^^^THIS!!! Exactly.
For myself... I'm a Type-A personality that has a mix of Generalized Anxiety Disorder / Depression - Lotsa backstory reasons for all that isht I'm sure. And while it has it's roots in my own physiology and back-story, it's exacerbated by other external factors that are out of my control and tax my relationship. (BTW which is why I took up hunting)
There are many different SSRI meds that work very well for it. But most come with side effects that become problematic/annoying/bothersome with their long-term use.
Weight-gain. Stomach/Bowel disruption. Constant odd taste in your mouth that you try to get rid of by eating. Sexual Dysfunction (While on one I had great difficulty reaching climax. Despite what you'd think.... that Ex quickly became not to keen on that considering the effort and duration that was reqd to finally get there, would leave her pretty raw. And it wasn't at all an issue of ED, just couldn't climax as per normal, it was real odd, took way way way more effort then normal). Let's see... then there is Apathy, lack of sense of urgency toward attending to your responsibilities with the proper motivation, even for things you like and look forward to doing.
Since started the hunting thing.. haven't really done SSRI's since then... maybe once in awhile when the holidays approach and my relationship is again taxing my spirit strongly from time to time. (Wife is gorgeous but has a painful sexual dysfunction as a result of a needed surgery that allowed her to finally not mis-carry after she re-married with me. I have to work around this BIG issue that makes frequency very very low and spontaneity non-existent, and greatly reduces receptiveness to even simple displays of affection from me to her, creates a HUGE disparity in terms of "appetites" shall we say)
For myself?... weed is an amazing help. But... my job is very cerebral, so I can't partake with any kind of regularity, since it does sometimes tend to invoke a bit of apathy towards the hard mental gymnastics I have to subject myself to everyday with programming tasks and raising a kid. It's been a long long time since I ever smoked it again. Especially since I have a child now, and so I'd have to wait patiently for just the right set of circumstances to come along and responsibilities to be taken care of to even be able to have that as an option. I just can't do the smoking route anymore anyway. I grew up in an area of poor air-quality and also did A LOT of heavy long commuting on the infamous 405 Fwy on Moto for years, which I'm sure also contributed to my lung sensitivites with exposure to all that smog. Then I got Covid early and hard before the first lockdown happened. Which REALLY up'd my lung sensitivies since then.
Fast fwd to last two years, a fellow hunter extended an invite to join him duck hunting out at Wister, CA by Salton Sea. I see the signs for dispensaries on the Fwy at Indio, and with the holidays season and what that tends to do to my mood, I go "You know what? Yeah. It's been a loooong damn time. Why not!"
And it's soo cool how now they have all these nice edible offerings! Gives you the ability to know exactly how much you choose to ingest. So that way... you can approach it judiciously and slowly increase until you learn what is your desired level.
For myself? Oh man... it's such a relief from my normal tense state. That just right dosage. Where you're still just fine to do most all the regular stuff you do (minus attacking perplexing programming problems that require insane levels of focus and attention to detail, for extended periods of contiguous time) and you have no idea how much of a God Send that is for me.
Just even *knowing* that there even IS an option out there that you can occasionally look forward to when your schedule and responsibilities will allow, is such a major relief! Because let's face it... without cannabis as a possible option... I'll end up eventually slipping into that bad habit of doing occasional self-medicating with alcohol when stressors are high. But... my tolerance for drink is soo high that it requires intaking far too much to achieve that desired level of feeling... but I don't like alcohol for this purpose because drinking invokes my acid reflux issue in nothing flat. In a major way. So it's kind of self-regulating nowadays. I just can't do it very much. Also... it seems to increase my impatience towards being treated unfairly and being b*tched at. You know... when they occasionally forget how damn much Daddy takes care of around this damn camp. So... those situations where you as the man in a relationship have learned it's better to just hold-your-tongue and not react to the BS they're doing in that moment that is unfair and upsets you... you instead, when alcohol is in the system, are more apt to check 'em on it... and.. when alcohol is in the picture, your ability to take massive amounts of sh*t being directed your way by a spouse from time-to-time when they're in a b*tchy phase... in terms your of using restraint with how you converse with them and have to control yourself from replying to them the way the truly deserve in that moment... the way your inner monologue wants you to come down on 'em like a ton of bricks for that "straw that broke the camel's back" thing they just said... the way in which they just treated you.... seems like the alcohol takes away your ability to more effectively use your arsenal of interpersonal skills and psychology and discussion techniques as effectively as you normally would to achieve your desired outcome in the interaction. And we all know how that turns out. Even though what you are bringing to light about their treatment of you is all true in that moment, you know, it's not like they are hearing or acknowledging the role they play in it once their damn b*tch-switch has been flicked.
So yeah.. just like everything else in your life... weed is darn good and helpful to your overall mental health, when used judiciously.
BTW... for the thinkers out there... just ask yourself... why would they initially outlaw something like weed? DUH!!! Because it would massively cut into their tax revenues they then went back to enjoying receiving after they repealed prohibition of alcohol. You kiddin' me? You think they wanted to just let a seed... a plant... that can grow just about anywhere... and be spread/given/transferred from person to person willie-nillie? Just imagine you're part of Alchohol or Tobacco Industry. You have any IDEA how deep in the back-pockets of politicos they roll? "Neyba Please!"
Last edited:
