Preferring Activities That Will Get You High
When you start to evaluate your relationships with other people and your activities with them based on your chances of getting high, then you are choosing your bad habit over real and lasting relationships with your loved ones.
Also, ask yourself if youve been able to take on your daily responsibilities. Look around your house and see if youve cleaned it lately or if the dishes have been washed. If the place is dirty and disorganized, then you havent been paying attention to these details because your mind is too focused on getting high.
How To Help Someone Overcome Marijuana Addiction
This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 85% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 685,427 times.
Drugrehabcoms Marijuana Addiction Hotline
Phone: 855-789-9197
The marijuana hotline at DrugRehab.com connects you to the admissions team at Advanced Recovery Systems. The team can provide information about marijuana addiction, treatment and recovery options. A representative can help you determine the extent of your problems with marijuana and connect you with a treatment facility if necessary.
Read Also: How To Get An Addict Out Of Your House
You May Like: How To End Food Addiction
Benefits Of Quitting Marijuana
- Quitting marijuana can help you regain your life sometimes, people who struggle with substance abuse issues end up neglecting key areas of their life that used to bring them joy and satisfaction. Some of these areas might include career, personal growth, friendships, relationships with family members, intimate relationships, and more. Quitting marijuana can help you rekindle these bonds and commitments and achieve freedom from addiction.
- Quitting marijuana can help you achieve better sleep quality. Some studies suggest that marijuana interferes with your bodys REM sleep cycles, sometimes disrupting your quality or depth of sleep. Sleep is an integral part of the body and brains health and overall recovery. Giving up weed might help you sleep better.11
- Quitting marijuana can protect your memory from worsening. Some studies suggest that THC exposure over long periods may quicken age-related loss of hippocampal neurons. In turn, this can impact your ability to process information and form memories. By giving up weed, your memory may improve and may be less likely to worsen.12
Looking For A Place To Start
Reach out to a treatment provider for free today.
Make a Call
Reviewed by Certified Addiction Professional: February 11, 2019
Theresa Parisi
-
Theresa Parisi received her bachelors degree in Addiction Science and Psychology from Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minnesota in 2010. She is currently working towards her masters degree in Mental Health Counseling at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is a Certified Addiction Professional , Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager , and International Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor by the Florida Certification Board. Theresa is passionate about recovery having gone through addiction herself.
- More from Theresa Parisi
Recommended Reading: Are You Addicted To Porn
If You Want To Quit Cold Turkey
Feel like youre ready to stop using cannabis immediately? Here are some general steps to consider:
Get rid of your gear
Holding onto a stash of weed and smoking paraphernalia can make it tougher to succeed with quitting. By throwing it out or passing it on, you prevent ready access, which can help you avoid slip ups during the withdrawal period.
Vary your routine
If your cannabis use often happened at routine times, changing your behaviors slightly can help you avoid using it.
If you have a habit of smoking first thing in the morning, try:
- enjoying a relaxing beverage, like tea or hot chocolate
Keep in mind that changing up routines can be hard, and it usually doesnt happen over night.
Try experimenting with a few options, and dont beat yourself up if you have trouble sticking to your new routine right away.
Pick up a new hobby
If smoking is something you tend to do when youre bored, some new hobbies may help.
Consider revisiting old favorites, like building models or crafting. If old hobbies dont interest you any longer, try something new, like rock climbing, paddleboarding, or learning a new language.
What matters most is finding something you truly enjoy, since that makes it more likely youll want to keep doing it.
Enlist support from loved ones
Friends and family who know you dont want to keep smoking can offer support by:
Even knowing that other people support your decision can help you feel more motivated and capable of success.
Quitting Weed Cold Turkey
This is the harsh way to quit its harder, but quitting cold turkey can be achieved as long as you have the support of your friends and family, and an iron will. Here are 4 steps to quitting weed cold turkey:
Love this article so far? Download it and have it on your computer or phone at all times.
