For Some Users, Cannabis Can Be Fiercely Addictive.
(Note: more than 1200 comments below)
See Also:
Is Marijuana Addictive? (>143 posts)
Marijuana Withdrawal Revisited. (>108posts).
Feds Fund Study of Marijuana Withdrawal. (>39 posts)
For a minority of marijuana users, commonly estimated at 10 per cent, the use of pot can become uncontrollable, as with any other addictive drug. Addiction to marijuana is frequently submerged in the welter of polyaddictions common to active addicts. The withdrawal rigors of, say, alcohol or heroin tend to drown out the subtler, more psychological manifestations of cannabis withdrawal.
What has emerged in the past ten years is a profile of marijuana withdrawal, where none existed before. The syndrome is marked by irritability, restlessness, generalized anxiety, hostility, depression, difficulty sleeping, excessive sweating, loose stools, loss of appetite, and a general “blah” feeling. Many patients complain of feeling like they have a low-grade flu, and they describe a psychological state of existential uncertainty—“inner unrest,” as one researcher calls it.
The most common marijuana withdrawal symptom is low-grade anxiety. Anxiety of this sort has a firm biochemical substrate, produced by withdrawal, craving, and detoxification from almost all drugs of abuse. It is not the kind of anxiety that can be deflected by forcibly thinking “happy thoughts,” or staying busy all the time.
A peptide known as corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) is linked to this kind of anxiety. Neurologists at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, noting that anxiety is the universal keynote symptom of drug and alcohol withdrawal, started looking at the release of CRF in the amygdala. After documenting elevated CRF levels in rat brains during alcohol, heroin, and cocaine withdrawal, the researchers injected synthetic THC into 50 rats once a day for two weeks. (For better or worse, this is how many of the animal models simulate heavy, long-term pot use in humans). Then they gave the rats a THC agonist that bound to the THC receptors without activating them. The result: The rats exhibited withdrawal symptoms such as compulsive grooming and teeth chattering—the kinds of stress behaviors rats engage in when they are kicking the habit. In the end, when the scientists measured CRF levels in the amygdalas of the animals, they found three times as much CRF, compared to animal control groups.
While subtler and more drawn out, the process of kicking marijuana can now be demonstrated as a neurochemical fact. It appears that marijuana increases dopamine and serotonin levels through the intermediary activation of opiate and GABA receptors. Drugs like naloxone, which block heroin, might have a role to play in marijuana detoxification.
As Dr. DeChiara of the Italian research team suggested in Science, “this overlap in the effects of THC and opiates on the reward pathway may provide a biological basis for the controversial ‘gateway hypothesis,’ in which smoking marijuana is thought to cause some people to abuse harder drugs.” America's second favorite drug, De Chiara suggests, may prime the brain to seek substances like heroin. In rebuttal, marijuana experts Lester Grinspoon and James Bakalar of Harvard Medical school have protested this resumed interest in the gateway theory, pointing out that if substances that boost dopamine in the reward pathways are gateways to heroin use, than we had better add chocolate, sex, and alcohol to the list.
In the end, what surprised many observers was simply that the idea of treatment for marijuana dependence seemed to appeal to such a large number of people. The Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto has reported that even brief interventions, in the form of support group sessions, can be useful for addicted pot smokers.
In 2005, an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry concluded that, for patients recently out of rehab, “Postdischarge cannabis use substantially and significantly increased the hazard of first use of any substance and strongly reduced the likelihood of stable remission from use of any substance.”
A selected bibliography of science journal references can be found HERE.
See also:
Marijuana Withdrawal Rivals Nicotine
Marijuana Withdrawal Revisited
Feds Fund Study of Marijuana Withdrawal
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1,257 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 800 of 1257 Newer› Newest»Thanks for the site, the information ,its been a great help.
Is there any advice on *staying* off the weed though?
I gave up before but after a few months you kind of "forget". I find the psychological addiction to be much tougher than the physical. When you are in pain, you have something to fight. But after you're just bored or distracted or at a party and you just try it, nice, just a little baggie for the w/end maybe cant hurt......& thats all she wrote.
So any advice on that? Anyone?
Kind of "forgetting" that you cannot smoke, drink, snort, or whatever your addiction/s might be, is part of the dissociative nature of the disorder. If you're interested, I posted on that topic over at: http://dirkhanson.org/thedragonofdissociation.html
23 year old male who smoked marijuana multiple times a day since I was 15. Looking back now, although not realizing it at the time, I had anxiety and depression throughout adolescence. When I was 22 and in University the depression worsened and it became evident to me that I was depressed. Came back home, met a girl, felt better and stopped taking my medications and continued blazing. Now almost 2 years later the relationship ended, got my first 'real' job after school, all within a month and the depression came back full force. Was forced to quit the job due to the depression/anxiety and side effects (insominia) of the anti-depressents that I started soon after the job. Now 2 months later the psychiatrist said I must stop blazing for the depression treatment to work, so I've been off weed for 2 weeks now and been on a new anti-depressent for one month. Now my mind is torturing me daily and suicidal thoughts are the norm. I always feel like I should be doing something to get better but I have absolutely no motivation and receive no pleasure @ all from the activities I do partake in. I cut friends out of my life b/c my social life revolved around weed and alcohol, neither of which I can do any longer. Like mentioned in the article I always feel that something is 'drastically wrong', accompanied by a sinking feeling below my rib cage. The craving for marijuana is great because I know it will numb the pain for a while. Hopefully in a month or two things will improve....thanks for the article
"accompanied by a sinking feeling below my rib cage"
Yes, right in the region above or below the navel. I have no idea what that common feeling is caused by. I think of it as the "hole" left behind when an addict quits an addictive drug.
In the short term, if you smoke a joint, or have a couple of beers, it will make you feel better. Of course it will. This is why addicts are terrific at immediate gratification, not so hot on long-term thinking.
But in the long run you end up with a couple of drug habits, PLUS the original depression, which not only hasn't gone away with all that self-medication, it has perhaps even gotten worse.
Stay tough.
im a A student at a city high school and im doing reserch on my student project. one thing that i know is that a scinctific test about the affects of smoking marijuana has not been done so i dont believe this junk about addictive withdrawal. as for the fools that feel like they were withdrawing you probably had these problems before you started i mean really "i been smoking for 15 years when i quite i got chills sweats and intense dreaming and i get angree when i cant get high" who remembers how they acted before they started. Marijuana gets all this negitive energy from propaganda like this withdrawal sh**. get a lab get some humans get some weed get some blunts and do some real test that will be the hard core evidence that can be used in the fight to decriminalize the use and distribusion of marijuana.
To Hadija,
The following cut and pasted from one of Dirk's previous posts:
"Marijuana Abstinence Effects in Marijuana Smokers Maintained in Their Home Environment" Alan J. Budney,et. al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001; 58:917-924.
Results: An overall measure of withdrawal discomfort increased significantly during the abstinence phases and returned to baseline when marijuana smoking resumed. Craving for marijuana, decreased appetite, sleep difficulty, and weight loss reliably changed across the smoking and abstinence phases. Aggression, anger, irritability, restlessness, and strange dreams increased significantly during one abstinence phase, but not the other. Collateral observers confirmed participant reports of these symptoms.
Conclusions : This study validated several specific effects of marijuana abstinence in heavy marijuana users, and showed they were reliable and clinically significant. These withdrawal effects appear similar in type and magnitude to those observed in studies of nicotine withdrawal.
So Hadija maybe you could do some reading before you dismiss the reality that for some of us this is incredibly difficult.
Cheers and good luck to all on this site.
143 days without cones & today I'm struggling. I thought it would get easier with time but it seems to be getting harder to stay clean. I'm not sleeping much & lately i'm always angry,depressed & anxious. I think I'm losing the fight
There are always excuses to use again, if you look for them. There are no guarantees that abstinence means never again feeling sorry, anxious, angry or depressed. You're human, there's no getting around that.
Lately I have either been feeling two different ways. When (10% of the time) I'm happy (myself) and (90% of the time) when I'm anxious,depressed,moody,irritable,short-tempered, self-conscious, feeling isolated, panic, low self-esteem, over-thinking + over-analyzing everything, and not living in the moment. Lately I have been feeling the second way, lol, and I hope I can blame the majority of this on MARIJUANA WITHDRAWAL. I have problems that I am all-of-the-sudden dealing with because I have been escaping them for the past 3 years with pot.It feels as if when I wake up in the morning just the thought of not being happy turns me into not being happy. I smoked on and off (mostly on) for ~3 years. I am 17 years old now and have been completely sober/clean/drug-free for 17 days. I don't know the culprit and I'm scared that it is just a multitude of things that are making me feel this way. Is it rational to just nut-shell it into marijuana withdrawal or is that a cop-out? I just want to feel better and return to what I know as "myself".
My boyfriend of 5 years has been a heavy smoker for about 10 years. He has had several failed attempts at quitting, although he has been arrested twice for possession and 3 weeks ago was placed on 1 year of probation for possession (he was caught with an ounce, but given a misdemeanor ticket because he set up his dealer who was arrested with a much larger amount) . He now has to take monthly drug & alcohol tests. He has since lost his job and killed his car. He continues to deal to his "friends" because he has no other form of income. He still can't quit. And is adamant that he has no problem.
Three weeks ago (when the probation began) he broke up with me, moved out, has alienated his family, and surrounded himself with other stoners...who after reading this blog, I realize make him feel like he's doing just what he should be. He is also facing his drug test in one week, and admits he can't pass without doing some kind of cleanse.
My research was prompted by an episode last week. His family was in the process of moving into a new house. Since he decided to move out of our apartment "because it's just time to move on"... the only reason he can verbalize is a strong feeling of uncertainty and unrest... he was staying in the family's empty apartment with nothing but an air mattress and a bottle of Jack. His sister found a bag of weed in the freezer while doing the final post-move cleaning and threw it away. When he discovered what she had done, he freaked out and went dumpster diving in the middle of the night to retrieve his stash.
Not being a smoker myself and having no experience with addiction, I want to understand this need. I have always felt he has an addiction and he has always assured me pot is not addictive. Spoken like a true addict. If you can be addicted to food or shopping, why can't you be addicted to weed?
The article and the posts describe him perfectly. Every time he has attempted to quit he becomes severely depressed, moody, short tempered, everything is wrong, diarrhea, restlessness, sweats and his choice is to run away from his everyday life. He quits his job, does nothing but play xbox and alienates himself from his loved ones. After few weeks of being clean, he finds another job and a new group of stoners who love him because he always gets the good weed. Mind you his friends no longer have anything to do with him when he's not smoking.
The process begins again.
He did basically the same thing last year, he picked up and moved out of state. After a month he came back saying he needed to clean up. This past year he has made great steps forward. I was feeling positive and proud of him. He was still smoking, but drastically less.
He has never completely quit for more than a month. He refuses to admit he has experienced any of these side effects.
I'm not sure why I'm sharing this. I know I'm concerned for him. I feel trouble is on the way. He's on probation, dealing and drinking heavily. He can't pass a drug test, has no transportation to his meeting. I know our relationship is over because without help this cycle will continue. But he has to help himself. I am honestly stunned by his decision to live in nothing, with no job, no car... with a friend with no job or car... because he can just be a pothead. He choses weed over everything.
Hi to everyone, my name is dave and I'm the one person who went to jail for 30 days for testing positive for cannabis while on probation, i got out on the 25Th of Sep, i tested positive after just quiting 17 days before my test, i fail spent 30 days in jail my first time ever locked up,i said i would post when i got out but i have been so happy to see my family and grand babies i just stayed close to my family, i at first (the first 3days did not sleep only for maybe 4hars, i was locked up with harden criminals i also had to go with out my coffee and cigarettes a triple whammy, i was so depressed when i was locked up , missing my family and grand babies, I'm home now and i haven't let got of my wife's hand since then, yes quitting can be so hard but the good news is that i got over my cannabis use it really took 3 weeks to feel i was over it, just so glade Tobe home, yes you will win the fight just hang in there and oh yes thanks for the person who responded to my post and said they would keep me in there prayers, who lost his or her son in a car accident, my most sympathy to you, you lost the most and yet you were Abel to stay off the drugs, thank you so much for your prayers and thoughts,i was forced to quit many things in my 30 days incarcerated,i drank like 6 cups of coffee my first day home, if you find it hard try to thank of all you can lose that you have not yet,feeling free of all that abused drugs (mj), now lets have that party Mr Henderson,join me, it was all your research because that's what helped me, thanks so much, like the person who responded to my post said (time will pass)you will win just stay strong lots of love and never give up.the best way i can describe what i was going thought is to lock your self up in your closet and have no t v locked in a 10 by 8 foot cell and eat only bread for 30 days and have to give up all the things you like, that was me, thanks again sir over 30years of cannabis gone, if i can do it so can you
Thanks for posting. How nice to hear that you are back home, happy and healthy, with a positive attitude, despite the fact that you were unfairly incarcerated for a minor marijuana infraction.
Best of luck in the future.
Thanks to dirk for this message board. Reading through it has been helpful to me and have given me the feeling I’m not alone. I thought possibly my own thoughts and experience might also be of help to someone else.
I’m a 45-year-old female and I’ve been smoking lightly almost daily for over 20 years. Although I would occasionally smoke with friends, I was much more likely to just take a few hits a day in the middle of the day to take the edge off. I also really enjoyed a smoke before exercise or spending time in nature. Another thing on the plus side is that I'm an artist and found it could be most helpful for a creative session. I think I was in denial about my addiction because its not a pretty thing to admit, and I also found that enjoyed the feelings I got from smoking lightly (I don’t enjoy being very high or out of control) and didn’t want to give that up. I related it to having a glass of wine everyday.
Yet, it is time I acknowledge that is it impacting my health, and just not letting me be as healthy a person as I would like to be. Along with the positive effects, I feel it also contributes to lethargy, laziness, depression and a feeling I need it to be normal. I am very into a healthy diet, eating mostly organic and a raw food diet and I'm seeing how hypocritical it is to be smoking on this pure diet, One thing I haven’t seen mentioned in this forum is the chemicals and the possible pesticides we are smoking. I once had organic pot in Glastonbury but other than that who really knows what we are inhaling. I am wondering if the pesticides could be contributing to the severity of some people’s symptoms.
I haven’t smoked for a week now. My thoughts are that for me that first week or so while the THC is leaving your body is the hardest time. Some of the things that help me are leaving my home environment, spending time in nature and nurturing yourself with healthy food and healthy activities you enjoy. I don’t share the problems with sleeplessness that many do or loss of appetite but do have the intense and vivid dreams every night.
Thanks for the comments and observations. Vivid dreaming seems to be among the most common withdrawal effects.
Thanks for all of the posts! I am a not a smoker, but have dated someone seriously for a number of years who is. He has recently taken a drastic turn in his addiction... reading this blog has brought me peace of mind in understanding what he is going through. I have experienced most of these withdrawal symptoms just by being so close to him and really started to question myself and what I was doing to contribute to his bad decisions. I now understand it has nothing to do with me and feel I can make better decisions for myself. Thank you all.
Thanks Dirk for this blog. Really gave me a great outlook on how I've been feeling since I quit. My symptoms have been:
dizziness, headaches, loss of apetite, unusual feeling (something like being high), and anxiety
I went about six weeks, wondered if the symptoms would subside if I smoked...tried it, and felt worse.I have now been without for two weeeks. The symptoms I most identify with are anxiety, strange feeling, and going back and forth with wondering if I'll ever be the "same". Nice to know I'm not alone.
BTW I smoked everyday for about a year give or take some months. Never thought I would feel this way after stopping.
All in all, I have good days/moments and bad days/moments. I try to talk myself out of it and stay positive.
My advice: Stay busy and try not to think about it. When I'm at work and occupied I hardly even notice anything. I look at it like my brain is trying to get back to normal after being distorted for so long.
Thanks again, and I keep telling myself neuronal plasticity will work in my favor ;)
DJ
My boyfriend has been smoking for ten years, he cannot remember what happened yesterday, is incapable of eating without smoking first, literally his stomach will not open; and basically is doing nothing with himself. Talks a lot when he is stoned about starting a university course in january but forgets by tomorrow. I wouldnt mind if he did nothing and was happy but he is not. Only when he is stoned. We are going away to europe in three weeks for 16 days and he is literally in freefall panic knowing where we are going he cannot smoke. He got agressive yesterday and finished with me in a really bizarre fight. First time I looked at him and wondered did he have the capacity to go crazy. Anyway this is how much he is worried about travelling. He doesnt HAVE to go but is too embarrassd to turn down opportunity of lifetime. Anyway, I`m tired, love him so much but will not let him smoke in my house anymore and he has said for that he needs to find someone that 'understands' him. I work with crack addicts, I understand him well, I know he needs hugs and love and support but at the same time I'm only human and won't be treated like a dog. I know girlfriends, mothers and father cannot help drug addicts, actually I beieve that if he did ever stop he would never see me again. Also for him to stop, all his childhood friends would need to stop as well.....well that's not going to happen. Weed has left the most beautiful person I know a person who is paranoid, cant remember yesterday, incapable of going to a restauarnt and eating or even having breakfast, someone who wants nothing for tomorrow.....I want to do something.....I want to ring him now and say something that will make the difference to him, not to quit, but to know that I am here supporting him. I am lost, I feel so damn low that this is eating us up.
I was a reasonalbly heavy skunk smoker, 2 to 3 joints a day for about the last 10 years or so, gave up in june this year, god was it hard, felt like i was goin crazy, anxiety, depression, nightmares, pretty much everything described here. I honestly for a time though i was gonna go completely mad. to be honest all the syptoms relate to depression and my personal feeling is the weed just blocked the depression out but when i stopped smoking it all hit me. 4 months on feeling much better, anxieties pretty much gone, having good dreams that i actually enjoy(no more nightmares, thank god). also actually starting to see the positives of giving up now like more energy, more ambition to do things like travel, study, get a better job etc. basically just want to say to all you guys keep at it and keep head strong you really need to fight the symptoms with a positive mindset and try not to think the worst all the time. Once you have one good day, everything becomes that little bit more easier from then on.
good luck peeps.
