It’s been a weird couple of days. I have had all sorts of nervous energy and anxiety…I don’t want to call them panic attacks, but rather feelings of intense dread for no reason. Sometimes my mind races. It kind of feels like a ball of energy heating up at my center and moving up the top of my body. I think this nervous energy is the cause of my insomnia as well.
I notice that I have been ‘holding’ my breath a lot and have been tense or fidgety for no reason. I have been doing some of the stress relaxation techniques and deep breathing drills which are actually working ! I haven’t experienced the marijuana withdrawal anxiety before to this severity. Usually it was only mental, but the physical withdrawal symptoms from cannabis are discomforting. I need to bleed off more stress during this beginning transition phase. With the right stress management program, the stress and anxiety from marijuana withdrawal can be minimized.
Quitting Marijuana can cause anxiety in some people, but I don’t know how long it is supposed to last, and what to expect. Needless to say, the last couple of days have NOT been fun. I got about 6 hours of solid sleep. Normally I wake up a lot during the night, but this was a nice uninterrupted rest.
Only one dream of note so far, all I remember is being hit in the liver by something, then someone I knew (don’t know who) hitting me in the same spot.
Loading ...
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us all and for building this website.
I am so grateful for all the tips and for being able to read about people in the same situation as I am.
I wish you good luck and I hope you can remain strong and away from the weed.
Cheers
I have used marijuana for many years and at different concentrations. I have recently stopped smoking weed and have experienced great discomfort the past few days.. These symptoms include anxiety, paranoia, restlessness, stress and sleeplessness. I have had two “minor” anxiety attacks the last two days and had about 6 different “bad dreams” in one night.. I even experienced a minor case of hallucination while half asleep. These symptoms have caused me to over-analyze many things and it sucks!
Hello. I have been smoking pot for the last 4 years everyday. It’s been 2 weeks off the weed, and i have been very tired, also getting headakes and dreaming a lot!! Im hoping this will go away soon. Im also very lightheaded, and have a hard time sitting still somedays, my advice is to not give up, exercise and eat well.
I’m so glad I found this website, being able to interact is so helpful. This is my second time seriously quitting (before I could never go a week). I’ve gone 30 days recently, and when my dog got sick (and eventually died) I justified to myself that it is okay to do it again. I thought it would numb the pain and make it easier to forget my best friend, however, when I got sober again it hit me just as hard. Everything reminds me of him. THe couch he’d sleep on. All of the fur. THe slobber on the walls. The effing urn with his ashes. Anyways, I too am always really tired. I’ve before that you should just sleep it off for the first few weeks and try to exercise. I do exercise… just had an intense work out with personal trainer.. but i think now I just want to sleep. I needed weed for school, it really helped me concentrate in college. I had a 4.0… really helped with the ADD.. But i also noticed my libido was almost non existent (but that came back after a week of not smoking). I think it’s important to not count the days of how long you’ve been sober but look at the situation overall and the benefits one gets from quitting. I think it’s bee na couple of weeks since i’ve been sober and I only got the anxiety for the first two days. I think it has to do with me quitting for a month before .. instead of the first time i quit after 4 years… the withdrawal was a lot more severe then. I will keep checking back here… My main problem is depression and laziness.
Thanks
k i have quit for a week, well at 11pm tonight its a week, i have been restless, (everything i had to do HAS BEEN DONE) and have had loads of time to spare, i have started reading catching up with study actually doing the things i said i would love to do when i was stoned but never got around to doing them, i have been smoking almost everyday for 7years, yes its fine for those who dont want to do anything with their lives but are you really happy doing nothing? i have had 2 sleepless nights, 2nights brilliant sleep with the most amazing dreams (i never dream!) and two normal nights sleep. ALL my friends smoke (i started first amongst most and introduced many to it- i do feel bad but they made the same choice as me at the start) i have not been avoiding them but i have realized my friends are all wasters, some of them are extremely talented musicians, artists and some college qualified but are too lazy to do anything with what hey have. this has really been the reason for me to stop smoking everyone should do what makes them happy, smoking makes you content with doing nothing and wastes the short life you have away. today im very sick have sever headakes, nauseous, irritable and extremely inflamed throat yep flu like but thats normal when giving up anything your body has become used to. anyway just take one long non-stoned look at yourself and ask yourself are you where you want to be if your happy REALLY happy don’t stop, but be honest with yourself and if the answer i even “kinda” their IS something wrong! stopping will help you outline and act on what needs to be done and not procrastinate ONE THING FOR SURE I WILL NEVER LEAVE DOPE CONTROL ME AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
try going to the gym and working out, it will relieve the tensions. and it will keep ur mind off the chronic.. good luck keep this updated!!
anyway i think quitting smoking rules why?
