Hello! I am 23 years old male and I have been smoking marijuana for a year now on regular basis. Regular basis meaning every day. Now, I believe it is high time I quit doing this, but I somehow can’t seem to do it. Now, I know that marijuana doesn’t cause addiction but it seems as if it has, because even though I want to stop, I keep smoking. I just don’t know how to find motivation for quitting.
Hi there! It seems as if you haven’t made up your mind yet. If you were determined to do it, that means it is bothering you, you are having side effects or you would just like to be straight, right? This sounds like a very good motivation to me. I don’t know how well you are acquainted with marijuana’s long term effects, so maybe this can help you find your motivation. I surely hope so!!!! Frequent and prolonged use of marijuana can lead to: paranoia, impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment, difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts, intense anxiety or panic attacks, enhanced cancer risk, decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men, damage to lungs, etc.
when you get high off weed chemicals are released from your brain called neurotransmitters (dopemine mostly) this causes the high. when you quit the brain produces less neurotransmitters causing all kinds of symptoms. i have smoked full time(1/4 ounce a week for 21 years) i have just quit and am having stomach problems...this is normal.. the brain is adjusting its levels...this can take a few months..but i have found a way to boost dopemine naturally..jogging. it is hard to do the first few days or weeks because of feeling tired because of marijuana withdrawl....but i promise if you get off the couch and run for thirty minutes you will get a similar but cleaner high..because it is a fact that rigorous exercise increases neurotransmitter production...hence the saying 'runners high" i quit smoking cigarettes this way.. not to mention that after running and weezing you really dont crave any smoke for at least 2 or 3 hours. if you can get motivated run 2-3 times a day for 30 min you will be so calm at the end of the day .. you might even become addicted to running...and that has alot of positive side effects. so you might want to run to keep your brains chemicals even so you dont have to suffer physically or mentally. and it also helps to avoid social situations that might cause you to reason with yourself and start back. anyway i am quitting because i have spent probably more than $100,000 on it in the last 21 yrs and i could really use $100,000 right now. dont let anyone fool you...long term marijuana use causes major addiction. good luck .. and dont psych yourself out... have the right attitude and be patient because it is an addiction.
I can testify that life is much better without pot. I smoked for some 5 years daily, and my life is more interesting, stimulating, and exciting that it ever was before. I enjoy music just as much (I used to think that week helped me see things differently), I go places, I'm even living in Europe! So, I hope that this is good motivation...a life clean with no fake chemical highs.
with me i have always been addicted to something. it has been OTC pills, prescription pills, tobacco, alcohol (i stopped before i became addicted, but i had some bad habits with that: driving around and drinking from a WINE BOTTLE ). i have had several close calls with cops pulling me over for speeding/tail light violations, when i had it in my car. i believe that one time, the cop knew, because he called for backup and the two of talked for a very long time in the car. he smelled it when i rolled my window down. as i lived with my parents, i never could sustain that much of a habit, mostly i smoked at night, and for only a few months at a time.
well now, i'm hooked, and its been a year and a half. i support myself now, i'm on my own, and i have a quarter-a-week habit. at some points it has been a half ounce a week. i've thrown out bowls, smashed bongs, made makeshift ones out of plastic bottles (which is supposed to be a very very unhealthy thing to do), now i'm on machine-rolled joints. i tell myself not to smoke before i go to work at 7:30. but i have this morning ritual of coffee, a joint, and Saved By The Bell. sometimes i wait til i get home. some times i want to be only a night time smoker. smoke to relax before i go to bed. other times i want to quit entirely. i have flushed an ounce down the toilet before. tried to hide it, seal it up, make it hard to get at. it doesn't work. and if i don't have it, if i go a day without it, even if i'm broke, i will somehow find the cash for it and sometimes spend a whole day waiting for my guy to drop by. i also smoke cigarettes like a chimney.
i am scared for my health, and my problem is also ruining my relationship.
