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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«Oldest ‹Older 801 – 1000 of 1257 Newer› Newest»Anxious about being anxious? lol. Not really funny but it kinda is.
I am 1 month in to not smoking pot and I am going to give detailed info on my situation that I know will help alot of you out so keep reading. Also thanks to Dirk for allowing us to read and vent, it really helps... well at least most of them, some of the posts actually made me feel more anxious, lol.
Ok here it is. For the last 6 months I have smoked 1 pack cigs, drank lots of coffee, pounded those damnable little 5 hour energy drinks and smoked the purple hairy ganga every day all day. 2 months ago I stopped smoking cigs and had 2 weeks of really crappy sleep and then out of nowhere almost exacly at 2 weeks I just didn't have any problems. 1 month ago I decided that not only cigs were too expensive but pot/coffee/and 5 hour energy drinks were also, so I quit all that at once... Bad move. I didn't even think about withdrawals from any of those even though I had it pretty rough with cigs. Ok so 3 days after I quit it was my eleventh anniversary and I wanted to be up and ready to have fun, so right when I woke up I pounded a 5 hour energy and drank a huge mocha and then I drank a beer for kicks all on an empty stomach... Bad move again. About an hour later I had the worst anxiety attack of the century, I paced around downtown seattle for an hour while my wife of eleven years waited in the car wondering what the heck was going on, I came back to the car and said take me to the emergency room as fast as you can, my whole body was tingling from head to toe and I really should have just hit the concrete from passing out but thank God I didn't. Anyway I got in to the emergency room and the did an ekg and took blood and all that stuff and then told me that everything was fine and I probably just had a crazy reaction to the caffeine intake after not having any for 3 days. So I left the hospital about 4 hours later because I was still way too anxious to leave earlier. The next morning I had to get up for work and felt really uneasy still so I started driving and bam another anxiety attack, just not as bad, so I called in someone to sub my job for me the next few days..Highly recommended by the way. Fast forward... For the first week I was terribly anxious all the time, I had to pace back and forth and do anything I could to occupy myself.. By the way never underestimate the power of distraction. Ok so by the end of the week I had insomnia, major anxiety, light headedness bad, sweaty/clammy hands, pits, and feet mostly, vivid dreams, and sometimes I would get these cold shakes even though I wasn't cold, just uncontrolable shaking. So at end of day seven I figured the caffeine and energy drink withdrawals should be over and since pot doesn't give you withdrawals that wasnt a factor right? WRONG? So I panicked and went to the urgent care nurse at my group health facility at like midnight. They took blood again and so on and ofcourse I was completely healthy. Well the doctor there came in and asked me what my symptoms were and after I told her she kinda dropped her little clip board and said to me you are simply going through marijuana withdrawls, I looked at my wife and we were shocked. I said but I have smoked weed on and off since I was in highschool and don't remember having any withdrawals before. And she said ya but it depends on your age(30),how much fat you have, how much weed you've been smoking, how potent the weed is and what you've been doing while smoking the weed because if you have just been sitting at home watching tv in the dark being stoned all day and then you get off of it and go outside and try and be a normal active guy again then its going to seem surreal for awile until your brain rewires itself. So I asked her how long this will last and she said that " the first month is going to be whacky" and then it should taper off. Well it's been a month and thats exactly what's happening.
I had to split my comments up because it was too long and also I think I deleted some stuff so sorry if it sounds weird.
"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..."
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Serious social shyness is very real. It has some of the same biological underpinnings as, and is often found in conjunction with, depression or anxiety.
Hello everyone. I am 32 years old and have smoked pot daily for about 20 years or so. I have quit a few times before for short durations, but it has never been anywhere near as difficult as it is now.
I came across this site about two weeks ago. I was absolutely going out of my mind, at least it felt like it. I wasn't trying to quit smoking then; what happened was is that my "source" went out of town on vacation and i couldn't find anything for about 2 or 3 days. I immediately stopped sleeping; i kept flipping out on everybody (including at work, which obviously is a problem) and i went into what felt like fits of rage. I started to break out in sweats all the time for no reason. My digestion system got all sorts of F'd up. To sum up: I felt and wondered if i was going to go crazy. So, i came across this blog surfing around one night. It amazed me and made me realize exactly what my problem is and how bad of a problem i had. Reading through the comments; it seemed that virtually every single one could have been written by me. It made me feel better to know that i'm not going crazy. So, i decided right then and there that although i wasn't ready to deal with it at that exact moment in time, i had to come up with a plan and get rid of my addiction to marijuana. I went back to smoking for a while just basically due to the fact that i got to the point that i could not function. At all. I decided to pick a day and go for it.
Today is Day #1. I smoked my last bowl last night at round 2:00 in the morning before i went to sleep with the determination that i am going to grit my teeth and get through this. So, i'm about 20 hours in, and i am already in hell. It hasn't been a great start; i already flipped out on my boss at work due to the stress, and now i'm worried if i still have a job. This is going to be hard. Really F-ing hard. I hope to god that i have the strength for this, especially considering how bad it is at only 20 hours in. I hope it gets better, but i have a feeling it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I sent a text message to a friend of mine when i woke up today. It said simply this: "Day #1. Hell Begins." I really don't think there was a better way of stating it. "Hell" is the perfect word for it.
If i'm able to make it, this site is going to be one of the things that helps me do it. It is my plan to use this site as a daily journal posting how each day was for me and how i'm doing. I think this might help me to get my feelings out each day. So far it's terrible. I hope tomorrow is better. to give you an idea how bad this is, i actually broke down crying while writing this.
Thank you so much for creating this page, man. I've never seen someone hit the nail on the head as much as you have as far as addictions go. I hope to god i have the strength to get through this withough costing me too much. It might have already cost me my job, but if it did; i still can't let it detour me. smoking pot is what got me in this position in the first place. I've managed to get myself in the situation where the problem and the cure are the same thing. That is the last place anybody wants to be.
Thanks for your thoughts, and please do keep us informed of your progress.
It really is amazing, how humbling it can be when someone decides they don't wanna smoke any more, just give up this natural herb here, no prob. Then the sky falls in and your metabolism goes to hell and everything's coming at you a mile a minute and you feel like you've got a combination of the flu and 'roid rage. Almost none of the unlucky few ever see it coming.
By the way, this is still an extremely controversial subject among scientists, lawmakers, and recreational tokers. Believe me, there are still plenty of people who will tell you that you're simply wrong, and something else is responsible for the symptoms you're feeling. Why? Because everyone has been told that pot is not "physically" addictive--even though that distinction is no longer scientifically valid or used as a criteria for addiction.
Hey Dirk, I have noticed you talk about metabolism on occasion and I was wondering what you mean by that because I think that I have always had trouble since I was little losing weight and I think that has to do with metabolism but I'm not sure, could you elaborate a bit? Especially if THC gets caught in your fat cells this could be a reason why the withdrawals last longer on some than others.
I was using "metabolism" to denote the whole range of biochemical processes that can be disrupted by addiction and withdrawal, but one tighter definition restricts it to eating and sleeping. Yes THC is stored in fat cells, but I don't think that is connected with weight gain or loss.
Dirk,
Maybe my metabolism isn't that good because of my terrible eating habbits when I was smoking pot along with my sleep schedule of having to sleep twice every day, one time for 4 hours and then later for 3. I deliver newspapers in the night 365 days a year and haven't had a vacation in over 10 years. Another thing I was thinking was that while smoking pot I had started up cigs, coffee, and energy drinks at the same time and then pretty much quit them at the same time, someone told me that since cigs, coffee, and energy drinks are uppers and pot is a downer it might have screwed with my nervous system or something. What do you think?
Day #2. This is Matt again. Surprisingly, it's so much better today, which is ironic because i only got like an hour or so of sleep. So, i'm really tired, but other than that i actually feel pretty good. No real problems today, which really surprised me. No sweats or anxiety today really, just a couple of pretty mild cravings, but nothing i couln't handle. My digestive system is still whacked though and i have virtually no appetite, but i've forced myself to eat a couple times just because i figured it was a good idea.
Even though i've felt good today, i keep telling myself to keep my guard up. I don't want to fool myself into thinking that i got over the major hump so quickly. I think that later on tonight in an hour or two it's probably going to get tough again because that's when i'm used to smoking the most. Even though i'm so tired, i'm probably going to have problems sleeping again; i know this from the past. It's going to suck if i can't, because i have to work tomorrow (oh, and yes i do still have my job, i checked my work e-mail today and was happy to see my boss responded positively to the apology e-mail i sent him). I think that before i go to work i'm going to write "stay calm!" or "stay cool!" or something along those lines on the back of my hand to remind myself to chill out and not lash out if tomorrow is a bad day in the road to recovery. I have kind of have a hard job to do while dealing with this; i'm an Escalations Desk Representative for a very large e-commerce company. This means that all the pissed off customers that call in asking to speak to a supervisor go to me to handle.
And trust me when i say when these customers are pissed off they are PISSED OFF. They scream and yell and go crazy on you. It goes without saying that this obviously doesn't mix well with what i'm going through. Think i'll manage though; just gotta keep looking at the message i'm going to write on the back of my hand.
So, day 2 (so far) overall gets a thumbs up. I'm sure i haven't hit the worst of this yet, i think it's down the road a little bit. Like i said, i've just gotta keep my guard up. Think that's the key; have to stay determined at all times.
"someone told me that since cigs, coffee, and energy drinks are uppers and pot is a downer it might have screwed with my nervous system or something. What do you think? "
-------------
Well, your nervous system is certainly going to notice it when you stop using cigs, coffee, energy drinks and pot. But nothing is forever. Neural plasticity means your brain is very talented at adapting and readapting to changed circumstances.
Day #3. I don't think i'm going to post every single day like i said i was before moving forward; i'm going to end up monopolizing the comments on this site where readers would have to literally hunt for recent posts that aren't from "Matt." So, i think i'll start keeping a separate journal, and then post that every few days or so. For some reason posting my experiences on this site as i go through this is helping me immensly. i feel significantly better every time i do. I'm not exactly sure why that is; maybe it's because i know there are a ton of people reading about my experiences (and other peoples' as well, obviously), which gives me more drive.
So, on to what today was like. It was pretty bad. I did sleep a semi-decent amount last night even though i thought i wasn't going to (5-6 hours), but i woke up feeling like horseshit, and i felt that way all day. I thought of a pretty good way of describing what i felt like overall: You know how when you dive to the bottom of a 10 to 15 foot deep pool and feel that slight pressure all over your body? That's exactly what i felt like all day. It was very strange. And, speaking of strange, that's what everything seemed like to me today. My apartment felt strange to me. My car felt strange to me. Everything. I can't describe it, this is a whole new sensation to me. I was severely depressed today too. Strange thing is the depression although very severe was easy to manage because i knew that there was an exact reason for it, so i can handle it by thinking of the depression as "fake." Maybe that only makes sense to me; i don't know...
As far as the fits of rage I described before go, i got pretty pissed off at one point today,and out of nowhere for no real reason, but i just sat there and told myself to calm down over and over again until it worked. When that happend, i also at the same time starting sweating really bad, where i felt like I was drenched in it in under 2 or 3 minutes of sittting there being pissed off.
Things did get better later on. After i was done with work i ended up tagging along with a married couple i know and their 6 year old daughter out to an observatory about 30 minutes drive from where i live. The part that sucked is it turned out the observatory was closed. We played car games (obviously for the benefit of the six year old overall) there and back. You know what i mean, the type of games where one person starts with "I'm going to a picnic and i'm going bring an apple" and the next person goes "I'm going to a picnick and i'm bringing and apple and a boat" etc. going through the alphabet. I kid you not, that dorky ass game made me feel a ton better. Probably because it was a good distraction. But, it did really really help.
So, today was overall thumbs way, way down. I think tomorrow will be better, because i have a bunch of stuff going on tomorrow that i think will help. I have a family grill out to go to to celebrate my nephew's birthday and also my local airport is having an air show with the Blue Angels putting on a demonstration. I have plans to go to that, and the Blue Angels kick ass. So, it's shaping up to be a day of pleasant activities, which i think will help with this, i think. Like i said before though; going to keep my guard up at all times.
Once again, thanks to all the commenters on here sharing their experiences here and again thanks to dirk as well. I'm pretty close to reading all 800+ posts on here now. Every single post helps me, i kid you not. I've been to rehab and NA in the past when i was younger. This site is benefiting me way more than either one of those ever did.
"As far as the fits of rage I described before go, i got pretty pissed off at one point today,and out of nowhere for no real reason..."
Anger control problems are a real bitch because they alienate you from people at a time when, as you've discovered, your best strategy is to stay busy and stay productively engaged socially.
Thanks for the kind words about the blog, glad it helped you.
OK everyone, I need some help and need it fast. Here is a little background on my situation. I've been a daily pot smoker for almost 10 years. I started in high school after I got mono and lost a lot of weight due to having zero appetite. The pot totally saved me then and I have been using ever since. Whenever I stop using, I experience horrible nausea and completely lose my appetite. I know that can be a withdrawl effect but it makes me wonder since that was the reason I started smoking pot in the first place. I'm going to be going on vacation with my fiance's family next week and will not be able to smoke pot. I'm super worried about what will happen on the trip since past experiences have been horrible. A few years back I went on a cruise with my family, couldn't smoke, and had the worst time ever since I felt like vommiting the whole time which made me really anxious. I'm trying to prepare for this trip by not smoking for a week leading up to it. Today is just day 1 but I haven't been able to eat anything. When I try to force feed myself, I'm fighting a gag reflex the whole time. Anybody have any suggestions for ways to stimulate appetite? Anybody have any thoughts as to whether this is withdrawl or something else? It is taking every ounce of my willpower to not take out my stash and ease my suffering right now! What do you think, Dirk?
I'm no doctor, so I can't give you any specifics about your condition. Loss of appetite is a common side effect, of course, but your situation sounds more severe, with nausea and vomiting, which are not common side effects. Maybe you should ask a doctor about it?
Day #4. Last night I had my first dream that I can remember in about 3 years or so. It wasn’t especially vivid; like other people have commented, but it was just overall strange to have a dream after such a long time without one. And, guess what I dreamt about? Smoking pot. The same thing happened like 13 years ago when I was court ordered to go into rehab. When I was in rehab, I learned that this was very common for people that did drugs and then stopped. They referred to them as “Using Dreams” if I remember correctly. I think I’m going to have a lot of those again. The dream suddenly changed to a nightmare about a haunted house at the end, and I woke up pretty much as soon as it did. I didn’t get back to sleep after that; so I only got like 2 hours of sleep total. What I’ve learned from previous comments on this blog is that what’s going on is that I’m getting REM sleep again because the thc is leaving my body permitting it. I had also learned that in rehab, but I had forgotten about that tidbit of information until reading on the blog about it reminded me. So, I’m taking it as a good thing. From what I’ve seen in other comments, it’s very likely I’m going to start dreaming all the time moving forward. I just hope that it’s not overwhelming like others have described.
Pretty good day overall; went to the family grill out and the air show. Very enjoyable, and I don’t know if it’s returned for good, but I definitely had an appetite today really for the first time since I quit. As a matter of fact, I was outright ravenous and pigged out at the picnic. No diarrhea either, but I did have green stool, which I read once a while back means that the food is going too fast through my digestive system. So, my digestive system is still kind of fucked up, but getting better.
Only problems I really had were extreme exhaustion and a couple of cravings; the strongest I’ve had yet since quitting, but still not terribly strong and definitely manageable. Usually, when I’ve gone without pot before even for a day while I was on the hunt for more, I would be freaking out until I found some. So logic says the difference is that this time it’s my choice to go without. It can definitely be said, I think, that while still really hard, going without pot by choice is easier than being forced to go without.
Good day overall.
Day #5. Another dream about smoking pot last night. I can barely remember it though, just a couple of flashes. I slept great; got a full 8 hours or so, and I woke up feeling like a million bucks. Today was great. I was completely full of energy all day; as a matter of fact I can’t even remember the last time I had that much energy. I was in a great mood all day, almost to the point of being euphoric. I really, really feel good. No anxiety, no depression, nothing. No diarrhea either; my digestive system seems to be back to normal. One small craving today, but no sweat. Overall, I had virtually no withdrawal effects today. It was just a great fucking day. I hope it continues.
Day #6. Felt like shit and was exhausted all day. Thing is, I don’t know if feeling like shit today had anything to do with withdrawal or not. I only got like 3 hours of sleep, but that was just because I stayed up late watching movies and then I’m just an overall early riser whether I smoke pot or not. I just recently changed my shift at work to work later at work, but I’m still “programmed” to wake up early every day. Felt kind of nauseous and sweaty all day, but I have no idea if it’s from withdrawal or maybe I’m starting to come down with the flu, a couple people at work have caught it recently, and they described the same sort of thing. I suppose it doesn’t really matter; whether it’s the effect of the withdrawal or I’m coming down with something, it makes no bearing on that the goal is not to smoke any pot.
Almost a week into this now. It’s been tough, but overall a little better than I thought it would be. Or, maybe I haven’t hit the worst of it yet; I’ve seen comments from other people that they really started to feel bad as much as 2-3 weeks in. I wonder at what point can I consider myself over marijuana addiction?. Am I going to be one of the luckier ones and get through it in a couple weeks? Or, am I going to be one of the people that is going to still be suffering more than a month down the road?
Anyways, overall I’m still going strong. I’ve been able to manage all cravings pretty good, it seems. I dreamt again last night, and about smoking pot once again, but I can’t remember the dream for the most part. Memory of it fades within a few seconds of waking up. It’s kind of ironic, Even though before this week it had been like 3 years since I dreamt, all my dreams in the past have been pretty vivid; I’ve always overall been a vivid dreamer. Now, when I’m expecting to have really vivid dreams, they aren’t. I like the fact that I’m dreaming again every night; I kind of missed it.
So, today was shitty; whatever the reason may be. Tonight I think I’ll sleep a semi decent amount, so tomorrow should be better.
Day #7. There are a couple times in the past where I’ve thought I’ve had an anxiety attack. I was wrong. I found this out because I had one today. I thought I was going good with this withdrawal. I was wrong. It just hadn’t really started yet. It started today. I have lost complete and utter control of my actions. I can’t control myself from freaking out. Today I got to the point where I couldn’t even breathe at one point. My hands were shaking so fucking bad I couldn’t even fucking type on a computer when the attack hit. Going through this withdrawal is going to end up costing me everything. My work has had it with me; I am now completely uncontrollable. No matter how hard I tried today I could not control myself or my anger at any fucking point whatsoever. I don’t know what to do, even with using all of my concentration, I cannot control myself , my anxiety, or the now constant rage I feel. All of this developed really within the past 24 hours. Before that, although difficult, I was doing good, and felt good overall because I was going good. Now, I can see that my life is going to completely unravel itself through this. All I’m fucking doing is damaging every aspect of my life by going through this. What if this costs me my job? What fucking good would that do? Why is it that when I’m trying as hard as I can to do something positive, all I’m getting is negative consequences for it?
I can’t believe I got myself into this situation in the first place. I’m not going to give up and smoke. If I did, sure it would solve the problem and I would be able to manage things again, but that would just put off the inevitable fact that I’m going to have to go through withdrawal one way or another. Since I started this now, I have to finish it. Get over this bullshit once and for all.
Hey Dirk,
How long do the psychological effects of withdrawal last, it's been about 6 weeks and my anxiety is alot less and the rest of the withdrawals are pretty much gone exept the vivid dreams but this lingering effect of just not feeling right with my thoughts are really getting old. It's like a surreal feeling. How long do they usually last? I did smoke really strong weed, it was like one hit and your done stuff so I am thinking it might be awile. What do you think? Also is there anybody out there past the six week stage that can shed some light, thanks.
Smoking for???? Long time maybe 10 years. Not recreationally either. I am talking about almost everyday. Not a huge amount but I was high almost everyday.
Decided to stop. To be honest just need to grow up and it was getting out of hand. I wish I had the disciplne to smoke only on weekends but I just don't. I have addiction in my family background. Well at least it is weed and not booze.
I have a friend with a coke addiction and that really sucks. This is manageable but not fun.
