Reasons to Quit Marijuana #2 – Psychological

by admin on November 26, 2007

Marijuana on the BrainThis is Part #2 of a 4 part series on Reasons to Quit Marijuana.

As stated in Part 1, I believe that it is a great idea to create an inventory of all of the reasons that I want to quit smoking weed. This servers 2 purposes: To clarify the negative effects of marijuana addiction in my life, and to use as a reference guide when I crave smoking pot, and think about relapsing.

The Negative Psychological Effects of Marijuana:

Motivation: Smoking pot heavily makes me super lazy. I struggle to get the most basic tasks, like housework done on time. I was always a procrastinator, but smoking pot and being a procrastinator is a horrible combination. This has been called A-motivational syndrome. I need to focus some research on a motivational syndrome.

Concentration: I can’t get in, and stay in ‘the zone’ very well when I am high on marijuana. I am become easily distracted and struggle to get tasks finished. I used to be able to work for hours without noticing the time go by. I now glance at the clock every few minutes and work feels like more a chore than way I have been sober for a few days or more. Sometimes I fade out when people are talking to me and I begin to daydream, or just shut down altogether. This had never been an issue in the past.

Memory Lapses: I forget things. Wallet, Keys, clothing, important dates, birth dates, names of people I was just introduced to, or the fact that I was just introduced to them. Smoking marijuana seems to affect my ability to transfer thoughts or ideas from short term – to long term memory.

Stress: Forgetting things, being late, falling behind, and being anxious and paranoid all of the time is stressful. I am sure you know what I do to relieve the stress. This really is a vicious cycle. I also have to hide this part of my life from coworkers and family which can cause a of stress as well. There is also the fear of being busted by the police, going to jail, or having to deal with sketchy dealers. I don’t like people to know I am stoned in public, so I stress out if I think they do know.

Mood Swings: There is the joy of scoring, and rolling up a fresh spliff, the anxiety of almost being out of weed, the anger and frustration of not being able to find a hookup and many other rollercoaster rides. There is an emotional high knowing you are going to get high, and a low after you are high, knowing you don’t want to do it anymore. I sometimes feel empty when I can’t find anything and am completely out of pot.

Depression: For me, I feel depressed because I eat terribly, break promises to myself, and am highly stressed when trying to maintain an addiction and normal life. When I fall behind and procrastinate, I feel like shit. Keeping busy is the best way for me to break this mindset. When I eat well, exercise and don’t smoke, I feel great. I am usually a positive person, and make sure that my inner monologue is positive as well.

Anger: I feel angry when I am not in control of when, where, and how I smoke weed. I also feel angry and anxious if I have weed, but am doing an activity other than smoking it. This has been a struggle in relationships when I would rather get out of bed, and get stoned, than cuddle up with someone for the rest of the night. I have resented people for interfering with my addiction.

See Also 

How to Quit Smoking Marijuana

Part 1 Physical Reasons to Quit Marijuana 

Part 3 Reasons to Quit Marijuana – Relationships

Part 4 Financial Reasons to Quit Marijuana

{ 90 comments… read them below or add one }

blackflag January 13, 2008

This is the main reason for me, not being in control – having your body and mind rule over your soul.
I went on holiday for 2 weeks and didnt smoke at all, taken out of my usual environment i didnt even think about it but on my return it was a few hours before I was back to my habit.
Since new year ive been really really sick, the doctor told me I have an infection in my lungs, so for 7 days now I have not smoked at all and I want to use this as the time to just break free.
Its going to be hard not just within my own mind but also because my circle of friends all smoke and always give me great reasons to not stop!

admin January 13, 2008

Yeah I hear ya. I think a lot of stoners don’t even realize the psychological aspect because they think that it is ‘normal’. Stoners tend to hang with other stoners, so their idea of normal gets a little skewed.

blackflag January 14, 2008

Last night my neighbour came over with a friend of his, this happens all the time and I get given a lot of free weed on account of being the host. I said no to smoking due to my lung infection, it was interesting being straight and observing the behaviour. I saw the anxiety over the new batch not being up to scratch and the making up for it by smoking twice as much, i also had to sit through the ‘weed is life, weed is natural, weed is medicine’ speeches. I got to say I feel good for not smoking with them, it would have been easy to spark up and i know I used the infection as an excuse, but ive been straight up and said i want to quit before and the reaction was like telling them id slept with their mums.

Ryan February 27, 2008

For me the depression is the worst psychological symptom of trying to stop. when i try to quit, absolutely nothing is able to entertain me and i just start thinking negative thoughts over and over til the point where i cant stand being inside my body. i really need to get past this phase and i think the rest will be easy. i’m gonna try quitting again after this weekend (both my roommates will be away, so weekend afternoons will be so hard to get through without weed during my first week of quitting so i’m not even going to put myself through that pain). i’ll keep updating my progress…hopefully someone comes on to blog as well so we can share experiences and techniques for successfully quitting.

ross March 22, 2008

Start smoking cigarette’s and you’ll feel a fool for all these posts. :roll:

Don’t admit your addicted to anything, thats BULL. If I convinced myself i was addicted to clapping my hands, id probably become ‘physiologically addicted.’

It’s the little kid aspect of your mind ‘I NEED this I NEED that.’ You WANT to get high, it’s funner then being sober.

Go out and do something… no sh# your gunna wanna be high when your sitting at a computer, any non smoker would too.

‘Splif’, as in you add tobacco to it, theres your problem, that stuff IS addicting. Any ‘physical problems’ Could be caused by smoke form marijuana, I have been smoking for over 10 years, well ‘vapeing’ rather, it’s smokless, I want to get high not breath burning plant material. better taste too.

The weed your buying might be the problem too, the worse quality usually the worse for you… Don’t burn your weed, pack a bowl and keep the flame away from it.. if it turns black it’s getting too hot. you can smoke a whole bowl and have it still be green if you know what your doing. If you run out/can;t find a link you still have a bag off ‘vaped’ weed witch will have little THC left but, I find the taste of weed more enjoyable then the high so I guess if I’m addicted to anything it’s the flavor.

Bucking Faked March 25, 2008

Ross I think you might be in denial? I mean who says they are only addicted to the taste. its like a coke addict who only likes the smell of cocaine- not the drug itself :lol: Sorry, not to be judgemental but surely you might need to re-evaluate things for yourself if you re-think that statement or why you really like/use MJ. PEACE

lily March 25, 2008

I agree ,I think that you may be in denial too, I am too. I will sit there and say, oh I enjoy smoking, but my life is a mess.
You are addicted to the high, you are addicted to the way it makes you feel.After awhile, it just doesn’t work anymore, you just smoke and smoke and smoke.
The reason why tobacco is added is so the smoke isn’t as harsh.
I am sorry if I sound rude but this website is all about honesty. Maybe deep down you want to give it up too but know how ( hence your looking at this website )
Again not trying to be rude I am just so glad I have someone to talk to because I tell you know I am in a HOLE and I hate it !
your friend lily !

lily March 25, 2008

see I can’t spell dopey pothead I am.
:roll:

second last paragragh I meant “but you may not know how ”

See so embarressing and I am 32 in a few months :sad:

Rob March 26, 2008

I have been firing up for the better part of 30 years, and am about to give it up. I quit smoking cigs June 2006, and sure this can’t be any more difficult to give up.

The weed I smoke is the kind bud, and I have stayed stoned most of the day. I will turn 50 this year, and think it is about time to grow up.

The biggest problem I have as a “marijuana addict”, is that I am isolated from people. There is the issue of being introverted already, and the weed brings me even deeper into myself. I also feel the weed contributes to an almost constant sense of depersonalization/derealization. I am detached from “the world”.

I understand that weed is not itself addictive, but for some of us it is everything. It is my primary “mood enhancer”.

I know that I am capable of more. I have managed to do OK on weed, but know that I am passing up MANY opportunities because I’m too stoned, and would rather just be stuck, but euphoric.

I use weed to quiet my mind. And so it is quite boring.

My quit date is April 1st.

Nolan April 18, 2008

i am 17 and i smoke weed numerous times a day. usually about a quarter ounce a day. whenever i go a day without smoking it is so hard to get through the day. i feel addicted to marijuana. i cant think of a point in my life i was real happy without being fucked up. Life seems so dull and boring without weed. i want to quit but i cant. i dont know what to do with myself without weed. im on probation for gettin caught with 2 ounces so i kno i am gettin drug tested sumtimes.

Nolan April 18, 2008

i smoke weed to get away. the world is a stressful place i think people need weed. everytime i see sumone that is real happy sumwhere and they arent fuckd up i say i wish i could be that happy without drugs. but i need weed to be happy. can neone give me some help. i really dont know i love to smoke weed but it gets me nowhere. no matter how much i smoke one day i wake up the next day and its the same regardless im not high. i hate the world not high. i wish i knew a way to go threw life without buying a half ounce every other day.can ne one help???

Joanna April 29, 2008

I have been smoking pot chronically for about 6 years. I started smoking because all my friends were, now I’m addicted and can’t seem to find a good enough reason to quit.
But I do know this. I smoke pot when I’m angry so I don’t say things that will hurt others..but it’s a lie. My anger has gotten much worse. I can’t remember anything about my early childhood. I forget daily activities at my job that isn’t that hard. When I’m high I can’t look anyone in the eye. My neck shakes when I have one too many hits. I look to marijuanna to comfort me, and to take me away from problems, but it only pushes the problems down inside me instead of fixing them. I used to write stories all the time…now I can’t concentrate long enough to get past the first or second chpt…I feel awkward when with family. I want to quit, but I’m afraid of how volitile I’ll be. But this website is very true, and has brought to surface many of the negative effects I have been afraid to admit to myself.
This website IS an inspiration, thank you so much

Trevor May 28, 2008

The main reason i want to quit smoking marijuana is because i have noticed within the last year or so that it has been very difficult for me to remeber things. I am 17 and i have probley been smoking pot for 4 years now and 2 of those 4 years has been constant every day literally, i can read something and about 20 seconds later i couldnt tell you what i have read. I understand that marijuana can cause short term marijuana and kill brain cells but could anyone please tell me if my memory will come back after i quit and if so how long do you think it will take until my mind is functioning normally again. I find it very hard to do my school work and complete average everyday tasks.

B Jean May 29, 2008

I can definately relate to your concern over the memory loss. I am 25 and have been smoking since I was 18.
I quit for about a year when I moved off to college (that was when I was 22 to 23)…My mind cleared up pretty quickly, and I can remember writing in my journal that “I forgot how smart I was.”
My mind began working like a well-oiled machine again. And I was more creative than I had been in years.
I started smoking again after an old high school friend moved in with me; and have been doing so daily for the past two years.
I decided to quit again because I feel that it is having a negative affect on my mind… It’s been two days and I feel great about my decision.

vanessa-juanica May 30, 2008

Yep. I am on day 6 today and having a rough time. The phychological aspect sure does play such a strong role. Even today, i am struggling with the “i want to smoke a joint” syndrome. I am so tired and restless and have been getting a 4 to 5 hour average of sleep at night. It is rough, but i am ready to stop.

I also joined MA (marijuan anonymous) and this has helped. There are in person meetings where you can be with others who have the same issues…and many who have been sober for some time.

I was having anxiety earlier pretty bad…so i decided to walk and walk. I walked about 5 miles and my feet are full of blisters. My feet haven’t worked that hard in some time.

I have been a chronic smoker for the past 15 years and over the past 5 years it has gotten worse. I said chronic smoker for the past 15 years, however, i have been smoking bud for 21 years now. I started when i was 14 years old. Buying weed at $120 a quarter oz and burning through it in 2-3 days is quite the expensive habit. The first step was for me to admit that i have a problem…i an addict.

I always thought that the idea of a “marijuan addict” was ridiculous. Now, i know different. I am pretty damn smart cookie too…got through college with all A’s and B’s and am considered very successful…but my life just isnt’ working anymore. I am 35 years old and keep asking myself “do you want to keep it up for another 21 years? I am tired of my life not working.

I loved you Mary Jane, but just can’t have you around anymore. Good luck to all of you, becuase it is not an easy thing to kick! Lots of love to you all.

vanessa-juanica May 31, 2008

no more comments

vanessa-juanica May 31, 2008

i meant…no more comments today. haven[‘t smoked in 7 days

mick margaret river western australia June 16, 2008

honetsy is the best policy have been mixing mull northern lights outdoor grown with tabacco for19 years had enough smoked weed all over the world africa europe america i think its very addictive and life controlling . this is the best most accurate helpful honest site i have found . 2months now without smoking anything hardest thing ive ever done. sleepless nights sweaty aggitated aggressive periods luckily im an obsessive surfer and have been surfing like a madman buggering myself out exhausting physically but feel pretty good. cry alot more now not so nullified loving living more attention to peoples feelings emotions.the news of the world effects me more now but my family is very sopportive good luck with your choices this is the hardest thing i have ever done but i know its the best thing for me and everyone who loves me .brought a new surfboard with money ive saved great motivation . straight is the new bent . it is for me anyhow.take care life is awesome and incredible enough without being stoned alot. trying to start again im 38 years old. mick w.a :lol:

meg August 24, 2008

Trevor, I quit about four days after you wrote that post and havent smoked since. I’m seventeeen too and have been a litteral every day morning to night smoker for two years and i’ve smoked for four. My memory got awful as well but It’s starting to come back. Like when I was flipping through my ipod the other day i dind’t forget what song I was looking for before i got to it! Your memory will stop lapsing, well, at least mine did.

but does anyone know about anxiety/depression coming when quitting. i’ve secluded myself from society and am just REALLY unhappy

HashJam September 7, 2008

Wow…

Maybe I do not really understand “marijuana addiction” because I’ve only been smoking moderate amounts for 3 years, but in my opinion you have to have a mind over matter approach when it comes to weed. Of the things listed above, the only thing that mary jane really changes about me is my concentration and that is only in the first half hour or so of smoking. To me weed is not your life, it should enhance your life. Take a toke and go for a walk or jog, go to library, take a relaxing bath, do some gardening, clean the house…It should make fun things more enjoyable and mundane things less stressful.

My boyfriend is a heavy marijuana smoker and has been for the past 5-6 years, but he also has a full-time assistant management job, works out with me often (after a couples smoking session because running while high is the greatest feeling), rarely forgets things or is late, and treats me like a queen.

I admit I have had a few episodes when I am anxious because I am out of weed and haven’t smoked in a week or 2, but I also have those times when I don’t even desire to smoke weed and I am just fine without. You have to keep occupied and go about your daily life.

I admit I have my problems, but they have existed way before weed was introduced into my life (my parents were told to seek psychiatric care for me at the age of 5). Marijuana is a beautiful gift from the earth and you should not blame her for your underlying mental problems…

Phil September 18, 2008

I quit smoking marijuana about 1 month ago. I am breathing better and have more energy. I also have cut down on fattening snacks. One problem is I have not been able to sleep through the night. I know I said I can breath better and have more energy BUT I need sleep. I am 67 years of age. I smoked for about 37 years. Can anyone offer advice on sleeping. I want to keep away from the weed. I gave up tobacco 29 years ago. I drink some wine.Maybe I should stop that also. Thanx

Sissy October 1, 2008

Hi all – longtime heavy smoker here….15 years. I quit cold turkey in May, relapsed for 2 weeks in August, but back on track again for good.

I was the smoker who didn’t know I had a problem and was in deep, deep denial. I lived in a foggy haze for years and one by one, lost a friend here, lost a friend there, and now I don’t have any friends, except my family and husband. Those friends didn’t know about my addiction and just chalked it up to erratic, paranoid, reclusive behavior on my part and I made up imagined excuses and slights to cut them out of my life. Lost some really great friendships, because MJ was more important and anyone who threatened to get between me and her was sacrificed. Wish I would have realized MJ was the problem, but regret doesn’t do any good at this point. Onward and upward.