i use weed because i feel like it makes me more even, it smooths over the rough edges and acts like an antidepressant. it makes life feel like a video game. nothing seems real. i have spatial-relation problems, sometimes i lose my footing and topple over..lol. it makes me feel creative. i am a musician and though i know i am responsible for my music, i feel like the weed let it out of me. i like how smoking makes your voice all sandpapery-smooth, and often will smoke a whole pack and a few joints while recording vocals. pot makes me acts sorta wierd, and social problems aren't helping me get my name out on the music scene here, even though i play a show at least once a month.
but i am in a rut, i need to change, something has to happen. i just know that its going to be painful to stop. any suggestions?
well now, i'm hooked, and its been a year and a half. i support myself now, i'm on my own, and i have a quarter-a-week habit. at some points it has been a half ounce a week. i've thrown out bowls, smashed bongs, made makeshift ones out of plastic bottles (which is supposed to be a very very unhealthy thing to do), now i'm on machine-rolled joints. i tell myself not to smoke before i go to work at 7:30. but i have this morning ritual of coffee, a joint, and Saved By The Bell. sometimes i wait til i get home. some times i want to be only a night time smoker. smoke to relax before i go to bed. other times i want to quit entirely. i have flushed an ounce down the toilet before. tried to hide it, seal it up, make it hard to get at. it doesn't work. and if i don't have it, if i go a day without it, even if i'm broke, i will somehow find the cash for it and sometimes spend a whole day waiting for my guy to drop by. i also smoke cigarettes like a chimney.
i am scared for my health, and my problem is also ruining my relationship.
i use weed because i feel like it makes me more even, it smooths over the rough edges and acts like an antidepressant. it makes life feel like a video game. nothing seems real. i have spatial-relation problems, sometimes i lose my footing and topple over..lol. it makes me feel creative. i am a musician and though i know i am responsible for my music, i feel like the weed let it out of me. i like how smoking makes your voice all sandpapery-smooth, and often will smoke a whole pack and a few joints while recording vocals. pot makes me acts sorta wierd, and social problems aren't helping me get my name out on the music scene here, even though i play a show at least once a month.
but i am in a rut, i need to change, something has to happen. i just know that its going to be painful to stop. any suggestions?
Hang in there WeedGirl! I have struggled with most of the things you are talking about - you do need a change. I've found that moving from one vice to another is usually a search for something in ourselves that we are not happy with yet. We evolve in life and are constantly looking to find ourselves - you will find yourself, just make sure you believe in yourself. Most addictions come through self esteem problems - self doubt and self loathing are the enemies. You are great just the way you are and you have to believe that! A little smoking and some self reflection is okay, but don't let it hold you back from the good stuff - Life is out there happening and it wants you to come out and play! That's what we are here for...
I;ve been smoking for well over 10 years now and I just quit last Wednesday. The physical cravings have passed but the worst part is waking up to my life. I have gained a lot of weight and I have pretty much isolated myself away from people. I have a lot of rebuilding to do. I see the task of restructuring my life as my new addiction. I can totally relate to those here who talk about how difficult it is to quit. I wish you the best of luck and perserverence.
Wow . . . I hate to admit it but I think I have a problem! First, I came to this board simply because my dealer didn't make it over to bring me my "goodies". This was after 3 days of "tomorrow", I think everyone has been there trying to hook up. Last night I got upset and impulsively decided, "screw him. . . I don't need it anyway!" Well, 6 hrs. later I found myself surfing the internet, wishing I was stoned, and landed here (fate?). I am 37 this week, I have been smoking Pot, or Hash pretty much daily since I was 14. The ease of getting it has been a BIG enabler. I've lived in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Montreaux (Europe), and a host of other places and I was always able to find a way to score. Because money was never really a problem (especially when I was using my parent's money!) the financial aspect never registered. This is not bragging in anyway, it was just another "blanket" keeping me warm and comfy, prolonging the realization. But what I have noticed is an increasing lack of motivation. My cycle now has been, "gee I'm bored might as well get stoned . . . maybe I should go buy something . . . Nah tomorrow, this pot is too good to waste time doing other things". Before I knew it, 10 years past by. I think one of the MAIN reasons but not the only one, I never thought I had a problem is because I never "graduated" to harder drugs. The opposite happened, if I dabbled with Cocaine, I could always get off it with the excuse, "I'll just go back to pot". Another odd aspect is the fact that when I was younger, everyone tried to prevent me from getting mixed up with drugs. So when I moved out on my own, I thought the party was just starting! I had no where to go, and all day to get there. I didn't have the normal worries of a job and responsibility. I grew up with a bunch of "privillaged" kids, and we all thought the same way. This I guess is the strength of peer preasure, irresponsible wealth management, and getting stoned. And believe me there were a bunch of us, more then our parents knew about (Anyone remember Less then Zero?). A 1/4 of us stayed only "pot heads", a 1/4 probably stopped, with the last half going down some dark paths. So I know I'm in the lucky half, but now I'm not sure that's good enough.
