Marijuana Addiction Help – How to Stop Smoking Weed
Helping You with Marijuana Addiction
From the category archives:
Hey Folks,
Well, I had a little to smoke again today. I keep finding it and not saying “No”. In the grand scheme of things, this is still improvement. This weekend is going to be very tough because I usually wake and bake, then get stoned all day. I know I need to stop smoking weed, so I will be working hard toward this goal on the weekend – day by day.
Friday’s post will be much more detailed.
Good Night.
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Today I bring you a guest post from Tani. Tani was one of the first visitors on Marijuana-Addict and I am have been glad to exchange stories and information with her. I asked Tani to describe what it was like being in a relationship with a fellow smoker, and how it affected the recovery process. Here is her post Marijuana Addiction in Relationships:
I am one smoker in a relationship with another smoker.
We have quit many times during our near 10 year long relationship, twice for 6 months at a time. Usually though we quit and go back to smoking after a couple of days. The reasons for that are varied but some of them are to do with the relationship dynamic.
When in a relationship weed alters things, you are carefree and having fun when stoned, but remember all your worries and issues when withdrawing. Often one of us will feel confident to quit, but the other feels weak. The times of having coinciding strength are far and few between.
Coping with each other’s reactions to withdrawal can be difficult as well. If one is moody and withdrawn the other will often have little patience themselves to deal with it, and things can escalate where they normally would not.
If you can be strong enough to ride out the withdrawal phase (which really only seems to last a few days in terms of extreme mood changes) then the road is easier. Often I lack this patience and crave a happy conversation and will engineer for us to smoke so we can have a nice time. I do this as I hope it will give me enough strength to last out the negative time to come. It does not seem to work though.
It truly seems most effective for us, when quitting, to actually spend that time apart so we do not do too much damage to the relationship. The trick is then not to think you can go back to occasional smoking. Both times we thought we had beaten it, we went back thinking we could smoke on certain weekends, but it always escalates.
Thanks to Tani for that great post! Are you interested in writing an post about your experience? Contact me at admin@marijuana-addict.com.
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Hello Everyone,
Just checking in on Sunday night before I shut things down for the evening. I have had another good day today visiting friends and keeping them entertained. Being this busy is a natural mood lifter and because of this, I know that I can stop smoking weed!
I smoked again tonight. I gathered up the last of the bag that I had and smoked it once my company left a couple hours ago. It is hard to describe my current mood. I am disappointed about the relapses that I have faced in the previous week, but am also very optimistic about my ability to stop smoking weed. You’ll notice I put a days stoned counter on the bottom of the daily journal. This is another tool to help me keep on track.
I have noticed a huge difference in my behavior and efficiency when working on my journal in the past couple of days. A motivational behavior really kicks in when I smoke weed. Its almost like when I am stoned I slip into a passive, gathering information state, whereas when I am sober, I can gather AND disseminate information effectively. I would say I about twice as fast at blogging sober than stoned.
This week I am going to be writing about some relaxation techniques I have learned or practiced in the past. Releasing stress will be a priority this week and critical to my long term success. I want to do acupuncture, just hope that medical will cover it.
I have no more pot left, and won’t be going to out much next week. See you Monday.
Days Sober 0
Days Stoned 5
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Bad News, I smoked again today. In fact I am still a little stoned. I won’t be smoking Friday – Sunday as I have friends in town, so this should be a great way to get a couple of days under my belt. Regardless I am not going to give up. I am going to learn How to Quit Smoking Pot!
I will not be going out to any party spots or pubs next week. Every relapse I have had involves the party crowd and the pubs near my house. I know that if I stay away from them, I will have a much better week. I have been eating a lot better and my energy level has been improving despite the slip ups I have made this week. I finally finished my Why I Quit article. I keep reading this for motivation. One commentator, Cholo-Barco, has had some great insight on other reasons to quit. I will definitely be exploring and writing more about his ideas.
I am still fighting a sore throat, with a mild fever and headache. Weed is the wrong medicine for this type of sickness!
Days Sober 0
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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
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I smoked again today. I took a couple of hits of a pipe from a friend of mine. I had a couple of pints of beer in me that probably affected my judgment. The circumstances are remarkably similar to my last relapse. I still have not purchased any marijuana or smoked it alone, so I am making significant forward progress. I am gaining will power every day and starting to unravel the habitual pattern I have been in for the last 7 or so years. I still have a bunch of work ahead of me.
