Thanks so much for your really thorough and informative response. Let's see...
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) (collagen insufficiency, which can affects any body part or system that relies on collagen as part of its structure.) Chronic joint and muscle pain are the biggies for me, along with anxiety (explained below). Sometimes the pain is from inflammation, sometimes spasm, sometimes overwork. I take a lot of ibuprofen means I take it most days, sometimes twice a day, usually in 600mg doses. I have no kidney or liver issues.
I am grateful that ibuprofen helps as much as it does. I'm not taking pain meds of other kids.
Except CBD, which has been a very positive game-changer for me in my relationship with my body and my pain. I started using it as a salve on joints and muscles, and was stunned when my anxiety improved significantly, so I started taking it as a tincture. I have tried two different brands of tincture; one doesn't seem to help and the other does. The one that doesn't seem to help is an organic whole-plant version (THC-free) that a trusted friend makes. The one that does seem to help is a CBD isolate in MCT oil, which friends have warned me against (the MCT), but I have had no side effects and the positive effects are worth continuing.
EDS and anxiety are related. Living life in a wobbly, unstable body, prone to random and sometimes unexplained injuries and pain, brings a chronic sort of anxiety. Also, in brief, insufficient collagen means the autonomic nervous system feedback loop doesn't work as precisely as it should, which means unprovoked adrenaline surges are common, and that also "causes" anxiety. There's no fix for the feedback loop inaccuracies except to try to keep blood pressure high enough to not trigger the adrenaline surges. Once they're triggered, you feel anxious until the adrenaline dissipates, even though there is no emotional component to that anxiety.
Back to the subject of weed - my kids have informed me that it is called weed and not pot! - it makes sense that different strains would cause different effects. So if someone is just passing it around at a party, there's no way to know whether it would make one feel better or worse, right?
And the shallow thing really bugs me -- it seems like people I've seen who are high or stoned (are they the same thing?) have their depth shut off. Or they become super self-absorbed, which has the same effect. Or is that just sometimes, or it depends on the strain?
Could that be a good break for an INFJ who is deep deep deep all the time, to have the depth shut off for a bit, or would it just be super annoying?
Or am I misunderstanding?
First of all I’m am terribly sorry for your own pain and suffering...I can definitely empathize with all you wrote on some level or another.
I have actually heard and know of this condition...similar in some ways to Marfan syndrome correct?
When I assisted in the open heart suite we would occasionally get someone in who had Marfan or something like it for an aortic arch aneurysm or an abdominal AAA...sometimes already dissecting (killed John Ritter).
Anyhow...on that happy note...
I have had Ankylosing Spondylitis for over 20 years now...getting progressively worse each year.
I am currently disabled due to the pain and the secondary symptoms it causes.
So...I’ve had to find other ways to deal with the pain and suffering.
Mostly through meditation, but mushrooms work amazingly well for me to break up that anxiety that is cause by physiologic reasons like yourself.
I host a chronic pain group several times a year utilizing psychedelics as an adjunct to all the other tools out there with very amazing results.
With CBD you should keep in mind that it is very sensitive to the air and light.
CBD water is a gimmick if you ever come across it, don’t waste your money.
The best will be in oil and will be in a dark or opaque dropper bottle that you should make sure and keep in the cabinet to avoid oxidation of the cannabinoids that help with anxiety.
That is probably what happened between the two is my guess...the homemade batch probably lost it’s efficacy due to air/light exposure...but IDK for sure.
And there is nothing wrong IMHO with coconut oil...the studies that say it’s not good for you are paid for by the corn oil industry...so I take that advice with a grain of salt.
Have you tired meditation for the anxiety?
I’m not talking about being mindful either, but rather meditations to help calm your body and hopefully the mind will follow.
You say, you need to keep your BP high though to prevent these surges in adrenaline?
So if you get too calm, does it then trigger?
Are you on any BP medication like clonidine or propranolol, or do you need to take something more like amlodipine to stabilize it?
Have you tried anything as such?
Generally the idea behind the strains is those that are “sativa” are more cerebral and more active than the other type which is “indica” considered more relaxing and body effecting.
For the most part I gravitate toward those that are somewhere in the middle...they usually say “balanced” on them.
There have been some that make my heart pound or give me a headache or make me more anxious...then there are some that are instantly relaxing both mentally and physically, both with the pain, and the muscle/joint stiffness, any IBS symptoms that used to crop up, etc.
As for people acting detached and loss of depth...there are definitely those who smoke weed just to get high and/or cover up some kind of internal trauma in the same way an alcoholic or other addict uses such things to escape their uncomfortable reality.
If used properly, for the right reasons, and responsibly they have shown definite medical benefits both from CBD oil and THC.
Everything in moderation right?
Those that annoy you are those that smoke too much and so much that they are barely there anymore most of the time...I agree.
It could be a good break yes, but at least for me it’s takes some trial and error to find the right type that doesn’t aggravate other undesirable effects.
Take are and much love!
