Quitting is rough. 2 Weeks through.

Pretty OLD now.




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I'm going to make this post to get some shit off my chest. I'll share my story. Read/scriminate if you'd like.

I started smoking weed habitually around december 07, not too long ago, only 8 months compared to the people who's holes have being dug up for years. I say december because that's when it was finally a daily thing. Before I started smoking weed, I would say I was just an average Joe who enjoyed whatever life presented, drugs became of interest because a lot of my friends were getting into them. Curiosity.

A girl who was a best friend of mine, also started with me around the same time. Like most people, we were just lookin for good times, and in the beginning they were always that. All about the laughs, the music, the stories, the experience, the weed. Not too long afterwards we started having parties on the weekends at her house, easy bc her room is a huge basement, and ofcourse mad people we knew would be over throwing down weed, blunts, smoking, alcohol, and doing more of the same. Fun.

Months went by, and certain things started to get to me, like guilt. It wasn't like the beginning anymore.. Lying to my parents about what I was doing everyday .. was a routine, blowing off certain people (good friends) who weren't into marijuana.. started getting to me, and actually needing to smoke when I was by myself, sucked. Normal activities (unless high) just seemed not worth it at all. I just wasn't myself anymore, and started almost always feeling socially awkward vs. being outgoing.

As far as my body goes, I felt shitty. I'd always wake up with a headache, couldn't sleep unless I smoked, I couldn't focus on anything, I'd always have a lingering anxiety until I smoked, not to mention it was like I had a fog in my brain that was making me all "Duhh" and unable to socialize for more than a minute with people.. unless I was high ofcourse. I felt like I "didn't know what to say" to people, in simple conversation. Mostly, I didn't give a fuck about what people had to say anymore. It wasn't interesting to me. Peoples dramas and stories were uninteresting, I had no advice to give, no 2 cents to throw down. I couldn't connect with people anymore.

The tension just kept building and I sat there and watched it and allowed it even though it got at me every moment. More little things just kept bugging me. Every little lie I made would float around in my mind and nag at me. I was developing a marijuana type of paranoia, and doing many things I learned were frequent amongst heavy stoners.. as far as the psychological state goes. Yet it all seemed normal, nothing seemed really wrong, until I got some awareness and insight into what was happening to me. Even when I was blowing through an oz every 4 days, game by game with my bro's, nothing seemed wrong.

Anyway, to make an already long story shorter, I gave it all up. I guess people don't consider it addictive because the quitting aspect can be rather easy and less compulsive vs. your average hardcore drugs, though most people I know don't quit, and have many excuses as to why they don't need too. I guess it's a personal thing when it comes time to give it a rest, how much stress will you let stack on before you're ready? If it causes no problems for you, good, that's awesome, but are you ignoring obvious emotional and physical problems it's creating? Because it's only going to build. When you need to be high on top of everything that you're doing, how can you say it's not an issue? So many people I know admit they 'need to be high', yet at the same time they don't see it as problematic. They readily admit they need weed to sleep, to eat, some important natural functions right there, yet it doesn't rub off to them as a problem. Odd.

A lot of my friends who I witnessed getting into marijuana have very obvious different personality characteristics now, more bad than good. Mood swingy, not as relaxed, uptight, and only find smoking weed as a good time.

Quitting so far...

Withdrawal symptoms were/ and still are evident, ... my body was use to taking in a shit load of THC... and I only smoked decent "mids" and quality dro bud from time to time. The first few days presented some spontaneous hardcore anxiety attacks, some involuntary suicidal thoughts (involuntary because I'd never pursue that shit). Eating made me want to vomit, sleep was impossible without melatonin.. I was conscious while falling asleep a few times.. weird shit... on top of it, bored as fuck. Not to mention life feels different, and not in a good way. Like a void you can't quite put your finger on. Like somethings missing, well, I'd imagine the weed. Mood swings happen every now and then and can happen out of no where.. and even after 16 days.. sleep still isn't as quite as refreshing as it use to be. I know psychologically the need is still there because I have dreams where I relapse into smoking marijuana.

