I quit smoking green after 15 yrs of smoking it daily. Its been a week now and last night seriously felt so ill. With similar symptoms to swine flu..i wasn't feeling too great i can tell ya. I have read lots of forums on cannabis addiction. Everyone is different but logically cannabis is a drug thus addictive!! i went cold turkey from cigarettes and weed 5 years back but after 6 month started smokin the green again. Im experiencing sweats, tiredness and worst sinus pain EVER!! im a strong willed girl and a fighter. Im 34 this year and feel alot of guilt for not doin this sooner!! Do you realise i put weed before all my loved ones!! infact it was top of my list!! the shame of it. Anyways i WILL get thru this! corny.. but you get one shot at life and ive done my hiding behind weed far too long!! Heres to taking what lifes got to throw at me! GODD LUCK to you all. WE CAN DO THIS!!! Will post again soon tell ya'll how im gettin on.
Hi i'm back again. These posts are quite old but its really helped to read them. Its day 8 (once i stop counting i know i've made it) terrible sweats again last night and spent the whole bank holiday ill. This morning i coughed up phlegm with blood in it..shocked me i must say. but after reading a few posts i'm hoping its what people are reporting..that its my lungs repairing themselves. There is also mention of sinus leakage as vile as that sounds i think that's where the blood is from. I ll keep an eye on it and if by weekend i don't improve i ll visit the docs (which i hate doing). Its weird but i don't feel the urge to have a spliff, tho i made sure i smoked til i was nearly sick before i gave up. Just as i did when i quit cigarettes.
I feel i've approached a crossroads in my life where a full length mirror was waiting right there in front of me and yes i took a good look at myself and i feel cheated that at 34 years of age i haven't really achieved anything or made my mark anywhere. its tho the last 15 yrs of weed smoking blurred everything..what a waste! i spent years telling family, friends and myself especially that weed was fine, non addictive..better than drinking. What a fool! i feel like i'm on the outside looking in on the last 15 years of my life. Its taken me this long to realise how destructive this drug is. I craved it all the time in my thoughts like a new love. The only time i actually knew it was time to stop was when i smoked it..how strange! i even convinced myself and partner i was a nicer person when i did smoke it. I'm nearly 34 and still up until i stopped thought it was cool that i smoked weed, how embarrasing.
Ive gotta get with the positive now..and that i'm so excited about living my life! Im gonna learn to drive, im gonna get fit again and actually use my multi gym!! haha. Ive also decided im going to volunteer at my local RSPCA on Saturdays and i also want to learn spanish too. Dont tell me sitting at home alone monged out hardly being able to string a sentence together is better than that!! The only question i have left to answer now.. is why did i smoke it and what was i hiding from. Maybe i was scared of underachieving. In turn that's exactly what i did in the last 15 yrs ...Frick all. Im gonna research this subject more and would love to set up my own blog about it if only i knew how!
Its all about will power. Im sure that if i hadn't stopped i d still be smoking it right up until i retired and as a pensioner looked back when it was too late. So i celebrate.. my EUREKA moment. as each day passes i feel a small piece of me return and i am so greatful.
Keep your head up guys..WE CAN DO THIS!! x :-)
I feel i've approached a crossroads in my life where a full length mirror was waiting right there in front of me and yes i took a good look at myself and i feel cheated that at 34 years of age i haven't really achieved anything or made my mark anywhere. its tho the last 15 yrs of weed smoking blurred everything..what a waste! i spent years telling family, friends and myself especially that weed was fine, non addictive..better than drinking. What a fool! i feel like i'm on the outside looking in on the last 15 years of my life. Its taken me this long to realise how destructive this drug is. I craved it all the time in my thoughts like a new love. The only time i actually knew it was time to stop was when i smoked it..how strange! i even convinced myself and partner i was a nicer person when i did smoke it. I'm nearly 34 and still up until i stopped thought it was cool that i smoked weed, how embarrasing.
Ive gotta get with the positive now..and that i'm so excited about living my life! Im gonna learn to drive, im gonna get fit again and actually use my multi gym!! haha. Ive also decided im going to volunteer at my local RSPCA on Saturdays and i also want to learn spanish too. Dont tell me sitting at home alone monged out hardly being able to string a sentence together is better than that!! The only question i have left to answer now.. is why did i smoke it and what was i hiding from. Maybe i was scared of underachieving. In turn that's exactly what i did in the last 15 yrs ...Frick all. Im gonna research this subject more and would love to set up my own blog about it if only i knew how!
