Weed offers lots of benefits, but unfortunately, it doesn’t affect everyone the same way, leaving some people with different experiences. It can also depend on each time you use it, sometimes you’ll feel fine and sometimes you’ll have a bad experience – what’s important is to know how to handle those bad experiences and turn them into something good. So here’s how to stop a weed panic attack and go back to being calm!
Don’t ignore the symptoms
First things first, you should always be prepared and expect this to happen! It’s not so uncommon for people to have different experiences when consuming weed, sometimes it’ll just hit you differently! As soon as you start to feel strange, it’s important not to ignore the symptoms, as they are similar to a regular panic attack. Your heart will beat faster and you’ll feel like everyone is watching and judging you. Dizziness, nausea, and a sudden feeling of doom and fear might also be common symptoms. The difference between a regular panic attack and a weed one is that you’ll feel the highest highs and the highest lows!
Stay aware
It’s hard to tell someone to calm down when they are going through something like a panic attack, but it’s necessary! A lot of people who go through a marijuana panic attack regularly often have a sense of detachment from their body, but there are so many ways you can snap out of it or at least calm down! Being aware of your surroundings can help you a lot and improve your vision and sense of self – also try to remind yourself that you are not in danger and that your feelings are completely normal!
Choose the right weed
Not all weed is the same, so it’s even more likely that you’d have a unique experience each time. It’s important to choose the right type of weed first before jumping into it. This way you can get used to it a bit more – this is crucial if you are picking something strong, make sure you double down on something that won’t make you feel like it’s the end of the world! Panic attacks are never fun, so you should always try to avoid them, even if it means smoking something a bit lighter! Microdosing is also a smart way to avoid panic attacks, so if you notice that you are prone to these kinds of highs, try to take less next time!
Move around
There is a reason why exercising and being active can help with grounding yourself – it simply shifts the focus from feeling panic and anxiety! When you start to move your body around, even doing light exercises your body starts to release endorphins, making you feel more calm and happy. You don’t have to do anything extreme, it’s best that you take a walk with someone, or stay at your home and do some exercises there. A few yoga poses and stretching can do a lot for your body and mind!
Try breathing techniques
Using different breathing techniques can help you a lot with battling panic attacks caused by weed. First of all, you’ll need to slow down your breathing – as fast and short breathing can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseous, so try to take longer and deeper inhales and exhales. The best way to calm down is to sit and make yourself comfortable, deeply inhale for 3 to 4 seconds, and deeply but slowly exhale. It’s important that you feel the air going into your lungs, this means that you’ve done it deep enough – the air needs to circulate correctly! Continue doing this a couple of times or until you feel better, it should make you feel more focused and clear!
Eat something
Chances are you’ll be hungry and ready to snack regardless of your panic attack, so you can take this opportunity and eat something! This can actually help you calm down – you would be able to shift your focus onto something, and your body would be able to process weed better. In most cases, your panic attack could be worsened or even caused because you consumed cannabis on an empty stomach since it can make your high feel more intense!
At the end of the day, if you are a beginner cannabis enthusiast, these panic attacks shouldn’t scare you away – they aren’t as harmful as you think, You’ll feel uncomfortable, but you can easily find a tactic that will calm yourself down and ease the effects in no time! Experiment and see what works best for you, that’s the only way you’ll know!