1. ytou are smarter
2. you see things as they are, you dont need any filter or distorsion
3. it makes me feel like someone “good and normal”, i dont need more extra guilt
4. more money, time and energy for useful things
5. get rid of bad influences, and bad vibes, places and persons
6. you can feel, and think clearly. i can see clearly now.
I quit smoking last week and am very irritable. I have had my bouts with addiction and have used harder stuff, but for the past few years its been just pot and beer. Im trying something new, and did not think it would be this hard. I quit heroin, coke..you name it. Pot was my last refuge, and I never smoked cigarettes, but I am a prick. So irritable
Hi, hope I can share some of my stories too. I quit the weed 2 weeks ago today. Man, this is not easy. DOnt let anyone tell you that weed is a “weak drug.” This stuff has gotten potent. Anyway, this is what I have experienced- no exaggerations here:
1) nightmares- never had them when i smoked. for the 1st week off the weed, i had a nightmare every nite. if not a nitemare, then just crazy, vivid dreams.
2) lack of sleep. if I can even sleep, it has been for a few hours at a time. I used to sleep like a rock.
3) I find myself anxious over the smallest details- its like my mind cant focus on on thing, so it focuses on 8 things, and now I am overwhelmed.
Some symptoms have gotten better over the weeks. I think I have no problem staying away from the stuff. I smoked for 15 years. I decided to quit not b/c i just cant fit it in my life anymore.
with weed i make music, i love it. without weed i have no interest in music. help!
I’m on day 5 of no weed after 12 years. Got headaches, cranky, and time goes by faster. Bright lights bother me more than usual.
“baddad said,
with weed i make music, i love it. without weed i have no interest in music. help!”
I am a musician as well and it seems like you’re allowing weed to be your muse. I find it hard to believe you have no interest in music whatsoever when not under the influence of THC. If you enjoy making music when you’re stoned you most certainly can enjoy the process while sober. The first thing you need to know if that you don’t need weed to make music. Even when I was using weed on a regular basis I would never smoke at the beginning of a rehearsal or jam session since my playing ability would drastically diminish and I would frequently find myself lost on my electric bass guitar’s fretboard. Maybe the weed makes you less critical of yourself and more content with whatever noises you might be making be they good or bad.
If you’re currently in the process of withdrawing from weed this may be the problem. My mind has been an absolute mess since I went cold turkey last week and I’ve had trouble concentrating on anything let alone seriously playing my instrument.
If that’s not the case you should try expanding your horizons. A problem I encountered during my early years of playing music was stagnation in both my style and technical skill. Also, my private bass lessons were taught to me by an instructor who would always accompany me on guitar so I found it incredibly boring to sit by myself and noodle on my bass at home.
One thing I’ve found so helpful for my musicianship and understanding of my instrument has been “ghosting” albums. Put on one of your favorite albums or songs that you feel is within your playing ability and try to figure out your instrument’s part by ear in each of the songs. Not only is it a challenge for both your playing ability and ear but it’s really rewarding and fun to play along with your favorite musicians and a great way to keep your mind occupied/pass time which I would regularly use weed for.
Also, try and meet different musicians to play with, namely, musicians who don’t heavily use marijuana before during and after rehearsals/jams. Outside opinions give you a great insight on music and will improve your playing/enjoyment. Try changing your approach to writing music too. Starting with a big idea or specific lyrics always helps give my music more direction rather than riffing until a song happens to appear.
Don’t be like the Jeanine Garafalo character in Half Baked. You don’t need weed to create. You are intuitively creative and it’s not as if weed unlocks your potential. Change your methods, open your mind and stop using weed when you play.
