I have been dealing with severe anxiety as well as depression for quite a few years. I like reading philosophy and sometimes get way too into the abstract thoughts about life, death, meaning, etc. It makes me very anxious and stressed, especially when faced with day-to-day decisions. I will extrapolate something like a small career move into a huge thing about meaning and dying and it becomes this giant existential crisis thing and I get really mentally paralyzed/stuck and can’t do anything for a little while.  

I’ve been talking about this and opening up to some friends. Nearly every single time they just tell me I need some smoke some weed. To chill out or relax I guess. 

It’s upsetting to me because I feel like, sure they are well meaning I suppose but it feels dismissive. Not everything can be solved by just smoking some weed. Furthermore, I *have* tried it, and I don’t like it. I don’t like being high  and feeling out of control of my thoughts. Sometimes weed helps people but it doesn’t help me. 

I wish people would stop suggesting it for me, and maybe listen to what I am actually telling them. Telling you have a mental illness is not easy. It’s frustrating when the main thing people decide to say is that you “just need to chill.”