The anxiety and depression one feels after quitting is REAL, but I see here everyone has different withdrawal reactions. I had extremely severe mood swings, aggression, and would suddenly be really, really enraged over ridiculous things at times with no warning. Still have trouble with sleeping and depression, but it has been slowly getting better everyday. The clarity of my mind is a strange, but good feeling. My lungs feel clear and I’m not coughing up the brown stuff anymore. Nice to breathe deep without wheezing.

I’m still secluding myself, but slowly and surely will make the effort to rejoin society again. It has been a comfort to know other people are going through the same thing, so thanks to everyone for putting it out there.

There are others (HashJam) on this site posting negative and/or dismissive comments in regards to people who truly have an addiction to MJ. Why are you on this site if it isn’t a problem for you? If it isn’t a problem, that’s wonderful, however, lording your apparent superiority over addiction to this substance isn’t a help to the folks who truly need this support. Smoking weed non-stop isn’t an enhancement to life. Making comments like that can cause someone to relapse. Addiction is indeed a mental problem yes, but so is reckless, hurtful arrogance.

My thanks to the author of this site. Has been a big help to me. THANK YOU!!!!

Keith November 6, 2008

I use to smoke a lot. Way more then a person should, for about 2 years I smoked everyday, 365 days a year. The first year was fun as hell, I would get stoned and laugh my ass off, but after a while it didn’t give me the same stoned and I began to feel like it was filler. Now I feel it’s the linchpin to my relationship with my friends. We fight like dogs all the time until we get stoned, it’s bullshit. I still haven’t quit, instead I go to the gym several times a week and I try to keep myself so busy I don’t have time to smoke. I stay on campus longer at school to ensure I can’t meet up or just chill with my girl more because she doesn’t smoke. I use to love bud, now I feel the Con’s out weigh the Pro’s. As I type this someones coming over with a bag, its the first time I’ve smoked in 5 days and I just got home from a work out 40 minutes ago. Slowly I think I’m beginning to beat it.

Calum November 12, 2008

Well, through my experience the psychological problems stemming from constant marijuana consumption has been the biggest factor in my decision to quit smoking. However important the psychological factor may be, the physical aspect is also very significant. Only lately have I begun to notice the sensation in my chest indicating that my lungs could potentially be caving in on them selves (although this could also be due to cigarette smoking for the past three years; which I have also decided to quit). I definitely agree with what HashJam said (“Marijuana is a beautiful gift from the earth and you should not blame her for your underlying mental problems…”), but I should also add that even though there may already be pre-existing mental conflicts within the mind of the constant smoker, it is very possible that frequently entering altered states of consciousness by means of consuming THC, can have typically negative effects, triggers, and reactions with the pre-existing condition. This for me is the main reason why I am going to attempt to quit smoking.

Adisa December 8, 2008

It disturbs me when “casual” smokers who successfully manage their weed habit weigh in on smokers who encounter serious problems as a result of smoking.

Do you go alcohol addiction websites and criticize the people struggling with alcholism, just because you go to the bar once a week and have a weekend beer?

Just because a person has not struggled with an addiction personally, does not give them license to judge individuals who have. Some people are more susceptible to various addictions than others, and that’s the bottom line.

CleanMan February 26, 2009

I quit cold turkey, just woke up tired of it, tired of the anxiety, the paranoia. I prayed and asked God to give me the strength to get over it because I knew it wasn’t gonna be easy after smoking multiple times a day every day for the last 7 years. And here I am today, sober, clean and ready to move on. Its been 2 months (sober) for me and I have had friends and relatives who still smoke offer me a bowl and I can turn it down, no problem whatsoever. The way I do this is I think of how far I’ve come, and I would not want to ruin it for a hit. So for me it was somewhat easy, Just did it to the point of “God , I don’t want to do this anymore, please help.” and he did.
I pray for all who are/were in the same position as I was. God Bless You All!

Tony February 27, 2009

Hi
Yesterday I calculated that if I add up the days I wasn’t stoned in the last 5 years, maybe it adds up to a month. The four years before that, maybe not so much
(at least not the first..je) I’ve been wanting to quit weed, and now finally finding these kind of webpages is inspiring, knowing so many others feel like I do. My date for quitting is after tomorrow. I set it about a seek ago. This time I am feeling confident, after having failed many times, just to end up walking the dark streets of my latinamerican suburb, hoping to find someone I could at least bum a few drags from. That I might get robbed meanwhile, doesn´t really concern me at times like that. I just want to shake of the horrible frustration and anxiety of not being high. Neither has it really bothered that the quality of most of the weed I´ve smoked was shit (not buds but a brown compact mixture of marijuana and tree bark or something). I f I can find buds, all the better! Otherwise, I’ll smoke whatever is available…
Someone posted that if he believed he was addicted to clapping his hands, he could become “psychologically addicted” to it. Well, I think he hit the nail on the head for many of our cases.
You see, if every time I am bored, or tired, or stressed, or have to face some hard situation, all I do is staty where I am and clap my hands hard to forget about it, I will be an addict to clapping my hands. Another example is gambling. People become seriously addicted to it, and they are not injecting any addictive chemicals up their veins.
Also, I have friends who have been smoking tabacco and weed and drinking alcohol since we were 14-15, and wer’e now 27. However they have no serious addictions. They only do these things when the situation seems right, like on weekends with friends, and can be a long lapse of time without doing anything. THey are happy and succesfull at work and life. However most people who smoke cigarrets for a while will be addicted for life and suffer for it… not to mention alcoholics.. and of course.. us pot heads!
My point is, and I believe they talk about it at Alcoholics Anonymus, is that we are all different. Most people who become addicted to something, already had some kind of inner frustation of trauma or some unresolved issue or some uncertanty about life and a certain manner of being wich ended up with him being an addict, for nobody plans on becoming an addict…
Hence, I now hace to fight all the stuff I’ve been avoiding to confront, like growing up and getting a life and moving out of my parents and getting a job and taking care of my kid, plus, I have to fight the constant desire to smoke weed. Cause if I do, I’ll once more have an excuse for not doing things, and just keep putting them off.
Well, I think this is getting to long.
Wish me luck and we´ll be in touch! And good luck to all of you…
Tony
ps. As for those who post about how good weed is… hey, we’ve all here been smoking for quite a while and have definetily tried to defend and justify our life stile, so we know all your arguments.. (When you start thinking “hmm maybe weed isn´t aaaaalll good….” is when you come to these web pages :)