I was a reasonalbly heavy skunk smoker, 2 to 3 joints a day for about the last 10 years or so, gave up in june this year, god was it hard, felt like i was goin crazy, anxiety, depression, nightmares, pretty much everything described here. I honestly for a time though i was gonna go completely mad. to be honest all the syptoms relate to depression and my personal feeling is the weed just blocked the depression out ut when i stopped it all hit me. 4 months on feeling ok, anxieties pretty much gone, having good dreams that i actually enjoy(no more nightmares, thank god). also actually starting to see the positives of giving up now like more energy, more ambition to do things like travel, study, getg a better job etc. basically just want to say to all you guys keep at it and keep head strong you really need to fight the symptoms with a positive mindset and try not to think the worst all the time. Once you have one good day, everything becomes that little bit more easier from then on.
good luck peeps.
"try not to think the worst all the time."
I think that bit of advice is really crucial. Thanks.
This site is a revelation, better than anything else out there in the interweb stratosphere. I am a 40 something mother of one and have enjoyed pot on a daily basis for a good few years, with a years break when I gave up tobacco and weed together when pregnant (I put all the withdrawal down to tobacco and used an inhaler to help me which really worked). My trouble is that I am finding weed hard to source in my area (live in a rural village in UK) and I don't like feeling like a desperate junkie asking friends if they know anyone - it's demeaning and not who I am at all. It's made me realise that I am an addict and the weed is definitely addictive, no 2 ways about it. Due to lack of supply I've dwindled down my usage and ran out completely a few days ago. Having a horrible time sleeping, in fact I just can't unless I neck a couple of sleeping tablets. Hot flushes and cold sweats aplenty, and now I've read this I realise that I'm not going through the menopause (!) it's just the weed. Still smoking and drinking red wine, but tobacco just isn't as satisfying without the weed and I think I can give that up soon too. In all honesty if I had an easy supply route I'd probably be in a much worse position than I am now and there'd be no incentive to stop. Life can be dull sometimes and pot is a great distraction from that, but ultimately I have to face life for what it is and find some other less expensive and more meaningful/practical way to enjoy life more. Damn that beautiful greenery, but we've reached the end of the road as I can't keep yoyo-ing through these symptoms each time supply dries up. Good luck to you all.
Thanks for the kind words about the blog. I think a lot of people can identify with your feelings about "yoyo-ing through these symptoms each time supply dries up."
And many people will also agree with your feeling that there's something not right about being a 40-something who is hitting up friends for a connection, or is dependent upon an unreliable 19-year old dealer for the day's happiness.
After smoking for over 25 years, roughly at least 1-3 doobie's per day since age 18, I have decided, at 46, that it's time. Pot, like a friend, has been both good and bad to me. I have had periods where I've quit for short periods but after so long I've realized I'm not going to be missing anything, I only think I'm going to be missing something. I am experiencing most of the withdrawl symptoms everyone else is experiencing and I am not substituting it with anything else. I quit drinking about 15 years ago and take no prescription drugs of any kind. I am missing it but I accept the fact that it does nothing to enhance my life. It has only been in my mind that I believed it enhanced my life. I've known it to be an addictive drug but because access to it has always been there I've not had to worry about not having it. I still can get it and, in fact, still have plenty to smoke right now. It's been 8 days without and it's not been easy. I read someone's post who said it's mental weakness that prevents people from stopping and to some extent I agree but it definitely is a physical addiction as well. I think it comes down to this, if you WANT to stop you'll stop and if you don't WANT to stop you won't. I hate the withdrawl symptoms I'm experiencing and hope they'll stop soon and I also miss how it makes me feel. I think most people who are still smoking will realize, when it's their time, that smoking pot is not going to help them find what they want out of life, it only helps them escape life and keep them from finding what they really desire in life. Of course there will be those who differ with my comments but hopefully it may get them thinking about what they would like to get out of this brief period of existence called 'life'. I'm trying to take one day at a time and today I will not smoke. Good luck to all who have decided to stop smoking.
I have been a heavy pot smoker for the last 7 years, there was a 12 yr break before that while I was active in a 12 step program. I have quit and gone through the withdrawl process 3 times each time when it was over I swore I'd never thouch that shit again.....
aparently my memory for feeling like crap is really short.
so I am back at the place where I know I need to quit, but I am afraid of going back into that painful place again. Oh by the way I live in Arcata, CA Humboldt county where pot is a serious lifestyle and thers little support around quitting.
I have used the really strong mints you can buy at starbucks to ease the nausea, and they work pretty well. I dont want to use narcoitcs (I DO WANT TO USE NARCOTICS),thats the problem. I am mainly concerned with my temper. Any herbal ideas anyone?
I was more or less a daily pot smoker for about 10 years-smoking spliffs w/ tobacco. I have quit now for four months, with the exception of a single drag once or twice amongst friends, and still I find the nausea and sore lungs/throat have not yet gone away. I am told that it can take up to a year to feel better; but then I read it should subside after a month or two. What's the truth?
The truth is, metabolisms vary.
For some, that might mean a month; for others, symptoms might linger as long as a year, judging by the reports posted here.
Hi,
I have been smoking for the last 20years and stopped smoking for the last two weeks. I was going through all these changes and did not know why.This site has been helpful and lets me know that I am not going crazy! I am feeling better and have support from my friends and family. It does get better, for thosee attempting to give up pot,stay strong.
Hi,
I have been smoking for the last 20years and stopped smoking for the last two weeks. I was going through all these changes and did not know why.This site has been helpful and lets me know that I am not going crazy! I am feeling better and have support from my friends and family. It does get better, for thosee attempting to give up pot,stay strong.
Wow. Thank you for this site!! I too have recently quit and have been extremely disturbed and plagued by insomnia, night sweats and night anxiety. I haven't much experienced weightloss or diarrhea or anything of that sort. I was freaking out though because if you type into a random search engine "night sweats" it pulls up things such as HIV related issues and other major medical problems. Not one site brought up marijuana withdrawl!! Last year in February, I quit for an extended period of time and went through the same issues as I'm experiencing now. Like I mentioned my symptoms are heavily concentrated on the vivid nightmares and sweating. I'm lucky to even be getting 4-5 hours of sleep in a night. One thing that really truly helped me out with that last time was the over the counter sleep aid/vitamin supplement (in the vitamins aisle) melatonin!! This supplement worked wonders for me then and since I have made the connection I am going to purchase these today so I can look forward to my first good night sleep in over a week. It just all makes sence now thanks to all of your comments. I truly reccomend that if you are experiencing these sleepless nights and night anxiety that you buy these suppliments. Some even have warnings not to drive or operate heavy machinery while on them so use caution! But remember they are sold in the vitamin aisle. Research them. They have definitely worked for me in the past!! And thanks to this site, I no long have to drive myself radically insane wondering what the hell is wrong with me anymore!! 2 weeks sober by the way!! Thank you thank you thank you for this site!!!!!!
"freaking out though because if you type into a random search engine "night sweats" it pulls up things such as HIV related issues and other major medical problems."
That's exactly why I put together this web site--so people don't have to wonder if they're dying or going crazy, just because they weren't aware of the strong symptoms a minority of tokers can experience. You talk to normal recreational weed smokers about night sweats and vivid dreaming, and they have no idea what you're talking about. A select little club, indeed....
What's so ironic is that the first major physical symptom that tipped me to the possibility of a common pot withdrawal syndrome was... night sweats: "Oh, does that happen to you, too?" Amazing that it doesn't come up in searches.
Dirk,
Thanks for the article. Frequent smoker here for the past 10 years, recently quit and have experienced all the symptoms you have described. One quick question, I noticed that my tongue has become discolored to white, with similarities to what you see in patients who experience Thrush and was wondering if this may also be a side effect. The discoloring has lasted a week, and seems to be subsiding. Thanks.
Dirk:
This board is very helpful. Thank you for your good work. Just a little history. I've gone through mj withdrawal several times in my life, both intentionally and unintentionally so I know what it is like. I think the hardest thing about it is it's so drawn out because mj is fat soluable and takes a long time to clear your system. Anyway, for a variety of reasons, I want to stop smoking. I'm at the two week point soon and I'm facing a routine drug test in about three weeks so I'm motivated. I know from experience this period (two weeks) is typically the "freakiest" part of the withdrawal. To make a long story short, this time around, I've not had a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Some sweating in the beginning, but I take 10mg of elavil to prevent migraines and that let's me sleep. I love the dreams. Dreams tell you so much. I make sure to listen. So the dreams aren't bad even if their subject matter is disturbing. What bothers me is that I feel so flat. This is different from anytime before. In the past I would raging or totally off the wall. Is depression common in the recovering addict? Is this really more a "breaking up is hard to do" feeling? If it is, then I know in time it will pass but I'd like to know if this is common?
Thanks for the kind words about the blog. Much appreciated.
Marijuana, marijuana withdrawal, and depression are so intertwined as to defy any easy generalizations. I'm beginning to wonder whether age plays a role--is going through pot withdrawal different for an addict at 30, at 40, at 50,at 60?
The feeling of "flatness," the inability to extract pleasure from any activity, is a characteristic symptom of depression, and depressive symptoms are common in pot withdrawal.
For substance addiction, there's just no simple rule about how long it takes for the brain's disordered pleasure system to normalize itself. Everybody's different.
ive been a chronic smoker of the chronic for over a decade easily. only times i quit was forced to by probation for 11 months which was hell. i have aspergers syndrome and acute ptsd. i take effexor and use cannabis to control the anxiety and issues.
ive tried quitting and go thru hell,everything described int he report. so i figure, why quit? ive ran the gambit of psych meds and havent had any success cept wqith effexor and that isnt enough. nothing mellows me out and makes me feel better than cannabis- so im not going to quit, im going to continue to puff the herb as it allows me to have a semi normal life. ask anyone and they will tell you im much better on cannabis. grow your own- so many seed breeders out and supply places. stop buying mexican and supporting drug cartels- grow your own.abc123
The very first thing I want to say is thank you so much for creating this board and creating a place where all these people can "go to" in their time of need. I am one of those people. :(
A little back story, I am a 26 year old female, I am a mother, and I have Aspergers Syndrome. ( I think they recently renamed it Aspergers Disorder but not too sure about that.)
I HAVE NOT quit using Marijuana. I've been smoking off and on since the age of 13 (back then it was so very occasional) Heavy usage with a few long breaks in the years of 2004 thru 2006. When I did stop for 2 weeks I got the excessive sweating lasted all of the two weeks (I think, so hard to remember lol) My BF is a smoker and in 2008 I began smoking occasionally again. It quickly became an everyday thing for me, but not until late afternoon, or night.
Here is the interesting part (and sorry to be so long winded, but I really need some answers...) I still smoke at least twice a day every single day. BUT I cannot sleep. I cannot regulate my body temp. (no fever) I'm so hot and sweaty I cant stand it At the same time I'm so cold I have goose bumps and and whole body shivers. How can I be so hot my ENTIRE body from head to two is sweating, and be freezing cold at the same time? My hands are always like ice. The night sweats are so bad, I am afraid to sleep for fear of waking up all sweaty and nasty feeling. But for the last couple of months (and this is getting worse on a daily basis now)it's during the daytime too. At this very moment, I'm hot and sweaty and freezing cold too. I was up all night, I've been searching the internet for answers, thinking how can I be having menopausal symptoms at 26?
I do have a tendancy to have those rages some other posters spoke of. Awful thing to experience. I feel like I am loosing my mind! In the last 2 weeks, I've lost my appitite almost completly, I can only force down about half of a real meal a day (and thats a good day, most days is almost nothing) I hate drinking plain water, and now I cannot get enough. I lost 10 pounds in a matter of 3 to 5 days last week, gained three due to female issues, but lost all three pounds in last 24 hours! I am going crazy!!! This website is the only thing that begins to make sense, but the kicker is this. How can I be going thru pot withdrawls, if I have not quit? Oh please let there be someone out there who knows whats wrong with me, or can at least give me a clue! If I don't get some sleep tonight, I think I just might loose it altogether...
To Bioengineered (sp?)
I hope I am not breaking any rules. I posted my comment before I read yours. When I saw that you have AS as well my heart jumped. I have NEVER met another person (to my knowledge) with AS.
I was diagnosed at 15. I absolutly didn't care what the doctor said, I did NOT have what they said I had! And I would never EVER tell anyone I "had" this because just say the name! Hello, been teased anough thank you! In fact, for years, I even forgot I had it. I picked couple of really bad people to love, got seriously taken advantage of not only by my boyfriends, but by just about every single person I had ever met! I am not an "alone" person. I HATE being alone! I really accepted the fact that I have AS when my daughter was born. With no help from her father, I coped the only way I knew. I created a routine for her and I put it on paper. I followed it religously (adjusting for her as her needs changed of course.) As I get older, I can definetly see where AS is as much a part of me as I am of AS. In fact, I researched it online today for the very first time! Until recently I could never accept this about myself. I have no hidden talents that I know of, math is my biggest enemy, and I have no idea what I "want to be when I grow up". For me that is the sum of AS. I think i will have finally conquered AS when I feel like an adult, and not a child. I am feeling the need for support now, for the first time, because my daughter is 6 now, and she scares the hell out of me. I'm almost intimidated by her. I cannot tell when she is telling me a lie, I don't know whats appropriate for her age. And the craziest thing about it is this. My profession is child care. I can handle OPK's (other people's kids) they don't intimadate me. I think it's because I just love her more than life itself, and I am afraid of messing her up. I know this is a pot blog/message board. But when I saw your post I had the strongest urge to reach out to you, to connect with someone like me. I can research until my fingers fall off, but to know AS is to know someone with it. I don't expect to know you, or for you to even respond. I fufilled my need to reach out to you, and even now, and feeling better, and smiling, so thank you for being open and telling the world (or at least the pot smokers and x smokers) You made a difference to me. That is all...
Just wanted to say to all the people that are struggling out there... and really trying to quit... it can be done. After smoking herb multiple times daily for nearly 5 years, I quit last year and have been "MJ-Free" for over 14 months now. When I initially quit I had two strange episodes that resembled panic attacks. Two days after I quit cold turkey I literally got the feeling you get when your arm or leg falls asleep throughout my entire body. I felt like I was aflame but there was little pain, it felt like nothing I've ever experienced. I was at work when it happened and everyone was staring at me, I'm assuming because of the look on my face. I had to lay down and drink water, and after a few hours the sensation subsided. This happened once more two days later. I didn't sleep for 96 hours straight, then slept for almost 2 full days. Two weeks of hell.. but after I got through it I was able to stay off until this very day...I believe you can experience withdrawal but that it is possible to quit (although for some people it is undesirable). Good luck everyone.
i am 27 years old male with a cannibis addiction stretching back to when i was 15 i have smoked at least an ounce a week now for at least 8 years i quit 12 months ago for 8 weeks but relapsed again the withdrawal symptoms i went through was awful ended up on anti depressants my mind was that bad i had uncontrollable sweating fits insomnia, sudden bursts of massive crying fits and i dont even know why i was crying the cravings was not there but a real feeling of panic and uncertainty with everything i lost a stone in weight with loss of appetite and excessive sweating i am 2 days into quitting again i got about 3 hours sleep last night just tossing n turning hot and cold sweats just lots of very negative thoughts running through my head ive tried allsorts today to try keep myself focused ive been exercising like crazy as that seems to help a lot for some reason am just not looking forward to going to bed tonight as the insomnia and negative thoughts are driving me crazy! just writing this down and getting it out has helped a little so thanks would appreciate any advice on getting through this as ive come to a point now where weed is no longer a social thing its a anti social depressing life controller for me and it has to stop enough is enough!!
I am really glad i found this site. I had been smoking pot every day for about 6 years and I just quit 5 days ago. About a day and a half after i quit i got some crazy anxiety, i lost my appetite, i've been having nightmares and no sleep, my hands are sweaty all the time, and I am having a really hard time communicating to people (especially my girlfriend) how hard this is on me physically, and mentally. Its good to know that I'm not crazy and that withdrawal symptems from pot are real. Thanks for the article.
" ive been exercising like crazy as that seems to help a lot for some reason"
It does. And it also helps with the sleeping problems.
my hands are sweaty all the time, and I am having a really hard time communicating to people (especially my girlfriend) how hard this is on me physically, and mentally"
For some people, one of the hardest things to explain to others is: how come your hands are so sweaty?
first of all, good day everyone. i quit smoking weed after about 1 year of very heavy use. it's been 2 weeks now and i feel like shit. i have had diarrhea for two weeks now, signs of dehydration (my piss is dark yellow) unless i drink a truck load of water. sometimes i get a very weird feeling in my head like i'm out of touch with reality, sometimes i get more physical symptoms: random body pains, anxiety etc. i sometimes feel like i'm dying slowly, literally. sometimes i think i have HIV, sometimes cancer, mental illness, infertility, skin diesease, etc. i've had these symptoms for about 3 months now and i figured since they are coming and going randomly, it could'nt be anything serious´. but i dont know really, i'm gonna wait for 2 more weeks, if things havent changed im going to the doctor. but this shit is hell, i wish i would have never started smoking weed. it takes the life out of you, you become emotionally dead and worry about stuff which usually is nothing serious. if you havent got any withdrawal symptoms, consider yourself lucky.
Before i joined the military obviously i had to quit smoking bud and when i did i had no issues with anxiety/depression etc. I was just bored as hell some of the time. well, i started smoking again when i got out, pretty much everyday, drinking beer everyday as well, taking zanex occasionally for recreation. When i decided enough was enough, i moved to california to work with my dad and for about a month i couldnt leave the house. the only thing keeping me sane was a 3d modeling application that i was playing with, dont know how i was able to accomplish anything with it but i just fought through it like i was battling agent smith from the matrix. everytime time the rollercoaster of anxiety took me for a ride, usually irrational thoughts about my family, the future, you guys know the deal, i would have to come up with mental tools on the fly to win the battle for my sanity! I had gotten out the military so spending 6 years in a small town and then coming to a big city first of all was a shock and source of anxiety in itself, the zanex i was taking i think causes THE worst kind of anxiety related to withdrawls for me and on top of all this i basically stopped smoking cigarettes where i was smoking about a pack a day for years. im starting to feel a little better, just take multivitamins, exercise, watch TV but NO news, watch as much comedy as you can, no political comedy though(unless its lewis black) and pick up some sort of hobby like drawing cause if your drawing your not thinking those thoughts that generate anxiety. for me it was my grandmother who pretty much raised me, i snapped at her and felt like total shit for a week straight i literally thought i was beginning to understand the way the universe performs judgment and i thought all eyes were on me, i was seeing things from way too many perspectives and it was too much for my small brain too handle!
