped me not isolate as much which resulted in attending class, asking questions not just in class but also reaching out to people I've never talked to at the uni for help. Occasionally i would smoke weed while on it and it was scary, breathing stopped being automatic, i had to remind myself to breathe otherwise i was suffocating. Eventually Rivotril stopped working for me, probably built up tolerance
I think this is a great video because i dont think weed is a crutch that helps you with your problems, it just feels like. It really should only be used to enhance your experience on a special occasion. I can say this as someone who smokes weed everyday because I don't want to i literally just cant stop cuz im addicted. I'm gonna try to take it slower and get to that once a month stage but for now i can confidentiality say i agree with dr.K. marijuana is not some cure all that will solve your problems and isnt something that should be used daily. Cuz i just smoke to basically feel normal and i bet once i stop smoking so frequently ill feel way better. Its just hard to get to that point since im ADDICTED. but yeah thats my take thank you.
Hi, i'm a chronic weed smoker, and have been for 6 years, i'm 24, almost 25 now. i am diagnosed with adhd, and major depressive disorder, and with my ADHD, the RSD i got is REALLY bad, and weed helps me not really care about how i'm perceived from the outside, and i often don't really think about all the things that make me upset and i can just indulge myself, but lately the effect hasn't been nearly as strong, and i'm only sending this message because a lot of these weed videos mention weed and it's relationship with neurological disorders but it's just like a passing mention for the most part, all i really know is that things like mushrooms and weed shut off my Default Mode Network, which is apparently the reason my RSD isn't so bad when i'm high, i'd really appreciate it if there was a video getting more into weed and ADHD, because i'm thinking of quitting weed and switching to microdosing mushrooms in order to treat my severe ADHD and depression issues.
Finally, some good fucking Pot
@@bcurtis785 reading that in Gordon Ramsey's voice is mandatory
@@okaysavage2564ah u made this better
🫖
@@okaysavage2564 this purp is bloody RAWWWW
I’ve subconsciously been looking for these videos, partly because i know im addicted and i want someone to tell me its okay and im fine but the other half i get is “no you are addicted and its cause issues” and i see them, i feel them. I use it to mask my problems and when its not working i take more.
These videos have allowed me to see what i need to do and what the same limit is. Thankfully its not expensive (yet) and its hasn’t ruined my life but i understand a healthy thing unmonitored can become unhealthy.
See doc .. the tracking and improving of said thing isn’t a goal of us chronic weed smokers … it’s simply having fun and enjoying life …. We scammed the studies only to get medical marijuna … if we truly had problems, we surly could improve them just like a non smoker …. I feel for the people who join the marijuana community with actually problems looking for a solution because you’re right, it doesn’t improve any complications …in conclusion they’re in for the money and we’re in for the enjoyment ! 20:00
As a person who has used it to help me tremendously in life, I absolutely love when people talk about the good and the bad. Yes it's helped me, but I also understand at times it's been a crutch and it does effect your mind. Learning to properly understand it and understand when it's helpful is essential to learning how to manage appropriate use to help people.
Imo as an addict, I suggest staying away from ALL drugs. People love to say marijuana is "natural". By the time you smoke it, it's not. Realistically, you shouldn't have to ingest something to feel good. Look, life sucks sometimes, but doing something to "take the edge off" leads to bigger problems that you don't need. Believe me..
Yeah I know man I just need to learn to control my anger, I have to get high or drunk to shut myself down so to speak so people don’t get hurt
what about sugar and protein and caffeine
"Natural" doesn't mean anything where else is it supposed to come from? The Nether realm? Poison dart frogs are natural too aren't they? Salt water covers ~70% of this planet so I would argue it could be seen as natural too. You still should not drink it.
@ketongu
That's disingenuous and I think you know that. The body produces sugar and yes, ask anyone who's drank coffee and soda for years and they'll tell you the effects on their body when they stop.
@@bgirl8565 The body produces endocannabinoids too. This entire thread is silly
I love that there is more research in this field. It's definitely a very complex piece of nature. In duality, maybe it can help us learn more about nervous systems and consciousness. I personally experienced pros and cons. Marijuana aided me in recovering from a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. It's also helped to me deal with trauma. It's helped me reach states of bliss, new perspectives, and creativity. As I say this, I know it's not for everyone. And it's definitely a cruel mistress if you abuse it. Also, it can get in the way of messing with REM sleep. Stay curious, everyone.
Dr. K is on point, here.
Sometimes the truth is hard to swallow.
Cannabis made me able to tolerate my life for a long time. It did nothing to help me truly accept my situation and do something about it.
I'm working steadily for a goal I deeply care about so the weed has been fine last 4 months. But I took a year off it and alcohol and sober Ben is way calmer and happier more often. When talking to other people, weed definitely increase my potential for social anxiety. It's nice to take long breaks and be able to look other people in the eye for a while. But for now, I am grinding and weed provides a nice ongoing distration from my tendency towards restlessness and going on trips after being in one place a while. I need to just stay where I am and keep doing what I'm doing and weed is wonderful for pleasantly drifting through a period of your life. I'll stop next summer when I get busy with the gardening work season, let sober Ben kick ass all summer and then chill and save more slowly next winter. That'll probably be enough money to buy some raw land and get going making gardens and planting nut and fruit trees. Gonna make abundance and eat it and share it :)
Anyone else feel kinda, like, alien with discussions like these? I don’t drink or smoke, never have in my life. Never felt like I needed to, but it’s like everyone around me no matter where I go has done before, does, or at least tolerates drinking or smoking.
Maybe I’m just too sensitive coming from both parents having histories of addiction in some shape or form, but it’s like… we don’t *need* this stuff, but we encourage it like a rite of passage. I’m always feeling like a total alien when it comes to stuff like this.
I feel alienated as someone who enjoys weed and alcohol
Sometimes people feel that they need that stuff and - as data shows - sometimes it works. But sometimes it harms.
I would have loved Dr. K focuses more in the difference between THC and CBD. While more THC weeds are made. In Europe, we have CBD legalized, and those contain a minimal amount of THC, and I think the benefits/side effects are different.
What does the research say for long term effects of weed for someone who has used it daily for a few months or years and then stopped? How long for a person to recover from them? Is it possible for some people to not ever recover fully?
As a heavy user for the majority of my adult life, from around 20 to 31, I'm 33 now. My takeaway is that it helps you avoid problems and stagnates your life if you allow it to. The problem is if you're constantly in a state of being high, you're never working on those problems or issues, you may think you are, but you aren't. That's why I believe people have panic/anxiety attacks when they never had issues before. Your problems continue to build and build while you continue to get high and avoid them, eventually it all boils over. I like to look at it like alcohol now, I use it every now and then, not daily, not even weekly. But I would be lying if I said it's easy, I still enjoy smoking, but I enjoy being sober more.