Quitting cannabis

[blue_cheese]

Can I ask why you couldn't socialize while you were smoking? You touched upon it briefly but you haven't actually explained the reasoning behind it. I am actually really jealous of you - I'm coming off of a year long heroin addiction tomorrow, and I'd give anything to just be stopping weed instead! So maybe if it gets tough think of me and grit your teeth and bear it and be thankful that your vice doesn't put you through physical and mental torture when you try to stop.

Well I'm a naturally introverted person as it is, but wouldn't really consider myself anxious. I never used to get anxiety off weed, but one day it just changed.

First of all, it reduces my motivation to actually get up and do things, so im less sociable in that sense. Even going round to a friends to smoke more pot would be a massive hassle, but i think thats due to laziness rather than anxiety.

As for the actual anxiety, it's quite difficult to explain. Simply put, i constantly overthink EVERYTHING. I'll always be worried about what to say, how what I'll say will be recieved, what people will think of me, my mannerisms, my appearance, even just acknowledging someone i know in the street will feel like a difficult and uncomfortable task. I have posted in forums sober before, and re-reasd them high thinking "what the hell did i say," "what will people think of me?", etc.

Often it is so bad I'll be shaking. Trying to skin up and I'll pull thr rizla apart or send the backy n weed flying everywhere, which will incur more anxiety when people realise I'm behaving odly. Its obviously all in my head though.

I've also turn into a massive hypochondriac when smoking, usually when alone. The other week after bombing a bit of mandy, i had a smoke. I somehow managed to convince myself my mandy was pma or something, and i was gonna die. It's obviously the smoke - i was fine before it, and deep down i knew i was fine. That was one of the wake up calls really, and these past 2 days, I've had almost zero anxiety, apart from worries about sleeping, naturally.

Sorry to hear that rio. Indeed my habit pales in comparison. One of the many reasons i will never touch opiates is the fact that i really struggle to put the ganja down. Can't even imagine what it's like with a smack/benzo habit. Good luck though mate, I'm sure you'll be ok. I can imagine the weed will be helping a lot.

@DS - i agree, but thr hash is slightly better for anxiety. It's the lesser of two evils in my case (i use the word evil really lightly - weed is a wonderful drug, beautiful even. But I've cained it far too much.)

0.5 is only recently, when i was younger we'd put 1g in king L spliffs regularl smoked between 2 or 3. What's weird is, i had no issues with anxiety then, altgough rarely used to smoke in public

 

[Ceres]

I've always been pretty introverted aswell and I think smoking weed now and again allowed me to get lost in my inner world a bit more an while this was good at first, it was bringing out my creativity and really helped me in that area for a while, I tihnk I ended up just totally inside my own head the whole time , contemplatimng all sorts of horrible shit and as my mood went south over time thats when the paranoid aspects started to surface like having doubts about my friends and wondering if they were taking the piss out of me behind my back, and I did have the whole thing of just clamming up in social settings because I'd be worried about saying something stupid or didn't feel I really 'fitted in' or whatever. I was smoking it all day every day though for years and it wasn't even giving me the creative help for my main passions in life so I just decided fuck it, delted all my dealers phone numbers, stopped hanging out with my fulltime smoker friends and just cut that part of my life off mostly. It was the best thing I ever did for myself and glad I did it before it completely burned me out.

Since i stopped I have politely declined offers of a bong here and there and explained why, most people respect that but some can be a bit 'cmonnnnnnnn man wtf you used to love this shit!' ad I have to insist.

In the last 4 years when I have had a small bong or vaped a tiny tiny bit of bud, in social settings it just made me clam up every time nd it was only useful for bringing the the night to an end becuase id go all quiet and want to go to sleep.

bottom line moderation is key and once in a blue moon is ok, but I think once youve had a long daily habit and experienced the real downsides, you'll probably never enjoy it again like you did in your early days.

 

[blue_cheese]

Life is so cruel. On the way home from the gym i found a rather large (and fancy looking) discarded grinder with about 2 joints worth of some lovely smelling grade in and a shit tonne of kief.

Was very close to smoking it but fortunately i have no backy and chucked my bong out, so I'll give it to my gf when she gets in later. Happy days for her.

Day 3, feelin good. Glad to hear it gets better ceres. Sounds like we started smoking (and quit) for very similar reasons.

