Panic attacks can feel breathtaking and unbearable, and only the people who go through them know what it is like to have a near-death experience more often.
Cannabis, also known as weed and marijuana, is one of the drugs used to cure mental health conditions like panic attacks, depression and anxiety. However, higher doses can have the opposite impact.
A study reported that 16.9% of medical marijuana users in California used cannabis to manage panic attacks. Yet, ironically, high doses of THC can exacerbate or induce them, especially in individuals predisposed to anxiety. This shows that weed and panic attacks have a love-hate relationship and the outcome is based on the dosage and purpose.
This blog will be an eye-opening guide for you to understand how weed and panic attacks relate to each other and how you can get the best treatment to cure attacks caused by over dosage of weed.
What Are Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks, as the name says, are an unexpected and extreme surge of fear or discomfort followed by physiological reactions and mental distress. Every year, around 11% of the US population experience panic attacks and females are more likely to experience one than males. These episodes can occur without warning and peak within minutes, leaving individuals staggered and unmanageable.
Some of the widely known symptoms of panic attacks include:
- A racing heart that is not in control
- Breath shortness
- A tight pressure on your chest, a similar feeling to a heart attack
- Sudden rounds of sweat, feeling too hot or too cold
- Shaking physically
- Fear of “losing control,” fainting, or even dying
While panic attacks can occur due to stress or anxiety, substances like cannabis can sometimes act as unexpected triggers.
The Effects of Weed on the Brain
Using weed for pleasure can result in constant dependence on the brain to get that “high” from an external substance. Although weed, in most common terms, refers to flowers, dried leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. Due to its therapeutic properties, it is used for medicinal and recreational purposes.
According to a Harvard study, people who start heavy recreational marijuana before 16, while their brains are still developing, can impact their frontal cortex, resulting in poor memory, attention and judgment abilities.
Looking deep into this, weed, also known as marijuana, has two major components-
- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol): It is a psychoactive compound and is responsible for the “high” feeling in the human brain, resulting in mood variations, thinking ability, and motor skills.
- CBD (cannabidiol): It is a non-psychoactive compound known for its therapeutic and calming effects.
Hence, whenever we see weed or cannabis as a way to relax our mind, it’s the CBD or cannabidiol component in work. Counterintuitively, when we talk about weed and panic attacks, the main source of panic attacks and anxiety is the presence of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
How Weed Can Trigger Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are one of the major side effects of using weed(cannabis) as a medicine to cure mental health problems.
For some users, weed doesn’t produce the mellow experience they expect. Instead, it can overstimulate the brain, mimicking the body’s fight-or-flight response. This is how weed can trigger panic attacks in individuals with mental health issues:
- Increased heart rate: THC can cause a rapid heartbeat, which may feel similar to the onset of panic.
- Alters their sense of reality: People with weed-induced panic attacks can find difficulty in getting a real sense of time
- Paranoia and racing thoughts: High THC doses can distort perception and cause anxious or fearful thinking.
- Hyper-awareness of bodily sensations: Small physical changes (like breathing or heartbeat) might feel magnified, leading to panic.
Essentially, the brain reacts as if it’s facing a threat, even when there’s none, leading to a full-blown panic attack.
Common Factors that Increase the Likelihood of Panic Attacks from Weed
High doses of cannabis can cause the heart rate to increase resulting in sudden uneasiness. Several factors can influence how cannabis affects you:
- THC Potency: High-THC strains are more likely to cause anxiety.
- Dose: Overconsumption, especially with edibles, can lead to prolonged and intense effects.
- Tolerance Levels: Infrequent or new users are more sensitive to THC.
- Mental State: Pre-existing anxiety, stress, or a bad mood can amplify negative effects.
- Environment: Being in an unfamiliar or overstimulating setting can make panic more likely.
- Genetics: Your brain chemistry and sensitivity to cannabis play a role.
When to Seek Help for Panic Attacks Induced by Weed
Understanding the link between weed and panic attacks is important as it helps you prepare yourself and seek the right help when needed. Here’s when you can self-sooth while experiencing a panic attack:
- Breathing deeply to calm your heart rate.
- Reminding yourself that the sensations are temporary and will pass.
- Drinking water and staying in a calm, safe environment.
- Distracting your mind with relaxing activities like listening to calming music
If the symptoms persist, seeking professional help is important.
- Recurrent Panic Episodes: If panic attacks become a pattern, cannabis might not be right for you.
- Lingering Anxiety: If you feel anxious or paranoid even after the high wears off, consult a mental health professional.
- Difficulty Coping: If the experience is too overwhelming, reaching out to a counselor or psychiatrist can help.
- Underlying Anxiety Disorders: If you already struggle with anxiety, a doctor can provide better coping strategies or alternatives.
Managing a panic attack triggered by weed requires staying calm, practicing deep breathing, and finding a safe, distraction-free environment. If symptoms persist or worsen, seeking professional support can help address cannabis-related anxiety and ensure your well-being.
FAQs
Q: Can weed give you panic attacks?
A: Weed containing high levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can make you feel high in a negative direction and induce panic attacks.
Q: Who is at high risk of panic disorder?
A: If you have a family history of panic attacks, depression, anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, or any other mental health condition, you develop a higher chance of panic disorders.
Q: How do I stop panic attacks?
A: For immediate relief, practicing breathing and common grounding techniques can help you gain control of yourself and get yourself back to the present. If this persists consistently, you should seek medical help.
Q: How long does it take for your brain to recover from weed?
A: It can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for your brain to get out of the high that weed has provided to your brain.
Q: How long does a weed-induced panic attack last?
A: A weed-induced panic attack can last for about 5-20 minutes, but the anxiety and uneasiness that come with these attacks can persist for a few hours.
How Avisa Recovery Can Help You!
Panic attacks can leave people feeling that the world is moving too fast and is unraveling at the light’s speed. Additionally, THC components in weed can increase panic attacks in an individual, leaving people confused, anxious, and not in control. Professional guidance and regular checkups can help cure panic disorder and give you the comfort you always wanted.
At Avisa Recovery, we apply diverse therapeutic methods, including talk therapy, psychotherapy, CBT, etc., to provide personalized treatment catering to individual requirements. Our outpatient panic attack treatment can help you make symptoms of your weed and panic attacks better. We understand that everyone’s experience with panic attacks is unique. That’s why our approach is highly personalized. Your journey begins with an in-depth assessment, during which we gain insights into your triggers, symptoms, and goals. This step can be transformative in your journey. Don’t let panic attacks dictate your life.