Read Also: How Can I Help My Drug Addicted Son
Child Development In Pregnant Women
There has been a popular belief that marijuana can help pregnant women deal with their nausea. However, medical experts are firm in their warning against it. Marijuana use in pregnant women is known to be linked to low birth weight. Such babies are also observed to have behavioural and brain problems.
When a pregnant woman is a marijuana user, then there may be effects on the way that the brain of the fetus develops. When these babies grow up, they are observed to have problems with memory, problem-solving, and attention. Even THC from breast milk can affect the childs developing brain. The studies regarding these effects of marijuana on babies are still ongoing.
How Do You Know You Need To Call
If youre concerned about your marijuana use or if youve been unable to stop smoking marijuana, you should call a hotline for information about marijuana addiction. Hotlines can help you determine whether your marijuana use is causing problems, or they can help you understand the severity of your addiction.
- Using larger amounts of marijuana than you used to
- Having trouble abstaining from marijuana
- Spending a lot of time recovering from marijuana use
- Experiencing cravings for marijuana
- Letting marijuana get in the way of other responsibilities
- Using marijuana even if its causing relationship problems
- Prioritizing marijuana over other social or recreational activities
- Using marijuana despite negative consequences
- Using marijuana even though you know it makes your health worse
- Feeling increased tolerance to marijuana
- Experiencing withdrawal when you go too long without using
These criteria are adapted from the most recent edition of the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, also referred to as DSM-5. The presence of two or more symptoms indicates that you may have a marijuana use disorder.
Read Also: How To Beat Addiction Without Rehab
How To Get Help
Getting help can mean different things for different people and it can take many different forms. For some people it may mean complete abstinence or continued treatment using opioid replacement therapies such as methadone or buprenorphine.
There are also many health and social services available across Canada including non-medical therapies, such as counselling, or support from people with lived and living experience.
Find out what resources are available in your province.
How you can help. A small change can help reduce the cycle of stigma
Stigma around substance use can prevent people from getting the help that they need. You can help by:
Listening with compassion and without judgment, so a person who uses drugs feels heard and understood
Speaking up when someone is being treated disrespectfully because of their substance use and
Being kind with the words you use. Words Matter. Use people first language.
- Instead of junkie use a person who uses drugs
- Instead of addict use people who have used drugs
- Instead of drug abuse use substance use
Dealing With Mood Changes
Recommended Reading: Addiction Treatment Services In Traverse City
Early Intervention And Secondary Prevention
Although more people are seeking help for problems with marijuana today, they still represent only a small percentage of those who may benefit from treatment. Of the approximately 4 million persons in the United States who reported problems consistent with a marijuana use disorder in a 2005 survey , only about 7 to 8 percent received treatment. Adolescents who report signs of problematic usea relatively small percentageseldom present for treatment. Those who do almost never self-refer they are typically forced into treatment by parents, the juvenile justice system, or their school administration, and most do not admit that their use is problematic . Responding to this situation, one group of researchers recently developed check-up interventions to reach marijuana users who have not sought treatment, either because they are ambivalent about stopping or do not perceive their use to be a problem, or at least not a problem severe enough to warrant treatment .
Can You Stop Smoking Weed
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is it depends on your dedication and willingness.
Even the heaviest marijuana users can give up weed given the structured support and help.
This guide MAY HELP.
We prepared a comprehensive guide so you can learn how to cut out cannabis.
The best part?
This guide will help you understand why you have developed marijuana addiction.
So you will learn how to cope with quitting weed and recover successfully.
If you are ready, lets start.
Don’t Miss: How To Approach An Addict In Denial
A Tool: Smart Action Plan For Quitting Weed Gradually
There are 5 important guidelines for sticking to any goal.
They need to be:
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
We offer a 4-week intensive virtual program:
How To Help Them Find Treatment
When you approach your loved one, avoid blaming them for their addiction.
Focus on reminding them about the negative consequences their addiction has already caused and let them know that you love them and want to help them find help.
If theyre not quite ready to seek treatment, dont get angry or beg them to seek treatment. Wait a little while and then ask them again if theyre willing to get treatment.