 

[ColtDan]

Well I'm a naturally introverted person as it is, but wouldn't really consider myself anxious. I never used to get anxiety off weed, but one day it just changed.

First of all, it reduces my motivation to actually get up and do things, so im less sociable in that sense. Even going round to a friends to smoke more pot would be a massive hassle, but i think thats due to laziness rather than anxiety.

As for the actual anxiety, it's quite difficult to explain. Simply put, i constantly overthink EVERYTHING. I'll always be worried about what to say, how what I'll say will be recieved, what people will think of me, my mannerisms, my appearance, even just acknowledging someone i know in the street will feel like a difficult and uncomfortable task. I have posted in forums sober before, and re-reasd them high thinking "what the hell did i say," "what will people think of me?", etc.

Often it is so bad I'll be shaking. Trying to skin up and I'll pull thr rizla apart or send the backy n weed flying everywhere, which will incur more anxiety when people realise I'm behaving odly. Its obviously all in my head though.

I've also turn into a massive hypochondriac when smoking, usually when alone. The other week after bombing a bit of mandy, i had a smoke. I somehow managed to convince myself my mandy was pma or something, and i was gonna die. It's obviously the smoke - i was fine before it, and deep down i knew i was fine. That was one of the wake up calls really, and these past 2 days, I've had almost zero anxiety, apart from worries about sleeping, naturally.

Sorry to hear that rio. Indeed my habit pales in comparison. One of the many reasons i will never touch opiates is the fact that i really struggle to put the ganja down. Can't even imagine what it's like with a smack/benzo habit. Good luck though mate, I'm sure you'll be ok. I can imagine the weed will be helping a lot.

@DS - i agree, but thr hash is slightly better for anxiety. It's the lesser of two evils in my case (i use the word evil really lightly - weed is a wonderful drug, beautiful even. But I've cained it far too much.)

0.5 is only recently, when i was younger we'd put 1g in king L spliffs regularl smoked between 2 or 3. What's weird is, i had no issues with anxiety then, altgough rarely used to smoke in public

Can relate to this

 

[superhed]

Can relate to this

x2...more common than anyone cares to believe and for me, once you have turned that corner with this particular drug the only way forward is abstinence. I tried to fight it for quite a while believing I could turn it round. I was wrong. With hindsight my theory is that I kicked the arse out of it for too long and eventually it kicked mine. Live and learn...

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Well I'm a naturally introverted person as it is, but wouldn't really consider myself anxious. I never used to get anxiety off weed, but one day it just changed.

First of all, it reduces my motivation to actually get up and do things, so im less sociable in that sense. Even going round to a friends to smoke more pot would be a massive hassle, but i think thats due to laziness rather than anxiety.

As for the actual anxiety, it's quite difficult to explain. Simply put, i constantly overthink EVERYTHING. I'll always be worried about what to say, how what I'll say will be recieved, what people will think of me, my mannerisms, my appearance, even just acknowledging someone i know in the street will feel like a difficult and uncomfortable task. I have posted in forums sober before, and re-reasd them high thinking "what the hell did i say," "what will people think of me?", etc.

Often it is so bad I'll be shaking. Trying to skin up and I'll pull thr rizla apart or send the backy n weed flying everywhere, which will incur more anxiety when people realise I'm behaving odly. Its obviously all in my head though.

I've also turn into a massive hypochondriac when smoking, usually when alone. The other week after bombing a bit of mandy, i had a smoke. I somehow managed to convince myself my mandy was pma or something, and i was gonna die. It's obviously the smoke - i was fine before it, and deep down i knew i was fine. That was one of the wake up calls really, and these past 2 days, I've had almost zero anxiety, apart from worries about sleeping, naturally.

Sorry to hear that rio. Indeed my habit pales in comparison. One of the many reasons i will never touch opiates is the fact that i really struggle to put the ganja down. Can't even imagine what it's like with a smack/benzo habit. Good luck though mate, I'm sure you'll be ok. I can imagine the weed will be helping a lot.

@DS - i agree, but thr hash is slightly better for anxiety. It's the lesser of two evils in my case (i use the word evil really lightly - weed is a wonderful drug, beautiful even. But I've cained it far too much.)

