In this blog post, I want to cover an important topic: Marijuana Addiction and Depression.
I’ve met a lot people online who are addicted to weed, and just as many that say marijuana addiction doesn’t exist. Unlike weed, which IS known to be addictive, the link between cannabis and depression is less clear.
Weed Addiction and Depression Research
There is a link between marijuana and depression, but the truth is, not even the researchers can tell us whether weed causes depression issues, or people who have depression issues self-medicate with weed.
To complicate things further, used in small amounts, marijuana and its cannabinoids may even act as an anti-depressant and anxiolytics (anti-anxiety agents). If you only light up on occasion, there’s almost no research that says weed is a depressant…..So that’s the good news…
And what’s the bad news you ask???
Well, If you are smoking a lot of weed frequently, and you are smoking the chronic, which is WAY easier to find than it was even 10 years ago, Weed may start to act as a depressant.
The research doesn’t outright say “Heavy Marijuana Use Causes Depression” but the bottom line is that people who smoke weed heavily are more likely to suffer from and be diagnosed with depression than people who don’t….and if you drink and smoke, risk of depression is even higher.
Under 20? Read this carefully!
Research out ADAI @ University of Washington shows that the probability is higher that you will suffer from both anxiety and depression issues both as a young adult and into your twenties if you smoke weed heavily before you brain is fully developed…even after you quit. The younger you are, and the more you smoke, the higher the risk…
At this point, science doesn’t give us the whole picture about heavy marijuana use and depression, and addiction. Addiction has many components including your genetic makeup, your social life, and upbringing.
Depression Causing Weed Addiction?
I’m going to share a common scenario from what I have seen, and the many people I have emailed and spoken to…The evidence below is all anecdotal.
Lots of people started to smoke weed to escape, to have a good time, and to enjoy life more. When they started smoking, they were getting high and enjoying the anti-depressant effects of small quantities of weed. They may have had a minor depression and a bit of weed allowed them to self-medicate…but only for a while.
They kept smoking because it acted as a mild anti-depressant, so they increased the amount and frequency the smoked, until it didn’t work anymore because they smoked so much. The switch flipped, and weed became more of a depressant than anti-depressant because of how much they were using it. That is the slippery slope I have seen numerous times and it’s at this point that a lot of people get stuck, and stay stuck for a long period of time…
Symptoms of Depression from Marijuana
This quick video gives a quick overview of what depression feels like.
Depression and Withdrawal
When you quit smoking weed, you may go through marijuana withdrawal. Everyone experiences withdrawal differently, but feeling depressed and irritable is common in the first three to four weeks. If it persists past a month, its worth seeing a doctor.
Remember, I am not a doctor, but I am a guy who has helped a ton of people quit by being honest and sharing advice that works.
Here is my advice.. If you think that weed is having negative effects like causing or worsening anxiety or depression, it’s time to quit. your first steps are to consult a medical professional and then to come up with a detailed plan on how you are going to quit.
Sources:
Here are my primary sources, in case you want to take a look.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00437.x/abstract
http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/mentalhealth.htm
6 replies to "Depression And Marijuana Addiction"
Im 31 and smoked for 15-16 years I have now gone 9 days and feel better more positive and no depression no more and anxiety which started more when ever I lit up I cant stand that shit no more ive wasted a long time I hope I can help others to combat their addiction im on anti depressants since 1 yr ago im so glad ive achieved abstinence however I know not to drop my guard and I have changed my routine thanks for the knowledge Keith
Sup, I am 30, and I am on day 3 of sobriety. I smoked daily (small amounts) but enough to make me feel like a dumb fuck burnout with headfog 24/7. (it also made me feel weak and timid) It has been the worst thing for me in my life, but I am feeling less headfog/burnout more and more every day. Soon my brain will heal up, and I will be back to normal. I am extremely irritable now, so I am hiding from the world until I can heal again fully. I am just taking the pain, knowing that it is temporary and soon I will have my life back. Good luck out there.
The first week of not smoking i felt uneasy a lot. Stomach would turn i wouldfeel a rush of anxiety that made me want to lay down and hide from the world. But i couldnt because of work. And family. But then I started to Notice when Iwas around people and talked i could speak better its like i was coming out of my shell that marijuana allowed me to live in. I feel more alive now more concerned i feel my emotions better. Only thing i dont like is i can get upset and if I dont calm myself of leave the situation I get really mad yelling eveven can turn to violence. But its all worth it im learning from my experiences and learning to deal with my emotions life and anger the best way i can I look forward to what me and my brain can do in the future and looking forward tomy brain healing. Oh And btw I started using daily at 13 yrs old and quit right before 22. I quite after i slowed down firt i would take a few puffs before work. Go for 11 hours working mabye taking one puff from a joint on breaks. Then smoke mabye half a joint after work. I did this for a few months. Before deciding i would quite cold months. I love life.
Hi,
I’m on day 1 again after a relapse yesterday, so today would’ve been day 13. I had some left over from my quit day and decided to smoke it so that I could get it off my mind. Surprisingly, I felt totally relaxed and I almost started to crave more until I talked myself down and came to this site….mind over matter. I am however, glad that I did smoke that and I refuse to buy anymore. Yesterday’s buzz madee think about how I really do have control over the temptation, and today I didn’t crave at all. It didn’t even so much as cross my mind when I was at work….the fog is gone…my dreams have returned….I feel free from the stronghold now. Hang in there guys…don’t beat yourself up for relapsing if you do…just continue to soldier on my fellow former potheads.
I’m now at day 12 without a smoke. It was a massive anxiety attack that made me decide to quit, I don’t know if the weed caused it but I do know that my massively stoned state left me incapable of applying any kind of reason. That’s my motivation now: knowing that without weed I can really know what’s going on, both in my head and in my life in general. I’m still pretty dissapointed in a weird way, but I’m staying positive and keeping in mind all the stuff I’ll be able to afford to do soon!
Stay safe and be kind to yoursevles guys, this life is what we make it!
Im on day 14, lots of night sweats and dreams. Weed set the limit on how happy I could be. I could only go as far as it would take me which after years was moderate emotional numbness. I am already expieriancing more wellbeing than I have in quite some time. Pot puts a limit on how high I can get. Without it I can expierience new places of joy and sadness that are natural and exilerating. Oh yeah that nagging feeling that I should quit is gone.