Quitting weed and nicotine is a nightmare

[washingtonbound]

Recently I made the decision to cut my last two vices out of my life, and I underestimated how horrible the withdrawals would be. Physically it's not that bad, but mentally it is repugnant. I have been in a fit of rage of the last two days and feel total anhedonia. On top of that it's like every disgusting thought that was calmed by these substances surfaces with a vengeance. I used opiods for a month last year and getting off of them has been easier than this. I'd love some advice from others who have quit this crap on how to make it more bearable.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

This is very common and understandable. Forces/fortress, keep it on. It should get much easier just in few weeks, it is passing incidence in life. Cravings might last longer ofc.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

I wouldn't do it at once

Quit nicotine first and use weed as comfort, then quit that

Nicotine is a bastard to stop - weed much less so for most

 

[skipjames]

Anyway u are an hero. I ve w few addictions but while I ve managed to take long breaks from opióids and coke. I ve been smoking non stop since I was 14 ( I m 41)

 

[Trying123]

25 year heroin addict.
1 week clean.
Just started weed again.
helps me sleep, eat, rest.

But, cigs are a MF.
It's more of a habit for me.
Nerves, driving, eating, boredom, chainsmoking...

I quit before..
Just put them down, stared at them.
Just tasted like shit. All of a sudden.

Best advice, and I'm still having hard time with this..

Slow your mind.
Slow your thoughts.
Slow down.
Live in the moment, let it be..

Addiction messes with chemicals in our brains.

Weed is not physical.
But, can be rought to quit mentally.

Imagine yourself high, stoned...
What would you do ???

Slow your mind, and just chill.


I would have quit the gigs, used weed for that.
But great job.

Keep the strength.
Be strong.

Find something you love to do.

I love fishing, and have an older boat.
The sun hitting me, with 70° March 2nd, made me go prep the boat, with hopes of going, before the forecast changed again...
And I forgot I was in pain from kicking dope.

Yes, I hurt once I sat down, the adrenaline rush stopped.
But, my mind was on something I loved.
I didn't feel a thing for a while.

Good job man.

 

[kreativsniks]

First of all, congrats for kicking all the rest of the vices, since, I guess the rest were even more destructive than these 2. I'll be honest, kicking both is not easy at all and just like others have suggested, I too suggest to cut 1, not quit both at the same time, which will potentially leave you messed up for weeks on end, it is very subjective from person to person for how long you'll feel miserable.

Of course, quitting cold turkey can work if you can thug it out long enough for withdrawal/sides to fade to an acceptable level; for some people it is too hard on their body/mind, then they need some accessory medication for these 1-3 weeks after stopping. It can be pregabalin (albeit, in a controlled dosage), it can be supplements (in form of B/C vitamins).

I'll tell you this though, be very attentive regarding these things, because once you start to feel somewhat better, it is very easy to slip back into addiction downward spiral, like I've done countless of times with different substances. Be mindful of people around you too, since many of us, addicts, like to find other, likeminded people and usually not everyone wants/can quit at the same time..

I would say the toughest will be what do you do once you are free of substances and relatively recovered? Because if you was using for extended periods of time, you probably have surrounded yourself with people who use.. You probably enjoy plenty of activities being high as well. I suggest thinking about how you will handle all that, because life goes on and you need a good strategy to maintain your newfound sobriety.

Best of wishes and I'm glad you're trying.

 

[washingtonbound]

First of all, congrats for kicking all the rest of the vices, since, I guess the rest were even more destructive than these 2. I'll be honest, kicking both is not easy at all and just like others have suggested, I too suggest to cut 1, not quit both at the same time, which will potentially leave you messed up for weeks on end, it is very subjective from person to person for how long you'll feel miserable.

Of course, quitting cold turkey can work if you can thug it out long enough for withdrawal/sides to fade to an acceptable level; for some people it is too hard on their body/mind, then they need some accessory medication for these 1-3 weeks after stopping. It can be pregabalin (albeit, in a controlled dosage), it can be supplements (in form of B/C vitamins).

I'll tell you this though, be very attentive regarding these things, because once you start to feel somewhat better, it is very easy to slip back into addiction downward spiral, like I've done countless of times with different substances. Be mindful of people around you too, since many of us, addicts, like to find other, likeminded people and usually not everyone wants/can quit at the same time..

I would say the toughest will be what do you do once you are free of substances and relatively recovered? Because if you was using for extended periods of time, you probably have surrounded yourself with people who use.. You probably enjoy plenty of activities being high as well. I suggest thinking about how you will handle all that, because life goes on and you need a good strategy to maintain your newfound sobriety.

Best of wishes and I'm glad you're trying.

Thanks for the insight. I realized a while ago that I had a drug problem. Weed and nicotine were the only things I used daily with the exception of a month stint with opiates as mentioned. My problem was the fact that I had no self control when I decided to use certain drugs recreationally. Nine years ago, a binge on ketamine, lsd, and dmt over the course of a few days fried my brain and resulted in a three month stint in a psych hospital. Honestly I don't feel fully recovered from that even to this day. Anyway, following that incident I would have periods where I didn't use any drugs, but whenever the temptation became pronounced enough, a binge would result and I would wind up in a psych facility all over again. The last major one involved 14 grams of shrooms and a gram of ketamine. I have been hospitalized over 20 times over the last ten years due to these type of incidents.

