Stop The Cycle Of Marijuana Addiction And Enjoy A Life In Recovery
If you are addicted to marijuana, you are putting your health at risk. This drug is not without its consequences. Plus, being addicted is no fun no matter what the substance is. Although you may have had a good time when you first started using pot, you would probably agree that the party ended a long time ago. Now, you have a monkey on your back that demands more, more MORE!
Quitting weed is nowhere near as difficult as stopping the use of other drugs like fentanyl, for example. However; you will experience some withdrawal symptoms when you put down the ganja. You might think you can do this on your own, but you are probably going to need some help. After all, if you could stop using pot on your own, you would have done it by now.
Many people get clean by participating in an Intensive Outpatient Program . This is a relatively inexpensive way to get rehabilitation on a flexible schedule. You can also seek help at Marijuana Anonymous meetings.
No matter where you turn, we hope you will reach out for help and get sober. Staying stoned and being hooked on weed is not an awesome way to spend your life.
Need some motivation? Here are 11 awesome things that happen when you get sober.
Stand Up For Yourself And Your Family
There is only so far you can go when helping an addict, and sometimes, you need to draw a line in the sand. Remember that you need to take care of yourself and your family first, and if your spouse refuses to get the help they need, and the situation doesn’t appear to be improving, you shouldn’t feel guilty about removing yourself and your children from the situation.
The Effects Of Marijuana Addiction
There is a common misconception that misusing cannabis has no negative physical effects like smoking cigarettes has. There are a handful of risks that someone addicted to marijuana will face compared to the average cigarette smoker. While it isnt as frequent as other types of drug addictions, this does not mean that the risks are not as dangerous.
Several consequences are associated with marijuana addiction, including:
- Risk of lung cancer
- Mental impairment
- Increased risk of heart attack
Another potential danger associated with marijuana addiction involves the withdrawal symptoms, which usually peak a few days after smoking ceases. Withdrawal symptoms can include depression, excessive sweating, low appetite, and anxiety. If the use of marijuana is stopped abruptly, these symptoms can worsen.
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Get Rid Of All The Gear
This suggestion is crucial.
Most users of marijuana accumulate a wide array of different instruments and accessories. These include anything from pipes and bongs to paper and grinders.
Its important that you immediately remove all of these items as a statement that this is the start of your non-smoking marijuana-free lifestyle.
Besides, not only do these items have no purpose in your weed-free life, there serve as triggers for relapse.
Many of these accessories could set you back quite a bit. So theres an extra incentive for you to make a bit of cash on the back of giving up your dependency on smoking weed.
Get rid of all weed and weed paraphernalia you own.
When you have them handy, it is always easy to postpone your goals and get into the vicious circle of I will do it tomorrow, a typical procrastination sentence.
Remove the option for yourself as much as possible.
Age People Begin Smoking
Experts are finding a link between the age you begin using cannabis and the likelihood that you’ll develop a dependence on it. One study found that people who used cannabis starting at age 14 to 15 had a higher probability of developing dependence. On the other hand, for those who started using cannabis after age 15, the risk of developing a dependence drastically decreased.
Another study found that those who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a cannabis use disorder later in life.
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You Spend A Lot Of Money On Weed
Today, most of the sold on the street is genetically engineered and grown indoors. This is a costly endeavor. Most bud is now sold for an average of 25 dollars a gram. This is not a lot of green. Because buyers dont get a lot of bang for their buck, it is not uncommon for marijuana addicts to spend a ton of money to stay high. In fact, they can easily develop a thousand dollar a month habit.
Are you spending a ton of money on weed? If so, this should be a red flag. When you are willing to cough up a huge chunk of your hard-earned change to stay buzzed, you probably have a problem.
How To Use Medical Marijuana
In some states, doctors can prescribe cannabis. Thereâs research into its health benefits. Itâs used to treat pain that doesnât go away and may help with symptoms of Parkinsonâs disease, multiple sclerosis, or glaucoma. Write down what type of cannabis you use. Keep track of how it makes you feel. Tell your doctor about any bad side effects. They can prescribe a different kind or dose.
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Warning Signs & Withdrawal Symptoms
For those concerned about whether they or a loved one are addicted to marijuana, there are some clear warning signs to look out for. These include an inability to stop smoking pot even after earnest attempts to quit, using weed as a means of relaxation or escaping reality, and having your social circle revolve around your pot use. Negative changes in school or job performance, as well as relationships with loved ones, are also warning signs for a potential marijuana addiction.
Just like any drug addiction, withdrawal symptoms are often an inevitable factor when a user stops cold turkey. Some of the psychological symptoms include:
- Insomnia and related fatigue.
