Hard time quitting marijuana...

[streetsk8er794]

I've been smoking for 4 years daily. Now, its preventing me from doing ANYTHING productive in my life, so I've decided its time to quit. I've tried quitting countless times before, but the withdrawal symptoms I get just werent worth it, so I went back to smoking. I know I can do it, I just need some of your support!

[Andrew]

I know this will be a tough road to climb, but you CAN do it. Here's an excellent source of information on how to quit.

It just takes effort, the will to succeed, and perseverance.

You CAN do it!

[Ian]

Good news. No doubt it will be a while before it feels like it's a benefit to be clean. From my recent experiment I know now beyond a reasonable doubt that grass is a cloudy deal.

I've enjoyed the clarity of exercise, Dexedrine and better care with food and after that, I just began to feel muddy on grass. It's great for somethings but I don't like the overall effect anymore.

I'm glad to hear you are going to try to quit again. I don't know that you can ever try too many times to get over a hurdle that you set for yourself. Keep us all posted as you go along. There are others here looking for answers too. Together we can do more than when we were alone.

Hat's off to you.
ian

[BalanceisKey]

took me atleast 7 times to quit cigarettes, keep in mind what went wrong last time you tried quitting

[abomb]

Getting on proper add meds and going to marijuana-anonymous land meetings helped me quit and stay clean.

If you have MA meetings in your area, at least try one out. I find the people at MA are very cool and pretty much everything they say I can relate too. I was an everyday addict for 7 years (mainly self medicating for my ADD) and now I'm 40 days sober and I don't think I'll touch it again for many years.

[negative.zen]

Besides MA, you can find NA meetings in your area to attend for help. It's great to get some support from people online, but its impossible to beat the feeling of someone sitting next to you listening.

[liveandletdie]

just do it slowly, and dont get down on yourself if you relapse

i quit recently smoking about 2g-3g a day- not huge but a definate habit

first I started by telling myself I wasn't going to buy it anymore

second I wasn't going to buy it for other people

and third I limited my time around it (not hanging out with some friends for a little while) just until I was clean from it long enough to where I could resist smoking it when I was around it

Well, didn't really work for a while...would quit for 4-5 days and then go back for a week, but slowly I was able to taper down and quit entirely.

Constantly reminding myself the trouble it causes was a big helper.

[CDank]

It really bothers me when people claim they can't quit marijuana because they're "addicted". You're addicted to pot the same way kids are addicted to video games.

There's no withdrawal symptoms other than your own desire to continue supporting your habit of being lazy and getting high. Just stop. It's that simple.

I've done it many times, and I have an extremely addictive personality. Some times you just do something because you have to.

Don't go looking for excuses or things you can blame your laziness on. The only way you're going to change is if you look at the root of the problem.

The problem isn't the pot, its YOU.

Be an adult, get your s*** together, and quit complaining.

There's your support.

[abomb]

Originally Posted by CDank

blah blah i'm a ****in' idiot

You know it really bothers me that someone says they have ADD, they just need to...

Hey, each person's body, mind, and experiences are different. Just because a lot of people don't get withdrawal symptoms/have ADD, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone. there's a select group of us who go through severe physical and emotional withdrawals from pot, i.e. there are people out there who mind works differently. As you being someone with ADD, why can't you understand this?

Most people in my marijuana-anonymous meetings know how physically addictive it is. We might be the minority, withdrawal symptons might only effects 10% of users, but for those of us it does effect, it is real.

Telling someone to grow up and tough it out, is ignorant, uncompassionate, and it makes it harder to quit.

Maybe telling yourself marijuana isn't addictive somehow makes you feel better about your own habit, but to each his or her own.

Many people would say us with ADD are just being childish, immature, and don't know how to focus on our own. Well those of us who really suffer from ADD know how bogus those claims are. It's the same for someone who is seriously affected by pot.

Take your head out of your *** and try and open your mind.

[CDank]

Originally Posted by abomb

Hey, each person's body, mind, and experiences are different. Just because a lot of people don't get withdrawal symptoms/have ADD, doesn't mean it's the same for everyone. there's a select group of us who go through severe physical and emotional withdrawals from pot, i.e. there are people out there who mind works differently. As you being someone with ADD, why can't you understand this?

Most people in my marijuana-anonymous meetings know how physically addictive it is. We might be the minority, withdrawal symptons might only effects 10% of users, but for those of us it does effect, it is real.

Telling someone to grow up and tough it out, is ignorant, uncompassionate, and it makes it harder to quit.

Take your head out of your *** and try and open your mind.