Feeling anxiety and everyonce in awhile a mild panic attack. Nothing too crazy though. Def agree with " not feeling up beat and feeling down". Short tempered and have to bite my tongue at work.
Recently started grinding teeth. I wake up with sore jaw. Def from stress and not sleeping very good.
Just can't seem to enjoy what I used to.
I quit last summer and it sucked for about 2 weeks but exercise was a BIG BIG help. Did I mention exercise was a BIG help. Gonna try again but hopefully I can hang in there fo longer than a few months. Hard cuz it is all around me.
When I stopped last year I noticed that at about 4 weeks I started feeling good for no reason driving home or just sitting outside.
Just stick it out. Talking to other people about it (like this web site) helps. It isn't crack but anyone that tells you no withdraw is a little too much into weed. Too much of anyhting makes you an addict.
I have thought about quitting pot so many times. Usually i think of quitting when I can't find any. I date a nonsmoker, so there are a couple days here and there when I don't smoke...but I usually find a way to hide it from him. When I don't smoke I crave pot like crazy. When ave the cravings I tell myself to push the negative thoughts out of my mind, but it's extremely difficult. Whn I do go a few days wo it, I sweat, I'm irritable, have absolutely no appetite and short on patience. Getting it consumes me. I know that I am addicted bc I really do want to quit. But I always find a way to it. Another hard part of quitting is actually the thought of not smoking it anymore. It has been a HUGE part of my life for 15 years. I almost feel like I don't know how to live with out it.
A few days with no smoking. Feeling better. No anxiety or anything like that.
Actualy idea of smoking makes me sick... at least right now. Eveyonce in a while lil bug in my head makes me remember smoking a blunt or nice bowl hit but not to bad.
Grinding teeth at night starting to pass and I am starting to get some regular sleep pattern again but not totally normal.
I just realized i wanna smoke when I get excited about anything.. life in general and that makes me want to smoke which in turn kills any excitement. Wierd!
I still feel a little down but I think probably also becuase of crappy sleepy.
I'll confirm, for anyone who's not convinced yet, the comments already made many times that exercise makes a gigantic difference. I went cold turkey for about 10 days several months ago, and felt awful the whole time, practically incapacitated by nausea.
I started back up, and being unemployed and depressed, stayed high for almost every waking moment for several months. I stopped again about seven days ago, and started riding my bike every day for an hour. The first four days were miserable: riding the bike left me so weak and sick that I could hardly do anything but lie in bed for those four days. By the 5th day I was able to ride and not go to bed for the rest of the day. Yesterday I even felt good. The best part is that the debilitating nausea that I had on my first attempt is way, way less now.
In a way, I'm lucky that I'm unemployed right now, because it was possible for me to spend entire days in bed when I needed to.
If you can take the four days of misery at first, and you can afford to call in sick for that long, it's definitely worth the trouble. Ride just hard enough to make your breathing such that it's just a little bit difficult to have a conversation. No need to go any harder, but I'm guessing that if you go easier you won't really be getting any exercise.
Thanks Dirk!
You're most welcome. And may I add that your prescription of vigorous exercise and a few days off from work is a good idea for addicts in withdrawal from other drugs too.
Just wanted to say thank you for being here for all of us Dirk, this shit sucks and never seems to end at times, this site has helped me feel part of something real and not alone. I am day 11 of being clean after 20 years of daily toking and feeling great except for the anxiety attacks that seem to come and go whenever they want. my appetite has returned to normal and I have no problem sleeping either. Excercise helps, usually nice long walks or biking, as does a ton of water and vitamins I find. The first week was insane for me with every symptom mentioned here. the last two days have been fantastic, agan, minus the at some times intense anxiety (which seems to be localized in the mornings for me for about 5 hours or so, probably because i was awake and bak kinda guy then it seems to go for the day pretty much) I take everyday as a new challenge and remember that it is a process that WILL END as soon as my body is ready. hang on everybody, it does get better (too fucking slow at times to be sure),and some recover sooner than others of course, but we are not crazy and have a future free of this shit to look forward to. Stay strong all and embtace yur famil, they will b the support you need.
Nice summary of the whole deal, thanks. I've often thought that "wake and bake" tokers were more likely to exhibit addictive propensities, in the same way you wonder about the drinker who starts the day with a Bloody Mary. In both cases, there is the oppty to stay high the whole day....
I hung out with my friend yesterday who is a big smoker. He smoked around me all day and I can say I did good. Man the semll was so nice mmmmmm.... LOL No contact high either trust me. I sat by a window with a fan. Just in case. Even watching him roll it got my eyes to light up. Again anyone that thinks it is not addictive should educate themselves. He laughed at me and said " hell yea weed gives you withdrawls". He also said he would like to stop but he has other issues and feels he does not have will power right now at this point in his life.
I think MJ is the least destrcutive drug (yes booz and beer are drus too) but an addictive substance none the less.
Everyday is a lil better. Almost a week now. Anxiety getting better, no panic attacks, sleep still so-so. Still not getting the 7 -8 hours bt getting there. Crazy thing is I have smoked so long i can't remember much about life without it.
Dreams are subsiding... at least the intense one.
Again exercise... Your body releases natural pain killers that give you a real nice buzz.... LOL Plus you know you are doing something healthy. Hell you might get addicted to running.biking, weight lifting etc. Great trade off in my book.
Keep it up it is only temporary.
I hung out with a smoker but i would not recommend it. Realy tests your wil power. If you can go ahead. I would not recomend cutting off friends.. that just makes quitting harder. Maybe jsut take a week off from them if they are chronic smokers and you feel you will be tempted.
I am a 58 yr old fat woman who has smoked pot since 15 yrs old, but really ramped up when I got a scrip a year ago. That was my downfall, because I could get it anytime, so no more days off. I had always been a functional pot smoker, raised kids, have a business, community member, but having access all the time was too much to handle.
Stopped smoking June 13th. No anxiety or stomach problems yet, but I feel so wonky, so out of it, and am physically shaky, and my sight seems to be off. Am sleeping great with the use of sublingual melatonin, but want to sleep alot. My question, when does the shakiness and the wonkiness start to pass?
Had a rough afternoon/evening today. Really bad mood. Just pissed. Basically started thinking of a certian scenario today and got pissed off at just thinking about something that might happen. WOW I was FUMING!!!
Not nomral so I can only assume it is withdrawal. It was after I drank a few beers. It was hotter than hell today but no reason to get that angry. My brother told me I needed to chill and said it defenitlely was withdrawal.
Tomorrow is anoher day and will make a full week without smoking.
Ran out of weed a few days ago and facing the dry spell. With a family, kids, bills, and getting paid once a month I try to make it last, but the last count was short and as we know it's hard to ration it out.
Hate getting angry so easily. My wife and I work together and though I feel my problems with her work are valid, I usually smoke a bowl and chill about it. But, I did let her have it today, nothing physical just told her how I feel, perhaps some stored up problems that I was repressing.
I really like my weed. We live outside the US and for 3 years in the Dominican I went without for 3 years, though I did take up drinking, which I never really liked since high school, I'm 51.
So sure, the withdrawal sucks, but I find after 3 days it's not physical, and after a month I can tell myself I don't need it. But for those 3 years I was missing it as I know how much fun it is.
My first wife would say I had a real problem with it, even though she'd smoke to get to sleep every night. After our divorce I quit for a while, went on lithium for my mood swings, but didn't like that zombiesqe feeling and occasional nausea when the levels weren't right. And my life wasn't changing, in fact it was probably my lowest few years, in terms of productivity and attitude, but divorce is hard anyway, especially with kids.
So now we live in South America and I've found some friends with the kind bud, but I'm ambivalent about my use. Overheard my wife crying in the shower, cause I was mean to her, but I think I said things that I really needed to say to her. If we lose this client we're screwed and she gets a little pissy with them sometimes, and as we work as a team, I can't do her part, and we have the kids and the bills and are a long way from home.
So I'm feeling guilty, ugh, and would really like to manage the anger part better, melatonin is great for getting sleep, and I can get valium otc here, so that's an option If I'm really stressed, probably should've taken some before I yelled at her.
All considered weed has worked for me, I think. My dad and grandad died really young from heart attacks, and I think we're all Type A. So maybe weed has kept me alive, this long. I know I'll be picking up a bag in a week or two so I'm not too stressed, and you know how good that first hit after a dry spell is, plus I could stand to lose the 5 pounds from loss of appetite.
Withdrawal certainly, bad dreams, usually about my 20 yearold son back in the states who hasn't talked to me in a few years, and the first wife issues, I wake up sad and funky.
well thanks for listening, it's good therapy. Don't stress it too much guys, there are much worse things than weed. I've been off and on and up and down. And i'm better to my loved ones when I'm on it, and I know I'm not such a different person off it, maybe a little bit more of an ass, which isn't a good thing. So many of our problems run so much deeper than the herb, don't make it a scape goat, but if you can do without and not care too much, there are plenty of other things you can do with that money. chau, peace, chill...
Wow!Came across this blog eight months ago when I had had decided that I wanted to stop smoking. Time flies , went through the insomnia, sweats , moodiness , you name it! Starting exercising , therapy and am feeling alot better! It wasn't easy , but if you put your mind to it , you can do it! Don't get me wrong , I miss it , but for me, like somebody else mentioned on their comment, don't have the discipline to simply smoke on the weekends! Some of us can handle it , and some of us can't. So, to those of you , who are going through it. It does get better! Stay strong brothers and sisters! Thanks Dirk! It was a blessing stumbling on this blog! This blog is an enourmous help to those trying to quit , or just be informed on this serious, serious topic. Thanks again!
I have insomnia, I'm irritable, and I keep dwelling on this mistake I made in a relationship. Weed made it easy to get over, but now that I've stopped its difficult to control what I dwell on. I'm really dwelling on unchangeable and negative things.
When I'm on weed its easy to just forget all the bad things.
Just want to leave a follow-up to my previous comment, to encourage all of you who are suffering. I went cold turkey about three weeks ago. I've been riding my bike every day since then; I started with a one-hour ride, which was absolutely miserable for the first week, but now I'm up to two-hour rides. Here's the best part: I'm totally, totally symptom-free. I'm serious. And last time I went cold turkey I was nauseous and weird the whole time. Definitely, if you can take some time off work (or if you're luckily unemployed like me), pay the cost of the first four days of misery in order to save yourself from weeks of symptoms. Good luck to everyone, and thanks again to Dirk.
I am a 37 year long pot smoker. I have also been addicted to every other drug you can imagine. 15 years ago I began acampaign to take my life back from the self-induced slavery of addiction. I prioritized what I would quit in the order of how strong a substance it was. I recently looked at the list and weed wasn't even on it. But as I tackled these substances one by one, I noticed that the two things that weren't changing was a lack of motivation and an inability to figure out where to start on various projects. But where it really hit home was when I realized that smoking weed was hampering my ability to give up cigarettes. It seems that that I'd developed a "smoker reflex" which is the physical habit of drawing smoke into my lungs. So I said to myself, "put the weed down for a week or two and I'll be just fine."
Well after four days, I'm anything but fine. mbut it has made see that I'm addicted to weed and there is no reason not to add it to my list and subsequently scrath off when I can go 6 months with out it. That seems to be the length of time for me to be able to say I've actually quit anything. My experience with other withdrawal is helping. Weed withdrawl doesn't affect me physically (except for a uncofortable sensation in the pit of my ample belly) so I am using exercise as a distraction. Just like with cigarettes, when I want to smoke pot, I delay my decision whether or not to smoke, do 10 or 15 push ups followed by a big glass of water. This usually either stops the craving or, at least, gives me time to consider the implications if I decide to use. I learned these techniques through cognitive behavioral therapy that my therapist used to help me with alcohol. It has worked without fail so far. And I give myself plenty of time to react to situations or other people so as not to go into a rage, or a crying jag over day to day problems and diappointments. Another valuable tool is to talk, write, or type about my successes and failures concerning my recovery...oh yeah, that's what I'm doing now.
Thanks for this site. Seeing how weed addiction affects others as well as comments from Dirk and others have been very helpful
Hey Dirk, I was wondering if you or anybody else have had symptoms of muscle twitching or just a feeling of disconnect with like your fingers or toes? This has happened to me regularly after about the 1 and a half month mark of weed withdrawal. thx.
General muscle restlessness, restless legs, that kind of thing, does get mentioned sometimes.
Dirk,
i just want to thank you for putting in the time and research into the post to help people like me.The article and other peoples comments have given me more hope about quiting than anything else.Its sad that this issue isn't covered enough and its also frustrating that a lot of people(some of those people i am very close to)
think that marijuana withdrawals are a joke.i started smoking at the end of my senior year and after i graduated it just got out of hand and its been 4 years since i graduated and its just gotten worse over that course of time.i would have 5 smoke sessions a day and each session i would have somewhere between 3 to 5 gravity hits per session depending on the quality of weed.I have been smoking for 4 and wanting to quit for at least 2 years but it wasn't until about 3 days ago that i had enough motivation to quit and so far i have been successful.im in hospital debt,i have no job,not in college,and i haven't had a real girlfriend or a real relationship since i became a heavy smoker either because i would rather be high than go on a date(as sad as that sounds)somewhere or i would like the girl enough to go out of my way for her but as soon as they found out about my smoking habit they would drop me because of it anyway i found a lot of useful information on this page that is giving me the confidence to ride the withdrawals out mentally.Thank you Dirk once again and everyone going through the same things i am who took the time to share there experiences.
Thanks. Glad the site was of use to you.
Pot is supposed to be this social drug, but heavy users find that, like any addict, their field of activity and circle of friends tends to narrow markedly as time goes on.
you brought up some good points about activities and being around friends.i have 2 passions in my life and that is working out(lifting weights,running,biking,and hitting the punching bag) and the other one i have been doing since before i could walk and talk was video games (believe it or not).i smoked a lot of weed before,during,and after i did these activities.since i quit i have to force myself to workout without weed because its one of the essential and effective ways to get over this problem.its really hard to game.i turn on my 360 and almost as fast as i do that i lose the ambition to play video games(pretty pathetic i know.its like eating food but without taste-buds.Pot has also played a huge part negatively about being around my friends.On a typical friday or saturday night when there all blowing up my phone about wanting to hangout(even wanted to smoke me out)i would always ignore there calls and just stay at home and just get totally blazed by myself instead of even thinking about hanging out with them.its like ok im just going to smoke instead is what my brain would always tell me instantly.im lucky i still have some of the friends i do since i did this 3 out of 4 weekends a month.
Great article & great posts, really helps me understand my problem and what I'm going through.
Been a heavy social smoker for 15+years now but really hit the pipe after being diagnosed w. cancer a few months ago. Needless to say this really fed into my cancer-triggered depression, making it hard for me to function in everyday life. Once the cancer was dealt with I really wanted to kick the habit and get my life back.
I started smoking less around 5 weeks ago and quit cold turkey around 2 weeks ago - but now my withdrawal symptoms are awful!
I didn't realize what was happening until this morning and this post/thread has really put thing in perspective.
I'm experiencing heavy anxiety, light paranoia, irritability, lack of concentration, insomnia, nightmares and now I feel like I have the flu.
I'm doing my best to keep sane (my mind is in overdrive) and find a few things help:
- logging my feelings/symptoms, it helps me understand what's going on in my body
- splurging on healthy "treats" like organic ginger ale, ice cream or anything that'll substitute my craving with a healthy choice (since thc binds w. fat I'm making sure to eat enough healthy fat to help dissolve it - not sure if this makes sense)
- exercise & water
- keeping my mind and body occupied, since I'm not able to concentrate this is just simple stuff like doing the laundry and watching TV but NOTHING that I used to do when I was baked (because that seems to bring back the craving)... so now I'm watching cool documentaries online
So I really appreciate the posts & words of wisdom...I always said that if you can't pass a drug test & qut smoking to get a job that you have issues...now I might be one of them! It sucks but I think my smoking has also been increasing my depression & just never really wanted to admit it. I'm dfinitely looking forward to being clear headed though I'm going to miss the leisurely evenings of smoking after the kids go down. Who knows, maybe my new ritual for now will be reading the posts since they are definitely comforting:)
It feels like ages ago that i was going thru pot withdrawal. I feel bad for anyone that has to go thru it. I remember how difficult it was, and it felt like it would never end. Its been seven months, and im 100 percent back to normal. Even though, its really hard, hope is most important. You will get through this. Whether you can go back to smoking ever once and a while or not is a different question. I remember the feeling that something was constantly wrong and never knowing what. It was horrible. But, i know that things get better youve just gotta stick it out. Good luck everone...the jorney aheads kinda shitty i no, but itll be worth it.
Thanks for your comments. A very straightforward picture of the situation.
I posted a comment on May 25th talking about how I worked in a chem lab and had been sober for three weeks. Since then I've been mostly sober (barring one joint 7 weeks ago) and have dealt with my lingering withdrawal symptoms.
However, about three weeks ago I was involved in a lab fire where I received 2nd degree burns on my hand, arm, neck and face. I refused the morphine the paramedics offered me and only took advil. I never felt a tremendous amount of pain and didn't feel like pot would do anything but hurt my situation. During the first week of healing I noticed I wasn't dreaming much and felt like my sleep wasn't effective. Then, in the following week I had very vivid and intense dreams. Simultaneously, I felt out of it, dizzy, and very anxious (similar to how quitting weed felt). During the third week the anxiety attenuated somewhat. The only real lingering symptom has been these steady headaches localized in the left frontal area around my eye (only somewhat similar to pot withdrawal). At the end of week three I have physically healed with remarkably little to no scaring anywhere and have no tendon damage in my hand.
My question is, will my responses to stressful situations be affected by my previous experience smoking weed? specifically is it likely I will feel withdrawal-like symptoms if my body released endorphins, adrenaline, and other endogenous cannabinoids?
The guy that said he is 7 months clean and feeling 100% - I was wondering if you could tell me a little more detail about what you went thru, like how many months until you were 100% and what symptoms you had after 3 months. I am on a little over 3 months now and still don't feel 100% yet. I still have some anxiety on some days and a kind of confused/not feeling right feeling. Any details would be great, thx.
So I'm 5 days in now w/out smoking & the first couple days were so so but now it's really getting to be bad w/the anxeiety & edginess. I really didn't think I would experience that bad of w/drawal & I know it's not as bad as it could be but it definitely sux. Does anyone have suggestions for how to manage the anxiety naturally? I do work out & it definitely helps but am looking for other suggestions. Also, what is the timeframe where you really start to feel good & "normal"? I'm 30 & smoked on/off in highschool, went through a stint in my early 20's for a couple years where I smoked a lot & quit for several years due to work but started smoking every day again about 2 years ago. I'm hoping that since I was only a heavy smoker for the last 2 years that it won't be so bad or last as long. Sorry for being long winded but I am really looking for some answers/suggestions & wanted to give the full picture of my situation.
Old story: Guy is studying with his guru, doing yoga, reading texts, meditating, etc. And finally he asks his guru: "Hey, you know, exactly long will it take for me to become enlightened?
And the guru answers: "Exactly as long as it take for you to quit asking questions like,'how long does it take?'"
Point being that at some stage people kind of stop asking that, and accept a day-to-day approach to it.
(Figure anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on your individual metabolism and addictive propensities.)
Hey Jessica,
I have read alot of posts and one thing I have noticed is that it varies greatly. I know for myself I got it really bad and had several panic attacks the first week and a few minor one's in the weeks to follow. I am just over 3 months now and I still get anxious and my brain just doesn't feel quite right sometimes. Here are some suggestions that have helped me get through this terrible time in my life..
1. Exercise
2. Eat Healthy
3. Fish oil capsules/Omega 3's
4. L-Theanine
Just try and realize when you get anxious that IT WILL PASS and you will get back to normal again. And try to avoid stressful situations until you start feeling better. One thing that helped me greatly was just try and keep myself busy doing anything, it helps keep your mind off yourself and what's going on. I only smoked for 5 months before this happened to me although it was extremely strong skunk. I would say it will last between 2-4 months from what I've read but it has been shorter for other people and longer for others so just hang in there.
