Dr. K Talks Weed

Dr. K’s Guide to Mental Health explores Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, and Meditation

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[jackbowman]

I just want to say I think you made the right choice in quitting your clinical practice for the path you're on Dr. K. For people like me who don't have the resources or who's problems aren't "severe" enough to justify the cost of therapy, you've given such a powerful tool to help us work through our own problems. You've literally changed my life, and all I can say is thank you.

[lazarustheloser]

quitting today i'm so sick of needing to nap everyday, lying to myself, not being able to make music cause im stoned. so tired of having a "bad" day just because i didn't smoke. dr.k you've helped us more than you know i needed someone to tell me i'm not okay. weed was fine the first two years but after five its causing the adhd and anxiety to be worse. wishing anyone who sees this luck with whatever goal your striving towards.

[marialeg]

Hey, Dr. K I'm a psychologist from Latin America and I really enjoy your content. It's quite formative and different from the sort of education I got at university. Definitely 100% relevant.

[gayu]

Comment 2.0: When I quit weed about a month ago I honestly didn’t really want to stop smoking, but the lessons I’ve taken away from dr k’s content really helped me to view myself and my “potential” as a competing interest.

I became less interested in the fun things I could do or think about while high and more interested in living a life I’ve never given myself the chance to pursue before. I want to learn, go to school, create, experience— and yeah for sure I miss getting high sometimes, but I’m finally at a point in my personal journey where I truly feel ready to give myself a chance and to pick me over escape.

So for anyone else who doesn’t feel ready yet, it really will be ok.

[AtefHelmy]

Videos like these from you allowed me to lower my marijuana usage, quit medical school and pursue coding which has been great so far, and develop better relationships. TY DR K

[josephjohnphillips]

I used to be a cannabis addict and I'm so glad I quit. When I started, a shared a house with a few other smokers, it was just normal. When I moved into my next house, with some other friends, all women btw, they didn't smoke, and I started feeling so isolated. They didn't shame me, but I didn't feel comfortable being around them when I was high because we all knew I was addicted, so I literally and metaphorically hid in my room so they didn't see me high. It affected my focus too. And I became lonely. I'd be stoned in the middle of the day on the weekend when I could've been exercising, doing art, walking, climbing, surfing, anything.

If you're considering quiting, then do it, I'd say. I've got so much agency back. I feel confident in myself. It's brought a lot of benefits to my life.

[cotopaximusic]

Was a heavy marijuana user for almost 10 years, since I was 15 (along with other substances for a while in there, been off those for years though). Been completely sober for about 2 months now and am honestly enjoying it a lot. I fucking care about things again. My attention has gotten better and am reading more again. I dont get so distracted whenI'm drawing/painting. I'm currently recording my 7th album, and this is my first one sober. It's some of my best material yet. I used weed as a massive cope for years. "Oh, it helps my depression, it helps my muscle/back pain." "Oh, it makes me more creative." "Oh, it helps me get to sleep." I was scared to get sober for these reasons, but I've learned that those just weren't true. It did not help my insomnia. I'm creative on my own, and I know there are other treatments for my depression/chronic pain. Pot was making me comfortable with not seeking out that help. Looking forward to continue my sobriety journey and finally go to therapy and get what I need instead of hiding behind pot. Hoping to next quit my nicotine and tobacco usage, but one addiction at a time

[jomalomal]

Gotta say Dr. K, this came at an awesome time. I've been smoking for 15 years (since I was very young) and have started taking occasional breaks over the past few years. It's hard to admit, but once I'm sober for a week or two, my life transforms with almost no effort on my part besides the effort it takes to stay off the weed. All of a sudden I start filling the time I spent smoking weed with exercise, reading, practicing music, and all sorts of other wholesome activities. I also naturally start eating better and cutting back on other bad habits because I can all of a sudden feel how negative the effects of all these things are. Plus I've been struggling at my software job hard for a while, but all of a sudden I'm able to perform super well since being sober.

I'm still very attached to weed, but I can't deny that using it every day has been very detrimental to my life in many ways. I'd like to be able to use it in moderation one day, but recognize that if it's all or nothing, the best choice would be none at all. Thanks for laying out some hard to hear stuff; I'll try to keep listening with an open mind 🙂

[Jennifer-bwku]

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

[Balambambuny]

I started smoking pot when I was 17, just on the weekends and with friends. Fast forward to when I was 22, my girlfriend at the time died of cancer and I started smoking every day to escape reality because my reality sucked. Now I'm 30 and I still smoke every day but in larger amounts. I never graduated college, I'm unemployed, my physical and mental health is at rock bottom, I've lost friends and I'm my family is worried about me (and rightfully so).

Something I think is worth mentioning is that when you smoke every day for so long, being high becomes the default state and you're rarely sober (it only happens when you run out of weed and can't get more right away). And it's weird, but I've gotten to a point where being high gives me a clear mind and being sober clouds it. Let me explain: when I'm in my room smoking my third joint of the day, I suddenly look around, see how messy my room is, how neglected my hygiene andmy looks are, how weak my body has become, and I say to myself, "What the hell am I doing?" and I quit for the day and go to bed. The next day I wake up, the high wears off, what do I do? I roll one, and as soon as I take the first puff, I say to myself again, "What the hell am I doing?". So I go cold turkey (which leads to extreme constipation and irritability for the first few days, but it gets better). Then, after the period of sobriety is over, I think, "That wasn't so hard, let's buy some weed to celebrate/reward me." I contact my dealer, and honestly the whole process of meeting with him, buying the product, coming home, rolling one and lighting it up is the highest dopamine rush I get. Then I get high and I think "What the hell am I doing?".

