mental-health/substance-use

I can't tell what's me anymore and what's the weed

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I'm 20. I used to smoke to take the edge off; now I'm high most of the day and can't tell where the edge is. Underneath is a flatness that was there before the weed. At 1am I asked an AI if smoking this much is a problem, because I didn't want a real person's face. It's been in my chest all day.

Last updated: July 2026History

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What this can feel like

I'm 20. I used to smoke to take the edge off, and now I can't really tell where the edge is anymore, because I'm high most of the day, in the morning before class, between classes, to fall asleep, to feel like eating. When I run out I get this itchy, wired panic, and everything feels grey and pointless until I can get more. Under all of it there's this flatness that was honestly there before the weed; I think the weed just turns the volume down on it. Last night I typed into an AI, 'is smoking this much actually a problem or am I overthinking it,' which is a wild thing to ask a robot at 1am, but I didn't want a real person's face when I said it. It didn't freak out, which I appreciated, it just asked how I feel when I'm not high, and I realized I don't really know anymore. That question has been sitting in my chest all day. I don't want to quit exactly. I just want to know what's me and what's the weed.

What's a first step I can take?

Return their line: 'what's me and what's the weed?' Ask what an average un-high hour feels like now

Common questions

A useful sign is whether you need it to feel normal, using through the day, panic or irritability when you're out, or leaning on it to eat or sleep. If you can't picture your day without it, that's worth exploring, not judging.

That's a common and important question. Sometimes substances turn the volume down on feelings like low mood that were there first. Noticing 'what's me and what's the weed' is exactly the kind of thing counseling can help you untangle.

You don't have to decide that first. Campus counseling or a low-cost telehealth visit can just be a conversation about what you're noticing. Curiosity is a completely valid reason to reach out.

Related

Say it back

How would you explain this to someone you love?

Two or three sentences, just as you’d say it. Gale reflects back what you focused on — a mirror, not a quiz.

If things feel heavy, a person is available anytime — call or text 988.

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

When to get support sooner

  • —Needing to use just to feel normal, eat, or sleep
  • —Intense low mood, hopelessness, or feeling like you don't want to be here
  • —Panic or being unable to function when you can't use
  • —Using more and more to get the same relief

Call or text 988 - the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and 24/7. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

This is general information to help you take a first step, not medical or mental-health advice or a diagnosis. A licensed professional can help you figure out what fits.

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References

  1. 1. (2019). Young people's online help-seeking and mental health difficulties: systematic narrative review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. linkYoung people commonly turn to online and digital sources as an early, lower-stigma step for mental health concerns.

1 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — citations link their sources. Editorial policy

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