Recommendations on how to stop smoking marijuana and what symptoms to watch for

Quantum I'm not slagging you off everybody's different at the end of the day

I just came across this bookmark in my browser and wanted to post. I had it marked a while back after deciding to quitting smoking pot. Well, I'm 78 days completely clean from all drugs and alcohol and 81 days from pot. And...this is coming from a guy that's gotten high for 19+ years. I started in high school. For those that are debating quitting - it is WORTH it. I have a new life. I've had too learn how to manage my emotions and deal with reality but I have also learned that I can enjoy life sober without getting high. Just to warn you though, I did go through withdrawals. The first 30 days were rough but I reached out to some people and had some help. I highly recommend plugging in to some good people and also most helpfully make lists. List why you started to get high. List why you get high still. Write down how smoking pot has screwed up your life in ways. Add up how much $$ you spent last year... Write down future goals and what you want to do with your life. For me, I decided to quit smoking because I got stuck in this rut of having to get high every single day to function. I had to get high to go to the grocery store...to get gas...to go to work. If you understand this than well...you get it. I ran away from my problems by smoking pot and they only got worse once once I came down. On bad days, I'd peg my stash and drink like crazy. All I did was run away. The next morning my problems were still there and there was a huge hole in in my stash and empty bottles. This isn't the way to life people. Life sober is f*ng beautiful. Give it a shot. The withdrawal is worth it. 20-30 days of it. You'll have headaches, you won't be able to sleep. You'll be highly irritable and you'll jones for getting high. I flushed my stash and poured all my alcohol down the drain. Changed my life. The majority of the withdrawal symptoms lasted about 3 weeks. I had a really hard time focusing for about 60 days. I'm about to hit 90 days and it's like nothing I've ever experienced. So, you guys out there that are thinking about quitting....it's awesome. Do it. Do it for your future. For your family. For your health and most of all - for your happiness. Happiness is not just getting stoned all day. It's realizing that you don't need to be stoned to be happy (this will happen about day 40 or so if you let it). I went to MA for a little bit and now I go to AA. You probably aren't ready for this but if you are wondering - the 12 step program is very awesome. I was highly skeptic. I'm agnostic and don't follow most of the G*d part in the 12 step recovery. I focus on Buddhist and Native American agnostic versions of the 12 steps. The 12 steps if you work them the way that works for you will change your life. If you really are an addict...and you can't just stop at one bowl or one joint like me...then you have a spiritual disease. Google "elastic arm drinking". This isn't a moral issue. Trust me. Take care and good luck to everybody out there. Sobriety and a brand new life is waiting.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed !

I don't want to preach so I'll speak from a personal point of view.

I'm on my 5th day .. This is how that worked out;

Day 1: Was easy, I was still high.

Day 2: Utter dispair. The thought of never getting high again was just too much to bear. There were moments during the day that i almost broke down crying. Because I love that weed. When I'm high I become some kind of all knowing sage. I want to soak up the sun or linger under the stars. I have the answer to everything. Crazy huh?

Day 3: Lots of soul searching. I think sometimes it's good to take stock of yourself. To question your addiction etc.

Day 4: Did a little exercise. No junk food. Was a 50/50 day. Sometimes I was missing the weed, sometimes the thought of letting ago cheered me up.

Day 5: I could see it was a sunny day outside, unusual here in the UK. Then it hit me. I drew back the curtains to let the sunlight in. The warm light flooded the room and me. Filled me up. It was at that very moment that I knew I no longer needed that seductive plant.

Habit kicked !

It really is that easy. I think about Day 1 and I laugh at myself. I know it wasn't weed I was addicted to. It was just an easy way to get through the day. The biggest problem I feel people have to get through is the feeling of emptyness and loneliness. But you know what .. That is easily resolved. Even as I speak I have no money or real friends. I don't care. I don't need the weed. I can make friends. Cos I'll be doing it with a clear head and a smile.

Gonna spend my days thinking about my health and my character. It's not what you have that counts. It's who you are. Too much weed holds you back. Facing the world without it is in itself a new kind of high.

Will I ever touch it again? .. maybe, when I'm in my twighlight years. Just now n then.

Should it be legal? .. YES. Less crime. Just treat it like alcohol, don't drive on it.