Sarah March 11, 2009

i wish all of you luck that are trying to quit!! I smoked occasionally with my boyfriend of 3 years. i saw him progress to smoking over $200 a week worth by himself. He is in denial and thinks he is fine and “weed is natural” “weed is medicine” etc. We broke up because of his not being able to make a commitment to anything and his lack of motivation and his lack of emotion. I love him still and have seen him try to quit before and saw how bright and wonderful he is when not in a fog. This site has helped me understand how weed actually affects your mood and your relationships…thanks.

Chris March 26, 2009

:arrow: But what if Im still a looser after I quit? :?: :cry:

Tony March 31, 2009

Hi Again,

First of all:
Nolan: need help? Keep reading this web page through and through!
Phil: Can’t sleep after quitting and have to? Try sleeping pills (temporarily) or visit a doctor, or something, but don’t let it be an excuse to relapse, you’ll get over it sooner or later.
Rob: Today it´s March 31st, so I wish you all the best at quitting tomorrow! May the Holy whatever that created us be with you!

As for me, my date was March 2nd (a Monday) and I’ve been pretty successful (this web page been of great help). However in this month I did smoke 3 times… the 3 times I got together with friends who smoke, whom I’ve been avoiding. On the other hand, I can enjoy meeting all my other friends who don’t smoke and I’ve been avoiding for so long. I can talk to them without mumbling or stuttering and I am really enjoying looking people in the eyes again! Feels like I have to re-learn so much I knew many years before and now forgot…
All my other problems are still there, and I have trouble sleeping, but the clarity and benefits are so many I am very grateful and really don’t want to fall back. I feel like I’m finally MOVING FORWARD, THAT’S what life’s about, NOT weed!

Spirituality also helps. I was brought up to believe in a God with a big beard deciding over everything, and so became an atheist. Now believing in God not as a being but as a presence everywhere and in all of us helps. You might give it a try. Call him “the light” or “the divine” or whatever works for you, but it helps. (Just ‘cause they can prove something in a lab doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. And while we are at it, happiness is not achieved by going shopping, no matter what Washington d.c. says)

If anyone wants to share some personal support you can email me at

tonytom2009@hotmail.com

(I promise no to get religious or anything… just sharing experiences helps)

Regards and best wishes from Argentina

SMOKELESS IN SEATTLE June 2, 2009

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted: excuse my spelling…

DAMN! I CNAT STOP. I lost the most precious thing i hold close to may heart. My ex-girl friend. She is so hot, smart and eveything. She was willing to help me get over this. ( she is attending law school in Seattle, now how do you think i feel. like a total dumb ass) I just let her go with out wanting to. She told me that she wished I loved her as much as i loved pot. That made me feel a feeling that i cant explain but something like throwing up, hot flashes, mind racing, anxious, and evry negative feeling you can name. I been to rehad for twice for pot. First out-patient and stayed sober for 3 months. The day i got results for a clean urine test i had relapsed to i felt like diareah and shit combined. I relapsed 2 more time and kicked myself out. 5 months later i tried in-patient. they laughed at me for saying that i was addicted to marijuana but after that treatment i achived 5 months of sobriety. I got comfortable again and tld myself one hit is ok as long as you dont buy it. 2 weeks later i was smoking like a train again. She left me after a pot fight and never came back. We are good friends now and understand why we could not make it together. I want to feel like a nomal person. Ive never thought that pot was so addictive. Ive tried other druns and feel that they are nomatch for KING WEED. I give up and I admit im addicted and need help but cant do it on my own. Is there anyone out there that can tell me that everything is going to bo ok. I doubt that i can stop!