I'd be lying if I said I don't plan to get high again. After all its been a part of my life for more then half my existance. BUT I am now thinking a bit differently. Anyway, reading a bunch of these posts has given me a valuable insight. And the fact I've bothered to place a post makes me think, maybe there is hope? I am curious, if my dealer calls me today, am I going to say "come on over"? I guess I'll know in a few hours.
Thanks for reading.
I'd be lying if I said I don't plan to get high again. After all its been a part of my life for more then half my existance. BUT I am now thinking a bit differently. Anyway, reading a bunch of these posts has given me a valuable insight. And the fact I've bothered to place a post makes me think, maybe there is hope? I am curious, if my dealer calls me today, am I going to say "come on over"? I guess I'll know in a few hours.
Thanks for reading.
My son is gifted in the arts and very intelligent. He earned a scholarship to a State College.
He is at the end of his freshman year. He was recently diagnosed with Depression and is on Zoloft. I also know he spokes pot daily. During the last few months (while taking both drugs) he decided he wanted to leave college, went from 12 credit hours on the Dean's list, to six credit hours, then just stopped going completely. When I told him he would have to start paying for all of his living expenses; car, gas, food, rent, etc., etc., etc., if he dropped out of school entirely (the hardest thing I ever had to do) he finally agreed to a compromise....take six credit hours each semester to keep his scholarship in tact, and get a part time job to help pay for his living expenses. He is an incredibly gifted musician and vocalist, and has written over 60 songs. His poems have been published and his writing is exceptional. He wants to pursue his music full time and says THAT'S why he wants to leave school, NOW. OK...HERE'S MY QUESTIONS... Him wanting to drop out of school seems totally out of character for him, although he did get a little burned out from all of the stress in Highschool. Could the combination of pot and Zoloft be clouding his judgement? I spoked pot in college and until I worked out my freshman issues - it caused me to go from a 3.8 to a 2.8 I know the pot ALONE effected my whole outlook on things. He says it has nothing to do with it and that he's felt this way about formal education for a long time. He was just doing what he thought everyone else wanted him to do. Now, as an adult, he's going to make his own path. I respect that, and he is a wonderful kid. Always has been. I just worry that the pot will lessen his drive and ambition.
He is at the end of his freshman year. He was recently diagnosed with Depression and is on Zoloft. I also know he spokes pot daily. During the last few months (while taking both drugs) he decided he wanted to leave college, went from 12 credit hours on the Dean's list, to six credit hours, then just stopped going completely. When I told him he would have to start paying for all of his living expenses; car, gas, food, rent, etc., etc., etc., if he dropped out of school entirely (the hardest thing I ever had to do) he finally agreed to a compromise....take six credit hours each semester to keep his scholarship in tact, and get a part time job to help pay for his living expenses. He is an incredibly gifted musician and vocalist, and has written over 60 songs. His poems have been published and his writing is exceptional. He wants to pursue his music full time and says THAT'S why he wants to leave school, NOW. OK...HERE'S MY QUESTIONS... Him wanting to drop out of school seems totally out of character for him, although he did get a little burned out from all of the stress in Highschool. Could the combination of pot and Zoloft be clouding his judgement? I spoked pot in college and until I worked out my freshman issues - it caused me to go from a 3.8 to a 2.8 I know the pot ALONE effected my whole outlook on things. He says it has nothing to do with it and that he's felt this way about formal education for a long time. He was just doing what he thought everyone else wanted him to do. Now, as an adult, he's going to make his own path. I respect that, and he is a wonderful kid. Always has been. I just worry that the pot will lessen his drive and ambition.