DIRK,
I am at about 3 months now and I went to the doctor last week because I am still having anxiety and strange thought patterns, anyways he told me a story about a science experiment in France where they put cyanide in rats and then tested them to see how long it took for the poison to come out in their urine and stool. Some of them only excreted 30% of it and the rest was stored their body somewhere. So they put a tiny bit of cyanide in the rats to trigger the rest of it or something and for the next 72 hours the rats released the rest of the cyanide. I thought this might be whats up with me because I took a pee test 4 days after smoking weed for 5 months straight every day all day and there was no trace of THC in my urine. The doctor said he wished he could order Canibis Indica 30c tablets for me to trigger the remaining THC in my body so it will release it. What do you think?
Don't know what to think. It's not a procedure I've ever heard of before and I don't know of any evidence for it, sorry.
Hey Dirk,
Ya it seems like putting more THC in my body would not be a good thing but I don't know I am not a doctor. He said that any toxin stored in the body would flush out if it was triggered, seems weird but at this point after 3 months I'm almost willing try it.
So today is my 7th day without smoking! I felt like total shit on day 5 with anxiety & was very ornery & just wanted to jump all over anyone that crossed my path & felt like I couldn't really stop myself, also weird thought patterns. However I woke up the next day & felt great (day 6) and then again today pretty good...however I catch myself subconsciously thinking all of a sudden out of nowhere that I'm gonna go pack one & I realize Oh yeah I'm not smoking and I am associating it with certain routines or habits such as how a cigg smoker wants that cigg w/coffee or after eating a meal. So I'm starting to really think mine is more of a psychological addiction and not so much physical though I know that's been part of it. The bad part is that I think the psych addiction is probably worse cuz how do you shake it if it's really all in your head? I'm guessing time is the answer & to create new habits...anyone know what I'm talking about though? I am a creature of habit in most aspects of my life too or I suppose that's what an addictive personality is. Though I'll definitely say I don't really even want to smoke, I mean if I had the chance (and I do) I would turn it down in a heartbeat cuz I know I"ll feel worse & be pissed off at myself for smoking. Just wanna say thanx for all the great posts because they help more than you know (or you probably do know I guess). This too shall pass...
These story's trials and tribulations are for the most part inspiring. I think it's important in the long run to remember that any side effects or withdrawal symptoms are positive signs of our body and mind changing and adapting to a "normal" (pardon the pun) and healthy homeostasis.
I've been a long time (20 + years) heavy (multiple times per day) smoker and was dare I say even an advocate for some years. I quit a few times once for years but always came back. Lately I've noticed a diminishing return which is inevitable with any and all drugs (usually the key factor in a gateway to heavier harder use) and realized quite simply but very powerfully that I just don't want my kids to grow up knowing their daddy is a pot head. Or for them to end up being the same. Not to mention the doors it closes on finding decent employment, well still in most parts of the USA.
So with these very real and good reasons to put down the pipe, I have once and for all. Week 4 of going clean and life is starting to clear of the haze and my positive reality is starting to creep back in.
Best wishes to all who have the courage to stand up and fight for themselves and their loved ones and put down the pipe. Today's weed is the real deal; don't let anybody tell you it's not addictive or destructive because it is.
I quit on July 24th. I STILL have problems sleeping and have the most vivid dreams when I do sleep.
I got some tea. It was from a store that has hundreds of different types. It is called "sleppy time tea." It is the only thing that helps me sleep. I mean ambien does, but I feel like such shit after taking it and don't want to be addicted to something else. For those of you who can't sleep I highly suggest it.
This is the second time I quit. I had no tea or ambien the first time and was up for 30 straight days!!
Hello everyone,
My husband and I are giving up the habit after 20 + years. We are 40, professionals, and like most of you, we didn't realize how addicting this stuff can be. It really does sneak up on you, and whereas running out in younger years was just inconvenient, now it brings on panic attacks. We have a small child and weed is the only way we break the law, which sucks - but there it is. I am a psychotherapist working with children and I take every opportunity to let them know using anything that activates the reward pathway in the brain will become a habit eventually. I love marijuana but it does not love me. I've been free for just a few days and it is all I can think about. My dreams are also vivid and frightening, and I have a lot of guilt because I am a mother and a therapist.
I wanted to expand on some of the depressive symptoms people report. The stoner in me says there is no depression, but the therapist in me knows better. No one smokes weed constantly for no reason - there is always a void being filled if you ask me.
Reading this gave me hope and made me feel like less of a freak. There sure are a lot of us! I do hope they legalize it for our deficit and for the people who are ill....but I see it through new eyes now. Good luck to all.
"In a sky full of people, only some want to fly - isn't that crazy?" - Seal
I've been coming on your blog since February and been struggling with quitting after starting near daily use in beg of September 2009. I go to university the bulk of the year and my roommates are all major smokers. I find it's hard to resist then - I never go out of my way to buy weed or even think of it when i'm not at university. I've had a pretty smoke free summer fortunately and since February - i'd say i've been smoke free about 50% of the time. I find that it's not hard to quit at all - but if I do it once, I do it for a week or two in a row until I get back on track lol.
Anyhow, just posting about my continued struggle. I feel better now that i'm not smoking daily and it's been about 24 days since I last smoked! And i've only smoked 2 days in July so i've had a very clean past month.
No cravings for weed, at all. Not even on day one... only thing I get is anxiety and shakiness, even after just one session. I also find that the withdrawals slightly change up every time I quit. And I find myself often bored with life pondering if there's anything worth living for.
Anyhow, here's to hoping I can stay away from weed - moving back with my roommates in 4 days..
Man Dirk i really thank you and everyone for there input on whats happening to them after smoking Pot i started at 14yrs of age i am now 19 so thats 5years of blunt smoking everyday i am now 3weeks sorber but boy does it sucks may lack of appetite,vivid dreams(nightmares),sweating hands,BAD ANXIETY,i mean crap i never thought WEED would take a toll on me like this but like i said reading these stories really helped me relax and be calm more cause at first i couldn't even enjoy my new XBOX360 cuase of the crapy feelings i was going through but im hanging in there just like everyone else so i can get my life back and get my health back on track aswell WE CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING GUYS JUST DONT GIVE UP! :)
Like others I am glad I found this site. I have some of the symptoms, sweats and low grade headach mostly. I stopped for two reasons: 1) Cost - just remodeled my bathroom so low on funds now. 2) It was hurting my relationship with my wife and family.
I have smoked for 35 years, but there was a period of about 15 years I didn't smoke at all. I smoke because I love the high. Lately though I have been smoking IMO to much. When I get home I just kind of eat dinner then sit and chill watching sports or whatever. This has effected my sexual motivation which of course isn't good for a relationship. I never noticed the withdrawals before because I would go on travel overseas for work for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. (cannot take weed overseas at least I did not want to chance it). And I never noticed anything other then what I thought was jet lag. I think the withdrawals were lesser for me since I work out almost every day. But I know now why I sweat so much now when I work out. It has been 10 days since I burned last and am starting to feel better. But I will smoke again but with the help of my wife will regulate it to "special" occasions like concerts or such. I have a medical MJ card (CA) and would recommend anyone who smokes to get one if their state provides this. I think the point is the too much of anything can be bad and like most of you I have a addictive personality when it comes to pot...so I realize that I need help controlling it. I am fortunate that I have a wife that I can discuss this with who doesn't judge me and understands my desires. Again thanks for all your posts.
Tom said...
I've been smoking for about 10 years. Had some breaks (8 months and 6 months), graduate with problems and now I'm very stressful at work which I can not lose, because my close family depend on me and I can really take them down. I took the week off to get me straight out but as I'm diagnosed with bipolar Disorder it's very very hard. I take Seroquel 600mg and Lamictal 50mg and if don't sleep enough my brain just doesn't work. Weed was mostly the stimulant as I had better speaking abilities and I could make everyone laugh. I didn't want to spread my depression on others and that was the main reason I keep doing weed.
If I step down from work I put my closest family to jeopardy and that can have terrible consequences. It's my third day without weed and I know it will be thought but I just have to make it. I have to hide my depression, act normal and do duties. It's insanely difficult but If I step down, thing will go even more nastier.
My family doesn't know that I'm on weed and psychiatrist knows it but we don't talk about it. Lack of energy is the main problem, more I try, the further I fall.
The concentration would be the main issue, but as I said my abilities are weak and responsibilities huge.
What to do now? Weed was the main power to overcome suicidal thought but also the main reason of it. It's a shitty loop-hole but I have to make it.
Paul has left a new comment on the post "Marijuana Withdrawal":
Are you fucking serious? I drank 2 red bulls a day for 7 years (thats like 5 coffees a day), and had 2 week withdrawal that's WAAAAAAY worse than any weed withdrawal I had. I have weed withdrawal because I take it for stomach pains, but before I had the stomach condition, I never had any problems quitting. Sure, I had anxiety and a boring life after quitting, but that's about it. Coffee is a harder drug than weed, when it comes to addictiveness and withdrawal symptoms. I would like to see the DEA raid a coffee farm. Fat chance, since 80-90% of the world consumes it, it's socially acceptable. This is all about politics. Alcohol is worse than both, and you don't see this much effort in curbing its usage.
Do you mean: Are the hundreds of people who have posted here about how hard they struggled to quit cannabis fucking serious? They certainly sound like they're serious. What do you think? Are they all lying except you?
Marijuana Forum has left a new comment on your post "Marijuana Withdrawal":
The symptoms discussed here are fairly common, I hear from lots of people who experience these kind of symptoms as a result of quitting marijuana, they usually pass within a few weeks for most people, but things like anxiety and depression can last for quite some time, for some people it can be months. The one thing I have learnt running the forum that I run is that we can all recover at different rates, but hang in there people you will get there in the end.
Yep lots of good stuff over on the Cannabis support board at ForumMatters.com.
Anonymous has left a new comment on the post "Marijuana Withdrawal":
I wrote in about a month ago saying that I have been off weed for 7 months. I remember that I still had some anxiety the third month in. I think it took about 5 months to be 100 percent. The most important thing is to try and move forward. As dirk said stop constantly asking if you are better. You will feel better, and this will end. Don't go back to it though for a while. I remember I did after a month, and I had to go through the withdrawal process again. I guarantee that this will end for you. Don't always question if things are normal. Focus on just improving and you will get over this faster. I strongly believe worrying affects how long this lasts.
I have had a passionate love affair with marijuana which has lasted for about two years. There has been nothing else that I have come across that has left me feeling as wonderful as weed. However, my memory is shameful. I know that mine has not always been a good one; but it has taken a turn down scary road.
Due to this fact, I have brought it upon myself to abstain from pot for an undetermined amount of time. I had always heard that there were no withdraw symptoms to weed. But since I quit three days ago I have been restless, having a low grade anxiety, sweaty, having horrible headaches, and so on. I went on-line tonight to see if there were in fact symptoms of withdraw. To my surprise there are. I'm a little pissed that I never have heard about these real symptoms. Oh yeah, its after midnight and i'm still awake. I usually am in bed by ten. This sucks.
I am a 25 year old guy who first smoked pot at 15. Started out casually at first, but within a few short months I was an everyday, multiple-times-a-day smoker. I loved the culture surrounding usage at this time: biking around town with my buddies getting into mischief, girls, etc. My golden years of smoking. When I was 17 I abstained for 7 months...then smoked again with my best friend. Kept it occasional for maybe a month or two and then resumed heavy usage. I have 3-5 periods of 30-60 days being clean, but still smoking weed loomed large in my mind, hence the periods' never lasting more than a couple months. I haven't had a period like that in about a year. The golden years of smoking are long gone. My preference shifted from social use to solitary use. My main focus has been on staying high. Having just typed that, I don't want to own that statement, but it's true. I've been thinking about quitting constantly over the past couple months. A few days ago I had a smoke-free day for the first time in several months. The next evening I smoked and was taken aback by how much I enjoyed it and craved more almost immediately after i was finished with my session. Got some more, smoked the next couple of days. Yesterday broke open my last teeny-tiny roach, put the negligible little bit of weed in a pipe, smoked it. Barely a buzz. Got cravings around 6pm, made some calls; waited wanting weed; by the time I was getting called back 8pm the acute craving had passed and I was able to ignore the calls. Today I'm feeling the irritability and not very hungry, a little more clear headed. Anyway, I'm posting this to help me and anyone reading this to quit any problematic usage of weed. For me that's very likely any usage, I want to put this shit behind me. (As I type that, voice in head: oh but you can't not smoke weed ever again!) But, really, I could if i wanted to and probably wouldn't be missing much, maybe would be gaining from not. I think a sense of community here may help me actually make a break this time. I definitely will come back and update you all on how my abstinence goes. Until later -- "CleanLungGuy"
pot withdrawal will make you feel like crap for sure. Any substance can be addicting, and anxiety which is a trademark symptom can come from any drug. I binge drank for 12 years strait, it ruined my life, but when i quit i experienced no withdrawals. I also have had the pleasure of loosing 5 years of my life to heroin, so all these withdrawels feel relatively the same, just in varying degrees. It will change per person, some people i know, have abused opiates for years and oddly enough they don't get anything but the anxiety during withdrawels, its all personalized. Pot is by far the least harmful out of all the substances we have out today. In fact i would trust marijuana over an ssri any day, and i have taken every ssri, snri and try cyclic on the market. If any of these morons posting facts without experience have something to say or debate about marijuana, they need to ask someone with first hand experience rather then just relying on rats to tell them the truth.
Drugs are not addictive in my opinion. And AA groups are worthless, they will tell you addiction is a disease and you will live your life in fear of relapse. Addiction comes from an underlying cause, there is a reason a person uses marajuana or heroin or anything. If you use it daily, there is more of a reason then "i just like marajuana." you will constantly relapse and never fully heal until you identify and fix the underlying causes. Addiction is a symptom not a disease.
I quit smoking weed just over 4 months ago just before a panic attack left me on my face. Since then I have had severe anxiety up until this very moment and I still have distorted thinking like I am going crazy sometimes and all these feeling of unreality. Is this thing every going to subside? I don't know how much longer I can take this rollercoaster ride, I mean I can barely work anymore because of these lingering symptoms. Has anyone had these symptoms for this long? Should I think of it as something else like schitzophrenia or something? I constantly feel apprehensive of going out and doing things even with my wife at this point and don't know what to make of all this. If anyone has had anxiety and faulty thinking for this long please post for me, thx.
Nobody's relying on rats. You skipped over several hundred first-person testimonials. Glad your withdrawals were easy but metabolisms vary.
the first three days are the worst.
if you can normalize your appetite during those three days, the rest of the withdrawal period (3 weeks till it is out of your fat) is much easier.
i quit for 3 weeks a year, give the liver a chance to clean out.
those three weeks make it possible for the grass to work more effectively afterward, and it gives my willpower a boost.
without grass i would not be able to eat, i would not be able to have anywhere near the quality of life i have now.
while it is something to be treated carefully, the substance is not to be feared or demonized.
and when it comes to addictive substances, if you have an addiction to large ammounts of pot, the physical toll is so much lower, that one might argue the addiction is preferrable to virtually any other.
oh, except to say that exercise helps quite a bit.
all the other times i have quit, i was not under a strict exercise regimen.
this time, i am jumping rope 15 mins a day and it ia making withdrawal much easier.
pax et bonum
I think that everything you say is true. But unfortunately, it isn't true for everybody, in every case. I don't know where the average would fall for pot withdrawal, but some people do struggle with it over longer periods of time.
Dirk. Thanks for this site. It's great to know that I'm not the only one going through this. I'm not really sure if my post has a point but I just felt I wanted to share my story and the situation that I find myself in now.
I'm 37 and have been smoking skunk every day since the age of 22.
It has been the love of my life and I've been able to function at 'normal capacity' on it, holding down a job and maintaining healthy relationships with my b/f (a non-smoker), friends (only 1 of whom is a habitual user like i was) and family. I also didn't hide it from anyone. Not even my parents (although i never smoked in front of them). Love me love my habit is what I used to think!
Pretty quickly skunk became like oxygen to me. I needed it to do the housework, or when cooking dinner. I love watching TV and movies and couldn't even do that without a joint. Even going shopping meant I would have to roll one for the car journey. Interestingly when I knew I couldn't have it, for example during the working day or when visiting my parents for the day I could quite happily cope until I returned home and then the first thing I'd do when walking through the door was roll one.
I also developed a fondness for alcohol. For me nothing went together better than a fat joint and vodka and red bull and I'd go through 1 litre of Smirnoff and about 15 cans of Red Bull a week. Nowhere near alcoholic levels but still not great for general health.
The reason I smoked my last joint on Friday 24th September at 2.30pm was because my b/f and I want to start a family and I don't think that smoking skunk is a particularly effective aid to conception, especially at my age and not really something a person should be doing when thinking of becoming a parent. For me anyway. I am not criticising any parent out there who does smoke!
If I'm totally honest I had also become alarmed that on the odd occasion when I ran out for a couple of days I would feel panic stricken and climb the walls and I couldn't enjoy holidays abroad as it meant I'd have to do without it for however long I was away from home for.
So I'm 3 days in and I really am in hell. I'm experiencing muscle aches, headaches, I'm constantly crying over the 'loss' of my best friend. The worst part is the insomnia and night sweats. At this early stage I am feeling like I will NEVER get a good night's sleep again and the dreams......well, they are something else although I am actually finding them quite amusing! I hadn't actually realised that I hardly ever dreamt until I started dreaming again, thankfully no nightmares yet and I hope it stays that way. On the upside my taste for my beloved vodka and red bull went hand in hand with my fondness for skunk and that has disappeared overnight. My liver is rejoicing!
I'm getting ready for bed now and staring down the barrel of my first full day at work off skunk (I called in sick today) and I am dreading it.
But I'm also looking forward to the day that I wake up and realise that I have 'cracked' this dependance (I see it as a dependance rather than addiction) and I sincerely hope that that day is closer than I think.
Call it dependence, call it addiction, point is you are aware of the symptoms and therefore a step ahead in dealing with it all. Every drug you can get addicted to is a net dopamine and serotonin depleter in the long run. Which means withdrawal will always feel lousy for a while. Smart of you to take a day off, and don't forget you've chosen to come off regular alcohol and caffeine at the same time. Just be thankful you're not quitting cigarettes, too!
Hey all!!! nobody is alone in this battle we all seem to be sharing with marijuana!
I have smoked weed relentlessly since I was 14 and I am now 24. I totally underestimated the challenge ahead when I decided to quit smoking weed 2 weeks ago. It is a challenge I am winning yet I am constantly facing new symptoms and challenges with each day that goes by. The most concerning one for me or one affecting me most is the life like nightmares im having which are leaving me petrified in the middle of the night almost caught between two worlds due to the realism of the nightmares I am experiencing. Of the 14 days I have had off I have dreamt similar nightmares on about 6 occasions now and I am finding the day that follows these vivid dreams a real challenge (but certainly not something I wont overcome!!) I am finding inner strength, patience and the idea of a much brighter future my stimulus to keep up my abscence from my weed affair!!
It is not easy and im sure each person has differing prevalent symptoms. My mind still does not feel fully awake and I am hoping that with my renewed interest in excercise and my continually inproving appetite, that with time my mind will waken further and improve my quality of life.
I must say i still very uch feel that even though I have gone colod trukey for three weeks i am still very much in the process of withdrawal but by reading many of your other guys comments on here its great to hear it will only get better.. will be doing my third weight session tomorrow and my second jog so I will be sure to update the site to inform any ohter people going through similar things as me , what my progress is!!!
Stay Positive and Speak soon!!
xx
{POSTED FOR L M}
"and they describe a psychological state of existential uncertainty—“inner unrest,”"
I exclaimed out loud as soon as I read this and felt instantly relieved. This sentence precisely explains something which I had trouble explaining to my girlfriend, wherein I said that "reality felt like it's flexing...bursting or expanding suddenly." I even said that I felt like I "was going to die," which contradicted my positive attitude during the moments I experienced this feeling. Because of the myopic attitude towards marijuana addiction, information that would have helped me cope better has been kept out of the mainstream. Also, while floating about in a sea of "rewarding" anandamide, I just didn't consider the possibility of withdrawal problems until it recently became a problematic reality for me.
