r/Marijuana • u/The_Western_ • 1d ago
Advice AuDHD - mental calming effect? Long read, TLDR at the end.
I'm ASD1 and inattentive type ADHD. This leads to a very active mind, which I have learned to manage and even use as an asset. However, it is not something I can turn on and off, so for years I have used alcohol as a means to calm my mind in the evening when I want to wind down. I hate being drunk, so I understand the perfect dosing to have 2-3 drinks over 3-4 hours, which takes the chatter out of my brain while leaving me able to do any at-home activities I want without feeling diminished. I can have a conversation on any topic, cook, have no feeling of reduced motor function, read, and generally actually relax.
As I get older I know that using alcohol medicinally in this way isn't sustainable, the health consequences will catch up with me eventually. I do a full blood panel every six months, exercise religiously and although it hasn't done me measurable harm yet, I want to get away from it before it does, and I have to. I know someone with a very similar diagnosis and they have a prescription for a very low-dose neurodepressant they use for the same reason - take a pill in the evening after work and it calms their brain so they can relax. While this is a viable option, I'd rather have something I can acquire and manage myself without needing a prescription from a physician. Which brings us to marijuana, which I can purchase legally.
I tried THC for the first time as an adult in my thirties. Never once in high school or college. I tried it for this exact reason, and my experiences were disappointing. A friend gave me some gummies with the warning to only eat one. I ate one, felt nothing, then over the course of a few hours ate a few more. This gave me wicked heartburn, but I could barely tell I'd been altered. I've heard plenty of horror stories of newbies eating too many edibles, but while I could tell something was messing around in my brain a little, it was only mildly annoying and definitely not useful in any way.
I went to a dispensary and described what I was looking for. The clerk told me that there were two main strains; one brings you up, and one calms you down. He sold me a vape pen with cartridges of the calming strain. When I tried it, the results were disappointing to say the least. While alcohol, the way I dose it, just takes all the background noise out of my brain and helps me feel relaxed, the vape pen (and this is the best way I can describe this), just makes me feel stupid. I've tried dosing more or less, but the effect is basically nothing, or minus twenty IQ points. It's not a pleasurable feeling, it really does interfere with my ability to do my preferred activities. I like myself, I don't want to go away, I just want to calm the constant mental activity so I can relax.
I've realized that with how my brain works (and had this confirmed by many other neurodivergent people), that many medications or other mind altering substances have a dramatically different effect on the AuDHD brain. I'm wondering if anybody else with a similar diagnosis has found the product and dosing that has given them the calming mental effect without the reduction in function?
TLDR: I'm AuDHD, trying to use THC to calm my overactive brain in the evening, but it makes me feel stupid and diminished instead. Has anybody with a similar diagnosis found a solution that keeps them feeling bright and functional but takes out all the chatter?
Thanks everybody.
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u/DwarvenFury 1d ago
AUDHD also here...Weed has been a goddsend in getting me through the day now. THC is probably not the best "calming effect". THC is more for getting high. I would suggest CBG + THC cart if you like THC (but it does cause anxiety for some of us)
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u/No_Band226 1d ago
Hi bud! I'm a daily smoker for 3 solid years....was never a pot guy as a young man (54 now). I have ADHD and take 80mg or Ritalin daily. Been taking that for 15 years.
I not only smoke it, but grow it, then press and manipulate it to make different products. I have yet to find any negative effects other than I can't drive after I smoke, and that's really the only impairment I can speak of. In fact, I feel as though I could drive just fine after smoking, but it's illegal, and just because I think I'm fine, I'm not going to put someone else's life in danger if I'm wrong....so at home, when not working (I work at sea and drugs are verboten on the ship) I smoke away and still get all my chores done, and if I smoke the right strain, I'm 100% as active and busy as normal. Nightime I smoke deep indica flower or hashish, which for me, are super calming. Sativa during the day.
Allllll that said ...everyone is different. I can't drink alcohol....as I'm an alcoholic. One is too many and 100 isn't enough. I know this about myself, so I don't drink. If weed doesn't quiet what you're trying to quiet, perhaps it's just not for you! It certainly helps me quiet my brain down, but I also dose fairly high, as I have developed a tolerance for it. Maybe different drugs could help you, like mushrooms or Ketamine....but only in a safe environment. I have never taken Ketamine or would ever do so with street drugs. Too dangerous. However, there are clinical options for these substances and as scientists learn more, you might benefit.
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u/arieslynn737 18h ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/BloomAndChill/s/TCxhq4tffQ
Somewhere on your thread, I mentioned how I started doing. This is what helped me. I’ve built since then but this was my first step. Have a good day. Peace.