Will I stay clean. Yes, easy, standing my head.

Are people that smoke it good people? .. Ofcourse they are, not some of the dealers maybe, but those that just like to chill and don't use it everyday, they are ok in my book.

Is there something better ( without going all religious and spiritual )? .. Oh yes, a whole world filled with wonders to discover and people to meet.

You can do it. I know you can. Have faith in yourself. I'll check on this site now n then incase someone needs a pal.

PEACE.

I have to say I agree you post 'Very Imformative' more so than the others before you that I researched. Thx

AWESOME ~ POWER FULL ~

Thanks for getting compulsive.

Don't fool yourself. I am 50 years old and have been smoking pot since I was 13, barely even missing a day. It's robbed me of me life. I can't seem to quit despite a good effort about 2 years ago. I even get up at night now to smoke a once or twice. I haven't responded to anyone's post here but yours because you really don't understand. Pot is controlling your entire life! My best advice is to leave it completely and don't look back.

I hope it went well for you. I am 49 and have been smoking daily since I was 13 (barely missing a day). It's tough to quit, but it will just get worse you/I/we don't. I even wake-up to smoke most nights. My throat, heart, and chest hurt. I had no problems at 39, but I now know I absolutely have to stop
.

Thank you for writing this. Any information is good and the more I read the better I feel about stopping. It's now day 5 for me.

After 17 years of heavy use (half my life) I finally kicked my habit. I am at 4 weeks without a puff. I live in Colorado where weed is legal and plentiful, and my bad habit had reached $600 a month. Each month I consumed 1.5 ounces, 12 x 100mg edibles, 2 grams of shatter, and 500mg of vape pen. I would vaporize 15 times a day. How did I quit? Cold turkey. I read the first 30 pages of this thread to gain strength from others. I wasn't even planning on quitting, and had just dropped $300 in my 2 week supply. I now have a baby and I realized how often I was "sneaking away" to get high. It just struck me one day that I what started as a fun social thing had left me using alone. I felt like a loser drug user for the first time. The key to me was WANTING to quit. I had been on probation and court ordered drug tests, but I found ways of cheating those. I finally wanted to quit for myself, and once my mind was made up it happened. I also went to counseling to better understand why I was using so heavily, which I also recommend. The first 3-4 days were ROUGH. Sweating, headaches, EXTREME irratibility, I hated it. But I realized then just how much weed controlled me. The withdraw reinforced just how bad I needed to quit. My wife told me how much more pleasant I am to be around now. I have tons of extra money. My lungs feel way better, and I have way more time for my family. It's the hardest thing I have ever done mentally (and I have an MBA), but it's worth it. I wish others strength to get through it. You can do it!

Your words ring so true, how you hid also. I don't smoke all day when I am at work and that's 16 hours some days. It's when I close the door to the world at the end of the day I feel the urge to smoke weed and unwind (distress). I am also starting this horrible journey and it's very satisfying to read all these comments.

to people quitting...stay strong...i quit after 40 years...sometimes its tough but all in all its the right decision...i only validated my excuses to smoke and they were BS...lungs better...in the gym everyday...quality time with my kids etc...stay stron

Hi...its been 42 days since I have smoked....For me it was the nightmares very vivid.. I have also experienced constipation the first week after quitting......I have taken up crocheting and can't wait until the weather breaks...but all in all I am determined to be smoke free and it feels good....Thanks for the article.....

I smoked weed for a few years. Stoping cold-turkey is the only way I was able to quit. I've tried tapering it off but failed numerous times. For me, not having access to it helped the quitting process. The thought of not having the weed at my disposal was difficult at first but as each day passed, it became easier. Every time I got an anxiety attack I would take several deep breaths to relax and I would tell myself that this was not the end of my life. I reminded myself the process was short and would getting easier everyday. I can't speak for everyone but if you can find the strength to just quit cold turkey you will be done with weed sooner and life will just make more sense. I had more clarity, drive, and felt happier. Looking back, weed clouded my life.

Just as a quick follow up. It took me SEVENTY days to detox from weed. I bought a whole bunch of those self drug tests off Amazon and tested myself every day. 17 years of heavy daily use took 70 days to clear out of my system. Wow. Proud day.