I do think the weed could be infleuncing your son's desire to stay in school. I call weed "the mediocre drug," because it enables you to do just enough to pass, but not really try your best. Especially if your child is gifted, he may think "I know I can do better than this. I know I'm brilliant! Who cares what my professors think?" I say this because I've been a regular smoker (about 1/4 of an oz a week) for the last 5 or 6 years. When I think about the time that has passed, it's absolutely frightening. But that's exactly what the drug does—it passes time, lets you live in a numbed fog, feeling nothing. You begin to use it as a tool to filter the outside world—if someone or something upsets you, smoking will take the pain away. And because it ruins your memory, you won't even recall what pissed you off in the first place. It becomes a companion that comforts you, never says no, always makes you feel good. So why stop, right? I've been asking myself that questions for about a year. My primary reason: my health and happiness.
Today is my second day quitting cold turkey. I recently lost about 30 pounds and started exercising 5 days a week. But yet I still hadn't quit the weed. Yes—it was affecting my job...I'd show up late with an excuse about a doctor's appointment, or problems with my car. Yes—I did have chest pains and shortness of breath every now and then. But still I didn't stop. Then 2 days ago when I couldn't score I just said, "What the hell am I doing? Why am I doing this to my body? I don't need it!!!"
I've quit weed before—for 3 years almost. I smoked from 15 to about 18, and then I quit from 18 to about 21. But I'm 27 now, and I want my life back. Weed keeps you holed up in the house—you don't experience all life has to offer. You make shoddy friends based on your addiction—people who you'd never associated with if you weren't a smoker. You blow your paycheck on the c**p. And at the end of the day, it's stealing away years from your life. The lungs of weed addicts ain't the lest bit unhealthy. It's scray on this side, I admit. I'm scare to go straight. Part of me just relished in the illegality of it all—the bad-ass factor. But I have to chose me. I have to chose my life, instead of the weed. And I feel like by quitting that's exactly what I'm doing. I can't do this by myself—I'm leaning on God.
Today is my second day quitting cold turkey. I recently lost about 30 pounds and started exercising 5 days a week. But yet I still hadn't quit the weed. Yes—it was affecting my job...I'd show up late with an excuse about a doctor's appointment, or problems with my car. Yes—I did have chest pains and shortness of breath every now and then. But still I didn't stop. Then 2 days ago when I couldn't score I just said, "What the hell am I doing? Why am I doing this to my body? I don't need it!!!"
I've quit weed before—for 3 years almost. I smoked from 15 to about 18, and then I quit from 18 to about 21. But I'm 27 now, and I want my life back. Weed keeps you holed up in the house—you don't experience all life has to offer. You make shoddy friends based on your addiction—people who you'd never associated with if you weren't a smoker. You blow your paycheck on the c**p. And at the end of the day, it's stealing away years from your life. The lungs of weed addicts ain't the lest bit unhealthy. It's scray on this side, I admit. I'm scare to go straight. Part of me just relished in the illegality of it all—the bad-ass factor. But I have to chose me. I have to chose my life, instead of the weed. And I feel like by quitting that's exactly what I'm doing. I can't do this by myself—I'm leaning on God.