0.5 is only recently, when i was younger we'd put 1g in king L spliffs regularl smoked between 2 or 3. What's weird is, i had no issues with anxiety then, altgough rarely used to smoke in public

I've always been pretty introverted aswell and I think smoking weed now and again allowed me to get lost in my inner world a bit more an while this was good at first, it was bringing out my creativity and really helped me in that area for a while, I tihnk I ended up just totally inside my own head the whole time , contemplatimng all sorts of horrible shit and as my mood went south over time thats when the paranoid aspects started to surface like having doubts about my friends and wondering if they were taking the piss out of me behind my back, and I did have the whole thing of just clamming up in social settings because I'd be worried about saying something stupid or didn't feel I really 'fitted in' or whatever. I was smoking it all day every day though for years and it wasn't even giving me the creative help for my main passions in life so I just decided fuck it, delted all my dealers phone numbers, stopped hanging out with my fulltime smoker friends and just cut that part of my life off mostly. It was the best thing I ever did for myself and glad I did it before it completely burned me out.

Since i stopped I have politely declined offers of a bong here and there and explained why, most people respect that but some can be a bit 'cmonnnnnnnn man wtf you used to love this shit!' ad I have to insist.

In the last 4 years when I have had a small bong or vaped a tiny tiny bit of bud, in social settings it just made me clam up every time nd it was only useful for bringing the the night to an end becuase id go all quiet and want to go to sleep.

bottom line moderation is key and once in a blue moon is ok, but I think once youve had a long daily habit and experienced the real downsides, you'll probably never enjoy it again like you did in your early days.

I can also relate to the above posts, but I suffered anxiety from cannabis as soon as I started smoking it - or rather, it exacerbated the existing anxiety issues I didn't realise I had until the pot enlightened me. Cue the downward spiral of getting anxious about being anxious

The sensible thing would have been to stop smoking it, but I desperately wanted to like it and all my mates were doing it, so I just gritted my teeth and carried on. The only times I actually enjoyed having a smoke was when I was on my own - as soon as I was in company, the first toke was like hitting a switch in my head and I immediately withdrew into a state of anxiety and paranoia - even when with my closest mates. This wasn't a good situation because my social life basically revolved around smoking pot, so I became adept at hiding the effect it was having on me. Ironically, this enabled me to give the impression I was keeping it all together when everyone else was totally wasted and earned me the reputation of being a serious cainer - this was reinforced by the fact I was constantly skinning up, though this was purely to give myself something to do while I was withdrawn from the conversations everyone else was having.

Giving up was never an option though, because I really, really enjoyed my solitary smokes. Eventually, my social life started to revolve around speed instead, So I gradually stopped smoking in company and also stopped smoking all day, keeping it to evenings only, as it would fuck me up for the whole of the day and life just became fuckin' harder work than it is already.

So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I've learnt to cope with anxiety by changing my smoking habits and enjoy cannabis more and more the older I get. Maybe If you could get out of the habit of having a morning smoke, your anxiety would improve and you would be able to smoke recreationally again and use it as a sleep aid and antidepressant. Never say 'never again' and all that....

 

[StoneHappyMonday]

^

I can't personally relate to that FUBAR but, in the absolute best sense of the words, that's a cool story bro, particularly the first two paragraphs. So thanks for sharing that.

 

[Dark Side]

Same FUBAR, I literally hate being in a group with people I don't know well while having a smoke, but I don't get anxiety when stoned around my proper friends. Weed isn't a social drug for me. Most of the time I smoke weed and just play video games and wouldn't even consider leaving my house unless I was gagging for a sugar fix.

SHM I wouldn't troll people because when trolled back you just bring out the victim complex and start crying.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Weed isn't a social drug for me.

Good god no! Although much of cannabis culture and its rituals, codes of practice etc. is very social, the drug itself is far from it IME... All I want to do when i'm stoned is lie flat on my bed listening to good tunes and float off inside my mind.

Was SHM trolling me?? oh well, I still took it as a compliment anyway

 

[Ceres]

I used to smoke a lot of bud because it was the 'done thing' in music making circles and when I was at an impressionable age thought it was essential to making music, felt like I couldn't create without it, would spend most of my time at home stoned and producing. But it took a while for me to realise that although it can be good for experimentation and sketching out ideas, being cained all the time is no way to actually get shit done Also clouds judgement about your work and really ultimately you have to learn how to work sober to really be productive and develop your confidence.

