Newsletter

Panic Anxiety Education
Management Services

The Link Between Marijuana Use and Panic and Anxiety

Many of you will wonder why we are doing a feature on marijuana. Many people would not even consider marijuana as having any connection with anxiety and panic. However, over the last year or so, a growing trend has arisen. We are are receiving more-and-more contact from people who have developed an Anxiety Disorder as a result of using marijuana or some other non-prescription drug. Many of these people are bewildered at the results of using this drug just even once. So, as marijuana is recognized as being one of the causes of panic attacks and anxiety, we felt a spotlight should be thrown on marijuana and other mind altering drugs.

Many people argue for the legalization of Marijuana. Certainly, it is seen as a harmless recreational drug which seems to have very few ill effects. However, more-and-more research is looking into the short and long-term effects of Cannabis or marijuana. Some people may use marijuana with little negative side-effect. Others, more dangerously, may trigger an effect that will impact greatly on their lives.

For many people, they will use marijuana just once, and have the effect of ongoing panic attacks, dissociative symptoms or even worse. Young people today know little of the adverse effects that may result from the recreational use of this drug. However, more-and-more people are now presenting with panic attacks or anxiety disorders which were triggered by the use of marijuana.

If in doubt about the link between marijuana and panic attacks--read on:

Q. I need an answer on this as soon as possible please. Can drugs such as Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, GHB possibly cause panic/anxiety attacks. I can't find any information on this. So anything you can provide regarding panic attacks and drugs would be helpful and greatly appreciated. The only thing I did read was that panic attacks associated/caused by drugs would not be considered panic attacks. I have the symptoms so why wouldn't they be considered panic attacks? Thanks for your help.

Q. Hi, I'm a 19-year-old male who has been suffering from anxiety/panic attacks for about three years now. These attacks stem from an incident a few years back when I was experimenting with LSD. I had a "bad trip" and it triggered some kind problem in my brain. I just tried to forget about it, but for the next year or so things started to get really weird. I found myself fearing heights and big places with a lot of people. So I drank a lot, well everyday, whenever I had a chance to help me deal with the anxiety. But eventually I got depressed and the attacks got so bad, I couldn't.

Q. I'm a 21-yr.-old male who has been suffering from (though, never diagnosed) what I believe is anxiety and panic disorder. I first experienced these very intense feelings after smoking THC (the chemical in marijuana) resin in a pipe of an old friend of mine. Ever since then, I've been afraid of taking ANY medications that can alter my personality (ex: social drugs, antidepressants, tranquillizers, etc.); therefore, I've been living with this disorder for almost 5-years now, with no medication, but it's getting worse.

I feel like I'm living in a nightmare or dream ALL day long, afraid of everything and anything that can happen. It's like I'm there, but I'm not. Things that should seem familiar, seem odd and frightening. My mind never rests. I am in a state where my mind seems to play tricks on me (almost a paranoid, terror feeling). Though I do get attacks of sudden panic or anxiety, the symptoms of these are lingering in my life ALL the time, everyday and night. Can this 'living in a nightmare' feeling be that I am in a dissociated state most of the day? Is what I'm experiencing normal in this disorder? Also, are there any links between anxiety and panic disorders and the drug marijuana? (Until this incident, I lived a normal life, free of these feelings.)

Thank you so much for your time, and I hope that others out there with these strange sensations can benefit knowing that they're not alone.

Q. Hi, I'm a 15-year-old girl diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress and acute anxiety/panic attacks, minor depression and minor insomnia induced by stress (obviously) and drugs. I was wondering if I'm a one-off to get this sort of reaction to Marijuana after only having it in a real large doses once a month for two years.

I know that this disorder is common blah blah blah, but I feel so alone and like a freak that this could to happen to me on such a soft drug. Anyway, I've had this for 3-or-4 months now and have changed medication from Riperidone (an anti-psychotic because they thought I would develop schizophrenia due to family history) to two doses of 5 mg of Valium and 50 mg of Zoloft to just 50 mg of Zoloft.

I'm being selfish now and going to ask another question. I find that my 50 mg of Zoloft does absolutely nothing and that my muscles twitch and I can't sleep without my Valium, but they took me completely off it. Instead they tried to put up my dosage of Zoloft, but even the smallest increase makes me feel really bad and I get horrible side effects. Is there anyway to increase my Zoloft without getting the side-effects?? Will this hell ever end? I feel so desperate and unreal. Even when I'm not fully in a panic attack, I never really feel like "me" and I have this really warped vision, like I'm looking out of a camera and my body isn't mine and paralyses. Well, thanks for the help.

Q. I am a 22-year-old who suffers from panic attacks. I first experienced one during a drug-related episode (marijuana) two years ago. This occurred twice more, before I realized it would be best if I did not touch it. However, my panic attacks returned and recently they became chronic.

Q. First let me say that I'm very relieved to have found this website because it has provided me with a ray of hope I haven't had in quite some time. Keep up the good work, it's very much appreciated.

Now for my anxiety: I am a 27-year-old male. About 2 years ago, I was at a point in my life where I was working a lot of hours and getting very little rest. One night, I was at a friend's house and we decided to smoke some marijuana. I hadn't smoked in almost 3-years. Well, I had a terrible reaction to it and ended up in the emergency room with what I can only describe as panic/anxiety/paranoia. It was very traumatic and I was very scared.

Several days later, the panic subsided but this feeling of dissociation has persisted ever since. I feel as if I'm not really "here". I can't concentrate as well, my memory is poor, and I feel as if I'm not mentally sharp. The symptom gets worse if I exercise vigorously. Occasionally, I have mini-panic attacks, but mostly it's the constant (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) feeling of dissociation.

I've been to several doctors who have done blood work and cat scans and the only abnormality was a high tether count to Epstein-Barr. All the doctors tell me that there's nothing they can do and that I'll always feel that way and I should get some rest. Last week I had my first 'full blown' panic attack and it lasted for about 6-7 days. I felt as if I was going crazy. It resulted in 2-trips to the emergency room with no help in sight. After reading through your web site, I feel as if I have a combination of PTSD which resulted in GAD. Does this sound accurate and what do I do now?

top | continued | newsletter index

about us | panic-anxiety info | treatment | paems program | articles | q & a
newsletter | research | stories | famous anxiety sufferers | top 10 | email us