The lack of dialogue for this problem is what made rehab almost useless for me…. It was rough at first, but I really wanted to kick the habit. It was very difficult to do this because rarely did I meet people in that recovery circle who expressed positive concern for my addiction. Almost everyone I opened up to just chuckled when I told them why I was there. They said "weed is not an addictive drug." I mentioned my addiction with a hint of begrudging for the shame I felt around these people. I understood completely where they were coming from, as many of them were recovering decades-long ex meth-heads, alcoholics, and heroin junkies. I agreed with them that their addictions were far more difficult than mine. Nonetheless, I truly wanted some support and didn't feel that I was going to get any. That's why I never attended any meetings. How could I? I imagined that I'd be asked to introduce myself and my addiction to a room full of people just staring at me and thinking "Are you serious?" Yeah, I was serious. Meanwhile, I contracted a nasty habit of drinking a couple of pots of coffee a day just to cope withthe "edginess" of withdrawal, which should tell you a lot about how bad it was. Despite the adversity of popular opinion, living in that house in itself was good for recovery as I spent much more time reflecting on my thoughts; I realized how much I had numbed myself from feeling emotions. Unfortunately, because no one took me seriously, after four months, I just moved out. A few more months could have really helped in the long run. Only many months later, after a night of hard drinking and alcohol poisoning, did I realize how dangerous it is to avoid one's feelings.
Helpful site you've got here, man. After I saw this post, I proceeded to read almost every comment here. Thanks for using some of your own time to help inform people like me. I will be thinking about this.
I just came across this site and it was very therapeutic to read these people's comments. I have stopped smoking weed now for a little over a month. I'm 20 years old. I really want to share my story.
It started as a social thing when I was 17 and slowly I found myself seeking it out at parties, etc. Soon I started putting myself in stupid, trashy situations to get it. I was pretty much dating this guy when I was 18just because I knew he could provide me weed for free all the time. Over tiime, I had my own stash constantly. My identity changed. Things that involved effort were a total burden, but I continued doing them, but my reward was always to get high afterwards. I made bongs out of apples all the time, etc. I loved getting high, and my friends and I had so much fun doing it. I'm a fun stoner, not someone who is lame and falls asleep or whatever. So i had fun with it when I smoked, but i started to notice it was def a self meditcation thing after while. i never wanted to feel uncomfortable.
Anyways, when I got to the college of my dreams (I am a really good student, etc) I realized that I HATED it there. I didn't like the people there; they all seemed too focused on sucess and stuff, and reminded me of who I might have been, but I was just so resentful about who the hell knows what. I started seeking out weed on campus all the time, and starting hanging out with really stupid people just to get high. Soon, I was going to class high. Leaving campus constantly to drive around in my car blasting music and toking up. I was always high at work, etc, and no one knew because I was a functional stoner. My one friend and I, all we did was plan WHEN and where we were going to smoke, and it became the only thing we talked about. I started to see that all of my relationships were centered around getting high. One day on my work break, I stumbled into a bookstore and bought this self help book on addiction. I just felt really lost. Being a psychology major, I really enjoyed the book and was totally honest with myself when reading the book. Anyways, I tried quitting a million times but always gave in. In January, I went away to Europe for 5 months to study abroad, (ps. my grades, nothing suffered while i was a pot head, but i was starting to feel super empty and realized that life wasnt enjoyable anymore) and when I was there, I had some revealations about life. basically i realised that being high all the time is pointless.
i enjoyed life so much without it.
am i still tempted? YES! More now after a month than before. i agree about teh dreams in the earlier posts, mine are really intense.
also i have dreams that i DO smoke weed and i am really upset at myself in the dream. i keep thinking in it, 'a whole month of being sober wasted' etc.
being a pothead was in short, TOO EASY. really. ANYONE can be a pothead, but how many people have great opportunities in life, etc?
I quit for myself. NO ONE ELSE. and i knwo that i will hate myself if i give into it, b/c i truly dont believe that i could do it only on weekends, etc. I can only do it all the time or never. it's that easy. and i have learned that from trying to quit before.
EVERYONE out there trying to quit: please listen to this: life is such a beautiful thing and we dont have to be stoned out of our minds to appreciate it.
i hope this post inspired someone and i am happy for everyone out there trying to quit, b/c weed IS addictive.
-Sarah
Sarah,
I cant believe how similar your story is to mine. I am also 20 and started smoking off and on but was doing it regular for about 2 years now. well i've quit. day 8. yay me! but last night i had a dream also that i had hit a bowl and then i was sooooo pissed at myself! like i woke up and almost thought it was true for a second. been having crazy dreams. but your so right you become dependent on it and you really think you need it to function. and just like you i went to school, work , shopping and parties high as a kite and nobody knew.. well besides my friends. but now that i've quit i have realized i got a lot more money in my pocket and im facing all my issues instead of hiding them by smoking a joint and pretending everything's all right, when clearly it's not. its nice to know i soon will be able to pass a drug test and only better things can come from that! i try to stay positive and not give in to temptation everyday as hard as it is still on day 8, i know i can do it!
Bam♥♥
I sit here with tears streaming down my face. Tears of hope and meaning that felt lost. I can't tell you, Dr. Hanson, what this article and reading these comments have done for me
I started smoking marijuana at the age of 16 and gradually became a habitual user, smoking at least once a day for 4 straight years until the age of 20 when I quit 'cold turkey'. I felt no withdrawal symptoms, zero, absolutely nothing. This lead me to believe that withdrawal symptoms were simply 'weakness of mind'.
I began smoking marijuana again 3 years later to ease the tension of grad school. Again, I became a habitual user for just over a year until a little over one week ago (October 14, 2010). I sometimes get anxiety attacks from smoking weed, with minute tremors throughout the day. The reason I quit again was due to the magnitude of the last anxiety attack. I decided it was time to quit. Since then, I have experienced manic depressive symptoms stemming from the inability to turn off my thoughts-severe anxiety. What I felt, was a feeling of permanent loss of interest and meaning in life. It felt as if my so-called understanding of the meaning of life lead me to nihilism. A lonely, horrible and empty feeling to be sure. I came on here from a search on "marijuana withdrawal' and found this site offering people's accounts of the same exact experiences that I have been having,saying that it gets better, and the article explaining the anxiety that is caused by quitting. The thing is, I think I knew that this was a chemical imbalance, but it just didn't matter. I was asking myself this one question over-and-over: Would this go away?
I believe that I have a few more weeks of some significant 'low-moments'and I will share my experiences here as I go on until I feel normal again. It is incredibly comforting to see that I am not alone, but on the other hand, it is incredibly disconcerting how little people know about marijuana withdrawal symptoms. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, that marijuana withdrawal is very, very real. I have felt no symptoms, and then I have felt terror.
Thank you for this article and thank you to everyone who have shared their experiences.
Thanks for your story. When people find out that other folks feel the same way when they quit, it helps take some of the trauma out of the deal.
And no matter what active addiction you are withdrawing from, I can guarantee you that most people have been where you've been, asking the central question: Am I gonna feel this shitty forever? A good question, with an even better answer: No.
Dirk (I'm no doctor) Hanson
Thanks for the article. Although not that nutrient in content and scientific details the comments on personal experiences has really helped.
I just started quitting today and feel very very irritated. I was just playing Halo and couldn't contain my anger so i had to stop...
Ok on to the details. I've been smoking for a month nonstop. I've spent about 60 bucks. In 24 hours im heavily stoned 17, the rest was for sleep. As soon as I woke up the "wake n bake" thought dominated me. Just had to.
During the effects I was no longer feeling "high". I wasn't feeling at all. No emotions so it was good enough. The only downside was that i felt very very tired and lack of oxygen.
Now in the withdrawal stage my thoughts are not well organized, I feel pissed off about everything, even about writing this comment.
I should be out quicker than the rest... but I worry that I can't achieve that emotion of nirvana and well being with out cannabis, since I'm naturally a hostile guy.
Thank You Hanson,
And every one else. I must have read 300 of these posts. I saw myself in so many of them. How and why I started, how it turned into daily use, my justifications for it, how it really feels like heartbreak.
It's day 5; yesterday, the rage and hatred and hopelessness scared me. I slept poorly last night and woke up sad and nauseated. I was looking for a detox cure, I don't want to go through this. But reading that others are going through the same kind of thing has helped. Thank you, for your encouragement and your work.
Always happy to hear when the comments here have been of use to someone.
I've been a daily smoker for over 20 years and have been off for less than a week due to a cold... I seem to have all the symptoms of withdraw that I thought were part of my cold.This article really help me get a handle on how I have been feeling for the last week.I don't really have the urge to smoke like I have for so long.
thank you
Anonymous
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.
I have been off weed for just about 2 weeks now and I'm terrified. It seems as soon as I stopped, i've been suffering with a whole host of health problems.
For the first few days the thought of food/feel of food in my mouth was absolutely repulsive. I've been suffering with diarrhea, although my experiences in the bathroom seem to be returning to normality (although i'm not quite there yet) I've suddenly stopped craving sugary food, I can only eat savoury things as sugar makes me nauseous. I've lost a lot of weight very suddenly. I just look and feel quite run down. Psychological withdrawal symptoms seem to be subsiding aswell, I definitely know the feeling of 'existential uncertainty' for the first few days of my withdrawal - I was pacing around the house, feeling like I should be doing something but I didn't know what it was, it was like.. I was walking around looking for an answer for a question I didn't even know. I was anxious, my palms were sweating profusely, my temperature has been all over the place and I've had a really dry mouth.
but yeah, the worst of it seems to have passed, my appetite is returning, (still haven't managed to put back on any weight though) I can sleep again, my palms don't sweat and I'm not having any toilet-trauma.
I've been smoking weed for about 5 years, although up until 2008 I was an occaisional user, but I've been a non stop all day everyday user for about 2 years. I'm 19 years of age and I honestly wish that if I could go back in time and make sure I never touched the stuff, I really would and I advise anybody who's toying with the idea of quitting to do it NOW. because not enough research has gone into cannabis, it has it's benefical purposes but anything that becomes an addiction is never benefical. At the moment my health is slowly slipping away from me, and I know it's because I've smoked weed for so long. So please, don't let it get as far as I did, I know there are tonnes of you that have smoked for a lot longer than I have, but i find that the severity of the withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person, I have an addictive personality as it is, so I shouldve really saw this one coming. but yeah anyway - I wish you all the best of luck and I'd really like to thank Dirk for this site, as it's helped me understand my symptoms.
We can do it!!!! We really can!
Im glad I found this site. Im 22 now and have been smoking pot off and on since i was 15. It pretty much started when my dad was diagnosed with brain tumors and i started hanging around the pot smokers. At home it felt like i wanted to escape so i didn't have to see my father this way, bed ridden for two years. i smoked during high school and college all while receiving a scholarship to run track and cross country. Not every day while in season, but casually every other weekend. But everyday use when out of season. now that i graduated, boom every damn day. i decided to finally hang up the act. The voice in my head says pots okay, everyone else just has the wrong idea. I still dont know what to believe but i just couldnt go on being high everyday. Im a salesman and man could i sell anything stoned, but it just felt like i needed weed to bear talking to people and life in general. Like life was too boring for me without the effects of pot. When i was high and something good happened to me, in my mind i would say 'that wouldnt have happened if i wasnt high'. Then after time being high everyday, it felt like nothing good ever happened. i started buying better weed and eventually couldnt even taste it. Anyway, today is day two of my quitting. its 4:21 AM. insomnia is kicking my butt., and thats really my major withdrawl symptom besides craving weed and Constantly thinking of which of my friends i could call to smoke me up. i dont know if i will quit forever but untill i pass my gmat to get into an MBA program i am. pray for me, that i may see the light.
"When i was high and something good happened to me, in my mind i would say 'that wouldnt have happened if i wasnt high'. Then after time being high everyday, it felt like nothing good ever happened."
------
That progression is so common with addiction.
I think it's useful to be able to map that to brain functions as one way of not beating yourself up for past or present failings. The feeling of "something good" happening to people is highly dependent upon the action of serotonin and dopamine, and we know for certain that habitual use of addicting drugs fucks with serotonin/dopamine activity in the pleasure centers of the brain. Vigorous physical activity, proper sleep and good nutritional habits can all help speed the rebalancing process. Trite but true. Like momma said--don't just sit there and stare at the wall, get to bed at a decent hour, and eat your greens.
HI Guys
I gotta say you are scaring the crap out of me!! I have been smoking daily for 35 years and in just trying to cut back (for only the past 3 days!) let alone quit I have been going through severe symptoms!! I'm not sure I can even face cold turkey as I fear the symptoms will be that much worse. The one thing I did not get was dreams or nightmares, however maybe they will arrive if I outright quit? Anyhow not sure what the answer is for me but I will keep trying, for me it is the health concern with my lungs, I don't smoke cigarettes, but I am getting after all these years a smokers cough, not nice. Thanks for letting me vent!
I have been smoking everyday since Jan 1978, the withdrawal symptoms are bad. I have tried to quit many times in the last few yrs, the only time I quit was when my wife was pregnant many yrs ago.
The insomnia and headaches drive me nuts. Dirk is there any natural detox to cope with headaches? I am a habtual who smokes an eigth a day when cranking and after 32 yrs it is taking a toll on my body
use valium for withdraws and your dr will give it to you if your honest and tell him or her that you want to quit smoking pot
But if you dont quit you dont have withdrawals,and you should prob get a grow light and grow your own,there are pesticides and other carcinogens sprayed on the plants where as if you grow it you know if it has or not,find a strength with controlling your use,then if you want to quit you lower your dose not totally stopping
I've been coming here for a while, talking about how I'm quitting every so often.
Problem is I can quit for short periods of time and then I end up breaking due to being overwhelmed with personal matters. I turn myself off for a few days - generally 3-4 days and I honestly have no idea what even happens - then I stand back up and restart the detox process. I almost have to turn myself off to turn myself back on again.
Today marks day 1 after 18 days fully sober prior to Friday... wish me luck. The withdrawls suck at the moment and I feel like I'm dreaming. Trying to stay quit here - good vibes to everyone else as well in their journey to quit.
Hey I've been an avid smoker for the past semester in college. I have smoked before but this semester went through 2 1/8s with my roomate in anywhere from 3-6 days. I am nowhere near as heavy as a smoker as other people that posted but I consider it alot. This is my first day not smoking: I woke up at 6am could not go back to sleep and already puked 3 times. Throughout the semester I would wake up in the morning covered in sweat and last night had a really strange dream. I really do not want to spot smoking marijuana but if it is going to do this to my body I need to. I was home for 5 days around thanksgiving and I felt the same way as I do now: no hunger, really spacy feeling, and vomitting. I would love to go back to the way it was last year and just smoke 2-3 times a week limiting myself to at most twice a day. This site really does help and was shocking that everyone else was having the same problems. However at the same time I think I could just be telling my body these are the symptoms of not smoking weed. Last time it got better in about 4 days hopefully its the same or less because CHRISTMAS IS THIS SATURDAY!Thank you so much for posting this interesting article hope people stay strong if quiting or moderation. I need to quit my life has changed dramatically since my heavy use of pot, but not in a bad way just my overall look on life has.
I certainly can't say that I'm glad to find others in the same situation as I, but it is comforting to know that not only am I not alone in this but also that I am still simply going through withdrawal. I've been a chronically heavy smoker for 34 years, and have known for the past 25 years that I'm addicted. I've had an oh-so-clever little saying about my abuse -- "My problem is that I smoke pot, but when I smoke pot I don't have any problems."
A number of people have posted here pondering the possibility of returning to smoking (after all of this hell we've experienced to quit) on a limited, "controlled" basis. I have tried at least a dozen times to do just that but, for me at least, a pattern has emerged: I'll have been off of pot for at least three months (several times for a year or more) and I'll decide that smoking just once won't hurt anything, so I do. Mmmm, that's nice! So I'll do it again, but only after a week or two; after all I don't want it to become a problem again. But then it will be a couple of times within a week (just this week, of course), and then several times every week, and soon I'm back to the 'ol breakfast-to-bedtime routine of stoned-ed-ness. Even after I became aware of this pattern I'd still find a way to rationalize that 'single' use after being straight for so long.
That doesn't work! Like so many others here, I AM AN ADDICT. I am a DRUG ADDICT. Damn, I sure didn't plan on growing up to do this. Yes, I know that nicotine and caffeine are drugs too but I've never once considered myself to be "fucked up on coffee", although I did catch a bit of a buzz when I had started smoking cigarettes at 13 years old. But we all know what it means to be a drug addict. And in the same manner in which I am a nicotine addict I am a marijuana addict, and will be for life.
I have been off pot for three months now, this time, but I most certainly hope, pray, beg God above that this time it's for keeps. Like tobacco (which I've been off of for 13 years) I am either a smoker or I'm not; there's no gray area in between. (Damn, writing all of this is cathartic! Who knew?) So too must it be with weed: I'm either a user taking a break or I'm a pot-head who's quit for good. I'll always be a pot-head, in the same way that I'll always be a nicotine addict. I've had to turn down some absolutely fantastic Cuban cigars (they're illegal you know) because I know that all it takes is that one single taste (dose) of nicotine to put me right back on that train I'd struggled so freaking hard to get off. And so it is with dope.
I know that this is a marijuana withdrawal site and I know I've gone on a bit about some parallel topics, but I'd seen some posts that seemed to need this sort of response.
If you are here, reading these posts, then either you or someone you care about has this same problem. You quit for a reason, and that reason will remain indefinitely. There is only one answer to the question of ever smoking weed again: Do not ever take even a single toke again. If you do then you will have to go through all of this once again, after you go through all of that which caused you to decide to quit in the first place.
To Be Continued... Maj. Buzz
I have been off pot for three months now, this time, but I most certainly hope, pray, beg God above that this time it's for keeps. Like tobacco (which I've been off of for 13 years) I am either a smoker or I'm not; there's no gray area in between. (Damn, writing all of this is cathartic! Who knew?) So too must it be with weed: I'm either a user taking a break or I'm a pot-head who's quit for good. I'll always be a pot-head, in the same way that I'll always be a nicotine addict. I've had to turn down some absolutely fantastic Cuban cigars (they're illegal you know) because I know that all it takes is that one single taste (dose) of nicotine to put me right back on that train I'd struggled so freaking hard to get off. And so it is with dope.
I know that this is a marijuana withdrawal site and I know I've gone on a bit about some parallel topics, but I'd seen some posts that seemed to need this sort of response.
If you are here, reading these posts, then either you or someone you care about has this same problem. You quit for a reason, and that reason will remain indefinitely. There is only one answer to the question of ever smoking weed again: Do not ever take even a single toke again. If you do then you will have to go through all of this once again, after you go through all of that which caused you to decide to quit in the first place.
To Be Continued... Maj. Buzz
Sorry about all of the "to be continued's..."
I came to this site after searching for "marijuana withdrawal" on Google. As I've said earlier, it's been three months since my last toke and I am still having serious withdrawal problems! I've had mild to wild headaches for the past 2 1/2 months, sleeplessness, anxiety (I mean, come on, really?!!), and the like. Irritability too. Depression. The stresses brought on by starting a new business in today's economy don't help much either. (One ray of hope is the dream of smoking weed and then being aggravated at having done so; I too have awakened from those dreams wondering if I did in fact screw it all up. I say it is a ray of hope because I'd never dreamed that before, but had similar dreams regarding cigarettes when I finally, successfully quit them.) I was starting to wonder if there was something very wrong here, as the only withdrawal symptom I'd ever had this long after quitting was sleeplessness, and that was usually right at 10 weeks, and would last for two weeks. This time, man oh-man, I never knew withdrawal from weed could be like this! I'll say this: half-way through reading the posts (and I only read about a quarter of them) I got up, took a couple of fish-oil pills (that my wife had gotten me for heart health; being the tough-guy I never took them) and made a cup of green tea (so glad my daughter is into tea!), and whether it's actually working, the placebo effect, of merely good timing, I do feel a good bit better. I've known that I need to exercise (from previous withdrawal experience, although I hadn't quantified it as such) I'd been just too glum to do so. Thanks to all of you here I believe I've got the motivation to do so now.