Hey, just real quick, show me the scientific evidence to support your claim that Marijuana can be physically addicting and I'll be happy to show you the numerous studies that support otherwise.

The whole "Oh, everyone works differently" thing isn't working for me. In that case, maybe I grow another arm every time I eat cranberry cobbler. I just work differently. (That sure looked good on paper, but doesn't work in an argument.)

Originally Posted by abomb

Many people would say us with ADD are just being childish, immature, and don't know how to focus on our own. Well those of us who really suffer from ADD know how bogus those claims are. It's the same for someone who is seriously affected by pot.

Being somebody with a mental disorder and being somebody who lets their habits own and control them are a completely different thing. I suppose you believe those people who claim to be addicted to MMORPGs have a disease too, right?

Originally Posted by abomb

It's the same for someone who is seriously affected by pot.

Somebody who's "seriously affected by pot" is usually chilling on a couch, eating a bowl of Lucky Charms, and laughing at the way Rachael Ray pronounces "Parmesan Cheese".

Originally Posted by abomb

Maybe telling yourself marijuana isn't addictive somehow makes you feel better about your own habit, but to each his or her own.

And look at you talking about me like you know me.

I don't have a habit of smoking, because a habit would entail some sort of ongoing regularity. Don't assume that just because I smoke weed means I do it habitually, or even often for that matter. Not all drinkers have a habit of drinking, and not all smokers have a habit of smoking. I happily lived sober for years until just recently. I will occasionally knock back a couple beers with my friends or roll up a joint if it's around.

Your whole post just reeks of denial.

[Peripheral]

When I take breaks from the herb, I can actually smell and taste it in my dreams. Just like any other addictive substance, there is definitely a psycological withdraw. I guess the severity would depend on the individuals habit. What she/he uses the cannabis for.
I definitly go through torture.
The same goes for the ritalin.
I think this happens to me because both of these substances involve physical/chemical reactions in my brain areas that AD(H)D involves.
I have also noticed the amount of stress/anxiety in my life has a direct link to when I can take a brake.
Lets use cigarettes as a legal example.
I don't smoke cigarettes but have asked these questions many times to know that the observation is true.

Example, When a person who smokes has a cigarette, they look into the pack and see half a pack. They enjoy the next cigarette. Without stress or anxiety. But let it be the last cigarette knowing that there is no more and stress/anxiety occur. Even before they have finished the last cigarette and don't usually enjoy the last cigarette. Until the smoker gets a new pack.
Why is the last cigarette not as enjoyable? We would think that withdraw would start after the last cigarette effects stopped, but withdraw happens before the effects finish for some people.
The same thing happens to me with Cannabis.
Taking stress/anxiety into consideration helps alot.
Maybe focusing on stress relief might help. And the ways we deal individually with stressful issues in the past and present may help stopping.

I also have a hard time seperating the topics of physical addiction VS psycological addiction. They are so intertwined.

FH

[Saalyg]

I've been addicted to pot before, but I got over it because... well I went broke. Also had to stop doing blow and some other substances. But I can tell you that the effects of marijuana withdrawal are real and I have several friends and a brother as well as myself who will tell you it's true. Pot relaxes you and calms your nerves. You don't stress as much, you don't care, really. But if you use it too frequently, your sobriety because proportionately affected in the opposite direction. You stress more without pot, you get angry and lose your cool. You need that relaxation because you're used to it. And the more things you routinely do while high, the harder it is to stay relaxed when you do them sober. When I first started driving, I had more hours on the road blazed than sober. At work I did better stoned because I didn't care about how many orders of hashbrowns I had to cook, I just did it and felt cool when the Friday night rush ended. But when I tried to cook sober or drive sober, the little frustrations were so much worse than before I started smoking. My brother has it even worse than I do. He will stay ****ed off from the time he sobers up off weed to the time he takes the first puff of the new spliff. And I have friends who have similar reactions. It's not something to take lightly just because you haven't experienced it. There is no physical addiction, you're right. But there is definitely a psychological addiction and that's even mentioned in propagandist anti-drug literature.

By the way, I've tried quitting cigs and weed many times and it's rough as hell. I'm doing well right now, though. I've cut back tremendously and I have a feeling that as long as I stay on this path, I'll be successful this go-around. I just feel different this time.