I have been trying to quit smoking weed for months and have still been unsuccessful. It scares me how dependent I am and how badly I want to stop but just can't seem to. My anxiety is becoming unmanagable and just in writing this and thinking about smoking is making me very anxious. Yesterday I had a panic attack because I packed a bowl and then couldn't find my lighter. I hate the way my life is with everyday revolving around getting high. I used to be very athletic and outgoing and now all I do is smoke and sleep. No one understands what I'm dealing with because "it's not addictive." I want help. I want to be sober. But I can't do it alone and I don't know what to do next.
My Withdrawals: In the past year the longest I have gone without smoking was three days. I was set on quitting but the symptoms of withdrawaling were unbearable. I was severely depressed, constantly crying, and could not get out of bed. I ate nothing, slept all day, laid awake all night, and was just generally irrational.
This blog has definitely given me more insight and helped me realize I am not alone in this addiction.
Thanks for the frank and thoughtful post. I sometimes get accused of making up quotes like yours, and planting them on my blog site. Which goes to show how strongly some people are invested in the "not physically addictive" trope.
Lots of addicted smokers have experiences similar to yours.
I smoke a lot every day and feel the listed symptoms when I try to quit.. but to be honest, the withdrawals are NOTHING compared to those I have gone through for opiates, alcohol, benzos, and nicotine. It must be emphasized that marijuana withdrawal is not dangerous or life threatening at all... and at least physically the easiest to bear. In fact, many people feel worse withdrawals when they try coming off antidepressants. You know who wants there to be marijuana "withdrawal"? The government, so they can keep it illegal, and rehabs so they can make more money.
"You know who wants there to be marijuana "withdrawal"?"
-------
I don't really care who "wants" it to be, or who doesn't. I'm more interested in the science than the politics.
Hi, I have been reading all these comments and it has been very helpful. I realize I am in the throes of withdrawal. I ran out last
Tues. (it is now Sunday) save for some scraps, teensy weensy remnants found here and there bc I am deleriously searching them out since I'm out of weed. So, officially-I'm in my fifth day. I had a bit of an upper respiratory infection because its flu season and I'm a teacher- exacerbated by smoking pot (who am I kidding). I was actually thinking I needed antibiotics because I feel like a "low grade flu" but I know if I went to the doc, the tests would come back normal, I know it. And all he'd give me are antibiotics because of the U.R. infection that I know is pretty much gone. The symptoms that are the worse is "the I can't put my finger on it" malaise. I also have a very interesting headache. Being familiar with migranes, this is not that kind. It's a frontal headache, my forehead-and it doesn't hurt like a migrane, it feels like bubbles, a bubbling headache (I know this makes no sense). I am in my room with the blinds closed, I live alone, so no one has to suffer thru my WD. My students are saying that I'm not myself. I'm irritable and short fused. This website is helpful. A friend of mine has oxys, I've never tried it, and thought of asking her for one to get me thru this, but I'm scared to take one, and am making connections of the "gateway" phenononem and am not interested in becoming a statistic. At least now that I know, grace of this website, it is withdrawal-I can hang on. I may take a sick day this week, I have very good attendance at work-I am a "functioning pot head". I have been VERY forgetful...my car wasn't in the lot after work and didn't know where it was. It was across the street. This is due to withdrawal. People at work think its funny that I'm so "blonde" but I know the truth of why I've been so forgetful this week. I can't focus or concentrate. I feel as though things aren't "connecting" in my brain. This happened a few weeks ago when I tried to stop. I smoked and it was like the puzzle pieces in my brain all came together. I am looking forward to the appetite suppressant of the drug. I've noticed that my appetite has dropped and I don't mind. Conversely, when I smoke, if it ain't nailed down, I'm eating it!! I could go down the sex route with my buddy, but I'm looking for a relationship and that'll just set me back. Two weeks of Xmas vacation coming up and hopefully, being by myself and getting thru this "flu" and being gentle with myself, and maybe joining a gym. I'm trying and I'm going to give myself a chance because I'm worth it. Thanks for a great web site.
Thanks for the kind words. I think treating acute pot withdrawal as a bad bout of the flu, including taking some sick days, particularly if you're reduced to combing the carpet for cannabis crumbs, makes sense.
(For even suggesting that such a thing sometimes takes place, I will be accused of making up grand anti-pot horror stories. I will get emails telling me I'm a corrupt journalist who fabricated your comment. I will be accused by drug activists of working covertly on behalf of the DEA to spread lies about marijuana.)
People who believe pot can never be physically addictive for anyone have really invested a lot of psychic energy in that wobbly contention.
i've been off weed for 35 days now and i think the worst is over. i used to feel like i'm going to die, like i have some terrible illness. i could'nt sleep, was anxious all the time, depressed. it went so far that i thought killing myself would solve all this quickly. i dont know but it hit me pretty much. but i've been getting better. i can sleep again, my anxiety is almost gone. my depression though is still present. i get cold sweats sometimes but mostly i just feel so lifeless. i cant take joy in anything, but there are days in which i can enjoy life. but mostly i'm just down. i hope this will subside soon as i am worried it may be something else because i have to drink a shitload of fluids or my urine is really dark in color. i didn't have this issue before. but just to be sure i'll go to the doctor next week to have me tested for any medical problems related with this symptom. i just hope it has to do with my body still getting rid of all the thc as i have smoked 4-5 joints daily for a little over 1 year.
to all of you who are afraid of the the withdrawel symptoms: I am a heavy user for 23 ys and have all of those WHILST smoking--so please stop if you can. it doesn`t get better if you don`t, as I witness myself. Only that I get more sleep (until 5 in the morning) and of course have no dreams....the nightmares and no sleep comes on top when I try quitting.
Has anyone experienced depersonalization as a result of high MJ intake? I did and thats wht caused me to quit. Since i have quit (4 months), i have still been experiencing it. I think i am experiencing this in combo with withdrawal effects. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm trying to hang in here and stay positive but it gets hard..esp with the depersonalization and high feeling. Can anyone else relate?
Here's an excerpt from my book that discusses the phenomenon of dissociation:
http://dirkhanson.org/thedragonofdissociation.html
First of all, thanks go out to Dirk for this great website. Now to my story, I have been off weed for about 2 months now. I used to have very strange withdrawal symptoms which ranged from simple cravings to severe body pains and loss of appetite and life in general. Now most of those symptoms have gone but I still feel weak sometimes. I already had my urine tested. The doctor said my urine couldn't be any healthier as I drink very much water. I don't know, these "weak moments," as I like to call them, keep troubling me. I mean, other than that I feel completely fine, I sleep 8 hours a day, I eat like I used to before smoking pot and I have emotions again, which I almost lost when I still smoked. Has anyone had a similar case as mine? On some days I feel like I could run to the next city, on others I feel like I couldn't pick up a candy wrapper without breaking a sweat.
Thanks for any comments
Thanks for the kind words about the website.
If you are talking about general weakness, like fatigue, that would be different from muscle weakness. But with all or most of the other withdrawal symptoms gone,I don't have any bright ideas about what you're experiencing.
thanks to all of you. I'm almost 60 and been smoking for well over 35 years.
Been vaping lately but it's time to stop (it's been time to stop many moons ago). Stopped a day ago and starting to feel the anxiety and other symptoms.
Did anyone come up with any natural remedies(teas, etc) that can ease the symptoms? What about medications to ease the symptoms? I', going to give it a good fight this time!
I have a strong feeling that there is a hidden cohort of 50-somethings out there struggling with this problem.
No pot-specific medications are available at present, although lithium is sometimes used, and short-term benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed for sleep and anxiety problems.
Thanks for your reply Dirk.
Yesterday, at around 11 p.m. I had a severe attack of dizziness. I felt full for most of the day, but my weakness was gone since morning. It's the same story over and over again. Sometimes I get symptoms like weakness and dizziness, sometimes I feel stuffed throughout the day, sometimes I get digestive problems like diahrrea. I doesn't get worse, that's why I think it couldn't be something bad. I just hope that all this will recide someday. Before smoking, I had been a person full of life but weed changed that. I know it sounds stupid but I wish I would have never started smoking.
Thanks again, this website has been a big help for me so far!
It's been about a week since I've quit smoking I never knew that there were going to be withdrawl symtoms .Ismoked for 30 years evryday two to three times a day yes I would call myself a heavy userI'm glad to here that I wasn't alone on all the symtoms sweats angermuscle aches headaches I thuoght I was coming down with some thing can't sleep unless I take a triazadone . Iproud to do it Ihope these things go away soon I still have to work . and I'm in sales which means I deal with people all day .After reading these postings It makes me understand that there are symtoms of withdrawl and soon they will pass. I'm sticking to my guns .thanks for the info.
It's all about the info. Contributors here have put together a valuable string of comments and advice for tokers trying to quit.
There aren't that many other places you can find it. Marijuana Anonymous is one, and also the Marijuana Addiction Support Forum, and various message boards like http://www.forummatters.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16. Also James Langton's Clearhead site in the UK.
There are of course plenty of spurious "Marijuana: Threat or Menace?" anti-pot, pro-drug war web sites, but their focus is sociopolitical, not biomedical.
Today is day one of no weed and day 6 of no cigs. I am 34 and have smoked cigs for 21 years and pot for around 18 years. At first just casual but over the passed 12 years I have had only a handful of days that I did not smoke. I have so far, offended my young cousin, tooted wildly at 2 cars for no real reason when I am a pretty relaxed and calm driver....the day isn't even over yet. I was starting to think that perhaps this is just the person I am when I am sober and weed has just covered it up for me but now know that this hideous person I am today will smooth out and become normal over a period of time. It is hard to stay strong because I am being such a moody cow...I even threw my laptop across the room because it wasn't responding quickly enough....luckily the laptop is fine. Good luck to all. Thanks for the read.
Hi All,
To all the anonymouses and missy's, peters,jasons, etc etc and certainly and mostly to Dirk (bless you Dirk).
Keep posting, you said you'd keep posting if just one person could be helped. Well, you all have helped this older guy out big time.
I hope all of you who are going through the really hard times get through it.
One day at a time ..... life is worth it.
Hi Dirk and all other posters. I can hardly believe the comments have continued to this very day. Lucky for me because i quit on 12/19. I was directed to your blog when i searched for tinnitus and marijuana withdrawal. I guess it's not too frequently experienced when withdrawing, so i'll be seeing a doctor if it doesn't subside within a few days. Maybe it's an actual ear infection of some sort. Who knows. but it started just 2 days ago. weird! thought maybe it was some sort of that neuronal plasticity, but i think im reaching with that.
But to get to my point, I had been a daily smoker for the last 13 years. I'm 28 now. I would smoke all day every day. Before, during, after work, school, sports, gym, whatever. Didn't matter. Loved chronic. Loved the smell, the taste, and overall loved being a part of social functions that included the nice people that i found musically inclined and who usually enjoyed a good time. I never got into any other drugs, never a drinker at all. MJ was my drug of choice, but I never considered it a drug. that's probably why i never saw anything wrong with it.
well, i tried quitting early in 2008 because i wanted to join the army. get some structure that i thought was missing. quit for 1.5 months, but never had any withdrawal symptoms. well, didn't go through with joining army, and went back to smoking. couldn't imagine myself staying off of it long enough to make it through the entire enlistment. saw myself being dishonorably discharged so passed on that.
well i quit on 12/19 because one night, i drank a bottle of wine and went over a buddies place, took 2 ginormous gravity rips in a row, burped up smoke for a few minutes, and then had what i guess is a huge anxiety/panic attack. thought i was gonna die. all that good stuff. never had any anxiety symptoms or anything. much like Brad whote earlier in 2008. the guy from the ivy league school. well, the next few days were miserable. anxiety all over the place. saw a dr because i didnt even know what anxiety symptoms were and she gave me clonazepam (klonopin). helped me get over the initial anxiety hump, but i didn't know all the other symptoms were from withdrawal. i thought it was all anxiety stuff. couldn't eat. couldn't sleep. lethargic. blood pressure through the roof. mind swimming in thoughts of death/dying/serious illness. couldn't shake that for about a week. then felt better. still felt weak. a week goes by, and im doing ok. better. the next week, feel slight anxiety here and there, taking a qtr tablet, sometimes just a sliver of a tablet to help the heart racing, etc... then my vivid dreams kick in. ohhh boy. those are definately a shock! still having them, but im not being chased, or searching for something as much. who knows what happens tonight, but getting better. so far, the symtpoms are continuing. im getting better, but the tinnitus is driving me nuts now. oh well.
just wanted to say, your blog, the peoples comments, and all the encouragements have done sooo much for me, i can only say thank you to you all.
never wouldv'e believe symptoms like this exist. i even worked at a psych hospital and looking back, one co-worker was telling me how her bf was suffering from MJ withdrawal. i laughed alil in disbelief because "I knew" that if it was real, i'd know about it. well, it's real. and now I know about it. wish granted.
like others say, talking to someone about your anxious feelings helped, alil exercise helps like taking walks outside, but your ken kesey line is what really keeps me together.
walk slow and drink lots of water.
Thanks!
oh man, was my comment the 666th? that can't be good!!
oh and i wanted to mention, i recently stopped taking the clonazepam about 3 days ago for natural remedies like L-Theanine, kava kava (which has definately helped relax me), B-12, and rhodeola rosea. I take vallerian root to help sleep too.
also i heard st johns wort is good too.
Thanks for sharing your story. Tinnitus can be associated short-term with increased anxiety and panic. Or any strong emotion. Or maybe just too much loud music!
I'm glad you were able to recognize the symptoms eventually, instead of deciding you were going crazy or dying of cancer or something. If this site helps people having trouble withdrawing from pot realize that they are not crazy or dying, it's done its job.
As for being post #666, I wouldn't lose too much sleep. Some Bible scholars now say the number of the Beast was probably mistranslated and is likely 616. Than means somebody up the comment line here is in deep trouble. ;-)
The biology behind this makes sense, I haven't been a chronic smoker for too long but i realized I might become one if i kept puffing each time my high came down. Something you guys might want to try that i am trying is Yoga and Meditation. I know it may sound lame, but after doing a 20 min session of stretches and Breathing practices, you can obtain that same state of mind that weed gives you. I've even read that practicing Yoga and learning about it more can take you into a deeper better state of mind than what weed can do.
Ok so today is day number 4 and I am still staying strong.
I woke up with the shakes...mostly internal, just feel like I am trembling.As I type however, my hands are almost trembling. My moods have smoothed out a little, either that or I am just managing to keep them under control. I have an appetite in the morning but not at night...go figure.
The best side effect of all though is finances. When I wanted to pick up a bag on the weekend I just went to the shops instead and got myself a great pair on 3/4 pants and a couple of tee's. Worked as a great distraction and haven't really got new stuff for a while, so I felt great. Hope the shakes don't last too long...wonder how I am going to hide it at work.
Good luck all....Im starting to feel a little pride in myself and that is the very best.
Haven't seen too many people listing mild tremors, but that is not an uncommon side effect for some other drugs. Could also be lack of food, lack of sleep...
Seriously addicted potheads can't tell you how much they spend per month on weed, because they don't want to know and rarely keep track. Always a nice way to treat yourself: spend the drug money on something else you want, a luxury you didn't have before.
im 20 years old and have been smoking 3-5 times a day for the past 4 years. im now on day 7 and my appetite is finally starting to return. ive been able to sleep better the past 2 nights (the first 4 i got a total of about 8 hours only) i still have diarea and have been depressed and restless but im sure it will pass with time. excercise and water have definatly helped me, as well as my fast metabolism. i only stopped to get a good job, but when i start again i will definatly only use it in moderation (probably twice a week). withdrawel from marijuana unfortunatly is all too real
Thank you very much to Mr. Hanson for this blog, it was and still is very helpful for me in those difficult times.
I am 34 and I smoked heavily for more than half of those 34 years (geez...) I am now in Day 10 without the "sweet leaf" and I also quit cigarettes in last september. When I was a chain smoker, I could not even imagine quiting both someday. Well, I somehow survived the first 10 days of a smokeless life and I figure that I probably can survive another 10 days.
On day 1, I googled "marijuana withdrawals" and this is how I found this site. It made me feel like I was not alone in this. Also, understanding the symptoms helped me to manage it. The sweats and the empty feeling are the main symptoms I am dealing with. My dreaming did not change significantly yet, although it's hard to fall asleep. I don't know if it's the thermoregulation things but I always get thirsty for a tall glass of water.
On day 1, I also decided that the best thing for me to do was to keep doing my stuff as usual. Luckily, I am a seasonal worker and this is my offseason so I do not have to cope with work -related stress. Also, I have a fantastic and supporting wife, she never smoked but she never pressured me to stop smoking. I quit by choice, which make it easier I guess.
I say I quit by choice but also over health problems. I woke up a morning unable to breath, I was panicking. For years, I have been coughing thick black phlegma and that morning I thought I reached the end of the roll. I feared I was getting asthma or emphysema or some other lung disease. I rushed to my doctor and he said I had a nasty lung inflammation and infection, likely caused by "my condition of heavy smoker". He prescribed me antibiotics and syrup used by asthmatics (bronchodilator)
Relieved that I was not having a disabling disease, I kept smoking weed for three days while using medications for my lungs. This is when I really got mad at myself. I thought that I was a pathetic junkie for doing this to myself while trying to heal my lungs.
I told myself that no matter how hard it would be, quiting was the right thing to do while I still have the chance, before I get sick for good. I flushed all my weed in the toilet and went on the balcony at 3am and threw my glass pipe the farther I could.
Now on Day 10, I do not cough black phlegma anymore and my breathing is way better. The sweats are cutting down slowly but the "blah" feeling is always there along with chronic fatigue. I try to keep busy, I know that sitting all day is a recipe to relapse.