Thanks to everyone for their support and comments. I have to wrap up Part 3 of my Reasons to Quit series. Whenever I write, I stay on track and motivated.
Peace.
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This 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.
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
Part 1 Physical Reasons to Quit Marijuana
Part 3 Reasons to Quit Marijuana – Relationships
Part 4 Financial Reasons to Quit Marijuana
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Today was a good day for me. I didn’t smoke today, nor have I felt cravings. I read that the 4th days is the hardest, and I only made it to day 3.
I slept in way too late today. It is close to midnight and I am not very tired. This used to be a resolved by smoking myself to sleep – I hope to get about 4 hours tonight, power through my Monday, then hit the sack early. I am hoping to line up a couple dates this week – so that should keep me busy and focused on being healthy!
I wrote my first post on reasons for quitting today. This was a useful exercise and I recommend it to anyone. It is very motivating. Just keeping up with this site has been a huge benefit for me and keeping me focused on my goals.
Days Sober: 1
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This is Part #1 of a 4 part series on my reason to quit smoking weed.
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 Physical Effects of Marijuana:
Respiratory System: My respiratory system takes the largest toll when I smoke pot. I do not breathe as well as I would if I did not smoke at all. From attempts at quitting in the past, it takes about 2 weeks to a month to notice a change in my lung capacity. I currently have a wheeze if I breathe out quickly. My lungs have also been burnt from inhaling smoke that is way to hot, it usually hurts for about a day, then goes away. I also find myself holding my breath and creating tension in my body for no reason, like I am trying to hold in an imaginary hit of weed. I need to take slower, deeper, breaths.
My mucus production is through the roof. I don’t have the weed smokers cough right now, it seems to come and go. I DO awake everyone morning with a stuffed nose. If I get a cold, it takes me a long time to beat it. I had nasal congestion from late July to early October this year.
Skin: My skin doesn’t look good. I think this may be a blood circulation and oxygen thing from smoking pot. You know how you can look at a 60 year old and tell if they are smokers or not….I think that to a lesser extent smoking weed does the same thing. I quit smoking for about 3 months a couple years ago and noticed that my skin, particularly my face was way smoother and healthier looking. I also noticed when I quit that the bags under my eyes, and surrounding pores looked way smaller and better.
My thumb and forefinger are also discolored from holding onto joints and blunts. It is pretty common to burn the skin slightly when I am going for the last hit on a roach.
Eyes: My eyes get bloodshot and itchy when I smoke weed. When I smoke heavily, my eyes get kind of dazed, 1/2 open, and I don’t focus well. However, I will admit that smoking pot does improve night vision.
Teeth: One of my teeth is getting stained from tar and resin in the joints I smoke. I was smoking between 1-5 joints a day. So it does add up and it is visible to me.
Eating Habits: You are what you eat, and when I get stoned, I eat shitty fast food – and lots of it. Taco Bell, McDonalds, Jack in the Box etc. When I am too stoned to drive and too lazy to walk there is always pizza or Chinese food that can be delivered. Not only is this terrible for me, it also costs a lot of money. I don’t go to the grocery store that often because I don’t want to go stoned, so I would just smoke more pot instead and eat junk food. 7-11 is 24 hours, but the hot dogs are only good until about 2:30 am. I have put on about 15lbs in the last 2 years.
Lack of Exercise: I don’t do physical activity nearly enough. I used to be in excellent shape and need to get back to where I was before. Swapping the smoking habit and high for the exercise habit and high is a priority for me. My cardiovascular system has been beat up from all of the pot smoking. Once I have quit smoking weed, I should see that rebound pretty well – especially if I push myself with bike rides and hikes.
The best program that I have found for quitting marijuana is the Cannabis Coach system by Gary Evans, my physical shape has improved drastically since I quit smoking weed using his audio program.
What negative symptoms do you experience? If you think I have missed anything, or would like to share some of your own, please comment.
See Also
Part 2 – Psychological Reasons to Quit Marijuana
Part 3 – Reasons to Quit Marijuana – Relationships
Part 4 – Financial Reasons to Quit Marijuana
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