[Peripheral]

Originally Posted by Saalyg

I've been addicted to pot before, but I got over it because... well I went broke. Also had to stop doing blow and some other substances. But I can tell you that the effects of marijuana withdrawal are real and I have several friends and a brother as well as myself who will tell you it's true. Pot relaxes you and calms your nerves. You don't stress as much, you don't care, really. But if you use it too frequently, your sobriety because proportionately affected in the opposite direction. You stress more without pot, you get angry and lose your cool. You need that relaxation because you're used to it. And the more things you routinely do while high, the harder it is to stay relaxed when you do them sober. When I first started driving, I had more hours on the road blazed than sober. At work I did better stoned because I didn't care about how many orders of hashbrowns I had to cook, I just did it and felt cool when the Friday night rush ended. But when I tried to cook sober or drive sober, the little frustrations were so much worse than before I started smoking. My brother has it even worse than I do. He will stay ****ed off from the time he sobers up off weed to the time he takes the first puff of the new spliff. And I have friends who have similar reactions. It's not something to take lightly just because you haven't experienced it. There is no physical addiction, you're right. But there is definitely a psychological addiction and that's even mentioned in propagandist anti-drug literature.

By the way, I've tried quitting cigs and weed many times and it's rough as hell. I'm doing well right now, though. I've cut back tremendously and I have a feeling that as long as I stay on this path, I'll be successful this go-around. I just feel different this time.

Saalyg
Interesting,
I've found some good points in "propagandist anti-drug literature," aswell.
And I'm pro medicinal cannabis.
The issues are so complex,
And effects different for every individual,
And so many different factors in each case.
I've cut back 60% in three years.
Awesome post.
FunnyHead

[CDank]

There is no such thing as mental dependence. If you feel negative feelings because you had to cut out something in your life that you enjoy, that's in your head. So let's not throw around this phrase like it's some sort of medical terminology. Believe it or not, you're in control of your feelings.

If you dislike reality and sobriety, that has to do with you. Personally. There are probably underlying causes which you to feel that stress, anger, and anxiety. It's probably what caused you to smoke so much weed in the first place. You should get counseling or therapy if you're unsatisfied with life, or maybe make some lifestyle changes.

On that note, my hard working sister and her boyfriend who used to smoke large amounts of marijuana daily, just quit recently. They needed to start saving up money, so they cut some of their unnecessary expenses.

Today they continue to live happy, normal, 'withdrawal' free lives. The only difference between my sister and you is the "happy" and possibly "normal" parts.


Also, I think some of you guys might not understand the definition of the words "Withdrawal" and "Addiction".

Withdrawal is a term used to describe negative physical effects caused by discontinuing the use of a drug that causes physical dependence (aka, addiction). A good example would be alcohol.

If an alcoholic continues to chronically drink large amounts, they will, at a point, be forced to continue drinking for the rest of their life, or they will die...because their body then depends on the drug.

Nobody has ever died from smoking weed. Nobody has required medical attention because of smoking weed. As a matter of fact, you could smoke until you pass out, wake up, do it again and nothing bad would happen (well, other than wasting a **** load of time). Imagine doing that with alcohol -- the effects would be much different (probably deadly, alcohol poisoning is very real). How about snorting cocaine until you pass out? That's the difference.

[Peripheral]

Originally Posted by CDank

There is no such thing as mental dependence. If you feel negative feelings because you had to cut out something in your life that you enjoy, that's in your head. So let's not throw around this phrase like it's some sort of medical terminology. Believe it or not, you're in control of your feelings.

If you dislike reality and sobriety, that has to do with you. Personally. There are probably underlying causes which you to feel that stress, anger, and anxiety. It's probably what caused you to smoke so much weed in the first place. You should get counseling or therapy if you're unsatisfied with life, or maybe make some lifestyle changes.

On that note, my hard working sister and her boyfriend who used to smoke large amounts of marijuana daily, just quit recently. They needed to start saving up money, so they cut some of their unnecessary expenses.

Today they continue to live happy, normal, 'withdrawal' free lives. The only difference between my sister and you is the "happy" and possibly "normal" parts.


Also, I think some of you guys might not understand the definition of the words "Withdrawal" and "Addiction".

Withdrawal is a term used to describe negative physical effects caused by discontinuing the use of a drug that causes physical dependence (aka, addiction). A good example would be alcohol.

If an alcoholic continues to chronically drink large amounts, they will, at a point, be forced to continue drinking for the rest of their life, or they will die...because their body then depends on the drug.

Nobody has ever died from smoking weed. Nobody has required medical attention because of smoking weed. As a matter of fact, you could smoke until you pass out, wake up, do it again and nothing bad would happen (well, other than wasting a **** load of time). Imagine doing that with alcohol -- the effects would be much different (probably deadly, alcohol poisoning is very real). How about snorting cocaine until you pass out? That's the difference.

CDank
Do you have AD(H)D?
It's in our heads.
Denial about addiction being psycological is confusing.
Old School to thinking that the mind runs perfectly.
FH