My sex drive went down after quiting weed but strangely enough, when I do get sex, I am experiencing stronger orgasms than when I was smoking the green stuff.
Does long-term pot use weaken orgasms. I remember reading something about it longtime ago but I can't recall for sure. Do you know anything about this Mr. Hanson?
I'll keep posting my progress, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay strong everyone.
Patrick
Bear in mind that some people cannot smoke recreationally, just like some people cannot just have a glass of wine with dinner.
"I remember reading something about it longtime ago but I can't recall for sure. Do you know anything about this Mr. Hanson?"
Reports vary. One school of thought has it that orgasms are enhanced on marijuana. Others insist that heavy pot smokers often have difficulty achieving orgasm.
Hi, I have been smoking for 3 years now and I had no idea that there were such extensive withdrawl symptoms. I am now taking an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication and I stopped smoking about a week ago. I haven't had any notable withdrawl symptoms until today. I became extremely anxious and uncomfortable and had unbearable ravings. I quit before for about 6 months and I became extremely depressed and had a lot of anxiety. I started to smoke again and it helped. Does this mean that I have an imbalance? I have experienced night sweats and migraines often at the same time in the middle of the night. It wakes me up. I'm so confused... I don't know whether to be more concerned about an imbalance or withdrawl symptoms.
Thanks for listening,
Candace
Wish I could help with specifics, but I'm no doctor, and can only point out that there is a definite behavioral and chemical connection between the anxiety/depression axis and the addiction axis.
I am 50 and have smoked for 15 years. I had smoked earlier in life, quit for several years and did not seem to have any withdrawl. This time I have the sweats/vivid dreams, anxiety and loss of appatite/sore stomach. I am so glad I found this site, I thought mayby I had the flu but not quite. I have been freezing cold then 15 minutes later sweating, glad to no this is normal, will subside and the other symptoms feel like they are part of life. I have not read all comments but it looks like I maybe the oldest quitter @ 50, never too late.
Funny other side effect, I can't seem to finish 1 beer which I am not addicted to but like. Not sure if that is a good thing or bad.
Thanks Dirk, this helps give strength going forward.
You're welcome. We can all use a push going forward sometimes.
"it looks like I maybe the oldest quitter @ 50, never too late."
Nope, you're not the oldest. I have seen evidence of a number of 50-somethings on board here.
I notice that on one of your other blogs that you have hope for the young, I think you said because of Brain Plasticity. Do longer addicted/older users tend to have more severe withdrawls
Brain plasticity is in play for young and old alike. As for more severe withdrawals in older/longer smokers, I don't see much evidence that there's any reliable rule of thumb regarding age, at least judging by the comments here. A lot of younger smokers with less time under their belt seem to have a tough time as well.
Hey
Firstly let me congratulate you guys on a great debate and site in general.
I am a 30 year old guy and have smoked cigarettes since I was 16. Up until this past year my marijuana use was purely recreational, weekends, parties etc and maybe the odd spliff on my own as a treat now and again.
However, this year I have been smoking a lot more to the point where it's become a daily thing for me. I wake up, go about my day then get home and get stoned. I am in the process of quitting right now. It's only been 2 days so no real side effects noted yet but I'm bracing myself and hope I'll pull through :)
My real question however is this...I don't really want to quit smoking weed completely. I just want to go back to being a part time smoker, it was fun and for 5 out of 7 days I'd be sober with no problems.So what I want to know is this - If I reduce my smoking to just weekends when I do eventually kick the habit completely can I expect the same withdrawals? I only ask as in the past I was able to not smoke for a few weeks then spend a weekend getting stupidly high before taking another few weeks break with no problem. That's where I want to be right now.
I expect to suffer a little as I reduce my habit from 7 nights to 2 nights a week but surely once I'm adjusted to just smoking 2 nights a week it'll be easier to then skip the odd weekend here and there and should the need arise stop altogether?
Hope this makes sense :)
Yep, the question makes sense. But I'm afraid there is no single answer. Substitute "alcohol" for weed in your comment, and "drinker" for smoker, and you can see that for some people, a future of controlled pot use isn't in the cards. Part-time drinkers are all around us. Part-time alcoholics are a rare breed.
So the question of returning to controlled use varies from person to person. And it seems logical that the less often you smoke, the less severe your withdrawals. But I don't know if that always holds true or not. And besides, most of the people prone to pot withdrawal are the same people who smoke a LOT of pot.
Thanks for your reply Dirk.
I think I'm going to give it a shot and go back to being a weekend smoker again.
I was thinking back earlier and remembered that for the majority of my 20s my weed consumption was never a problem. I never had to think about it really, if I had a bag I'd smoke it but then go maybe 3-4 weeks without. No problems. I wouldn't even think about smoking unless it was an option.
I think what's made me wish to return to that is realising that these past few months I've been thinking about/worrying about where my next bag is coming from before I even finish the one I have. This never used to happen.
At the moment my plan is to go as long as possible without before allowing myself a one off treat. I figure that if 2 weeks without is too much for me but I can go 2 weeks if I have just the one smoke at the half way point then that's still some progress and I can take it from there.
A similar theory to diets that allow the dieter to have a treat every now and then.
I just want to return to the days where I could have a bag in my drawer yet say to myself 'I don't want to smoke tonight' as opposed to the current situation which is if I have it I smoke it.
I'm lucky in that my habit has not encroached on my life at all up to now and if anything I am looking to stop myself now before it becomes a problem.
I guess my whole logic is based on the fact I know for sure that at any point in my 20s had I been forced to never smoke again for whatever reason it would not have been a problem just a bit of a bummer.
I'm aware I am perhaps talking in circles and writing this I'm quite aware I'm also trying to convince myself as much as you! lol
Put simply - My everyday use has to stop and I'm prepared to go through any distress there is in order to get the 'old me' back - the guy who could take it or leave it.
I take your point re alcohol but I hope I'm not quite at the addict stage just yet.
To further the alcohol analogy. I'm like a social drinker who's recently had a bit of a Lennon esque 'lost weekend' and whilst I'm struggling to come to terms with having to curtail my intake I'm still hopeful I can return from a brief detox and continue to smoke but only socially.
I mean, it was possible once so why not again?
I'll keep you guys posted, if nothing else I suspect it will help knowing I can sound off on here with like minded people :)
Touch wood, I'll manage to cut back to how things were and look back upon this past year as a weird time that was fun while it lasted but had to end :)
Looking forward to hearing how it goes. You have one big advantage on your side--knowledge. Forewarned is forearmed, as we like to say.
That's true. Being a bit of a pessimist I'm prepared for absolute hell so I'm sure no matter how bad it gets it'll never be as bad as I've imagined it to be!
One thing I've picked up on reading other peoples posts is that it seems to be a very unique and personal thing to go through and only I can really guide myself through this by doing what I feel is best for myself.
My plan now is to get through weekend and next week without smoking and see how it goes.
Take each day as it comes, I'm now 2 days without it which whilst not being an amazing feat is in truth still great as it's the first time in a year that I've gone without at all.
Thanks for your responses, they're helping me focus :)
i am 60 years old, and have been a heavy pot smoker for 40 years.. i am currently in day five of trying to quit again as i have many times over theyears.. LISTEN TO ME: getting off pot is absolutely the most important thing in my life right now, and i am having withdrawal symptoms similar to the ones described here.. last year i had a fusion of neck vertebrae in level C3-4, and i got some oxycodone for the chronic pain..i only use one or two a day but it seems to help.. i am going to be very careful that i don't replace pot addition with another one.. there is no one in my life, except my friend stan, that i can confide in with this.. my boys are age 40, 20 and 16.. i just can't let them know that their father is an addict.. but they probably already know since the smell comes in the house after i have been out in the garage toking up..this page/blog is an absolute LIFE SAVER to me, finding that there are so many others who are similarly plagued.. i feel that i have literally thrown away much of my life, even though i am successful as a voiceover artist, and work from my own home.. sometimes i think that being alone in my studio each day is really detrimental as i only have my Pot Buddy to keep me company when the work isn't coming in.. when i am busy, it makes all the difference in the world..i am so excited to get 30 days under my belt, and to find out WHO I REALLY AM for the first time in my life.. my deepest gratitude to everyone who is posting here, as i have found some common ground that will give me muc strength in the days/weeks ahead.. peace and love to you all..
The shock of recognition: Hey, I'm not the only one. Plus, may I point out that yesterday a 50-year old guy posted, wondering if he was the oldest person to leave a comment here. I said to him, hah. I think not. ;-)
5 days is nothing to sneeze your nose at, as Father Guido Sarducci used to say. Congrats.
Well, it's now 3 days with no weed. Not really feeling bad physically although mentally I am missing the option of being able to smoke.
I think the real struggle, mentally, is that you convince yourself that nothing is as pleasurable sober. This is a bummer but it's not a huge issue really.
Anyway. 3 days and counting :)
hi folks.. i am completing my seventh day after smoking spleef all day, everyday, for 40 years.. when i started as a teenager, i enjoyed the smell, taste and ritual of rolling up a nice fat doob.. back then it was 15-dollars an ounce, now it's 100-bux a quarter.. what's up with that? it was a secret obsessionm that i hid from three wives and three sons.. i was always a staunch proponent of ganj, and always argued it's relative safety.. even now my lungs are clear and my health is good, but judging from the many hundreds of posts i have read on this wonderful blog, i think i'm the exception rather than the rule.. i did go through a stage where i was quite paranoid, and was afraid to go out anywhere or be present at any social functions, as i was certain that my stoner eyes were evident to all.. but i have not felt these feelings since the eighties..i have never had any trouble driving, operating machinery, or any of that.. everyday after every/any event, i looked forward to reaching under the easy chair for my rolling pan.. it was a very special occasion and i wouldn't give it up for anything.. finding weed was never a problem, as all of my friends and associates that i spent any time with were also smokers.. i realize now that i excluded alot of people from my life over these forty years.. and i ended up rejecting anyone who did not share my views..i have basically led a total LIE with my wife of 21 years and my wonderful sons, never able to let them in on my secret obsession.. well, to make this incredibly long missive a bit shorter,and more to the point, let me say this..after the first day of withdrawal i felt nothing out of the ordinary.. i kept my stash and my hitter, because other times, when trying to quit, i threw them out so i would not be tempted.. but this time, i wanted them close by for at least thirty days, so i could show myself that i really mean business.. second day, grouchy. crabby.trouble sleeping due to very real and involved dreams that would wake me up.. thankfully, i have not had the "sweaty palm/body" syndrome that many have
blogged about.. third day, complete physical/mental/emotional misery began to set in.. fourth day, more vivid and involved dreaming (not nightmares, thankfully, although i have experienced them in other attempts of quitting.. fifth day after a fitful sleepless night, i sat straight up and decided to "bing" marijuana withdrawal, and that's when i found this marvelous sight that dirk has provided.. straightaway,i read each and every post, getting stronger with each withdrawal description.. sixth day, i went to amazon.com and ordered the books that were suggested, and they will arrive tomorrow (monday)..these will give me even more strength i have no doubt.. today, my seventh day, i feel pain in my lungs, and find myself forcing larger amounts of air intake to ease the discomfort.. and rather than hiding and keeping my distance from my loved ones, i find i am welcoming their presence.. i brush my teeth more than ever.. my wife, bless her heart, continues to serve up "three squares" for meals, even though my appetite has become suppressed..when i am successfully beyond thirty days, i feel like i want to "come clean" to her, and tell her the truth about my secretive past..maybe not, we'll see.. but for now, i just want my family to see the difference in my appearance, my attitude, my attentiveness to their needs, et cetera..people,let me say it is never too late to get off this mad mj merry-go-round..my thoughts are with you all, and i thank you from the bottom of my heart for the contributions you are making in this effort..as many have said, stay strong, don't "give up the ship", think of how selfish and self-centered pot can make you become, and reject it with every fiber of your being.. i will be back here to post my progress as the days/weeks/months wear on.. thank you all!
hey, yeah, "old man from the mountain" again.. thot i was done blogging for today, but remembered a couple o' things i wanted to mention.. i quit smoking cigarettes 11/11/1981.. quitting on a day that you can remember and be proud of as you watch your success, i have found to be quite helpful..i quit pot on 1/11/10.. it is a date with just ones and oh's that i will also be able to recall easily as i count my progress.. and oh yeah, on advise from a blogger somewhere up the line, i retrieved a bottle of 3mg seratonin at the drug counter two days ago, and it works! it WILL HELP YOU SLEEP, especially if you're older.. one more thing, your thinking/reasoning can become distorted as you withdraw, but i have found as stop bombarding yourself with thc, your brain
receptors with become more normal,
you will feel less fatigued, and your whole being will shine with the light of a brand new day.. for now, peace-out..
Thanks for a great post.
What strikes me is the business of hiding one's dependence from friends and loved ones. Lots of people do that with drugs and alcohol of course, nobody likes admitting to addiction problems, but with pot there is the added fact that we were all told that it COULD NOT HAPPEN. Not with pot. That was just anti-weed propaganda. No addiction, no withdrawal, no detox. For anyone, ever. So when it happens, and you turn out to be one of those who suffer from cannabis withdrawal syndrome, it feels like a shameful thing until you can put it into a larger context--which is where sites like this one come in.
6 months today...
I finally reached day 180 today. I posted here 5 months ago when I had 30 days but thought I would write an update today.
The first 30 days are quite a ride with all of the withdrawal effects. I had smoked for 30 years and quitting marijuana has not been easy but my life has definitely been better.
My sleep has greatly improved since the first month of not smoking any pot. I still dream often, but not as vividly as the first couple of months. I believe that the dreams are a way of my brain rewiring itself and adjusting to not smoking. I also fall asleep much easier than I use to when I first stopped smoking.
There are many times during the day when I actually enjoy being smoke free. It's often a pleasure enjoying life without the need to plan my days around smoking some weed. Before I stopped, I got to the point where I got stoned during the day and three hours later I would get stoned again and three hours after that I would get high again. This was a pattern with me until I was so burnt out I crashed for the night. I don't miss those days.
I continue to exercise 6 days a week for 3 weeks and then take 1 week off. This has helped me feel & look better. Friends have also noticed that I look better, that my eyes are clearer, and my general health is better overall.
I've gone through a number of stressful events over the last 6 months including job loss and moving but I handled them well and didn't give in to smoking, which I'm proud of. That accomplishment lets me know I can handle life without the need to constantly get high.
I'm writing these thoughts to encourage myself and others that there really is a life outside of regular marijuana use.
I'm still looking forward to even brighter days ahead.
Brad
Im 20 years old and have been smoking 3-5 times a day for the past 4 years of my life. im currently on day 15 of quitting and im starting to feel normal again, im getting a full 8 hours of sleep without any medicine im eating 2 meals a day, compared to almost nothing a day for the first week. i still feel somewhat depressed but only late at night before i lay down i think because that was my most common time of smoking. i still am having bad diarrea. Also really crazy dreams but i love them and cant get enough of them even if they are bad i still think its cool to wake up and just be like holy shit that was crazy, but maybe thats just me. Anyway im writing this to let people know after the first 2 weeks it should become alot easier at least it did for me, water and excersice have helped me i think. also hanging out with friends and family that dont smoke and telling them whats going on really helped me, emotional support can work wonders.
Thanks for dropping in with an update. It's helpful to have someone lay it out like you have done, especially since the question is often asked: how long till I feel better?
Glad to have reports like yours, for folks who need to hear that things do change and simple things do help.
Hi all,
I was a heavy toker for 20 odd years, with maybe a couple of breaks in that time. Smoking an ounce a week, starting first thing in the morning then as soon as I got home from work.
I would even avoid going out to places, or make an excuse to rush home so I could have a spliff.
I lost my job, and my girlfriend recently, (reaons unrelated to smoking)and so it seemed like a good time to quit. I couldn't afford to keep on spending at that rate, and just felt that the weed wasn't helping me to sort my life out, which is something I REALLY need to do!
I've gone 3 weeks now, the first week wasn't too bad, but it has gotten worse since. I just have this awful feeling in my head, I've been smoking 30 cigs a day and it's like smoking air, I want another straight after. THe dreams are just awful, I wake up screaming or crying, and the feeling stays with me for hours.
I just woke up now from a nightmare that I had lost my girlfriend and my job, only to find that I this nightmare had already come true!
THis whole withdrawal seems really protracted, but I have to say that the worse it gets the more determined I am to continue. Yes, I am craving, but I don't WANT a joint, that was why I quit!
I want not to want a joint anymore and the only way to acheive that is to keep going. I really hope I'm near the end of this though, it's tough.
Is there anything that I can do to help take these feelings away, and I don't mean other druga?
I'll get some excercise today and see if that helps.
THis is clearly a much more widespread problem than people realise, so I just wanted to add my experience to all that is already here. Good luck to all you quitters - it's good to know that I am not alone!
i already just posted, but on reading some more of these posts I am starting to feel lucky!
I really feel for all of you who have been criminalised over this - that is just crazy! The law is an ass!!!
To the poor girl who clearly loves her boyfriend a lot, find someone more deserving. You sound like a lovely caring person, but no matter how much you love him your boyfriend (ex) will only quit when HE is ready, and if that means his life will have to fall apart first then so be it.
I had a girlfriend who made me promise to quit, and I said I would do 3 months. I did, it was hell to start with, and then as soon as 3 months was done I got straight back into it and didn't look back for another 4 years!
I don't know what finally makes yo decide that enough is enough, you just get to a point where you realise that it is somehow pointless to continue, and where yo can see how the weed has affected your life and that far from helping to deal with the problems in your life that weed is one of the causes.
Thanks to the guy for sharing how he smashed his sat nav, that gave me a real laugh, I'm still having the rages myself but so far nothing broken!
Dirk, your a good man, your advice is great, and I hope you can do something with these posts to help inform the moralistic politicians who try to criminalise people with problems!
Thanks again, reading all this has really helped me to put my own situation in perspective and I will let you know how I'm doing in a few weeks - hopefully another success story because enough really is enough and I never want to have to go through this again!
You are most certainly not alone, even though an informal conspiracy of silence still surrounds this problem in the culture. It is still shameful and embarrassing to admit a dependence on pot, just as an admission of alcoholism used to be a cultural death knell, a societal shunning.
