quit marijuana, not feeling right..

[bluedusk]

I started smoking weed on a every day basis when i was 16, and continued without break until about two months ago, over 2 full years of smoking straight. bad mental withdrawals as expected but after the 3 days of being clean and going through all that emotional shit i have yet to feel normal or proper to this day, It's like i'm missing 2 years of my life that almost never happened or felt as if i was not me. I thought today that maybe smoking once would change me or make me feel more comfortable, wrong.. I'm high right now and it's not as i remember it. It's like my whole perspective on everyone and everything changed while being stoned 24/7 for two years and now i'm almost WAY TO AWARE of everything and feeling as if i was blinded for to long and never developed the skills to deal with everything. fuck i'm high right now.. I'll try to read this later if i was not clear, but i hope someone can get something out of there to maybe give me some clarity on why i feel so spaced from myself.

 

[Depressicaa]

So you're 18 right? And the high is different? Yup, the high when you look at yourself you feel paranoid, and when you look at other stuff its fun.

It happened to me too. What happened? I just quit smoking completely and when I smoke it I get paranoid. As long as you think life's best is weed, you get that problem. I was reading so much literature on it and the impact it had I am an expert of the subject, but after I stopped smoking, I didn't miss it and when I did smoke it, it was not pleasant. I justified the niceness of smoking weed by examining how wonderful it was. I was completely wrong at the end, it didn't help me, it stopped me from noticing the bad stuff in my life. I was completely fucking up my life being stupid, while being high.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Weed-isn't-the-same-anymore. Its time to fix the problems of your life that you couldn't while you were in the state of mind being high and stupid. Now you either start working on the high, forfeit it, or smoke yourself stupid again.

 

[Carl Landrover]

I'd recommend changing your environment if possible.

I smoked or vaporized every single day from beginning of October 2003 until mid-March 2008, when I went on a 10 day vacation in Hawaii.

After using weed everyday for that many years I figured I'd have some kind of difficulty in the first few days, maybe with eating or low appetite or something. Granted, it was probably easier because Hawaii was so beautiful, but being out of my environment and knowing that I probably couldn't get weed made it easy to go through the vacation without smoking.

I did get drunk everyday, which also helped, but other than a few meals where I got full a little faster than normal, I really had no difficulty with stopping.


I do think if I were to stop smoking/vaporizing weed right now I'd have a lot of difficulty (this has nothing to do with getting off of other drugs either). I'm just sooo used to being high around here. I get home from work or school and I get stoned. I get stoned before I go to work and school. Maybe a few minutes after I get up, maybe 2 hours after I get up, at some point, I get stoned. It's ingrained in my life here.

The only time I've had days off, other than when I went to Hawaii, are when I went out to other places and was there all day without being able to smoke....New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, etc.

So basically my advice is to get out of town for a few days and do something fun. It'll take your mind off of it and if it's somewhere new, you'll be more intrigued by it because it's an all new experience.

Additionally, exercising, ESPECIALLY running or some type of cardio, is very important. When you run, it creates a chemical known as anandamide (sp?) which is taken in by the cannabinoid receptor, which is the same receptor that makes use of THC in weed. By running or doing some cardio you can naturally stimulate the receptor. Plus, running really helps with your appetite.

 

[burn out]

i went through the same thing when i quit weed. it took me about four years to recover.

 

[LittlebyLittle]

yea stopping weed is just breaking a habit. it's a placebo effect that feels real. it's psychological totally and once you control that part of it, it's over. try meditation; it works wonders for "weed withdrawal."

 

[bluedusk]

It's been two months... I've tried exercise daily but i feel like even though i try to keep my mind and body occupied, i'll never magically deal with what's going on in my head, Is this wrong to assume? Could weed have kept this anxiety hidden for a while and then when i quit brought it out? I actually can't remember unless i think back hard, but i used to feel similiar pains when i smoked heavily but they never seemed to phase me, Now they almost make me panic and are more severe.

 

[Depressicaa]

It never went away for me. Your mileage may vary. I broke through with 2CE, and I can enjoy it again, its been such a useful drug for me. (2CE). I am not going to enjoy weed as much, but I will definitely try now that I can at least. Its like visiting a childhood memory place, its so nostalgic that it feels awesome even for being around it.

I hope you can enjoy it again. I lost a lot of smoking friends since I stopped smoking, and although we still hung out, it wasn't quite the same anymore.