@the comment about the music…of course marijuana will aid your creative thinking when you compose…i compose too and like every musician i think i’m doing something original…but actually, it really is all comming from you regardless if your stoned or not…what you are experiencing is lack of motivation which causes you to be uninspired and uninterested…let’s just say it’s a mild depression which is also an effect of withdrawal. The guy who suggested changing your methods was right, try making yourself write a lil everyday for instance…sometimes you won’t feel like it and chances are it’s gonna be crap, but other times you might surprise yourself! as for everyone else, good luck in quitting…it really isn’t that hard just get busy and stay away from the source of the smoking…do sports…become a food addict instead…drink plenty of liquids and enjoy your sobriety! Take care everyone
Greetings,
It has been 5 days with no marijuana, and it hasn’t been easy at all!. I have been irritable, bad sleep real f@!*ed up dreams. The worst is the feeling of anxiousness and today I feel feverish almost like I’m burning up. I know what I’m doing will pay off in the long-term; however, short term I am antsy. I hope these distressful feeling pass real soon
hey everyone i have been trawlin the web searchin for answers …. i have smoked cannabis heavily and regularly for the last 15 years (like an 8th a day) i decided to give it up for many different reasons cost, health etc.. i am now 2 weeks down the line an feel im doin very well… except for my anxiety and paranioa… about everything! someone please please tell me if this will stop i feel my daily life is almost controlled by constant worry about everything and anything!! to the point i could cry!! i worry bout things i cannot even control i worry bout my health and my future and have remarkably bizarre dreams about dying or gettin injured an stuff an even tho my logical head says ‘dont be so silly’ i find it almost impossible to stop these thoughts!! i try to keep occupyed throughout the day but these thoughts stil creep in!! i am aware i am an anxious person anyway an partly this is why i resorted to usin cannabis so much i just dont know whther to keep tryin to ignore it or whether to speak to my gp about it?? ANY suggestions or advice from anyone who is or has been in a similar position would be very very much appreciated!! i dont want this anxiousness to continue to rule my life? xxx
Well, after 6 years of chronic marijuana smoking( 2-3 grams a day), i’ve decided to quit.Without looking up anything about “withdrawals”, I was expecting nothing as far as side affects. in fact, everything ive experienced since quitting seemed to be the exact opposite of the desired affects of marijuana use. for example, i have been experiencing multiple random nausea spells daily, which i counteract by taking nausea pills, an extreme loss of appetite, and diahhrea. after looking through many blogs and websites, i found relief in knowing i wasnt the only one feeling these symptoms. i was wondering if anyone had any say on how long these symptoms generally last, and when i can just get a good night sleep again, or stop feeling so sick. thanks
I’ve been smoking pot since I was in high school (over ten years) and have stopped smoking about five days ago. I have severe anxiety in the mornings till about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, when it gets better. I had an incredibly vivid dream this morning while I was in some kind of half asleep/half awake state. Hard to describe. The dream was about a house that I grew up in and I can see every detail. The dream was so real, it’s like I was actually there. It was an incredibly emotional experience.
I gave up about three weeks ago after smoking almost every night for the last 10 years. It got to the point where the negative effects out weighed the positive. None of my close friends knew I smoked daily so I felt guilty about deceiving them. I was also starting to suffer anxiety after smoking, I’d feel good for about half an hour then feel restless and stressed. Then I’d smoke more to get the high back and the cycle continued. I too started to believe that I needed to smoke to come up with good ideas and that without it I wasn’t relaxed enough to create, I have since proved that this is not the case. Amazing what we can make ourselves believe in order to justify our addiction to ourselves. I learnt that I just needed to work through this insecurity and get used to coming up with creative ideas without pot as my crutch, learning this has helped my believe in myself and my own creativity.
Over the last three weeks I have suffered from anxiety (almost attack level), headaches, loss of appetite, irritability, night sweats, bad dreams, insomnia – worst for the first week then lessoned then got worse again.
I ended up taking low dose (over the counter) sleeping pills to get to sleep for the first 5 days then found I could fall asleep naturally, I also went to a herbalist and got some St Johns Wart which helped with the anxiety, I’m now starting to feel like my old self again.
I had tried to give up multiple times in the past but for some reason this time I know I won’t go back, the first few days I was tempted but now I can see that it was destructive for me and confused my thinking, we think it’s good for us at the time and we justify using it for a multitude of reasons but the truth is it helps us escape our reality. I believe long term use it creates a strange distance between the way we see the outside world and ourselves which is just not healthy.
I feel like I have a stronger hold on my life now, I can see things for what they are. Thanks for sharing your stories.
Hi everyone,
I have been smoking marijuana for the last 1 year and I quit yestreday. But the symptoms are very overwhelming. I have these anxieties, restlessness and headaches with vomitting as well. I really want to quit and I need your help. I would really appreciate any comments, suggestions and tips. Also yesterday I felt uneasy to sleep. Any suggestions? And I also wanted to ask how long will these symptoms last? I want to quit and I need all the help. Hoping for a positive response
I’ve been smoking about three or four bowls a day each day for the last four years. At one point last summer, I quit for a month, and I felt good except for a constant sense of impending doom. When a few things started to go sour in my life, I went back to my daily routine, and it’s now been a year of constant forgetfulness, weak motivation, and hurting relationships.
Anyway, I decided last week that I want to quit for good, and it’s now been four days. The first night, I couldn’t get to sleep for three or four hours after I got in bed. The second day, I felt horribly anxious and miserable, but I did some Bikram yoga (which was soooo tough!) and felt much better. I slept great. The third day was full of mild anxiety, but nothing too major. Today, I’ve been very stressed, and have had trouble focusing, so I’m happy to have found this website with so many people feeling the same thing. We can do this.
I have been smoking pot for 2 years straigh, now its been 2 weeks i have stop and its really like hell , anxiety , depression etc all the time, i actually got anti-depression pills and sleep pills to help me through my sobering, but the pills will only take effect in 2 weeks from here. i am always hungry i guess because i am using alot of energy with my head. there are some up and downs but more downs .. a important factor is always think your gonna get through it and pray. if someone got the same , please reply if you have any tips to go through this