Mako June 13, 2009

I find all your posts very interesting.
I smoked Marijuana from 1994 till around 2002.
Daily from around 1997
It’s good to see that people are finally beginning to realise the hold that Pot can have over ones self.
My reasons for quitting were both physical & Phycological. I was smoking so much i was feeling i couldn’t breath most the time and was suffering from Chronic sinuses.
and Phycological because i was falling behind at work and not moving on with my career as i should have been.
When i stopped three things happened within 12 months i was running 10 km’s non stop, my career took off i passed a major exam that had been holding me back and got a 35K pay rise.
I met my wife and now have 14 month old son.
i must admit since i have given up i have been drinking
a little too much alcohol but have since wisened up to that also.
Life is full of choices and you need to learn which way to go when you reach those crossroads.
My best friend still smokes Mary pretty much on a daily basis he has tried to give up a few times.
He’s single, lives at home with his mum and dad and has a dead end job.
He still lives like he’s 18 we are both 33.
All i can say is make your choice and make sure you make the right one.
after all we only have one shot at life why waste it?

mike June 14, 2009

Drugs seem really cool at first but then the feeling of being high actually starts to seem unpleasant and abnormal. ANd smoking weed is just mostly paranoid feelings and thoughts. I soon realized how bad marijuana was for me when i noticed it caused very bad headaches nad paranoia. ITs really bad for you’re health but not as much as chemical drugs like cocaine and speed. Snorting powders is real bad news but with smoking it is similar in the sense you are still sucking something into you’re lungs. A good way to look at it is think that eating nice quality food is more pleasant than smoking and is the most important thing in life. Food is one the most important things in a person life.

Eric July 11, 2009

Smoked pot off and on for twenty two years. Started growing a couple years ago and have been unemployed for the last eight months. Since I have not been working, my habit got up to about 3.5 grams, daily. About twenty to thirty bong hits a day. Last week I had some pot butter, combined with smoking some as well (not nearly what I would have smoked without the butter) and started watching the lonely planet. For some reason that show, combined with a recent birthday, 38, while high as a kite I had this life changing ‘panic attack’ about what happens after we die. Two days later, I couldn’t even look at the stuff. This is the 5th day clean from it, and
I am just now coming off the bad trip. That thought that I derived from the Panic Attack, was like a nightmare that would not end, for days. I actually prayed for the change, but would never want this to happen to anyone.

Jonathan August 29, 2009

I’m a french Québecois so typing might not be perfect.

I’ve been smoking for the past 4-5 years on a daily basis, and now realize than these past few years are kind of a big blur. My memory is really getting worse, and people at work at noticing it, and in my family too.

Only my closest friends know what I am going thru. I took time to explain them what the f*ck is going on with me to those I didn’t want to lose, because once I start smoking, I isolate myself. Very often, I made up excuses to stay alone with MJ. I’m now at a point where I feel so bad of doing this, it has to stop.

For the past year, I’ve been smoking hash (marocain), and it’s so strong that I sometimes have problems talking. People are calling me, and I don’t even answer.

Before going to the grocery or any place I have to go, since I certainly smoked before going, I feel like sh1t and can’t even look at people`s eyes. I think they will notice I’m freaking stoned, so I don’t speak and don’t look at them. Paranoia here we go!

Yesterday night, I had it. I just threw my bag away and will try to quit again. And now today, I found this website, and I see that a lot of people are going trhu the same problems as I do, which gives confirms me I have to quit.

This is not a way to live. I have huge potential and will never reach any of my goals if I continu as it is.

For years, I’ve been telling people I’ll start training, I’ll do this and do that… but since I prefer getting high (actually it’s more getting down after a couple of abusive years!!) and not doing anything, people are seeing me differently than before… like if I’m a big lazy a$$hole who’s not doing anything with his life. And you know what, they are right!! :sad:

Thanks for this website, it can really help some lost souls find their way back to life.

Jonathan, tired to see life goes by without doing anything to change it.

Laura October 12, 2009

I’ve been smoking since I was 14. I’m now 24, almost 25 and I can bareley remember any of my childhood let alone my teenage years. My relationship with my family has never been that great -so I moved out at 17 dropped out of college when I was 19 and have been working dead end jobs ever since. All along I have been dealing with depression.

I thought it helped at first, but now I realize I have become someone I hate. I have no self confidence, I do not enjoy any activities anymore and I have lost most of my friends. I am soooo isolated!

All this has been affecting my relationship with my boyfriend, recently just stopped smoking (He was worse than me, or so I thought…) He seemed fine! He’s actually enjoying this pot-free experience he’s having so I decided to stop too- lo and behold, I’m having a much harder time than him.

They say that people who smoke weed are 4x more likley to succumb to depression. Whereas people who are depressed are more likley to smoke!! – What a vicious circle!!!! People who are more emotionally stable might have an easier time quitting, while others with underlying emotional problems might have a really tough time. I just had my first day of sobriety in almost 7 or 8 years and I did not even make it through the evening. I guess I have to try again… Now that I have read other posts I feel more confident that I can do it… I know that all my problems wont be solved by quitting, but it will greatly improve my life, and I know that I’m strong enough to do it…

