Terrible side effects! THC

Been smoking for 4 years now, with maybe some 2-month breaks here and there. Lately, I’ve been doing it way less... mostly because it just feels terrible.
When I first started, man, everything was awesome. Life was great, I believed everything everyone told me... just constant laughs, hanging out, good times...

- We all know the downsides of weed exist, no doubt about it.
The real issue is how it trashes your confidence. You feel insecure, worthless, like nothing matters. Just pure dark thoughts, anxiety, and feeling totally incapable.
Everything you say sounds stupid or pointless. You can't even look anyone in the eye because you feel like you're acting like an idiot, just stuck in this mental fog. And the worst part? Every negative thing people say around you feels like it's directed right at you in your own obsessed head.
It's not me personally, though—I don't usually struggle with self-esteem or any of that stuff...
But once you're high, you just want to avoid everyone. It's hard to describe, but you look at yourself and feel pathetic. You feel worthless, dumb, useless... like a total parasite.
Even when I'm smoking with people, I start hating them. Like, I just can't stand them. You feel like they're superior to you, like you're some lower species that's just there to be laughed at.
How do you guys describe feeling like this?

quietbadger81 said:Been smoking for 4 years now, with maybe some 2-month breaks here and there. Lately, I’ve been doing it way less... mostly because it just feels terrible.
When I first started, man, everything was awesome. Life was great, I believed everything everyone told me... just constant laughs, hanging out, good times...

- We all know the downsides of weed exist, no doubt about it.
The real issue is how it trashes your confidence. You feel insecure, worthless, like nothing matters. Just pure dark thoughts, anxiety, and feeling totally incapable.
Everything you say sounds stupid or pointless. You can't even look anyone in the eye because you feel like you're acting like an idiot, just stuck in this mental fog. And the worst part? Every negative thing people say around you feels like it's directed right at you in your own obsessed head.
It's not me personally, though—I don't usually struggle with self-esteem or any of that stuff...
But once you're high, you just want to avoid everyone. It's hard to describe, but you look at yourself and feel pathetic. You feel worthless, dumb, useless... like a total parasite.
Even when I'm smoking with people, I start hating them. Like, I just can't stand them. You feel like they're superior to you, like you're some lower species that's just there to be laughed at.
How do you guys describe feeling like this?

Misanthropy. It’s what happens as you age and pile up responsibilities you should have been tackling—especially working on yourself. Instead, you just mask and neutralize everything with a high. That’s why weed works for creatives but absolutely trashes anyone who stays stagnant.
Look, when it hits you like that, you need to focus on yourself, your interests, and your personal growth.
I don't know if I'm nailing the diagnosis for your specific situation, but think about that angle.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J5 using Reddit

I’ve never dealt with this before... It used to feel like such a massive high..
Now, I'm getting hit with so many negative thoughts all at once, I can't even put it into words..
It’s like these dark clouds are just constantly hanging over me. It sucks... I've never felt this low in my life. Every single move I make feels totally pointless and stupid to my brain..

quietbadger81 said:I’ve never dealt with this before... It used to feel like such a massive high..
Now, I'm getting hit with so many negative thoughts all at once, I can't even put it into words..
It’s like these dark clouds are just constantly hanging over me. It sucks... I've never felt this low in my life. Every single move I make feels totally pointless and stupid to my brain..

If it starts hurting you, stop taking it. End of story.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J5 using Reddit

Angela Wright said:If it starts hurting you, stop taking it. End of story.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J5 using Reddit

Reddit of course Ivanic, believe me, I'm done. Haven't touched the stuff in 9 months. But hey, who knows? Maybe one day, some New Year's party or a concert, I'll slip up. Honestly, life's way better just grabbing a couple of beers by the waterfront in San Diego..
I've talked to plenty of people about this—it happens all the time to folks who smoke weed after having a few drinks... even when the crew is solid, the music is killer, and the vibe is a perfect 10, I still end up spiraling into total darkness. Physically? I feel fine. No nausea, no sweating, no jitters—I moved past that stage ages ago. It’s the mental breakdown that hits out of nowhere. Just a sudden flood of dark thoughts... a complete brain storm of feeling useless and worthless.