Its all about will power. Im sure that if i hadn't stopped i d still be smoking it right up until i retired and as a pensioner looked back when it was too late. So i celebrate.. my EUREKA moment. as each day passes i feel a small piece of me return and i am so greatful.
Keep your head up guys..WE CAN DO THIS!! x :-)
I am 9 days into my journey to becoming a better person. I have been smoking weed and mostly hash for about 5 years. I am 17 now and am happy that i haven't waited too long and still have a chance to get my life on track.
Obviously smoking helped us all feel normal or stable at the time of smoking. Well actually i found that i would get really excited to hit a bowl after school and then i would smoke it and say "meh" that was alright. So clearly smoking didn't make me feel better but after all the years of doing it, it almost made it seem "normal"
As for the symptoms, there are some good and some bad..
The good:
- I feel like I'm reliving my childhood, experiencing everything for the first time (being on weed almost put up a filter, that made everything hazy)
- More sociable ( i have always been an outgoing guy, but had isolated myself from friends to the extent where i would not want to go out), but now I freely speak to people without putting as much effort to appear cool
- My priorities are no intact; I workout daily and make plans with people
-School is now something that i can focus on as i was always too burtout and depressed to think about school
- I recently even publicly revealed that i was gay, and since then I feel more free and like myself
So it's really been a great turn of events since last week, and i have never felt so real!
The bad:
- Well it's 7:15am and i have school in an hour. I woke up at 4:00am and couldn't fall asleep. Saturday night i didn't sleep at all, sunday 6 hours and monday 4 hours. I went to bed at least at a reasonable hour but woke up and COULD NOT fall back asleep no matter how hard i tried. NOW I'VE GIVEN UP!
- my eating habits are extremely poor, as i already have a fast metabolism and i'm barely eating!!
- I am exhausted, drained, and feel sick! I actually thought that i may have had swine flu too because i have felt so gross. I started gaging and feeling nauseous a couple times this week unexpectedly
- Some things are taking time to enjoy without weed, as i would usually get excited and hit a bowl before EVERYTHING, but so far it's like experiencing everything for the first time
This is my second serious attempt at quitting weed/hast. In november i quit for about 2 months and then got into a big argument with my father, so i went to get hash from him (I smoked with my father regular) and told myself that i would be able to control it because i had seen the positive effects, so if anyone needs clarification on if things will get better, THEY WILL and i know it seems as though it will last a lifetime, but everyone will b different, Just think of it as your body punishing you for what you have done, but it's also detoxing your body.
I am very concerned with the sleep issue as i am becoming kinda CRAZY! I am exhausted, irritable, anxious, and my brain is always moving very fast! I suggest not going on another medication because we our bodies shouldn't become dependent on a drug for anything. THAT IS WHY WE'RE ALL HERE!
Best of luck to all of you, and i can't wait to hear about success stories, including my own!
-
Obviously smoking helped us all feel normal or stable at the time of smoking. Well actually i found that i would get really excited to hit a bowl after school and then i would smoke it and say "meh" that was alright. So clearly smoking didn't make me feel better but after all the years of doing it, it almost made it seem "normal"
As for the symptoms, there are some good and some bad..
The good:
- I feel like I'm reliving my childhood, experiencing everything for the first time (being on weed almost put up a filter, that made everything hazy)
- More sociable ( i have always been an outgoing guy, but had isolated myself from friends to the extent where i would not want to go out), but now I freely speak to people without putting as much effort to appear cool
- My priorities are no intact; I workout daily and make plans with people
-School is now something that i can focus on as i was always too burtout and depressed to think about school
- I recently even publicly revealed that i was gay, and since then I feel more free and like myself
So it's really been a great turn of events since last week, and i have never felt so real!
The bad:
- Well it's 7:15am and i have school in an hour. I woke up at 4:00am and couldn't fall asleep. Saturday night i didn't sleep at all, sunday 6 hours and monday 4 hours. I went to bed at least at a reasonable hour but woke up and COULD NOT fall back asleep no matter how hard i tried. NOW I'VE GIVEN UP!
- my eating habits are extremely poor, as i already have a fast metabolism and i'm barely eating!!