------
"I've gone 3 weeks now, the first week wasn't too bad, but it has gotten worse since. I just have this awful feeling in my head, I've been smoking 30 cigs a day and it's like smoking air, I want another straight after. "
-------
The first few days weren't so bad because you still had high THC levels in the bloodstream. You were still mildly high, in effect. Then comes the hard work, and the light at the end of the tunnel. And if you are used to smoking cigs when you're high, they do at first taste like airballs when you're smoking sober.
"I had a girlfriend who made me promise to quit, and I said I would do 3 months. I did, it was hell to start with, and then as soon as 3 months was done I got straight back into it and didn't look back for another 4 years!"
-----
I know people who have run the above exercise with various drugs, then announced that it proved they were not addicted, then happily returned to their addictive behaviors, having shown to their own satisfaction that they can "quit whenever they want." They tend to leave out the part about how during the quit they were white-knuckled and miserable.
"far from helping to deal with the problems in your life that weed is one of the causes."
----
A crucial insight for many. When I was an active alcoholic, I used to say that my only "drug problem" came in the form of people getting between me and my booze.
Hello everyone. I'm a 22 year old male, daily smoker of high-grade marijuana for about a solid 5 years. I've known for years that I was a full blown pot addict (you don't have to be Einstein to figure out it's obviously addictive when you freak out and smoke resin when your dealer is out), and I've recently been running through bags like there's no tomorrow. I knew what I was getting into when and if I quit, but I just never bit the bullet and actually went through with it. Well, today is day 3 of cold turkey and I have basically every symptom. The biggest problem for me has been a very upset stomach/diarrhea and exacerbated depression (I'm fairly sure I've been clinically depressed for years). I'm glad I've found this site though, because although I knew marijuana withdrawals were very real, it seems somewhat comforting to see 1000's of other people in my shoes.
Good luck everyone. I'm not going to make a foregone conclusion and say I will never smoke again, but I will say that I will try my hardest to never let marijuana control me ever again. Thanks for reading. -Jordan
Well, at least you knew it was coming. But it does still help to find that you are having an experience in common with a lot of other folks.
greetings! today begins my 3rd week of abtinence..and i'm feeling better, stronge, more resolute with every passing day.. the first three days i aided my sleeptime with melatonin,the put it away.. i make sure i go for a brisk walk after the evening meal.. and i am reading the rational recovery paperbacks.. using a space heater while reading helps to warm up my extremities.. i am still dreaming, but they are exciting episodes and i actually look forward to them.. my eyes are clearer and with less "baggage".. i am able to think and converse more clearly and my friends and family can tell the difference in my even-tempered demeanor, and in many other ways i am sure.. how exciting this is after 40 years of substance abuse! i hope that sharing my successes will help to strengthen your own! thanks to all who post here, and i'll be back in a couple of weeks to chart my 30-day progress.
Wow never in my wildest imagination did i ever think i would experience withdrawls from smoking marijuana......im 26 and i have been smoking heavily since 15
Im on day 3 and i feel like death! I havent been able to eat for 2 days and Im getting these anger bouts that almost seem impossible to controll, not to mention anxity and the squirts jesus! ill drink a cup of water and it goes right through me! not really having too bad of a time sleeping but wow! thank you very much for this informative website!!!! got a long road ahead it looks like
"Dirk Hanson said...
Well, at least you knew it was coming. But it does still help to find that you are having an experience in common with a lot of other folks."
Indeed. Today was a much better day for what it's worth, maybe I'm going to make it out of this better than I originally assumed. Stay strong everyone. -Jordan
I have been a moderate smoker throughout high school. I am currently 27. I am not picky about my bud as long as I can get it. I smoke over a quarter every 2 weeks. I smoke in the morning, afternoon, evening, but usually I use a one hitter, so one or two hits is good for me. I really dont know if that is heavy or not. I have never tried to quit in the past, nor did I ever notice any withdrawl symptoms before. It has been 3 days since I last used pot. I thought I was having menopause, I am having random hotflashes, followed by chills. i have not slept at all in 2 days. I feel my strong heartbeat just below my ribs, above my navel. With every beat a rush of anxiety flushes my whole body. I have such a short fuse in these 3 days, I pitty those who must tolerate me. I never knew this could happen from marijuana. The stuff gives me energy and focus, without it I am a lifeless lump. I just ran out this time, but now more informed, I really want to avoid this. I have felt every symptom listed on this blog. BUT, I still want to use it, I need it. Is there anything simular. I dont think my symptoms are strong enough to keep me from using it in the future.
"I have felt every symptom listed on this blog. BUT, I still want to use it, I need it. Is there anything simular. I dont think my symptoms are strong enough to keep me from using it in the future."
This is a decision only you can make, of course. Addiction lies on a spectrum, isn't always black and white. Whether or not you can drop back into recreational, every-now-and-then smoking is something you'll have to find out.
WEED JOKE FOR THE DAY:
"It's not a drug--it's a flower."
--Ben Affleck, hitting a 9-foot graphite bong in "Extract."
This article is really great. I am currently a college student and have only been smoking for 2 years. During the school year I only smoke on the weekends, but every time I go on break I start smoking 3-5 times a day. I've noticed that every time I come back from long breaks (Summer and Winter) I experience some of these symptoms for 1-2 weeks. This always seemed crazy to me because I have talked to all my friends who smoke and none of them had experienced anything similar. I have not experienced any of the mental symptoms such as anxiety or depression, but the physical symptoms are awful. The worst part is the sweating. It seems like I'm always cold and shivering, and this makes it hard to concentrate because I'm so uncomfortable. One thing that I've done that may help some of you is taking a warm shower multiple times a day. This seems to keep the sweats away for at least a couple hours. The sleeplessness and vivid dreams are also problems, and I haven't really found a way to help with this. I also have no appetite, but since I know I need to eat, I've come up with a couple things that help me with that aspect. Since I have no desire to eat anything, I usually drink a smoothie in the morning and this helps a little bit to stimulate my appetite for the rest of the day. I like to carry around snacks like peanuts or granola bars to nibble on throughout the day, and this has helped me avoid drastic weight loss.
I hope these suggestions help. Also, if anyone else has found a way to deal with the withdrawal symptoms I'm sure we'd all love to hear them.
hello posters, i'm in my fourth week of abstinence after pretty much daily use for forty years.. i do not have sweating, my digestion is normal, i am sleeping, but with considerable dreaming.. the problem i am having right now is a cloudy feeling in my head and a heightened sense of anxiety.. would welcome hearing if there is something i can do to relieve this withdrawal symptom...and i appreciate any responses..
Congratulations on 4 weeks of abstinence after 40 years of daily smoking. Nice to know you are not suffering some of the common withdrawal symptoms, but there's just no escaping the most common one of all: anxiety, and the feeling that things are off-kilter in the brain. No magic fix for this one--just time and patience as your brain rewires itself for the new equilibrium. No two cases are exactly alike.
I am so grateful for this website. This is not my first time quitting but it is the first time I have had these symptoms. I can't eat ANYTHING! Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting has been so bad my girlfriends went and bought me a pregnancy test even though I had my tubes ties three years ago. I guess it is easier to believe that I could be pregnant than to believe I am actually suffering physical symptoms. And the dreams are crazy!
I cannot thank you enough for this site and all those that have contibuted and shared their stories, you have kept me sane in what initially felt like a psychotic episode.
I am in day 8 and extremely proud of myself as I have been a user for nearly 20yrs now.
I found your site two nights ago and had a catharsis the gates opened and the tears did not stop. I realised that yes I was an addict such a strong harsh word to use on oneself but the truth.
I have only given up previously when travelling overseas and didn't seem to find it hard because I was in a different environment that stimulated me.
Your site made me realsie i wasn't going crazy though my anger in the first few days was out of this world, i did crazy stuff like smashing up heaps of my partners belongings and my own, drinking way too much alcohol and a bit of self harm on my wrists...
I felt like i was in a void a vacuum and so toally alone, like everything was surreal, and i was just sitting here like a passer by watching it all.
I felt incredibly angry and immensely bored, and so tired and apathetic at the same time.
I had the hot sweats and such saddness and anxiety that i felt like running away.
Your site has so empowered me and also made me feel connected` to those who have also shared their stories.
Saying out loud and accepting that yes i am an addict of 20yrs and debriefing this with my husbane has been so healing, likewise keeping busy, exercising, green tea and rescue remedy.
weird though i am hungry now than ever before - i needed pot to give me an appitie before but now i seem able to eat anytime of the day.
I too find the early evenings the hardest - i become very unsettled and have started watching lots of tv...i guess as a distraction as most of the programs suck anyway.
Howver the mind is a funny thing i was thinking how to reward myself and initially thought 'i'll have a splif in the weekend'....yeah good one that was obviously the evil twin thinking..... no just counting the days of abstinence on my fingers makes me stoked!
Thanks Dirk and to all of you the tears are worth it.
love to all, as like someone else wrote...why are we all self medicating anyway?
love peace optimisim and lollipops to all xJodi
Thanks Jodi for your thoughts and your honesty.
"I am in day 8 and extremely proud of myself"
You should be.
"I have only given up previously when travelling overseas and didn't seem to find it hard because I was in a different environment that stimulated me."
Quite common, being able to float through a travel environment without weed, esp. if you don't know how to get any. Although once a guy I know returned early from a trip to Greece because he felt so out of sorts and depressed over there and thought he was deeply homesick. But I'm sure you can guess what he was REALLY missing.
"i did crazy stuff like smashing up heaps of my partners belongings and my own, drinking way too much alcohol and a bit of self harm on my wrists..."
I threw dishes at my brother, broke a TV, yelled constantly at my wife...
" felt incredibly angry and immensely bored"
A strange combination, but I know exactly what you mean.
"the mind is a funny thing i was thinking how to reward myself and initially thought 'i'll have a splif in the weekend'....yeah good one"
Reminds me of the classic AA Big Book story where a reformed alcoholic suddenly veered into a bar one day after years of sobriety, because the thought had come to him that if he just drank his alcohol mixed with milk, he'd be okay...
This is a great blog and seems to be offering help to a lot of people. Hats off to you Dirk!
I've dealt with severe irritable bowel syndrome for most of my life, and marijuana seemed to temporarily soothe the symptoms.
I also won't deny that I smoked for pleasure. If I were to put a ratio on it, my most truthful estimate would be that 60% of my motivation to smoke was pleasure-based, and 40% was to relieve the pain in my bowels that I experience every day.
I recently had to stop drinking alcohol, as it started making my digestive problems much worse. It was very strange--after many years of weekend drinking, I suddenly couldn't tolerate it anymore. I have an endoscopy scheudled to check out my guts, perhaps it's an acute condition, and someday I may be able to enjoy a few beers again. I hope so.
In the meanwhile, my marijuana use skyrocketed. Finally, I stopped, partly becasue I was tired of being high all the time (it lost it's 'special' feeling), and partly to see if an extended break would have any effect on my painful digestive condition. Perhaps marijuana was creating temporary relief but adding to my digesting problems in the long run.
So far (2 weeks in), there hasn't been much difference in my IBS, but I'm inclined to give it more time. If I do return, I will try to smoke only in moments of extreme IBS pain (smoking is the only thing that gives me immediate relief--I've tried many doctor-perscribed pills to no avail), or when I'm in social situations where everyone else is drinking and I'd like to be able to at least share in a buzz (say, Saturday nights while watching a live band). Right now, my diet consists of pretty bland food, so I don't have many guilty pleasures.
Anyway, I realize I'm not offering much to those who are trying to kick significant weed habits, but I have experienced many of the withdrawal symptoms noted (thankfully, not to the extreme). Somehow, just writing this has made me feel better. Thanks.
Thanks for the comments. Is pot known to be medically useful for IBS? Wasn't aware of that.
Hello posters, today marks 30 days of pot abstinence for me, and after today, i will no longer be counting. This has been my goal, my dream, to be free of weed "for good". To stop using is among the very best decisions i have ever made, and i have no regrets whatsoever. This blog has been a lifeline in this effort, as have the paperbacks about rational recovery, and my family. I get up at six every morning with much anticipation about what the new day will bring. And in closing, let me say how thankful i am for all who have posted their own experiences. Be strong, never give up.
i am in my 4th day of going cold turkey, i have smoked a ton of marijuana almost every single day of the last 27 years (i am 41 years old). the only interruptions were when i was travelling abroad and couldn't get access to any weed or hash.
i used to always mix with tobacco and also smoked cigarettes. i have decided a week ago that i finally want a clear head and i know from experience that cutting down gradually doesn't work for me. so i have gone cold turkey all the way - no MJ, no cigarettes, no alcohol (i drank plenty of beer) and no coffee (drank plenty of that too).
the first 2 days were really hard, that empty feeling, heavy anxiety attacks, some rages, negative thoughts and emotions, etc. i was sweating like crazy during the last 3 nights and i couldn't sleep at all, i only managed to get a couple of hours of very nervous sleep in the morning. yesterday was a bit better, more positive emotions and thoughts and the craving was a little less, but still very strong.
i have a really strong motivation for doing this, i couldn't stand myself as a non-stop stoner anymore and it impacted my life in many negative ways. i am convinced that i'll make it this time (had a few previous attempts that failed immediately), i have never been that determined before. for me this is the first step towards a quantum leap in my personal development.
thanks a lot dirk, this is an awesome site you have created! it has helped a lot me to read others' experiences on this site and i'll post again in a few weeks about my progress. i am wondering for how long i will experience these heavy withdrawal symptoms...
Thanks a million for returning and posting about your progress. It means a lot to people who are struggling to know that there IS light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for the kind words, and please do come back and report your progress. As for "how long," you have set yourself a pretty stiff objective, cold turkey on several addictive drugs at once, so, you know, brace yourself for a Nantucket Sleigh Ride for 30 days, would be my guess.
"i am convinced that i'll make it this time (had a few previous attempts that failed immediately)"
PS--The first time I quit smoking pot, I lasted about 14 hours.
Hi,I've been smoking about a quarter everyday for the past ten years depending on free time and wanted to know other peoples experience if it takes some people days, weeks, months for appetite to return back to normal because I'm two weeks in and food still tastes bad and forcing protein shakes to keep up with daily calories. Also lifting and keeping busy. I can tell I'm hungry and stomach empty but can't put anything down. Pizza, steak, anything that used to taste awesome tastes bad.. Hope appetite comes back soon. I went through the other symptoms, just insomnia and appetite left to deal with I hope. Hopefully to make it through with everyone trying to quit.I've read almost every post and some state food tastes like cardboard for a while but wanted to know if others are experiencing this appetite issue I'm going through. This site helped me get through the tough times. Thanks a lot Dirk awesome job!
WOW!!! I Could have written almost every one of these entry's. Apart from that critical douche bag who thinks I might be mentally unstable. I suppose we all need our opinions. To me it makes perfect sense. I believe I have a bit of an addiction. Thank you for being so enlightening and forthcoming. Wish me luck... please. I'm gonna need it.
First, I would like to thank you for posting this article it helped me very much. I have been a routine canabis smoker for the last 6 years. (everyday, since I was 20). I stopped smoking canabis AND cigarettes both cold turkey last week. Cigs aside, I am sweating alot more than usual, cussing alot more than usual, and have had a helping of flu as well. I am still getting enough sleep, but the sleep schedule and quality is all mixed up. One thing I have noticed is that the last 6 years on pot went by like it was 6 months. Just wanted to post and help.
Hi all,
I posted on Jan 22nd, three weeks into stopping smoking weed, and I was having a pretty hard time at that moment.
It's now three weeks later, and I had to check that on the calendar because I have stopped counting the days for some time now.
That was pretty much the low point for me, and all through the following week. What I think makes it so scarey is that is a leap into the unknown - how much worse will this get, how much longer must I feel this way?
Well from the end of week four up to now things have got better a little each day. I can't say for sure, but I think there have been days when I haven't thought about rolling a joint at all.
I am still having the dreams, but the intensity has faded somewhat, they aren't anywhere near as terrifying as they were.
I feel pretty "normal" most of the time, just as I did when I was smoking. The wierd feeling in my head has pretty much faded away, and life goes on very much as it used to, except without the spliff.
I am brighter, I am more in control, strangely, I am calmer and MORE relaxed than ever I was whilst smoking. I have more energy, I am not constantly thinking of rushing home to roll one up, I can do what I want, when I want, without ever worrying about my next smoke.
What's more, I have a great sense of empowerment, I have taken back my life and I know now that I can do whatever I put my mind to doing, even though it may seem impossible at the time.
Life is pretty good at the moment, and if you are where I was then, I would like to tell you to be brave and embrace the unknown, to embrace your fear.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", Lao-tzu said, and that is how it is when quitting the weed. Take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, and you will get there.
I can promise you that it will be worth it, I can promise you that you will get there if you just can stay the course. The feelings you have will fade and pass to be replaced by something much more wonderful than being stoned, where you just stare into space as life passes you by.
I have just calculated that over the course of the last six weeks I have saved somewhere in the region of £1,000.
Thank you Dirk for this site, thank you all of you who posted before me from the bottom of my heart. I found this site at my low point, a google search driven by desperation. I don't think I expected to find any answers or any real help, but just knowing that what was happening to me was normal, and that all these other people experienced the same things really did give me the strength to carry on.
I hope that this post can help do the same for others. Good luck to all of you, and thank you once more.
Oh, one more tip before I go, having read some of the newer posts above, take it easy on the stimulants - like coffee. One day shortly after my last post I treated myself to a double cappucino and thought my head was going to explode. My imagination went wild in a horrible way - visualising all sorts of very bad things.
I guess it's different for everyone, but for me it was downhill for three weeks, a plateau for a week, and then steadily and faster back up from then on. My appetite is normal now, I sleep almost a full night - whatever symptoms I still have are really easy to manage. Stay calm, relax, it will be ok.