It's weird, but I feel like when I'm sober I forget all the bad things weed has done and is still doing to my life, and I only fully remember it when I'm high. It is very hard for me to break this cycle, but I am still trying, and Dr. K, your help is greatly appreciated. I thank you for choosing this path.

[kkronical]

Been waiting for Dr.K to talk weed specifically. I became quite a stoner over the past 8 months and definitely have lowered the amount I have in the previous weeks. Just the reinforcement I need to make sure I don’t fall back into it again 🙏🏻

[dHue_]

So I was a chronic (all day, every day) user for over a decade starting in about the 7th grade. I recently quit and over the past few months I've noticed an dramatic increase in the quality of several areas in my life. Including my relationships, my mood, productivity, etc. A lot of what you said in this video really resonated with me and Im really glad you made it. Thanks Dr. K

[DaRocketGuy]

weed made me realize that I do in fact have emotions and none of them felt "bad" I cry, yet feel happy, I'm angry, yet cathartic, I'm fearful, yet euphoric. I haven't smoked in a month but it's made me realize I'm a person lol

[venre-gamingandmore]

I’m a veteran who has been diagnosed with anxiety and c-ptsd, and while I was in the army I drank heavily to cope with that, and since I’ve got out I started smoking when I feel the need, and almost immediately I quit drinking, and could finally go to sleep at night without waking up in terror. It’s definitely not for everyone and like alcohol it needs to be self-regulated, but it definitely has the potential to help a lot of people. I do also have friends who have addictions to it and while they won’t admit it, the rest of their friends know it’s a huge problem for them, so everyone should be careful, as with anything and especially with medications!

[jornsyy]

You’ve helped me more than any of the MANY counselors and psychologists I’ve seen over the years. The past 6 months or so I’ve showed up to my appointments with a whole presentation created in my head from watching your videos ahaha. As someone who struggled to articulate what was going in in my head, thank you for doing it for me, you have quite literally saved my life.

[Bazzabazeman]

I started out trying weed when I was 16, like a few puffs every two weeks or so with a small gang after work. Around my 18-20th I started doing it more, learned how to roll up, doing it every other weekend which increasingly got more regular. From my 26th till my 30th I started smoking at home on a daily basis. This turned into 1-3 joints every evening or during the day when I didn't have to work. I was fine with it, I managed to live a normal life next to it with a 32hr dayjob. But now that I completely quit cold turkey over 2 months ago, after which I've had a few puffs on two seperate instances, I can safely say:

I am so glad I quit.

It makes such a difference in what I thought was a life unaffected by it. I am so much more energetic, I sleep much better and wake up way more well rested. I already dreamed a lot but now I do every night. I can concentrate a bit better, although my adhd hits me like a truck after all this time being pretty much chronically influenced by weed. I never saw myself as addicted, and seeing how easily I managed to quit and never having felt a need to use it again I am still convinced I never was actually addicted in a problematic sense, but the difference in using and not using at all is immense, although the effects of quitting take some time to be noticable in the longer run.

Those two instances in which I did smoke, I got actually stoned which I hadn't really been anymore since I started smoking daily, which was fun. But I immediately noticed the bad effects of it, such as sleeping really badly.

Once again: I am so glad I quit. It's really no good for anything to smoke weed that often. Just quit, or at least heavily moderate how often you use weed.

[snivy]

Hey man when you said build a life that's worth living that sparked a light in me. Like something finally clicked, I'm severely depressed and everyday has been the same for months bad sleep wake up smoke then play video games then eat and smoke then go back to sleep. I have a lot of suicidal thoughts like even when something small inconveicne happens its "I want to die" but in reality its the strong desire to live, live the way I truly want. and when you said build a life that's worth living I realized shouldn't wait for things to get better I should build slowly and compassionately the life that I want to live so bad that I rather die than not live it.

[star]

Weed is 100% addictive. Back in the fall, I started my first year coaching football simultaneous with my freshman year of college. It was a lot to handle and I picked up smoking right before. Later on in the semester, my social anxiety was off the charts and I was smoking constantly in between classes and coaching. I was constantly chasing the next high, just to feel that relaxation for a bit and then go to sleep. Heading into my spring semester, I obviously knew that it was a problem. I would be irritable and lazy. I didn't quit cold turkey, and still smoke, but I started limiting when I would be "allowed" to smoke. Now, I will only smoke at nights. Never before my workouts or classes. That way, I wasn't depending on weed to get me through my day, but rather as a way to unwind if I feel like it will help. Once you're able to say "nah I don't wanna smoke right now, " you start to build a healthier relationship with using.

[saintmax]

I developed schizoaffective disorder from weed. I do believe I was predisposed to it though. I had psycothic symptoms growing up, but when I was 14, I started smoking weed pretty often. I quit when I was 16 but started again when I was 17. After I started up again, I smoked way too much in one sitting and became psychotic. I was a mess for about 8 years, but I am now able to manage it with years of therapy and antipsychotics. The funny thing is schizophrenia doesn't run in my family or at least Im not aware of it if it does. So if you're under 25, I wouldnt touch the stuff. The risk may be small, but it will mess up your life entirely. My cognition is still fried and I doubt it will get better. Also, I go to a clinic for psychotic disorders, and I have done a lot of groups. I'd say more than half the people there have had similar experiences with weed. Also, if you have a psychotic disorder, don't smoke weed. I promise you it does not help you.

[johnbillings]

I'm a daily user for chronic pain, depression, anxiety and it probably saved my life during the pandemic and since. You just have to keep in mind the respect it deserves. It has diminishing returns when you don't.