I'd especially like to thank Dirk for starting and moderating this site. I've always been a tough-it-out kind of guy, but damn if this site, both reading and then writing, hasn't already helped. Now, if only I can sleep...
Best Wishes to All,
(ex-)Maj. Buzz Gowen (I guess most here will get the meaning behind that "nome de game".)
Maj. Buzz--
Nice post. For the vast majority of alcoholics, cigarette addicts, and potheads, a return to controlled use is just not in the cards. It's a strong swim upstream against your own innate biology.
Hey guys jayezwider again...Its been day 4 without smoking and I know its pathetic that I'm counting but what can I say I love the ganja so much! However, I've been getting alot better: have not puked in 2 days, ate my first meal in 2 days last night, I slept in today until 10 instead of waking up at 7 but I did have a dream about getting back into the ganja and that did not help. I just keep telling myself I need to quit and its alot easier said then done. At home the only way to get some is if I go out of my way but up at college its a gold mine for the tree and thats why its so easy to get. The real test will come when I return next semester, but by tomorrow I should be getting back to normal. I still feel as though I am in a dream, my vision is spacy sometimes and everything is slowed a bit but it is slowly coming back to normal speed. In a few days hopefully I am better but I just cannot do this to myself again. Thank you Dirk for creating this site you have helped me and are helping others even if they do not quit. You have brought a serious thought to their minds that this is reality and it is time to face it. Wish everyone the best of luck stay strong.
-JayEZwider
Dirk, thanks for keeping this blog. Not sure if I'm the longest term smoker here but it's been 40 years for me. Never believed I was Addicted but thinking now I might be... might have been. Feeling the sweats, dreams, headaches and now wonder if my view of the world has always been affected. Always said " I don't believe any of this is real" when talking of the world and life. Only a few people have ever known I smoke have respectable job look like Grandpa. 8 days ago looked at stash drawer, pipe, papers, roaches and knew it wasn't right. Have little Grandkids now and a family that relies on me. Maybe this time I can quit for good. Thanks for letting me know I am not alone.
I used to know a guy a lot like you....
Hello All,
I posted about a year ago as D. I was a daily weed smoker for about two years strong, and suddenly quit because I was faced with a stong bout of anxiety out of the blue one day. I felt like it was related to the weed smoking. WELL, almost a year and half after quitting (except for occasionally unfulfilling hits) I still don't feel like I'm the same person. The anxiety has gotten better I think. I'm not sure if it's gotten better or I've just gotten used to it. Nevertheless, I still have somewhat of a depressed/depersonalized feeling that seems to not go away. The saddest thing to me is the fact that when I try to smoke now, I'm overwhelmed with anxiety. It kind of sucks that I can't partake in something I used to love so dearly. I really wish I would have never smoked. Ever. To anyone reading this, just know it will get better. Eventually. In my case, I think I am having a longer healing process as a result of underlying anxiety issues I had prior to smoking. Good Luck all!
D
Thank you for this, I would say you have no idea what i've been going through but obviously you guys do. I've been suffering from the worst anxiety in my life. It's been driving me crazy, drudging up past experiences that only made matters worst, it was threatening my normal life style, causing severe insomnia, not even OTC sleeping pills would work. But now that I know what's been causing this I feel so much better, I can actually feel this anxiety lifting.
Thank you, thank you!!
Hi,
Thanks for this very much, it was very helpful, I am a 28 year old, who has been smoking on and off for the past 3-4 years,mostly because I have trouble falling asleep and this used to help me. I recently quit around the 28th of December, around January 1-2 I started with these weird anxiety feelings and had no clue why I had them, the thing is I don't really feel any compulsion to smoke or anything like that, I just feel very anxious all the time, and it makes me think about stuff that makes me even more anxious, and that in turn makes me feel like i'm losing my mind, I get very emotional, like I feel like crying for very little stuff, like im breaking down... does that seem like I'm suffering from withdrawal?
the thing is that I read this article yesterday and was feeling a whole lot better and today I was talking to a friend about it and he was like no man it cant be the weed... I was already feeling better with the thought that it was just an addiction I was getting rid of and this guy puts this in my head to send me right back to where I was before, Dirk if you could help me here, I hate to think that i'm regressing after the progress I thought i made yesterday. Is it like this pretty rocky Ups and downs until I feel normal again?
Anxiety due to abrupt marijuana withdrawal? Yeah, it does happen. For some people,it CAN be the weed.
Wow - great blog lost to time.. last post in 2007? I'll report my "taper" and stop. No cigs, usual quarter once a week for last 20 years (not quite the volume seen on here) but I'm into W&B and sustaining titration thoughout the day - all day! nightsweats and dreaming have kicked in. My thing is going to be to not purchase - avoid people that enjoy, taper and then when I do puff go back to total reward (only at specific keyframed moments in the day (4:20pm is a big one this week at somepoint being replaced with music rewards) and make it the worst tasting garbage I can smoke... Idea is to move backward like I started so long ago from a little to alot and now alot to a little then none.
I'm hydrating to about 120% avoiding water intoxication - I'll start high colonics all next week to promote bile movement and detox.. (everyday for 2 hours before bed!)
Walking more - everyday instead of 3 times a week - bike riding - drum playing more - (to satisfy reward behavior) any music, art.
I'm avoiding loved ones and metering my response to co-workers and others. (not hanging out and yakking a long time)
I tell myself this WILL be hell and I WILL make it through it.
I pray about it (in my way)
I distract myself as much as possible with loud music, drums, other things I can feel in the low end and hit my gut. (low frequency stuff - that deep bass sound)
I'll reward myself with music, pleasurable sensations (safe and fun sex with partner)
I think the key will be distraction and really intense non drug rewards.
we'll see..
Darr
let's see how I do!
opps wrong part of blog - I guess it is current :) Darr - moderator can you please edit my post?
To those of you who have conquered this beast, how long did the insomnia last. It's the ONLY thing that's killing me!
1 or 2 hours sleep per night maximum for the past 18 nights!
Tough to generalize about insomnia. Maybe some readers can chip in here.
J, you asked, "how long did the insomnia last?"
I was a competitive cyclist for years before I started toking. I went on a six-month pot binge and stopped riding. When I decided to quit toking, I got back on the bike and started riding pretty hard every day (not like Lance, but enough to break a sweat), for an hour or so. The withdrawal was absolutely miserable for about four days, but after that, all but the most minor symptoms were gone.
Best of luck in your withdrawal.
Just ran across this journal article:
Exercise program improves a variety of sleep parameters in older adults with chronic insomnia:
http://ht.ly/3E0L3
the feelings of strong anxiety and depression are the worst for me..it's good to see others on here describing the same effects. i started smoking when i was 15 and am now 42, and am just now seriously trying to quit. are these feeling normal for a heavy user like me..i sleep ok during the night..but don't really look foward to waking up..when i do ..i get that something's terribly wrong feeling..should i talk to someone about this..or just tough it out. i have only stopped smoking for 6 days now..after heavy use every day for 26 years...thanks
Yes, your symptoms are very common for some long-term pot smokers when they quit. Lucky you. A strong sense of anxiety, lack of interest in anything, depression--despite what people may tell you, these are symptoms common not just to pot withdrawal, but to cocaine or cigarette or speed withdrawal as well.
Knowledge is power, I just wish I had read this before I decided to give up the green... knowing what to expect would have alleviated a lot of the anxieties I had felt during the worst of it (2-10 days). Like, "the hell is wrong with me", "am I going to feel like this forever", and “please, do not lose it”.
The thing is, I had given up previously, about 3 years ago, but at the same time broke up with a long term Girlfriend, which is what I thought was wrong with me, depressed/anxious over a breakup. I had never heard of WD from weed. Ignorance in that case was bliss. But alas, not this time, I truly thought I was/had gone mad, and it was never going to end. I now know from this blog that it completely normal to feel like that, but I was actually very afraid for my sanity during the worst of it, it was the not knowing. It’s funny though, I can now liken the symptoms of giving up weed to those of giving up a girlfriend. Heh. Both are drugs in a sense I guess.
I have smoked on and off since my teens. Bullshit good fun at school turned into a dependency in later years, I'm now 30. A dependency fuelled by what seems now as false claims. "I can't sleep without it", "I can't relax without it", and “It helps me to concentrate"... I was not born that way and achieved much without weed, it was the slow but steady addiction that made it a truth, the unwillingness to let it go. My brain needed it. I taught it to need it, now I must teach it to not need it. The brain is a beautiful thing, but it can be your best or worst friend, treat it well.
Stress is a catalyst for many things, and I think if you go into a WD stressed, overworked, and generally rundown, things will be tough, mentally. Dirk speaks of depression/anxiety like a tape in your mind that goes round in circles. My tape was my issues of late, stress exacerbated those issues, withdrawing from weed lit a fire under it. The issues/stresses are irrelevant, if you are a deep thinker, you will dig something up to think about. Just breathe, relax, and know that you are not going insane, it is normal.
My symptoms were: intense nausea (no diarrhoea but felt like vomiting, never did though), depression (recurring thoughts of recent and past events), mild panic attacks, general uncertainty about whether or not I would be like it for life (very strange and unnerving feeling), loss of appetite, irregular bowel movements, sweats.
Things that have helped me through the symtoms: exercise (surfing for me, doubles as meditation, and the seas cleanses), fish oil, 5-HTP (serotonin inhibiter for well-being and sleep, naturally occurs in the body but figured stress would be messing with that as it does with everything else), water, talking (only my trusted friends), reading (after the worst was over), and acknowledging you are going through something but it will subside.
The amount of comments attached to Dirk’s initial post way back in 2007 is testament to the fact WD from cannabis is a very real thing, and potentially dangerous if misunderstood, as it can take one not only by surprise, but to some very dark places.
Thank you Dirk, and to all others who have shared their experiences and thoughts. It has helped me and others over the last 3 years, and I know it will aid/assist all others who come across this site. Stay strong, you will be happy again. Embrace the change your mind is going through, because once on the other side you will reap all the benefits of a fit and healthy mind.
Dan
"Things that have helped me through the symtoms: exercise (surfing for me, doubles as meditation, and the seas cleanses), fish oil, 5-HTP (serotonin inhibiter for well-being and sleep, naturally occurs in the body but figured stress would be messing with that as it does with everything else), water, talking (only my trusted friends), reading (after the worst was over), and acknowledging you are going through something but it will subside."
---
That's a damn good list of ways to get through withdrawal. Thanks.
I want to say that this site and all of these writings are pure HORSESHIT.
I am 33 years of age and have been smoking marijuanna since age 14. the first time there was no effect, and I did not smoke too much even as a "heavy smoker". I smoked maybe 2 oz a month (that is not a lot) and if you consider the stems and seeds, it is only actually a full ounce.
I have quit a few times in the last 13 years, for fear of drug tests for the most part, not for anything "moral" or whatever. One time I quit for the semester just for the sake of not smoking. I was not planning on abandoning pot altogether, just for the semester.
Other times I quit: when I was 20, I got a job as a cook at a restuarant, and they "randomly" drug tested. I found out a month later that they did not drug test you unless they suspected you or an accident took place, or you were in a management position. I started smoking weed again after that. NO WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS WHATSOEVER.
I quit smoking weed several times after this. mainly because I was in a job search, and drug tests are possible. 4 times in the next 7 years I quit for 3, 4, 2, 3 months respectivley for fear of drug tests (and took a couple of these, and passed). that is a total of a years time. I DID NOT HAVE ANY OF YOUR SO-CALLED SYMPTOMS EITHER. no nasea, no ill tempers (actually I had ill tempers, cuz i am born with a short fuse which weed alleviates somewhat), no loss of appetite (I like to eat. drunk, sober, stoned, when I am sleeping i wake up and eat), anxiety does not happen here either. GET REAL FOLKS. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. IF IT DOES IT IS ALL IN YOUR PSYCHOTIC LITTLE HEAD.
I worked in fairs for 3 years and during this time, zero mariuanna, and zero withdrawal symptoms.
been back in colrado over a year and been smoking weed religiously, at least every other day. why do I do this? BECAUSE I WANT TO AND BECAUSE I CAN. I do not have to get weed. I want to. I am working on getting my license so that I can smoke weed legally and have more of a hook up than I have been having. more dependable.
For financial reasons (have no cash and this economy sucks donkey dick), I am not going to smoke any weed until march 22, first day of spring. by that time, i will have been 2 weeks into my ice cream selling business and have good cash.
Upon closing, weed, marijanna, ganja, pot, mota, the herb of the gods, whatever name you choose to give to it, is not at all addictive. It is purley something that people DESIRE.
people drink pepsi daily. is it because they are addicted or because they enjoy it? ask your average coke drinker to give up ALL SOFT DRINKS for one full year. I bet no one can. and, folks of wonder, pepsi is more harmful than weed is.
oh, and to the idiot who says that "2 full 1/8 bags in 3-6 days were smoked". wow. an unbelievable low amount of pot that you smoked between 2 PEOPLE.
and to the fool who rushed to the emergency room because he downed a 5 hour energy drink, extra strong cofee and a beer on an empty stomach, on his anniversary for crying out loud. SYMPTOMS OF WITDRAWAL? more like symptoms of fucking your stomache up with all that crap.
to the guy claiming to be irritable at work after one day of not smoking weed: GET REAL. this is not why you had an attitude and got in trouble at work. DUMBASS.
to the dude who claims to have smoked 8 ounces (half pound) a month: GET FUCKING REAL. it is time consuming to smoke weed, and after a couple bowls, you do not want to smoke anymore. It is virtually impossible to smoke that much. unless, of course, you have no job, no school, no activities. then again, you are a clown. who knows?
I my personal self am not a user but my husband is. He has been since he was 15 he is now 31 he does not buy crappy dirt bud he buys expensive good chronic and he smokes all day. I think that it is completely unreallistic for someone to think that a substance that has been put into a body over the span of 16 years numerous times a day and when they quit they are not going to have withdrawals....REALLY...come on!! It's the same thing with anything you put in your body caffeine, cigarettes, even vitamins. Your body can go into a shock. Anyway he has only quit 2 times in his life the first time he quit for about 7 months and the second time was just 5 days ago. Let me say that as the person that has to stand by and deal with this crap it sucks!! He is soooo moody I cannot even begin to explain, he can't sleep, he can't eat, and it seems like this second time is much worse then the first one. However this time he did not do it cold turkey he is using that spice stuff that is supposed to be the legal form?? Does anybody know much about this stuff because I would be interested to know if this stuff could possibly be enhancing his raging moodiness? I would love to help him out anyway I can but it seems like at this point in time I cannot do anything right and if anything ever goes wrong it is completely 100% my fault. Do you other users that have quit have any suggestions on how I can help him through this? What can I do to take the edge off? I mean I have tried THINGS....ya know that women can do for their man but that really only eases him for a short period of time. Any suggestions?
A good tough question with no easy answers, as you have discovered. I guess the best piece of advice I ever heard in this respect was to guard against taking it totally personally. That's the hardest thing in the world to do sometimes, when it's you getting yelled at or complained about. But that's the point--you know it's not really you, it's the withdrawal symptoms making him as prickly and irritable as can be.
I'm 53, retired, worked 30 years as aircraft mechanic for big airline, smoked on and off to put up with time. I must have gone tru withdrawel at least 15 times. Somethin about summer and pussy. Anyways, now on my fourth day of my final f..... withdrawal. The weed is getting stronger thus making the withdrawals harder. No more f.....ganja/gansta shit pour moi.Drugs only lead to violence.
Thank you for being here Dirk!
Reading these comments, and your replys dispelled fears that I cannot even begin to describe to you.
I'm 38 and have just realised that I've been addicted.
I've never taken any other chemical highs and had only been smoking for just over a year.
I just had so much energy... And wanted to stay with one woman. it seemed like a simple solution.
It just made me feel relaxed and eat nice food and sleep right through.
I'd wake up bright and cheerful and have some fantastic brainwaves. New designs, solutions to projects... Faster than I could write them down and musical connections.... I'd sit on my own up the hill with the dog under the big tree and explore Indian music and negative shapes.
It all seemed so perfect and simple.
Last weekend I smoked some green from the new stash and it just got intense beyond description.
The grass grew about 12 foot and everything became shapes. I could hardly find my way home, and met life forms along the way I can't describe. They showed me symbols that were too strong... It continued to grow in intensity... Until I was stripped down into my component parts.. And moved into the deep of space. Crushing silence.. This and other developments continued all night until I really was thinking this was a death. And in a sense I was correct... To my shock and terror, when I eventually came back into the room and eventually my body I was numb. I was in shock and at ground zero. But can't describe how distant I was from myself and felt damaged.. And then a wave of anxiety Rose up and hung there inside and just didn't go... I had all the symptoms .. Sweats.. Appetite loss.. A heavy closed off feeling in my head.. Lack of focus...like a mental drifting. Like being caught in a rip that drags you out into a sea of anxiety, lifting you up and crashing you back down only to drag you back out again.
I had no experience that could have prepared me.
The biggest fear was that I'd somehow ruined my mind in a permanent way..... If you are reading this and are having these very real symptoms... And when your in the hole you'll doubt that you'll ever get out.. You will.. I assure you you will.! It will pass... Everything passes.
If you have thoughts of ending the pain, being released through death...just watch them.
They are not you. Don't try and fight it. Don't try and think
about the future, just listen to your breath. Don't push them away. don't think anything
There is something deep inside that is just pure awareness.
That's what you are. It is unbreakable, it is pure conciousness itself.
Say yes to the now, in non reaction and it will cleanse your mind. Every time you feel the pain, you are fixing.
Make yourself eat.. Try not to drive,... Keep things real simple...write a diary... I recorded my voice on my iPad when I started to feel better and played it back to myself at night when the horrors came heavy.
Exercise works..
Skin brushing and Epsom salt baths help.
Coffee enemas help.
Write a schedule.. Take vitamins..
Drink lemon water..I sipped hot lemon water constantly..it helped... Nothing makes it go away.. It a fire you have to pass through.. Think of it like a fever.
It will pass.
You will mend
See you in the light.
I trained as a herbalist and natropath.. And bio chemistry.I spent time in India and have found that they don't use this hemp on it's own.
They often combine it with other herbs that balance the chemistry.. I ignored that to my my own detriment, but I've just created a formula and have had the best nights sleep in my life. If you can find an ayuravedic practitioner they can help.
I used a tincture of
Acorus calimus or sweet flag root
Hydrocotyl... Goth kola
Shatavari
And liquorice root
Also hawthorn berries reduced the palpitations
Skullcap restores the nerves and helps the insomnia
And also valerian is a deep muscle relaxant .
Take that formula to any good herbalist..especially an Asian one and he can help you reduce your time in the hole.
I have tons more information and help..
I'm almost free of all symptoms and the stuff I'm doing speeds up the process 10 fold.
I tried to put it all down but it said my post was too long..
So I'll update you in bits as I get time.
All best
You will fix
Everything passes
Rich
hi all,
after feeling so good i over did it and had a meltdown...
i thought id just keep going up up and away..
in reality its more like 2 steps forwards and one back..
however ive just taken another 2 steps forward again..
not ready to fly a plane you know.. but i do feel human again.
talking to dirk helped me straighten my head out again and also reading his book
i would reccomend it.
all best rich
Hi. I wanted to share a bit of my experience. 4 years has it been since i started. Smoking occasionally to party, see a movie, gaming and sex. I noticed a decrease in libido the day after the use. Can't say currently if it was long-term effects,it's something difficult to compare.
In the past 8 months I was smoking every day, and every 2 - 3 hours. With time, the same priced bag lasted less and less until i was smoking a $10 in one day. The cravings where worse the first 48 hours or so. And I always pleased it. What helped me within these hours was Percocet. A different high took the edge off.
So yes, I recommend that to get the first days virtually pain free. Just don't get addicted to them also !
Symptoms vary, irritation and an empty view towards life is what best describes mine. And i mean very very irritated. I wanted to kill my dog for pooping lol.