In the last year, thankfully I began to mature and realize what a self inflicted nightmare my life became as a result of drugs. I told myself a little weed and nicotine wouldn't hurt as long as I didn't play with hard drugs like coke, meth and heroin or psychedelics. But soon I realized that these last two vices were plaguing my mind all the same. Smoking weed often resulted in self harm a day or so after the effects wore off, sometimes even during the experience with some of the shitty chemical weed you find in Colombia. Tobacco cessation resulted in over the top anger at people who didn't deserve it. Therefore, I decided it was time to leave this shit behind for good.

I have to avoid being around people for the most part not to relapse. I was living in Medellin, Colombia during the four months that the weed and nicotine use really ramped up due to staying in stupid hostels where you can't avoid it. I'm kind of getting to the point where I don't want to be around people at all. It's a shame because a certain part of me still craves friendship. But I can't be around people who use, period. At the same time, I can't stand the sanctimonious types who rave about being "clean and sober" constantly while still being able to tell you the exact amount of days, hours and minutes that transpired since they last used. Being feeling pretty lonely and shitty, but am glad I finally made this decision. Obviously it will be for the better.

 

[Mr. Krinkle]

I've quit both quite a few times

They're both a bitch to quit but once you make it through a week or 2, you're pretty much in the clear

Even if you start again, quit again - you'll get used to it and know what's coming

I haven't smoked cigs in 12 years now and weed, I smoked like 6 times a day for 25 years... My main thing now is to try not to smoke weed everyday and don't start too early too often

 

[ewcopp22]

It isn't a bad thing to do one at a time instead of both at once. If you were a heavy user that kind of quick change to the body can make it feel more brutal.

 

[OceansState]

I was smoking for years, started when I got my first car then was a chain smoker. I was able to quit when taking Wellbutrin. It was so long ago I cant remember exactly but I think it just took the cravings away slowly where I didn't feel I needed one, could go longer without smoking over time. i read there are some side effects but i don't remember anything bad.

 

[Mr. Krinkle]

I would usually quit cigs but keep smoking weed.... The main downside to that was I always wanted a cig after smoking weed... So then I would just smoke more weed instead of the cig, therefore smoking more weed than normal

When you're trying to quit smoking cigs, what I recommend, when you get up in the morning everyday, go as long as you can without a cig - minimum 2 hours before you have one after waking up... That helped me a lot so maybe try that in preparation of quitting cigs

 

[mauve]

So I watched an addiction documentary on BBC England and this "expert" says your 44 times more like to get addicted to nicotine, as opposed to 33 times to opioids...the industry knows this.

I started smoking cigarettes aged 16, followed by weed and quit 4 years after, i tried patches, gum, spray, cold turkey. I can't say any of them worked apart from my vanity knowing how it ages you. ofcourse weed is always welcome

I did have a brief moment of smoking around the pandemic to loose weight, I know I know but nipped it in the bud fast.

I can say I'm not a smoker, but if it was a special occasion a cigarette, cigar, shisha, or even a fresh rolled spliff in Amsterdam would be welcomed once a year

Regards to the OP nicotine in it's pure form is no more harmful than caffeine. It's the tobacco and cigarettes that are the issue.

You have lots of alternatives, such as capes, nicotine spray, patches, gums

 

[jasperkent]

So I watched an addiction documentary on BBC England and this "expert" says your 44 times more like to get addicted to nicotine, as opposed to 33 times to opioids...the industry knows this

Yep. That's why we see vapes in such flavors as Bubble Gum and Jolly Ranchers. They get us hooked young, while our brains are still developing. When I started smoking, the Marlboro Man was still riding his horse in TV ads and when I was 12 I could easily buy cigarettes just about anywhere.

I was a pack-a-day smoker by age 14. It was my first addiction and by far my longest-- 50 years. I've quit alcohol, benzos, cocaine, meth, and opioids. All were tough but none as hard to kick as cigarettes. I finally quit tobacco earlier this year but I'm still firmly hooked on nicotine gum and vaping.

I detail my experience in the thread Quitting Cigarettes.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

All these addiction/dependence things are really random, but I want to state here, for the lack of better place, that often when I run out of weed, I turn to smoking tobacco one dose per night for several days. This can happen even I have been vaporizing pure weed. I think weed has exceptional ability to act as counter-drug, but it can still act supporting dumb addictions/dependencies.

And I am really, exceptionally, bad at getting addicted to tobacco, so, I might assume other people can also turn to all kind of stuff when quitting weed.

 

[jasperkent]

All these addiction/dependence things are really random, but I want to state here, for the lack of better place, that often when I run out of weed, I turn to smoking tobacco one dose per night for several days. This can happen even I have been vaporizing pure weed....

When I quit cigarettes I stopped smoking weed as well, although I still do edibles almost every day. I wanted to break free from smoking in general. It's gone well, but I'm certain that I'd never be able to completely kick two addictions at once. No fuckin' way.