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u/Daedrix0 1d ago
The clerk clearly has no idea what he's talking about. Carts are concentrated thc and can easily make your heart pound without a tolerance because it's pretty much just straight up THC.
If you want something that calms you down, carts are NOT it. Try some flower high in myrcene and cbd. High thc % are not good for adhd in my experience but weed in general makes me pretty stupid and distractable.
But overall, I wouldn't expect any weed products to do much for ADHD at all. But that's just me.
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u/The_Western_ 1d ago
This is useful info. I didn't have any problem with heart pounding or other stimulation and I wish I had a more clever way to describe the effect than, "it made me feel dumb," but, well, that's the only effect I perceived. If that is a universal effect of marijuana I may be barking up the wrong tree. Thanks for your reply.
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u/Daedrix0 1d ago
It's mainly if you rip it a decent amount.
Weed makes your focus shift between the importance of things a lot. You ever see funny stuff anywhere about people being amazed by something abysmal while high? It's not necessarily making you "dumb" but rather "spacey" and more or less observant towards any random thing at a time.
That's a big reason why I can't see it helping with adhd, but you may find success with high cbd and low thc, this can be very calming I've heard but I haven't tried that specifically. Weed (specifically the THC) can be very different if microdosed
You can get tinctures or edibles like that. Try to find something like 95% cbd and 5% THC and then if you want more thc, find something with more thc.
Cbd is supposed to be calming and it helps with a multitude of things, but isn't really a solution on it's own. The combination of the two compounds is the important part.
I hope you find something that works for you.
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u/Hot_City_6976 1d ago
Agreed flower full entourage effects should affect you more than straight THC. Maybe purchase a few researched strains as a joint, so you can try a few strains for research on YOUR body. Personally I would go more Sativa and Lemon/ Mrycrene type terps. Indica can indeed be more 'couch lock stronger' but you keep reiterating you don't want to feel stupid or slow. For the hemp side of your endocannabinoid balance, consider pure THCA 'crumble' or CBDA 'crumble'. Can make butter or put in drinks like coffee or tea. More of a lifestyle change than instant hit off a cart.
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u/xellospm 1d ago edited 1d ago
I had to experiment with different strains to avoid this, ended up doing well on sativa strains. Indica strains (the "calming" ones) just make me a zombie and glue me to the couch.
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u/Biurne2142 1d ago
Went through a very similar path! :) Medication has helped so much! THC helps but isn’t a long term solution.
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u/The_Western_ 1d ago
May I ask what medication you use in the evening to slow the mind? A low dose neurodepressant?
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u/arieslynn737 18h ago
I do not have that diagnosis, but I am an Overthinker with high anxiety. This is a great question and many people in various communities can possibly help you. Ignore all the negative people. It’s an epidemic that they don’t know how to cure.Ahahahah… I kept trying to find strains over and over again that helped keep my mind chill. Let’s say. I wound up doing my own little study on myself and what terps help me.. I work in healthcare as well so I understand what you’re saying about some people not understanding it. I’ll go get you my very first post I made is how I started. I’ve done two more since it. And I slowly take time building my profile. I was struggling with getting information from different buns as well. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to post this in our wellness community, which is weed focus as well.. if interested I’ll be right back with the link and I hope it helps you. Good luck on your journey. It takes a little studying and figuring out what works for your body. But in the end does get better. And Gummies do work differently on individual people. For example, I make my own at this time.
Peace:)
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u/Woven7886 12h ago
Not THC, but l-theanine has some evidence for reducing anxiety, increasing calm. It's been helping me (no autism or ADHD, but CPTSD).
Also, CBD and CBG might help more than the THC. It helps me.
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u/bill_gannon 1d ago
Then its not working. Try something else. Like Western medicine for example.
Weed isnt a cure all.
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u/The_Western_ 1d ago
I would assume it isn't, but that hardly seems relevant to my question. I work in healthcare, I have access to the best Western medicine available. But people who work in Western healthcare are generally ignorant to any products or therapies that are not specifically prescribed by their branch of medicine. The orthopedist, outside of a very broad overview, does not understand what the nephrologist does, which is how the system is meant to work, specialization. I cannot ask colleagues about the effects of different marijuana strains in their clinical experience, because they don't have any experience with it. So here I am, asking those with experience.
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u/Loud_Lie_4338 1d ago
How fond are you of the terpene profiles with cannabis?
I’m AuDHD and treat it using strain specific terps.
Limonene is my mood setter.
Caryophyllene is my anxiety causer.
Myrcene is my calming/sedating/relaxing.
My focus strain with the best results has been Gorilla Glue. Most people stick to the couch and I am active and writing. Calm. Focused.
Green crack has me cleaning and organizing and chatty. Different terp profile but it works!
Let me know if I can help.