Hash Thc Content Did You Know
According to a report by the Drug Addiction Treatment Centre at Lund University Hospital, marijuana may contain from 0.35 to 30 percent THC content. Hashish typically contains about 4 to 10 percent THC, although this may be higher in some cases. Hash oil may consist of up to 60 percent THC content.
An addiction to any substance is difficult to struggle with alone, but we can help.
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How Marijuana Addiction Affected My Marriage
Jaime’s husband was a marijuana addict, but together, they were able to overcome his addiction and remain a united family unit.
My husband’s marijuana addiction nearly derailed our marriage . . . here’s how we got through it.
My husband had a problem with addictionhe was smoking marijuana in our garage on a regular basis and inviting his relatives to join him. After spending some time in denial about his addiction, I grew concerned that our children would be affected, and I felt the need to set boundaries. One day, I offered him an ultimatum: the pot or our family.
In response, my husband packed his bags and left, which made me feel like his addiction was stronger than his love for our family. I was devastated, but I knew setting boundaries and preventing my children from being affected by his addiction was my priority, and I was willing to put my marriage on the line to protect them.
My husband returned shortly afterward, willing to put aside his love for marijuana and work on overcoming his addiction to save our family. To my knowledge, he has completely stopped smoking and turned his focus to recovery.
While it’s not always possible to resolve addiction issues and save your marriage, it’s certainly worth a shot. Here are some ways you can save your family and help your spouse overcome their addiction.
How Hash Addiction Develops
As with most mind-altering substances, over time you will feel the need to use hash more often or in higher doses than you did initially in order to achieve the same effects. Once you begin to build a tolerance, you may find that when you dont use hash, you experience withdrawal symptoms, and you may use more of the drug to ease or eliminate these symptoms.
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Getting Help For Withdrawal
During the withdrawal process, you can always ask help to manage these symptoms.
Some of them are related to concurrent diseases which are the reasons for marijuana use in the first place, like addressing your anxiety or depression problems.
Recovery from this addiction will give you the opportunity to address your issues with a therapist in a progressive way, rather than masking them with weed.
It is always important to note that, you may struggle to fulfill your professional and personal responsibilities during the first two weeks of the withdrawal process.
So, it is important to be aware of this when quitting cannabis.
Can Medicine Help With Cud
If youâre dependent on cannabis, you could go through withdrawal for weeks or relapse after you quit. Thatâs why experts are studying how medicine can ease withdrawal symptoms like bad mood, anxiety, restlessness, and sleep issues. Theyâre looking at antidepressants, cannabinoid agonists, mood stabilizers, and insomnia medication, but there are no FDA-approved meds for CUD. Some of these may treat mental health problems that worsen CUD.
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How To Quit Weed
This is a common question many people are currently asking and realizing to quit smoking weed is a challenging feat.
In the case that you have tried all of the options above and nothing seems to be working, there are a few more options you can try:
- Speaking to a Professional: A therapist can be very helpful in working through what makes it so challenging for you personally to give up weed. Here you can understand concurrent disorders and addressing them would help you quit your marijuana addiction easily.
- Virtual Treatment Programs: Do you know that you can quit marijuana with virtual outpatient programs in the comfort of your home, at your convenience? You can start your recovery journey easily with a comprehensive and structured online treatment program through a secure telehealth platform.
- Outpatient Addiction Counselling: Some Addiction Centres offer outpatient rehab programs that teach you how to quit using marijuana.
- Residential Treatment: If you have tried everything and need more help, inpatient rehab treatment is likely the best option.
What Are The Signs Of Marijuana Addiction
Cannabis dependence is much more common than dependence on other drugs due to the sheer number of people who use marijuana. The first step to overcoming marijuana addiction is to recognize that you have a problem and need help. Recognizing the;signs of marijuana addiction;can help you determine the severity of your problem.
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You Use Marijuana To Deal With Problems
Think about the way youre using marijuana. Have you been using it to deal with your problems? When you have bad grades or problems with your boss or even relationship issues, do you feel your only option is to try and get high? If this is the case then youre getting deeper into your marijuana use and addiction.
Another way you can identify that youre addicted to marijuana is if you depend on it to feel relaxed. If you take weed before starting work or doing anything creative or other tasks, then its a clear sign that you have developed a heavy dependence on it and you are already addicted to the substance.
Other Factors That Make Quitting Difficult
There will be days that are difficult to stick to the outlined plan of weed reduction.
The following would be factors that can contribute to it being more difficult:
Experiencing intense emotions
When you experience extreme happiness, sadness or anger, you are more likely at risk for increasing your weed use. Hence, a higher likelihood of relapsing back to higher substance use.