quietbadger81 said:Reddit of course Ivanic, believe me, I'm done. Haven't touched the stuff in 9 months. But hey, who knows? Maybe one day, some New Year's party or a concert, I'll slip up. Honestly, life's way better just grabbing a couple of beers by the waterfront in San Diego..
I've talked to plenty of people about this—it happens all the time to folks who smoke weed after having a few drinks... even when the crew is solid, the music is killer, and the vibe is a perfect 10, I still end up spiraling into total darkness. Physically? I feel fine. No nausea, no sweating, no jitters—I moved past that stage ages ago. It’s the mental breakdown that hits out of nowhere. Just a sudden flood of dark thoughts... a complete brain storm of feeling useless and worthless.

And look, nobody can tell you with any certainty whether you will or won't.
My theory starts with the idea that you're suppressing something, which eventually hits a breaking point once you "relax," causing everything to surface.
Are you generally satisfied with yourself, your potential, your achievements, and the people around you?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J5 using Reddit

Angela Wright said:And look, nobody can tell you with any certainty whether you will or won't.
My theory starts with the idea that you're suppressing something, which eventually hits a breaking point once you "relax," causing everything to surface.
Are you generally satisfied with yourself, your potential, your achievements, and the people around you?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy J5 using Reddit

That’s exactly why cannabis hits me the same way it does someone who just started this journey. I’ve reached a point where I don't even touch more than ten grams anymore. Every time I use it, all that negativity and those suppressed emotions just start bubbling to the surface. Is it worth digging up everything you've tried to bury? For me, it just isn't.

I’m living in a pretty damn healthy environment. Honestly, I’m good with how people treat me—got a job, a girlfriend, a solid social life... my confidence isn't an issue. I don't have some deep-seated trauma or random fears hanging over my head either. Most days, like 90% of the time, I'm a positive guy. I'm not looking for fights and I'm definitely not depressed. So, it’s just weird to me why all this is even happening.

It sounds like you’re dealing with low blood pressure, which is likely why you’re hitting such a massive slump. Whatever you do, don't try to drown that feeling in alcohol; trust me, it only makes things worse. I went through the exact same thing myself. Once that depression really took hold of me, I quit smoking on the spot, and I haven't touched a cigarette since.

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

quietbadger81 said:I’m living in a pretty damn healthy environment. Honestly, I’m good with how people treat me—got a job, a girlfriend, a solid social life... my confidence isn't an issue. I don't have some deep-seated trauma or random fears hanging over my head either. Most days, like 90% of the time, I'm a positive guy. I'm not looking for fights and I'm definitely not depressed. So, it’s just weird to me why all this is even happening.

If everything you just said is actually true, then yeah, this whole situation is super bizarre.
But at the same time, it’s pretty obvious that you’re still being dragged back down by it—I mean, you’re claiming you haven't even smoked in nine months, yet here you are posting this 🤔
It just seems logical to me that if you hadn't touched it for nine months and were actually feeling better, you wouldn't even be thinking about it anymore 🤷
The whole story just feels a little shaky to me.

Amanda Hughes5 said:If everything you just said is actually true, then yeah, this whole situation is super bizarre.
But at the same time, it’s pretty obvious that you’re still being dragged back down by it—I mean, you’re claiming you haven't even smoked in nine months, yet here you are posting this 🤔
It just seems logical to me that if you hadn't touched it for nine months and were actually feeling better, you wouldn't even be thinking about it anymore 🤷
The whole story just feels a little shaky to me.

I've been smoking since I was 18, on and off. There were stretches where I was hitting it every single day for six months straight. This recent streak started up just a few months ago right before I decided to finally quit for good—I actually managed to kick the habit back in July of last year.
So I was driving through Austin a few days ago for a festival, right? I’m just cruising along when this guy pulls up next to me and starts blowing smoke right in my face. I wasn't even thinking about getting hit with a fine or anything. But yeah, it’s the exact same bullshit as last year... I already went over that, so I won't bore you. Look, I can't be a hypocrite and say I'm never lighting up again, but man.