I've been smoking weed for the past 13 years. I only smoked high-grade weed for the past 2.5 years. I'm talkin bout wake and bake before work, smoked on my lunch break, and hurried home to smoke till it was time to start the process all over again. I got sick about 2 weeks ago with a viral infection/flu and didn't smoke as much as I usually did. I wasn't eating properly because I didn't have an appetite at the time because of the flu bug I guess ,so I was still taking cold medicine on an empty stomach. I decided to smoke a j and had a severe anxiety attack.... I think. I felt like my throat closed up, I had a hard time breathing and my heart felt like it was beating on the outside of my chest. I had a nervous feeling that whole night and couldn't sleep. I went to the doctor that following Monday and told the doctor my situation. I decided to ease on the weed until I got better. I really didn't have an urge to smoke because of fear of the anxiety attack again. I haven't smoked in 12 days and I have been going through with the worst. I've had lost of appetite which is gradually coming back. I wake up in the morning with mild anxiety, which makes me depressed. It feels like I'm living in a dream-state with no hope of ever returning. Everything seems foreign right now. I don't have interest in doing some of the things that I know I will enjoy, and that bothers me to a point that i will never return to my fun loving self. I want to smoke just to return to feeling normal but in the back of my mind I know if I do I will feel worse than what I do now. I read every post on here and found some relief in some and a setback in others. My question is will this pass or do I have to go to my doctor to get on medicine that I strongly don't agree with like anti-depressant or anti- anxiety ? To be honest I do feel better when I'm around family and friends but I know they can't always be around everytime I'm feeling down and that what's bothering me. I really need some reassurance that this will pass and that I can go on to the next phase of my life.
That's a great description of the psychological side of withdrawal. The things you used to enjoy, you don't seem to enjoy anymore. Yes it will change, yes you will get better, but it will take at least a few weeks to feel steady on your pins again, I'm guessing.
Hi, been reading through your blog and I am hoping you can give me some advice. My partner has been a weed smoker since we met 7 years ago, he has gone from spending 25£ (40$) a week when we met to 100£ (140$) a week now. He keeps telling me he is coming off it, but then as soon as he gets money he spends it on the weed again, so its like every other week I am having to deal with him withdrawing. This is breaking our relationship, I myself quit smoking cigarettes 3 weeks ago so I know how he is feeling to a certain degree. But I really am at a loss of what to do. As much as he tells me he is quitting, I know it is only because he doesn't have the money to buy it and will buy when he can. Should I give up and leave him to carry on with his addiction as I really do not think he will ever stop.
I've been smoking marijuana for 5 years and on a daily basis for the past 3, Recently I started to take breaks from smoking, quit cold turkey for a day or two and pick it back up. Well I can't say that I felt 100%, I was only mildly irritable and it took me a little longer to fall asleep. Compare that to the brain searing headaches and groggyness I get when I break a coffee addiction, and I'll take the pot any day.
Hello everyone. My name is S and I hope people are still reading this forum and I hope someone can give me some advice. I'm on day 29 of quitting. I'm 36, and have smoked for 18 years, with some breaks. I used to only smoke low-grade Florida rag weed, but a lot of it. When I quit that about two years ago (after fainting after a toke and other problems), I had no real withdrawal symptoms. For some stupid reason, unlike when I quit cigarettes, I didn't close the door entirely and of course, last year, for a variety of reasons, I started smoking again. Except this time I stupidly thought the high-end stuff was better for me.
Well, around Thanksgiving, after a few months of doing that I had a really scary moment where I thought I was having a heart attack, with my left arm feeling weird and my heart pounding. This went away and I kept smoking. Then early January this came back, led me to freak out so much that I decided I had to be done with pot for good. Quit. Didn't expect anything much to happen, as I never had bad symptoms before.
First week, all good - slight anxiety, a little trouble falling asleep, nothing major. Second week, I had my first night of doom - an entire night with absolutely no sleep due to a racing heart, could not calm it down at all. I know people here know how that feels, very scary, hopeless, thinking what is this? At the time, I hadn't even really atgtributed it to withdrawal, but that's when I started researching and found this forum, amon other things. It still wasn't so bad, though, as I then did get some sleep in following nights.
Everything got worse in week 3. One night totally no sleep, next night sleep, then again no sleep, and so so on for the entire week. Always with the main reason being my freaking heart - it won't stop racing. Whether I sit or lay or stand, it's always at least 100bpm. Then in week four decided to try some melatonin, which helped sleep but waking up not rested and STILL with the heart racing the entire time.
I could go on and on, there is a lot more to my story, and if anyone wants to talk to me, I would welcome it. I am definitely done with pot and have turned from advocate to hater. I was always with the "pot is good crowds" and never saw my addiction as what it was. Now I'm full of regret over 18 years of stunting my growth as a human being.
Anyway, here's my main question. I'm still freaking scared that there is something going on with my heart, that I'm about to have a heart attack. Despite reading all this... even when I've slept, I still think I'm feeling my left arm in weird way, plus I'm feeling stabbing pains (very minor, not painful actually) in my heart area. This is particularly so when my heart is NOT pounding as fast. Other than that, it is mostly the fact that my heart is pounding the whole time, no matter what I do to try to calm down. I used to be an avid bike rider, but I don't have the guts to exercise now as I feel this could aggravate my heart. I can't get myself to go to a doctor, as I keep reading people did so and were told there fine. Having no health insurance, of course, doesn't help. Neither does it help that I think doctors are useless idiots who know less than I do.
Anyway, I kept hoping this would get better by now, week 4 is over, but my heart is still scaring the shit out of me. Anyone have any idea if this is still just the withdrawal? Needless to say, the fact that I'm scared isn't helping me calm down. On the other hand, I would hate to think "oh it's just the withdrawal" while having an actual serious problem. In any case, I need to know what to do to get my heart rate down. Sorry for this rambling post and thanks in advance for any input and thanks for anyone who has posted before, it's been a huge help in a trying time.
Forget what others have to say about it--make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your heart irregularities. Seriously. Not because there is necessarily a problem but because you'll likely obsess until you do.
in reply to "S"...
I agree with Dirk, consult with your GP, if not just to be reassured that everything is ok with your heart.
Also, if you haven't already, think about breathing techniques to steady your heart rate. An over-active mind, stress, and worry can cause short and shallow breathing, which in effect will cause increased heart rate, perspiration etc.. Like a panic attack. The key, in many cases, is as simple as staying in control of your breathing
Seems to me you are very worried, stressed, uncertain. I have been there, and it took a mate to point out my breathing was not right. Once identified, I made a concerted attempt to breathe "properly". This actually fixed my heart pulpatations.
This is something one can do that is completely free. It is said that people, during their lives, due to certain experiences, forget how to breathe properly. Seems strange right.
As I first mentioned, this is an exercise that you can just do, for free, but, see your doctor regarding your heart. Get a checkup for peace of mind at least.
here is a resource for breathing techniques: http://www.livestrong.com/article/121387-breathing-exercises-lower-heart-rate/
or just google search for "breathing techniques to slow heart rate"
Let me know how you go, and good luck with everything.
Dan
S- I am 39 years old and I just stopped smoking 5 days ago. I have smoked almost everyday for 21 years.
I stopped for 6 months in 2006 and it was great. Now i live in a house with a grower and I can smoke for free all day long( not good) I need to move out of here. But I am like you and starting to have an anti-pot mentality because of what it has done to my life. I have the same symptoms as you with not sleeping and a racing heart plus night sweats, insomnia, and decreased appetite. I did have an EKG done and got my blood checked and I know I am OK. You should do the same.
Marijuana has ruined my marriage, many jobs and many relationships. It is addictive and it is harmful to your brain in many ways.
I never want to smoke (or eat) marijuana again. -C
I love smoking pot,from the smell to the feeling to the rolling of joints I love marijuana. I have decided to quit since I am a mom now and have a husband who guilts me for smoking. It's been 1 1/2 months. i have smoked about three joints since. I know I cheated but still from smoking about 5 joints a day to 3 in a month I consider good. I have not to this day have had a good night sleep. I am already clinically depressed and taking meds for quite some time. I thought that the meds would help the withdrawal or at least the mood swings which they have not.I feel more depressed I have gained 20 lbs and I am also a smoker and now I just smoke way more cigarettes. Which has made me feel even worse. Reading this article and other peoples post has made me realize that I am not alone is this long and agonizing journey good luck to all and I hope it will get better.
Good article. I work with a neuroscientist who smokes and denies nearly every adverse effect — especially addictive effects/withdrawl. But addiction is a fact here and he’s not as well-versed in the literature as he pretends.
In any case, my own experiences have been severe — stomach extremely upset/nervous/cannot eat/severe trouble sleeping. But these symptoms start to change after about a week. Deep dreaming, sweating at night. These things seem to be detoxifying. After about two to three weeks, the effects are largely gone for me.
As for the variance, it's not simply that different people have different metabolisms and habits (though of course this is true) it’s also a matter of lifestyle, habits, diet, age and health status.
Also, the recommendation of exercise is spot-on. Do the sweating in the day, so that you won’t have so much to sweat out while you sleep. Also helps with stomach and sleeping a bit for me.
S here again. Thanks for your comments. So, now it's been a full five weeks (plus one day). I finally went to the doc and had the EKG. Everything normal. But heart rate still the same and on top of that blood pressure really elevated, 160/95. Basically all week and all day each day. Usual pattern is that I simply cannot sleep even one minute all night then with racing heart go about my day like a kind of zombie then usually do sleep that night, then wake up and it starts over again within a few hours or by mid-afternoon when I can feel the heart coming on again. Then again no chance of sleep and so on. Despite this feeling so sever to me, the doc thinks it's probably still the withdrawal since he can't find anything else wrong. Heart is fine, he says. So, maybe one could think it's anxiety, that I'm keeping it going, but that doesn't seem to be it. I don't worry too much. My job allows me to work from home when I need to, no danger of being fired over this, I'm too important. I have a super-supportive wife. I don't have specific bad thoughts (other than that I do freak out over how long this is going on, but then shouldn't the doc calm me down?). Anyway, so doc gave me a choice - either do nothing for now or give me a really weak beta blocker just because the high blood pressure and heart rate, and associated frequent nights of no sleep, are so uncomfortable and annoying. I went with the latter, with great hesitation. I've taken two doses so far, and while it works to lower the heart rate, I can't say that my "heart area" is feeling really comfortable, there's a kind of pressure in there, and nor can I say that I like being on this stuff, no matter how low the dose. Debating if i should continue this at all. I should also mention that lifestyle-wise, I am PERFECT at this time. All natural foods, even quit all coffee and even decaf, and even tea due to worry about caffeine's effect on heart. Eat at least one garlic clove every day, tons of veggies, a whole lemon each day. Plus a well-tuned combination of the best minerals and vitamins. Trying to do any "relaxation" or breathing things simply don't work at all. Every night an Epsom salt bath. I do walking, to no noticeable good effect. I am usually a bike rider and can go up to 40 miles, but I've stopped that due to worry about my heart rate, as it seems that many of my sleepless nights have been after bike rides (not that same night, but the next night after that). Yes, I have journaled all developments in meticulous detail. I've read that some people have had these same effects, but I simply CANNOT BELIEVE how long these symptoms are are lasting. I really screwed up my brain, I guess, and paying the price for 18 years of whatever fake joy MJ provided me. Not sure if anyone has anything to add that could help me?!
My boyfriend started smoking weed about 7 years ago. He had quit 3 1/2 years ago and then smoked again for a while and quit again. He quit again last year in March, and as far as I know he hasn't smoked since. I do have suspicions that he has though. Now, when there is a bit of tension between us he says it's still withdrawls. Is it possible to have them that long?
I just went through the article linked to try to really understand the signs of addiction. I don't know that it fully details everything I'm feeling. I can attest that smoking marijuana has put a strain on relationships because I put weed first, I have gained quite a bit of weight, and my job performance has suffered.
What are another 3-4 main signs that I need to kick this habit?
I smoked marijuana 4-5 times a day, sometimes more, which was about an ounce every week. I was suspended from school for possession and I always knew it was bad, but never really thought about it. Now that I am being drug tested in 30 days, I am forced to quit. It has been about two weeks since I last smoked, and the first week was a walk in the park. Starting several nights ago, I began to sweat terribly during the night, despite having a fan blowing on me and using minimal blankets in the middle of winter in Maine. I have also noticed that concentrating has become a huge task for me, it seems as if it is a short term ADD. Hopefully these will go away shortly, and for everyone who thinks you cannot be addicted to marijuana and cannot have withdrawal symptoms, I know first hand that is not true. Start smoking an unbelievable amount, then stop cold turkey, it is no fun. For everyone who has posted and to the author of the main article, thanks.
It has been almost a month now since I quit.
After experiencing symptoms outlined in this blog and its responses (night sweats, slight weight loss, inability to fall asleep, food seemed to go through me very fast, vivid dreams ((which still persist)) ) I realized after YEARS of being that person who adamantly would argue tooth and nail against anyone, that weed was not addictive, guess what - if you experience 'withdrawal' symptoms, logic dictates that there are addictive properties to it!
Dirk, this site is/was such a helpful resource for me, as it has been mentioned, this is so poorly documented, and quite frankly, one would never know the symptoms of addiction of withdrawal if you did not quit, so while using, how are you the wiser?
Besides the vivid dreams, I am feeling really great. My advice - exercise! I replaced my old 'habit' with a new one, and it is obviously one much healthier for you in the long run.
I still have had a few 'cravings' here and there, always used to enjoy some weed after coming home from a nice meal, but I keep reminding myself - I sure as shit do NOT want to go through all that again, and I am not about to test the waters to see if having it 'once in a blue moon' would be a wise decision or not.
Many thanks Dirk - I look forward to your book on the matter!
- A Sober Canadian
Thanks.
It sounds so corny but it works so well: brisk exercise on a regular basis, especially during the very early stages, really seems to help a lot of people.
Hi,
I came across this resource when looking for answers about the length of time for long-term users to recover.
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/post-acute-withdrawal.htm
I'd invite any comments/opinions about this resource regarding validity. Personally, I'd expected my brain to recover a little quicker than it has. Slow and steady I guess.
Dan
Dirk et al, what a blessing to find this article and all these comments. I am 25 years old and have been smoking with increasing regularity since I was 17. Sure, I've taken a few months off here and there, but not in the last 3 years except when looking for a job.
For about a year now, I feel like weed has been like a crutch and a burden I'm carrying. I've been smoking 2-4 times per day and it's too much! In admitting that weed is my drug of choice, I must admit that on some level any continued use is a choice. I chose to quit a week ago.
Since quitting, I've experienced a number of very uncomfortable physical effects including loss of appetite, 3 days of diarrhea, mild headaches, loss of focus, and a general feeling that it's cloudy outside. While the quality of my sleep is good and I don't struggle to fall asleep, I find I wake up at the slightest sound. Normally a heavy sleeper, this is annoying to say the least. The most uncomfortable withdrawal has been the sweating. Day and night. I am sweating on a truly olympic level. When I wake up, I'm covered in sweat from head to toe. My sheets are drenched and even if I take a cold shower, I'm still sweating. Family, friends, coworkers have asked me if I'm ok and I lie and say I'm just a touch under the weather. I have been drinking as much water as I can to offset the sweats but I'm still dehydrated every morning.
One week down, I already feel a lot better. I am thinking more clearly, getting out of bed in the morning is easier. Even something as basic as using the right words to say what I think comes more naturally.
My greatest fear with quitting is that at some point I'll begin to think that I'm back to "myself" and somehow convince myself that I can take that one-two puffs if someone offers. If you're reading this and can relate, please pray for me as I am praying for you!
Weed is not a hard drug and the withdrawal is clearly not like the withdrawal from alcohol or heroin, but it's the idea that weed isn't as harmful that makes it just as dangerous in terms of addiction. If you're trying to quit, think about this:
Who would you be if you had not been smoking for all this time? What might you have accomplished? What are the things you thought you would have accomplished by now?
Thanks for your comments. I think you've summed it all up very well, which is impressive given that you're relatively young.
in reply to...
"Who would you be if you had not been smoking for all this time? What might you have accomplished? What are the things you thought you would have accomplished by now?"
You hear this often throughout the comments. I'm of the mind "you buy the ticket, you take the ride, no regrets, learn from your past and move on."
On another note: I completely forgot to list my most crucial ingredient for getting through the withdrawal symptoms fast. MSM. An organic form of sulphur, derived from DMSO. MSM works at the molecular level, easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, and passes straight through cells flushing toxins, free radicals, etc from your body. no side effects, except the detox side effects of course. MSM has many other benefits as well, and work excellent in conjunction with other nutrients because of its ability to transport agents fast to every part of your body, faster than any other substance I know of.
I've also read numerous times that MSM is excellent for depression, anxiety, and mental alertness as well.
Don't take my word though, DO your research!
Hope that helps someone.
Dirk Hanson, Anonymous and The Marijuana Addict do you really think anyone is falling for your BS? The DEA is really getting desperate. Real cannabis users know that you drug warrior 'plants' are full of sh**!
I'm sure that the intelligent people reading these comments can see right through these lies. You drug warriors are truly getting desperate.
DEA trolls are runnung this blog. Don't fall for it.
http://www.alternet.org/story/150049/corporate-funded_online_%27astroturfing%27_is_more_advanced_and_more_automated_than_you_might_think?akid=6593.161903.pUugdu&rd=1&t=12
This is a very interesting article describing how commentors on these threads aren't who they appear to be. Replace 'Corporate Funded' with 'DEA Funded'.
One of my favorite things is when I get accused of being a DEA plant. It sounds so exciting!
I consider myself a self proclaimed marijuana withdrawal expert, as I have unfortunately been through it about 8-10 times at variable intensity levels. For those wondering if it is possible to go back at an "occasional" level, I have personally found it to be impossible. This should be apparent when considering my 8-10 withdrawals.
Only 3 have been full force, as the others were after comparably short stints of smoking. One thing that amazed me was how quickly one can get addicted and trapped, and how long of a withdrawal period even a short binge can produce.
My worst by far was the first, at the age of 30 after 13 years of daily smoking, with the final 5-6 years high quality smoke only. (the potency of what you smoke makes a HUGE difference). This lasted a solid 4 months, and while the latter 2 months were easier than the first 2 months, it was still a very difficult time. So for those wondering when it will end, if you smoked good stuff for a long time, expect around 3-5 months, it really does take this long.
So here I sit at age 39, on what I am determined is my last and final withdrawal. I am 8 weeks in and while I am able to function ok at this point, I am still way off and overtaken with anxiety, extreme physical exhaustion, and just a general emotional imbalance. This I know from experience will drag on for quite some time.
However, I do know from experience that it will cease, and at the end of the tunnel it will all be behind me. This time I must remember that I cannot under any circumstances take a single puff EVER again, as every time I decided I could in the past it led to daily use within a month. I just like it way too much, plain and simple. I wish I could be like most and enjoy a puff for those special occasions, but for me the special occasions become all occasions.
For example: I am going skiing this weekend, I have to have a little puff when I ski, it relaxes me and I ski so much better. I will just toke this weekend while I ski and put it away for a while. Then Monday I come home from work, and think "man am I tired from all that skiing, just one little puff so I sleep well tonight & enjoy some Monday night football". Then I might be succesfull in stopping Tuesday - Thursday, then I reward myself with a Friday night puff to kick off the weekend. Oh gee, I am going mountain biking this weekend, I need a puff for for the same reasons as skiing. then the cycle continues until I am smoking at every moment I am not at work. Then it starts making me lazy, self indulgent and reclusive. I then "need" it to sleep and to feel normal, which even after I get sick of it I have to keep on toking out of fear of another withdrawal. Then when I can't take it anymore I buckle down for a withdrawal, get through it, and go right back down that slippery slope.
IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, IT CANT!!! I will not under any circumstances take another puff, I will not convince myself again that I possess the capability of keeping my grubby paws out of the cookie jar. If you are reading this and have also smoked enough to suffer signifigant withdrawal, please understand that you also do not possess the ability of occasional use. You also will repeat the same cycle, and go through this bloody hell again and again.
From the times I was completely free I know how much better I am. I do way better at work, my marriage is better, I am a better father and a better all around person. Not that I am some evil monster when smoking, but it definitely keeps me from being my best. It is not how I want to live life going into my 40's.