Interpersonal conflicts
If you have a fight with your girlfriend/boyfriend, you have an issue with a coworker, you are going to be more likely to return to higher substance use. When some people have relationship issues, they often turn to substances for self-soothing.
Environmental factors
If you go to a party, see friends who smoke weed, go to your favourite park where you used to smoke your mind will automatically be triggered to thinking of smoking. You will be cued into wanting to use even though you have set out your goals.
Social support
If all of your friends, your partner and family engage in smoking weed, this is going to be very difficult.
If your loved ones are not encouraging you to quit, this will require some workaround communicating about your desire to change and what you need from them.
If your social network is supportive still explain to them what you may need.
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Who Becomes Addicted To Marijuana And Why
Genes are one strong predictor of developing an addiction, said Dr. Alex Stalcup, medical director of the New Leaf Treatment Center in Lafayette, California.
Studies of identical twins raised in different families support this theory. They have higher rates of an addiction co-occurring, which means that if one of them develops an addiction, the other is at greater risk for developing one, than fraternal twins raised apart.
But family ties may also help some people avoid progressing to a state of addiction.
When we look at the criteria for addiction, it has a lot to do with people tempering their behavior, explained Carl Hart, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Columbia University in New York and author of High Price, in a 2016 interview with Healthline.
It has a lot to do with responsibility skills Its not perfect, but when you look at the people who are addicted, and you look at people who have jobs and families, they have responsibilities, theyre plugged into their societies, they have a social network, the addiction rates within those kind of groups are dramatically decreased from people who are not plugged in with jobs, families, social networks.
Those who dont become addicted also tend to have more options.
Mental health conditions, which have both genetic and environmental causes play a large one in a persons chance of developing an addiction.
Let People Know Make Yourself Accountable
While you might think that you can handle this on your own, its much better to involve other people in your struggle against cannabis dependency.
Make use of your support network, whether its family, friends, partners or colleagues. The people that you surround yourself with this time can play a significant role in helping you overcome your dependency and progress towards your goals.
You may want to just stop smoking and tell everyone later but this is often hard.
By telling people, it will keep you accountable.
It will let people know not to offer you a joint or a reefer and you can get social support with your goal.
If you feel intimidated to tell everyone before you are successful, there is another option.
Find a reliable and trusted accountability buddy. This friend, family member or partner can check in on you and help you stay on track when you seem to be forgetful of your goals.
Its vital to realize that ultimately, giving up your drug disorder is down to you. Nobody else can achieve this for you.
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Why Is Cannabis Drawing Concerns
Despite the legal status and medical purposes of weed, it is quite difficult to turn a blind eye from the statistical data surrounding marijuana abuse and addiction.
According to the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, 28% of Canadian youth are using marijuana and this figure is significantly higher compared to the same group demographics in other developed countries.
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Overdose From Marijuana Use
A person can experience an overdose when he or she uses too much of the drug and the effects of it can be life-threatening. While there are no reports of adults or teens who had fatal consequences because of marijuana use alone, too much consumption of marijuana is known to cause uncomfortable and intense side effects.
People who used marijuana that have high THC have reported that they experienced paranoia and anxiety. Others had hallucinations, delusions, and other psychotic reactions.
Psychotic reactions can happen whether marijuana is smoked or eaten. But emergency medical staff have been seeing more and more cases of patients being admitted because of eating too much food containing marijuana.
Usually, young people dont know much about the marijuana edibles and how long it takes before the effects kick in. In doing so, they eat more to get that high. Consequently, they experience intense reactions because theyve taken too much of the drug.
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If Your Child Is Using Marijuana
In many cases, knowing your child is using marijuana is half the battle. Many adolescents will go to great lengths to conceal substance use from their parents. Finding evidence of marijuana use can be an emotional experience, but it can also help you prepare for how to move forward in addressing your child. You may find drug paraphernalia or may notice physical and behavioral changes in your son or daughter. Approaching your child about suspected drug use can be a stressful experience so be sure to consider the following:
- Wait until your child is sober to start the conversation
- Understand that anger or hostility will not help the conversation instead, focus on communicating your concern in a less confrontational way
- Have evidence or examples that cannot be disputed to remove your childs ability to deny use
- Have ideas about solutions to help them stop using marijuana
- Be clear that drug abuse will not be tolerated and prepare consequences of use should your child continue use be prepared to follow through on those ramifications as well
- Provide ways you can reconnect with your child and establish trust again
- Be responsive to your son or daughters efforts to change their behaviors
