Marijuana Vs Benzo Drugs

[shoulderblades]

My experience with cannabis is both positive and negative.

The positives for me are that it can take me away from my own head for a while and helps me to examine the world without the lens of sadness. I have had many great and mind-blowing epiphanies due to weed that have helped form my worldview and my understanding of life. I'm very thankful for that.

The negatives for me are that it is easily abused and using it as a means to cope can lead not only to lack of productivity and functionality, but also to a distorted, foggy sense of reality that can provoke paranoia and anxiety if used too much. This is in my experience, anyway.

Cannabis is itself not addictive, but it sure is easy to become dependent on it for maladaptive coping reasons. I therefore think that if a person wishes to smoke cannabis that they examine what it is they want to achieve out of smoking it first and to make sure it is not motivated by a fear or unwillingness to face problems (because those problems WILL surface while smoking it if you're not dealing with things, which is what can lead to the paranoia and the anxiety).

There was a point in my life where I was smoking weed on a daily basis to cope and it was doing bad things to my head; I had effectively become dependent on it and was not dealing with anything. Nowadays, I still smoke it but only occasionally, only socially in the company of people I feel safe to get high around, and with a great deal of self-regulation and self-discipline.

As for benzos, I just steer clear of them altogether because they mostly are physically addictive.

I take Seroquel (anti-psychotic) to aid with anxiety, to help with sleep, to help with nightmares and flashbacks, and to help regulate my mood (I have bipolar as well as C-PTSD). I feel safer taking that as it is not physically addictive like benzos generally are, and it does a very good job of keeping me calm and stable. Seroquel, like any drug, isn't for everybody, though.

 

[MarineVet]

When I was on benzo's I was more relaxed, but when it wore off my symptoms got so much worse. I've been benzo free for 8 months and overall I'd say my situation has improved.

 

[mamachick]

I dont have much experience with pot, never bought or could not roll a joint. I have smoked a hit about once a year for past few years. Always made me laugh and lighten up. Had a different experience. Yes, my head left my body. I blacked out and came to in a compromising place. I will stick to my benzo's. I dont like having to take, but can't tolerate the anxiety either.

 

[Fart Smella]

Unfortunately for me Laws in Australia are very strict when it comes to cannabis use. I was using "pot" for 41 years as it was my way of escaping reality ... it worked !

I have found myself in a lot of hot water over the years because of having cannabis in my possession, smoking cannabis and growing cannabis which has obviously compounded my anxiety. Until earlier this year I have gone undiagnosed PTSD and was never treated nor had counselling.

Because I face more trouble with regard the Law and the Justice System, I am unable to use cannabis or it'll mean a lengthy stretch in gaol. I am now prescribed Citalopram (40mg daily) and it does seem to be helping. I know that pot will also work but it masks the problem and that means it'll never go away. My therapist is a beauty, she has helped immensely and I look forward rather than back ... suppose in that regard I am one of the lucky one's.

Each to their own but be careful how much pot you smoke/consume, it too has side effects. They are long lasting as I can attest to.

 

[Fart Smella]

May add here that my Doc prescribed benzos for me initially to help with my anxiety but as I came to terms with my condition WE were of the opinion that to cease the use of benzo was better than to continue.

I'm far from 100%, I have good and very bad days. I still dream and have nightmares most nights and find myself up at the most godly of hours (such as tonight @ 2.15am), not being able to sleep, trying to work out what is going on in my head etc. These are times that I know that a BIG joint would help to knock me out, make me sleep well but could also land me in the clink.

Rock <> Hard place .... yep, that's where I find myself.

 

[mamachick]

That is an accomplishment to get off of benzo's if your are still having strong symptoms.
I know that my body has become dependent on them now and have tried giving up and at 72 hours without, thought I would seize.

I have never become addicted or dependent on anything else (except cigarettes) and while I do not like, dont think its the right time for me. Some say they can add to depression, which concerns me, but I take anti depressant and that only keeps me tolerant of life. I think I am still dysthemic at least.

 

[heidi]

Thanks for the responses. This kind of information has been lacking from my research. I really appreciate it.