I love showing comments like yours to people who tell me confidently that they know for a scientific fact that marijuana is not "physically" addicting--whatever that is supposed to mean. And I show comments like yours to people who insist that being overly fond of pot does not constitute an addiction.
People still believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and Psychoactive Drugs with No Adverse Side Effects.
Some fool's still believe in 'REEFER MADNESS, too. Something Dirk and his like are counting on.
Corporate-Funded Online 'Astroturfing' Is More Advanced and More Automated Than You Might Think.
Every month more evidence piles up, suggesting that online comment threads and forums are being hijacked by people who aren’t what they seem to be.
The anonymity of the web gives companies and governments/DEA, golden opportunities to run astroturf operations: fake grassroots campaigns, which create the impression that large numbers of people are demanding or opposing particular policies. This deception is most likely to occur where the interests of companies or governments come into conflict with the interests of the public. For example, there’s a long history of tobacco companies creating astroturf groups to fight attempts to regulate them.
After I last wrote about online astroturfing, in December, I was contacted by a whistleblower. He was part of a commercial team employed to infest internet forums and comment threads on behalf of corporate clients, promoting their causes and arguing with anyone who opposed them.
But it now seems that these operations are more widespread, more sophisticated and more automated than most of us had guessed. The internet is a wonderful gift, but it’s also a bonanza for corporate lobbyists, viral marketers and government spin doctors, who can operate in cyberspace without regulation, accountability or fear of detection. So let me repeat the question I’ve put in previous articles, and which has yet to be satisfactorily answered: what should we do to fight these tactics?
Read more at : http://www.alternet.org/story/150049/corporate-funded_online_%27astroturfing%27_is_more_advanced_and_more_automated_than_you_might_think?page=2
Replace 'Corporate -funded' with 'DEA funded', and you see right through the motives of this blog and the ones like them.
Do me a favor, tell my astroturf overlords I haven't gotten paid yet. I'm not out here defrauding the public just for my health, ya know.
Your 'REEFER MADNESS' lies are the same ones Anslinger started 75 years ago. Intelligent people, with cannabis experience, know how full of crap you drug warriors are, and the lengths you'll go.
Now you're starting to get all one-note and boring. You also don't read so well. I am in favor of legalization. Why not take your rant somewhere else.
I'm 17 and I am (hopefully i can soon say was) a casual smoker. The first time I tried pot was Summer '10 and my smoking pattern was inconsistent, but it definitely started to increase. I tried quitting once when school started this year because I am a varsity cross country runner and I have always been weary about how "not addicting" marijuana is. Also, I did not want my lungs to be at a sub-par level. I was clean the entire season but I definitely ran into these symptoms, especially anxiety. I insisted to my parents that I had ADD because I was unaware that marijuana withdrawal existed at the time. Just as the anxiety started to alleviate, I got a concussion and suffered from post concussion syndrome. Symptoms I suffered were depression, inability to communicate and make decisions well for the first couple weeks, and mostly paranoia (i had many delusions of persecution, some of which have been confirmed to be delusions). I got help from a psychologist and eventually (roughly 4-6 weeks), the post concussion syndrome symptoms seemed to alleviate as well. P.S. I am so happy that you made this information and that I found it, I hope that you are in some way rewarded greatly.
I have been a daily smoker for most of the last 28 years, and am currently at the end of my first week of quitting again. I am experiencing all the symptoms mentioned in prior posts. I have tried "cold turkey" before, but withdrawals are way to much. I am tapering myself after 6 months of all day smoking hydro, and tapering seems to be working OK.
I wait until it is almost unbearable, and take a small hit to ease the symptoms. You have to really control yourself, and stick to the tapering plan. Walking, water, eating healthy, and occasional rips help, and things are slowly getting better.
If you are taking an SSRI for anxiety or depresion, like Wellbutrin, Paxil, or Effexor XR, DO NOT quit these cold turkey. Side effects are worse than pot. Use the finger method to taper off of them. What I mean is -- break open a capsule, lick your finger, and place finger over open end of capsule, and count how many granules are removed from dosage. Remove same amount of granules each time you take a capsule. Slowly increase amount of granules removed over a couple of weeks until you are down to almost nothing. THINGS WILL GET BETTER.
One side effect of marijuana withdrawal that is obvious on this site but hasn't been discussed is that apparently withdrawals effect one's ability to run spell check on your posts. That will get better over time, too. LOL.
Yep, better add that to the list of withdrawal symptoms:impaired ability to employ spell checking software. ;-)
What a crock of shit
Dirk, I'm so pleased that this (your blog and comments) information is available. Before I found this post, I had searched pretty hard for anything relating to cannabis withdrawal and temperature regulation on the net. The last time I tried to find anything was over a year ago.I find people's comments very interesting. It's good to know there are other people with the same withdrawal symptoms as me.
I have to say that for me it's the irregular temperature symptom that really annoys me the most. It's great to finally hear that it does exist generally and it's not just me. If I'm busy, I feel preoccupied more with the temp' thing rather than depressed thoughts or anxiety.
To the skeptics of cannabis withdrawal I say 'why do all these guys who don't believe in cannabis withdrawal always seemingly come across as angry at the thought or discussion of it?' Perhaps you are in withdrawal and your mood has come across, inadvertently and unwittingly via your post. lol
With regard to the temp' prob I seem to have - Isn't there any natural supplement that can be taken to remedy this?
NB I have been a heavy user of high potency weed for over 10 years. When I had given up before, I found that returning to complete 'normality' actually took 4 months. The worst passed after about 40 days. The really bad period was definitely the first week.
You can become yourself again though. Problematically and slightly depressing though is the thought that when you return to 'normal' you remember that you're a better person when you're stoned all the time. D'oh!
What I would say is this: Try giving up really hard and see what reaction your body gives you. It will give a huge insight into how your body reacts to what you've done to it. This perspective will make you more vigilant and practical in controlling yourself in terms of vices.
Cannabis has been the 'bain of my life' but has also prompted me to produce the best and most interesting work I have ever done. I'm a musician.
Apols for rambling a little.
Any help on the temp' thing would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks and keep up the positive threads please for all our (potentially miserable) sakes.
Adam N
Hi Adam--
The temperature thing is a bitch and I don't know of any quick fixes. Some people literally have to change the bedsheets a couple of times a night in the early, sweaty going.
As for withdrawal denialists, they are angry, I believe, because they see the pot question exclusively in political terms. What they want is legalization (do do I), but they seem to view any talk of pot addiction or withdrawal as a deviation from right thinking about The Cause. Me, I'm prepared to follow the science wherever it leads, and not confuse it with politics.
I just want to say thanks, no i know what I'm going through is legitimate. I got a flu shot this year and I honestly thought I had the flu. I've been sweating and changing temperatures like crazy.
Hi Dirk,
I've been a daily smoker for almost 15 years. About 6 years ago I started having panic attacks, and even had my former boss take me to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack. They gave me an EKG and told me I was fine. The doctor prescribed me Xanex and that seemed to help. With a job change a lot of my stress went away and the panic attacks subsided. I've had a few in the last couple of years but not like I did back then. Recently I've had more racing heart issues and anxiety (think I'm going to have a heart attack) so I decided to stop smoking cold turkey. I'm on day five and have experienced the crazy dreams the last few nights. I wake up from them and it takes me a bit to get back to sleep. Seems what I've read about the withdrawal symptoms is true for me. Also I've been having anxiety and feelings that I'm going to die or something, and glad I found your blog. Give me solice to know that this will pass, even if it takes a month or so. I'm pretty strong willed and I feel I'm done with pot. I HATE feeling like this and the anxiety is not worth the trade for being stoned. I've also been trying to lose a few pounds and have lost 18 so far since I stopped drinking a few months ago. I've got a treadmill and will try exercising more to help with the withdrawal symptoms. Thanks for doing what you do!
Greetings,
Marijuana is a most difficult substance to withdraw from. Yes, cessation usually produces uncomfortable symptoms as most here know. What a nightmare - literally. I would imagine that for some of us the idea of vigorous exercise and diet modification during initial withdrawal although scientifically sound just won't happen for a variety of reasons or excuses. Thus is the nature of this beast. While I admire those who have success this way it doesn't seem to do quite enough.
That said I am wondering if anyone has tried weaning down from weed while weaning up on an antidepressant. Perhaps a little "hydroxyzine" for those not so wonderful night sweats/insomnia/nightmares?
The last time I attempted to quit I went 88 days with not one notably good day. I decided the self inflicted depression was more debilitating than the habituation even though I KNOW all about P.A.W.S. and all.
Stay strong ya'll. I feel your pain - literally.
P.S. No. I am not a DEA agent, or a troll from the cannabis clubs.
" I would imagine that for some of us the idea of vigorous exercise and diet modification during initial withdrawal although scientifically sound just won't happen for a variety of reasons or excuses. Thus is the nature of this beast"
-----------------
Indeed. The same is true, I think, of other chronic diseases, like depression or diabetes. When you are in withdrawal, or clinically depressed, the last thing you want to hear is some chirpy person extolling the virtues of jogging and carrot juice.
Isn't that the truth! Who would have ever thought it could get that bad? I appreciate you hosting this blog btw. It is helpful. Your objective input is very much welcomed. This site motivated me to post on the net after a long hiatus, and I was monster grade back in the day. I can only hope this is a good thing!
So how many of us suffer from the never ending google search for the easy way out and/or the answer that just doesn't exist yet during our acute withdrawal stage I wonder? Here I thought I was the only one.
Your book idea looks very cool. I gotcha bookmarked. Lucky you.
All that aside I am slowly trying to put together a unique withdrawal program used in conjunction with a spinal exercise that begins with you literally lying in bed watching TV. Does something like that have any commercial appeal I wonder?
Those suffering from depression may benefit as well. Who wants to be a rogue scientist? Raise your hand!
There just has to be an easier way. There always is.
Thanks for listening. I'll be around from time to time. You can call me "V" in case you want to address the antidepressant question, or whatever.
Bonus material:
I remember a very small dose of melatonin being helpful, but you have to be careful. I think Nyquil helped as well, but that might get scary. These are just possible cheats for those who need to get rest at any cost. I am sure many if not most here have heard out all by now. ...I'm just sayin'.
Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
V
Hello V:
I think if someone is having a huge amount of trouble sleeping during withdrawal, that the short-term use of something like Tylenol or Benedryl,or even talking to your doctor about treating you for short-term insomnia, makes sense. Like you say, gotta use what helps.
Hi Dirk and previous posters, thankyou for this blog Im 7 daysd in aftyer 30 years of everyday smoking, I am not finding it as tough as others but I greatly appreciate the validation of my symptoms.Like any major life change there must be both physical and psychological symptoms. Those who dont believe are perhaps in denial or as you have stated have political agendas to promote. I personally have found this most helpful after a day of embarrassing crying and anger (my poor dog has copped an earful)but i am determined to rid myself of this final dependancy. Thankyou to all those who have posted with honest and candid accounts. Heres hoping that my withdrawal will be fairly easy, perhaps the fact that I take high doses of omega 3's and have very few stressors to add to the anxiety have made for a relatively easy transition in the world of the straight ! Good luck to all, WE CAN DO IT. To the DEA paranoid bugger off and find someone else to annoy you are an idiot. thankyou Dirk great work xxx
Hey everyone. I've been smoking weed since 1995 (i'm 38 years old) and I had more than one year of sobriety then last November 18 2010 i relapsed. been smoking almost every day since. I've Been clean for 2 days so the withdrawal symptoms are still quite moderate. (Only becuz my brain is still in a fog) I have a feeling that once the fog clears i'll be in hell for the oh i dont know 7-8 months or so (if i stay sober). Sure wish I had the info about weed in 1995 that I have now. Nice blog, tho alot of useful info. And I agree about the "exercise more" comment. it's the last thing someone wants to hear when your feel like you might go nuts if you don't smoke a joint.
Hey dirk
Any idea on what psych meds have been effective at treating pot withdrawal? I seem to remember escitolopram lauded as a treatment for marijuana dependency. And i know a girl who has 4 months sober she got a script for Klonopin from her DR. and I think she simply traded one addiction for another. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Thanks
See my post on "Drugs for Marijuana Withdrawal." http://addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com/2011/03/seeking-patch-or-pill-for-pot.html
Bottom line is, right now everything that helps is pretty heavy duty with serious side effects. But they're looking.
First off, thank you Dirk for starting this discussion... Reading most of these comments has been very comforting. I've been off pot for a couple days now and have started to experience the irritability, random sweating, ect.. the more I read the more I wanted to smoke so I figured I'd just start typing.
I'm about to turn 22 and have been toking for a relatively short time now, about three years. In that time frame I've gone from the occasional social joint among friends to owning a vaporizer and using it around the clock. Alone.
I realize I have a problem.
My friends here in Vancouver have noticed too but don't really know me well enough to tell me to my face. My friend's that would are scattered across the globe and have no idea what I'm really like at home. I think it would scare them to be honest.
I don't know much about depression but apparently I got hit with it early last year and that's what really took my pot usage to what it is today. Am I still depressed now? You tell me, I eat about one square meal a day (granted, it's usually a big one), a lot of the things I used to enjoy now barely manage to get a rise out of me, and in general the motivation to really get on with my life is severely lacking. I'm out of school now and the real world is not getting any less real.
Being constantly 'elevated' or just knowing that I have green in stock seems to be the only time I enjoy life, I'm very laid back, not a lot bothers me and I can focus on my work. When I'm off it I find I'm highly irritable with just this constant feeling of… stagnation? Thus far I've solved that problem by just going to pick up more pot. Rinse and repeat.
These incredibly honest posts have been very helpful in identifying the kind of things I've been feeling, but the thing is, I just don't know if I want to quit? I mean I know I do, or at least would like to drastically reduce my usage, but where does one find the willpower to do such things? Do I literally have to hit rock bottom for it to fully register in my brain that I need to change?
Just put in the call. Picking up a lot less than usual...
Baby steps.
I quit smoking a week ago free smoking pretty much everyday for the last year. I have been extremely anxious, stressed and just overall feeling down. Everything that is normally fun, doesn't seem fun at all. I just really hope I can shake this feeling, it has been very very hard on me.
Thought I'd share my experiences with quitting so far. It has been about 26 days since I last smoked, but the process to quitting began 3 weeks before that. I visited my doctor about a month and a half ago to get a check-up, since I hadn't had one in 4 years. However, my main concern was my lungs, because I had been smoking for 3 years straight, about 2-3 blunts a day. I developed a smoker's cough, and was hacking up grayish/black phlegm several times a day. Fortunately, X-rays of my lungs showed there weren't any growths or anything like that. However, my lung capacity had decreased "significantly." My doctor asked me if I had thought about quitting smoking, and I told him that I couldn't imagine life without smoking. Definitely felt like a pothead/addict when I said that, but it was the truth. He asked me if I wanted to take medication to curb my smoking, and I told him I'd like to try. For 3 weeks I began taking Wellbutrin and was told to smoke my usual amount for the first week (3 joints), then then next week cut it down to 2, then the week after that cut it down to 1.
During the first week, by the third joint of the day I was almost exhausted by the thought of smoking again, which I thought of as improvement. However it was hard to make that claim since I was still smoking the same amount I normally did. I started noticing big changes in my behavior, such as being irritable with almost anything (like misplacing a wallet) and feeling so much anger. Fortunately, and I think the Wellbutrin helped with this, by the next week when I cut my smoking down to 1 joint, I was relatively at ease compared to the week before. I had a nice system where I kept busy during the day and smoked at night. During this time, I started going to the gym and tried getting used to working out, since I had been pretty awful at being consistent during my 3 years of constant highness.
Then the day finally came: I wasn't going to smoke at all. It was a weird moment, smoking my last joint. However, I was prepared to give my best effort and stop smoking. I truly believe the Wellbutrin helped me accept this, because when I tried to quit before I had never felt this sense of confidence and control over my emotions. This week was timed perfectly with me leaving California (with the quantity, quality, and cheapness of weed being easily accessible) for Texas, to hang with friends who had also quit smoking (albeit with much more ease than I had). The first week was an experience. I got few hours of sleep per night, had weird dreams (dreams for the first time in years), felt like shit in the morning, and constantly felt like I was about to get the flu. I had existential thoughts during the night, wondering what my purpose was in this big universe of ours, and how I could possibly fit in it without weed. That's when I typed in 'weed withdrawal' into Google and found this blog. I can't express how great it felt to know that I wasn't the only one going trough these problems. It gave me strength to persevere. I took some of the advice to heart and began working out furiously, and eating healthier. It was easier without smoking since I no longer felt too lazy to run and didn't have crazy cravings for something sweet. When I returned back home, I started taking a larger dose of Bupropion. In the 6 weeks that I started the process of taking medication to quit smoking, I lost over 10 pounds and 2-4% body fat. The existential dilemmas ended, the dreams got less weird but are there (which I feel makes me more human and less zombie-like for having them), and I can stay on a schedule and have a healthy workout regimen and diet. Running and eating healthy has become my new drug, and I do believe these are good addictions. I could not maintain these if I were still smoking. Again, I truly believe Wellbutrin/Bupropion helped me get through the worst of my symptoms and has made me a more confident person. I am myself in my truest form. It makes me wonder if I had been dealing with depression/anxiety issues for all these years, and had just used weed to numb the good and bad of life. I know I told myself nearly everyday during my senior year of college to see a counselor about these issues, but I would smoke instead, surprise surprise. It makes me wonder if I could have had a more successful college career and achieved more. It makes me wonder if I could have maintained better relationships with women instead of saying fuck it and preferring to smoke. These are all what-ifs but I'm inspired to make something of myself now. If you have the resources to do so, and want to quit smoking, I recommend you ask your doctor about these medications. For me at least, they've changed my life around, and most importantly, it saved my life.
I realize now that I can't go back to smoking again, because I'm addicted and can't handle just 1 blunt a month, or anything like that. Once a month turns to once a week, once a week soon turns to every day, and then you're right back to where you started. I started smoking every blue moon in high school, and ended up spending 90% of my 4 years in college high. Going to class high was a normal thing for me. I surrounded myself with enablers who didn't really care about me; just my money and willingness to buy weed.
I don't know if it was one thing that got me smoking, I think I originally just wanted to experiment. Somewhere along the line, though, I became dependent upon smoking in order to avoid dealing with personal problems. I've probably shaved off a few years of my life. Don't get me wrong, I still have cravings for weed, and I still have a long way to go, even at 26 days sober. This will be a battle for the rest of my life, fighting cravings and depression/anxiety. However, being my new self, a rejuvenated individual, the idea of smoking has become my equivalent of failing, and I refuse to fail. With the help of Bupropion, I am the master of my fate; the captain of my soul.
Sorry for the longevity of this post, but I hope I can help someone out the way I was helped out nearly a month ago.
Hi everyone,
I just quit smoking cold turkey 11 days ago after being a g a day smoker for 3 years. I have experienced most of the withdrawal symptoms, but the one that is really bothering me is this feeling of being high all day... It's relatively faint, I just feel cloudy and out of it. I've never had problems with this before until I stopped smoking. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this, and will it go away with time? I have stopped really worrying about it as I've chalked it up to my withdrawals, but I could really use some sort of reassurance. Thanks in advance everyone!
All kinds of floaty, spacey, "high" feelings can come and go during the first few weeks, people say.
I quit smoking two days ago. I've tried to do it for a while gradually and I've been having withdrawal symptoms for a few weeks now. I didn't understand what was going on and this really puts some science to the strangeness I was feeling. Literally all the symptoms fit me perfectly and this answers a lot for me. It'll be great when it's all over.
I quit smoking Pot, Cigarettes and drinking caffeine cold turkey after having an H. Pylori infection and I felt like I was not myself, major anxiety, Existential crisis and constant fear of dying. this article is very reassuring and I've found that just breathing in only oxygen, eating decently nutrutious food and drinking pretty much only water helps a great deal. I am a month and a week into my quit and every day things ease up a little more and I feel a little more normal. I hope this helps some of you and thank you for your posts. I had forgotten the value of sobriety and now plan to take full advantage of it when I have fully returned to myself.
Figured I'd share my story here.
