Hey everyone. I'm new here. I'm 26 years old, and live in Upstate New York. Iv'e been smoking weed for 8 years now, since I was 18. But recently it has been affecting me in a bad way. For the past 2 months or so, whenever I happen to smoke, I get these intense anxiety attacks, and get super paranoid. I think to myself that I'm dying and about to have a heart attack any second and I get very scared for my life. Now when this started happening I didn't smoke anymore. Then 3 weeks later I did it again and nothing happened. Then I quit again for a month, and Friday night I smoked a bowl. Cause someone gave me a little bit of weed to sample. Well let me tell you, it was about 15 degrees outside, and I stood outside with a T shirt on for several minutes cause I felt like if I stayed inside I would die or suffocate. I tried to watch an episode of Fraggle Rock on Youtube.com. But I couldn't concentrate on it, I couldn't even enjoy it, so I only watched bits and pieces of it. I decided that I needed to have something to eat, so I pulled a Fish Dinner that I ordered earlier that night but saved. I started eating it, and felt a little better. But then I started getting more paranoid thoughts. I started thinking that the tartar sauce tasted funny, and I started to think it was poisoned and I was gonna die. Then I started to think that the fish was poisoned. I ate most of it, but gave the rest to my dog. I decided that I needed to go out. I just felt like I needed to go for a nice long walk and the cold air would make me feel better. I put on my coat and shoes and started walking down a trail not too far from my house. But the minute I hit the trail, I got more paranoid thoughts. I started thinking that some wild Animals were gonna come out of nowhere and start ripping me apart and were gonna kill me. Either that or I thought some bad dudes from the bad part of town would be hanging out on the trail, and that they were gonna jump me, or beat me up really bad. Take all my money, and mabye even kill me. Well then I turned around and headed back for home. Once I came inside, I turned the TV on Boomerang, watched Popeye, and fell asleep. But it was a very scary high. Now I have to ask you. Do you guys think that since I'm getting a little older, that my body is reacting differently to weed? Do you think it's the good Lords way of saying enough is enough. Time to grow up and close this chapter of my life? Where I live a lot of guys my age don't smoke weed anymore. It's basically something for a the High School/College crowd. Mabye I'm just outgrowing it, because I really don't feel a strong need for it anymore. In fact this past year it's been phasing out, because I haven't been smoking quite as much, and I only get like a bowl at a time and smoke mabye once a week or once a month. But after Friday night, I don't think I ever want to do it anymore. I can see how it gets to be mentally addicting, and can screw with your life. I remember wasting entire days beging in a bad depressed mood because I didn't have any weed and couldn't find any anywhere. If I had a jar full of money with all the money Iv'e spent on it these past 8 years, I'd be quite rich right now. Do u all think that mabye since I didn't start smoking it till I was 18, while most guys I knew started at 13 or 14, is the reason, why I'm 26 and just now wanting to quit? Also, why do u think I'm suddently getting anxiety attacks off it now? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated. I just feel like my desires have been really changing lately.