- I am exhausted, drained, and feel sick! I actually thought that i may have had swine flu too because i have felt so gross. I started gaging and feeling nauseous a couple times this week unexpectedly
- Some things are taking time to enjoy without weed, as i would usually get excited and hit a bowl before EVERYTHING, but so far it's like experiencing everything for the first time
This is my second serious attempt at quitting weed/hast. In november i quit for about 2 months and then got into a big argument with my father, so i went to get hash from him (I smoked with my father regular) and told myself that i would be able to control it because i had seen the positive effects, so if anyone needs clarification on if things will get better, THEY WILL and i know it seems as though it will last a lifetime, but everyone will b different, Just think of it as your body punishing you for what you have done, but it's also detoxing your body.
I am very concerned with the sleep issue as i am becoming kinda CRAZY! I am exhausted, irritable, anxious, and my brain is always moving very fast! I suggest not going on another medication because we our bodies shouldn't become dependent on a drug for anything. THAT IS WHY WE'RE ALL HERE!
Best of luck to all of you, and i can't wait to hear about success stories, including my own!
-
Hi, its me again. Well its 3 week today since i quit. How am i feeling..well to be honest i feel great! I found out that in fact it wasn't swine flu i had and it was sinusitis. I was real ill for a week with very bad pain, ive just finished my antibiotics and thankfully feel human again. I kinda wonder if being ill helped a lil by taking my mind off the cravings. I tell you something i have found..DAMN! food tastes good!!! i devoured a New york cheesecake this weekend as well as much more ha ha! yum yum!
Ive been sleeping like a log but having some crazy dreams and i can remember each and everyone in detail, they arn't scary, just so real!
I start back on my training routine this week and my jogging i have really missed that through being ill as it really helps to keep me busy. Ive found the key to not missing a smoke is filling your time with something positive. I'm quite lucky that because i'm a woman and 33 my friends arn't weed smokers so i don't have the temptation like im sure many people do tho nearly everyone i know smokes cigarettes. For me its always been about willpower. I am ratty now and then and my girlfriend gets an earful sometimes for no reason but the positives sooooo out weigh the negatives and even she has made some wonderful comments on how different i am. I'm thinking more clearly, laughing more, singing (if u can call it that, ha!) and found my sense of humour has returned. Gotta say too appearance wise my skin has improved particularly around my eyes and that s important to a gal approaching 34! the dark circles are going too! I even find it easy to get up in the morning, thats a big deal to me! Its a journey and one im enjoying though at times the thought of a nice fat spliff!! but that's all it is.. a thought! It kinda works for me that i'm a all or nothing kinda person.
I'm not for one minute thinking i'm through, i've made it etc i wouldn't be so naive, ive been here before. I just know how i feel right now and its better than i have felt in a long time..so here's to more of that.
GOOD LUCK to you all. WE CAN DO THIS!!!
I be posting again soon :-D
Ive been sleeping like a log but having some crazy dreams and i can remember each and everyone in detail, they arn't scary, just so real!
I start back on my training routine this week and my jogging i have really missed that through being ill as it really helps to keep me busy. Ive found the key to not missing a smoke is filling your time with something positive. I'm quite lucky that because i'm a woman and 33 my friends arn't weed smokers so i don't have the temptation like im sure many people do tho nearly everyone i know smokes cigarettes. For me its always been about willpower. I am ratty now and then and my girlfriend gets an earful sometimes for no reason but the positives sooooo out weigh the negatives and even she has made some wonderful comments on how different i am. I'm thinking more clearly, laughing more, singing (if u can call it that, ha!) and found my sense of humour has returned. Gotta say too appearance wise my skin has improved particularly around my eyes and that s important to a gal approaching 34! the dark circles are going too! I even find it easy to get up in the morning, thats a big deal to me! Its a journey and one im enjoying though at times the thought of a nice fat spliff!! but that's all it is.. a thought! It kinda works for me that i'm a all or nothing kinda person.
I'm not for one minute thinking i'm through, i've made it etc i wouldn't be so naive, ive been here before. I just know how i feel right now and its better than i have felt in a long time..so here's to more of that.
GOOD LUCK to you all. WE CAN DO THIS!!!
I be posting again soon :-D
Hello to all sufferers out there of this unpredictable drug. I am 28 and started smoking in high school from age 14, I was kicked out of the army for smoking it, every girl ive had I have given up over pot It has always taken 1st priority in my life.
I cant say I understand what anyone individually goes through but we can all relate to the shitty night sweats, the vivid dreams , mood swings.
I am tired of it ruining my life. I now currently for the last 8months have been smoking a quarter every 3 days and just locking myself away from the outside world.
It doesnt get me anywhere in life but it helps to numb the emotions caused by the stresses of the outside world, I respect everyone who finds the strength in themselves to tackle it head on. I think im realising that pot has nothing to do with anything its just another tool to supress your feelings. Addiction to any drug is awful Addiction to life is what we need.