Certainly is good for enjoying listening to music though, helped me understand music in all sorts of ways I wouldn't have if I'd never smoked (although MDMA obviously was the ultimate educational experience =)

All that said, I feel like I wasted a good few years of my life and if I had just been an occasional smoker rather than the whole daily caining (most of my 'friends' at the time were cainers too or dealers) I wouldn't have gotten to the bad place I ended up where I really just had to say enough is enough and drop it.

 

[Dark Side]

I started smoking when i was 14, really stupid at that age. I had more then my fair share of whitey's and we even got my bro smoking at 12 years old but only occasionally though. My bro doesn't have issues with anxiety or anything though and he has done drugs i wouldn't like Acid and DMT. When i was 16 me and my bro would save our Dinner money through the week so i could score an 8th on the friday for the weekend. back in the day where 20 quid would get you a pine cone sized nug of high grade. Nostalgia!

The smell of super skunk, good god. Never see that anymore

 

[StoneHappyMonday]

SHM I wouldn't troll people because when trolled back you just bring out the victim complex and start crying.

WTF are you on about?

Was SHM trolling me?? oh well, I still took it as a compliment anyway

No I wasn't and yes it was.

 

[bummer]

I kinda feel like I should stick up for weed and say something about all the positive things it does for me



I just can't be arsed

 

[rujex]

In respect to the nightmares: lucid dreaming techniques can help a lot.

 

[Dark Side]

WTF are you on about?



No I wasn't and yes it was.

Usually "Cool story bro" is meant with sarcasm. My mistake

 

[masaz]

Same FUBAR, I literally hate being in a group with people I don't know well while having a smoke, but I don't get anxiety when stoned around my proper friends. Weed isn't a social drug for me. Most of the time I smoke weed and just play video games and wouldn't even consider leaving my house unless I was gagging for a sugar fix.

SHM I wouldn't troll people because when trolled back you just bring out the victim complex and start crying.

Sucks don't it? I really don't enjoy smoking weed with people I'm not close to cos I do get anxious sometimes. Prefer smoking on my own or with my girlfriend and/or a couple close mates. We are actually trying to cut down at the moment after we went without smoking for a week on holiday and ended up arsey, argumentative, irritable, clumsy insomniacs. We were gonna try quit entirely but that lasted about two or three days under the reasoning 'we can afford to smoke constantly so we won't feel shitty again' :/

Like I can not smoke if I have work, but it does bug me that I'm home now and don't have any. Just feels hard to stop the stuff cos health-wise it's easy to convince yourself it's ok. Like I stopped drinking for a long time because it was obviously hurting me. I'm cool with booze now, drink maybe once a week and know when to stop. Weed though, see it as more inconsequential and so don't really have the goddamn drive to just stop.

 

[ColtDan]

I can also relate to the above posts, but I suffered anxiety from cannabis as soon as I started smoking it - or rather, it exacerbated the existing anxiety issues I didn't realise I had until the pot enlightened me. Cue the downward spiral of getting anxious about being anxious

The sensible thing would have been to stop smoking it, but I desperately wanted to like it and all my mates were doing it, so I just gritted my teeth and carried on. The only times I actually enjoyed having a smoke was when I was on my own - as soon as I was in company, the first toke was like hitting a switch in my head and I immediately withdrew into a state of anxiety and paranoia - even when with my closest mates..

Exacly the same for me. Back in the late school days. Ive had some seriously uncomfortable weird experiences on weed, it fucks up my throught process in a nasty way. Echoing thought loops or some bollocks if i recall, i dont mind an analytical thought process of reflection but the way my thoughts get on weed is a head fuck, looping analytical, no focus, anxiety, horrible shit. but i did used to like it a lot. havent smoked it for years but i'd maybe try it again if i knew it was a miminal headfuckery strain

 

[blue_cheese]

The sleep issues are pretty much over now. Been hitting the gym and going for long walks in the evening, which, along with the valerian root tea - and 0.5 etiz if things get really bad (i.e. still up at 4/5 and have to be up early-ish) - seems to be doing the trick. Appetite is back in full force, and I'm eating so much more healthier. No more carb binges before bed and so much less sugar. Feeling the benefits already for sure.

Agree with pretty much everything that's been said. I'll probably find that when I've abstained for long enough I'll end up having a smoke and freaking out a bit. Weed is certainly not a social drug for me anymore (and I actually find without a tolerance it's very much a psychedelic,) but like you said FUBAR, the ritual is very social and I'm struggling to occupy myself around mates who smoke. Caning the cigs as a result, which is obviously not a good alternative, but it's better for my chest than the filter-less spliffs.