I've smoked weed for 2 years solid. that means every day for 2 years. Not joints or blunts, mostly it is one bowl before bed or during the day a few bowls here and there. I stopped the other day, due to the fact that I would like to see what changes I see without weed, even though I hold strong in the belief that Weed does not make you dumber, or less motivated blah blah blah. anyway, I stopped the other day, Friday, and have been miserable ever since. I can't sleep, I am sweating through my clothes one second and freezing cold as soon as I take off my sweat shirt. I can't eat more than a little without having to throw up. Not to mention the emotional feeling of absolute misery while I lie in bed trying to sleep. weed does have withdrawal symptoms, and they suck. This makes me never ever ever want to get addicted to Heroin or any other drug, I could not handle the detox.
I'm a 20 year old with heavy marijuana use since September 2009. I've always been a marijuana user to some extent, I had my first hit in July 2007 - going into freshman year of college. I smoked pretty regularly (once or twice a week) from August 2007 till end of October 2007. I quit in November, no issues as I was still a fairly new user and all. I started up again in December 2007 and did it a bit more than usual, but later corrected my over-use and REALLY cut down to like twice a month. I had periods of use, followed by periods of non-use. I remember smoking about 3 days total between June 2008 and August 2008. I started off my second year of college by celebrating with some mary jane! From August 2008 till January 2009, my marijuana use was not bad at all. It was normal, maybe once a month. Sometimes I would go without it for a month & a half no problem. January 2009-late May 2009, I smoked marijuana about once a week. Sometimes two or three times. I just stopped and thought nothing of it from June 2009 till very late August 2009.
I am in my junior year of college, living with a bunch of stoners who have been smoking daily for an extended period of time. I have known for a LONG TIME that I like marijuana alot - ever since my first use, but I never actively seek it. Now it sits in front of me everyday. I picked up this horrible habit of smoking almost everyday since September 2009 till now (February 2010). I had periods where I would stop a couple days here and there, even if it was available. It was not a big deal - and I didn't think that marijuana was all that bad. In November 2009, I started experiencing certain obsessive behaviors that were VERY annoying yet I still did them. They have gone away now even though I still used, but it really opened my eyes. I spent ALOT of time studying withdrawls and trying to understand marijuana from November 2009 till now. Of course, this scared the living shit out of me as a hypochondriac (not in the true sense). Even finding this site has scared me - I don't think im in the the 10% that experiences actual withdrawl from marijuana, but my hypochondriac side always screws me over lol.
As a continuation of the above post as it had a character limit -
My habit has never affected other parts of my life, well aside from my wallet (but money is not a big concern from me). I've only become more and more successful as time has passed - and have only experienced even more success in the past 5 months. I do incredibly well in university (3.7+ GPA) and own a multi-million dollar business as well. So, this really isn't affecting me in that sense. BUT I have come to the realization that abuse of any drug goes against my beliefs completely. I would still like to use marijuana as I have in the past - once or twice a month. I don't find it harmful with minimal use, but I think that extended use is definitely going to screw with the reward system in your brain.
I have not smoked since Thursday (before Thursday, I had no smoked since Sunday) - and am feeling generally okay. I have felt a bit of lethargy, but I am also on a 500-calorie daily deficit on the moment which could be the cause of that (I am a huge fan of the gym and have been consistently running/working out for 4.5 years now). I worked out today a few hours ago, and started to feel a bit weird. I imagine this is the THC releasing into my system during the fat burning process. I've had this same feeling even when I was a very casual smoker on the days after smoking. My appetite is perfectly fine, albeit SLIGHTLY decreased but has pretty much returned to normal today. I have had increased general anxiety to some extent in the past few days, but I have always been a somewhat-anxious/excited person.
What is your take, have I damaged myself with the past few months of extended use? If I am able to manage, is it okay to use once or twice a month? Would you recommend quitting cold turkey for a period of time? Also, since I still live with stoners and I can't change that till August 2010 - I will still be around marijuana smoke at times. I have the will to quit - so i'm not worried about being surrounded by stoners. My concern primarily in regards to this - is it possible to get high from second hand smoke in a room?
You're extremely unlikely to have suffered any kind of permanent damage. Whether you can throttle back to occasional smoking only you can determine. As for second-hand smoke, probably unlikely that you would be exposed to enough to make much of a difference. Open a window.
Hey Dirk,
Thanks for your response - I appreciate it. I am going to quit cold turkey for at least a month, enough time to completely get the THC out of my system. Then decide from there whether or not I can make smoking marijuana a very rare activity.
I realize that smoking marijuana was my way of escaping from some issues that i've recently faced in life - which I will now be facing head on. Wish me luck!
And good luck to everyone out there trying to quit. I have a couple of friends that are struggling to quit - hopefully I can have them quit with me. I never believed marijuana was addicting till I became addicted myself. I always figured mental addictions were easy to overcome. It's very real compared to what everyone says and believes. Anti-drug and pro-green propaganda are both wrong, quite frankly.
BTW - do you know where I could find some definitive science on marijuana? I usually have to search the internet quite a bit to find unbiased studies. I would like to learn more about marijuana and it's effects on users.
"Anti-drug and pro-green propaganda are both wrong, quite frankly. "
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Sad but true. The anti-drug people won't admit that pot is relatively benign, certainly a better choice in many ways than alcohol. On the other hand, the pro-green legalization forces(and I support legalization)act as if marijuana was the only drug on the planet WITH NO NEGATIVE EFFECTS WHATSOEVER. FOR ANYBODY. EVER. That's a pretty dumb stance to take.
Here's a bibliography of marijuana source material for you:
http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2008/04/marijuana-withdrawal-syndrome.html
Hey Dirk,
Thanks for that. I will take a look.
I am on day 4 of quitting - I don't have any urges really so that is not my concern. In fact, lol I have no urges period as i'm just a bit scared of doing it again for now. I am slightly concerned that I might take a hit if I had some alcohol (I would be in a position where I might justify marijuana use if I were drinking). So, I am also going to abstain from alcohol completely and flush my system out of all toxins.
Day 1 experience: I felt almost completely normal. Sleep was fine.
Day 2 experience: Increased trembling of the hands in the morning. People actually noticed, as well as my parents. I naturally tremble since I was a kid, but have noticed an increase since quitting. I also felt butterflies in my stomach, lol. Sleep was fine.
Day 3 experience: My trembling is still above what it normally is. The butterflies didn't really exist on Day 3 - some increased aggression. Also felt a bit uncertain about aspects of my life that I am certain about otherwise. Sleep was kinda eh - I woke up multiple times throughout the night. This happens to me at times, though.
Day 4 experience: I woke up feeling the butterflies again and continue to experience it. I think eating breakfast shortly will subside it for the most part. I still feel some uncertainty. I showered right away and felt much better. I have to study insane amounts of material today - so i'm hoping I can stay focused. I feel a bit negative - so i'm hoping that doesn't get in the way.
I would like to state that my body tends to react differently to everything I intake. Generally, I get way way way more stoned than anyone. I mean like - I get thrown into a different world at times. I also feel weird (fogginess of the brain) the morning after marijuana. When it comes to alcohol, even as a somewhat moderate user (I generally drink once a week) who should build up a tolerance - my tolerance stays extremely low. I can pretty much be buzzing after 1 beer. It will be interesting to see how my withdrawl symptoms pan out. I have a class presentation for 12 minuets next Tuesday. I am generally already afraid of public speaking - so i'm hoping that it won't exacerbate the anxiety I feel from speaking.
just wanted to post an update. it's been nearly 2 months. i quit on 12/18 after i got a panic attack from taking two huge gravity rips.
initially, i felt terrible. i had also lost 3 good friends i've known for over 15 years, so my anxiety and worrying might have been more than usual. also, not sure if it was related or not, but i had three bouts of depression lasting no more than 30-45 min each. it was something i never experienced. i always thought depression was being sad, but it's worse than that.
i now feel much better. i still don't feel 100% normal, but after smoking for over a decade, it's hard to know how "normal" i should feel. sad to say, i found out that my mother was secretly worried about my smoking habits so much she was thinking of how to check me into rehab for pot. she's happy to hear im 2 months quit. it def has an effect on not just you.
well im feeling much better than before. ALOT of the "symptoms" have passed. my dreaming can still be very vivid, but sometimes not at all. i still have tinnitus, so some of the anxiety or ill feelings might be related to that, but overall, stay strong everyone! the symptoms pass. i feel good just because i fought through it and still smoke free. all the words and comments here have been crucial. i've thought about smoking just because or to help with the symptoms, but i didnt. i held out and feel good about that. you guys can all do it. stay strong. except for extreme medical conditions, you dont need it. you really dont.
oh and i wanted to add, that i bought a bunch of mj drug test kits online to see if there was any correlation to persistence of symptoms and presence of the drug in my system. i am 250lbs, over 6', and around 19-20% bf. i was testing positive up until my last test, which was 2 weeks ago. i'll take another test in 4 days, but for anyone saying mj passes through your system in 30 days, my metabolism and situation has proven it's still in my system almost 60 days after my last toke.
ill feel like i succeeded once i test negative! that's my pay off.
Hey George, thanks for checking back in. Glad to hear about your progress. You also note that "it's still in my system almost 60 days after my last toke." Something to bear mind for people who are in a random drug testing situation at their place of employment.
Did anyone ever suggest a cause for the vivid dreams? People remember their dreams mostly easily when they wake while the dream is occurring. If you sleep soundly through the whole dreaming process, you generally won't remember the dream. Hence, the vivid dreams may simply be a symptom of shallow sleep (which itself is caused by the overall stress and discomfort of withdrawal). Also, if all your dreams are being interrupted (not being completed), then you aren't getting a proper night's sleep (hence you may still be tired in the morning despite getting plenty of sleep).
Shallow, interrupted sleep patterns would definitely help account for frequency of dreaming, or at least frequency of dream recall. Now, does it also account for the vivid, striking intensity of the dreams that so many people report? I dunno.
I've been off weed for 35 days. I still do have anxiety and depression, but its not as intense as the first week. For all people that are just quitting, it does get better. For the first week, I thought I was gunna end up in a mental house. It was brutal. I stuck with not smoking though and being sober and things are slowly getting better. However, sometimes it feels like I'm never gunna feel like my old self again, and my minds never gunna function like it did before. But, I know that's not the truth thanks to this website and I'll keep you posted on what happens a couple weeks from now.
"sometimes it feels like I'm never gunna feel like my old self again, and my minds never gunna function like it did before. But, I know that's not the truth"
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You're right, it's not the truth, but there is an early stage of abstinence from any addictive drug when often the message you are getting from your brain is: You will always feel this shitty. Forever.
Hi Guys - I"m another one of the old stoners here, been toking for 30 years give or take a few years . Grew it , sold it , even gave it away , pots been a part of my life as long as I can remember .
But then as I got closer to the big 5-0 it just lost its appeal more & more . Plus I had gotten rid of all my other vices ( alcohol , cigs , etc.) I just wanted to be totally clean , not half way anymore .
Well , 42 days later I'm still not out of the woods , still have occasional insomnia & weird dreams , brain fog & fatigue & a short temper sometimes .
But the good news is most of the time I feel better than I have for years . If someone tells you pot has no withdrawl symptoms then they didn"t smoke long enough , all the oldsters I"ve talked to have said i"m right inline with their quit. Same stuff , just a little different order .
Anyway thanx bigtime Dirk for providing a place to talk about our quit , and our struggles to stay clean . I will give an update next month ....Dunecat in Oregon
"all the oldsters I"ve talked to have said i"m right inline with their quit. Same stuff , just a little different order."
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Yeah, I'm pretty certain there are a fair number of long-term smokers out there who know exactly what this is all about, but have specialized in keeping it under the rug, so to speak.
50 is a good time to get off the horse. That's when I finally quit cigarettes, for example. There was something profoundly unappealing about being a 50 year old Camel smoker.
I am 48 and live in Australia, I have smoked pot since I was 15, in the early days was constant as it was cheap, from about 19 I lived on a farm so we grew our own and have done ever since, I can probably remember 4 days in 30+ years I didn't have a joint or a pipe but many times have run out and have driven 100 Miles to get some, the stress of knowing you are out of pot is probably the hardest. The last 5 years or so I have a cone or 2 after work whilst enjoying a beer and find it relaxing after a hard day at the office, I have decided to give up for no reason really, maybe I am getting closer to 50, I have now gone 3 days still have an ounce or so in the freezer and am fighting the urge to use it, I am not bad tempered but find myself thinking about pot constantly which in the past has never happened, normally just get home do what I have to and open a beer and light a cone, I do have insomnia and have only slept about six hours in 3 days but don't feel over tired beleive it or not, i think this will change though. I think if I had no pot at home I would by now be looking for some, the fact my brain knows it is there and I choose not to smoke it helps, but it has only been 3 days, if what I feel now is the worst I think I will be over it in a week or so, is this the case or am I just dreaming? as mentioned I have no reason to give up and if I get worse I may just have a cone but hope I don't, I am a cigarette smoker also but have failed many times in giving them up, I don't think pot withdrawal is as bad only a different feeling, I still had insomnia when giving up the cigs but I also had a bad temper (controllable), I think others would find it easier if you just weaned off it over time, pick a target for when you want to quit even if a couple of years down the track and work to that goal, don't make it something that controls your life though you should be able to do it without overly thinking about it, a good joint should keep you going most of the night but yet if joints are being passed around every 10 minutes we still toke on them, I found it quite easy to bypass the joints going around if I was stoned already, not much peer pressure down this way.
In my opinion if you are giving up because you worry about the money it's costing you then you will be constantly stressed about not having it, instead stop and put the money away that you would have spent on pot for a couple of months, don't count until your over pot, then see how much you have saved, go buy yourself a treat with what you saved (not a bag of heads :-))hopefully I will check back in a few weeks and let you know how I got on, I read a few random stories in this blog but have yet seen anyone get back and say how long the withdrawal had lasted
Cheers
West Aussie
Nice to hear from you.
Some people have returned to post, and all I can say is that the average length of withdrawal averages somewhere between a week and 6 months, with 3 or 4 weeks being common for the worst of it, and some lingering effects often lasting a few months.
Thanks Dirk, I didn't have time to read all the posts but I can say I am into day 4 and the end of day 3 was hard when I had a beer but I feel a lot better today than yesterday hopefully by the end of this weekend I will stop thinking about it, I think a lot is in the mind, if you convince yourself it is going to be hard then it will be, for me I think it is a habitual thing to have a cone after work with a beer, much like having the morning coffee, the body certainly feels like it is missing something just like if you didn't have the morning coffee, I haven't experienced a lot of the symptoms that others have, the main ones are loss of appetite and insomnia although I had a reasonable sleep last night, I think it is possibly easier for me as for a few years I have been a light user so as mentioned in last post people finding hard and are heavy users should maybe gradually cut down before stopping, I think people will find it a lot easier also if it is a personal decision to quit and not a forced one like money for example, this is an excellent site and hope it keeps going as I found it very interesting, people shouldn't be scared of what people have written about side effects, they are real but if you think about the side effects you will probably feel them more, day 3 in my experience will be the hardest but willpower will pull you through, again it is only day 4 for me and by no means do I think I have made it and will check back in a week or so and let you know how things progress
Cheers for now
Paul (West Aussie)
..what's better than 30 days? 60 days (of abstinence)this thursday! ..and another good sign..i actually partied with pot smokers saturday, respectfully declined my "turn", and no problem-o! it did smell good, though, but so does a good cigar..
"it did smell good, though, but so does a good cigar.."
That's right. And you know what's so wonderful about a cigar for an addict, of course--thinking about the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that...
Congrats on your 60 days. Do you feel like you have settled back into your body fulltime now?
.. i truly do, dirk.. nicely put.. body AND mind, i might add..everything is as it should be.. it's been a wild, unpredictable ride on a roller-coaster of oblivion.. it's good to be home..
Hello and thank-you so much Dirk and every-one else who has put energy into this blog. It is such an inspiration and a relief to know that I am not alone in my battle with the deceptivly addictive plant.
My history with pot is as follows:
I began smoking heavily when I was 15 when I was given a paper lunch bag full of weed for my birthday from a friend. My boyfriend and I smoked everyday, as much as possible. Since then over the last 10 years I have always managed to find weed in most situations. I've been an on and off user and this summer I began to smoke heavily with my group of friends. In the last year I have begun to notice some very negative effects that happen to me when I DO smoke.....I first experiance a sense of nostalga and peace which is quickly replaced by an exptreme feeling of anxiety, fear and most recently social interaction problems.
I've been smoking everyday for the last few months, I'm living at home with my parents and my dad is a pot smoker, and have become a total recluse and find it impossible to want to see my friends or go into town, I dread social interaction and I am wondering if this is in part to the weed?
Another strange thing I am experianceing is what I refer to as "crying attacks." I just get totally anxious and begin to cry, sometimes for hours.
This site has really given me the courage to quit, and I feel ready to break free of my addiction.
Thanks again to everyone who posts!
I must be one of the lucky ones. I've never been a pot smoker, but have been experimenting with it over the last couple of years, since about age 41. For unrelated reasons I've become severely depressed, and have been staying high every waking moment for the last couple of months. My therapist suggested that I try laying off, and I'm lucky in that I don't crave it.
Still, I am getting some of the other withdrawal symptoms, especially feeling like crap as though I have the flu. Also sleeping is very difficult even though I feel really sleepy all the time. My ears ring, there is a bad taste in my mouth and a lump in my throat, and perhaps strangest of all, my top lip feels cold and tingly, almost as though I had put Vicks menthol ointment on it.
Even these relatively mild symptoms are a drag. It makes me really sorry for all you guys who still crave it and/or have severe symptoms, especially anxiety and depression.
I'm a medical patient and have been smoking for well over 2 years. I went on vacations Feb. 23rd through Mar. 2nd and couldn't bring my medicine with me. When I got back, I decided to switch jobs and thought that I should refrain from smoking in case of a drug test. I haven't had any medicine in almost 3 weeks.
My vaca was great, but towards the end I started feeling this general crappy feeling - I figured I was just homesick. Then I got back and was in my usual routine and thought I was getting sick because I just felt so run down and bleh feeling. Then the night sweats started and the horrible nightmares.
I was getting pretty freaked out. I didn't know what was wrong with me! I'm usually a very chipper, upbeat person. I'm pretty social and love to paint and write. I haven't had the inspiration to do anything but sulk the last two weeks and I couldn't figure out why.