I hope it stops, and I hope I can lead a life where I don't feel as though I need to be 'high' to be having a good time. The craving is gone I'd say, but life just seems to lack its luster. Erowid says:

"WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS
mild to moderate, non life-threatening withdrawal symptoms occur after daily use in some users. These may last for 1-6 weeks after cessation of use and can include anxiety, anhedonia (reduced experience of pleasure), headaches, general unease/discomfort, difficulty sleeping, and a desire to smoke pot. Severity of symptoms is related to frequency of use and individual sensitivity.
slight loss of appetite
finding non-stoned life a bit dull, increased boredom"

I'd definitely agree.

See peoples marijuana withdrawal post-like stories here too..
http://www.ehealthforum.com/health/topic51650.html

Alot of these people go through the same shit when they try to quit. I'm aware marijuana isn't the problem, I made it into one. So I'm not hating on the shit, though I definitely did sit there and let it effect me when I should of taken action sooner. And i'm glad I finally did. Hopefully in a few more weeks it proves to be worth it.

Peace.

 

Then dont quit

 

Damn you're right. My bad, let me get a joint. :cheers2:

 

Yeah it sucks balls. The worst thing for me is that feeling of "something missing" in everyday sober life, like there's a whole aspect or angle or even sense organ that's been stolen from me and now I'm not experiencing life at 100%.

Tricksy marijuana, my precious.

 

yup, its like missing a best friend.

 

Ah man, I feel your pain but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I like to quit every now and then to intensify things. But after this weekend I'm going to have to quit for a while due to the fact I need to find a different job and being in the medical field they test alot at some places.

 

I agree mostly with you, if you need weed to do natural things like sleeping and eating, then you need to quit. I think you made a mature thought out decision which I give you props for. You can always smoke again if you want to, weed isn't gonna go anywhere, and when you come back you'll know your mistakes, and follow a path that doesn't involve sacrificing things that you like. ( personality, sober friends, etc)

 

Hey Swoosh Im sorry to hear wat happened to you. Im glad to hear you are trying to stop cuz if you know its not working with you then its a good idea not to do it. Marijuana is NOT for everyone. It effects everybody differently. Some positive and some negative. Its not the end of the world! Marijuana is just another fun thing in this world and there are a lot of fun things to do!!!!

 

marijuana is an addiction...

 

thats the exact feeling

 

Let me explain something to you. Every stonr goes through a period in their smoking life i like to call stone-puberty. You start realizing how real marijuana is becoming a part of your life, its changing you, your becoming enlightened, and its scary. What you could do is smoke through this time. You will grow into comfort with marijuana and it will start treating you better. IT takes time to become comfortable with being high every day. It takes 5 minutes to smoke so it isnt in the way of your sober friends (sober friends are your best friends trust me). NEVER lie to your parents. Most likely they pay for your habit and they will find out. But dont tell them either. IF you do wanna quit then stop coming to these forums and disconnect yourself from the lifestyle. MArijuana isnt for everyone but i truley believe your in a major freakout.

the only reason your anti social is because you worry too much and thoughts are racing through your head. youll get over this feeling in time. The haziness is the best part of the high i dunno what your talkin about man.

 

I know what you mean with the guilt aspect man. Definitely with you on the pot paranoia too, those are the only real downsides, but they both suck. I hate having to sneak around and be secretive about it, especially with my parents, I still hang out with my sober friends when I'm high, even though they're really bitchy about it. But the paranoia is also a killer, I have just come to the conclusion that I can't ever smoke at home again, it's just no fun!

 

I like this thread.

sw0o0sh, you tokin again?

 

Swooosh man, i definitely agree with EVERY single thing you said, I was in your exact situation before and it sucked! EVERY single thing you mentioned applied to me at some point. I used to smoke 4-5 times a day, i was high all the time and when i quit i was sooooo lifeless. didnt eat. didnt hang out much. felt wiered. barrely got any sleep. at one point i had suicidal thoughts as well. it was terrible.

Let me state the obvious. Marijuana is a drug. It is addicting. Quitting is never easy.
Its more than just a "habit" as some people say.