Im am about to stop and put myself in a detox for 10days and after that will finaly see life for the first time.
My heartfelt best wishes goes out to all of you and your courage gives me courage.
I cant say I understand what anyone individually goes through but we can all relate to the shitty night sweats, the vivid dreams , mood swings.
I am tired of it ruining my life. I now currently for the last 8months have been smoking a quarter every 3 days and just locking myself away from the outside world.
It doesnt get me anywhere in life but it helps to numb the emotions caused by the stresses of the outside world, I respect everyone who finds the strength in themselves to tackle it head on. I think im realising that pot has nothing to do with anything its just another tool to supress your feelings. Addiction to any drug is awful Addiction to life is what we need.
Im am about to stop and put myself in a detox for 10days and after that will finaly see life for the first time.
My heartfelt best wishes goes out to all of you and your courage gives me courage.
Hey, Well its me again and i'm back 6 months on and yes im sorry to say it didnt last and i went back to the weed when i had a huge argument with my partner...excuses excuses!! i could run ya a list of em. Deal is i'm now 34 and its been two days since ive stopped. Its so true what people have experienced whilst trying to give up varies but it still comes downs to addiction which ever way you look at it. You know what got me..i t was bank holiday just gone and i was watching Trisha (ha, yeah i know) she said it so simply. If you are taking drugs, why?? that might sound obvious but when do we ever ask ourselves that question and answer honestly, without excuse!! Well ive asked it and i haven't an answer!! not sure what i'm hiding from but there must be something or why else would i not want to be straight headed. When i think of all the dramas , traumas and terrible times in the past weed was always there.Hmmm that its weed i turned to weed for comfort, to forget . Trouble is i kept on smoking it when everything in life was good.
I often feel i lack a sense of direction. ive never known what career i want, what i want to achieve, become...am i scared of failure? i don't know how how everyone else feels but at times, life (the world) is sometimes too much to bear. the news is so depressing and some stories i find too difficult to comprehend and find it much easier to spark up a fat one and let all the badness drift away. i feel like ive fallen out with the world or its fallen out with me. oh and OMG is it just me but do all potheads over analyse everything?? my thoughts also race at a trillion mph. I'm having typers block now. so will leave ya ..will be posting lots hope y'all will too, it really helps!! Hope i sleep tonight. oh and like i say WE CAN DO IT!! WE WILL!! :-| :-D
I often feel i lack a sense of direction. ive never known what career i want, what i want to achieve, become...am i scared of failure? i don't know how how everyone else feels but at times, life (the world) is sometimes too much to bear. the news is so depressing and some stories i find too difficult to comprehend and find it much easier to spark up a fat one and let all the badness drift away. i feel like ive fallen out with the world or its fallen out with me. oh and OMG is it just me but do all potheads over analyse everything?? my thoughts also race at a trillion mph. I'm having typers block now. so will leave ya ..will be posting lots hope y'all will too, it really helps!! Hope i sleep tonight. oh and like i say WE CAN DO IT!! WE WILL!! :-| :-D
I'm happy to say that I feel cannabis is a gift from God. It is a panacea and I can't imagine wanting to use anything other than this natural healing herb for any ailment that it is known to cure or treat. I've done a lot of research and have found that it aids in sleep apnea which is my problem. As a matter of fact many doctors recommend it for sleep including Dr. Dean Edell who says the only problem with it its illegal. That's it its freaking illegal. I suppose it could be bad for you if abused and used in excess. However if used properly and administered in a healthy way like eating or vaporizing it has a very low toxicity especially compared to all the medications that are pushed on us every night in tv commercials. Everyone needs to re-examine their position on this subject. Sure everyone's chemistry is different and what works for one may not for another, but as for me it is a true blessing and I GLADLY can't imagine my life without it. For those interested in some enlightenment check these sites out.
hi everyone,
so many stories and experiences ! time to share mine, its daft that i am spending so much time searching for information on withdrawal symptoms, when i already know what to expect and why !
i have smoked every day for 20 years, i gave up for a month 10 years ago, and have gone 1night without 3 or 4 times since.
the nightmares and vivid dreams, im glad to read that its because things haven't been emotionally dealt with that they are so vivid, that makes total sense !
if you are giving up - its hard, its actually harder than giving up smoking cigarettes - but alan carrs the easy way to stop smoking worked for me after 21 years of smoking cigs, after reading that i couldn't believe i had ever started, its also a good help when giving up weed.