Anton Checkov October 17, 2009

Let me start off by saying that this is by far the best and most honest site I have found on this topic. I have been smoking pot for about five years on a daily basis. I have been in denial for a very long time, attributing my problems, lack of motivation, and progress to something within me that I can not controll. I am 24, am living at home with my parents, have no job, and am still trying to finish college. I am a very gifted musician and am honestly a smart person with a ton of potential. My whole life people have told me that I can be doing great things. But Im not. My music is barely moving foward and every day I find I am living the same day, nothing builds or adds up. I use weed to calm my mind. In my sober life I am unable to turn thoughts off, if there is something I dont want to think about I cant stop myself. I am always thinking, but rarely about things that are of a true use to me. I have lived without goals and have surrounded myself with people who smoke weed. However, most of these people are doing much better than I am and thus it has been difficult for me to attribute my problems to weed. I cant remember things, it scares me when I try to think of my life and childhood and pretty much draw a huge blank, its as if there isnothing there. I isolate myself with weed and smoking makes it okay for me to do nothingl; it just makes me complaicent with alife of nothingness. Wors of all I have gotten arrested twice. It freaks the fuck out of me knowing that I might be locked in a cage for smoking this plant. I am on probabtion and it ends in two months. So I decided to stop, atleast for two months. Today is my fifth day sober and it has been totally fine! My salvation has been Mixed Martial Arts. I love it. The MMA has given me purpose and something to do, something to work on and watch myself progress in. I can already see my body changing. Dont get me worng I want to smoke pot all the time, especially when I am bored. I have been avoiding hanging out with my smoker friends, not too sure what to do aboiut that yet. Anyway, this site is great. I only hope that I can stay strong. With each passing day I feel stronger and better about myslef. I am noticing small changes in my attitude and my perception. Stay strong guys and most importantly stay busy! Try doing something physical, maybe MMA?

anton checkov October 18, 2009

I’m just curios, i posted on here last night and put a descent amount of time into it; why is it no longer here?

King Venus November 27, 2009

Wow I really found some motivation here on this site. I’ve been smoking for three and a half years now, the first year I was an occassional, social smoker. Then the last two and a half I bottomed out and became a heavy, everyday smoker. The longest I’ve gone without smoking in the past three and a half years was four days. At first, it was fun, all the time. But then, as time went by, things changed. I started enjoying it less and less, and realized I was still in the same place I’d been in when I started smoking, while my friends and family were doing different things, growing, changing, etc. I’ve become extremely introverted and have shambled relationships, I avoid social situations and am having a hard time remembering my life before all of this. I feel like I came out of some pod in the lawn of the house I hardly even remember moving into months ago and just started existing or something. I use to be intelligent, and still am when sober. I’ve observed myself in retrospect for quite awhile now, and it lead to a long depression and a fun house of psychological bends and turns, which of course all boils down to me quitting. I’m ready to move on. I don’t want this to be what I do anymore. I’m not frowning upon it, and if someone can use it casually and be unaffected, congradulations. But not everyone can. My biggest problem has always been escapism, and this is where I’ve been hiding for the past few years. With MJ. I use to write, I use to be funny, I use to be me. I wanna be me again. I’m gonna give it my best and I hope anyone else that tries comes out where they want to be.

Jeff January 16, 2010

I smoked pot since I was like 17, I’m now 41! Not many on here are more informed or experienced than I am, when it comes to this subject. I quit four weeks ago today! Not a day goes by when I dont think about it. I have been irritable, depressed, mood swings, shakey, no sexual desire, no appitite. Have lost about ten lbs. And I just started having these crazy dreams. Two or three a night, none good all bad. And I have night sweats, have been for weeks. I was a heavy smoker, about an OZ every three weeks or so. I dont smoke cigs, however in the last few years I have developed asthma, allergies, night cough, wheezing and I catch every cold that comes my way. My social abilities were hindered emensly and my ambition, well there was none! I was forced to quit, although I always wanted to. I’m a single father of a 6 y/o boy. Either my X or my “Biotch” neighbor called DCF on me! It was the best thing that ever happen to me! Despite all the negative side effects of quiting, which I’m sure will pass in time. There are allot of good things that have come out of it. I havent used my inhaler in weeks, the wheezing and cough is gradually going away. My energy level is through the roof. The weight loss has gotten rid of back problems and acid reflux ( which I suffered from daily). My bank accout is growing, the money I have saved is wonderfull. I dont have to worry about going to get the shit or driving home with it. What a pain in the ass! Or becomming a major a hole when things “dry up”. Which happens more and more often these days. And trying to hide it from my son and my job, which was not easy! Living a secret life, plain and simple! No more! I’m done! Not posting here to judge all you smokers that defend pot smoking. I used to be just like you! However for those of you that say its not addicting and its not bad for you. You couldnt be more WRONG! I’m living proof! 25 years of research in the making! Sooner or later it will catch up with you! Its an individual decision to get high or not to get high. I hope my personal experience may help someone out there who is going through the same thing! Hang in there and good luck! ;-)

metaltabogo February 1, 2010

Well first of all excuse my English, coz i’m just learning, i live in Canada but i’m from Colombia, i’m start to smoke weed when i was 16, now i’m 25 , of course in my home country when the weed is really ship an once is about 3 dollars, i became a heavy smoker since i was 20, and because is so ship i really smoke a lot,i thought that the stoner life style was great, nevertheless the last 4 years everything became worst for my addiction to marijuana, my memory it’s fuck up, the episodes of paranoia is every time worst, i feel depress when i don’t smoke, even is so difficult to learn new things by this point of my life, new things like the language that i need to speak now, this is the first time i’m thinking quit the habit but i’m afraid to the collaterals effects that this can bring me, so i hope survive to this battle against my mind..THANKS FOR THIS SITE IT’S GREAT SEE MORE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME TROUBLE THAN MINE.

talha February 28, 2010

i,m 28 years old and smoking marijuana for almost six years.the problem with drugs is that more u consume more u addicted.if u consume less it will be easy for u to quit.in my opinion the best way to quit is to indulge in physical activity…

Michael Joseph March 10, 2010

You guys are all trippin weed doesn’t affect me at all like. It helps relieve problems. and i still get simple task done like homework when im stoned. Its all just a mental thing.