Towards the end of the 2nd week, I was starting to feel irritable and hostile (like PMS, but way worse) and my anxiety was through the roof. I was getting hot flashes and everything. My appetite has never been the best anyways, but it was completely gone.
So, here I am, 3 weeks later, still feeling that weird depressive hopelessness. I finally talk to a good friend of mine about how shitty I'm feeling and wtf is wrong with me. He asks if I recently quit smoking cigarettes. I told him, "No, I quit last septem...ooo...uh oh. Yeah, actually, I haven't had any of my medicine since before I went on vacation." He said, "Yup, there ya go.". I decided to do some research and then came upon this website. Now I don't feel like I'm crazy anymore. :) I'll get through this and be just fine. Thank SO SO MUCH!!!
"Now I don't feel like I'm crazy anymore. :) I'll get through this and be just fine."
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So many people have reported the same experience. They did not connect the symptoms with going cold turkey on cannabis.
I have been a daily smoker since 1993... taking maybe up to 5 or 6 days off each year... otherwise, I smoke about a gram of high grade per day. I have now been clean for 58 days, and have not had the constant cravings for about a month. The first month was brutal! I was a highly successful financial analyst, and the economic downturn caused me to lose my high paying job... I took a year off of work, and increased my usage to about 2 grams daily. then I went cold turkey on 1/18/2010. sleep was impossible, when sleep returned the dreams were un manageable... sweating, freezing, constant thoughts of blazing. it was awful! after about a month, I still felt this way, but to a lesser extent. it's now been 2 months, and I actually feel good, although sleep still isn't great. BTW, I've been taking at home drug screens, and I still cannot pass, I'm 6'3", 220... fairly athletic, and expected to be passing by now... for those in need of passing pre employment screens, please keep this in mind... I figure it could take another month. I'd love to become a recreational user again... after I'm working... not sure I want to go through this detox again. Dirk, thanks for this site, I've checked many times, and it has been very helpful!
Your quite welcome.
A good point you brought up that maybe doesn't get mentioned here too much--for heavy smokers, expect at least 6 weeks and probably more before you can pass a pee test for marijuana.
Just want to say how great this blog has been. I've been smoking daily or nearly every day for the past year/year and a half. Recently I have made the decision to quit and am on about day 6. I've been feeling very stressed, not so much insomnia, just more so like I'm losing my mind. I'm constantly tired and have no motivation to do anything, which is strange because I really haven't had much trouble sleeping. Anxiety and depression have also been a part of the way i've been feeling. I hope this will get better but it's really been like hell the last few days. I haven't had any diearrhea as such but more so a 'lose stool', and I haven't had the greatest appetite lately either. Whilst I'm not having problems sleeping, I find my self rather restless( i.e taping of the foot, or grinding my teeth.) I also feel as though every little thing is causing me to worry extremely, when generally I'm a pretty happy/worry free person. Night sweats have also been
No nightmares or anything yet but loss of appetite has been happening.
I presume that you don't need to have all of the symptoms to be suffering from marijuana withdrawal. This blog has helped already in making me feel 'normal'and not making me feel alone. It's tough because both my housemates like to smoke weed and smoke weed regularly but I've had the discipline to say no already a few times, which is good.
Well just over a month, last time I posted was starting day 4, I got to the end of that day and had to have a very small cone, had been 3 days without sleep and needed to sleep, well it worked! had a great nights sleep and have done ever since, I haven't smoked anymore pot since that day, I still have thoughts about having a cone but is now much easier not to, like a previous poster I have been to a party and passed on joints going around, after 33 years of daily smoking I think I am now over it, for long term and/or heavy users giving up will be hard, much like giving up cigarettes but if you can get through the first week then you will make it and the first 3 days will be cruel but stick with it, I have pot still at home that I think I will now get rid of as now knowing I still have it plays on my mind, but when giving up knowing it was there made it easier, strange I know, maybe make a plan to give up the cigs now, but will wait a while until the brain gets over this effort, good luck to all that are trying, just work on making the 4th day
Cheers
Paul
West Aussie
I posted in mid February 2010 (so only 1.5 months ago) about quitting. I haven't quit... but i've severely cut down my use (from multiple times daily to 1-2 times a week). I no longer crave it, but a big problem I have is that i'm around people smoking it 24/7 (roommates) so I do end up caving time to time. Working on it...
One thing I do want to note. My anxiety/stress levels have been absolutely fucked up to say the least. I think I need to go cold turkey COMPLETELY. I'm not getting any side effects like night sweats or insomnia or anything of that nature though. I usually wake up in the morning feeling very anxious (it's a feeling in my chest area). Not only that, but I have developed a shaking issue. My hands shake constantly now and the only thing I can pin it down to is anxiety that is caused by marijuana. The more days I go without smoking, the less anxiety/shaking I have. Just thought i'd share that bit.
"One thing I do want to note. My anxiety/stress levels have been absolutely fucked up to say the least. I think I need to go cold turkey COMPLETELY."
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That seems to be the way of it, much like it is with people addicted to alcohol or cigarettes or cocaine. Most truly addicted individuals aren't capable of returning to controlled use. I know this is a big argument right now (again), with books like Heyman's "Addiction: A Disorder of Choice."
I think I'll write a book called "Why Did You Choose to be Born Diabetic?"
Dirk,
Thank you for running this site - it's very helpful.
I stopped using 2 weeks ago. I felt ok the first week, but this week is much harder - very irritable and depressed. I don't have nearly as much energy as I had when I was smoking. I was running 3-4 miles 3 times a week, but it's much harder now. I don't have pot cravings, but I don't have any energy either. Will it come back?
Thanks again.
I'm here because my husband of almost 13 years who was a heavy smoker for the past 15 years had to quit due to a run in with the law. He now has to go to intensive outpatient drug treatment, get randoms on a weekly basis, and faces 8 months in jail if he does not complete this program. My thing is that he has been clean for 6 months and to me he is not the same person he used to be. He walked out on me and our children 5 weeks ago, doesn't really want to have anything to do with us, blames me for everything, angry all the time! I have tried to be supportive of him, offerred to go to meetings with him, quit drinking alcohol so he would not be tempted, whatever I can think of to help him, but he has turned his back on his family now when he is CLEAN AND SOBER! I just don't understand how he can do this now, after I have put up with so much from his drug use, taking money from me, always making sure he had it, etc. Does anyone think he is possibly still going through some kind of withdrawals. He says he is depressed! Maybe he is! He smoked at least 3 blunts a day, sometimes more for all those years. I am devastated over what he has done to his family and was just curious if anyone thinks he may be acting strangly because of withdrawals?
I'm no doctor, don't know the details of any particular case, and can only offer generalizations. I think that sometimes, with any addiction, a forced quit due to legal problems can lead to a form of white-knuckle abstinence that is stressful and difficult to deal with. Also highly prone to relapse.
That's why I'm not a fan of forced referrals to rehab programs. One of the singular features of AA or NA or MA--the fact that attendance is strictly voluntary--is compromised by this approach. So both you and your spouse have my sympathy and best wishes in a difficult situation.
A classic negative outcome in this scenario is to throw up your hands and say to the user, okay, jeez, go get some already, I liked you better before you got straight. This happens to more people than anyone cares to admit, is my belief.
Thank you for being here. I'm 60, been smoking heavily for 42 years. It took 6-8 busts (more or less, too stoned to remember) to figure out, is all this worth it? Your website has really enlightened me to what is going on. I thought cold turkey was the way to go. In about a day I figured OK, I will taper off slowly. I went through all the symptoms, but going from 6-8 joints a day to 8-10 hits a day seemed to help. Slowed down a hit or 2 every day. A beer helped also. Not a drunkfest, but a 2 or 3 a day for the first week. 10 days later I'm very optimistic. The symptoms eased off greatly. I'm trying not to push one addiction off for another, but at least the beer is legal. I think this is working good for me, but I'll get back at you in a couple of weeks to let you no for sure. I saw some of these questions in earlier posts, so i thought I would share my one and only shot at giving up in 42 years. Again, thanks for being here. Now I realize what is going on with my body and that I am not alone.
You're welcome. Quite a bit of useful experience is distilled here from smokers young and old. Best of luck with your plans.
I've heavily smoked (up to 10 - 15 a day with friends or up to 10 on my own) for around 8 years.
On Monday I was left extremely hungover and after vomiting (with a small amount of blood too) I decided I HAVE to take a day off. If this wasn't a good enough reason, then nothing is.
I kept waking up throughout Monday night COMPLETELY drenched in sweat, even the bed was getting moist from it. That was around 26 hours from my last spliff. It's going to be hard for me to ever get off this stuff.
I am so glad I found this website, not only for myself but for my family. I am a 29 year old, married mother and have been smoking pot heavily for 13 years. For me, there was no "recreational" period. I went straight to addiction. (And honestly, I've been preaching the addictiveness of marijuana since, despite everything I heard...)
I have kicked other addictions in the past but there is always something that grabs me by the balls, so to speak. I think I just have the tendency to be addicted, like its part of my personality. This is by far worse than when I kicked the meth addiction, which I did, so I know its possible this time. I have been 11 years clean from that and never looked back. I just don't remember feeling so crappy when I did it. (Then again, I had good ol' Mary Jane to help...)
I am on day four of cold turkey. I suffer from most of the withdrawal symptoms mentioned in the article, many of which I had no idea were related to this self-imposed ban. The first two days were fairly mild with irritation as the only symptom. Last night began the sweating and dreams. I can't even remember the last time I could recall my dreams, but this one was so vivid that I woke up sobbing. I think I slept four hours total.
Differing from many of the posts, my appetite has increased, which makes me fear weight gain (as many women my age...) and the anxiety has gone up ten-fold. I am experiencing internal tremors, but they seem to happen later in the evenings and I have lost interest in things I loved last week.
The worst part is the uncontrollable anger...especially toward my children. I hate that I can't keep my temper contained, that I just snap at the littlest things.
But, I think the "blah" feeling is the hardest to accept. I haven't smiled in days. I feel emotionless (except the bouts of anger) and lethargic. I don't even want to get out of bed because I have no idea what to do with myself. I have smoked so much and for so long, I feel like it has defined who I am. I'm honestly scared to find out if I like myself without it. If the anxiety and irritation don't diminish, I won't.
Thank you so much for this blog and for all the people who have posted with stories and comments. It means a lot to know this isn't all in my mind (though my mentality could have something to do with the degree of symptoms) and mostly, to know I am not alone.
I want someone to tell me I'll be better in two weeks...That's as long as I'll need to kick the habit, get through the withdrawals. I know I'll be an addict for life, but I want to know that I can do this...i want to do this...
Thank you so much...
Great post, thanks.
Some people have a really hard time with the concept that quitting pot could ever conceivably be harder than quitting meth, or cigarettes. But for some addicts, it clearly is. It all depends on your personal chemistry as an addict.
Also, a lot of people tell me that they knew very early in the game that pot was addictive for them, despite the fairly common belief that such a thing was impossible.
I cant believe the dosage of weed people here used to smoke....
I have been a very recreational smoker for most the last 30 years. Then just recently, because of the environment I was in, rather the cannabis culture people I was around, my weekly amount of cannabis went from 1 gram to 3 or more grams(smoked very efficiently so in some terms, maybe more by some standards), of good quality indoor. I also took some really, very big hits from various bucket bongs and utensils. I could better inhale than most other more experienced smokers, but would feel really wiped out after these big lungfuls.
The really big hits/lungfuls and increase in overall consumption have now caused problems for me during my downtime from smoking, which I undertake regularly.
Basically, I used to smoke only half the time, and not that much by most cannabis culture standards. Giving up was never so hard as now.
Dosage is a vital part of the equation of discomfort. What was once once a mild irritability and anxiety is now a horrible experience and a hurdle to wanting/needing to stop smoking grass for a while.
The looming discomfort of going without for high end users, must surely make quitting something to be avoided, and an invariable addiction the end result.
From my personal experience and needs, and quite possibly many others, if I were to titrate cannabis sensibly, I'd say only 0.5grams should be smoked in a week. (0.5 smoked without wasteful methods)
This would be my benchmark as is 1 small glass of wine for alcohol, or 2 small squares of chocolate. Anything else is harmful and like overeating.
High-end users can put away an ounce of high test in 7-10 days.
...today begins week 14 of abstinence for me.. wow, day 92 of my new life after 40 years..the thc is certainly gone from my system, however problems still linger.. seems my friendship base is gone.. truth is, i DID define my life with pot-smoking and surrounded myself with like-minded individuals who really don't have much to do with me now.. so withdrawal (for me) is not the biggest hurdle, it's re-inventing self and finding new interests.. and that is what i have set about to correct..i think my happiness will ultimately be found in the happiness of others, and finding ways to make that my reality.. could very well be "tougher" than quitting and probably much more challenging.. still wishing you all the very best in your own personal quest..
Interesting. When I quit drinking, I told myself I would still go to bars. I liked bars, I had friends in bars, I could drink coffee in bars.
In the end, I didn't go to bars. My bar friends and I grew apart. Bars are for drinking. If you're not drinking, you make people nervous, and you're not as likely to happily tolerate the noise, repetition and back-brain bragging that characterize bar life.
Hi everyone,
It has now been over a month without weed and I am very glad I have come this far. I still struggle with cravings,mainly at nighttime but I know beating this addiction is the first step to a new life filled with energy and hopefully joy. I am still struggling with depression and anxiety on a daily basis but it really depends on if I make myself go for a run, go to the pool and see friends, or just let my self lay in bed and cry. Sometimes the urge to sulk in my depressino is to strong, such as today, i work up anxious and grumpy, was in a bad mood to my brother and basically ended up in bed crying my eyes out. I am not at the point where I'm not sure if these are still withdrawl symptoms, or somether more, such as the need for anti-depressants.
My question is: is it possible to still be feeling withdrawl around 4-6 weeks of no pot?
Thanks to everyone who posts and stay strong!!
I came across this blog and was captivated and mesmerized by the posts. I wish those going through withdrawal much love in their quest to detox and maintain sobriety. I have smoked off and on for 5 years. I am 44 years old. I didn't start smoking until I was 39 years old. My relationship with MJ began by a quest to control anxiety without prescription meds. I have been a heavy smoker as well as a light smoker during this period. I am a health fanatic, and that has allowed me to always reach a place where I would take a break. I have always been concerned about the potential damage MJ smoking was doing to my health. I have detoxed myself in the past without any symptoms, other than just a nagging desire to smoke. Once the desire would cease, I was fine. It was just a matter of not smoking at that point. I contribute my detox without any type of withdrawal to my habitual use of a sauna. I believe the sauna removed THC from my system with regular use. I believed MJ was harmless in the past because of the ease of my being able to stop and start again without dealing with withdrawal. I loved being high and socializing without dealing with the anxiety that would cloud the mind and control the feelings. That was then, this now. I am into my second week of detoxing. This go round, I do not have access to a sauna. Also, I haven't used a sauna in quite some time. I have all the symptoms that have been described in other posts. With that said, I know that MJ is no longer a harmless drug. I feel, behave, and look absolutely awful! I fought with my brother on a long distance phone call over something I could not even remember once I hung the phone up. I knew after that conversation that I was going through withdrawal and behaving like a lunatic! I stopped drinking years ago cold turkey without any help or program. I though it was tough to quit drinking, but I had none of the symptoms I currently have from MJ withdrawal. I am determined to part ways with MJ in my life. I have chosen to be completely sober. No alcohol or MJ. I just didn't think that it would be this hard. I feel awful. I hope in the coming weeks things will get better. I am determined to see this through and know that I can now that I have found this blog. Dirk thank you. I plan on reading your book. My only complaint is the photo of the plant you have on the cover page. Please remove it! I found myself in aw it's beauty and began to fantasize about grinding it up...well you know the rest. Remove it, you would be doing me and those that are struggling a huge favor.
Thank you. Former Smoker To Be.
i'm 16 & i've been heavily smoking pot for about a little over a year now, from the time i wake up in the morning to the time i go to bed. i'm literally ALWAYS stoned, i've become so use to the feeling of being high that when i'm not high i feel extremely discontent. i cannot go to sleep without it, any night that i don't smoke before bed i
find myself up until 4 in the morning.
i haven't attempted quitting or anything, but i do feel that there are many consequences from my heavy smoking, most of which i deal with all the time. i have these awful nightmares, so bad they wake me up every single morning at the same exact time. i'll wake up sweating and crying until i realise it was only a dream. one night i even woke up screaming. i'm curious about this, i've never experianced nightmares like these before in my life. my dreams are always pleasant, i often dream about good things, which is why i'm so curious.
also, since the pot, i often feel i have no personality. when i'm not high i don't even know what's going on, i'm not myself and i don't talk much at all. followed by
being unable to think, focus on something, or remember anything.
and yes, i constantly feel that there is something wrong in my life, i just can't put my finger on it.
i feel like i'm losing all control. help?
Heavy toking (or smoking or drinking or snorting) at age 16 is a prescription for all kinds of trouble, whether you are addictive or not. Potential trouble emotionally and developmentally. Drug taking is a young man's sport, but nobody should be messing with anything until at least 18, is my personal feeling.
"My only complaint is the photo of the plant you have on the cover page. Please remove it!"
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That could be industrial hemp, for all we know! I already replaced a far more graphic photo of a bud. Now it's just a picture of a tall weed. You gotta learn to deal.
Very good post since most people think that marijuana is harmless. One of the side effects of marijuana usage is provoking a schizophrenia. People who normally wouldn't gotten sick used marijuana and after a stronger "trip", the illness started to develop.
Dirk, I've been off weed for 2 months now after smoking heavily for 4 years and it's still pretty bad. Are fatigue and high blood pressure common symptoms? I want to make sure that it's just withdrawl and not something more serious that I need to see a doctor about. Other than the toking, I've always led a healthy lifestyle; good diet, regular sleep, exercise, etc... I used to be a distance runner and have always had a good metabolism. But seriously, is high blood pressure a possible withdrawl symptom? I just want to make sure that I'm not paranoid. Thanks.
High blood pressure is not a common side effect of pot withdrawal. In fact, marijuana has a tendency to boost blood pressure just a touch.
You might want to get your blood pressure checked with your doc.
