# For marijuana induced dp/dr primarily



## johnnyQ (Aug 12, 2010)

English is not my maternal language so i apologize for any possible grammar mistakes.

My dp/dr is marijuana induced. I've had it in varying intensity for over four months now. Also i've been struggling with some form of ocd, which was actually the cause for my anxiety and for my brain to go into this "stand by" state. I've been trying to figure out how this anxiety works and especially why some surreal, wierd thoughts feel more real than the actual reality. I've been researching online for any kind of material that is related to anxiety and marijuana and i've finally got some light at the end of the tunnel. 
Before actually presenting my most precious finding i must say something about my own dp/dr. What was at first classical dp/dr, actually evolved in paranoid fear of wierd, surreal thoughts(don't know any other way to describe them). After being pulled out of reality and myself, i soon started questioning allot of things. Don't read the next paragraph if you are easily spiked and scared.

My questioning was mostly based on reality. I started from the universe, which is endless. Then i got affraid that my imagining of how far that star truly is will make my brain fry. Also if I would remember that everything I see is in my mind i would flip out. Also i started thinking in different parts of my mind, actually believed i saw my amygdala and everything. This wasn't an outcome of some dwelling. I would just think of something related and then those kind of thoughts popped in my head, it lasted for half of second, but each time it would crush my mind, and every time it would send dp/dr sky high. I knew that i needed to get this under control, as much as every thinking connected to my anxiety or i would never get out of this. I always knew that all of those thoughts are not real, even though i was scared of going insane and losing it, i knew that i just need to control them. 
I know this might sound psychotic but it really is not. I never mistaken them for reality, and that is the whole meaning of not being insane.

Excerpts from some post on marijuana messing with your mind:

"Marijuana is a drug which relaxes the mechanism that governs brain signal paths. What this means is your brain signal (which is amplified and is occuring at an increased rate) will stray off the usual path. Sometimes it will take the right path but then not terminate as usual but advance to other paths."
This involves thinking. Most of us here are introverted, intelligent people, and because of this we are more vulnerable to any kind of scary thoughts. Especially when we are depressed. Marijuana makes them feel more real even though they are just ordinary thoughts.

"Some smokers experience something that could be termed recursive thoughts: extremely annoying, unpleasant, repeating thoughts that come up once in a while (almost as strong as voices), lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, even as the subject is actively trying to terminate such thoughts."

True, so true. And this is what actually made my mind, actually my ego, to use dp/dr as shield. But the thoughts are not the problem if you are feeling okay at the moment, not depressed, happy, and you will cope with them much better. But if you can't cope, this is what happens:

"These stray paths include neurons that are connected to neurons responsible for triggering anxiety and paranoid thought. Marijuana has great effect in the part of the brain responsible for audio/visual comprehension, which is also the area linked with schzophrenic behavior. This area is stimulated the most, hence the "stray" connections grow stronger. When a stray connection is accessed enough, it stops being a stray one. As the marijuana usage accompanied with paranoid thought continues, the path grows strong and starts overpowering other paths. Paranoid thought and other anxiety disorder tendencies increase."
This for me explaines the whole problem. I don't know for all of us, but i know some of you wil find this explanation helpful.

And the most important advice from me is mentioned in the next paragraph:

"When marijuana usage is stopped out of fear of this problem, the path remains strong. The problem is never resolved so it actually grows stronger as time progresses. If conscious intervention is not achieved some people will never get out of this. *The power of validation of brain signals seperates us from most animals. Through self-realisational negative reinforcement one can invalidate certain paths by associating them with a negative higher conscious response (The higher consciousness is a layer over the rest of our brain. It has more power than many think.).*
Anxiety triggering thoughts, viciuos circles of checking and reassuring CAN be cured through meditation and LOGICAL REASONING about the problem. I know from experience. I still get those thoughts when I smoke, when I close my eyes. But now it's nothing menacing. No anxiety either anymore.

Your brain has more power than you think."
To do the bolded stuff you need a calm, self confident, rested atitude. This can come with exercise, diet... Then you can practice the bolded stuff. Move away from the anxiety thoughts, from dp/dr thoughts with higher mind, DO NOT make those stray paths stronger. Once you manage to do that, old neuron paths should start kicking in, and you should be back to your old self. 
Be strong, work, don't give up. It is you who is giving the power to the beast.