 

[wungchow]

weed is a strange drug man. its effects change over time. after about 3 years of heavy use, it started to make me more withdrawn, anxious, and socially isolated.

i stopped cold turkey for a year... now when I smoke, the effects are WAY too intense and unpleasant, so i really only take a little puff at parties occasionally...

you don't need it man. it's garbage.

a lot of doctors are willing to prescribe a short-term (7-10 day) supply of weak benzos like oxazepam if you're having troubles with marijuana withdrawal. unlike what most of my pothead friends say, the withdrawal can be *very* uncomfortable and prolonged. i didn't stop craving weed for a good 3-4 months.

 

[DavidStayzFadedd]

really? im under 18 so im always nervous to tell the doctor that but i assume its where alot of my anxiety comes from.

 

[Bojangles69]

I've never heard so many people talk about weed messing up their lives untill I came to this forum.
I must have known about 100 potheads throughout the course of my life and not one every told me it took x amount of time to "recover" from pot. Maybe x amount of time to stop thinking about it, but what exactly is the body recovering from? I don't even remember hearing it in NA when I went for 5 years either. I understand people can react badly to it, but weed has been one of the most helpful things in my life. And I have no idea what weed is doing to the brain if its taking some of you "4 years" to recover from.

Does weed cause brain damage or something? Or maybe its the other drugs you people were doing with weed and you're just blaming the pot? Maybe it helps distract you from your issues (memory/attention) and when you stop you focus on them more then blame the pot? I'm not trying to come off like an asshole but everytime I see this on this forum it makes me think of weed like some hardcore narcotic that fucks up peoples lives... and for as long as I've been doing it I've never had any weird effects from it except exactly what weed is known to do to people.
It seems like weed would be more likely to cause behavoiral changes, and the behavoiral changes themselves would be whats messing up your life. But you can't really blame that on pot. Its like blaming a gun when you shoot somebody.

 

[ferrita]

I absolutely agree 100% with Bojangles on this. I have been smoking weed for 35 years. Grew up smoking real columbian gold , true Panama Red, and Thai sticks wrapped in opim dipped string. I smoke the dankest weed as I have family in Humbolt|Mendicino County Cali where some of the best smoke in the world is grown. .

I have went YEARS at a time smoking daily several times a day and I have quit for varipus professional jobs that wpuld require urine testing easily. Put the bong down and walked away from it. Zero problem. I have known thpusands of potheads in 35 yrs. I'm about 50. I can take it or leave it. I always have 3 or 4 kinds of medical grade hydro here. I can go weeks months somking everyday or not.

My kids both started smoking pot around 15 to 16 yrs old. Never hid it from me or lied. My experience with smoke in 35 yrs is so positive that I didn't care. I had a few rules. School first. Stoned last. NO DRUGS. Pots fine. I would like you guys to not drink as alcoholism runs I'm the family on both sides and heavily. But I don't care if you smoke responsibily.

My daughter smoke for 2 yrs straight was a 4 yr letterman on swimteam and still holds records and qualified for state 4 yrs straight. Weed did not effect her performance. She quit when she was offered a bank job straight poutta school and never had a problem. She was in the gifted student program and holds a 4.0 gpa through high school and through college currently.

My sonis 18. Started smpoking at 15 and smoked himself stupid with his 2 best friends everyday for 2 years at 420 pm till he passed out. One of his friends got busted and cpuldnt smoke so my sonband their other friend said they would quit with him. None of them had an issue of any sort when they quit. He still smokesbon and off and can take it or leave it. He is a musician has hair to his ass and looks like the quintessential stoner. He looks like slater from dazed and confused and can recite the whole movie. Teachers always look at him and judge him till they see his work and then they shut up. He too has a 4.0 gpa.

I had never heard of or seen anyone have issues when they quit smoking be it because they outgrew it or got jobs they had to piss for or had probation or whatever. In 35 yrs of smoking I have never seen itbor heard abputit until these forums. I wonder if people sometimes don't have a filter to read and use what applies to them and discard what doesn't.

I have a highly addictive personality and have fought the opiate-heroin battle and won until I slipped up after 24byrs clean after a serious 6 yr heavy duty iv habit. I did it withput the luxury of suboxone or methadone or support from online forums like bluelight or counseling. I kickedit old school with nothing and prayed for death and I never suffered from anything called PAWS in fact never heard of it till I learned of bluelight. Hell I was so happy to be clean I didn't have time to be depressed.

