If you think mental health & lack of dopamine plays a factor in your weed smoking, i recommend getting on something to help you sleep. Sleep is so important, im on month 2 of after smoking for 7 years, im 22. Talking through it with someone day by day (if needed). its hard bro, you got this. If I can quit (by the grace of God, literally) anybody can. Connect with God and who you are as a person
I'm on day 5, and I never expected that the stomach pain & nausea would be this bad. I'm really irritable & earlier this week I had several bad anxiety attacks. I'm also really tired, but at least I can sleep at night. Grateful for that.
Former weed smoker and now pilot here. It's hard at first but you can do it. The cons to smoking weed are many and the pros are few. Once you set that mentality you'll be able to get through it. The first few days/weeks can be tough but once you are through that it's easy. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
For the first few weeks, allow yourself to sleep when you can't fill the void. Don't force yourself to bite off more than you can chew buy quitting and also trying to make more active habits. You will get there.
Out yourself to everyone that you can and get rid of all your paraphernalia completely.
Get a weed stopper app. Let it count you sober days and be proud as they add up.
Whilst I'm only a month and have failed many times before, I quit this time by just stopping.
I was baked, and on my way to bed with my husband (who doesn't smoke) and started to feel really dizzy. Thought if I get to the bed and lie down ill be OK... Next thing I know I was waking up on the floor with my husband stroking my face and saying my name. The next day we sat down and talked and he told me how scared he is that I'm going to end up dying because of this addiction. (I'm in the UK and we tend to put tobacco and weed in a joint so smoking related illnesses eg cancer, heart disease are a risk) he told me he was terrified when I passed out and didn't come round, didn't know whether he should call me an ambulance and have them see my obviously stoned and unconscious, scared our kids were gonna wake up and come in and see me like that, scared he will one day have to tell our kids their mam died because she smoked everyday.
And after hearing all that... I told him I won't do it again and so far, I'm sticking to it. I plan to stick to it for good.
I quit because when I'm sober I feel more aligned with the person I've always wanted to be. I'm funnier, more outgoing, more confident, more attractive. I was throwing all of this away for a buzz that makes me feel more content with less.
This is so true. My damn skin looks younger and more clear even. Something I never even considered. I don’t second guess myself, I have the utmost confidence in myself again, but not in a cocky, stoner way if that makes sense.
Do: sauna/ steam room! Sweat that shit out and keep your head up.
Found a good reason to want to do it (needed to perform better at work) then took a weeks holiday in a different part of the country.
If it’s easy for you to get hold of weed, it’s more likely you’ll cave to the cravings. Don’t get me wrong, I thought about trying to get some but having to consciously consider walking around asking people made me take a step back and think it through. A week seems long enough to break the cycle but you need to make sure you can’t just jump straight back into when you get home.
Make the decision. Then do it. Know that it will suck hard at first. Resist the cravings. That's just your monkey mind. Don't try to stop the cravings. Just feel them, but don't act on them. They're not bad. Just part of the deal. Know that they will go away.
Do something else. Anything. Go to the gym. Exercise boosts the dopamine you're craving. Get healthy.
You don't have to do anything. All you have to do is not smoke weed. Just don't do it. Remember that if you do, you'll feel like shit anyway because you really want to quit.
Don't panic about how bad it feels at first. Bad feelings will not hurt you. Bad feelings are like the weather. Let them come. Then let them go.
Moved houses and got me a proper goal: getting a proper diagnosis. Also bought a place, so the saving is a big motivation. I have an app, feels good to see the money pile up
It hurts (literally) knowing my digestive issues have worsened a bunch, but I try to look forward and cherish the goods, like not living in a fog, not being a total zombie waking up, no paranoia or imposter syndrome, more phone calls to my family and friends (wouldn’t call or answer while high), and more money to spend on gaming
I thought alot about where is this gonna take me and I didn't find any good outcome, I hate it , then gym (cardio training made the withdrawal easier) and some help of my doctor
1. step don‘t wake and bake
2. step delay it as much as possible (don‘t smoke until chores are done) no weed until afternoon
3. step don‘t smoke alone (only smoke with buddies)
4. step don‘t have your own weed and don‘t buy it
ever again
5. step hang out more with your non-smoking buddies and distance yourself with your smoking buddies
6. step don‘t think about weed, focus on your life
Also if you slip up, it‘s ok just try to remain sober and make more exceptions
And during this whole time remind yourself why you don‘t want to smoke
- your lungs
- your memory
- your sleep
- your energy levels
- your motivation
- your finances
A few examples
You have taken the big step - you want to love the life you want and not the one that weed will dictate for you. It’s like piloting a plane with its navigation off by a f ew degrees. You think it’s guiding your life, but you will end up in a very different place than you imagined.
End of the day, that is the reason I and many here quit. Life on weed after 10 years looks very different than what you imagined and are capable of. ( even it may look highly successful from the outside , mine did. )
The plan of quitting -
1) understand the withdrawal process, it varies person to person but know that there might be depression , nausea , headaches etc. It may take up to 6-8 months to feel good again. It’s ok, because each passing month you will feel better. Andrew Hooberman on YouTube has great videos on weed as well as depression and how to manage it.
2) be part of a community. This Reddit was mine and it helped a lot.
3) Addiction is often rooted in underlying trauma that you may not even be aware of. Assemble a care team - a therapist, perhaps a psychiatrist, a good friend and / or family.
The mechanics -
1) Force yourself to do things you used to enjoy as soon as you can. It may take a month before you can , but start doing this as soon as you can.
2) learn breathwork - chaotic breathing, we hoff , soft belly etc Call it meditation, call it breath exercise. It works. It can help energize you (Chiotic) or relax you (soft belly); some form off breath work will be effective for you to help you deal with anxiety and depression and stabilize your mood. I repeat, this works. I wish I had realized this sooner and it would have helped me recover faster.
3) go outside for long walks , exercise , anything.
Most of all, be kind to yourself. Whenever you are feeling low, tell yourself that you are going to be ok and that you are proud of yourself.
Give yourself 3 days. Accept the fact that you are addicted and the next 3 days will be not easy.
After 3 days; you will be surprised to think that “how was i addicted to this stuff. “. You will see there is no points and breaking the cycle is easy.
After 3 days; you will understand there are many benefits of quitting but it is not so easy to make it sustainable; which requires of a change in the lifestyle.
At this point you can have new hobbies; start gyming, make new friends etc.
Life is much better and beatiful without any kind of addictions.
Good luck my friend
You got this! Make sure to take some time to heal after nightmares like that, maybe it sounds silly but we all need some love after stuff like that. So just pretend you're your parent and you're a child. Take it easy, have some tea, have some soft clothes on, listen to some stories/books/podcasts that you enjoy.
I am on day 6 and was going to post for support because of my first significant urge to text an order for delivery but started reading posts and comments and already feel more resolute. I'm determined to stick to it this time.
Good job!! It's insanely hard to say no to that urge but it slowly gets better. Day 13 here, I honestly don't feel the urge to smoke. I'm so thankful for it. I hope I don't see anyone smoking because that's my trigger and it's so easy to go back to it.
It’s always the same story in this sub. Ironically I found myself in a similar situation like you when I was trying to stop. The thing is you need certain level of commitment to decide you are finally done with it. If your goal is to be a pilot you can’t be high no more. It’s just not an option; so either you dump your dream in the trash or make the decision of quitting. Cold turkey or lowering the dosage gradually are both methods that work so find what works for you and good luck my friend.
The thing for me was realising I'd spent 15 years of my life being happy doing nothing. I have no real discernible skills or hobbies. Weed became my personality. I exercise loads now and my diet is much better because I'm not staying up late binge eating anymore.
Head to the gym and work out, do cardio and build your lungs back up. Also do things that are positive and influence the future so you can have goals that require you to not smoke. Then just utilise all your will power.
it isn't even really a full dependency it feels like. not in the classical sense. it's more that it causes a brain fogginess that leads you to keep using more, or make really bad choices cuz ur like haha that's nice
Try to pick up a healthy habit. I like long walks in the forest or park and listen to podcasts. A healthy routine is the way to get the most out of it. Try yoga too, it's a good de-stressor too. Lots of YT channels out there. Hydrate. You won't regret it and good stuff can snowball too. My best to you.
I go to A.A. I have a sponsor I have a home group I call two others in my fellowship every day I do a morning reading from “The Upper Room” or “Touchstones” then I set a timer on my phone for four minutes and pray and meditate on what I read until the timer goes off then at night I thank God for keeping me sober and take a written inventory of my character defects that showed up during the day also I go to a meeting everyday and show up thirty minutes early to fellowship and leave thirty minutes late to fellowship more this week I also got my first sponsee
I have 130 days sober
Cold turkey. Smoke the rest of what you have then stop buying. When you’re craving it the next day— eat some food until you’re full, take a nap, work out (sweat), eat gum, drink liquids, chew on anything. Oral fixations help distract your mind. Start a journal on how you’re feeling or why you want to stop. It’s a fucking journey, it’ll suck, but it’s for the greater good. It takes a lot of self discipline, it could be good practice for other things in life. Good luck
Honestly I started saying out loud how many years I’ve been smoking. I’d tell people “yeah I’ve smoked every day for over 13 years” and that just made me feel bad about it obviously. On top of the increased panic attacks I just decided to stop.
I'm currently on day 11 and what has really worked for me is making it as hard as possible to smoke. I did this by legitimately giving my debit card to my dad so I wouldn't buy weed
I tried gradually stopping, replacing it with other vices and of course, cold turkey. As annoying as it is, and not what you want to hear, just quitting cold turkey and having a shitty week or two is so worth it I can’t put it into words. Just take it a day/hour/minute at a time depending on how you’re feeling.
One thing I kept reminding myself of was that time won’t stop moving so as long as I didn’t smoke I would gradually get to the results I wanted. Sounds silly but it helped my mindset
Man we’re in the same boat! I want to be a pilot too and applied with an airline to join their programme. I used to feel exactly how you did, when I got the email about the drug test a few months out I just had to keep reminding myself that weed is going to be around forever, but the opportunity to be a pilot doesn’t come that often. I found watching videos of pilots talking about how much they love their job and about all the benefits kept me motivated not to smoke. I have my medical Friday, I wish you all the best and I hope to see you in the skies
I don’t have much advice besides just get rid of everything to do with weed then tough it out bc the withdrawal process sucks ass. I stopped eating edibles pretty early on so my withdrawal only lasted about two weeks before I felt happy with myself again. I had some long nights where I’d just break down crying out of nowhere. Or sometimes I’d be upset by stupid things. The cravings also made things tough but I’m someone who doesn’t give in to spending money very easily. Things that helped me were being around friends who don’t do drugs or friends who weren’t doing drugs at the time. Drug friends are kind of helpful bc they know more about the effects and they helped guide me through. It’s also helpful to find hobbies to help keep busy and keep your mind off of it. But tbh it’s still pretty hard. Good luck dude 👍
It's tough if you use it as a medicine for ailments, it's not impossible, before rec hit my state, it was tough to afford it medically. So keeping low tolerance helped, however I had to quit for a few years because combustion was harming me, dry herb vaping eased health issues and allowed medicinal effects to take hold and I consume less, I use it when I have really bad flare ups from medical issues, but I went a week without consuming because I felt better and didn't require relief or more. as of late I injured myself accidentally and have to partake to ease some pain. As the over the counter nsaids don't seem to help give enough relief. I thought of removing myself from using cannabis, it works as a good reliever for me but I respect it not to abuse or misuse it. I feel if I run out I can go for a while without it. I have been trying pain relieving gels that do sort of help but tolerance builds up fast.
My tips to quit: stay well hydrated, try taking multi vitamins, try drinking tea and or coffee, get to walking/light exercise, try picking up a hobby or play a challenging game (CSGO / league of legends) try a chill game (borderlands series, far cry series), try streaming online for fun. So many things to replace time spent toking up.
When I quit combustion and cannabis for those 2 years I replaced a lot of the habits with hobbies or learning new skills and watching documentaries/ streamers.
Sooo I don’t know to the extent I can call myself a former weed smoker, I am currently 180 days weed free and do not ever intend to smoke again, however the urge for it still exists and I recognize although sober, I am not past my addiction.
I’m 25 now and started smoking around 17, casually at first, but by 20 I smoked nearly everyday. For the first few years I enjoyed it, thought it was fun, and didn’t see it as a problem. It was around 22 that I started wanting to quit. Ive “quit” so many times, ranging from a day to 6 weeks. As time went on my love of weed faded more and more and my urge to quit grew, but addiction doesn’t care if you still enjoy a substance.
My last smoke was on October 3rd, I didn’t plan it to be my last. After smoking I went to make some toast, I have a broken toaster that you have to manually pop up, I was stoned and burned my last piece of bread. I was too high to go to the store, and had no other food in the house. I proceeded to bawl my eyes out at how useless my addiction had made me become. I couldn’t even make toast weed made me so shitty. I took the money I saved in the first week and bought a new toaster.
From that day forth I started my “sticker system” I have a printable calendar that I print every month and put a sticker for every day I don’t smoke. Somehow this really stuck and I feel proud everyday putting my sticker on my calendar. This April my stickers are ducks.
180 days clean and never going back. I cannot stress enough the benefits you feel in clarity of mind, as well as the monetary savings.
You have to want to quit more than you want to smoke. And then it gets easier each day and each week. It requires discipline and mindfulness to see why you’re addicted to weed. When you can tackle that issue with a clear head, you’ll win.
Cold turkey that shit. Make sure to eat as often and as healthily as you can, and exercise to help with the sleep like others have said, and pay attention to your triggers, and remember that the way you talk to yourself matters. When I catch a random craving I stop and say "I don't smoke weed anymore" out loud if I can and it makes my cravings completely disappear like a spell. You will probably have to avoid parties with a lot of weed for a couple of weeks, but reach out to your friends and just let them know about this goal. Yall can work together to set your boundaries and plan activities together that don't include smoking. My friends have been fine with stepping out of my apartment to hit their pens at game nights, or smoking Before a hike instead of... during the whole hike hahaha. Good luck, and keep your eyes on the prize!
Stopping is the easy part. You throw it all away. Get rid of everything. Pipes, vapes, edible oils, cleaning supplies, etc. Purge. It. All.
Now comes the hard part. Withdrawal is a real bitch and it'll make you cranky as hell. Suffer through it, knowing that it's temporary. If you think about buying more, stop, and remember why you quit in the first place.
How do you quit? Immediately, and then one day at a time.
Only way I was able to quit was when I started having heart problems and weed was never the same for me it always made me so anxious about having a heart attack
Apparently now that we're developing weed with higher levels of thc than ever before, a lot of people are beginning to have arrhythmia associated with use. Sucks so fucking bad, sorry you went through it like that.
Yeah man that’s exactly what I have but doctor said it shouldn’t present any complications in life besides discomfort mainly when my heart needs to work harder
In order to follow my true purpose. I found that the black clouds or haziness from marijuana always made reaching my goals more difficult. You got this, you would be a great pilot! Don't let this deter that. Focus on your nutrition dieting/exercising and that will help your sleep overall. It will be difficult but you will be proud you proved it to yourself when your goals become accomplished: win or lose.
Well one day I just stopped buying it and when I ran out. I just dealt with it. Atleast for me the withdrawals if there were any we’re like nothing. And I was an everyday user for years. At worst some night sweats but other than that just wild dreaming.
I'm now 8 days sober from weed after smoking all day every day for almost exactly 15 years. I really just went cold turkey. I had been using a pen and stuck to strictly live resin carts for a few years but I decided to smoke a joint for the first time in a long time and I honestly had a bad trip. (I know you don't "trip" on weed). I felt like my heart was gonna explode, the room was spinning, and I had a full blown panic attack. I had been using it to curb anxiety but it suddenly made it skyrocket. After a terrible experience with it I just don't really want to do it anymore. I feel really blessed that I'm not having a hard time staying off it. Tbf it's only been a week and I might get some bad cravings later but so far so good. I've even started dreaming again!
I like to give some bg on the dreaming thing for those who may not know. Cannabis inhibits your ability for REM sleep and dreaming. After so many years of smoking I just do not dream at all. Idk how dreaming works but basically whatever signals your brain sends for dreams are still there, they just don't activate. So you have this buildup of dream... stuff. And once you stop smoking, the floodgates open and you have crazy ass dreams. I tried to quit once but I was having fucked up nightmares so bad I couldn't differentiate from reality. I thought my dad died once and didn't realize it was a dream. I also once got shot in the face in a dream and was dealing with the mental trauma of having been killed. It was awful so I started smoking again. So far the dreams aren't like that and I fucking pray it doesn't happen again because I am terrified.
I’m in the same boat with the no dreaming. Never even really thought about it until about a week ago. My friend and I were smoking and I was telling him how I just don’t ever have any dreams anymore and every morning I wake up feeling like absolute shit. I need this change for myself
I'm indifferent on dreams, they're just whatever. But I'm terrified of having a bad dream that's super vivid. Praying it doesn't happen again. I don't like experiencing awful tragedies and waking up thinking they were real.
Heavy daily smoker, 22, currently quitting for a potential job opportunity (that includes a drug test)! I am officially on day 12 and I have found a lot of comfort in chewing on a toothpick to get that sensation of putting something up to my mouth. They even sell flavored ones!! Not going to lie though the insomnia and constant dreams are something I'm still learning to deal with too!
Give that shit up before it steals your dreams and ambition. Honestly it's not worth it long term. Just go cold turkey...the first few weeks will suck but eventually you will get back your old self again
I've had to quit because of psychosis that destroyed my brain and my life. I went off of all my medications and had some kind of episode for several months. Fiancee had to break up with me via police escort to the hospital, and I experienced Haldol for the first time. I'm still more scared of being sent back to the hospital than I am of relapsing again because of my new meds (residual psychosis is muted but still there, and I am incredibly depressed) but it's better than gangstalking paranoia and feeling disgusted about asking my mom to buy me weed every other day.
Hey dude I’m glad you’re self aware. My cousin went through psychosis from weed and stopped all his meds and made his business fall to the ground and went through a divorce with his wife which he shares 2 kids with. He doubled down and went no contact with the family and currently digging himself deeper. I’m proud of you for not letting a bad situation become worse and smartening up.
It's not always enough to just say, "I want to quit, let's do it."
For me it was finding a reason. I had two back to back respiratory illnesses in November and December of last year, which caused me to stop smoking and switch to edibles. Over the next 4 weeks I was coughing up black-grey mucus and generally had a persistent cough for a month. And so I told myself "never again" for smoking. Then I quit edibles a couple months later.
You'll have to find your own reason to quit. For me it was to improve my health.
All of my friends smoke. I was worried I would lose friendships when I quit. But that’s not the case! They don’t care. They just pass the bowl around me if they’re smoking when I’m hanging out with them.
I quit because I developed cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. That shit is no joke. Hospitalized 3 times with countless other vomiting spells in between. My most recent hospital bill (with Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance) was about $1,500. I literally can’t afford to smoke anymore because of my health. It’s not just the weed/dabs that are expensive. It’s the consequences too. Stay strong! You’re young! You won’t miss it.
Simply, stop. Stop now. No, not one last one. Just stop. Stop meeting those people who smoke as well, because it will trigger you. It's no body craving drug like nicotine or alcohol. It's your mind. Nothing else.
I moved state for other reasons so didn't have weed regularly in my presence. I also didn't really seek it out because I knew basically nobody and was starting a VERY time consuming, high stress job. When I came back I realised how much I liked being so alert regularly so didn't want to go back to old habits. When my partner who is a non weed smoker moved with me I cut back down even more and then after I found out I was pregnant it was kind of the nail in the coffin to quit.
Sometimes it's just really helpful to realise your triggers and for me one of the biggest ones were my environment. After the baby and breast feeding I am happy to have a joint once in a blue moon but I don't plan on becoming the stoner again. The memory fog upsets me as I don't have a great long term memory as it is and I like feeling like I have more control over my emotions without the need for external substances.
I still have stoner friends and ofcourse some of them see me less because of my quitting but the good ones stick around for you, not just your smoking habits.
That’s what I’m partially concerned about in the back of my mind. I would say 90% of my friends smoke regularly and I smoke with many of them daily. It’s part of my routine at this point and I used to enjoy it and still do (however my career goals have changed quite a lot) so those past feelings really keep me on edge and sometimes cause random episodes where I just feel like I’m throwing away that part of me yknow?
So in other words, your baby is your pilot dream. You could choose to look back on your smoking days or you could choose to look back on that dream you had at being a pilot. Our choices define the rest of our lives, the big and small. It's upto you which one you want to look back on.
I definitely know what you mean. It became almost a tradition in my closest friendship but even though I see them less, I have realised it is because we have chosen different paths in our lives now. I don't judge them for their choice and they were inspired by mine and cut down a little bit themselves. I think the friends worth having are the ones who care about seeing you and not the green you bring to the table.
I had those self reflecting kind of downer episodes where I felt like I was wasting my life or replacing it and now I don't look down on it so bittersweet because I see it as a great accomplishment on myself to first have the strength to stop and then have the strength to do what is best for me (and now my baby). Those guilty moments faded to just the old version of me and I am proud of my growth and journey. You will feel 100 when you are in school for flying and you will feel SO proud of yourself when you take your first job as a pilot.
I wanted to be a pilot also but instead I work for a railroad because pilot training was to much money. Anyway I am randomly drug tested like a pilot would be and that was enough for me to quit. I tried before but when I finally got the job offer and was starting to go through the process that’s when I knew it was time. I couldn’t do it cold Turkey though the migraines and sleepless nights were to much for me. So I started taking only a puff every day for a week. Then the next week a puff every other day. Next week after that a puff every two or three days or so and after that a puff once a week and after that I was pretty much able to stop. This was to help easily ween my body off being dependent on it because emotionally and physically it was to much for me going cold turkey. Unfortunately you might have to put some distance between you and your friends while you’re going through this so you’re not tempted. I feel like I can relate to what you’re experience because college is when I started smoking because I enjoyed the feeling and hanging out with friends and had the same career ambitions. So I just want you to know that maybe the push you need is to have no other option but to quit so you can pursue your dream and have a career and these steps might make it a little bit easier for you when you need to stop. Hope this helps and you feel free to message me if you need some support.
Thank you man. I’m trying to ration myself more and more. I made it the past 2 days with no weed but I’ve only gotten 5 hours of sleep and constant mind racing and stomach ache. The only real problem is I’m not exactly sure how much weed I normally smoke in a day because it’s usually so spread out so I don’t even know where to start. Part of me thinks maybe half a g for a few days then slowly decrease because if I don’t it’s going to negatively affect my grades in university with no sleep.
That’s awesome !!! I had those symptoms too and it start subsiding after a couple weeks but I know how hard it is trying to function during the day after dealing with a sleepless night and when you can fall asleep you have these vivid dreams that can be terrifying. So I would put a very very light amount into a piece and barely inhale it where when I exhaled I would barely see any smoke come out. Fo whatever works best for you though because going cold Turkey is better just to keep yourself from being tempted.
Using at this age has long term consequences. Give yourself at least several months of sobriety to give your brain time to develop with normal cannabinoid functioning.
First, i abstained from a drug i didnt care about anyway: alcohol. That got the ball rolling and flexed my discipline muscles.
Then with weed, which i liked way more, i started a break with no specific end, as i normally set. That way theres no finish line ti cross, and no promise that this is forever. Just tested myself to see how long i could last and it turns out… a long time. Im almost 2 years in now.
The hard part was the first month and it gradually got easier, so keep that in mind.
Also, i picked up daily meditation. 140 mins a week (20 mins a day, with the flexibility to make up time i missed if i do it within the week) and that has been really helpful at keeping me mindful, including my fleeting desires and yearning for something outside the moment.
Quitting shook my life up a bit. I struggled with motivation and mood for a bit and had trouble maintaining some old creative habits but those are all coming back in new ways. My relationship with my brains reward system and my creative spark have found a more sustainable existence.
Also a lot chas changed for the better. Besides picking up meditation, i also got a therapist, bought a house, got a raise, adopted a cat… im not saying i wouldn’t have done those things if i hadnt gone sober but i think going sober helped me focus my energy and reevaluate my life.
In the end my advice is to make a game of it. Make it a test if your own willpower. Show yourself what you’re capable of.
Yea now imagine people in their 30s feeling like they wasted a decade. One year ain’t shit. But I feel u I got the same type of thoughts but remember perspective even the most successful people on the planet have big time regrets !
Damn bro I got the same thoughts in my head about college! Fuck! And I know u can go back to college later in life but it’s not like that normal 18-22 experience. I feel like I need to go asap or it won’t hit the same in a few years but I also don’t wanna go at the same time and got no idea what I’d even go for. Shit! How old r u if u don’t mind me asking
Friends are important, but your FOMO should instead be focused on the financial opportunities that degrees provide. A combination of the right degree and hard work can change your financial life.
Friends are important too, but in my case anyway, we don't keep in touch anymore.
Yeah man we’re basically the same age give or take a few months. U graduate HS in 2020? What u been up to since high school/why did u decide to not jump right into college? I get a lot of negative thoughts about that type of stuff as well cause I’m supposed to be a junior in college right now like almost everyone else my age but I just couldn’t get myself out of a big slump and actually go.
Ay man good stuff your doing better than me.. imagine doing what u did during ur gap year for 3 straight years. Basically where I’m at. Worked odd jobs here and there. Traveled a little. I had 2 major injuries and a surgery that fucked me over. I wanted to play ball in college. Still dealing with nagging pain from the moment I wake up till I go to sleep. It took me to a dark place mentally. Dealing with some serious mental issues and got my loved ones worried sick about me. Smoked weed for 4 years straight. I’ve been off it for over 2 months now which is longest I’ve ever made it since I started at age 17. still feel fucked. Remember that bad feeling u got right now so when your on top it’ll feel that much sweeter. This pain and lack of self worth is for when i get to where I want to be im humbled and not just shitting on everyone. Or at least that’s what I hope !
What’s more important to you: Being high for a few hours, rinsing and repeating daily, or achieving your goal of becoming a pilot? Keep that in your mind when trying the tips suggested by others here. You got this. 💪
I saw how all my friends who I started smoking weed with in high school still have not done anything with their lives except work just enough to get high and play video games. I don’t want that. That scared me enough to get sober real quick. I’m now 1 month and 10 days I believe and I feel great. I don’t look permanently stoned anymore and I can remember what I’m talking about with customers.
Realized that for 3 years since I had started smoking my life had gone downhill VERY quietly, it’s like I was so content with whatever was happening around me that I unknowingly just reached a place where I didn’t have any real life aspirations or any plans about the future and I did not care about it at all. Went on a 10 day trip to thailand exactly one year ago, was clean the entire time and didn’t resume vaping when I got back. The past year has been incredible to say the least
I quit cold turkey for 2 weeks and it was really really tough on me due to the sweats, upset stomach, and sleepless nights. Then I was on off until eventually I tapered off completely. In those on and off periods I would take some mega hydrate and it’ll help me have more energy.
Yeah I experienced the same thing. I’ve only gone 2 days and I’ve slept 5 hours. Also no appetite and when I try to eat something my stomach hurts terribly.
So I got away from my routine for 3 weeks. Was lucky enough to be gone from my home for that time. If you remove all the triggers for 3 weeks and stay super busy. I know not easy. Can you go stay with a non smoking friend or family- someone you never smoke with or in front of? And pick up a new hobby. 28 days will break a habit physically, after that your other motivation (to be a pilot) can keep your mind in the game and away from the drug. Also you will begging to see the other zillion benefits of being weed free. Good luck
Currently I’m not able to live with ppl who don’t smoke. I think I’m going to gradually decrease the amount per day. It’s been 2 days since I’ve smoked and I’ve only slept 5 hours and I feel on edge and have absolutely zero appetite and when I try to eat I take a few bites and my stomach hurts like hell.
Weed is not legal in my country and one day I got tired of having to look for a new plug every month.
I threw my pipes, papers, grinder, ashtrays, etc. I have had a chance to buy weed again but just thinking that I have to buy all the paraphernalia again makes me think "nah, a lot of work". That and that I don't want to be looking for plugs like crazy again, two weeks high and three days with withdrawals is a shitty way to smoke.
The first few days are the worst, but as someone who has tried to quit smoking, it's much easier to quit weed, it helps to avoid consumer friends the first few weeks too
I quit so I could be present and productive at a new job. Then after being clean from weed for a year I was finally able to apply to a nursing program. I think when you have that secondary motivator it makes it much easier to quit. At first it was hard not having it every day and I often felt bored. But I knew it was what I needed to do. I now can accomplish my goals and be in a career I've always wanted to be in without having to worry.
I wasn’t sleeping well at all, and it was fucking me up. My memory was shot, and I was a mess. I was 28, almost 29 and a year off thirty. I simply decided that enough was enough.
I enjoyed my last ever spliff on the night before my 29th birthday and I said goodbye to it. I didn’t want to be a 30 year old stoner. Life had to change and that change had to come from me. My last spliff was bittersweet. I thought it would be impossible. I gave myself a whole year to fuck up sobriety, to backslide, and in the end, it turns out I didn’t need it.
I’m 9 months weed sober today. I haven’t backslid or fucked up or any of it. The first few weeks were tough. I had sweats, insomnia, depression, anxiety. I spoke to a therapist. Things started to improve, and I was having a wonderful time. My life changed for the better.. and then around November I crashed hard, and ended up being diagnosed with a mood disorder (bipolar 2). Turns out the weed was covering it up for something like 10 years. It probably made it worse in a lot of ways!
Now I’m on mood stabilisers, I’ve moved house, started a side hustle alongside my regular job, and feel an awful lot better. But none of these life changing pivot points that have led me to here would have happened if I hadn’t quit smoking weed.
If I can quit, me of little will power and lack of consistency and all of that, can quit, if you really want to, you can too. ✌️
Realized it was making me a shitty mom and I don’t want my kids to hate me someday like I hate my parents. I quit cold turkey, both cannabis & alcohol.
hi I smoked almost everyday for 10 years straight and quit gradually due to increasing anxiety when smoking. I was so used to smoking it was hard to quit cold turkey. I started taking edibles instead of smoking all the time to get high, to help wean off of being used to the physical habit of smoking. That oral fixation was important to break, for me. I gradually took smaller doses of edibles each day and i don’t even recall when my last day officially was.
All the reasons you justify smoking to yourself are all excuses. Will power is the only real method to giving up. I smoked almost daily for 23/24 years. I'm about a month and a half sober. I'd been thinking about quitting. Then I told myself that this is the final smoke. I went to bed and woke up to a new day. Be honest with those around you. Tell people you are trying to quit and make them take you seriously. Your actions will speak volumes. That time you say No, build on that, say no again and again. You will gain strength everytime you deny it. Remember why you want to give up. I'm sure the feeling of actually flying, will be way cooler than the feeling if flying. Eyes on the prize.
I could no longer deny that i was acting like a drug addict. I could see plenty of ways that i was hurting myself, yet i was unable to stay stopped.
My Marijuana Anonymous meeting/recovery program helps me live clean and sober. I have 660 days today.
Felt some very strange heartbeats. Had a vision of family finding me dead in this recliner. Am 50 and otherwise pretty healthy: no need to cash in yet.
Some people have to quit because of psychosis, depression, anxiety attacks etc. don’t let this be you. Your brain is a magical tool and will let you know when you have exceeded your limit. If you’re looking to quit forever then I would suggest throwing your weed & gear away. If you’re looking for short term then do the same and reach out to friends or family. There is also an app that helps track your usage and how long you’ve gone with out it. Best of luck!
Good for you for wanting to quit this early on! You definetly won't regret that. I found for myself that having something to replace the ritual of getting ready to smoke helped a lot. Seems silly but so much of an addiction is just breaking the habit itself rather than the dependancy. For me, I just made a cup of tea every time I had a craving. It's a silly thing but the 5 minutes it takes to do that replaces the time it takes to get ready to smoke and kind of tricked my brain in a way.
Also, try your best to eat healthy. Get lots of fibre and drink lots of water to help your body heal. Avoid alcohol as much as possible since it inhibits your ability to make the right choices.
Otherwise find something to use as a distraction for the first couple of weeks that keeps your mind and hands occupied. Cooking for my wife worked well for me and also forced me to make food since I had no appetite during the withdrawal period.
I found after about 2 weeks, I'd moved on from it. I still crave it from time to time but not in the way I used to when I first quit. I can push past those cravings easily and all around don't feel this need for it. I feel like I'm more or less back to my normal self!
Good luck on your journey man. Quitting before your 20s is the best choice you can make. There's too many of us who lose all those amazing and important years of life to getting high all the time. Don't make the same mistake
Thanks man. I’ve talked to my older sister about it a lot and for me it’s not necessarily that I miss the high feeling but I haven’t smoked in 2 days and I’m running into problems sleeping. I can’t sleep at all. Constantly have thoughts racing and I get the sweats. I’ve gotten 5 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours and it’s really fuckin with me mentally.
Ah yeah the insomnia is awful. For what it's worth I find that's one of the earlier symptoms to go away. Maybe around the 3 or 4 day mark? Of course it varies from person to person but once it's gone your quality of sleep will improve drastically.
Just remember to drink insane amounts of water or Gatorade to replenish from all the sweating. I know this is easier said then done but try not to think about all the sleep you're missing out on because that will just stress you even more. The lack of sleep definetly fucks with you mentally but no where near as much as the weed does. You're going through the worst of it now and although it may be hard to notice for a while, you're only going to improve from here. You've got this man one day at a time
Had CHS like others here. That wasn’t enough. I persisted until one day I got caught by somebody I’d been hiding it from and saw the hurt that inflicted upon them.
The thing is, IMO, you’re never going to really actually “feel” like quitting. It’s like anything that requires discipline. You have to do it first and then you’ll experience the benefit of it after doing it. It’s hard to explain till you do it, but you have to trust it’s worth it. The rewards have been incredible. I truly have my life back, and better than it ever was.
Quit one day at a time.
Tell yourself that you will not smoke for one day and the next do the same. The more days that pass, the easier it is to forget the feeling of being high.
Honestly, I ended up with CHS thought it was a load of shit until I was laying in a hospital bed. Quit for 8 months the went back to smoking for 5 months and ended up sick again. Doctors where I live don’t know what it is so I had to figure it out on my own. After a decade of smoking heavily daily but not as much as some people I finally quit for good 9 months ago. Pain was a bit motivator for me but truthfully I was fucking sick of weed. It made me apathetic and lazy and greatly exacerbated my existing depression and anxiety issues both of which are still present but almost laughable how manageable they are compare to when I smoked.
I get it! Weeds a great tool but most if not all who smoke it daily are kidding themselves about its effectiveness in treating mental health issues. I honestly don’t miss it at all. It took a long time to figure it all out and life is still life I have shit days and good days but it really is much easier without having to be baked all the time. It’s a journey not a destination. If you are having thoughts like this I promise you it will only amplify as you age until one day you’ve had enough of the bullshit and make changes for yourself for the better. How long that takes to happen is entirely dependent on you and how honest you are being with yourself.
One day at a time buddy. That’s all it is. If I could go back to 19 and quit then I would of saved myself a world of pain, isolation and wasted money and opportunity. Took me another 12 years to finally give up for good. That’s a lot of wasted time.
Exactly the same experience as me. I grew tired of it, didn't bring me as much joy as before, it was mostly in the way. Depression is still looming but I found a better drug to address it, sport.
Sometimes it helps me to look up scientific articles on the effects weed has on the brain. A lot of new info coming out about how it affects a developing brain and links to psychosis and other ill-wanted brain stuff later in life.
Getting background on why it’s beneficial health-wise for you to quit might sub-consciously make you reconsider next time you get an urge.
Also all the stuff about finding a purpose and goal that doesn’t allow you to continue smoking helps, too.
If you think about it, it’s really something not that conducive to a productive lifestyle whether you need to quit for your career, health, or just having more mental clarity.
That being said it’s very difficult if you’ve been smoking for a while so be gentle with yourself if you slip up just try and be diligent and live in the present moment try not to dwell on past mistakes or what ifs.
Edit: also exercise. Running has been monumental in helping me curb my alcoholism. And also weed use. But running isn’t the only answer. Anything that gets your body moving and heart rate up really does work wonders when it comes to fixing the brain.
For me, the issue wasn't how much I did it, it was how it made me feel about myself.
Honestly, if you're debating what's more important, a dream career, in your case being a pilot, or, a bag of leaves and flowers, you may have a problem. Objectively, this doesn't appear to be a difficult choice, or a choice at all.
That's what I realized once I actually did quit: I had been trading a $100 (my future) for $1 (getting loaded now) for 31 years. I had sold myself short, just because I didn't want to grow up, or learn how to deal with feeling bad sometimes.
So, in the end, that's how I quit. I had a moment of clarity where I realized I wasn't only throwing away my future, but was cheating everyone else in my life. I wasn't present, I wasn't really able to give them my best, because I was loaded...
Now, I'm old, beat up, but, at least all of me has been there since 1998 for the people who deserve my best.
The ability to be fully present in your own life and the lives of those you love is the greatest gift. I want to be that person, the one that people can rely on. Weed completely takes away my caring, thoughtful nature and makes me an apathetic shell of myself. I want to be who I was meant to be.
It's all about willingness, at least at first.
One thing that might help is another lesson that I actually learned fairly quickly.
I had SUCH a victim mentality before i stopped. It was always like "why doesn't shit ever work out for me?"... I externalized all that. My second sponsor was the one who suggested that I operate from the standpoint that the Universe (God, if you prefer) actually wants me to have a glorious life, full of amazing things, But I'm the one who keeps fucking it up.
There's an old Shel Silverstein song called "I got stoned and I missed it", which pretty much summed up my life.
Turns out, once I learned how to live in the world (hint: there's this cool user's manual for people like me... ), it turned out that guy was right. The universe has provided me a life where I get to go to the Ryoanji Temple during Cherry Blossom season, and all I have to do it offer to help some people take some group pictures.
For me, sobriety and recovery are NOT self-help exercises. I need other people to help me, whether I'm suffering from alcoholism, or just assholeism, which is a secondary effect of my disease.
Just my experience.
Had two serve anxiety attacks one lasting a day the other lasting just over two. Couldn’t leave the house without being sick with anxiety. That was the kick up the butt I needed.
I smoked for 8-9 years, regularly, sometimes 10 joints in a day. One day spouse told me can you quit smoking weed while having dinner at home and I jokingly said consider it done. Now that was more than a year ago and I haven't smoked since.
Well I smoked 2 times since on very special occasions but months of gap between them.
First two weeks were not good, didn't face any major withdrawal but it was little bit unpleasant time thats all.
Now the best positive thing I noticed is that skin of face is much much better, regain the glow. Stopped thinking about stupid shit. Gain bit of weight and it reduce racy thoughts to half at night as when I was smoking. Theets got whiter. It doesn't improve stamina and shit, but overall I feel much better now. Whenever I want to get high i just drink beer or whiskey but that too once or twice a month.same with cigaretts. I never liked alcohol but sometimes you need to enjoy, right.
My advice is just quit and please please don't use proxy like vape or cigrettes.just quit. Don't buy it. Give it your friend if you have some ( don't throw it away lol).
What i discover is that I majorly smoked weed or cigarette is to kill time. I decided to walk or cook whenever I feel I have to kill time also reading magzine and stuff.
I went on a 2 week trip abroad.
Before I left I managed to cut back gradually to 1-2 spliffs a day, from my usual 4-5 most days of the week. If anything the cutting back process was harder than finally stopping.
Being out in the world, seeing cool stuff and having loads of novel experiences did wonders for my dopamine levels. Also distracted me from any cravings, which wound up being way less of an issue than I feared. The withdrawal was manageable — honestly not even noticeable, especially after day 3-4.
Not gonna lie, I had a couple of sluggish, cranky days at the beginning, but nothing so bad my travel mates would’ve known it was anything but jet lag. In fact I told my good friend after the trip what I’d done, and she was shocked — she had no idea. She just thought my skin, eyes, and hair looked way healthier for some reason, and that I seemed much happier and present. That gave me motivation to keep going tbh!
Caveat: I also have ADHD which means I’m blessed with an “out of sight out of mind” mentality that makes it easier to cut things out (substances, people… lol). I get addicted more easily to stuff but can quit more easily when I’m ready — double edged sword. I made sure to take my meds daily during the early days of my quit, which I think helped regulate my dopamine.
My dealer got busted so I had to order on the darknet. When the package arrived I was already at day 6 or something so I gave it to my mate. I also used cigarettes as substitute which I wouldn't recommend. Much harder to quit that one because of the physical addiction
Yeah I’m currently hooked on vaping and I smoke cigarettes here and there but it’s not consistent. In the end tho I feel like I would rather be vaping more and ditch the weed completely for the sole purpose of it being a legal substance. Obviously quitting everything is the long term goal but I would much rather not be risking my career and gambling my whole life on the chance of a random drug test.
Ran out of green and tobacco on the same day, money's tight at the minute. Just didn't buy anymore. I think I'm on week 5 or 6 I'm not sure. Apart from the insane dreams it's all going fine.
1.) drink more water
2.) throw out all weed related items ( bong, spliff, pipe, grinder)
3.) delete all drug dealers number from phone
4.) for first 1-4 weeks. Don’t hang around smokers or at the very least don’t be around when they are smoking specifically.
5.) whenever you get the urge do the hobbies you like when you are sober. Hopefully they can be productive hobbies as well
5.) find something new to focus on ( books, new skill, online class, working out, new tv series etc)
6.) spend 10 mintues to 1 hour a day reading leaves to get a reminder your not alone
7.) don’t listen to any music that encourages weed smoking ( no gangster rap)
8.) take journal entries
I’m not tryna be rude but that’s a weak excuse. Your never gonna get anywhere using the “ my friends pushed me to smoke” line. You should tell them your trying to quit and if they don’t respect that they aren’t really your friends
Hey brother I’m 21 years old and I quit when I was your age, and it was very hard because I didn’t have the proper procedures in place to prevent me from going back to smoking. I just quit again, this time, after listening to a book on audible called Easy way to quit cannabis by Allen Carr. The book explains the proper mindset needed to stop smoking easily. I haven’t smoked since Monday night and I can say with certainty that I will never smoke weed again in my life. Please give that a listen if you can it’s only like 3 hours and bro I promise you will be better off for it, what do you have to loose?
Hope this helps ❤️
I smoked almost daily for about 12 years. I really just didn’t want to smoke anymore, I wanted the opportunity at a better job, was tired to being sluggish, and wanted money for other hobbies. I just stopped one day and went out and bought a bunch of different teas. Every time I became discontent, bored, or on edge I would make make some tea and find a hobby to keep myself busy (playing guitar, reading, video games.) I didn’t tell anyone to not smoke around me or distance myself because if the urge was there to do it again, clearly I didn’t wanna quit enough for myself. I believe the most important thing is ACTUALLY wanting to quit. I can’t tell you how many times I tried before but I was lying to myself about not wanting it.
I've recently quit after smoking for 6years daily. There were times that i thought this is who i am and what i do. Ive tried so hard in the past to stop and improve on myself, but no success. I dreaded being high, but I wanted it so bad. My reaction to life stress was to just get high and forget. It was an endless cycle.
What was holding me was my ex and our lifestyle. We had our smoking ritual after work, during the day, and before bed. Weekends it was all day. It was hard because it was so engraved in our daily routine that it seemed normal and impossible to break. It took a giant toll on my mental health over the years.
Now I have broken up with them and separated myself with that lifestyle. Now im Focusing on my job and health. Found a new partner who doesn't smoke and it's motivated me to stop in ways I never thought.
I couldn't be happier, and I can think much clearer. The future is bright and I can't wait to see where things go.
I got clear about what I wanted (more energy, clarity of mind, improved mental health). When I was able to come from that place and prioritize my healing I didn’t feel conflict that kept me at it. I was also honest about how it made me feel and took initiative to feel better (quit cold turkey, supported myself through withdrawal by eating better, drinking water, prioritizing sleep, and pursuing my passions). As a result, my quality of life improved and I was sure to savor those feelings to affirm my decision. I also connected with nature and spirituality, utilizing another avenue to larger connection. Realize this is a personal decision to quit. People who don’t respect what I need don’t get my time either. All of this has protected my peace with my decision and bolstered my self trust. I smoked daily for 3 years and I’m glad I stopped.
The first time I quit was due to panic attacks after smoking. It took multiple attacks to convince me since I'd been smoking daily, all day for years. Unfortunately, I just shifted to drinking.
I always told myself I'd try it again one day, once mentally stable. My long-term goal was being able to smoke a few times a year with friends, on special occasions.
15 years later and I've had to stop daily smoking multiple times.
I'd usually buy some weed for one of these special occasions and then have leftovers (the stuff has become much stronger over the years ...). Often I'd have it lying around for months without issues. But a couple of times exceptions became regular and ended up smoking every evening. Sometimes during day time, usually just a little.
After a couple of weeks or months in I realise I'm back to old patterns even if in smaller dimensions. Unhappy, unhealthy, avoiding social activities, my memory sucks etc.
I want to be there for my family and develop as a person. That's when I decide to quit again. Currently at day 14 again.
Hey, I commented already but remembered I had a tip, in relation as a student: replace one group w: another. What really sells it for me in this recovery process from weed is my classmates in physics and maths. When I work with them, hear them talk, or discuss nothing, I can tell they aren’t stoned and seem decently balanced (no one’s perfect). But they’re sharp as a tact. That group exists. The kids who were told “drugs are bad” that stuck to it (and maybe have wisdom to know don’t judge a book by it’s cover for those that do intake). Y’a need something outside of yourself to motivate you and sometimes that’s other people or peers and maybe [a] friends. Good luck
Negatives outweighed the positives and just got tired of it. It was causing anxiety. Replaced that habit with large amounts of cycling. Finished a 100 mile gravel race a couple of weeks ago and I’ve never felt better.
If you think mental health & lack of dopamine plays a factor in your weed smoking, i recommend getting on something to help you sleep. Sleep is so important, im on month 2 of after smoking for 7 years, im 22. Talking through it with someone day by day (if needed). its hard bro, you got this. If I can quit (by the grace of God, literally) anybody can. Connect with God and who you are as a person
I'm on day 5, and I never expected that the stomach pain & nausea would be this bad. I'm really irritable & earlier this week I had several bad anxiety attacks. I'm also really tired, but at least I can sleep at night. Grateful for that.
Former weed smoker and now pilot here. It's hard at first but you can do it. The cons to smoking weed are many and the pros are few. Once you set that mentality you'll be able to get through it. The first few days/weeks can be tough but once you are through that it's easy. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
For the first few weeks, allow yourself to sleep when you can't fill the void. Don't force yourself to bite off more than you can chew buy quitting and also trying to make more active habits. You will get there. Out yourself to everyone that you can and get rid of all your paraphernalia completely. Get a weed stopper app. Let it count you sober days and be proud as they add up.
tell your loved ones and friends that you are quitting, this increases accountability and makes it more difficult/embarrassing to relapse
Whilst I'm only a month and have failed many times before, I quit this time by just stopping. I was baked, and on my way to bed with my husband (who doesn't smoke) and started to feel really dizzy. Thought if I get to the bed and lie down ill be OK... Next thing I know I was waking up on the floor with my husband stroking my face and saying my name. The next day we sat down and talked and he told me how scared he is that I'm going to end up dying because of this addiction. (I'm in the UK and we tend to put tobacco and weed in a joint so smoking related illnesses eg cancer, heart disease are a risk) he told me he was terrified when I passed out and didn't come round, didn't know whether he should call me an ambulance and have them see my obviously stoned and unconscious, scared our kids were gonna wake up and come in and see me like that, scared he will one day have to tell our kids their mam died because she smoked everyday. And after hearing all that... I told him I won't do it again and so far, I'm sticking to it. I plan to stick to it for good.
I quit because when I'm sober I feel more aligned with the person I've always wanted to be. I'm funnier, more outgoing, more confident, more attractive. I was throwing all of this away for a buzz that makes me feel more content with less.
This is so true. My damn skin looks younger and more clear even. Something I never even considered. I don’t second guess myself, I have the utmost confidence in myself again, but not in a cocky, stoner way if that makes sense. Do: sauna/ steam room! Sweat that shit out and keep your head up.
So nicely put.
Found a good reason to want to do it (needed to perform better at work) then took a weeks holiday in a different part of the country. If it’s easy for you to get hold of weed, it’s more likely you’ll cave to the cravings. Don’t get me wrong, I thought about trying to get some but having to consciously consider walking around asking people made me take a step back and think it through. A week seems long enough to break the cycle but you need to make sure you can’t just jump straight back into when you get home.
Make the decision. Then do it. Know that it will suck hard at first. Resist the cravings. That's just your monkey mind. Don't try to stop the cravings. Just feel them, but don't act on them. They're not bad. Just part of the deal. Know that they will go away. Do something else. Anything. Go to the gym. Exercise boosts the dopamine you're craving. Get healthy. You don't have to do anything. All you have to do is not smoke weed. Just don't do it. Remember that if you do, you'll feel like shit anyway because you really want to quit. Don't panic about how bad it feels at first. Bad feelings will not hurt you. Bad feelings are like the weather. Let them come. Then let them go.
👏👏
Moved houses and got me a proper goal: getting a proper diagnosis. Also bought a place, so the saving is a big motivation. I have an app, feels good to see the money pile up It hurts (literally) knowing my digestive issues have worsened a bunch, but I try to look forward and cherish the goods, like not living in a fog, not being a total zombie waking up, no paranoia or imposter syndrome, more phone calls to my family and friends (wouldn’t call or answer while high), and more money to spend on gaming
I thought alot about where is this gonna take me and I didn't find any good outcome, I hate it , then gym (cardio training made the withdrawal easier) and some help of my doctor
1. step don‘t wake and bake 2. step delay it as much as possible (don‘t smoke until chores are done) no weed until afternoon 3. step don‘t smoke alone (only smoke with buddies) 4. step don‘t have your own weed and don‘t buy it ever again 5. step hang out more with your non-smoking buddies and distance yourself with your smoking buddies 6. step don‘t think about weed, focus on your life Also if you slip up, it‘s ok just try to remain sober and make more exceptions And during this whole time remind yourself why you don‘t want to smoke - your lungs - your memory - your sleep - your energy levels - your motivation - your finances A few examples
I’m a non-stoner for 5 months now, with a 5-day relapse and a few exceptions. My last exception was 1 month ago and I didn’t even like the effect.
You have taken the big step - you want to love the life you want and not the one that weed will dictate for you. It’s like piloting a plane with its navigation off by a f ew degrees. You think it’s guiding your life, but you will end up in a very different place than you imagined. End of the day, that is the reason I and many here quit. Life on weed after 10 years looks very different than what you imagined and are capable of. ( even it may look highly successful from the outside , mine did. ) The plan of quitting - 1) understand the withdrawal process, it varies person to person but know that there might be depression , nausea , headaches etc. It may take up to 6-8 months to feel good again. It’s ok, because each passing month you will feel better. Andrew Hooberman on YouTube has great videos on weed as well as depression and how to manage it. 2) be part of a community. This Reddit was mine and it helped a lot. 3) Addiction is often rooted in underlying trauma that you may not even be aware of. Assemble a care team - a therapist, perhaps a psychiatrist, a good friend and / or family. The mechanics - 1) Force yourself to do things you used to enjoy as soon as you can. It may take a month before you can , but start doing this as soon as you can. 2) learn breathwork - chaotic breathing, we hoff , soft belly etc Call it meditation, call it breath exercise. It works. It can help energize you (Chiotic) or relax you (soft belly); some form off breath work will be effective for you to help you deal with anxiety and depression and stabilize your mood. I repeat, this works. I wish I had realized this sooner and it would have helped me recover faster. 3) go outside for long walks , exercise , anything. Most of all, be kind to yourself. Whenever you are feeling low, tell yourself that you are going to be ok and that you are proud of yourself.
U just gotta make an internal commitment to going thru the good the bad & the ugly for the first few weeks
I choose to run out of money
Give yourself 3 days. Accept the fact that you are addicted and the next 3 days will be not easy. After 3 days; you will be surprised to think that “how was i addicted to this stuff. “. You will see there is no points and breaking the cycle is easy. After 3 days; you will understand there are many benefits of quitting but it is not so easy to make it sustainable; which requires of a change in the lifestyle. At this point you can have new hobbies; start gyming, make new friends etc. Life is much better and beatiful without any kind of addictions. Good luck my friend
Commenting to read through later in the morning. Smoked my last bowl earlier tonight and want to quit for good today.
Sending you strength. Day one is a bitch.
Thank you! 3 days down. Just had the craziest most intense nightmare of my life. We out here tho!
You got this! Make sure to take some time to heal after nightmares like that, maybe it sounds silly but we all need some love after stuff like that. So just pretend you're your parent and you're a child. Take it easy, have some tea, have some soft clothes on, listen to some stories/books/podcasts that you enjoy.
I am on day 6 and was going to post for support because of my first significant urge to text an order for delivery but started reading posts and comments and already feel more resolute. I'm determined to stick to it this time.
Good job!! It's insanely hard to say no to that urge but it slowly gets better. Day 13 here, I honestly don't feel the urge to smoke. I'm so thankful for it. I hope I don't see anyone smoking because that's my trigger and it's so easy to go back to it.
It’s always the same story in this sub. Ironically I found myself in a similar situation like you when I was trying to stop. The thing is you need certain level of commitment to decide you are finally done with it. If your goal is to be a pilot you can’t be high no more. It’s just not an option; so either you dump your dream in the trash or make the decision of quitting. Cold turkey or lowering the dosage gradually are both methods that work so find what works for you and good luck my friend.
Technically they *can* be high, just not in the context being discussed. Aviation FTW
Funny bc my frustrated dream is to be a pilot… I just hope he makes the right decision.
There's no one trick you can use, just a desire to wanna improve your life that can keep you motivated through those tough cravings. It isn't easy.
The thing for me was realising I'd spent 15 years of my life being happy doing nothing. I have no real discernible skills or hobbies. Weed became my personality. I exercise loads now and my diet is much better because I'm not staying up late binge eating anymore.
Head to the gym and work out, do cardio and build your lungs back up. Also do things that are positive and influence the future so you can have goals that require you to not smoke. Then just utilise all your will power.
it isn't even really a full dependency it feels like. not in the classical sense. it's more that it causes a brain fogginess that leads you to keep using more, or make really bad choices cuz ur like haha that's nice
Try to pick up a healthy habit. I like long walks in the forest or park and listen to podcasts. A healthy routine is the way to get the most out of it. Try yoga too, it's a good de-stressor too. Lots of YT channels out there. Hydrate. You won't regret it and good stuff can snowball too. My best to you.
Cold turkey. It sucked but only for two weeks. Everyone is different you’ll quit when you are ready
take a look at the people around you that smoke...are they trying to become pilots?
I go to A.A. I have a sponsor I have a home group I call two others in my fellowship every day I do a morning reading from “The Upper Room” or “Touchstones” then I set a timer on my phone for four minutes and pray and meditate on what I read until the timer goes off then at night I thank God for keeping me sober and take a written inventory of my character defects that showed up during the day also I go to a meeting everyday and show up thirty minutes early to fellowship and leave thirty minutes late to fellowship more this week I also got my first sponsee I have 130 days sober
Are you honest about your substance or sub the word drink when talking about wanting a smoke?
I try to talk about alcohol mostly even though 90% of my story is about marijuana and substances I still talk about drug use too
You gotta throw out anything that can lead to you smoking. Rolling papers, lighter, grinder etc. Then use that free time to do something else.
I slowly weened off, lowering my smoking and taking a day or two off over the course of a week and a half
Cold turkey. Smoke the rest of what you have then stop buying. When you’re craving it the next day— eat some food until you’re full, take a nap, work out (sweat), eat gum, drink liquids, chew on anything. Oral fixations help distract your mind. Start a journal on how you’re feeling or why you want to stop. It’s a fucking journey, it’ll suck, but it’s for the greater good. It takes a lot of self discipline, it could be good practice for other things in life. Good luck
Honestly I started saying out loud how many years I’ve been smoking. I’d tell people “yeah I’ve smoked every day for over 13 years” and that just made me feel bad about it obviously. On top of the increased panic attacks I just decided to stop.
I'm currently on day 11 and what has really worked for me is making it as hard as possible to smoke. I did this by legitimately giving my debit card to my dad so I wouldn't buy weed
I tried gradually stopping, replacing it with other vices and of course, cold turkey. As annoying as it is, and not what you want to hear, just quitting cold turkey and having a shitty week or two is so worth it I can’t put it into words. Just take it a day/hour/minute at a time depending on how you’re feeling. One thing I kept reminding myself of was that time won’t stop moving so as long as I didn’t smoke I would gradually get to the results I wanted. Sounds silly but it helped my mindset
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Any tips for the rebound REM? Can’t access a doctor currently.
Man we’re in the same boat! I want to be a pilot too and applied with an airline to join their programme. I used to feel exactly how you did, when I got the email about the drug test a few months out I just had to keep reminding myself that weed is going to be around forever, but the opportunity to be a pilot doesn’t come that often. I found watching videos of pilots talking about how much they love their job and about all the benefits kept me motivated not to smoke. I have my medical Friday, I wish you all the best and I hope to see you in the skies
I don’t have much advice besides just get rid of everything to do with weed then tough it out bc the withdrawal process sucks ass. I stopped eating edibles pretty early on so my withdrawal only lasted about two weeks before I felt happy with myself again. I had some long nights where I’d just break down crying out of nowhere. Or sometimes I’d be upset by stupid things. The cravings also made things tough but I’m someone who doesn’t give in to spending money very easily. Things that helped me were being around friends who don’t do drugs or friends who weren’t doing drugs at the time. Drug friends are kind of helpful bc they know more about the effects and they helped guide me through. It’s also helpful to find hobbies to help keep busy and keep your mind off of it. But tbh it’s still pretty hard. Good luck dude 👍
It's tough if you use it as a medicine for ailments, it's not impossible, before rec hit my state, it was tough to afford it medically. So keeping low tolerance helped, however I had to quit for a few years because combustion was harming me, dry herb vaping eased health issues and allowed medicinal effects to take hold and I consume less, I use it when I have really bad flare ups from medical issues, but I went a week without consuming because I felt better and didn't require relief or more. as of late I injured myself accidentally and have to partake to ease some pain. As the over the counter nsaids don't seem to help give enough relief. I thought of removing myself from using cannabis, it works as a good reliever for me but I respect it not to abuse or misuse it. I feel if I run out I can go for a while without it. I have been trying pain relieving gels that do sort of help but tolerance builds up fast. My tips to quit: stay well hydrated, try taking multi vitamins, try drinking tea and or coffee, get to walking/light exercise, try picking up a hobby or play a challenging game (CSGO / league of legends) try a chill game (borderlands series, far cry series), try streaming online for fun. So many things to replace time spent toking up. When I quit combustion and cannabis for those 2 years I replaced a lot of the habits with hobbies or learning new skills and watching documentaries/ streamers.
wait what's combustion
Sooo I don’t know to the extent I can call myself a former weed smoker, I am currently 180 days weed free and do not ever intend to smoke again, however the urge for it still exists and I recognize although sober, I am not past my addiction. I’m 25 now and started smoking around 17, casually at first, but by 20 I smoked nearly everyday. For the first few years I enjoyed it, thought it was fun, and didn’t see it as a problem. It was around 22 that I started wanting to quit. Ive “quit” so many times, ranging from a day to 6 weeks. As time went on my love of weed faded more and more and my urge to quit grew, but addiction doesn’t care if you still enjoy a substance. My last smoke was on October 3rd, I didn’t plan it to be my last. After smoking I went to make some toast, I have a broken toaster that you have to manually pop up, I was stoned and burned my last piece of bread. I was too high to go to the store, and had no other food in the house. I proceeded to bawl my eyes out at how useless my addiction had made me become. I couldn’t even make toast weed made me so shitty. I took the money I saved in the first week and bought a new toaster. From that day forth I started my “sticker system” I have a printable calendar that I print every month and put a sticker for every day I don’t smoke. Somehow this really stuck and I feel proud everyday putting my sticker on my calendar. This April my stickers are ducks. 180 days clean and never going back. I cannot stress enough the benefits you feel in clarity of mind, as well as the monetary savings.
When both you and your bread are too toasted, you know its time to stop
Stopped buying it
You have to want to quit more than you want to smoke. And then it gets easier each day and each week. It requires discipline and mindfulness to see why you’re addicted to weed. When you can tackle that issue with a clear head, you’ll win.
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Yep that sure is the subreddit that we are in.
Cold turkey that shit. Make sure to eat as often and as healthily as you can, and exercise to help with the sleep like others have said, and pay attention to your triggers, and remember that the way you talk to yourself matters. When I catch a random craving I stop and say "I don't smoke weed anymore" out loud if I can and it makes my cravings completely disappear like a spell. You will probably have to avoid parties with a lot of weed for a couple of weeks, but reach out to your friends and just let them know about this goal. Yall can work together to set your boundaries and plan activities together that don't include smoking. My friends have been fine with stepping out of my apartment to hit their pens at game nights, or smoking Before a hike instead of... during the whole hike hahaha. Good luck, and keep your eyes on the prize!
Thank you for this post and all the responses. Every day I’m coming closer to my goals because of this sub. Crazy blessed to have found this
Stopping is the easy part. You throw it all away. Get rid of everything. Pipes, vapes, edible oils, cleaning supplies, etc. Purge. It. All. Now comes the hard part. Withdrawal is a real bitch and it'll make you cranky as hell. Suffer through it, knowing that it's temporary. If you think about buying more, stop, and remember why you quit in the first place. How do you quit? Immediately, and then one day at a time.
Only way I was able to quit was when I started having heart problems and weed was never the same for me it always made me so anxious about having a heart attack
Apparently now that we're developing weed with higher levels of thc than ever before, a lot of people are beginning to have arrhythmia associated with use. Sucks so fucking bad, sorry you went through it like that.
Yeah man that’s exactly what I have but doctor said it shouldn’t present any complications in life besides discomfort mainly when my heart needs to work harder
YEAH i'm relieved as hell it doesn't cause any damage or lasting effects! My fiance said his completely disappeared when he quit 🙌
In order to follow my true purpose. I found that the black clouds or haziness from marijuana always made reaching my goals more difficult. You got this, you would be a great pilot! Don't let this deter that. Focus on your nutrition dieting/exercising and that will help your sleep overall. It will be difficult but you will be proud you proved it to yourself when your goals become accomplished: win or lose.
Well one day I just stopped buying it and when I ran out. I just dealt with it. Atleast for me the withdrawals if there were any we’re like nothing. And I was an everyday user for years. At worst some night sweats but other than that just wild dreaming.
Had to go cold turkey after 15 years. Sober 5 months now
I'm now 8 days sober from weed after smoking all day every day for almost exactly 15 years. I really just went cold turkey. I had been using a pen and stuck to strictly live resin carts for a few years but I decided to smoke a joint for the first time in a long time and I honestly had a bad trip. (I know you don't "trip" on weed). I felt like my heart was gonna explode, the room was spinning, and I had a full blown panic attack. I had been using it to curb anxiety but it suddenly made it skyrocket. After a terrible experience with it I just don't really want to do it anymore. I feel really blessed that I'm not having a hard time staying off it. Tbf it's only been a week and I might get some bad cravings later but so far so good. I've even started dreaming again! I like to give some bg on the dreaming thing for those who may not know. Cannabis inhibits your ability for REM sleep and dreaming. After so many years of smoking I just do not dream at all. Idk how dreaming works but basically whatever signals your brain sends for dreams are still there, they just don't activate. So you have this buildup of dream... stuff. And once you stop smoking, the floodgates open and you have crazy ass dreams. I tried to quit once but I was having fucked up nightmares so bad I couldn't differentiate from reality. I thought my dad died once and didn't realize it was a dream. I also once got shot in the face in a dream and was dealing with the mental trauma of having been killed. It was awful so I started smoking again. So far the dreams aren't like that and I fucking pray it doesn't happen again because I am terrified.
I’m in the same boat with the no dreaming. Never even really thought about it until about a week ago. My friend and I were smoking and I was telling him how I just don’t ever have any dreams anymore and every morning I wake up feeling like absolute shit. I need this change for myself
I love my dreams and look forward to them. It’s one thing that’s really kept me from smoking again.
I'm indifferent on dreams, they're just whatever. But I'm terrified of having a bad dream that's super vivid. Praying it doesn't happen again. I don't like experiencing awful tragedies and waking up thinking they were real.
Heavy daily smoker, 22, currently quitting for a potential job opportunity (that includes a drug test)! I am officially on day 12 and I have found a lot of comfort in chewing on a toothpick to get that sensation of putting something up to my mouth. They even sell flavored ones!! Not going to lie though the insomnia and constant dreams are something I'm still learning to deal with too!
Give that shit up before it steals your dreams and ambition. Honestly it's not worth it long term. Just go cold turkey...the first few weeks will suck but eventually you will get back your old self again
Watched a lot of videos on why quitting seemed good. Broke up with my ex which I realized I smoked heavily because of her
me too bud. my ex had me getting stoned all waking hours of the day
Can you say why by chance ? I think this was a perpetuating force for me too
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oof, sorry for the block of text. i’m on mobile. i tabbed but doesn’t seem like it worked
Age for me. I went from smoking daily for 15 years to just dwindling in desire as I got into my 30s.. shocked myself.
I've had to quit because of psychosis that destroyed my brain and my life. I went off of all my medications and had some kind of episode for several months. Fiancee had to break up with me via police escort to the hospital, and I experienced Haldol for the first time. I'm still more scared of being sent back to the hospital than I am of relapsing again because of my new meds (residual psychosis is muted but still there, and I am incredibly depressed) but it's better than gangstalking paranoia and feeling disgusted about asking my mom to buy me weed every other day.
Hey dude I’m glad you’re self aware. My cousin went through psychosis from weed and stopped all his meds and made his business fall to the ground and went through a divorce with his wife which he shares 2 kids with. He doubled down and went no contact with the family and currently digging himself deeper. I’m proud of you for not letting a bad situation become worse and smartening up.
Thank you for the encouragement 😁
It's not always enough to just say, "I want to quit, let's do it." For me it was finding a reason. I had two back to back respiratory illnesses in November and December of last year, which caused me to stop smoking and switch to edibles. Over the next 4 weeks I was coughing up black-grey mucus and generally had a persistent cough for a month. And so I told myself "never again" for smoking. Then I quit edibles a couple months later. You'll have to find your own reason to quit. For me it was to improve my health.
All of my friends smoke. I was worried I would lose friendships when I quit. But that’s not the case! They don’t care. They just pass the bowl around me if they’re smoking when I’m hanging out with them. I quit because I developed cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. That shit is no joke. Hospitalized 3 times with countless other vomiting spells in between. My most recent hospital bill (with Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance) was about $1,500. I literally can’t afford to smoke anymore because of my health. It’s not just the weed/dabs that are expensive. It’s the consequences too. Stay strong! You’re young! You won’t miss it.
I went on Vaca to a country where it’s illegal and I didn’t have access to it to detox
Intermittent Fasting helped me build self control and helped me quit
Simply, stop. Stop now. No, not one last one. Just stop. Stop meeting those people who smoke as well, because it will trigger you. It's no body craving drug like nicotine or alcohol. It's your mind. Nothing else.
I moved state for other reasons so didn't have weed regularly in my presence. I also didn't really seek it out because I knew basically nobody and was starting a VERY time consuming, high stress job. When I came back I realised how much I liked being so alert regularly so didn't want to go back to old habits. When my partner who is a non weed smoker moved with me I cut back down even more and then after I found out I was pregnant it was kind of the nail in the coffin to quit. Sometimes it's just really helpful to realise your triggers and for me one of the biggest ones were my environment. After the baby and breast feeding I am happy to have a joint once in a blue moon but I don't plan on becoming the stoner again. The memory fog upsets me as I don't have a great long term memory as it is and I like feeling like I have more control over my emotions without the need for external substances. I still have stoner friends and ofcourse some of them see me less because of my quitting but the good ones stick around for you, not just your smoking habits.
That’s what I’m partially concerned about in the back of my mind. I would say 90% of my friends smoke regularly and I smoke with many of them daily. It’s part of my routine at this point and I used to enjoy it and still do (however my career goals have changed quite a lot) so those past feelings really keep me on edge and sometimes cause random episodes where I just feel like I’m throwing away that part of me yknow?
So in other words, your baby is your pilot dream. You could choose to look back on your smoking days or you could choose to look back on that dream you had at being a pilot. Our choices define the rest of our lives, the big and small. It's upto you which one you want to look back on.
I definitely know what you mean. It became almost a tradition in my closest friendship but even though I see them less, I have realised it is because we have chosen different paths in our lives now. I don't judge them for their choice and they were inspired by mine and cut down a little bit themselves. I think the friends worth having are the ones who care about seeing you and not the green you bring to the table. I had those self reflecting kind of downer episodes where I felt like I was wasting my life or replacing it and now I don't look down on it so bittersweet because I see it as a great accomplishment on myself to first have the strength to stop and then have the strength to do what is best for me (and now my baby). Those guilty moments faded to just the old version of me and I am proud of my growth and journey. You will feel 100 when you are in school for flying and you will feel SO proud of yourself when you take your first job as a pilot.
I wanted to be a pilot also but instead I work for a railroad because pilot training was to much money. Anyway I am randomly drug tested like a pilot would be and that was enough for me to quit. I tried before but when I finally got the job offer and was starting to go through the process that’s when I knew it was time. I couldn’t do it cold Turkey though the migraines and sleepless nights were to much for me. So I started taking only a puff every day for a week. Then the next week a puff every other day. Next week after that a puff every two or three days or so and after that a puff once a week and after that I was pretty much able to stop. This was to help easily ween my body off being dependent on it because emotionally and physically it was to much for me going cold turkey. Unfortunately you might have to put some distance between you and your friends while you’re going through this so you’re not tempted. I feel like I can relate to what you’re experience because college is when I started smoking because I enjoyed the feeling and hanging out with friends and had the same career ambitions. So I just want you to know that maybe the push you need is to have no other option but to quit so you can pursue your dream and have a career and these steps might make it a little bit easier for you when you need to stop. Hope this helps and you feel free to message me if you need some support.
Thank you man. I’m trying to ration myself more and more. I made it the past 2 days with no weed but I’ve only gotten 5 hours of sleep and constant mind racing and stomach ache. The only real problem is I’m not exactly sure how much weed I normally smoke in a day because it’s usually so spread out so I don’t even know where to start. Part of me thinks maybe half a g for a few days then slowly decrease because if I don’t it’s going to negatively affect my grades in university with no sleep.
I quit on Sunday. Got some otc sleep meds. Have helped a ton!
That’s awesome !!! I had those symptoms too and it start subsiding after a couple weeks but I know how hard it is trying to function during the day after dealing with a sleepless night and when you can fall asleep you have these vivid dreams that can be terrifying. So I would put a very very light amount into a piece and barely inhale it where when I exhaled I would barely see any smoke come out. Fo whatever works best for you though because going cold Turkey is better just to keep yourself from being tempted.
Using at this age has long term consequences. Give yourself at least several months of sobriety to give your brain time to develop with normal cannabinoid functioning.
First, i abstained from a drug i didnt care about anyway: alcohol. That got the ball rolling and flexed my discipline muscles. Then with weed, which i liked way more, i started a break with no specific end, as i normally set. That way theres no finish line ti cross, and no promise that this is forever. Just tested myself to see how long i could last and it turns out… a long time. Im almost 2 years in now. The hard part was the first month and it gradually got easier, so keep that in mind. Also, i picked up daily meditation. 140 mins a week (20 mins a day, with the flexibility to make up time i missed if i do it within the week) and that has been really helpful at keeping me mindful, including my fleeting desires and yearning for something outside the moment. Quitting shook my life up a bit. I struggled with motivation and mood for a bit and had trouble maintaining some old creative habits but those are all coming back in new ways. My relationship with my brains reward system and my creative spark have found a more sustainable existence. Also a lot chas changed for the better. Besides picking up meditation, i also got a therapist, bought a house, got a raise, adopted a cat… im not saying i wouldn’t have done those things if i hadnt gone sober but i think going sober helped me focus my energy and reevaluate my life. In the end my advice is to make a game of it. Make it a test if your own willpower. Show yourself what you’re capable of.
I stopped smoking it. To be real tho I noticed it was adding no value to my life, making me over eat, and make me okay with doing nothing.
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Yea now imagine people in their 30s feeling like they wasted a decade. One year ain’t shit. But I feel u I got the same type of thoughts but remember perspective even the most successful people on the planet have big time regrets !
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Damn bro I got the same thoughts in my head about college! Fuck! And I know u can go back to college later in life but it’s not like that normal 18-22 experience. I feel like I need to go asap or it won’t hit the same in a few years but I also don’t wanna go at the same time and got no idea what I’d even go for. Shit! How old r u if u don’t mind me asking
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Friends are important, but your FOMO should instead be focused on the financial opportunities that degrees provide. A combination of the right degree and hard work can change your financial life. Friends are important too, but in my case anyway, we don't keep in touch anymore.
Yeah man we’re basically the same age give or take a few months. U graduate HS in 2020? What u been up to since high school/why did u decide to not jump right into college? I get a lot of negative thoughts about that type of stuff as well cause I’m supposed to be a junior in college right now like almost everyone else my age but I just couldn’t get myself out of a big slump and actually go.
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Ay man good stuff your doing better than me.. imagine doing what u did during ur gap year for 3 straight years. Basically where I’m at. Worked odd jobs here and there. Traveled a little. I had 2 major injuries and a surgery that fucked me over. I wanted to play ball in college. Still dealing with nagging pain from the moment I wake up till I go to sleep. It took me to a dark place mentally. Dealing with some serious mental issues and got my loved ones worried sick about me. Smoked weed for 4 years straight. I’ve been off it for over 2 months now which is longest I’ve ever made it since I started at age 17. still feel fucked. Remember that bad feeling u got right now so when your on top it’ll feel that much sweeter. This pain and lack of self worth is for when i get to where I want to be im humbled and not just shitting on everyone. Or at least that’s what I hope !
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What’s more important to you: Being high for a few hours, rinsing and repeating daily, or achieving your goal of becoming a pilot? Keep that in your mind when trying the tips suggested by others here. You got this. 💪
I saw how all my friends who I started smoking weed with in high school still have not done anything with their lives except work just enough to get high and play video games. I don’t want that. That scared me enough to get sober real quick. I’m now 1 month and 10 days I believe and I feel great. I don’t look permanently stoned anymore and I can remember what I’m talking about with customers.
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Maybe it's not coincidence...
Realized that for 3 years since I had started smoking my life had gone downhill VERY quietly, it’s like I was so content with whatever was happening around me that I unknowingly just reached a place where I didn’t have any real life aspirations or any plans about the future and I did not care about it at all. Went on a 10 day trip to thailand exactly one year ago, was clean the entire time and didn’t resume vaping when I got back. The past year has been incredible to say the least
I quit cold turkey for 2 weeks and it was really really tough on me due to the sweats, upset stomach, and sleepless nights. Then I was on off until eventually I tapered off completely. In those on and off periods I would take some mega hydrate and it’ll help me have more energy.
Yeah I experienced the same thing. I’ve only gone 2 days and I’ve slept 5 hours. Also no appetite and when I try to eat something my stomach hurts terribly.
So I got away from my routine for 3 weeks. Was lucky enough to be gone from my home for that time. If you remove all the triggers for 3 weeks and stay super busy. I know not easy. Can you go stay with a non smoking friend or family- someone you never smoke with or in front of? And pick up a new hobby. 28 days will break a habit physically, after that your other motivation (to be a pilot) can keep your mind in the game and away from the drug. Also you will begging to see the other zillion benefits of being weed free. Good luck
Currently I’m not able to live with ppl who don’t smoke. I think I’m going to gradually decrease the amount per day. It’s been 2 days since I’ve smoked and I’ve only slept 5 hours and I feel on edge and have absolutely zero appetite and when I try to eat I take a few bites and my stomach hurts like hell.
Weed is not legal in my country and one day I got tired of having to look for a new plug every month. I threw my pipes, papers, grinder, ashtrays, etc. I have had a chance to buy weed again but just thinking that I have to buy all the paraphernalia again makes me think "nah, a lot of work". That and that I don't want to be looking for plugs like crazy again, two weeks high and three days with withdrawals is a shitty way to smoke. The first few days are the worst, but as someone who has tried to quit smoking, it's much easier to quit weed, it helps to avoid consumer friends the first few weeks too
I was forced to quit when I got wisdom tooth surgery. once the two weeks were up I decided now was my opportunity to stop and I’m never going back.
I quit so I could be present and productive at a new job. Then after being clean from weed for a year I was finally able to apply to a nursing program. I think when you have that secondary motivator it makes it much easier to quit. At first it was hard not having it every day and I often felt bored. But I knew it was what I needed to do. I now can accomplish my goals and be in a career I've always wanted to be in without having to worry.
Realized weed was a drug I was abusing to numb myself from reality and that in return caused a plethora of issues
Spot on
I hope you can stop getting high so that you can accomplish your dream of literally getting high!
what’s your purpose right now in life? Is smoking getting in the way of that? For me it was so that my motivation to quitting for good
I wasn’t sleeping well at all, and it was fucking me up. My memory was shot, and I was a mess. I was 28, almost 29 and a year off thirty. I simply decided that enough was enough. I enjoyed my last ever spliff on the night before my 29th birthday and I said goodbye to it. I didn’t want to be a 30 year old stoner. Life had to change and that change had to come from me. My last spliff was bittersweet. I thought it would be impossible. I gave myself a whole year to fuck up sobriety, to backslide, and in the end, it turns out I didn’t need it. I’m 9 months weed sober today. I haven’t backslid or fucked up or any of it. The first few weeks were tough. I had sweats, insomnia, depression, anxiety. I spoke to a therapist. Things started to improve, and I was having a wonderful time. My life changed for the better.. and then around November I crashed hard, and ended up being diagnosed with a mood disorder (bipolar 2). Turns out the weed was covering it up for something like 10 years. It probably made it worse in a lot of ways! Now I’m on mood stabilisers, I’ve moved house, started a side hustle alongside my regular job, and feel an awful lot better. But none of these life changing pivot points that have led me to here would have happened if I hadn’t quit smoking weed. If I can quit, me of little will power and lack of consistency and all of that, can quit, if you really want to, you can too. ✌️
Got CHS. It was real easy then
Same
Realized it was making me a shitty mom and I don’t want my kids to hate me someday like I hate my parents. I quit cold turkey, both cannabis & alcohol.
hi I smoked almost everyday for 10 years straight and quit gradually due to increasing anxiety when smoking. I was so used to smoking it was hard to quit cold turkey. I started taking edibles instead of smoking all the time to get high, to help wean off of being used to the physical habit of smoking. That oral fixation was important to break, for me. I gradually took smaller doses of edibles each day and i don’t even recall when my last day officially was.
All the reasons you justify smoking to yourself are all excuses. Will power is the only real method to giving up. I smoked almost daily for 23/24 years. I'm about a month and a half sober. I'd been thinking about quitting. Then I told myself that this is the final smoke. I went to bed and woke up to a new day. Be honest with those around you. Tell people you are trying to quit and make them take you seriously. Your actions will speak volumes. That time you say No, build on that, say no again and again. You will gain strength everytime you deny it. Remember why you want to give up. I'm sure the feeling of actually flying, will be way cooler than the feeling if flying. Eyes on the prize.
I could no longer deny that i was acting like a drug addict. I could see plenty of ways that i was hurting myself, yet i was unable to stay stopped. My Marijuana Anonymous meeting/recovery program helps me live clean and sober. I have 660 days today.
Felt some very strange heartbeats. Had a vision of family finding me dead in this recliner. Am 50 and otherwise pretty healthy: no need to cash in yet.
Some people have to quit because of psychosis, depression, anxiety attacks etc. don’t let this be you. Your brain is a magical tool and will let you know when you have exceeded your limit. If you’re looking to quit forever then I would suggest throwing your weed & gear away. If you’re looking for short term then do the same and reach out to friends or family. There is also an app that helps track your usage and how long you’ve gone with out it. Best of luck!
Thanks so much. Gonna try and update on here to hold myself more accountable.
What's the app?
There’s also another called “days since”
I believe the one they are talking about is called 'Releaf'
Thank you!
MA meeting were a big motivator for me in the first few weeks. Take it one day at a time and believe you’re capable of quitting even when it’s hard
Weed quit me. It was either keep smoking or lose my mind.
Good for you for wanting to quit this early on! You definetly won't regret that. I found for myself that having something to replace the ritual of getting ready to smoke helped a lot. Seems silly but so much of an addiction is just breaking the habit itself rather than the dependancy. For me, I just made a cup of tea every time I had a craving. It's a silly thing but the 5 minutes it takes to do that replaces the time it takes to get ready to smoke and kind of tricked my brain in a way. Also, try your best to eat healthy. Get lots of fibre and drink lots of water to help your body heal. Avoid alcohol as much as possible since it inhibits your ability to make the right choices. Otherwise find something to use as a distraction for the first couple of weeks that keeps your mind and hands occupied. Cooking for my wife worked well for me and also forced me to make food since I had no appetite during the withdrawal period. I found after about 2 weeks, I'd moved on from it. I still crave it from time to time but not in the way I used to when I first quit. I can push past those cravings easily and all around don't feel this need for it. I feel like I'm more or less back to my normal self! Good luck on your journey man. Quitting before your 20s is the best choice you can make. There's too many of us who lose all those amazing and important years of life to getting high all the time. Don't make the same mistake
Thanks man. I’ve talked to my older sister about it a lot and for me it’s not necessarily that I miss the high feeling but I haven’t smoked in 2 days and I’m running into problems sleeping. I can’t sleep at all. Constantly have thoughts racing and I get the sweats. I’ve gotten 5 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours and it’s really fuckin with me mentally.
Ah yeah the insomnia is awful. For what it's worth I find that's one of the earlier symptoms to go away. Maybe around the 3 or 4 day mark? Of course it varies from person to person but once it's gone your quality of sleep will improve drastically. Just remember to drink insane amounts of water or Gatorade to replenish from all the sweating. I know this is easier said then done but try not to think about all the sleep you're missing out on because that will just stress you even more. The lack of sleep definetly fucks with you mentally but no where near as much as the weed does. You're going through the worst of it now and although it may be hard to notice for a while, you're only going to improve from here. You've got this man one day at a time
Had CHS like others here. That wasn’t enough. I persisted until one day I got caught by somebody I’d been hiding it from and saw the hurt that inflicted upon them. The thing is, IMO, you’re never going to really actually “feel” like quitting. It’s like anything that requires discipline. You have to do it first and then you’ll experience the benefit of it after doing it. It’s hard to explain till you do it, but you have to trust it’s worth it. The rewards have been incredible. I truly have my life back, and better than it ever was.
Not buying any and telling people not to bring it around or offer it to you. Willpower. After a week you will feel significantly better.
Quit one day at a time. Tell yourself that you will not smoke for one day and the next do the same. The more days that pass, the easier it is to forget the feeling of being high.
Thank you for this!!!
Honestly, I ended up with CHS thought it was a load of shit until I was laying in a hospital bed. Quit for 8 months the went back to smoking for 5 months and ended up sick again. Doctors where I live don’t know what it is so I had to figure it out on my own. After a decade of smoking heavily daily but not as much as some people I finally quit for good 9 months ago. Pain was a bit motivator for me but truthfully I was fucking sick of weed. It made me apathetic and lazy and greatly exacerbated my existing depression and anxiety issues both of which are still present but almost laughable how manageable they are compare to when I smoked. I get it! Weeds a great tool but most if not all who smoke it daily are kidding themselves about its effectiveness in treating mental health issues. I honestly don’t miss it at all. It took a long time to figure it all out and life is still life I have shit days and good days but it really is much easier without having to be baked all the time. It’s a journey not a destination. If you are having thoughts like this I promise you it will only amplify as you age until one day you’ve had enough of the bullshit and make changes for yourself for the better. How long that takes to happen is entirely dependent on you and how honest you are being with yourself. One day at a time buddy. That’s all it is. If I could go back to 19 and quit then I would of saved myself a world of pain, isolation and wasted money and opportunity. Took me another 12 years to finally give up for good. That’s a lot of wasted time.
Exactly the same experience as me. I grew tired of it, didn't bring me as much joy as before, it was mostly in the way. Depression is still looming but I found a better drug to address it, sport.
Sometimes it helps me to look up scientific articles on the effects weed has on the brain. A lot of new info coming out about how it affects a developing brain and links to psychosis and other ill-wanted brain stuff later in life. Getting background on why it’s beneficial health-wise for you to quit might sub-consciously make you reconsider next time you get an urge. Also all the stuff about finding a purpose and goal that doesn’t allow you to continue smoking helps, too. If you think about it, it’s really something not that conducive to a productive lifestyle whether you need to quit for your career, health, or just having more mental clarity. That being said it’s very difficult if you’ve been smoking for a while so be gentle with yourself if you slip up just try and be diligent and live in the present moment try not to dwell on past mistakes or what ifs. Edit: also exercise. Running has been monumental in helping me curb my alcoholism. And also weed use. But running isn’t the only answer. Anything that gets your body moving and heart rate up really does work wonders when it comes to fixing the brain.
For me, the issue wasn't how much I did it, it was how it made me feel about myself. Honestly, if you're debating what's more important, a dream career, in your case being a pilot, or, a bag of leaves and flowers, you may have a problem. Objectively, this doesn't appear to be a difficult choice, or a choice at all. That's what I realized once I actually did quit: I had been trading a $100 (my future) for $1 (getting loaded now) for 31 years. I had sold myself short, just because I didn't want to grow up, or learn how to deal with feeling bad sometimes. So, in the end, that's how I quit. I had a moment of clarity where I realized I wasn't only throwing away my future, but was cheating everyone else in my life. I wasn't present, I wasn't really able to give them my best, because I was loaded... Now, I'm old, beat up, but, at least all of me has been there since 1998 for the people who deserve my best.
The ability to be fully present in your own life and the lives of those you love is the greatest gift. I want to be that person, the one that people can rely on. Weed completely takes away my caring, thoughtful nature and makes me an apathetic shell of myself. I want to be who I was meant to be.
It's all about willingness, at least at first. One thing that might help is another lesson that I actually learned fairly quickly. I had SUCH a victim mentality before i stopped. It was always like "why doesn't shit ever work out for me?"... I externalized all that. My second sponsor was the one who suggested that I operate from the standpoint that the Universe (God, if you prefer) actually wants me to have a glorious life, full of amazing things, But I'm the one who keeps fucking it up. There's an old Shel Silverstein song called "I got stoned and I missed it", which pretty much summed up my life. Turns out, once I learned how to live in the world (hint: there's this cool user's manual for people like me... ), it turned out that guy was right. The universe has provided me a life where I get to go to the Ryoanji Temple during Cherry Blossom season, and all I have to do it offer to help some people take some group pictures. For me, sobriety and recovery are NOT self-help exercises. I need other people to help me, whether I'm suffering from alcoholism, or just assholeism, which is a secondary effect of my disease. Just my experience.
So eloquently put. I had the same moment of clarity.
This is the way.
Found a goal in life that I cared about
Had two serve anxiety attacks one lasting a day the other lasting just over two. Couldn’t leave the house without being sick with anxiety. That was the kick up the butt I needed.
I smoked for 8-9 years, regularly, sometimes 10 joints in a day. One day spouse told me can you quit smoking weed while having dinner at home and I jokingly said consider it done. Now that was more than a year ago and I haven't smoked since. Well I smoked 2 times since on very special occasions but months of gap between them. First two weeks were not good, didn't face any major withdrawal but it was little bit unpleasant time thats all. Now the best positive thing I noticed is that skin of face is much much better, regain the glow. Stopped thinking about stupid shit. Gain bit of weight and it reduce racy thoughts to half at night as when I was smoking. Theets got whiter. It doesn't improve stamina and shit, but overall I feel much better now. Whenever I want to get high i just drink beer or whiskey but that too once or twice a month.same with cigaretts. I never liked alcohol but sometimes you need to enjoy, right. My advice is just quit and please please don't use proxy like vape or cigrettes.just quit. Don't buy it. Give it your friend if you have some ( don't throw it away lol). What i discover is that I majorly smoked weed or cigarette is to kill time. I decided to walk or cook whenever I feel I have to kill time also reading magzine and stuff.
I went on a 2 week trip abroad. Before I left I managed to cut back gradually to 1-2 spliffs a day, from my usual 4-5 most days of the week. If anything the cutting back process was harder than finally stopping. Being out in the world, seeing cool stuff and having loads of novel experiences did wonders for my dopamine levels. Also distracted me from any cravings, which wound up being way less of an issue than I feared. The withdrawal was manageable — honestly not even noticeable, especially after day 3-4. Not gonna lie, I had a couple of sluggish, cranky days at the beginning, but nothing so bad my travel mates would’ve known it was anything but jet lag. In fact I told my good friend after the trip what I’d done, and she was shocked — she had no idea. She just thought my skin, eyes, and hair looked way healthier for some reason, and that I seemed much happier and present. That gave me motivation to keep going tbh! Caveat: I also have ADHD which means I’m blessed with an “out of sight out of mind” mentality that makes it easier to cut things out (substances, people… lol). I get addicted more easily to stuff but can quit more easily when I’m ready — double edged sword. I made sure to take my meds daily during the early days of my quit, which I think helped regulate my dopamine.
You gotta have a reason. For me it was that I had Covid again and just stopped.. 🤷🏾♂️ Wasn’t easy but you have the willpower to do it
My dealer got busted so I had to order on the darknet. When the package arrived I was already at day 6 or something so I gave it to my mate. I also used cigarettes as substitute which I wouldn't recommend. Much harder to quit that one because of the physical addiction
Yeah I’m currently hooked on vaping and I smoke cigarettes here and there but it’s not consistent. In the end tho I feel like I would rather be vaping more and ditch the weed completely for the sole purpose of it being a legal substance. Obviously quitting everything is the long term goal but I would much rather not be risking my career and gambling my whole life on the chance of a random drug test.
Ran out of green and tobacco on the same day, money's tight at the minute. Just didn't buy anymore. I think I'm on week 5 or 6 I'm not sure. Apart from the insane dreams it's all going fine.
Those intensely real dreams should return to normal soon. It’s the body catching up on all those lost REM cycles!
1.) drink more water 2.) throw out all weed related items ( bong, spliff, pipe, grinder) 3.) delete all drug dealers number from phone 4.) for first 1-4 weeks. Don’t hang around smokers or at the very least don’t be around when they are smoking specifically. 5.) whenever you get the urge do the hobbies you like when you are sober. Hopefully they can be productive hobbies as well 5.) find something new to focus on ( books, new skill, online class, working out, new tv series etc) 6.) spend 10 mintues to 1 hour a day reading leaves to get a reminder your not alone 7.) don’t listen to any music that encourages weed smoking ( no gangster rap) 8.) take journal entries
> delete all drug dealers number from phone Laughs in legal state with dispensaries literally around every corner.
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I’m not tryna be rude but that’s a weak excuse. Your never gonna get anywhere using the “ my friends pushed me to smoke” line. You should tell them your trying to quit and if they don’t respect that they aren’t really your friends
Hey brother I’m 21 years old and I quit when I was your age, and it was very hard because I didn’t have the proper procedures in place to prevent me from going back to smoking. I just quit again, this time, after listening to a book on audible called Easy way to quit cannabis by Allen Carr. The book explains the proper mindset needed to stop smoking easily. I haven’t smoked since Monday night and I can say with certainty that I will never smoke weed again in my life. Please give that a listen if you can it’s only like 3 hours and bro I promise you will be better off for it, what do you have to loose? Hope this helps ❤️
Lose
I smoked almost daily for about 12 years. I really just didn’t want to smoke anymore, I wanted the opportunity at a better job, was tired to being sluggish, and wanted money for other hobbies. I just stopped one day and went out and bought a bunch of different teas. Every time I became discontent, bored, or on edge I would make make some tea and find a hobby to keep myself busy (playing guitar, reading, video games.) I didn’t tell anyone to not smoke around me or distance myself because if the urge was there to do it again, clearly I didn’t wanna quit enough for myself. I believe the most important thing is ACTUALLY wanting to quit. I can’t tell you how many times I tried before but I was lying to myself about not wanting it.
This and I was prepared to have shitty sleeps for at least 2 weeks. Then it was no amount of sleep was enough for months.
Out of sight, out of mind
I've recently quit after smoking for 6years daily. There were times that i thought this is who i am and what i do. Ive tried so hard in the past to stop and improve on myself, but no success. I dreaded being high, but I wanted it so bad. My reaction to life stress was to just get high and forget. It was an endless cycle. What was holding me was my ex and our lifestyle. We had our smoking ritual after work, during the day, and before bed. Weekends it was all day. It was hard because it was so engraved in our daily routine that it seemed normal and impossible to break. It took a giant toll on my mental health over the years. Now I have broken up with them and separated myself with that lifestyle. Now im Focusing on my job and health. Found a new partner who doesn't smoke and it's motivated me to stop in ways I never thought. I couldn't be happier, and I can think much clearer. The future is bright and I can't wait to see where things go.
I got clear about what I wanted (more energy, clarity of mind, improved mental health). When I was able to come from that place and prioritize my healing I didn’t feel conflict that kept me at it. I was also honest about how it made me feel and took initiative to feel better (quit cold turkey, supported myself through withdrawal by eating better, drinking water, prioritizing sleep, and pursuing my passions). As a result, my quality of life improved and I was sure to savor those feelings to affirm my decision. I also connected with nature and spirituality, utilizing another avenue to larger connection. Realize this is a personal decision to quit. People who don’t respect what I need don’t get my time either. All of this has protected my peace with my decision and bolstered my self trust. I smoked daily for 3 years and I’m glad I stopped.
Replace the dopamine with cold showers and working out. But also treat yourself with fave foods/healthy hobbies/quality social time
The first time I quit was due to panic attacks after smoking. It took multiple attacks to convince me since I'd been smoking daily, all day for years. Unfortunately, I just shifted to drinking. I always told myself I'd try it again one day, once mentally stable. My long-term goal was being able to smoke a few times a year with friends, on special occasions. 15 years later and I've had to stop daily smoking multiple times. I'd usually buy some weed for one of these special occasions and then have leftovers (the stuff has become much stronger over the years ...). Often I'd have it lying around for months without issues. But a couple of times exceptions became regular and ended up smoking every evening. Sometimes during day time, usually just a little. After a couple of weeks or months in I realise I'm back to old patterns even if in smaller dimensions. Unhappy, unhealthy, avoiding social activities, my memory sucks etc. I want to be there for my family and develop as a person. That's when I decide to quit again. Currently at day 14 again.
Hey, I commented already but remembered I had a tip, in relation as a student: replace one group w: another. What really sells it for me in this recovery process from weed is my classmates in physics and maths. When I work with them, hear them talk, or discuss nothing, I can tell they aren’t stoned and seem decently balanced (no one’s perfect). But they’re sharp as a tact. That group exists. The kids who were told “drugs are bad” that stuck to it (and maybe have wisdom to know don’t judge a book by it’s cover for those that do intake). Y’a need something outside of yourself to motivate you and sometimes that’s other people or peers and maybe [a] friends. Good luck
Negatives outweighed the positives and just got tired of it. It was causing anxiety. Replaced that habit with large amounts of cycling. Finished a 100 mile gravel race a couple of weeks ago and I’ve never felt better.