my personal experience from 10 years ago, and on day 4 this time i expect to feel the same
night 1 to 4 - terrible insomnia, combined with horrific nightmares of persecution, and extremely vivid dreams, horror like, or just downright evil !
night 4-14 a week of irritation and absolutely no patience, combined with extreme fatigue - strange cos i haven't read anyone saying about the fatigue bit - its like can't sleep at night and then just permanently exhausted
oh well, im rambling and i dont know what my point is, maybe just writing this helps !
this time nights 1-3 were horrible dreams
night 4 were just odd and very vivid ! but not bad, evil or frightening !
and i have been exhausted for the first half of the day, and terribly irritable over the slightest interuption or inconvenience, but i know it will just get better, and to any smoker giving up after years of abuse - trust me, if you can survive the first 4 nights without weed - you've basically done it
it is so hard, but if you can do it, it only gets better. im so sad that i have smoked for years and years, how stupid - i cant wait to see what life is like without the numbing weed - i loved it, and i will miss it, but i will be so happy to conquer the addiction.
thanks for listening
!!
martin popplewell
so many stories and experiences ! time to share mine, its daft that i am spending so much time searching for information on withdrawal symptoms, when i already know what to expect and why !
i have smoked every day for 20 years, i gave up for a month 10 years ago, and have gone 1night without 3 or 4 times since.
the nightmares and vivid dreams, im glad to read that its because things haven't been emotionally dealt with that they are so vivid, that makes total sense !
if you are giving up - its hard, its actually harder than giving up smoking cigarettes - but alan carrs the easy way to stop smoking worked for me after 21 years of smoking cigs, after reading that i couldn't believe i had ever started, its also a good help when giving up weed.
my personal experience from 10 years ago, and on day 4 this time i expect to feel the same
night 1 to 4 - terrible insomnia, combined with horrific nightmares of persecution, and extremely vivid dreams, horror like, or just downright evil !
night 4-14 a week of irritation and absolutely no patience, combined with extreme fatigue - strange cos i haven't read anyone saying about the fatigue bit - its like can't sleep at night and then just permanently exhausted
oh well, im rambling and i dont know what my point is, maybe just writing this helps !
this time nights 1-3 were horrible dreams
night 4 were just odd and very vivid ! but not bad, evil or frightening !
and i have been exhausted for the first half of the day, and terribly irritable over the slightest interuption or inconvenience, but i know it will just get better, and to any smoker giving up after years of abuse - trust me, if you can survive the first 4 nights without weed - you've basically done it
it is so hard, but if you can do it, it only gets better. im so sad that i have smoked for years and years, how stupid - i cant wait to see what life is like without the numbing weed - i loved it, and i will miss it, but i will be so happy to conquer the addiction.
thanks for listening
!!
martin popplewell
Is this post for real?? You don't get it do you!!
New poster here, reading these posts from over the years is a real god send, it's showing me that I'm not the only one.
Been smoking from about 14 yrs old, I'm now 32!! What am I doing!!!
On day 2 now and last night was horrible, cold sweats, lack of sleep etc..all the same as everyone else.
So many of the things I've read are true to me, the thinking I/it was cool smoking it, everything I have ever done in life revolved around me getting a smoke, I've lost relationships due to it, and thinking it was actually helping me, thinking I was better than people who drank alcohol, telling people to smoke instead of drinking. How wrong I am.
I've just lost my job and my girlfriend of 4 years, we have 2 young kids, I will be looking after my daughter full time as my ex has bad post natal and she needs help. So I decided to make a whole new life and stop smoking the stuff. I can already see things more clear, but I'm getting worried about how will I cope and all the things that I need to do, I'm 7K in debt and with no job how am I gonna pay it back, probably going bankrupt.
Even getting hot and cold flushes now writing this now....arghhhh!!!! This is hell!!!
Everything in my life revolved around weed, I'd smoke the c**p stuff just to get a smoke, even though it didn't get you high!!
Getting the writers block now lol...even though I know I have loads more to say.
TO ANYONE WHO'S JUST STARTING SMOKING IT, GET OUT NOW, IT MAY SEEM GOOD AT FIRST, BUT IT WILL CAUSE YOU HELL LATER IN LIFE!!
Live near York in yorkshire UK, anyone else out there that needs a support buddy get in touch, surely 2 people together will be better than 1!!
Good luck to you all!!!
x
New poster here, reading these posts from over the years is a real god send, it's showing me that I'm not the only one.