I think there is a kind of turning point with cannabis. I used to smoke copious amounts when I wasn't smoking daily, amounts that make me shiver now when I think back. 8ths in spliffs (when £20 was a good 2.5g at least) were normal yet was always bouncing around after smoking - chatting, giggling, taking the piss outta eachother. Hell, even watching a film was nigh on impossible cause we'd all be talking over it. These days it'd be rare if we said more than a few sentences while heavily smoking. I wonder if it's daily use that causes the anxiety and mongyness, and irregular use (even if the doses are big) isn't so much a problem? Either way I don't aim to find out anytime soon. I've felt great these past 4 or 5 days, and family and friends have noticed.

Couldn't agree more about the creativity thing ceres. I remember picking my guitar up for the first time stoned and before I knew it, hours had flown by and I'd jammed tonnes and discovered loads of new chords and what not. Yet I've had a MIDI keyboard with a broken USB connector sat in the house for months - I've been itching to use it but just haven't been arsed to get it fixed or fix it myself. As soon as I gave up the pot I'd fixed it within days and been messing around on cubase like never before, learning all sorts. Only problem is, I know if I had a joint I'd unlock loads of creativity and get through some creative blocks - but regular use means I'd just stop trying if I ever ran into a technical issue. It's catch-22.

All that said, I feel like I wasted a good few years of my life and if I had just been an occasional smoker rather than the whole daily caining (most of my 'friends' at the time were cainers too or dealers) I wouldn't have gotten to the bad place I ended up where I really just had to say enough is enough and drop it.

So you think it is an all or nothing kind of thing? I'm inclined to think the same, and this makes me hesitant to try and start again but with more regulation and only smoking on evenings or at weekends. I do hope I can eventually use it sparingly again, and years of daily use hasn't meant that I either cain it, or abstain completely.

Just for when/if I do end up smoking again once I've got a lid on things and can begin to regulate my use more, what strains would people recommend? People tell me sativa's are good for anxiety, but I tend to find the opposite. The only hash I've smoked is afghan (and soap bar of course), which I found quite weak, but it could have just been poor quality. It was obviously far better anxiety wise than the "skunk", but not quite narcotic enough, if that makes sense. I might have a nosey on the you-know-what web once I've had a good couple of months off, and see if I can find a strain that is more appropriate, or better still, some nice hash.

 

[Larch]

Strain wise I'd say sativa's are a lot more conducive for paranoia and anxiety than indicas, mainly down to the high THC:CBD ratio. CBD is what you want for more mellow, chilled out effects, it's like an inverse-THC. And this is why 'skunk' is freaking out so many folks nowadays as whatever the strain is, it is more often than not super high in THC and minimal in CBD (potentially also due to the buds being harvested while the THC is still immature and clear, rather than being a milky or amber colour).

If you're after a bit o hash, an can source it, I'd highly recommend Manali cream - or any hash/charas from the Himalaya - easily the most psychedelic high, visually, I've had from toking when had it out there, but none of the racing thoughts, tight chest stuff. I was just smoking solo though, and had a bit of opium a few days after picking up. But even before such shenanigans, it was providing exactly what I want and look for in cannabis. If you going for flowers, keep it indica.

Incidentally, having the first smoke after a 3 month break next weekend. Looking forward to hanging out with a few friends haven't seen in an age, and seeing what zero tolerance is like (it's been that long). Can relate to what FUBAR said about withdrawing into the head though, we'll see.

Nice one on your commitment to laying low dude.

 

[Don Luigi]

I don't find I have to do much to get over the craving of buying it. I just don't but still end up stoned all the time because my friends are also stagnating here.

Still, because of the change in frequency, I experience WD-type symptoms. I love the dreams/mostly night mares. Makes me a smelly heurr, right enough, until I sweat it all out. It smells like weed.

I do feel more motivated when not smoking. Many people have commented that I don't look as 'dopey'. It's the shadows under the eyes that take a long time to disappear, maybe not completely. I am also able to open my eyes upon waking up to 30-32% faster (you'll have to get Sprouty's advice on that one).

It may very well get you hired in a Star Wars film.

Then you will know that you have really made it. I'm just another food-eater who is chasing a dream