I started smoking when I was 18 and for the first couple years I was able to keep it to once a day, and mainly only in social situations. Long story short, I am now 24 and was smoking a 1/2 ounce a week, and mostly doing it by myself.
My main reason for stopping was money reasons, but I also got real with myself and realized that smoking weed was all I really wanted to do. I'd wake up and my first thought was to hit a bowl, even if I had class in an hour. So, it was hurting my bank account, and I felt it was affecting my life negatively. I realized that I am not just a "casual" user. I'm an addict, whether it was physical or just psychological.
Anyway, I stopped smoking 3 weeks ago and for the first 2 weeks not really much happened. I knew I'd have trouble sleeping, so I started running and I had been going to the gym every day for a couple weeks before I stopped. 5 days ago, I got a pounding headache after having sex with my gf and didn't really think much of it until I realized this headache didn't really go away. I chalked it up to being hungover (drank this weekend) but now it's Tuesday and I still have this lingering headache and my neck is starting to feel tight. The headache goes from light to pounding when I strain myself (ie, sex, or working out). At first I thought it was what they call "sex headaches", but it's rather convenient that this all of a sudden happens just 2 weeks after giving up the dope cold turkey. I have had the temperature regulation problem, but it hasn't been that bad. It's just this shadow headache now and I'm not really sure what to make of it. I am eating well, and staying well hydrated so I know that's not the problem.
So, not asking for help, just wanted to write this down. I was of the thinking that weed didn't have any physical addiction symptoms but now being 3 weeks in, after 6 years of smoking almost everyday I am seeing I was pretty naive.
Just wish this fucking headache would go away haha
My experience on pot withdrawal has been similar in symptoms but far less in terms of strength of said symptoms. I experienced anxiety a bit of insomnia; mild depression and of course irritability. My symptoms lasted about two weeks, at least the strength of them, after the third week I personally could not tell if I had any smyptoms, although I was still being told I seemed to be on edge. About a month in and I was completely certain that I was good. I had been smoking for 3 years, on and off. As in I smoked for like 5 months quit for 1 and then repeat (parents came over). I'm a university student, and I personally think it's easy to quit and for a while, but quitting forever is the hardest part. I still smoke occasionally, not as much though.
Hi,
This is a question for Mr Dirk.
Smoked weed for 14 years, from the age of 16-30, I'm currently on my 15th day with out weed.
My question is this:- Will I ever get back to normal, I sometimes feel okish, then I suddenly just feel like dread washing over me, I also have lost interest in everything, nothing seems to excite me at all.
I smoked chronic weed, an ounce a month.
I went to the gym earlier today only to feel worse for it, think I over did it (2 hours or so).
I know your not got, nor a doctor, but you sound very much experienced in all this.
Thanks in advance.
I'm male by the way. MvJ
You will get back to normal, but patience is definitely called for. The hardest for some people are the psychological whim-whams, the feeling that the edge is off everything, and nothing is worth doing unless you're high. Think about that for a minute--
nothing is worth doing unless you're high. Is that kind of thinking normal?
Time is the ally. One foot in front of the other.
@ Dirk,
Thanks for your speedy reply.
I did think about it.
fortunately I don't crave weed, I just want to be me again :).
You are stacking up some great karma for your site and replies.
god bless you my friend.
all the best.
MvJ
Glad you brought that up--sometimes people who have smoked recreationally for years, without complications, will suddenly and inexplicably begin suffering extreme panic and anxiety episodes when they smoke. I don't have a clue as to the rhyme or reason for it.
So very fortunate that I located this blog, as it's been a source of information and inspiration as I attempt to get through these tough days ahead.
I started smoking weed at age 12 and did so a few times a week thru out highschool. Although I never really equated my lack of interest and poor academic perforamnce to the occasional toke it became evident after quitting when I started attending college in 1985.
Aside from the occasional weekend party which consisted of alcohol and mary jane, I was able to keep usage very limited and subsequently did well in college and obtained my degree in Information Technology. Was able to snag a killer job right out of school which subsequently led to an even better job 5 years later.
While working during the mid 90's, a co worker and I decided we both missed smoking and figureed it might be fun to have a few tokes at lunch to stimulate the remainder of the day. Innocent enough right ?
My usage grew quickly and by 2000, my motivational issues and lack of concentration forced me to quit. With no real foresight , I became unemployed and unemployable in my field and have spent the last 11 years paying for it. Not only was I forced to start working at jobs I had no desire to work, I found myself spending 1200 a month getting high...it was like oxygen to me....I was baking from morning to night and feeling darn good about it apparently.
One year ago after a string of bad incidents, I became very depressed and found the weed was no longer bringing any joy.
A few trips to various doctors and I learned that I have bipolar disorder and with the Lithium prescribed, was required to quit cannibis 100 % du to bad side effects betwen the 2. On a side note, its ben shown that heavy cannibis users are 3 tims more likey to develop psychosis.
I've spent the last 19 weeks attempting to quit but have relapsed a few times which i found essentially resets the whole process of withdrawl back to square one.
Symptoms I've experienced are vivid dreams, poor appetite, short patience, lack of interest in most everyting and to use the phrase on the article preceeding this blog "unexistential uncertainty". I have a hard time dealing with everyday life. TV seems odd and pointeless, music seems drab and boring, playing with the kids causes irritability and anxiety and the work I do at home nearly unbearable. If not for the support of my close friends , my wife and kids, I'd never make it.
The only promising aspect I can hang onto is that I do remember feeling slightly better during my longest abstinence of 2.5 weeks.
For anyone in the process of quitting...realize all these feelings of 'life is hell' are temporary and that with time and lack of relapse, You'll make it out.
It's gonna be a long recovery but my hope is that Ill be the father and husband I should be and perhaps figure out a way to regain my cognative abilities and return to my chosen profession.
GOod luck to all and just remember the poster with the cat on the branch...HANG IN THERE BABY !
Peace Out
Thanks for your thoughts. I've been thinking about the idea that a relapse resets everything to square one. And maybe it does in terms of renewed intensity of withdrawal symptoms--but having gone one day, or two weeks, or three months abstinent gives you the quiet belief in the possibility of abstinence--something that didn't even seem quite real before.
I have been hunting for the similar posting like this. You have made my day. Only one thing is going on in my mind at this moment and that is giving my comment as a way of appreciating.And yes i have tweeted your site addiction-dirkh.blogspot.com .
The only problem I have with this article is that it has almost 1000 comments and I wish I could read every single one of them. This is the only site that has actually helped in my attempt to stop smoking weed. Dirk, you are extremely insightful. You may not know it but you really are changing people's lives for the better. I appreciate what you've done here.
I have smoked 2-4 times a day, everyday for the past 4 or so years. Although I have never been diagnosed with depression or a mental disease (although I'm pretty sure I have OCD perfectionism), I have been dealing with anxiety issues in my life for as long as I can remember. And every time I have tried to quit, I would relapse within a day or two because of the extreme depression I would feel after sobering up. Also, I would buy a bag soon after because I would try to convince myself "It's just weed, it shouldn't be that addicting. I'll just try to make it last the week". But soon enough I would be calling my dealer for another fix. I have spent thousands of dollars on weed in my life and I'm sick of it. I'm proud to say I'm on my 4th day of quitting. I guess the two questions I have are: (1) How long will it for this anxiety and extreme sweating take to go away, knowing the amount that I have smoked? and (2) Will quitting make my OCD worse because I know weed has helped a lot in that regard?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Hope you have the time to get back to me.
The only problem I have with this article is that it has almost 1000 comments and I wish I could read every single one of them. This is the only site that has actually helped in my attempt to stop smoking weed. Dirk, you are extremely insightful. You may not know it but you really are changing people's lives for the better. I appreciate what you've done here.
I have smoked 2-4 times a day, everyday for the past 4 or so years. Although I have never been diagnosed with depression or a mental disease (although I'm pretty sure I have OCD perfectionism), I have been dealing with anxiety issues in my life for as long as I can remember. And every time I have tried to quit, I would relapse within a day or two because of the extreme depression I would feel after sobering up. Also, I would buy a bag soon after because I would try to convince myself "It's just weed, it shouldn't be that addicting. I'll just try to make it last the week". But soon enough I would be calling my dealer for another fix. I have spent thousands of dollars on weed in my life and I'm sick of it. I'm proud to say I'm on my 4th day of quitting. I guess the two questions I have are: (1) How long will it for this anxiety and extreme sweating take to go away, knowing the amount that I have smoked? and (2) Will quitting make my OCD worse because I know weed has helped a lot in that regard?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Hope you have the time to get back to me.
Hi again,
I posted a few days ago.
Cut it short I'm still going strong, 23 days with out the weed.
The horrible dreams have vanished, just nice dreams now, the night sweats have gone, the anxiety has subsided, although not totally gone, my skin is better, the paranoia has vanished, and I've started reading books, (last time I read a book was at school, I'm 31 in may), tv is becoming more interesting, I have more cash, and a peace if mind that's great, also I dislike sitting In the house or room I would get stoned in, so I have moved into a different part of the house, really helps a lot.
Must admit I have one beer in the evenings as a treat, but making sure it doesn't turn into a habit.
So I'm just letting people know things really do get better, and time is a great healer.
And its still early days, so I'm looking forward to even more perks.
Weed took away a lot of my self esteem, which is still not great, but time I know will gain me this back, I'm sure of it.
Don't give up, giving up the weed, it really is worth it.
Take care everyone, and good luck in the finding of your new lease of lif
Regards ..
MvJ
Hi Thomas: Just as an example, MvJ, who just posted, said most of his major symptoms were fading away after about a month. Will quitting worsen OCD? (Or depression or bipolar disorder or ADHD?) Can't say, and neither can you until you have a documented stretch of going without. And thanks for the warm words about the blog. I'm just as surprised as everyone else posting here that there isn't more known about this, and not many other places for discussion of it.
I started smoking pot aged 16/17 and had become a daily smoker by my late teens. Now at 35, I've seen the majority of my fellow dope smokers quit over the years and what once felt very sociable has gradually come to feel like anything but and after numerous failed attempts to quit I'm sat here on day 2 of my latest quit-attempt, long after anything resembling a sensible bed-time, thinking "Not addictive???????", "No recorded withdrawal symptoms????"...B**ls**t!!!"
Anyway, rather than come with too much repetition I just wanted to say hats off to the man, Dirk, and anyone else that has posted positively over the last 3 epic pages (Yes, I read the whole damn thing!!!)... Just to echo many a sentiment already expressed, it's 'comforting' (yet no less unforunate) to know that I am not alone... To be perfectly honest, I probably wouldn't have put the majority of the emotional turmoil into a context - Thanks for the chance to make a bit more sense out of this mess.
One thing I did want to ask though....
THOSE OF YOU THAT ALSO/STILL SMOKE CIGARETTES... HOW'S THAT PART PANNING OUT FOR YOU?
A major part of my (deluded?) justification for smoking pot regularly (aside from my preference for pot over alcohol for recreational purposes) was that "Hey, I smoked the best part of 20 a day through my teens and into my early 20s... At least by smoking merely 'a joint or two' (or 3 or 4!) of an evening, at least I'm not killing myself with cigarettes!"...
BUT.... Every time I try to quit pot, my cigarrette count (which is otherwise just 1 or 2 during my workday) goes through the roof (especially during any perdiods of un-rest & insomnia); something that itself makes me feel cr*ppy (Chest, breathing etc.) and has it's own 'issues' (Money, Health etc.)... TBH, if it wasn't for the eventual dissapearance of the fun/joy that pot once brought me and the feelings of jaded-ness that have developed towards the interests etc. that I once so passionate about, I'd prob just keep opting for the dope.
SO, ANY ADVICE/TIPS FROM ANYONE THAT SUFFERS SIMILARLY?
(No cigs has always been the plan if I can first get myself over this particular hump, whilst the notion of replacing once vice with a more deadly once is absolutely ludicrous!)
THX again...
Mr H
P.S. To the 'expert' mouthing off with the idea that anyone suffering whilst quiting is just weak... LOL at you acting the big man, wise-guy.... If you're buying 2oz of which 50% is unsmokable then you've been being thoroughly ripped of for years - That's how much of a 'expert' you really are, you ignorant a*shole! LOL
In my experience symptoms do go away in time. I personally believe the headaches are caused by the lack of movement in the bowels and prune juice or pitted prunes helped for me. Sweaty hands, feverish flu like symptoms and a feeling of uneasiness also go away with time, and meditation and mineral water helped with those. Don't give up time is on your side, eventually you will feel normal again. :) (daily smoker for 20 years.)
When I once asked a very smart person,"how long does it take," he said to me: "As long as it takes to stop asking things like,'how long does it take?'"
Really helpfull post. I hope I will finally manage to success in my quitting marijuana journey.
As i'm rolling a fat-one and reading all these stories of how difficult is for people to overcome the habit. I feel I'm on the same boat because it's been a while since I started using pot again. I usually don't have all those withdrawals symptoms that are described here but i noticed that when I go without smoking for at least a day i become really irritated, so much that I almost lost my job once. I know it's kind of difficult to stop but I think it's all in the mind and not physical. I guess I will just smoke this fat-one and during the effect of it, will write my plan to quit.
Mr. H:
All I can say, is tobacco is the last addiction many people manage to peel loose. All this stuff can be linked together in weird individual ways--one person can't quit cigs unless they quit pot, too; another person can't quit cigs unless they smoke like three tons of pot...
I am 30 and have been smoking on average 6 joints per night for about 15 years. I have managed to keep it outside work time and I would not say my daily usage was ever extreme by any means. A joint for me consisted of half a cigarette-worth of tobacco (I find hand rolling tobacco way too addictive) and a small ammount of weed. I usually manage to keep weed (skunk) consumption down to an eighth per week unless I am at a festival or something.
Part of my reason for giving up is I have had palpitations and panic attacks every night in bed for the past 3 years and just got used to them (I initially went to the doctor thinking my heart was going to pack in but they said it was nothing to worry about and told me to try to relax more often).
I have kept a record of my withdrawal over the past month...
Day 4
I am currently on day four of abstinence and I am writing this now because I cannot sleep (3am) and have hardly slept for 2 days now.
The palpitations subsided immediately after stopping smoking (the first night!) but I am experiencing the generalised anxiety other quitters report. I am starting to feel like my head is in a glass box, a fuzzy barrier exists between my head and the outside world.
Day 8
I have started to feel manic most of the time and glass box feeling persists, increased thinking (I am usually a deep thinker anyway) and thoughts relating to my withdrawal symptoms consume my mind. My mood is irratic, going from positive to negative within the space of only a few minutes. It is as if my mind is trying hard to feel good without this substance it has grown used to. I have also had nausea since day 3 but was only physically sick once.
Day 13
Palpitations are back and I feel more anxious than ever. My heart is racing and fluttering so much I decided to go to hospital. They hooked me up to ECG and tell me all is normal, this made me feel better. I start to think all these symptoms have been in my head.
Day 14
Palpitations gone again (must be due to doctors reassurance) but all other symptoms persist. Head in glass box feeling stronger than ever. Strange feelings of anxiety and negativity without being able to say what or why. Feel like crying every now and then. Happens in waves.
Day 17
Feeling a little better today. Despite all symptoms mentioned up to now, I have not actually had cravings for weed. I am now feeling cravings. I think I have realised in my own thought processes that I am not going to have the weed ever again.
Day 30
Positives
Since day 17 I have felt more normal in myself, much more human and in touch with reality! It feels unusual. I am starting to feel much clearer in my head and I have been told I look more healthy! My personality has not changed but I have more vitality and my mind feels untarnished. I feel the energy and motivation to do more exercise and socialise like I used to. I actually feel more outgoing and less introverted. I'm more willing to talk to strangers.
Negatives
I don't feel a physical craving during the daytime when I am busy. However when I get to the evening I really want some weed and I have started drinking more caffeine at this time due to a desire to replace the void left by quitting cannabis. Caffeine gives a bit of a high. Also, drinking alcohol is a negative experience as it makes me crave weed or cigarettes (I have not smoked anything since I quit 30 days ago). I suppose all these cravings are down to my previous habbits of smoking during evenings and whilst drinking.
What I really want to know now, will these feelings dissappear? Will I always desire weed during leisure time and whilst drinking? I feel I am experiencing the fading throes of withdrawal, but I want these niggling cravings to go away so I can once again enjoy a beer or relaxation time without weed.
Thanks for such a great outlet.
Will you be free of the odd craving forever at some point? Can't say. But most people say that the ability to do what they want, without the mandatory urge to get high first, does return. Neural plasticity wins out, and you get better.
Here's something to be happy about: You have just posted comment number 1,000 in this threat of comments on marijuana withdrawal. No prizes, sorry, just congratulations on a job well done. ;-)
Hello Dirk,
I can not tell you how glad I am to have found your site; I too always heard marijuana withdrawals were benign, which is clearly far from the truth.
Anyways, about two and a half years ago I tried my first bowl, and from there my use fluctuated from weekly to hourly. Towards the end of 2009 I was smoking/vaporizing very potent medical marijuana at least 10 times per day. In addition to this, I would eat mushrooms or drop acid on the weekends.
This all came to a head one weekend at the very end of 2009; I had eaten some mushrooms and dropped several hits of acid on a Friday night, and tripped until Sunday night (smoking week all weekend of course) and finally fell asleep that night. I awoke Monday, went to school, and had a severe panic attack in class. I was rushed to the hospital, and later released after some absolute idiot of a psychologist said I was perfectly fine to leave.
Over the course of the next FOUR months I got sober and I experienced entire weeks where I would sleep for only perhaps an hour per day, I dropped from 150 LBS to 115 LBS due to lack of appetite (I'm at 6' tall male), so needless to say I looked completely emaciated.
The worst part of this time period is that now, almost a year and a half later, I have little to no recollection of the entire first two months I got sober; it was as if they never happened. I only remember bits and pieces, as well as what I was told by family, friends, and doctors. Apparently, during these two months, I exhibited every symptom of a full blown schizophrenic. I was constantly manic, and incredibly grandiose. Most of what I said made no sense to anyone except me. During the following two months I slowly began to return to my normal self.
Another peculiar symptom I experienced during my first month of sobriety was autosymbolic hypnagogic hallucinations; rather I would hallucinate absolutely whatever I wanted to as I began to fall asleep or wake up. I also vividly remember (basically my only vivid memory from this time period) one morning where I opened my eyes in bed from the first sleep I had gotten in days, yet I could not move my body for about a minute which felt like years. I was lying in bed completely paralyzed staring at my room. I am completely certain this was not a dream, as my father saw me lying there with my eyes open completely still wondering what was going on.
Over the next six months or so I stayed sober and completely returned to my normal self, or what was left of him. This puts us around November of 2010, when I decided to try smoking weed again. I took ONE HIT of some fairly decent bud, and everything in my field of vision started spinning. My balance was incredibly off, and I couldn’t even walk close to straight. I became incredibly anxious and paranoid, however I attribute this mostly to the fact I was with a completely stranger. I remember very little of the next 8 hours, however I do remember going sledding and the snow was alternating between neon green and neon red; I was having VERY vivid hallucinations from a single hit of weed.
This scared the shit out of me, but not enough. I continued to smoke after this, starting from several times a week to several times per day. After about the first two weeks of smoking (maybe 8 times total) the paranoia and hallucinations were completely gone, I was back to having normal highs. I continued to smoke several times per day until May 14 of 2011, and have been sober since. I’m expecting to be on probation for the next year or two, so I am going to be sober for at least that long. I’m experience most of the withdrawal symptoms that have already been mentioned, but I could care less because they are NOTHING like what I went through last time.
Overall, I’m not sure how much of my four months of insanity were due to not smoking marijuana or how much of it was a result of not doing mushrooms or acid, but either way marijuana definitely played a major role in it.
P.S.
I also found that whenever I smoked marijuana recently it almost always threw me into a mild acid flashback with varying degrees of intensity. I would most accurately describe them as false perceptions of movement in my peripheral vision, such as an object in my peripheral vision appearing to move around even though it’s static. If I smoke more than a bowl or two, I also begin to notice that everything has a slight metallic and rainbow colored hue to it, similar to pearlescent paint on a car.
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