Harm Reduction lost my early 20s to severe THC addiction

[xannyhead]

I'm 23 years old and have been consistently smoking hashish for the past three years—pretty much every day. On weekends, I smoke from before breakfast until after dinner. I’d say I’ve easily smoked over 1kg of hashish (ice-o-lator) in these three years. My longest period of sobriety/abstinence during this time was 50 consecutive days, plus another 50 days a year later.


After a while, I started experiencing depression, panic attacks, yadda yadda yadda... I became so dependent on THC that international travel became a problem. If I knew I was going somewhere where weed wasn’t legal, I’d start having anxiety even before the trip.


Now, I want to quit. I'm currently taking 15mg of mirtazapine and 25mg of Seroquel (I’ve been taking Seroquel for almost two years for sleep). Do you think gradually reducing my consumption, as well as switching to a less potent material (for example, smoking only flower instead of concentrates), could help ease my withdrawal? My issue with flower is its poor cost-benefit—it runs out too quickly and is expensive where I live.


I’d love to hear from my fellow stoners or ex-stoners because I’m at an important stage in my life, trying to graduate from college. Some of the problems caused by my chemical dependency have definitely affected my academic performance during critical periods.


I think I went on for too long here—sorry about that, and thanks again for the patience and understanding of those who read this far.


Cheers.

 

[xannyhead]

btw i dont know if thats the correct forum, if not, I apologize and will post on the correct one as soon as i can find it

 

[Cream Gravy?]

There's a cannabis sub-forum. Probably better there.

I spent the ages of 18 through about 30 smoking daily with at most two or three weeks off a year, mostly flower. Quitting was hard because of lost sleep and a strong desire to be stoned, not sober. In the end I got a job that forced me off of cannabis and that was beneficial as now if I do use, it is in moderation, and for the most part I much better like myself sober from THC. It has a tendency to cast my life negatively in my mind yet I am actually pretty content with who I am when not stoned 24/7.

I think it's worth getting off of daily use that's for sure.

 

[xannyhead]

There's a cannabis sub-forum. Probably better there.

I spent the ages of 18 through about 30 smoking daily with at most two or three weeks off a year, mostly flower. Quitting was hard because of lost sleep and a strong desire to be stoned, not sober. In the end I got a job that forced me off of cannabis and that was beneficial as now if I do use, it is in moderation, and for the most part I much better like myself sober from THC. It has a tendency to cast my life negatively in my mind yet I am actually pretty content with who I am when not stoned 24/7.

I think it's worth getting off of daily use that's for sure.

may I ask you how long the withdrawal symptoms were noticeable/there at all? And do u have any experience with carts or concentrates? I mean, it is one thing to quit smoking THC Carts cold turkey, and other totally diff thing to quit, for instance, hash. So that makes me thing quitting flower must be the go-to for me (ive been hooked on carts before, and the WDs sucked more than when i first quit hash. So im just using the same logic here, trying to see if ppl relate. Ty tho appreciate ur answer

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Eh I don't know man. I really just kinda slowed down the last year or two because I was too stressed anyhow. Used plenty of concentrates, and vape cartridges. I mean I prefer hash to anything else it is unique like that. But I have been through much worse wd's from other drugs. And looking at cannabis in retrospect it was easy to quit cold turkey.

 

[xannyhead]

Eh I don't know man. I really just kinda slowed down the last year or two because I was too stressed anyhow. Used plenty of concentrates, and vape cartridges. I mean I prefer hash to anything else it is unique like that. But I have been through much worse wd's from other drugs. And looking at cannabis in retrospect it was easy to quit cold turkey.

sorry, do u mind me tellling which drug u WDd from? Ive had a very bad benzo withdrawal (xanax, but took it briefly everyday - like 2mg twice a day for a month - now i take like a bar here and there (ends up being like 2 times a week) but I believe opioids/coke are said to be the worst right

 

[emkee_reinvented]

I'm 23 years old and have been consistently smoking hashish for the past three years—pretty much every day. On weekends, I smoke from before breakfast until after dinner. I’d say I’ve easily smoked over 1kg of hashish (ice-o-lator) in these three years. My longest period of sobriety/abstinence during this time was 50 consecutive days, plus another 50 days a year later.


After a while, I started experiencing depression, panic attacks, yadda yadda yadda... I became so dependent on THC that international travel became a problem. ...


Now, I want to quit. ...

Using the term Hash got me on the wrong foot.
As typically the Hash we smoked. Blond/ Black Maroc or Polm.
Afghaan or Skuff but that was at the end.
After that ice-o-lator Hash appeared.
But they where not that strong as your s.

Don t know what happened, but as far back as i remember.
Weed was the stronger of the two, the local produced strains like Skunk.
Not anymore, the concentrates/ THC vapes. And US Weed in general.

Combined with 24/ 7 use, a human can maybe get high 5 times a day.
Had the travel problem too, hated not having Weed.
Even with a way lower use, and it starts showing when your there.

It will take some time, you can try taper to 3 x a day a light high.
See how it goes. Mostly my appetite, energy and mood go overboard.
After total stop, no real WDs. Just Psychological torment.
But they return and you, though life sober vs high all be it sporadically.
High for sure. Aiming for moderation.

Noticed during year stop s it has, no effect on who you are.
Not like Alcohol other drugs. Did have a negative effect:
on drive, creativity and quality off life.

Do you think gradually reducing my consumption, as well as switching to a less potent material (for example, smoking only flower instead of concentrates), could help ease my withdrawal? My issue with flower is its poor cost-benefit—it runs out too quickly and is expensive where I live.

Yes. And if you reduce your consumption, financially it wouldn t really matter.

 

[TheGyattDamnRizzler]

I guess it's better than losing it to heroin.
If i could go back in time I wouldn't change a thing I'd do it all over again.

Being in your 20s kind of blows though. Your inexperienced, not fully brain developed. Not much life experience. Try to have a good 30s and 40s i hear it gets better.

Sorry I can't help with the quitting weed that stuff makes me want to die it isn't that hard for me to not use it.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

sorry, do u mind me tellling which drug u WDd from? Ive had a very bad benzo withdrawal (xanax, but took it briefly everyday - like 2mg twice a day for a month - now i take like a bar here and there (ends up being like 2 times a week) but I believe opioids/coke are said to be the worst right

I’ve gone through WDs from a myriad of opiates and opioids and occasionally benzodiazepines, but mostly the opioids is what I think of when I think of difficult WDs.

Cannabis is really just about replacing the habit with a new hobby or even an old hobby you enjoyed before getting high. The sleep issues go away in a week and the rest is just fighting boredom. It really ain’t that hard.

And like the above poster said, your 20s will probably be turbulent. Mine sure as hell were. So far my 30s have been better and I’m financially and mentally in a place where I am more content. And with maturity comes more ability to put life into perspective. The issues bothering you at 23 will seem distant and silly ten years down the road.