These are a bunch of fake testimonials. There is no variety of writing style or distinction of mannerisms. If these had been written by true individuals, they would vary. Some would misspell, but there's not a single misspelled word anywhere. (Makes you wonder, pot is supposed to make us into goofy idiots, but the spelling accuracy here is amazing) The lack of slang is glaring; potheads use all kinds of street language. And when you consider the extraordinary claims made by the administrator of the site, which everyone knows to be false (truth--marijuana has no addiction withdrawal symptoms) one is left with no conclusion other than this is a concocted lot of balderdash, poppycock and horsepoo; anyone who believes the claims of this website or these testimonials is an idiot.
I run this site and I can assure you I have neither the time nor the fortitude to fake 776 posts in my spare time. Nor does NIDA or the CIA regularly supply me with ready-made propaganda posts.
'Nuff said on a silly topic, but some posters here weren't happy I allowed the above post in the first place. I approved the post in part because I think it's useful for posters here to see how other people sometimes view this whole situation.
let me say to you, sir or ma'am, author of post 777, that you seem to be an angry person, for whatever reason, and that your comments are clearly from beyond the realm of human comprehension.. i certainly do have other, more important things to do, but for the sake of all the people who have laid their thoughts and feelings out for the world to see (present company included), i must respond, to wit: i am a learned individual and specialized in the english language throughout my schooling.. there is a considerable amount of distinction in each of these posts, and there are many that contain misspellings and poor grammar.. how many did you read, three?? i read each and every one and carefully considered their content, before i added my own.. we are not idiots, we are not liars, and before you produce such drivel in an audience of this scope and nature, perhaps you should take some time to look within yourself, for the real reason you make these wild, out-of-this world claims.. in any case, i hope that you can come to terms with your own nonsense, and find something better to do with your time..
Let me start out by saying that things definately do get better. Ive gone 3 months without any weed, and the worst is over now. No longer do i always feel as if something is wrong. And I dont have that spaced out high feeling any more. I honestly felt that pot destroyed my life. 3 months ago I never would have beleived that the withdrawal would finish. The only thing that has stuck with me is some depression. I used to smoke pot with friends that I no longer hang out with now that I dont smoke pot. Its hard to adjust to life without pot, which is the challenge im facing. But, for people out there that are thinking of quitting or even starting pot again. DONT! The withdrawal is F***ing brutal but dont quit. Lifes def better without pot.
P.S. just remember to stay bust!!!!!!!
I posted in February about quitting. Posted again in March/April about a ton of shaking.
Finally, as of today - I am 30 days clean while surrounded by stoners 100% of the time. I am feeling... okay. There have been some personal issues the past month that have really driven me a bit crazy. Not much euphoria. I'm surrounded by groups of people smoking 8-10x a day, so there is some strong will power here! I don't care about smoking so much anymore.
I am going to be in Amsterdam in 30 days - so I do intend to smoke a J, but after that, going back to no smoke till about August/September. At that point, i'll re-evaluate if I can control my use and go back to recreational or not.
I remember watching recreational drinkers, smokers and tokers, and thinking: Why can't I do it that way?
As it turns out, I can't. That's all there is to it. When I tried it their way, it was profoundly frustrating and unsatisfying: A glass of wine with dinner--and then that's it? Two hits off a pipe--for the whole night? Are these people crazy?
I know whats your all experienceing, i started smokeing pot when i was around 16 and became a heavy user everyday around 18 as well as ciggerettes, I got a lung infection and quit smokeing pot, About a week into quitting i woke up in the middle of the night and looked in the mirror and saw myself but i looked like a stranger i felt like i was in a dream world and everything was inanimate, I thought i was dieing and became a hypocondriac, I was put on Wellbutrin anti depressents and yea i always find somthing wrong, i start feeling my body for things start thinking bad thoughts like stds and cancer and its a horrible feeling esspecially when your mind keeps raceing saying you might have this or you might have that constantly. Marijuana withdrawl is no Joke. Its been a month now and i feel better with the anti depressents but man my anxiety is threw the roof. It goes from one thing to another one day i think i have an infection in my hand the next day i think i have a mouth infection, i thought i had syphilis and went and got tested all came out negative. its just bad thought after bad thought. Im finally seeing a psychiatrist, maybe ill need somthing like xanax to get my mind back in order because the anti depressents arent helping with my anxiety, i cant even enjoy my video games anymore without my thoughts clouding me. Anyways ill pray for all of those who are going threw this same thing. im also trying to quit cigs and coffee and maybe start a raw food diet for awhile to cleanse my body. oh i recently bought an electric ciggerette and cut back on my smokeing cigs from a pack a day to about 5 a day.
"Oh, what I didn't mention, maybe it's important, I've tried some other drugs, but not a lot, I've done LSA (Hawaiian Baby Woodrose"
I'm no doctor, and that's who you should be asking, but the above comment suggests to me the possibility that your symptoms are caused by “hallucinogen persisting perception disorder,” otherwise known as an acid flashback. They can occur irregularly, and diminish with time as I understand it.
Symptoms can be pretty individualized variations on the theme. But no, not those symptoms specifically--except for hypersensitivity to sound and light, which some marijuana detoxers do report.
Hi there. I am new to blogging. I have a 24yr old daughetr who has smoked marjuiana sonce she was 14. She has now been off it for 10 weeks. She has a tow yr old daughter as well. At the moment they are staying with me and I am struggling with how to help her. She appears depressed but is also pregnant now so the Dr's won't give her anti depressants at the moment. us withdrawn and moody and gets irritable easily all which seem to be signs of withdrawl after reading the site. Any suggestions on how we cope with each other??
wow, i've smoked weed for the past 9 years everyday, from 1 time to 20 times a day. i don't think there is anything completely wrong with marijuana use, but it is addictive, unlike i thought. but then again, i'm also addicted to coca-cola, chocolate, sex and cigarettes and each of those things can be bad for u when done or used in excess. needless to say and what i wanted to comment about was that today has been day 1 of no smoking simply because i don't have the money to buy any. i want to quit now, because i see all of the effects it has had on me. i'm not tired, i'm irritable, pissed off, my stomach is upset, i have a headache and nothing is appetizing. the term "inner unrest" is completely hitting the nail on the head. now hopefully i don't buy a bag tmrw...
I've definitely experienced this in the past and indeed I am right now. First of all, a personal history. I've been a user for about 3 years. When I started, I used cannabis pretty much constantly for about 6 months. Then it dawned on me that when you're using a drug so often that being high feels 'normal' and when you're sober you feel like you're tripping (not on pot, on sobriety), something's wrong. Cannabis is a drug best enjoyed relatively infrequently (a few times a week or less).
Having read this, though, I have a few comments/caveats. First of all, I only seem to experience these kinds of symptoms when I stop using cannabis after a period of at least 2 weeks of using daily, at least once but often multiple times. The most salient symptom for me is always insomnia, and, as was said, low-grade anxiety. I haven't experienced the 'general feeling of uneasiness' described here. I would also point out that this study shares a flaw with most cannabis studies -- it only looks at the effects of THC. Other cannabinoids (CBD especially) exert significant affects on the subjective experience of the drug, something that pretty much all cannabis research (AFAIK) has overlooked/ignored.
I've also found that strains that seem to be sativa or sativa-dominant (i.e. strains that give more of a 'high') don't produce withdrawal symptoms that are nearly as strong as those experienced after using an indica or indica-dominant strain.
For instance, I always find I can get to sleep fine, even going cold turkey, when the cannabis I've been using is sativa/sativa-dominant.
I had been a regular cannabis user for 2 years . In my first year of addiction , i was so much hooked on to it that i didn't care about anything else other than just smoking to get the hit and get high . In the earlier stages , it seemed to be very enjoyable , but after like 7 months of being a heavy user , i felt a huge change in myself . i was not the happy , mellow , outgoing and socializing person i used to be before using the drug . Even though it changed me completely, i continued using at as i was heavily addicted . I experienced mood swings as well as paranoia after my first year of smoking cannabis . I would get mad at people i used to be friends with and be very aggressive and violent . I even got into a huge fight with my room-mates 3 months back when i was still using it . It really sucks that i am still living here as i signed the contract and we don't talk to each other , but i am moving out in 10 days .I also failed last year in my college because i couldn't stop using the drug before my final exams . It was the worst and the most devastating time of my life and i had really wished i had never touched the drug . Well i blame myself more than i blame the drug because i should have got control of the drug before it controlled me . Its been 1 month and i haven't smoked cannabis and feel great . The withdrawal symptoms were not pleasant in the 1st week , but it really got better till i didn't have any craving about the drug . I think its really true that weed / skunk being illegal , these days many dealers lace the stuff with harmful chemicals which makes it more addictive 'ONLY TO MAKE HUGE PROFITS FOR THEMSELVES' . After leaving the stuff , I felt like i can start my life again , explore life in a positive way and be the fun-loving person i used to be . skunk is not my thing anymore . For people who think cannabis isn't addictive , they are wrong as cannabis today isn't the mellow weed of the 60's and 70's it used to be and it affects everyone it a different way . It ruined more than a year of my life . i hope this HUGE comment will help the people who want to quit for good . And do remember that the cannabis these days is more evil than ever ..!!
Dirk, thank you for creating this site and taking the time to reply thoughtfully to as many posts as you can. Your work here along with the honest testimonials from users all over the world is truly amazing. In an effort to give something back I feel obligated to share my experience since it was the experiences of others that have gotten me where I am today.
I have been a light to moderate pot smoker for two years (age 22 to 24, also don't smoke cigarettes). At most I would smoke one bowl a night regularly and sometimes more on the weekends. As a synthetic organic chemistry grad student I work with some really nasty chemicals; DNA alkylators, violently corrosive reagents, and various neurodegenerative organometalic reagents (Sn, Hg, As).
When I ran out of weed once I noticed mild headaches, dizziness, and spaciness. Two or so weeks later I was able to buy again and smoked till my heart’s content whenever I could. In retrospect the pot made the headaches subside. Then about three weeks ago I decided to quit out-right because of an upcoming oral exam. When I quit this time the mental symptoms: headaches, fogginess, and lack of attention span were much more intense. I also had physical tension in my chest, legs and arms, sweaty palms, aches, full-on panic attacks, a strong feeling of dissociation, and thoughts that I was dying. At the time I had no idea it was pot related. I tried to rationalize what I was feeling based on the thought that weed can't do these things and ultimately arrived at the conclusion I had been overexposed to one of my lab's neurotoxic reagents (organostannanes). I was beside myself. I'd wake up every day after strange dreams feeling fogy which would precipitate a strong panic attack. I felt worse and worse over four days. It got so bad I contemplated writing a will.
It wasn't till I found this blog that I had any solace (about a week in). I felt much better knowing that people out there who weren't working with toxic substances regularly were experiencing the exact same flu-like symptoms I was. In fact there was one post by 'DJ' in October '09 that outlined a similar pattern of usage with very similar withdrawal symptoms.
Knowing that I was dealing with pot withdrawal, the severe anxiety stopped and I had much better days. Being three weeks sober I too have good days and bad, but it is getting better. The fogginess, dizziness, vivid dreams, and lack of apatite persist and but are increasingly more transient. I know I'll find balance at some point.
It breaks my heart to read testimonials of people who've started younger than me and are dealing with quitting decades later. I can only imagine how hard that must be. No matter what you’ve gotta stay positive and know that every day without pot is a day towards becoming healthier. I feel like I've gotten off lucky. My friends who found me a dealer have since left grad school and I've started to hang out with a much nerdier group of people. don't get me wrong we drinks the beers, but we just hang out and chill with stupid video/board games and baseball.
The last thing that's made quitting so much easier is the realization that pot is not the drug I thought it was. Again, don't get me wrong, I fully believe it has medicinally beneficial qualities and that its damaging effects are mild compared too much harder substances. But, like any other medication, it will hurt you if you don't need it.
Thank you again.
wow never thought that marijuana withdrawal would be physical. I hadn to quit for probation. I opnly smoked the best of the best of cannabis thc levels of 20% or higher and usually topped off with keefe or better known as bubble hash. Quitting was not that hard after i made my mind up that it was for health reasons and probation. It was a no brainer. I could of used synthetic urine or detox driks everytime i had a probation visit but decided this was expensive and overall in my best interest. I have not smoked for 5 weeks now. Starting week three i had vivid nightmares and extreme fatigue. This is coming from someone who had very high energy and scored the highest in my army battalian when i was in basic training. I am very fit and have alot of friends who are professional athletes in mma, division 1 wrestling and am comparable to them in athletic abilty if not more athletic. But the fatigue is horrible. I cannot even stay up for 5 hours without falling asleep and need to take caffine pills to make it through the day. i was a cronic smoker on and off for 9 years with the past few years more heavily. I feel like I hit a ton off bricks while not smoking. Anyone who says I am weekminded does not know what thet means. To me pain is weakness leaving the body. However with no energy I cannot even make it through the day. I would like to share my post as i now see that i am not alone and appreciate the feedback and support that makes me feel like I dont have something serious wrong with me. I never used any drugs before and did not think that marijuana would have that much of an effect on my life or withdrawal for that matter. The major symptom is fatigue and reading the other posts I feel lucky. For anyone who thinks marijuana is a light drug they are wrong. With thc potencey as high as it I was mistaken. Thanks to all of you who have shared your post I will never touch marijuana again as I now know how horrible it can make one feel.
If you have strong addictive propensities and pot is your drug of choice, it can be pretty humbling to learn the extent of the detox symptoms. The shock and surprise of it. There's often a progression from a feeling of "it must just be me," to a feeling of, "why didn't somebody tell me about this?"
I keep reading comments like 'Im so glad i quit pot, now I can finally start my real life'. I recently quit for about 4 months and went back on. Looking back, while I do regret smoking again, I also regret quitting last time, since I remember my 4 sober months even less than my 3 years of being constantly smashed off my head.
I'm 37 have smoked weed on and off for about 8 years. (On and off meaning if I have it, I'll have it every day, then go without for months)
The withdrawal symptoms people have listed all apply to me when I go without - the endless sweating, inability to regulate body temperature (+ the sweating making me feel colder), inability to sleep, upset appetite, blurred feelings, mood swings and so on.
This is usually most severe on days 2 to 4 and then declines.
Probably the worst thing is the sweating, which leaves me dehydrated after a couple of days and needing endless liquids which I mostly then just urinate out straight away.
It's as if MJ causes some kind of water retentive effect in the body and stopping causes the body to try and rid itself of all the water it has, as quickly as possible, mostly between 04:00 and 06:00.
Everyone can come up with reasons for using MJ which ignore the pleasure aspect, for me, I have what I'd call an overactive and overanxious brain: overactive in that it is forever trying to solve the world's issues in some pointless way, overanxious in that I have a tendency to depression.
These predated my use of MJ and stopping use causes a kind of snap-back effect where the negative sensations and feelings are heightened.
MJ effectively cancels out the "noise" in my brain and can make me very focused and creative temporarily.
I, like many others, find it hard to use it only occasionally, not assisted by the fact that I work from home. If I have it, I tend to smoke it... bongs only. The "addictive personality".
I see the cause of the high usage - it fixes some issues I have, and then goes on to cause others.
What I wondered - from other peoples' experiences - is whether it is possible to use it occasionally and recreationally without invoking the usual side effects.
How much can you smoke, have it wear off naturally, and not have the withdrawal, or is is that your body becomes sensitised to it, so following addiction, "recreational use" will always cause the withdrawal; is it like alcohol in so far as an alcoholic always describes themself as an alcoholic even though they gave up drink a decade ago?
"What I wondered - from other peoples' experiences - is whether it is possible to use it occasionally and recreationally without invoking the usual side effects."
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Only you can discover whether or not that is possible. If you have addictive propensities, probably not. Every addict wants it to be true--and if you are a true addict, it's the one thing that is demonstrably untrue.
1. JOIN A FITNESS CLUB NOW!!! This is non-nagotiable. 2 weeks ago when I was out of my mind I read a post somewhere that said exercise and getting in the dry sauna works miracles... IT DOES. I go to the gym 6 days a week and I hit the sauna for 30 minutes to sweat it out then go for a swim..AHHH, then I shoot some hoops, work out, and then finish off by hitting treadmill for 15 minutes. All in all about 2 hours every day and it works.
2. Theanine chewable tablets. It just seems to regulate your thought patters. Don't over use them though because your brain seems to get used to them very easily. I take them maybe once every few days.
3. Calcium citrate. When you sweat alot I was told that you lose calcium so I bought some of this and it seems work.
4 Omega 3 fish oil pills. Just do it, it help brain function.
5. Take a bath and read before bed, I don't know why but since doing this it seems I have created a calm/soothing memory for myself when I am anxious, I think of that warm bath or the sauna and it seems to help me relax.
6. If you find a post on here that gives you hope or comfort or confidence that your going to make it then copy & paste it onto your notepad and go back to it when your feeling all anxious, it helped me remember I will get through this.
7. The power of distraction. Anything to distract yourself helps. I use a string to play with my cats, I clean the house which my wife loves lol. I fix the cars, I go for hikes, I read(this help your sober mind get back to normal faster), I watch easy tv... HGTV and other light shows, talk on the phone with family and so on... Just distract yourself from you anxious/nervous tension and weird thoughts... IT WILL GET BETTER.
8. WATER
DIRK, I was wondering if you had anybody say anything about being nervous around new people you meet, or just one on one contact with people. For some reason I still get a little nervous around new people still... but it's getting better and I am just not going to let it get to me.
REMEMBER: Tell youself "it's just detox", try and be upbeat, Tell yourself its just withdrawals and I'm not going to give it any more power than it's giving me... just say fine you can do whatever you want but I know it's actually good for me and I'm just gonna roll with it... pretty soon you start feeling better. Look at yourself in the mirror and smile...I know it sounds strange but it helps. Think of pleasant sounding words like beautiful, calming, ahhhhh, and just anything like that. I wrote on my hand the word " AFTERWARD " because I knew that it would be over soon and to just let it take its course.
Sorry for the long post but I think that if you apply these things in your life you will be much better off.
One more thing, the doctor gave me some pills but I decided not to take them and just be tough. I am at 1 month with no meds, yay. HAVE A WONDERFULL DAY.
matthew 11:28,29
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