Have you ever felt anxious to attend an important event? Take that and multiply it by a hundred. That’s how I feel about most events, even casual occasions like a dinner party at a friend’s home.
I worry about how to act, if people will like me, and if I will know the right things to say. All of these thoughts send my heart racing and my anxiety levels to the ceiling. I asked my doctor about this hard-to-knock anxiety but he prescribed pills that I didn’t want to take.
Social anxiety is the third largest psychological problem in the United States today. It has been recorded to not only affect at least 15 million Americans a year, but staggering numbers worldwide.
I run through lists of excuses to avoid events and my social pain altogether. Avoiding social events is nearly impossible but I’ve been fortunate to find cannabis helpful with my condition. When I can’t escape my critical thoughts, I grab my favorite glass pipe filled with Jack Herer and take a nice long drag. As the smoke dances around me, my anxiety fades away. The smoke dissipates from my second drag and so do my fears.
Sativas are known to have a stronger cerebral effect and cause paranoia at times. However, sativas like Jack Herer or Strawberry Cough are different from other sativas, because they produce euphoric qualities and relaxing effects equally. It’s important to find a strain that keeps you alert and social, but relaxed enough to push through social fears that hold us back.
Like other debilitating mental conditions, symptoms and severity are as different as the people that experience them. Sole treatment for social anxiety with cannabis isn’t recommended for everyone, but I feel fortunate to have found which strains help me cope with my symptoms. I don’t miss important events or even think twice about accepting the invitation. OK, maybe I think twice. Not only does cannabis allow me to conquer the anxiety, but also it allows me to make genuine connections with people that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
If you struggle with social anxiety or jitters, who’s to say cannabis can’t help make a difference? If you live in a recreational state, pick up a strain specific vape and take one puff. Your inner social butterfly may flutter before you