Hey, I have been a true daily smoker for going on 7 years, currently i smoke around 1/4oz or more a week. I feel my health deteriorating a little each day. I am moving to china to teach English and I have to stop now. I have always done fine through the years with both school and friends, tho relationships have suffered. Now it seems like im more and more shut off from my surroundings. My whole life is about to change by moving from small town Canada to Huge city China, and i would like to get the weed addiction sorted out before Leaving. I figure culture shock is enough on its own. I hope i got the strenth to pull this all off :S
I experimented with marijuana in highschool, but was never a regular smoker until I entered college. I drank heavily for a point in time and used marijuana to help control that an anxiety issues I was having about my reputation. I thought that smoking marijuana would help me relax and be more personable and laid back, but frankly smoking marijuana had the opposite effect. After three years of smoking about an eigth a week (I know I know, I am a girl of tiny stature and could manage to make it last even though I was hitting it everyday) I finally decided to quit. It's been about a week and a half and I am having problems getting to sleep and then waking up in the morning, and when I wake up I feel incredibly sore and lethargic, and this feeling of physical heaviness remains with me through the day. Honestly, feeling as crappy and lazy and fat as I do right now makes me never want to touch that garbage again. Furthermore, it has caused many of my professional and personal relationships to suffer greatly as I became a total computer/coach potato. This decision has inspired me to quit smoking and limit drinking to one night a week and only in social situations. Getting clean is hard, but I really feel that it's the first step to a healthier, happier, fuller life. I wish you the best of luck and encourage you strongly to stick with it, everyday gets a little bit brighter, a little bit clearer, and a little bit better.
Thanx for all the insight....Today is my first day of detox i have become lazy as hell due to weed being I smoke all day and all night. I went for a run today and it felt great. I really want to get in shape and healthy before I graduate college next year. This is motivation for me to quit smoking. I have used many reasons why not to quit smoking such as my friends all do it, im young and do it now. But to tell you the truth I have been high for 6 years and it has been enjoyable and i know my life is going to change today with my first day of Detox. THANX ALL WISH ME LUCK!
Ahh... two days ago I decided to quit. I finally made up my mind. I have been smoking for about seven years now. SEVEN YEARS. I really don't remember what life was like before pot. Time passes so slowly it seems while you are high, but so quickly when you look back on it. Ahhh - Yesterday, unable to control my willpower, I smoked the hell out of some resin left in my bowl. Today, I called my dealer, then called him back to cancel. This is indeed tough.
I am 26 now. I have probably wasted the best years of my life to pot, I recognize that. I look forward to the new... old me. Hopefully, I can find myself again and learn from this entire experience. I hope some of YOU can learn from my experience.
I wish everyone luck who is trying to quit. Willpower has never been my strong suit, but I know this time that I will make it.
I am 26 now. I have probably wasted the best years of my life to pot, I recognize that. I look forward to the new... old me. Hopefully, I can find myself again and learn from this entire experience. I hope some of YOU can learn from my experience.
I wish everyone luck who is trying to quit. Willpower has never been my strong suit, but I know this time that I will make it.
Hey there.I decided last week I was fed up with weed,and found this place very helpfull.I'v been smoking pot for the last 7 years now mostly after comming home from work,and alot of joints on weekends.I diminished my dose every night for the past week.I knew it would go smoother this way.I had night sweats the first day I diminished,but not as bad as the time I quit cold turkey.Now I have no weed,got rid of the pipe,paper,and bong,and i'm feeling like I have controle again,but I mentally feel like this warm blanket has been taken from my mind,and feel very much vulnerable.I never was scared of a bad day before,if I had a shitty day at work,well that didn't get to me cause I knew i'd be high by supper time.Basicaly nothing bothered me but the people inviting me to do stuff.I just loved to smoke alone and I basicaly became my own best friend,whitch is sort of whack.Thing is,I am devoide of emotion.I used to be so sensitive to everything,it was normale for me to cry and all,I think I havn't cryed once scince on pot.A familly member died about a year ago,and I didn't feel anything about it,cause I smoked it off.I think I'v been numb,for a long time.It's increadible to see so many people gonig through the same thing,and how much our storys resemble each other.I hope they never legalize this piece of sh_t,it would be sad to see.Pot is worst than society makes it out to be.People saying it isn't addictive probably never smoked before,or just smoked a joint and are in hazzy land.I can't stand being in this haze no more.We all have it in us to quit this,we must.Life is out there waiting for me,and i'v got to learn to live a normal life again.I see it like a sort of rebirth to life.I send love and hope to everyone.