I am also an alcoholic who drank a quart of jose quervo a day for several years and walked away..........I still crave it. But I pass on the cravings. Just like I still crave heroin and pass on the cravings until a few weeks ago when I gave in and used h for the first time in 24 yrs..........it was great but I knew enpugh to walk away. I still remeber the sheer brutality of the serious kick I feel I barely survived 24 yrs later and that's enpugh to make me pass even though the look and smell of it make my jaws water.

With the kind of addictive personality I have (kicked a 3 yr coke habit to. Daily 8th plus a day iv habit). Still fight to stay in compliance with pain management to keep that fine line between dependence and addiction separate. I will ct off em evey 3 months or so just to get in touch with my pain and see where it is but id kill for opiates during those times

I apologize for the novel but I include all the addiction issues I do have to show thatbwith an addictive personality like I have I would think that after all these years I would have issues with smokingb dank but I don't. Never have and I have know thousands of potheads in my life who have never had issues. I've never heard of it till here. Other then perhaps when reading all the bad propaganda against it. Lol.

If I had ever seen heard or witnessed problems due to smoking weed I would never have have let my kids do it. And I would not be an advocate for legalizing it. I'm anti drug at heart but I don't include weed into that category. I'm also anti alcohol after bartending 18 yrs and lving with an alcoholic and being one. Bit for the life of me I don't see a problem with weed.

I wish the OP much luck with his quest to feel better. Hope u get feeling well soon. And just my opinnion here but I would encourage anyone to find out the reasons for their various forms pf distress when quottgroups for that going to go forward and find out the true roots of their problem. If its from weed I guess thers even support for smoking weed or whatever. But again in 35 yrs I've never seen it or witnessed distress from thousands i have smoked with or myself or my family. I also don't buy that its a gateway drug.

I apologize for the typos I'm doing this on my phone and I apologize for the novel but it is 35 yrs life experience with smoke. Take it for what is worth to you and again much luck.

 

[wungchow]

I've never heard so many people talk about weed messing up their lives untill I came to this forum.
I must have known about 100 potheads throughout the course of my life and not one every told me it took x amount of time to "recover" from pot. Maybe x amount of time to stop thinking about it, but what exactly is the body recovering from? I don't even remember hearing it in NA when I went for 5 years either. I understand people can react badly to it, but weed has been one of the most helpful things in my life. And I have no idea what weed is doing to the brain if its taking some of you "4 years" to recover from.

Does weed cause brain damage or something? Or maybe its the other drugs you people were doing with weed and you're just blaming the pot? Maybe it helps distract you from your issues (memory/attention) and when you stop you focus on them more then blame the pot? I'm not trying to come off like an asshole but everytime I see this on this forum it makes me think of weed like some hardcore narcotic that fucks up peoples lives... and for as long as I've been doing it I've never had any weird effects from it except exactly what weed is known to do to people.
It seems like weed would be more likely to cause behavoiral changes, and the behavoiral changes themselves would be whats messing up your life. But you can't really blame that on pot. Its like blaming a gun when you shoot somebody.

The only drug I did for the first 3 years of my drug career was marijuana, & occasionally alcohol. It affects some people differently, but I've been to rehab and more AA/NA meetings than I can count, and I've heard lots of people with similar stories to mine.

Marijuana abuse won't land you in the gutter like heroin, alcohol, coke, etc. so maybe that's why people don't mention the negative effects of pot as much. But it definitely has an evil, insidious side to it. I can't even smoke a bowl nowadays without getting serious panic symptoms - and when I'm sober I have no problems with anxiety.

 

[nervousone]

Bojangles did you ever think drugs effect different people different ways? First in the klonopin thread and now in the marijuana thread you act like everyones experience is identical to yours. Thats not how drugs work. If you want to talk down on members addictions please do it elsewhere. Some people might think its funny you got "addicted" to just poppy pods. You do not know everything so don't try to minimize other people experiences. You had a much better attitude when you were sober I hope you are doing well. This site is here to support people not act superior to them.

 

[paranoid android]

You can have differences of opions without resulting to personal attacks ok and this goes for ALL of you.

 

[jamesmartin]

My personal opinion is that you shouldn't wait 2 years until you take a break.

You should take breaks regulary like once every feew weeks . With the breaks only lasting a few days.

Basically here your still enjoying weed pretty much everyday but you aren't actually becoming dependent on it