Look, honestly, the smartest move you can make right now is just to walk away from it all 😉—I mean, what’s the point of lighting a fire just to fuel the paranoia and all that chaos? You’re already going into this knowing there’s a massive chance you’ll end up relapsing 😉, and let's be real, that’s a losing game.
When I finally kicked the smoking habit, I didn't sit there telling myself, "Well, I can't say I'll *never* touch one again"... No, I told myself it was dead and buried. Period. And guess what? It’s been 16 years since my last cigarette 🙂 and the thought hasn't even crossed my mind once.
If this is eating you alive enough to be posting all this stuff here, then just drop it and stop obsessing. Maybe try some mushrooms for a change of pace. If you absolutely have to take something...

Honestly, once I realized my long-term habit was finally starting to mess with me, I just decided to call it quits altogether

Matthew Bishop44 said:Honestly, once I realized my long-term habit was finally starting to mess with me, I just decided to call it quits altogether

Daa, yeah, same here. Honestly, I wonder why that shift happens with people... One minute you're living it up, hitting the bars, laughing, having the best time... and then suddenly, boom, it's over. I've met plenty of people who hit that wall.
It’s just weird.

Marijuana is everywhere right now, being hailed as both a miracle cure and this totally harmless way to unwind. Honestly, I don't think it's the medical breakthrough people claim it is, and calling it "harmless fun" is a massive stretch. But if you dare to say that out loud, everyone will jump down your throat like you’re some kind of dinosaur stuck in the past.

Hey there, my fellow internet comrades, I’ve actually dealt with some pretty similar struggles myself, so let me try to break down what I’ve learned and how it played out for me 🙂

Honestly, making the decision to step away from weed is a massive leap forward, and if you were to fall back into those old habits, you’d really be doing yourself a huge disservice.
The reality is that everything involving marijuana just keeps you spinning in this endless, repetitive cycle.
Looking back on it now, it feels like such a foolish phase to go through; it just creates this dull, foggy, completely disconnected version of euphoria while cranking up the hallucinations. Most kids start out with it because that’s just what the crowd is doing, but once you experience life without being high, you finally realize just how much of a total letdown the whole thing actually is.

Daniel Ortiz15 said:Hey there, my fellow internet comrades, I’ve actually dealt with some pretty similar struggles myself, so let me try to break down what I’ve learned and how it played out for me 🙂

Honestly, making the decision to step away from weed is a massive leap forward, and if you were to fall back into those old habits, you’d really be doing yourself a huge disservice.
The reality is that everything involving marijuana just keeps you spinning in this endless, repetitive cycle.
Looking back on it now, it feels like such a foolish phase to go through; it just creates this dull, foggy, completely disconnected version of euphoria while cranking up the hallucinations. Most kids start out with it because that’s just what the crowd is doing, but once you experience life without being high, you finally realize just how much of a total letdown the whole thing actually is.

From what I've seen, people who smoke weed only ever hang out with that specific crowd... they're stuck in that same bubble constantly.

Daniel Ortiz15 said:Hey there, my fellow internet comrades, I’ve actually dealt with some pretty similar struggles myself, so let me try to break down what I’ve learned and how it played out for me 🙂

Honestly, making the decision to step away from weed is a massive leap forward, and if you were to fall back into those old habits, you’d really be doing yourself a huge disservice.
The reality is that everything involving marijuana just keeps you spinning in this endless, repetitive cycle.
Looking back on it now, it feels like such a foolish phase to go through; it just creates this dull, foggy, completely disconnected version of euphoria while cranking up the hallucinations. Most kids start out with it because that’s just what the crowd is doing, but once you experience life without being high, you finally realize just how much of a total letdown the whole thing actually is.

Always the same stupid topics. Same brainless jokes. Same memes over and over... It's a hell of a cycle.

Yeah, that’s just how it goes... I've moved on from the weed scene and started focusing on my garden instead, so that's just where I am now. Since I quit smoking, I don't really hang out with those old crowds anymore; these days, most of my time is spent with people who just want to grab a beer and catch up.