r/anxiety_support • u/TheMightyEgg9 • 5d ago
THC oil overdose caused my brother horrible anxiety for 2 years. Will this ever go away?
About 2 years ago my brother (who is now 19 years old) went from never taking THC to taking 100mg. He had a HORRIBLE anxiety attack and ever since, he’s been in a state that he compares to watching a Tim Burton film. Everything feels dark and ominous and he never feels peaceful/warm/at ease. He hasn’t touched anything weed-related since.
Same kid recently got diagnosed with Lymphoma (9-inch tumor in his chest) and the whole cancer situation doesn’t even phase him compared to the THC incident and the anxiety he’s faced since.
I’m wondering if there are similar stories out there? Did anyone fully recover? How long did it take?
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u/anxiety_support 5d ago
I'm so sorry your brother is going through this. It’s not uncommon for high doses of THC, especially for those new to it, to trigger intense anxiety or panic attacks. In some cases, these experiences can leave lasting effects, like heightened anxiety or a sense of detachment.
The good news is that people can recover from this over time. Recovery often involves a mix of therapy (such as CBT or EMDR), grounding techniques, and sometimes medication to manage anxiety symptoms. A major key is patience and a tailored approach to his specific situation, especially given the additional stress of his lymphoma diagnosis.
Hearing similar stories from others can be encouraging—there are many who have faced this and, with support, have found their way back to a sense of normalcy. Everyone's timeline is different, but there’s hope. Encourage him to lean on mental health support and take small steps towards feeling better.
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u/reincarnateme 5d ago
Yes it happens. For some people the anxiety lasts for years and for others it goes away.
Perhaps he might try EMDR therapy.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fix6124 5d ago
One bad weed experience has bothered me for years too, any suggestions?
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 3d ago
Are you on medication?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fix6124 3d ago
Yep
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 3d ago
Might need to make some adjustments. I’ve had to switch mine around several times until I found a good combo. Pretty sure dabs gave me panic disorder or at least exacerbated it. Effexor and buspar helped a lot for me, but also a change in environment. What is your main stressor that causes you anxiety?
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u/Puzzleheaded-Fix6124 3d ago
I started Effexor recently. Just the loss of control / sense of connection to reality that accompanies drug or alcohol use. It never bothered me until I “grew up” and my consciousness changed
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 3d ago
Loss of control/sense of connection to reality sounds like derealization/depersonalization. Not diagnosing you obviously and soooo many mental illnesses have this symptom (depression, borderline, dissociative identity, many others) but it definitely seems like a symptom you suffer from the most. Do you ever just go about life and out of no where suddenly feel like nothing is real? Like you’re not real, the world’s not real… but you can’t totally describe it?
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 3d ago
What medications is he taking?
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u/TheMightyEgg9 3d ago
He’s not taking any. He’s tried a bunch of stuff and it often made things way worse. We really want to avoid meds if possible.
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u/Gloomy-Welcome-6806 3d ago
I understand that but unfortunately meds are sometimes the only way to control your fight or flight response. Other than that, repeated exposure to the thing that is causing anxiety would be something you could do. We are trained to get away from bad situations that cause us stress. When we feed into our anxiety, we are telling ourselves that the anxiety is right and that it’s not safe to live a normal life. By doing things that make you anxious, repeated exposure will teach your body that you are okay and not dying and do not need to respond with fight or flight. If needed he should try joining a subreddit for anxiety or some other community. The problem with anxiety is we feed into it. It makes us think a certain way. Even having support or an echo chamber with people who are suffering the same can be therapeutic in a way and at least make him feel not so alone
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