Jess April 18, 2010

I had smoked weed basically non stop from the age of 15 till 31. I would take breaks sometimes.. not often. I thought I would never quit. In the last year I would notice my chest feeling heavy when I smoked, so when I went on vacation a month and a half ago I decided to not start up when I came home. The first 2 weeks were torture, especially at night when I did most of my smoking. I felt like a crack addict.

Now almost 2 months later I dont even think about it anymore. The other night I smoked one with a smoker friend of mine and couldnt even try to remember why I liked it. All I could think of is how much more in control I feel now when I am sober. I will never go back to being a smoker.. but it needs to come from within and be something you WANT for yourself.

Sharon April 22, 2010

I am so glad to find this site. i been smoking since I was 17 and I am 47 now. I started as a social smoker and then I started smoking on my own.
Weed became my friend. I did not neeed any one at all. I rushed fom work to smoke.

Now the fun is replaced by neceessity. I have to smoke to eat or I do not have an appitite. I smoke to cope with difficult feelings and situations. I feel bad when I smoke. I find that when I smoke I become anxious ans paranoid.

So I want to stop, May 1st is the date I have set.
I am glad i found this site so I can see that other people are going through what I am and I learn from others experiences.
I am praying for Divine help from our creator and I am planning for success learning from others.
Thanks for this :razz:

Peter May 19, 2010

I came across this site after deciding today that I was going to try to quit smoking pot. I have tried to quit before and have thus far been unsuccessful. The problem I am having is that I have been smoking for so long (started 14 years old and I am 28 now) that I cant remember what it was like to be “clean”. I seem to remember being a very bad kid with behavioral problems, but was never officially diagnosed with anything. After trying pot for the first time I found it actually helped me substantially, my grades improved, and I went to college and graduated with a degree in business administration. I bought a brand new house in 2008, new car in 07, and I currently work for one of the 5 largest banks in the country (and probably the world). I think the material success fooled me into thinking there was not a problem. In my case I feel that there was something wrong with me that was remedied by marijuana, however the side effects are getting worse it seems. The withdrawal symptoms are listed above are dead on, and any time I do not have weed or try to quit I become extremely angry, sleepless (but tired still) not hungry etc etc. I feel very slow to the point where its hard to even put a sentence together. In addition to this, being high all the time has literally killed my memory, and important people at work “know” which they seem to overlook because my “numbers” are good, but causes them to view me in a slightly different light. Its hard to explain this, but it puts me at a competitive disadvantage. My girlfriend smokes too which makes it hard and she doesnt think there is anything wrong with it whatsoever, but I notice when she doesnt smoke she gets really angry and short also. So now I find myself at a crossroads, I owe it to myself to be clean and sober, for once in my life, but I am worried that maybe I really do need it. I sincerely believe some people are better with it than without and I suppose the only way of knowing is to give it an honest shot for about a year. Wish me luck lol

Rene May 24, 2010

My husband has been smoking since he was 2 years old. This is not a joke. His parents were hippys and they lived on a commune. He is 41 now and he has serious judgement issues. He does things that could put our family in jeopardy. He smokes like an eighth a day. We have a successful company, nice family, but it seems like he is getting dumber. His dad functions like hes had a lobotomy. I have asked him to quit but he freaks out. I love him very much, but this is crazy. Does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone know anyone like this?
Thanks

Michael July 7, 2010

I dont remember a day when i haven’t been stoned but i am clean for 7 days now but am suffering with hot flushes and very vivid dreams i do smoke cigarette and plan to give them up to, i did give the fags up for 3 weeks but was smoking cannabis in the evening and when i gave the cannabis up the first day i had to smoke something to get over some mental demons, loss of appetite and anxiety are bad but i have a wife and 2 small children that need me to pay more attention to them instead of just gettting stoned

Jeff S July 10, 2010

im 17 1/2 and smoked since my 16th birthday. the first 6 months or so i only smoked a couple times a week but ever since i bought my first sack when i was around16 1/2 i smoked nearly everyday. i quit for about 2 months in the middle of but found myself smoking almost everyday once again. recently (within a few months) i started feeling really strange when i was high… very very isolated and sort of disconnected with the world, but i still smoked. i decided to take a ‘tolerance break’ for a week or so and then smoked after that week and felt the exact same as before the break so i decided to just quit cold turkey. Im on day 3 now and i feel sooo awkward. i didnt sleep one minute last night and feel very down on myself- have no self esteem or confidence. but reading this website i saw that many people have this same symptoms so hopefully within a few days ill feel normal again… idk though i feel so weird that i almost want to just get high again… but im trying not to

Tyson July 19, 2010

I was a chronic smoker for 2 years, and off and on since I was 15. I am now 27. I have quit and have 61 days of sobriety. I am so grateful for sites like this, because it makes me feel less alone, and more attached to the world, to life, to people. A feeling I could have NEVER achieved being high all the time. My world is slowly, but surely coming together. I have ruined relationships because of my selfish addiction, used people, and lost trust and respect. I have been gaining it all back, thanks to my sobriety. It makes me feel like a kid again, to be sober, when I can actually enjoy things for real. Marijuana addiction can be, and IS a very serious problem. Stay strong, and don’t give up the fight to stay clean, one day at a time.

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