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## Brando2600 (Apr 22, 2010)

What is this I don't even?


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## Rebekah (May 16, 2009)

johnnyQ said:


> English is not my maternal language so i apologize for any possible grammar mistakes.
> 
> My dp/dr is marijuana induced. I've had it in varying intensity for over four months now. Also i've been struggling with some form of ocd, which was actually the cause for my anxiety and for my brain to go into this "stand by" state. I've been trying to figure out how this anxiety works and especially why some surreal, wierd thoughts feel more real than the actual reality. I've been researching online for any kind of material that is related to anxiety and marijuana and i've finally got some light at the end of the tunnel.
> Before actually presenting my most precious finding i must say something about my own dp/dr. What was at first classical dp/dr, actually evolved in paranoid fear of wierd, surreal thoughts(don't know any other way to describe them). After being pulled out of reality and myself, i soon started questioning allot of things. Don't read the next paragraph if you are easily spiked and scared.
> ...


Where did you get this information? If it's written in a book somewhere or posted online I would like to read it. I agree with this.


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## TheStarter (Oct 19, 2010)

Theoretical DP/DR is pretty easy to threat/cure,
But practically its hard.

Good post dude.

I dont know what more to say..


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## Kitr (Jul 7, 2009)

kinda interesting


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## fdp (Nov 9, 2009)

wow. thanks for posting this. this sounds a lot like my situation. my dp/dr was induced by a panic attack after having those repetitive thoughts while i was in bed. i had also smoked a larger amount of some potent marijuana than usual earlier that day. i have stopped smoking ever since that incident. thats a very interesting theory but whats your source? id like to read more about this. and have you used this technique yourself? are you cured?


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## SeanyD (Nov 19, 2010)

Hey man. i am feeling the same way. I was always an anxious kid, and i was always really self aware and sensitive to changes in my body and mind. also, i am only 15 and have smoked quite a bit of weed.

i am experiencing repetitive, intrusive thoughts.

Whats weird is that the constant thought that i have, has no content to it, its just pure anxiety. So basically, *the thought is just the fact that im thinking about it*, over and over. It drives me crazy that the thought isnt actually something that i can put my finger on, or describe to someone. It gives me high anxiety, but ive never had a panick attack.

I don't have the thought(s) all day long, but it pops into my head frequently. I still worry that i am going to think about it nonstop. I am overly self aware and am always examining my thoughts too, so its very hard for me to really get into or focus on anything anymore. It feels like im just observing life and overanalyzing things (especially my thoughts) instead of *living* life. This is where the derealization starts. My DR has been me constantly over analyzing the human body and how it works, and also the insignificance of everything I do in life. It's really depressing to think like that but i cant help it. The thought that im going schizophrenic doesnt help the DR at all, and makes me feel like im slipping into psychosis.

I research this stuff obsessively too, which i know is not benefiting the anxiety or the DR at all (and maybe even worsens the recursive thoughts).


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## Kitr (Jul 7, 2009)

I think that people who got DP DR from weed or from a panic attack will more likely cure faster.


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## Holly (Nov 10, 2012)

I know this was two years ago, but thank you so much for posting this! Really interesting and makes a lot of sense. Kind of think this should be pinned.


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## resinoptes (Jan 15, 2011)

In my case, and I would say for many people with weed induced DP, there is a powerful primary cause behind the weed trigger. I agree about the strengthening of negative recursive thought structures, I experienced that myself. The breakthrough into what for want of a better term I will call DP World, is something more. I liken it to a neurological civil war that resolves in the victory of parts of the brain and mind that distrust the very concept of the Self, and see the Self and ego as misguided and likely to lead them into further danger. This involves dysregulation of the fight or flight axis also, as well as suppression of normal hippocampal activity, both of which are caused by cannabinoids and compound the problem. In my opinion DP is a flip into an alternate stable state for the brain.

I have noted in myself that recovery is slow, incremental and relentless, but after over 2 years I am only perhaps 40% recovered, maybe in 3 more I will get there.

The right kind of therapy aimed at the causes of the anxiety that generated the perceived need for the DP shield has helped. I do not believe that therapy aimed at addressing the mechanics of DP helps. I have also found lamotrigine and rhodiola helpful, I don't much care for SSRIs.


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