Are you trying to quit and going through Marijuana withdrawal?
You are not alone. Many heavy weed smokers go through some form of withdrawal when they haven’t smoked recently. This page describes the physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal from marijuana. I should know – I smoked weed for close to 10 years before I learned how to kick my addiction to marijuana. Knowing what to expect will help you succeed!
How Long Does Marijuana Withdrawal Take?
Most people who experience marijuana withdrawal symptoms get them between the second and tenth day of quitting weed. Symptoms can last for up to a month in some people. The most intense withdrawal period will be the first week to ten days after you quit smoking marijuana. Different symptoms will resolve themselves at different rates.
Remember that each day the negative symptoms will decrease until you are physically and mentally free from THC! When you know what to expect, you will be well equipped to deal with it!
Marijuana Withdrawal Anxiety
The most common symptom of withdrawal is a low grade anxiety. Although not severe, this feeling is not easily remedied by through distraction or just thinking happy thoughts. In my opinion, the anxiety felt when detoxing from weed is a combination of fear of being sober, and desire to return to a stoned state of mind. It’s almost like your mind is saying “Things aren’t normal, I don’t like this new state”. As you become accustomed to not smoking and the new state of mind, the anxiety will fade.\
Insomnia, Sleeping, and Dreaming
Whenever I quit smoking weed, I would always have disturbances in my sleep. In the beginning the insomnia can be quite severe. The worst for me was about 4 hours sleep in 60 hours. I have heard of some people sleeping less than 5 hours every night, but the worst of the insomnia symptoms tend to disappear about a week after quitting.
The dreams that you experience during marijuana withdrawal can be very intense and vivid, and many people (myself included) have had crazy end-of-the-world nightmares. When you smoke a lot of pot, you tend not to dream as much, or at least not remember them, so getting used to dreaming and interpreting dreams takes some time. I have found that my dreams stabilize after about a month, and the bad dreams subside within the first couple weeks.
Change of Appetite and Weight Loss
Another common marijuana detox symptom is the lack of an appetite. I have met a couple people who need to smoke before they eat. When they quit smoking, they don’t have the desire to eat. It’s almost like they needed the munchies to eat food.Let’s face it, marijuana withdrawal stresses the body out, and when you get stressed, you can lose your appetite and lose weight. The weight loss has got to be the best benefit of detox!
Cures for Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
The best cure for Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms is time and patience. Having a plan to get through the withdrawal and avoid relapse is also one the keys in learning how to quit smoking marijuana. One thing that really helped me get through the withdrawal and cravings was the Cannabis Coach Easy Quit Audio series by Gary Evans. It guided me through first couple of weeks and gave me exercises to remove some of the stress from quitting.
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.
This is Part #4 of a 4 part series on my reason to quit smoking weed.
As seen in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, 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 Effects of Marijuana on my Finances:
Cost of Marijuana: My previous post on How Much my Addiction to Pot Has Cost Me, shows how expensive this habit can become. Add it up for yourself, its amazing what happens when this goes unchecked in the long term.
Paying Bills: I forget to pay my bills on time, or even open them. I always leave my banking to the last possible moment. My cell phone frequently gets disconnected. In the past, I have had TV and Phone service disconnected. Not because I didn’t have the money, just I was stoned all the time and never thought of it.
Planning Ahead: I haven’t saved anything for a house. I don’t plan well or have a budget from month to month. I tend to live in the current moment, or just far enough ahead in the future when stoned. Being in the stoned bubble really blurs the ability to look into the future.
Incidental Expenses: I eat a lot of low nutrition, high cost foods when I smoke marijuana. After smoking pot, its common to get the munchies and eat fast food. Also, I am less motivated to make my own food, or even go the grocery store to get new food. When not smoking, I eat healthier and am more conscious of my food choices.
See Also
How to Quit Smoking Marijuana
Tagged as:
cost of marijuana,
Marijuana Addiction,
money,
paying bills
Today was a pretty good day. I ended up having a puff, which is not good, but I have identified the pattern that leads to these relapses and will close off that opportunity. I have some friends coming in to town this weekend, so I will be busy with them and be able to get a couple of days under my belt.
Next week, I am not allowed to go and hang out at the local pub. I may extend this all the way through to Christmas. Each time I have messed up, it has been from meeting up with folks there. This is clearly an old habit and way of thinking that I need to change.
I did, however, sleep like a baby last night. In my first week, I went from smoking about 25 times to only 3. This is progress. Progress is all I am looking for, perfection comes later.
Days Sober 0
Tagged as:
Addiction,
Insomnia,
Marijuana,
quit smoking pot,
Relapse,
Withdrawal
I had my first marijuana addiction relapse. Well. Looks like I am back to square one….or will be when I get sober again. Dammit. 2 days is pretty shitty.
I was craving a lot this evening and wounded up guiding my evening around smoking. I made a choice at a certain point smoke, and smoke I did… I met up with people who planned to smoke, so I knew I would be exposed to it. I need to avoid those situations. I also contemplated not writing about it in the blog because I thought it might be “a one time thing”. But everyone gets to hear what really happens. If I can be honest with myself, I can kick this thing. I have learned a lot already. Addicted I am.
I did have a great time tonight. I have been on this incredible streak with women in the last month or so. I went out and was waiting at the counter when a SUPER hot girl, seriously 10/10 stunning, walked up and said she was waiting for her friend next door. I asked her is she wanted to be partners playing darts against another two, she agreed, and we played 1/2 a game of darts. We flirted mildly until she flaked out and met her friend.
She came back, as I saw her, I looked back and saw her purse. I handed it to her without saying anything. She says “You don’t want my number?” I told her I would give her mine. She said she wouldn’t call and I took hers down. I highly doubt she will answer the phone when I text/call. She is used to having power over men because of her looks, because I was nonchalant, I think she wanted to prove herself to me. I am not a person who plays women, but this is going to take some creative thinking….cause she is used to A LOT of attention.
Days Sober 0
Tagged as:
High,
Honesty,
Hot Girl,
Relapse,
Withdrawal
Well folks, I am down to the last of it, there are 2 little roaches left for me to get through. I know, I know, I thought I would be done yesterday.
The withdrawal has begun even before I am completely out of pot ! I am trying to hold on to this little bit as long as possible and postpone the inevitable. I used to hide roaches for myself, so that I could find them when I ran out! I am going to do one more check of my house, to make sure it is all gone, then throw away all of my supplies.
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