Been smoking from about 14 yrs old, I'm now 32!! What am I doing!!!
On day 2 now and last night was horrible, cold sweats, lack of sleep etc..all the same as everyone else.
So many of the things I've read are true to me, the thinking I/it was cool smoking it, everything I have ever done in life revolved around me getting a smoke, I've lost relationships due to it, and thinking it was actually helping me, thinking I was better than people who drank alcohol, telling people to smoke instead of drinking. How wrong I am.
I've just lost my job and my girlfriend of 4 years, we have 2 young kids, I will be looking after my daughter full time as my ex has bad post natal and she needs help. So I decided to make a whole new life and stop smoking the stuff. I can already see things more clear, but I'm getting worried about how will I cope and all the things that I need to do, I'm 7K in debt and with no job how am I gonna pay it back, probably going bankrupt.
Even getting hot and cold flushes now writing this now....arghhhh!!!! This is hell!!!
Everything in my life revolved around weed, I'd smoke the c**p stuff just to get a smoke, even though it didn't get you high!!
Getting the writers block now lol...even though I know I have loads more to say.
TO ANYONE WHO'S JUST STARTING SMOKING IT, GET OUT NOW, IT MAY SEEM GOOD AT FIRST, BUT IT WILL CAUSE YOU HELL LATER IN LIFE!!
Live near York in yorkshire UK, anyone else out there that needs a support buddy get in touch, surely 2 people together will be better than 1!!
Good luck to you all!!!
x
Hi all! Yes, ganja is addictive (i've never heard anyone say they found it harder to kick than cigs, tho!) and does suppress your memory of dreams. So when you quit you are not necessarily dreaming MORE, your dreams are just more vividly remembered. I first started toking when i was about 14; I just turned 35 and i have smoked on and off all that time. I have gone for years where i smoked daily and had years during which i would not purchase and would only smoke on the weekends if it was offered to me (so maybe once or twice a month - i kept that up for about four years). For the last three or four years i have been cycling through daily use and abstinence. Basically i will get an eighth, i.e., 3.5 grams, and smoke on that for a week or two and then force myself to remain abstinent for an equal amount of time. So sort of half on & half off. Thus i have become very accustomed to withdrawal symptoms. I usually have indigestion for a few days and sleep problems for about a week or so. My nerves get jangly and stress becomes harder to deal with for a while. I also get such clear and linear thoughts that i sometimes feel like my mind is racing or i am coming on to an LSD trip (haven't done THAT stuff for 12 years). Unfortunately clear and direct thoughts can easily phase into obsessive or racing thoughts . . . i often find the foggy sidetracking thoughts i get while high preferable to overly clear thoughts. My best times, e.g., in grad school, were when i would only smoke regularly on the weekends and just didn't even think about it during the week because i was busy and engaged with what i was studying. Herb is subtle though, and it is all too easy to slip into a daily pattern. I can function fine if i am smoking one or two puffs at night with dinner. Like i said, however, herb is subtle and it is all too easy to slip into a daily pattern of wake and bake, puff or three at tea time, and then of course you need about five or six puffs around dinner and sleep. But let's keep this in perspective, people, we're talking about marijuana, not opium or cocaine. If you have trouble with herb addiction, you should stay far far away from more addictive substances. I had a small stash of opium while i was an undergrad and i got so hooked that when i ran out it was like the end of the world. Fortunately it was no longer around and i couldn't get anymore. (And fortunately i just do not like speedy stuff [except caffeine!]; i've tried crank and coke and unless i was really drunk they just made me feel uncomfortably edgy. I've never seen or tried heroin or other concentrated opiates, God willing i never will.) While herb can ruin lives, it does not cause overdose-deaths and it CAN be kicked without life-threatening withdrawals. Alcohol can kill you in one night. If you are a hardcore alcoholic you can die from the seizures brought on by withdrawal. So be grateful if ganja is your only chemical problem. Personally i can live with or without ganja, but take my morning coffee away, or my afternoon thermos full of green tea, and i WILL become a wreck (massive pounding headaches, chills and hot-flashes, disorganized thoughts, lethargy).
Meditation helps to calm the mental effects of withdrawal from ganja. I would NOT recommend using benzos, unless the main fear is a drug test so you can't toke and you absolutely cannot find stress relief any other way. They are extremely hard to kick, just ask my mom. If you use them for just a short period, it might be alright, but if you are posting on here about herb addiction then i will assume that you have something of an addictive personality; if you must, request buspar, b/c it is less addictive than valium or xanax or klonopin. (I've also found that alcohol, which is a far more powerful monkey to have on your back than ganja, is severely contraindicated when you're coming off of herb.) Whoever mentioned exercise as a big help is right on the money. Actually your brain releases a chemical called anandamide after sustained cardio exercise of about 40 minutes. (Discovered in 1992, Anandamide, also known as N-arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA, is an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter found in animal and human organs, especially in the brain.) The runner's high that many people feel could be caused in part by by anadamide, which fits in the same receptors in the brain as cannabinoids [mainly THC]. Studies have shown that anandamide has similar effects to thc, relaxation, increased appetite, suppression of nausea. While not as euphoric as dopamine, it can also cause a clear and calm state of mind that resembles bliss, thus the name, ananda in Sanskrit means bliss. So you can get in shape, help your insomnia and feel a buzz similar to thc (without all the attendant negative side effects) by doing some intense cardio (my fave is cycling).
I don't plan to abandon ganja completely, but i've been without for a few days now and that old insomnia is back. Oh, and the guy who said "I mean come on tell me one good thing about smoking weed" . . . are you for real? I could give you a list, but the primary one is this: it relaxes me and makes me feel good. I mean, be real. If there were no upside why did you ever smoke it to begin with? I could easily give you a long list of negatives AND a long list of positives. For some the negatives outweigh the positives, for some they don't. For most that balance changes as you get older and the negatives begin to outweigh the positives. There is a reason that ganja and bhang are only used on rare occasions in India by most people: it is a powerful mind-altering substance and only sadhus who are willing to leave their homes and families behind regularly use it. For the sadhu, who is not concerned with worldly success, ganja can be fine. In our society, worldly success is the main goal for most people and the idea of intentionally leaving the mod-cons of modern civilization and abandoning our homes and families is anathema. If somebody asked you to give away all of your possessions, come to a remote mountain village, live off of the charity of tourists and pilgrims, meditate on the nature of existence and god . . . well, you might think he was crazy. And so i confess, in our society, being a daily pothead, or ganjeri, is kind of crazy. If you want worldly success, ganja may or may not stop you (i know plenty of ganjeri who have become lawyers, professors, etc), it certainly won't help you with that. So put down the pipe if it is bringing you down; get on a bike and get those endorphins and anandamide flowing; sit in padmasana and meditate until you can calm your mind; and most of all, BREATHE DEEP and enjoy life.
Shantih shantih shantih!!
Seamus B. Hareshvara
Meditation helps to calm the mental effects of withdrawal from ganja. I would NOT recommend using benzos, unless the main fear is a drug test so you can't toke and you absolutely cannot find stress relief any other way. They are extremely hard to kick, just ask my mom. If you use them for just a short period, it might be alright, but if you are posting on here about herb addiction then i will assume that you have something of an addictive personality; if you must, request buspar, b/c it is less addictive than valium or xanax or klonopin. (I've also found that alcohol, which is a far more powerful monkey to have on your back than ganja, is severely contraindicated when you're coming off of herb.) Whoever mentioned exercise as a big help is right on the money. Actually your brain releases a chemical called anandamide after sustained cardio exercise of about 40 minutes. (Discovered in 1992, Anandamide, also known as N-arachidonoylethanolamine or AEA, is an endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter found in animal and human organs, especially in the brain.) The runner's high that many people feel could be caused in part by by anadamide, which fits in the same receptors in the brain as cannabinoids [mainly THC]. Studies have shown that anandamide has similar effects to thc, relaxation, increased appetite, suppression of nausea. While not as euphoric as dopamine, it can also cause a clear and calm state of mind that resembles bliss, thus the name, ananda in Sanskrit means bliss. So you can get in shape, help your insomnia and feel a buzz similar to thc (without all the attendant negative side effects) by doing some intense cardio (my fave is cycling).
I don't plan to abandon ganja completely, but i've been without for a few days now and that old insomnia is back. Oh, and the guy who said "I mean come on tell me one good thing about smoking weed" . . . are you for real? I could give you a list, but the primary one is this: it relaxes me and makes me feel good. I mean, be real. If there were no upside why did you ever smoke it to begin with? I could easily give you a long list of negatives AND a long list of positives. For some the negatives outweigh the positives, for some they don't. For most that balance changes as you get older and the negatives begin to outweigh the positives. There is a reason that ganja and bhang are only used on rare occasions in India by most people: it is a powerful mind-altering substance and only sadhus who are willing to leave their homes and families behind regularly use it. For the sadhu, who is not concerned with worldly success, ganja can be fine. In our society, worldly success is the main goal for most people and the idea of intentionally leaving the mod-cons of modern civilization and abandoning our homes and families is anathema. If somebody asked you to give away all of your possessions, come to a remote mountain village, live off of the charity of tourists and pilgrims, meditate on the nature of existence and god . . . well, you might think he was crazy. And so i confess, in our society, being a daily pothead, or ganjeri, is kind of crazy. If you want worldly success, ganja may or may not stop you (i know plenty of ganjeri who have become lawyers, professors, etc), it certainly won't help you with that. So put down the pipe if it is bringing you down; get on a bike and get those endorphins and anandamide flowing; sit in padmasana and meditate until you can calm your mind; and most of all, BREATHE DEEP and enjoy life.
Shantih shantih shantih!!
Seamus B. Hareshvara
I have the same problem with marijuana, I cant sleep if I dont smoke. The funny thing I have started just 1 year ago, I am29 years old now. I tried, because my husband was smoking from 15 years old. But he doesn not have the same problem when we run out in weed. He sleeps perfectly. I think people who cant sleep they have more psichical problems than those who can sleep without weed( Iam talking abaut people who smoke marijuana). I realised this from my own experience. I had problems before with alcohol, but I stopped with help of medicine only( supplement, thanks USA scientists). I started to smoke,because i was stresfull after i stopped drinking, but I always slept very nice. When we decided to stop smoking, I just couldnt fell asleep. But after three days everything was ok. Unfortunately we started to smoke again. So I went to psychoterapist. I reduced cravings by half and I realised that weed afecting me more than my husband, as it was with alcohol. I think the reason I cant sleep and some people cant sleep, because they have too many worries. I decided to continue with therapy, because I think alcohol, marijuana or any other drug covers some personal problems.
I quit weed about 4 or 5 years ago after smoking daily for approximately 30 years. IT IS ADDICTIVE! It was harder for me to quit weed than cigarettes, which I quit 4 years before I quit weed. There is a physical and mental addiction. Association, hand to mouth addiction. Smoke when stressed, after work, when you get up, with a drink. The association is the worst of the addictions as you have to change your lifestyle to be successful. You may need to change to food you eat, quit drinking. For me, I needed to stop drinking coffee when I quit cigarettes and weed. Basically stopped drinking alcohol and stayed away from the bars as I was serious about quitting. And the dreams!! Holy S&*t!! I still have very vivid dreams every night which I think is very cool. I think my mind is making up for lost time! Sleeping is tricky, you may have to make some changes, such as cut back on caffeine, get some exercise, have some herbal non-caffeine tea before bed, read before bed, have a hot epsom salt bath before bed (I did that alot - helps to detox too). Take up Sudoku, that will keep your mind occupied! I can say that the withdrawal and cravings do pass, and in time you will feel like you never smoked anything! It is so worth it - you cannot undo the damage done! Have a wholesome day!! :-D
I'm 19 years old, and have been smoking cannabis for 4-5 years. I had problems sleeping before i started smoking and when i found the weed, it was like the answer to my prayers. Now for the first time im living independantly and can no longer afford to smoke cannabis, even worst i can hardly afford to even smoke cigarettes, so i've had to try and very suddenly cut down smoking to the point where i will have to quit. I'm in my first week so have not come to the dream phase yet [which i know will come because i haven't dreamt properly since i started smoking] or started gettting too anxious, but the cravings are overwhelming and i am struggling to stay strong. I don't really want to get prescribed sleeping tablets as i may end up relying on them, and will be in a similiar position to now. I know my story may sound petty compared to the older, maturer and more long term smokers, but i dont want to be relying on it to sleep when im 30 or 40. It seems like an impossible and long road ahead with a goal im almosy unaware of, but im trying to stay strong, i hope everyone else is succeeding and beating the smoke! And it is good to see it from an older tokers perspective, a perspective which im trying to avoid in my own later life.
Well its 04:17 am. Cant sleep. I'm on day 21 without after smoking almost every day for 13 years. I'm going to keep trying. I want to give up. And whoever you are, you should too. All these posts point out the same things, you build your day around a smoke, and thats stupid. You say no to social things because it means you cant have one. Crazy stuff.
Vivid and horrible dreams can be fixed with a simple exercise. When you are about to go sleep tell yourself outloud "i will not remember my dreams, i will not remember my dreams" so many times untill you fall asleep.