What should you do about depression during cannabis withdrawal?

If you become depressed during cannabis withdrawal, immediate medical or psychotherapeutic help is the right step. Low moods can occur when you stop, and only a professional examination can establish whether depression is behind them. Until then, a stable everyday life with fixed times, sleep, exercise and contact with people you trust helps.

Mood and withdrawal: what fits together

When you stop, the body and mind change. According to drugcom, possible withdrawal symptoms include irritability, nervousness, anxiety, sleep problems, restlessness and low mood. How strong they are varies greatly from person to person. These low moods are distressing, but they do not necessarily mean depression. Only a conversation and an examination can clarify this.

Cannabis and mental health can be linked. The BIÖG describes a statistical link between cannabis and psychoses. It cannot be concluded from this whether that applies to you, but it is a reason to take warning signs seriously.

Warning signs that call for immediate help

Some signs do not allow any delay. They concern your safety, and then every day counts.

• You think about suicide or about harming yourself
• You feel hopeless, and your mood gets worse over days
• You have disturbed perceptions, persecutory thoughts or feel confused
• You can hardly sleep, eat or manage your everyday life any more
• You are afraid of losing control

In this situation, call the emergency number 112. Alternatively, contact the Telefonseelsorge crisis line (telefonseelsorge.de) or a trusted person who can come to you. Do not wait for the next appointment.

Medical help: whom to contact

A GP practice is usually the first step. There you can describe your use and your mood honestly. The doctor can examine you, classify warning signs and refer you to a specialist service if needed. For depression, specialists in psychiatry or psychotherapists are suitable. If needed, the practice can refer you to a suitable specialist service.

In the conversation, it helps to give concrete examples: how long the low moods have lasted, how you are sleeping, how much you use and which medication you take. An overview of withdrawal symptoms is in the article What are the symptoms of cannabis withdrawal?

Why medication only after consulting a doctor

Some people reach for over-the-counter or other people's medication in this phase to influence sleep or mood. That is risky, because the effects of different substances can reinforce each other. Take medication only after agreeing it with a doctor. Also tell them which other substances you use.

What you can do yourself in everyday life

Your everyday routine can give you support during a difficult phase. Small routines matter more than big plans. These points help many people:

• A fixed time to get up and a fixed bedtime, including at weekends
• A short walk each day, in daylight
• At least one arranged meeting per week, even if it is brief
• Do not use alcohol as a substitute, and raise mixed use with your doctor
• A simple list of tasks that you can manage on difficult days

Also write down what tells you that things are getting worse. Share this early warning sign with a trusted person, so that they can notice it when you can no longer see it yourself.

Dealing with setbacks

A relapse into use during a mood crisis is understandable, but it does change the situation. Raise it in counselling or treatment so that the plan can be adjusted. The article What to do after a relapse with cannabis? explains how to carry on after a relapse.

Involving relatives

A trusted person can help you keep appointments during difficult phases. They sometimes notice earlier than you do that things are getting worse. Talk with them about which signs matter to them, and agree what they may do if you stop replying. Make this arrangement in calmer moments, before a crisis starts.

What psychotherapy can achieve

Psychotherapeutic treatment helps to look at mood, thoughts and behaviour together. The focus is often on how to handle strain, feelings and the urge for cannabis. How quickly an appointment can be arranged depends on the region and the practice. Ask your GP practice or a counselling service which options are available near you.

Writing down an emergency plan

A written emergency plan helps you avoid having to think for a long time during a crisis. Note whom you can call, which places feel safe to you and which steps you will take if things become critical. The emergency number 112 belongs on every list, along with the contact details of the Telefonseelsorge crisis line, which you can find at telefonseelsorge.de. Keep the plan where you will find it in an emergency.

Daily structure during low moods

In a depressive phase, it is hard to plan the day. Small fixed anchors still help: a fixed time to get up, a meal you eat deliberately and a short walk. Plan only a few tasks per day and tick them off, even if they are small. This stabilises routines without overwhelming you.

When help takes a long time to arrive

Appointments with specialist doctors or psychotherapists can take a while. If you notice that you cannot wait that long, raise this at your GP practice. The practice can assess the situation and show routes to further help. The emergency numbers remain reachable in any case, even if an appointment is still pending.

What you can do now

1. Arrange an appointment with your GP practice if your mood has been low for weeks.
2. Tell a trusted person how they can recognise when you are doing worse.
3. Plan a fixed daily structure with sleep, exercise and one contact per day.
4. If you have thoughts of suicide or are in an acute crisis, call the emergency number 112 immediately.

More help and points of contact are under Help and counselling. If sleep problems make withdrawal harder, the article What help is there for sleep problems during withdrawal? offers further guidance.