Recognize When Help Is Needed
Understanding the risks of marijuana could help people to make better choices concerning their drug use and abuse. But for people with addictions, the time to make choices has passed. They already use, and they already use too much. People like this need help, but they may not know it.
Addictions might be easy enough for outsiders to spot. They may be able to compare a users current behavior with past behavior and see how things are either better or worse. But clinicians have a very different metric when it comes to addictions. Knowing what rules clinicians use could help people to spot their own addictions, even if they have denied them in the past.
According to Medical News Today, the criteria for drug dependence includes the following:
- Tolerance, or the need to take more marijuana to receive the effects that were once achievable with a smaller dose
- Withdrawal symptoms, or a feeling of discomfort due to the absence of marijuana
- Loss of control, or an inability to regulate how much marijuana is used
- Inability to quit
- Devotion of time, or the willingness to spend resources getting marijuana, using it, or recovering from its use
- Lifestyle disruption, or a loss of social, occupational, or recreational opportunities due to a need to spend time on drugs
- Continued use, even in the presence of consequences
Other Schedule I Drugs
- Eating nutritious foods
- Engaging in social activities
Tolerance Buildup And Withdrawal Symptoms
If you notice that youre needing higher doses of marijuana just so you can get high, then that means that youre building up a tolerance. When you attempt to stop using marijuana and you experience withdrawal symptoms, this can also mean that you are already addicted to this substance. Some withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and loss of appetite.
What Can Parents Do If Their Child Is Using Marijuana
If you find your child is actively using marijuana, you have won half the battle because you know whats going on. This is a great benefit as many parents are in the dark. But what are the next steps to immediately take? The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids advises that the following actions can help:
- Be clear that drug use will not be tolerated, and set the terms of any ramifications to follow, such as grounding or earlier curfew. It is critical to then implement any such repercussions, in order to underline the severity of the situation.
- Provide opportunities to re-establish the bond of trust, such as supervising homework and chores but also recognizing a job well done.
- Be responsive to the childs efforts to correct the behavior, as a punishing attitude alone can jeopardize or damage the emotional bond between parent and child.
- If a friend is involved, consider contacting the parents. First, it will send a message that drug use will not be tolerated. Second, it can help the other parents to take measures to prevent their childrens drug abuse. Third, it creates a dialogue around drug use between concerned parents.
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My Husband’s Smoking Was Ruining Our Marriage
I grew concerned about his behavior because it was affecting our family in a few important ways:
It took a lot of courage to move past my denial about the gravity of his addiction and take a risk by confronting him and making an ultimatum to protect my children, but it needed to be done.
Finding out your spouse is addicted to marijuana doesn’t have to mean your marriage is over.
The Natural Quitting Solution
Quitting is quitting!If you quit for a month, or a year. or forever its all quitting. But you dont have to quit smoking weed cold turkey? Cravings and withdrawal effects are weed quitting killers if you cant get past those you cant stop smoking weed its as simple as that! Quitting is hard and quitting cold turkey is just totally unnecessary now that youve got VEJOVIS to help you.
You know why you want to stop and for how long you need to stop smoking weed. To get more focused, more clarity, more driven, more creative, more productive, save more money, to be more responsible, to get a better job, for your loved ones, etc. Vejovis will help you stop for however long you need to stop. Vejovis is here to help you quit smoking weed and its backed by a 100% Money Back Guarantee to do that. VEJOVIS is REAL HELP.
The Only Place That Quitting Success Comes Before Vejovis Is In The Dictionary.
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A Tool: Smart Action Plan For Quitting Weed Gradually
There are 5 important guidelines for sticking to any goal.
They need to be:
- Realistic and
- Time-specific
When making your action plan for cutting off cannabis gradually, make sure that you consider all of these aspects.
Here is an example of a plan using the SMART guidelines:
You may fill out your own measures and ideas.
- Specific: I will stop smoking weed completely in the next 6 months.
- Measurable: I currently smoke 1 gram every day. My goal is to reduce this to 0.5 gram in the first month, in the second month cut this down to every other day, in Month 3 cut this down to 0.25 gram per day, then in Month 4 to 0.25 gram every other day, in Month 4 cut down to 0.25 gram 2 days per week and Month 5 to 0.10 gram 1 day per week. End of Month 5: no marijuana.
- Achievable: I believe it is attainable for me to reduce my weed intake on this gradual plan for the next 6 months. It would be unattainable for me to quit weed cold turkey.
- Realistic: I realize it will be difficult for me to stick to this plan because all my friends smoke weed around me. I realize I will need to either talk to my friends about not smoking around me for a period of time or I will reduce the amount of time I spend with them and I will meet them in places where it is not possible to smoke.
- Time-specific: I have set out this schedule and will stick to this plan. I will review it at the end of each month and see if it needs to be adjusted.
Home-Based Treatment Plan for Weed Addiction
More Young People Become Addicted
One thing supporters of marijuana legalization do not mention is the higher rate of addiction among young initiates. Among all people who use marijuana, one in nine will become dependent on the drug. But when young people start abusing the drug in their teens, the rate is one in six. Just to reinforce that statistic, this means that out of six youth who begin smoking dope in their teenage years, one will become addicted. Parents should understand this clearly.
High levels of harm also occur among those youth who abuse the drug daily. In recent years, the number of youth using the drug daily has increased. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than six percent of high school seniors smoke the drug every day. Nearly one in four are current users . Studies funded by the National Academy of Sciences show that heavy marijuana use results in a significant drop in IQ and that some impairment from using the drug does not go away when the use of the drug stops.
At the time of their life when the ability to learn and think clearly is the most vitalwhen they are getting their educations and starting careersmillions of youth are damaging their ability to succeed. While there are no statistics on this point, anecdotal information indicates that loss of abilities in this area has led many people to abandon their educational and career goals.
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Realize Withdrawal May Occur
Depending on how long you have been smoking pot, you may also experience withdrawal symptoms like cravings, headache, anxiety, sweating, and irritability. Keep in mind that these symptoms will decrease each passing day that you do not use the drug. Within a week or two, the symptoms should then be gone.
More On Marijuana Addiction
There is so much confusion on the subject of marijuana addiction. Some people, especially lobbyists for the legalization of marijuana, state that marijuana is seldom if ever addictive. The truth is that many people do become addicted to marijuana. This means that they are unable to control their use of the drug. They use it whether or not there is harm resulting from its use. They may use it when doing so would be hazardous, for example, when they are driving or operating a boat.
And it is essentially universal that a person addicted to this drug will smoke weed instead of dealing with difficulties in his life. With marijuana abuse, problems just seem to fade into the background. But they dont really go away, they just dim out of sight. With the right help, it may not be that difficult to recover from marijuana addiction.
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Effects Of Cannabis Addiction Long And Short Term
One in ten users are at risk for addiction using cannabis, but the risk increases to one in six for those who start using during adolescence.
Like any other drug, using weed long term can have negative and long-lasting impacts on your health.
Short term side effects include:
- Bloodshot eyes
- Slow reaction time and poor coordination
- Distorted sense of time, or short-term memory loss.
Real challenges are more apparent for people who begin using the drug in their early youth and continue to use it on a regular basis.
Regular users are likely to experience higher levels of depression than non users. They may also experience challenges with maintaining employment, intimate relationships and can struggle socially and with finances. Keeping up with formal education can also prove challenging for regular users.
Longer term effects of cannabis use can include:
- Negative effect on brain development in younger people
- Sexual performance and libido issues
- Memory loss
- Lower sperm count in males
- Periods can become irregular in females
Treating A Marijuana Use Disorder
Knowing the signs of marijuana use and the immediate effects can help you understand the consequences of abusing the drug. If a loved one exhibits several of these traits, consider having a conversation about the dangers of cannabis. If that doesnt convince the person to quit, an intervention might.
Treatment for marijuana addiction can assist people in overcoming a substance use disorder. Treatment plans are catered to meet the clients specific needs. Many people have overcome their problems with marijuana abuse by attending a rehab facility.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, behavioral therapies have shown promise for treating a marijuana use disorder. These treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management and motivational enhancement therapy. Benzodiazepines such as Valium can be used treat a cannabis overdose.
If you think your loved one may be abusing cannabis, contact a . These services can help you recognize signs and symptoms of marijuana dependence, and many of them operate 24/7. They can also provide a list of nearby rehab facilities that treat marijuana addiction.
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How Long Does The Feeling Last
When cannabis is smoked or vaped, the effect is almost immediate and may last several hours, depending on how much is taken. When it is swallowed, the effect is felt in about an hour and lasts longer than when it is smoked.
Although the high lasts only a few hours after smoking, THC is stored in fat cells and expelled from the body over a period of days or weeks. This is why drug tests for cannabis use can give a positive result long after the effects have worn off.
Misusing Cannabis Is Risky
When smoking cannabis, you can experience a lot of strain on your heart.
Aside from just the tar or other dangerous chemicals found in cannabis while smoking it, your heartbeat can jump to up to 120 beats a minute.
When used and abused consistently, cannabis can lead to a possible stroke or heart attack.
The risk is especially high if youre already older and youve been diagnosed with heart problems.
Cannabis can also cause hallucinations. While these are not as strong as using LSD or other, harder drugs, these effects make actions such as driving or operating heavy machinery dangerous.
This is why its illegal to drive while under the influence. Many people have also noticed feelings of depression or paranoia.
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Which Approach Works Best For Quitting Marijuana
Frankly, there is no best way to give up weed.
An approach that works for someone might not work for you but there is at least one for everyone.
Since everyone develops different habitual smoking patterns, considering different methods and maybe a trial and error approach may be beneficial.
In this guide, we will cover quitting cold turkey and quitting gradually in different sections with pros and cons.
Who Is A Marijuana Addict
A marijuana addicts life is controlled by marijuana. They lose interest in all else, their dreams go up in smoke. Marijuana addiction is a progressive illness often leading to addiction to other drugs, including alcohol. The lives, things and desires of marijuana addicts center around marijuanascoring it, dealing it and finding ways to stay high.
Addiction is a progressive, long-term continuing problem. When an addict tries to stop using and fails because life without the drug is just too hard, that is addiction. Once an addict is convinced they cannot live without marijuana, the dependency becomes an obsession. When the addict uses even though they promised themselves they wouldnt, this is compulsion.
It is the nature of addiction that addicts dont believe they are ill. Marijuana addicts, in particular, tend to believe that they must be OK since there are much worse drugs, and other people whose lives are much worse off as a result of their using. That is denial.
We have found that addiction is a physical, mental and spiritual disease. The physical aspect is the compulsionthe inability to stop once we have started. The mental aspect is the obsession, or the overpowering desire to use, even when we are destroying our own lives and the lives of those we love. The spiritual aspect of the disease is our total self-centeredness.
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Treatment For Marijuana Abuse
Because marijuana use impairs the area of the brain responsible for motivation, it is often challenging for users to be sufficiently self-motivated to quit using the drug. For this reason, motivational enhancement therapy , which rewards abstinence with money for goods or services, and motivational interviewing principles are two approaches often incorporated into the recovery plan.
Individual and group counseling, including cognitive behavioral therapy, along with family counseling, and participation in 12-step or other support groups are also typically part of the treatment plan.
At Midwest Recovery Centers we believe the most effective method for treating marijuana addiction is found through a holistic approach. Our compassionate staff is highly trained in both addiction recovery and naturopathic remedies. Many of our support staff have personally walked the addiction recovery path and are uniquely qualified to inspire those on the journey.
Because many recovering addicts struggle with more than one disorder, we recognize the need to treat co-occurring disorders simultaneously. Successful outcomes have been shown to be the highest when this integrated treatment approach addresses both mental health and substance abuse issues together.
Contact Midwest Recovery Centers to start your recovery now.
Don’t Enable The Addict
Don’t give your spouse money you know they’ll spend on weed, give them a ride to a party where you know they’ll be smoking, or let friends come over if you know they’re bringing pot. While you may feel guilt and have good intentions about “letting them do what they want” or “letting them take the lead in their recovery,” the reality is that anything you do to facilitate their use is enabling, which will only prolong their drug use and allowing their addiction to thrive.
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Health Risks Of Increased Marijuana Use
Like common cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs, and frequent smokers can experience many of the same respiratory consequences experienced by tobacco smokers, such as:
- Daily cough and phlegm production
- Frequent acute chest illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
- Heightened risk of lung infections and various cancers
- Damage to the immune system
- Kills brain cells and damages the central nervous system
- Fertility issues
- Increased heart issues and high blood pressure
Studies show that smoking marijuana can lead to as many health concerns as smoking traditional tobacco. Marijuana users miss more days of work and have a higher frequency of illness than those who are not users. It is not yet known whether marijuana smoking contributes to the risk of lung cancer.
Research also shows that marijuana use raises the heart rate of the user significantly for several hours after use. This drastically increases the risk of heart attack and long-term heart damage. The risk can be even higher for older adults or those with previous cardiac issues.
A number of studies also link chronic marijuana use and mental illness. High doses can produce a temporary psychotic reaction in some users. Abuse of marijuana can also worsen the symptoms for patients who have schizophrenia. There is also increased research linking marijuana use with depression and anxiety and higher risk for psychosis.