Here are some of the different types of treatment they can go through to recover from their addiction:
Read Also: What Is The Disease Of Addiction
Changes In Your Appetite
Food may taste different when youre withdrawing from cannabis, and your appetite may change.
If you dont feel like eating, try to eat little and often or have smoothies instead. Getting some exercise and fresh air may help to build your appetite too.
Some people get nausea and stomach pains. These should go away in a week or two.
If you usually smoke cannabis mixed with tobacco, be aware that youll also get nicotine withdrawal symptoms if you stop.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms are similar to those for cannabis. You may feel irritable, restless and like you cant concentrate on anything.
To avoid withdrawing from nicotine at the same time as cannabis, you can use nicotine replacement treatments like patches or gum.
Its best to avoid things like vaping or e-cigarettes. Anything that reminds you of smoking could be a trigger to use cannabis again.
Signs And Symptoms Of Marijuana Withdrawal
To meet the criteria for cannabis withdrawal syndrome, a person must exhibit at least three of the following symptoms within about a week of abrupt cannabis use cessation, according to the DSM-5:
While the typical effects of marijuana consumption can include feeling mellow or relaxed or getting the munchies, cannabis withdrawal symptoms tend to reside on the opposite end of the spectrum. Instead of feeling relaxed, the person tends to feel restless or irritable instead of craving sweet or fatty foods, the person can lose their appetite instead of feeling sleepy, the person can experience rebound insomnia.
Its really about neuroadaptation, says Patrick Fehling, M.D., an addiction psychiatrist with the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. The withdrawal experience is the opposite of the experience of taking the substance.
Recommended Reading: How To Stop Shopping Addiction
Recovery From Marijuana Addiction
If a person cannot quit using the drug, even though there is damage and even failure resulting from use, then this person needs rehabilitation. It is certainly possible to build a strong, sober life but the person who cant do this on their own can repair the damage caused by abuse and can gain the skills needed at a Narconon drug rehabilitation center.
At a Narconon rehab center, no one is ever given substitute drugs as part of their recovery. Only in the case where a medical wean-down from heavy alcohol or drugs such as benzodiazepines, Narconon would arrange for the individual to complete a medical detox prior to starting the Narconon program. Then when they arrive at Narconon they would begin the drug-free withdrawal, using generous amounts of nutrients and techniques that help alleviate the pain and discomfort experienced during withdrawal.
Then the person goes through a thorough detoxification process to help flush out toxic residues of drug use that remain locked deep in fatty tissues. Once these residues are gone and a person feels fresher and brighter, it is much more possible to recover those clear thinking skills. Clearer thinking means a person can learn how to deal with the problems in life they may have been avoiding.
Contact Narconon today to find out how we can help someone you care about overcome their addiction to marijuana.
Tobacco Smoking Among Marijuana Users
Like users of other drugs of abuse, regular marijuana users have a higher rate of tobacco use than the general population approximately 50 percent of heavy cannabis users also smoke tobacco . Moreover, many adolescents and, to a lesser extent, adults use tobacco and marijuana together, either mixing the substances, smoking blunts , or smoking one immediately after the other.
At least one study suggests that, among cannabis-dependent individuals, tobacco smokers have worse psychosocial problems and poorer cannabis cessation outcomes . Whether this indicates that treatments for marijuana dependence should simultaneously address tobacco smoking is not clear. No clinical studies have focused on this issue. However, research suggests that treatment that promotes smoking cessation does not disrupt alcohol abstinence and may actually enhance the likelihood of longer-term sobriety .
Should we encourage individuals trying to quit marijuana use to try also to quit tobacco? Certainly we should discuss this option with clients, as tobacco abstinence may make marijuana abstinence easier and increase chances of maintaining marijuana abstinence for a longer term. However, as with treatments for other substance dependence disorders, mandating tobacco cessation as a treatment goal might create a barrier to treatment seeking or trigger treatment dropout.
Read Also: How To Avoid Addiction To Drugs