I quit benzos and it was quite the neural shakedown. I've been having an acutely hard time since I quit. It's hard to tell if it's due to quitting or if that's how I was before. Benzos helped but they hurt in other ways. I would go back if I felt it was a life saving measure but nothing short of that.

 

[Dillon]

For me marijuana is an amazing drug to help deal with day to day life. It especially helps with anger outbursts, sleep, and giving your brain a bit of time where it isn't working 200%. The lack of negative side effects and the positive attitude that comes with it have helped me and others I know through some really rough patches.

I am an advocate of marijuana, no doubt, but it's definitely not a long term solution to a problem and is better used to treat symptoms and not causes when talking about PTSD.

 

[user27357]

I have had experience with both. I used Marijuana almost daily from the first time I was exposed to it until I quit when I found out my wife was pregnant and I was going to have to take a career job and pass urine tests. My son is 28 now and I could go back to it, even legally now because I live in a US state that has legalized it.

My Benzo use was over several years at a low dose, prescribed by an intake nurse at my first appointment with a doctor outside of the HMO I was with for many years. The HMO refused to even fill the prescription when I had double coverage with the non HMO provider.

Quitting Marijuana was a chore because my social world involved only people that used, we were tied by other common interests and activities, but the main thing I had in common with most of my friends at the time was that we had been high together many many times. It was tough to be the outsider and start missing the invitations and "just stopped by" visits that were common between us. I was left behind or chose to leave behind my entire social group over about a 2 year period of abstinence from using the drug.

Benzos were probably more beneficial for my PTSD symptoms, definitely more reliable. Being reliant on a drug that you can go to a pharmacy and get is so much better than having to rely on your own ability to find and buy illegally was a strong negative. Having large supplies was at the time I was using not an option unless you were willing to hold felony amounts and I wasn't. The Benzos are legal and reliable but the withdrawals were more physically and mentally difficult by a factor of probably 4 or 5 times over.

But, at this point in my life, I went back on them. My thinking is that when the time comes that I am too dependent on them again or their effects have diminished again and I want to be free of them I will be able to use the marijuana to help with the withdrawals this time. II am using the Benzo's to bridge to a time when I will be able to use the weed again, in retirement, and fully legal, thanks to the free thinking government of my state.

Just an aside- throughout the history of our nation whenever the individual states have passed laws that were in conflict with federal laws, the feds have come around at about the 35 state level. Voting age, women's rights, gay rights, there are many examples of the 35 for and 15 (or 13) against ratio being the tipping point. We are officially at 3 states and the District of Columbia right now, with decriminalization and medical use in many more states. There is a close to 80% approval rating nationwide for the legalisation and that number will only increase as the "war on drugs" generation passes the torch to the children of the 60's and beyond. Marijuana has an approval rating 1 and a half times more than our president and ten times that of the speaker of the house right now according to a recent survey reported on NPR. I am sure other surveys could be questioned in ways that would change those ratios but those are the ones I choose to believe. Let's all hope it is legalized federally so PTSD sufferers in every state will be able to at least see if it works for them.

 

[mamachick]

I cannot survive without my benzo, I know I am addicted. I also have come off them a few times by my own choice. Then something happens and the triggers I am weak and cave in to. I have been on low dose, higher dose, tapered down as things calm a bit. I now use melatonin as well to sleep. I did use benadryl but the dr thinks I have Sjrodgrens syndrome which cause mouth and eyes to dry out.

Marajuana is illegal where I live, and I would not want that trouble, although I have tried it a few times. It did not hlep ptsd but did make me laugh and eat. But once I think it was laced because I blacked out. I dont want to use something that I do not know what it contains. If I could try ihe medical type, I might find it helpful. I have accepted that I may be dependent on benzos for the rest of my life.

 

[Roy L]

Both Marijuana and benzos have some similar effects. I've used both. Here's what I think are the differen...

And which benzos would you say mimic or imitate cannabis best?

 

[temsha]

Cannabis does have its side effects, forgetfullness being the most troublesome for me. Benzos on the other hand can cause serius side effects when you decide you dont want to take them for the rest of your life. I vape or eat edibles twice a week, at least 3 days apart so my body can clear it out of my system without accumulating, since it has a long half life in the body. Not a perfect drug but better than benzos.