I smoked 4-5 times a day for 6 monthes straight! then i quit cold turkey completely for 3 monthes.

I PROMISE YOU the hardest part is getting through the first 1-2 weeks. from now on its only going to get better! your going to be the happiest in a few days when you relise everything gets back to normal. sleeping is easy, apitite is normal, and your brain is ON point like youve never smoked. It takes TIME though. hang on for a few more days and its definitely going to pay off.


Dont get me wrong, I still smoke, but b4 i started smoking again i didnt smoke for at all for 3 monthes because i simply chose not to. Now i just smoke once every 1-2 weeks, and i have a blast. Mind control is important and have a balance of happiness in your Sober life vs. High Life is also very important. <--- this keeps you from getting addicted.

good luck man.

 

I dont think people should smoke weed if it comes down to not being able to function normally without it. Isnt it all about fun? relaxation? having a good time? Exploring yourself? ....how can you explore yourself when you LOST your sense of self?

thats why i cant stress this enough: Have a happy balance between your sober life vs high life. <---meaning make sure your completely happy and doing well (no cravings) while your sober before you smoke.

 

I had a similar habit around 5/6 years ago, smoked an ounce a week for around 18 months, developed quite bad paranoia. When I quit it was like a liberation, as if I'd been keeping my mind on a leash for those 18 months and when it was free it had a little party then settled down after a couple of months.

I'm a lot more mature now than I was, and I think my weed habit was an important part of that maturing process. I know what you mean about the 'Duh' feeling and it does improve, although I still occasionally get what I call 'brain freeze' where I get stuck in trying to think and can't get past it without a nudge. Stil feel uncomfortable around other people but I always had those tendancies so it isn't much of a change for me. The sleeping one can be tough, I find a strick routine helps, force yourself to get up at 6 or 7 am every morning and do something with the day don't just sit around, physical activity will tire you out, a month of sticking to it and you'll have no problems sleeping again.

Don't go thinking yourself into depression (I've seen others do that), ANY mind altering substance when done continuously becomes a problem both mentally and physically, your body and mind will need time to adjust to the lack of THC. Get a hobby, have a think about what you want to do for the rest of your life, the main thing you need is an aim in life, something to look forward to and work for.

I'm about to start smoking again, mainly because I can't drink anymore and I now feel mature enough to do it properly i.e. in moderation.

 

To the OP: I would suggest a 12 step program, if you're dedicated to quitting.


I know they have marijuana anonymous in my area.

If you stop by a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, I'm sure they would help you find one.

 

I don't believe a meeting is absolutely necessary to quit. however, i don't know exactly what the situation is. I think georgygeorgegeorge got it right with just staying productive and working out daily for a month. Doing cardiovascualar workouts release a natural "goodmood" chemical in your brain+ its going to make you tiered+ your going to feel better about yourself and get in shape. So i definitely recommend this. When i was trying to quit this helped me the MOST.

 

Just goes to show that some people shouldn't smoke weed.

 

Know this topic is an oldy now, lol. But yeah. Lots of things have changed since I posted this surprisingly.

I'm currently on another break so I can get a job, but marijuana use isn't really a problem for me any more, nor is walking away from it when I need to. Just had to get over myself in a few area's. I was over thinking things way to much, and I had a bad case of anxiety at the time that was probably sparking that. Was hanging out with assholes at the time and I was generally always feeling uncomfortable. Guess it was mostly the setting.

Forgot about the simplicity in just using marijuana to chill out and relax, and being with people you wanna be with. Told my mother about my stance on marijuana so I think she understands. She doesn't agree with it, but she can easily tell that I'm well informed and know my shit, and I brought up the point that she has outlets like smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, so what the hell? Hate it when parents try to lay faulty ass guilt trips.

Don't even know if I wanna return to it eventually or not. It feels good to be out of the swing and not really craving it or giving much thought to it any more. But shit I know if I smoke again I'll be pretty damn Lit. Haha.

Feels fucking weird reading my original post over again. .. A lots changed. I owe it to meditation.

:cheers2: