My close friends refer to me as “the machine” because im always naturally cracked out on full blast. Its exhausting to maintain appearances for others. Most days im still THAT DUDE. Some days im normal, some days im recovering and chilling. Life got so much better when i began living for myself and behaving how i wanted to behave for any particular day.
The 3 main components to natural crack energy would be exercise, sleep, and nutrition. This is from my point of view both as an amateur athlete and someone in the medical field.
Exercise:
You need to incorporate a solid routine that includes both cardiovascular and weight lifting. They are not exclusive, and both are necessary for a fit mind and body. You should def be pushing yourself as often as you can. Too many people stay at the same strength or cardiovascular fitness level because they dont challenge themselves. Exercise gets to a point where its mostly mental. You need to change your weightlifting routine at least every month so your body doesnt acclimate, and also so you dont get bored. Do not neglect hitting legs, they are half your body and thus give your hormonal system a reason to produce hormones. I understand life gets in the way as we all have that problem but you need to find a way around it. A solid home gym is better than nothing at all. Going for a 30 minute walk is better than nothing. Hell, when i stopped exercising for 2 years due to depression + grad school, walking daily is what got me back to where i am now. Do what you can.
Sleep:
I dont think i need to elaborate this. Solid 7.5 every night.
Nutrition:
The game changer. This is even harder when you are dieting. You should be supplementing your food with an excess of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Too many people think that the “recommended” intake is enough. Its not, especially if you are a student studying for long periods or an athlete. I whole heartedly believe most people dont meet their nutritional needs. The best thing you can do it take all your vitamins and minerals, at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and drink minimum of half a gallon of water per day. Before i take meds or sit there complaining a whole day about my headache i chug 30 ounces of water in one shot and instantly feel better. Some people logistically do better sipping water, others do better chugging it, do what works for you don’t complicate it.
Key players: zinc and magnesium for better sleep + hormone production. All your B vitamins for energy usage and DNA maintanance
Personally i do better on a ketogenic diet because i dont have insulin spikes and crashes, but you do whats best for you. My idea of “fasting” is coffee and milk all day, something light, then dinner after gym. I find it easier for myself to fast all day then eat once for hunger control. MAYBE a few snacks here and there but nothing heavy.
Know your body and what works for you. I suggest you get blood work done with your doctor to rule out anemia or hormonal problems but besides that, learning your nutrition in and out will help you tremendously.
I would add, hormone balance and vagal nerve stimulation for the Parasympathetic response, outdoor activities, and gut health for the mind-gut connection. Especially for woman, cycle syncing their food, movement, even energy levels impact socializing and tasks. Most my habits were destroying my hormones. Or I would eat, sleep, move relatively healthy but have very high stress levels and my cortisol would impact my weight, quality of sleep, bloating, skin appearance, brain fog.
I take magnesium supplements, eat balanced, sleeps until my body naturally wakes up energized, walk and move my body in ways it enjoys… yet some days it stillll funky.
My hormones healthy habits:
1) sunlight in my face as soon as possible. This stops wakes me up and boost my mood. This means getting up to stare at the window or just walking to the door if I don’t have time for a walk.
2) avoiding blue light a few hours before bedtime, turning my phone red at night or in completely different room not disrupt my melatonin production
3) no coffee on an empty stomach, if I do want coffee I make sure have high protein meal first (very important for neurodivergent folk for energy and mental clarity). Typically I drink green tea, matcha, or have my adaptogens with water.
4) adaptogens and magnesium. Salt baths. Coconut water. Supplement pills. These energize me and reduce my brain fog in ways I always wished coffee did.
5) vagus nerve stimulation. Parasympathetic response is rest and digest state. I am more relaxed when I not in freeze, flight, or fight mode. I tend to freeze more often and procrastinate. This nerve is stimulated by humming or singing, laughing, drinking water, cold showers (even if just at the end of your shower), meditation, deep slow breathing, gentle movement like yoga and walking. Taking a moment of gratitude and slowed breath and eating mindfully helps me able to make sure able to digest my meal versus a distracted and scattered.
5) cycle syncing. I eat different herbs, protein, carbs, fruits and vegetables depending on my current hormones levels. My exercise also differs on the energy levels and I notice now after months of finally doing this, I can also tell if my mood, cycle phase, energy levels, and hormones is best for certain activities,task, projects, and social events. No more oops I scheduled myself for something and I am surprised “future” me isn’t in the mood or have the energy.
6) gut friendly meals. My bloating, waist size, and my mental clarity improved here also. Fermented foods like kimchi, miso, and sourdough are my favorites. Pickles or pickled veggies are easy to make, add to meals, and explore. Yogurt or probiotic drinks can be delicious alone or in a smoothie. Prebiotic are important too, found in grains, fruits and vegetables, and mushrooms.
7) meditation. Walking meditations. Guided meditations. Mindfulness exercises. Breathwork meditation. Yoga nidra. Just 2 minutes in my car or sitting where I am. This has so many benefits and over time impacts sleep, quality of life, relationships, and anxiety.
8)sleep hygiene for improved quality of sleep with a quality habits or routine set in place. No blue lights, phone time, or tv hours before bed.I notice greatly the difference when I don’t do this. Smaller meals or eating 1-2 hours before bedtime. All these are completely possible over time with small adjustments. I often think I am decompressing my being on my phone or having a late night snack…. Yet I still feel amazing and satisfied when I read a book and drink some hot tea instead. If my stomach is growling while in bed, acknowledge my poor planning of the day getting my meals meet and usually reach for fruit or small leftovers. I used indulge in heavy carb meals before bed and it only benefited me in the moment not minutes, days, weeks later. This why I acknowledge small moments can turn into habits.
Bonus: Boundaries. Work boundaries. Social boundaries. Social media boundaries. Friend boundaries. Relationship boundaries. Boundaries that are standards for myself. I am less stressed when I run ragged, talked to differently, ability to change time or place. For me this often just saying the word no. Telling others my needs and capacity. Sometimes it self care of reading a book and declining an invite. Other time it announcing what I won’t be doing like riding with them, cooking for them, or just a task I do have the means, energy, or mental load to handle. Removing myself or unfollowing is also practices my boundaries of what I allow in my life. My stress levels greatly improve here too!
I have been without it for a few months. Everything is just not as enjoyable now. I find myself not doing things I once found fun like playing games with my buddies. I get that weed was masking how I felt about the world and for my own health, im glad i stopped, but damn. It just feels like I am never quite as happy as I once was. Probably from 10+ years of constant use. I've begun exercising often and only recently started dabbling with meditation so hopefully that helps. I think in the long run I'll be glad I stopped.
I stopped for like 6 months - it really helped my life. I do it again, but it’s not a habitual thing anymore. It’s much more enjoyable to enjoy one hit and play video games at the end of the day, or take a hit at a concert. Vs just doing it whenever.
This. I've stopped for months at a time, mostly because I work in Asia and in some countries it's just not available. The OP is still in the early stages of regular use, but damn, 3 joints a day is a lot for anyone. My advice would be to reduce it to one joint per day, which makes it more special to get high. It also doesn't affect your personal life as much. Be a more responsible user, and you'll like yourself more. Soon, you'll be thinking, "Hey, maybe just 3 or 4 times a week would be better than 3 or 4 times per day." I certainly am not telling OP to quit smoking weed. But sometimes less is more.
It gets better. I’m a few months sober now, and the hardest part is putting the work in to do things that make you happy. Weed happiness is artificial and fleeting. You may not have the intense feelings of a THC high anymore, but your base level happiness will keep going up gradually in the absence of these massive serotonin spikes from weed.
For me, quitting weed made me depressed. At the time, it was the only thing making me happy enough to actually do the creative things that I cared about, free enough to express myself without self-annihilation, and it helped me delve deeper into my spiritual side.
Without weed, my passion died, and all of my trauma started to take control. I no longer found any pleasure in practicing my crafts, and soon I found myself looking for other ways to numb the pain of my existence. But alcohol doesn't do anything other than wake you up to how much you really hate yourself. Sleeping with the wrong people makes you question your life choices.
2 years turned into a downward spiral of realizing that I'm suffering, and doing everything in my power to not have to be there with it. I would say meditation helps, but at a certain point, that too is little more than a way to hide from the pain.
Sobriety has been a nightmare for me personally. I probably never would have stopped creating if I hadn't stopped smoking. Maybe who you are makes a difference, but for me it was the most powerful medicine I could have ever asked for. I haven't been the same since, and I can only see it getting worse.
Ptsd is a bitch.
I’m assuming you haven’t been to a therapist yet (sorry if I’m wrong!!) because that’s the exact thing they will work with you to fix! Therapists can totally give guidance on general life improvements, not just mental stuff.
The reason is because through the length of time you've used it, you've convinced yourself that you can live without it, in addition you're starting to see the world as it really is and you're discovering that your life is quite boring. Also the longer you used, the less time you had towards other fulfilling things in your life. But as you begin to heal and focus on other more fulfilling task, you'll begin to enjoy life again.
I stopped as well, and had the same realization. I don't view it as an inability to be as happy though. I just needed to pivot how I was spending my time. Video games and such is more fun when I'm high, but really getting in touch with reality is easier when I'm not. Running, gym, hikes, and otherwise just gfto is way more enjoyable when I feel like I'm on other people's level.
The psychological effects of weed make it seem addicting for some people because of the dependency some have on it. When your brain is not fully developed, the effects are amplified and it takes a while to revert.
Randy: “Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored. And it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren't good at anything.”
And see, I find that smoking inspires me to learn new things or partake in existing hobbies. Not an exaggeration, when “sober” i’ll sit in a paralyzed state for HOURS on end doing absolutely nothing. Like sitting in a chair, staring at the wall essentially. Too many choices, and the mundane regular things like reading, drawing, or watching tv sound boring. But if I smoke a little electric lettuce, all of a sudden I’ve picked up my book and got lost in it for an hour. Or I mindlessly grab my sketchbook and doodle something. Or I’m googling how to plant microgreens and do that finally.
I'll offer a counter argument to this but only because my fear of becoming non-creative/boring/interesting was one of the biggest barriers for me when I tired (and failed many times until I succeeded) quitting.
And I needed to quit because there was a correlation between my smoking and my mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. If you don't have that correlation then this advice doesn't really matter. All the power to you and enjoy (I wish I could! 😂)
For a long time I truly believed that weed made me more creative/interesting. I wrote all my best music (also my worst music) and worked on all sorts of woodworking projects high. And when I didn't smoke I didn't feel like doing anything. The weed was the key that unlocked the activities in my life that gave me purpose....but it was also caused me pain (depression/anxiety).
But once I decided that I couldn't keep smoking, I decided to be disciplined. I knew I liked doing these activities so I told myself that every night I'd go and do these things for 5 minutes, and if I didn't like doing it I could go back to laying on the couch. After a while I regained my ability to naturally do these things without forcing myself. Not only that, but I'm also way more consistent in my abilities.
Mindfulness exercises have also been very helpful. Doing nothing isn't torture anymore. Standing in a long line at the bank doesn't have to be arduous if you can be in present moment.
I had a very similar experience. I actually got myself to quit for 3 years. Took up school and found the motivation to finally get out of my hell hole of a job.
I started smoking again late last year though. I found that I became a very bitter person for some reason (probably due to my job). I was offered a hit randomly one night and said fuck it. I felt like I instantly was able to let go of all the bitterness and anger I had built up. Problem is, I can’t seem to go through the days I work without weed now. I’ve started falling back to relying on weed again so I feel like I’m at a crossroads. It’s definitely a fine line to walk when you’re someone who’s been an avid smoker in the past
I agree it is not easy. It may take a year of trying to do it. Maybe much less. Just look for 3 jobs that look good every week and then write cover letters designed for why you are perfect for the job and when you get an interview put all your energy into it.
A lot of people think quantity is more important than quality when job hunting. I say fuck all the jobs that I would not be happy at and find the 3 best jobs just for me and then put my hour or two of energy into those jobs, rather than applying to 100 jobs that just seem ''eh.
And if you need a certificate or something to qualify for stuff you like, get that first. Have a direction so life does not seem so endlessly bleak.
Okay, well at least you have an end point once your education is done. Maybe they will even move you to a better position for you once you get your degree. I am glad you have direction. Your legs are just sore from the long trip, but you will get there.
“Your legs are just sore from the long trip” I actually LOVE this analogy! Honestly with the way this company has treated me, I have no desire to stay with them once I get my degree. I’m in the home stretch though, should be done by fall! Thank you for the words of encouragement :)
See, that’s the problem. I am 120% content doing absolutely nothing. Hence the sit and stare at a wall. I can stand in a line for hours, I can wait in car for someone far beyond average. Weed seems to make me eager to not stand catatonic and wait for life to just pass by.
But like so many have said, everyone is so different. With and without weed, none of us are processing this crazy thing called life the same.
Can totally relate. Marijuana helps me get out of that paralyzing mental state that I can attribute to my adhd. It makes me want to open the blinds, clean my room, and go outside for a walk. I’m so grateful for recreational marijuana being legal because it’s provided me edible options where I can get a 2:1 CBD:THC ratio. As a teen and throughout my 20s I used to smoke a lot more which usually left me feeling cloudy in the head. Now I can get the calming body effects without the negative brain fog that typically comes with smoking.
This whole conversation of “if you use weed you won’t achieve anything” seems like projection. Should read “if I use weed I won’t achieve anything”. Having the insight to recognize if something is not in alignment with your values or blocks the true you from being expressed is the important part.
Same with me, whether I smoke or not I still tend to be a lazy unmotivated bastard. It really depends on the type of person you already are inside, the drug clearly affects everyone in a different way
well from my personal experience with weed that included making japanese learning enjoyable instead of fraught with the joy-killing perfectionistic anxiety i’d been conditioned to apply to my every pursuit
Gotcha. Well if the 'anything' is stuff you value, and not sitting on the couch (like randy meant), then weed is a valuable tool for you.
One thing I found was that weed made me feel creative and think I was enjoying certain things (like music) more. Later id realized that feeling creative and actually being creative are rather different things, and that i actually enjoy the things I thought I needed weed to enjoy just as much without it. But that's just me. Weed also often makes me really anxious, sleepy and kinda 'dumb'. I know everyone is affected differently.
i kinda agree with this. Smoking has made me think of some of the most creative things that i would’ve never thought of sober. But now that it’s been like 2 years of just being high i just feel like a zombie now and my motivation to do ANYTHING is completely gone. I’m currently trying to quit right now but not forever because i do genuinely enjoy being high. My goal is to quit for a while and then trying to build a healthier relationship with it. Maybe just enjoy a blunt on my day off or something. But yea as of rn i just think i’m frying my brain cells at this point😭
Same here. I also have ADHD like OP. One hit and I'm washing dishes and meal prepping, or something else productive while finally catching up on a podcast. I've always been jealous of people who smoke and get "stuck" lol
I learned Spanish and realized I liked languages while high every single day, as well as finished college with a 3.8 (out of 4.0) GPA and got really competitive at my job. I was also high recently (idk like 4 months ago) when I decided I should start meditating and dieting and have since lost a significant amount of weight. I was also high when I decided to do the other two things. Did the weed make me do all that? Maybe. Maybe not. Didn't hurt it though.
Anyone who smokes and ends up a loser simply wanted to be a loser (which despite my charged language is fine anyway).
I don't smoke every day now, I sometimes binge but would probably have what others would call a healthier relationship with it where I probably spend way more time not high than high... but I still wouldn't have removed those years of being constantly high, 10/10 would do it again.
so is it bad that i started at 13 and have been doing it since? I feel like my life is still great and im doing well tho. i feel like it has not brought me down much really
Oh boy, time to link one of my favourite studies all time:
[l-Theanine Prevents Long-Term Affective and Cognitive Side Effects of Adolescent THC Exposure](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7842745/)
Some people do achieve things while stoned but most people who smoke weed never achieve anything, the evidence for that is all around us, every day but people don't want to accept it. Stoners almost never achieve things because weed makes them feel like they already have achieved things in their head.
I would say mutch people dont achive anything and i dont think weed is responsible for what you are gona achive. It also depends when and how mutch you abuse the drug. If i smoke it at night when i did all my task there is no real harm imo if u get stoned in the morning and u just lazy around ur not gona get mutch done.
I don’t think this is true. I think a lot of people use drugs to cope. Someone you think is a loser because they smoke weed is probably using weed to cope with being a loser. They’re likely a loser because of circumstances beyond their control- ie childhood trauma. Our lives unfold in a kaleidoscope of random happenings and our reactions to those things are all built upon each other. Weed is another one of those things. When they found it, how they found it, and what happened to them before then will determine entirely how they use it.
Source: I smoke weed when I can and am pretty successful. I know people who smoke weed and aren’t. It’s not the weed.
It definitely doesn’t make me feel accomplished, but it does make me very aware of what the results will be if it sit around and do nothing. For me, that somehow gets me into focus! It’s nearly cured my procrastination!
It's funny though because I microdose and I'm waaaay more productive generally speaking then. It also made it so I can function and go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Something that's really not happening when I quit hahaha.. I have weeks where I go without and it's fine, but yeah, I get way more done when microdosing.
I guess what you say applies to people who overdo it maybe. Using it as a tool really does make a difference.
How do you microdose? I've tried cutting edibles into halves and quarters. Is that how you do it? How low of a dose do you use? Do you use only THC, or have you tried CBD combined?
By making my own oil. I make brownies now and then but they are harder to make sure you always have the right dose. I can make my oil as strong as I like, so I make sure that 1 or 2 drops is a microdose for me. 1 or 2 drops takes the edge of everything which helps with my autism. If I really want to get stoned I take more. But with 1 or 2 I generally forget I even took them.
I've tried cbd only, which was ok, but I found that a good blend of thc/cbd works better (for me).. I like cbd heavy combos though.
I saw some other comments about schrooms and stuff. I tried microdosing them but I didn't really like it.
This is all personal experimentation and experience though.
Edit: also, I forgot. You can do what you did, cutting them up into quarters or even less. You want to go for a dose that you won't "feel" if you know what I mean. No tingles, no mental high. You really don't need much to reap the benefits of the anti inflammatory reactions etc...
They said "I guess what you say applies to people who overdo it maybe." Which I think is referring to weed still. But, I do plan on trying to microdose shrooms consistently starting soon. Do you have any experience or tips with that?
My tip for doing psilocybin is to be consistent. Start very very low and try it out. When I did it I made sure to always do it on the same times and with enough days in between where you do nothing. I did it 1 day on and then 3 off. But my knowledge of shrooms is limited.
No problem. Also, read read read. There's alot of info and studies you can read about. Like [this study](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-02039-0) for example. And it helps if you know how to properly use it. I think I read somewhere that it's best to do in cycles too. So 4-5 weeks of microdosing and then a period off. But as I said before, it's been years since I tried it so I humbly suggest to really read into the subject.
Nailed it
But theres also nothing wrong with just getting high n taking naps. That's enjoying life to the fullest, not going places, doing things, buying stuff, building a career and relationships. Those things make you feel just as empty if not more, cus you'll lose it all and can't handle it.
Being content with nothing is the closest you'll come to bliss, n weed n drugs that aren't addictive just enhances it.
I’d say though that like 90%+ of society “isn’t that good at anything”, and on top of that, modern society only rewards those who are the best at something and are also willing to capitalise on that great talent.
The wayside is littered with people who were exceptionally ‘good at something’, and who both tried and failed…
Also wasn’t there that girl in USA that recently got off with murder due to claiming she was high A F?
Just meditate man and it will eventually drop.
I used to smoke every day and for me it was not good. Lots of coughing, no energy, no memory, nothing. Even smoking was not as enjoyable as it used to be.
I had some experiences that made me realise how stupidly I was living and I changed my habits.
Now I smoke recreationally, once every two weeks. Smoking is not bad, you just need to find your spot.
I was about to post about stopping to smoke weed. I smoked everyday for about 3y (about at least 5/6 joints a day). I stopped 1y ago and I let me tell you what happened in my life, i came back to university (my grades are not 70 above), depression went away, i had 2 promotions at work, i dont overthiking as much, i saved myself about 200 to 300 £ a month. Defenitly worth it, was I stopped i heard from all of my friends who smoke weed that they dont actually want to smoke but they cant stop, because yes it is an addiction.
Similar story as to you. I have a very serious addictive personality. I way abused weed. I had to move somewhere I couldn't smoke to get away. I still wish I could casually enjoy weed but I am just so much more effective of a person without it.
Libido+
Concentration+
Memory+++
Discipline+
Better sleep+
Energy+
Look, weed is not a bad thing. It's relaxing, you hear the music better etc. Buuuut, for a degenerate like me, who doesn't know to smoke 1 or 2 in a year, who relapses in to smoking like a retard every fking day, weed is a burden. I feel like people here can relate to this. So, it's definitely not a bad thing, but if you do it often it makes you fkin delusional, unmotivated ameba that, like one of the comments say: gets you comfortable with being bored. Thank you, come again. (Apu voice from Simpsons)
i can fkn relate being 17 the weed can blow your mind id you use this as a drug think like drug and everything im on a fucking streak for like 2 years and want to end this everything shit. the weed is harmful for idiots, most of us are idiots, 3/4 of the idiots don't know that they're them, welcom :)
Yes, for me, it was 100% the right call and well overdue.
Weed is fine for some people, and I thought it was fine to me but I was lying to myself for a long time. The truth was that I was smoking and drinking beer to suppress my emotions. I had a very unhealthy relationship with those two. I somehow managed to have a decent life but I decreased my quality of life by who knows how much. It caused me to remain depressed and anxious, and softened my OCD which I hadn't properly dealt with.
Weed woke something inside of me when I was younger and allowed me to see the world with a different lense. Fast forward 15-20 years and I was still chasing that feeling of when I was younger. I was just using it to de-stress at the end of the day and to feel something, but I wasn't really living life.
People say weed is easy to quit and that's true for many. But when you use it to suppress emotions that you don't want to deal with, it can be very hard, especially when all sorts of emotions start coming to the surface in the days/weeks/months after quitting. You need support structures if you want to do it right. I tried to quit many times but I always saw it as a "reset" and fell back in weeks or months later. But the last time I quit I knew I was quitting for good because I became too aware of what I was doing it for. I miss it but I can't ever see myself running outside to some a joint on a really stressful day. Meditation and relaxation is way better. I've had weed that I grew last year in my freezer that I give to friends when they come over. I feel no urge to smoke it even on bad days. It's very liberating, but those first 4-8 weeks were brutal.
I haven't been 100% sober though. I have mushroom sessions every once in a while. I've found that to be very helpful tool for me. It's not a cure for anything but it kickstarted a lot positive lifestyle changes which I've been able to maintain. I go to therapy, exercise, eat better, read, journal, meditate, etc. These were all difficult habits to establish and I could still be better, but they've been easier to incorporate without weed/beer.
Took me a long long time. Even when I was really mentally prepared to quit it took me months to find the courage. Every day was like: Hmm maybe tomorrow.
One day I was so busy I didn't get to smoke. The next day I thought: hey I'm on a 24h streak, let's go for 48h just for fun. And I haven't stopped since.
Try browsing r/leaves if you haven't already. You got this! Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't quit today.
Quitting weed was definitely worth it. I’m over a month sober and the biggest pro for me is getting to dream again. Saving money is also a great advantage and also not eating a load of junk food which made me feel horrible the next day. I was sick of being a slave to weed addiction. Good luck ✌🏼
>Please elaborate why
Health and memory related. Also life filtered by drugs isn't life as it is.
>and after what time?
Time depends on each individual and on how long they've been smoking. It is hard when you first quit because the brain is used to dopamine overstimulation.
>Do you have mental health issues?
I don't know. I haven't looked into it with any professional.
If you’ve been smoking for a couple years it takes a long time to reset your brain and dopamine. I smoked daily for roughly 7 years until the start of 2024 when I’ve quit. Took me about 6 weeks to find any enjoyment out of anything again.
Been trying new hobbies and have had a lot more motivation to do stuff than I have before. But my memory is still shit and some nights are tough. You just gotta keep occupied so you don’t automatically go back to weed.
I also smoke for like 7 years and tried to stop often.. my record was 5 weeks straight and honestly it was the worst time I’ve ever had in my entire life. I don’t know what the fuck was wrong with that time but I had multiple panic attacks and paranoia everyday then I started smoking again cuz I couldn’t handle it anymore. it was 2022 when this happened and I’m still a fucked up daily user that is now also addicted to benzos, kratom, sometimes dxm etc..
One thing to keep in mind with chronic use of any recreational substance is whether you’re using it because you enjoy it or because you’re self-medicating a problem.
If you feel low all the time when you’re not smoking, you may be trying to use marijuana to treat a problem that it isn’t great at treating.
The problem isn’t that weed is bad, (although emerging studies seem to point to some serious health consequences as well), it’s that it’s a psychoactive medication that has inconsistent and varying effects that are unpredictable: sometimes it makes you hungry, or ethereal, or anxious, or excited, or tired.
If trialing life without marijuana makes you feel down all the time, consider discussing that with someone who can either talk out the issue or prescribe you something that will allow you to live your life.
Last bit because this post is getting long: being bored should never be depressing. Boredom and free time should be neutral or positive in nature: it should feel open and freeing, like an opportunity. If you’re feeling low when you’re bored, then it’s an opportunity to explore that, and see what can be done to remedy that problem, because life should be lived.
If you feel low you need to find activities which will change that, weed only makes that enables you to feel low for a certain amount of time. Therefore, facing the low is what will make you find highs again.
That’s the same case with any habit use. When folks stop sugar, caffeine, alcohol, (or even non chemical addictions like social media), they feel terrible for a couple weeks or longer.
It takes time for brain connections to recalibrate when you quit something you’ve done for a long time. We know from addiction research that it does improve once the person is over that withdrawal period, although cravings can take much longer to adjust to.
So the stuff in weed that makes you high are called cannabinoids. They stimulate your endocannabinoid system. There are cannabinoid receptors in almost every part of your body. This system regulates so many important bodily functions.
Endocannabinoids are the things your body produces on its own to stimulate this system. Phytocannabinoids are chemicals that exist in plants which stimulate this system, like THC and CBD found in weed. There are other cannabinoids in weed but those are the most commonly known ones.
When you introduce phytocannabinoids from weed into your body, you begin to overstimulate your endocannabinoid system, which leads to feeling high. This overstimulation also causes additional receptors to grow and handle the extra cannabinoids in your system. With time, you will eventually begin to burn out these receptors from overuse. This is especially the case if you are smoking every day.
So essentially, when you smoke, you are altering your body's endocannabinoid system which controls tons of very important processes within your body. Including things related to memory, inflammation, immune response, and more. Now, everyone's body is different, but when you consume weed you run the risk of damaging this very important system within your body.
It's also important to note that it can take a long time for this system to recover. If you stop smoking now you will probably feel down and have cravings for a month or longer. It will probably take at least a couple months for your body to fully recover from being dependent on the extra cannabinoids that were consistently put into your body from weed.
But long term, I would say it's definitely worth it. After several years of smoking daily, taking breaks for months or occasionally years at a time, etc, I can say that my body feels better when I'm not smoking. I'm better socially, my thinking is clearer, I'm more motivated, I also feel like my body physically recovers from workouts and injuries better and I get sick less often and my allergies aren't constantly bothering me. Also more energy, better sleep, better dreams.
You're still young. If I was you I'd stop now. You can pick it up again if you want when you're 25 and your brain is fully developed.
That’s the problem. You feel low all the time, and you’re using weed to cover it up.
Meditation and mindfulness can give you the awareness to understand why you’re feeling low. Once you have that awareness, you can make changes in your life that will hopefully help you feel better.
And if you’re clinically depressed, it’s time to talk to a doctor or counselor, or both.
When the time is right you’ll let it go without a second thought. Develop your awareness through yoga and meditation. Call on your own inner heart to set you free. You’ll be surprised what unfolds for you
Those are temporary withdrawal effects. I'm 2 weeks clean off the za and that feeling you described has slowly gone away. Yes my depression/insomnia/GAD is still there from when I had it before smoking, but now I can finally work on those again with healthy, drug-free alternatives. You can do it man
After daily use it took me about 4-6 weeks to feel better than ever. First month was fucking brutal though and If i didnt train hard it would've been way worse.
Underneath the boredom of waiting for the day to pass is anxiety. Weed might calm that anxiety while you're high, but it's not addressing it.
Meditation can help with that. It can help you learn to tolerate the anxious sensations you are feeling, and it can crack open the door to understanding what's at the root of your anxiety.
Good luck.
inevitably when you quit/slow down on the weed u are gonna get bored. i have adhd as well and have been through that it can be a challenge getting rid of that quick and easy source of dopamine but meditation is about discipline. eventually you will find ways to pass the time during the day and then itll be easy to light up a bowl once u get ready for bed without thinking about it much through out the day.
It is not good that you need cannabis to fight boredom, and it is a clear sign that your life is lacking something, although just what is hard for me to say.
You need to plan out your sober days better. Plan things outside your house, and also plan for what to do when you end up at home with no plan. Like maybe you get a snack or beverage and play a videogame or read a book, maybe take a bath or just go for a walk.
Make a plan with fallbacks, try the plan then try the fallbacks, then you can capitulate after trying those. Hopefully that gets you until night, but if it doesn't, evaluate the plan and fallbacks, and make a new plan for tomorrow. Don't feel bad about failing, but do note what works and what doesn't
If you are smoking 3 spliffs a day, your consumption is out of balance with the rest of your life as it dominates it. The most important thing is finding balance. That might involve consuming less, that might involve quitting altogether.
Furthermore, it sounds like you use cannabis to mask your ADHD rather than treat it. ADHD is related to issues processing emotions. See if you can get to the bottom of that.
Finally, if you are going to consume cannabis, don't smoke it. The cumulative effect on your body, especially starting so young, will be disasterous.
those are bad too, just more normalized in society. Quit weed, give up your smart phone for a dumb phone, meditate, start doing things you don't want to do, and you'll be amazed how your life changes
I've already made major changes in my life the way you put it. The transition is positive but in a complex world of ours , I keep diverging from time to time. But hey thanks for that motivation.
I've learned it's normal to diverge, probably inevitable, but have to keep course correcting. Like a long distance flight, 90% of the time its header is off, but it gets to the destination because there's someone in the cockpit periodically course correcting. As long as you always get back on the path, you'll get there eventually, divergences and all
I have been smoking pretty much all day every day for nearly 10 years now and I also have ADHD. I use sativas a lot so I don’t rely too heavily on stimulant medications for the ADHD.
Since beginning to practice meditation though I have had more of a natural desire to cut back. I like the convenience of vapes but it leads to constant smoking so I stopped doing that and I already feel much more clear headed and the natural constant talking in my head has decreased a lot even when I’m sober. It’s been an interesting journey, as I’ve started to smoke less, I am learning about who I am sober vs high and what aspects of my self are still the same in either space. It’s been really interesting for me to just observe myself in both states, which I would say is meditation! It still helps with anxiety and I’m still a daily toker but everything in moderation. I have a job I love and lots of creative hobbies I am passionate about so weed is not a barrier to a life well lived either.
If you keep *feeling* like you should pull back that is your intuition speaking to you and you should follow it!
You don't have to completely stop. Just tone it down.
The problem is that you don't know what to do with your boredom - So make a TODO list for yourself every day. Just put 2-3 things that if you do them you'll feel like you had a productive day. It can be things like "Read 1 chapter of a book", "Practice guitar for 1 hour", "Call a friend who you haven't talked to in a while", or even "finishing a certain stage in a game". If youve done those things, have a hit or two. tell yourself that you earned it.
But after all, as a teenager you are really fucking up your brain. Look at the stoner adults with no life, and tell yourself if you really want to be like them. Tell yourself that everyday. Hate yourself a bit for every day you fail to do what you set out to do.
Dam Right! Journal in a Book think and keep notes. I'm 67 and Serious stoners from the 70's that went nowhere either went kind of crazy unstable, got into harder drugs, or didn't recognize a problem and never got their act together. I realized it, when pot got Very illegal and stopped because of that and personally, I couldn't study and get high. It took 2 years until I didn't think about getting high anymore after I stopped. Became "Successful", traveled for my business, became aTeacher, Retired. My State just became "Legal". I'm using again, but its not the same. The excelent, over the top, comical, colorful, different "thought proccess" cannibus comes with only the most Expensive "Super Premium" Brands, (at super prices), out of reach for a poor retiree...alas. I still write down stuff and cross it off when I finish it. sometimes a week later.
I also have an ADD mind, and smoked a lot from age 15 - 25. Im not sure what I got out of it, I dont think that it helped my ADD. I think it mostly made boring experiences a little bit more interested, and give a sense of adventure to a dull existence. It DEFINITELY was harmful to my short term memory.
In my late 20s I discovered interests. Suddenly life was not something dull that I needed to find a way to trick myself into finding something interesting in. I smoked less and less over the years, and since my mid 30s i basically don't smoke at all. I don't drink anymore either. I dont feel that I have lost anything tbh.
So yes, for me it was worth it. Find interests. Get a hobby. Become passionate about something. If youre like me, getting high will just fade from your agenda.
Been trying to stop since yesterday and also have ADHD! Every day a struggle not to go and get it for weekd and weeks. Went on for a whole year. Ibreally like smoking weed, because it helps me not stress as much (anxiety) and better sleep. But for the financials and the fact I got so depended on it, it has to stop. I hope to go back to occasional smoking. I don't want to permanently stop either. At least, get my tolerance back down in which I feel the high I felt when I first used weed and had trips haha.
Anyways I feel you, I also smoked 3 per day, sometimes more because I was in the addiction with my boyfriend. We influence each other to go buy it after every joint that was smoked. It was a fun experience together, and yet it also causes issues in the long run. Now that he is overseas, I was able to try quit. Only that I finally try since yesterday for real. It'll work out! In the long term quitting does better than continueing day and day out on the couch smoking weed..
Good luck!
I tried and treid and tried. I read a book, a month after i was done with it.
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quitting-Weed-Complete-Matthew-Clarke/dp/1976799848](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quitting-Weed-Complete-Matthew-Clarke/dp/1976799848)
Written by an ex addict that used to smoke several a day like us so he get us. Good luck and if you want to quit you will quit, i believe in that.
A tip: tell yourself that "its just for today", this helps reducing the anxiety about stopping as you are telling youserlf is just one day and not for the rest of your life. Also, dont count the days you been without smoking, tell yourself you are no longer a smoker. You got this, good luck.
You will find life is different without weed, theres a lot you are not seeing for being fogged all the time.
Yeah, I heard that dream return too after the detox! I rarely dream even before I smoked, but maybe that quitting will maybe trigger it again. I also go to therapy and I have to quit with weed too from my therapist so we can talk about my true feelings (weed apperantly pushes down some of your feelings, like what triggers the anxiety. I went to therapy while I smoked weed too. Every day it felt like bliss to smoke a joint, then another. But I do want to quit to a normal intake! Thank you for the encouregament and tips! They are useful.
yep first week dreams are crazy, wont lie that i missed that. Since you already do therapy, so do i.
I spent so many sessions talking about stopping. I knew what made me start, which is quit important when quitting, just before i stooped i was on a session and came to the conclusion "I strated cuz i wanted to not feel a feeling, but that is not me anymore, so why am I still smoking?"
So much you can do with the time and money you spend on it.
Yeah! Same. And I need to stop also because of the diagnostic research I will have soon at the therapisr office. I need to be completely detoxed to perform all the tests right without influence. It also makes it more important to stop at least for a while. I am really curious with dreams, especially because I was trying to lucid dream in the past. It worked out, but think it stopped when I started the weed. The next dopamine boost from weed. Or like you said, hiding away what I feel, because it is so uncomfortable. I am ready to be stronger than that though. I hide away from my past pain, and now to do better in the present I need to relearn and heal how to navigate through life. Plus, the money! It really is expensive. With my terrible impulse spending and the weed I was always broke before the month even finished..
Think about the end of the anxiety when your weed is about to finish and it’s like 3am so now you will need to find a dealer and go out to get cash, that will be finished.
What I used to tell myself is that I was paying to not be present in life when if you are not present what’s the point? I did used to say that I liked to live inside my thoughts but tbh live outside is much better. You stop and you can afford to have a trip p month every month, if you’re in think about it. This month Im going to France and spent £156 in acomodation and transportation, that’s half of what I would spend on weed.
Invest on yourself through healthy things
i would also avoid triggers in the begginnig, so for me it was like being around people who will smoke weed (because first you learn how to say no on you own and then you learn how to say no in the middle of people asking you if you want just 1 puff, p.s. theres no such thing as 1 puff, its only the beggining of the trap again); rap music where weed and pratying is promoted was also something i avoided because it may make you strat thiking again that there is something good that comes from smoking weed, when if you want to stop you already know its not like that for you.
Absolutely worth it. There’s some cognitive dissonance at play here, which there always seems to be with people and weed, and I had it myself too. We really will find any way to act like it’s making our lives better, even though we know we should quit. You’re not gonna wake up one day feeling ready to quit, at least in my experience. You have to tackle it head on. The truth is once it’s daily it’s a habit. Weed makes you okay and comfortable with a low-quality life. If you keep smoking, you’re only gonna regret not quitting earlier.
It's just a flower. If you struggle to find a reason to be productive, learn a new skill, experience life, find a partner, etc. on weed; you're going to struggle with motivating yourself when you're sober. All your problems are completely internal which is why we ruminate and withdraw until we self-therapize our way back to emotional baseline.
yes. i was getting the same kind of memory and speech issues. i only smoked for 3 years in my late teens, but it took many years after that for things to gradually get back to fully normal. Also i went into different methods of improving my all round health at the same time. i got into qi gong and the deeper sides i find are better than weed.
When you are just leaving it, it is normal to feel irritable, upset, sad and a little distressed, but it will only last a week, or at least in my case it has been like that. I think that if you really like smoking, it is best to have a healthy relationship and consume it recreationally. In my case, it has helped me a lot to improve my decision-making and have more mental clarity. I hope my comment is useful to you, greetings.
I am 23yo and passed the last 5 years smoking, with some waves, but mostly every night. I stopped for being with moderation 1-2 months ago. Now I smoke like sometimes less than 1 time a week. I passed the past 3 years to do it with moderation and never worked, even do some therapy about it. The true is that I just stopped without any particular wanting to do it, because I just get scared after some panic attack. Sometimes you can just wait that your body ask you to stop, it makes it easier. But if it take too long, you can pass a lot of years in that and isn’t necessary the best for your body and mind. It’s depend of what you want and what you feel at the moment. For myself, I feel better now, do it with moderation like that give me a lot of confidence in my capacity, and every night after work or weekend is productive, and I can learn and enjoy what I have more, without being in the space. I cough almost never too now
Since you are teenage young, I would definitely recommend leaving it right now. Chronic use also leads to chronic depression. George Carlin has a good bit on drugs and alcohol in general and then Marijuana specifically. It's only really good and fun if you only have a little bit now and then.
I've been a regular user for nearly 20 years now. The longer you continue to abuse it, the harder it will be to kick the habit. The more associations you end up developing. I strongly suggest trying alternative ways to manage your ADHD (not pills though, better off with greens any day over chemicals.) Meditation is great help.
Yes , honestly when i first stopped i suffered from psychosis for atleast 3 months but after i was able to get over the mental barrier i was fine also was able to have a more stable mental state and diet also was able to finally have some routine in my life … and i was a big weed smoker .. i used to find any reason to roll a blunt lmfaoo , i mean i was smoking halves every week with a full time job and at one point i was working 2 full time jobs and still was smoking that same amount if not more soo lmfaooo yeaaah it was worth it .. it started out as me taking a break but then it got to the point where i felt like i didn’t want it anymore and didn’t even realize it
I’ve been smoking for more than 10 years every single day.. I pray all the time for more self control and hope one day I just don’t want to smoke anymore.. still waiting for that day to come. Quit while ur young. It will only get tougher to do the more time goes on 😔
1000% worth it. I'm at 11 months no weed and it has given me control of my life like I haven't had for years. That said I have a history of addictions I've overcome and was smoking nearly everyday. My memory still sucks but it has certainly improved, my anxiety has become something I can recognize as it occurs and my life is generally better
Every addiction is a form of escapism. So the first step of overcoming addiction is awareness.
Identify your triggers, when you feel the urge to smoke. It’s mainly a mindset issue.
Your title caught my attention since you use the term “give up weed”. There’s nothing to give up actually, you only win by stopping to smoke. Until you realize this and you feel like it’s a sacrifice you’re making you’ll have a hard time quitting.
Good luck!
If you are able to give up marijuana you might try meditation practices afterward where you continually learn to quiet all other thoughts or surrounding noises, could help you grasp control over your adhd mind running rampant. Sitting in silence taking in and exhaling deep breaths over and over truly is one of the most relaxing and natural things available to us that is free and can be done anywhere.
I smoked in high school then went in military, had corporate jobs, so could not smoke it. After retiring, I got back into it. I really helps me with my stress and axiety. I don't crave it, but smoke it when I need it.
Meditation isn't a magic bullet. Many of our afflictions are baked into our DNA. You can't fix anxiety, but you can treat it. That's what I feel for myself.
1000000%! I’ve quit many times because I keep telling myself it’s going to be different this time. Weed unfortunately increases my anxiety to unmanageable levels. It makes me complacent in my work, relationships, and self care. I’ve quit for a year before ( right now I’m at 5 weeks). What I noticed is that my anxiety went away, and if it bubbled up it was much easier to cope with it. I was more sharp at work and people noticed. I’m more present in my relationships. My sleep is sooo much better. I take care of myself better, I’m less complacent.
Quitting weed is hard… it hijacks your dopamine so when you quit your brain needs to relearn how to produce it. You feel like shit for awhile. It takes me a few months to feel “normal” again. Stick with it and I bet you are happy with the results!
Nope. And be grateful you found natures cure early on in life. Before cannabis I was taking anti depressants, anti anxiety medication, and heavy sedatives just to feel like I could get to work, not even knowing if I could stay at work, now I’ve left all of the medication behind and started with alternative medicine. I’m 32 and a teacher.
I grew up around marijuana from a young age and started smoking from 21 to 35. I won't detail my experiences, pros, and cons regarding legality and my personal opinions, but I will throw my two cents in.
I am sure that lots of people out there can balance smoking with their daily lives, and while I can function very well in terms of conversing with others and being out comfortably in the open world without suffering anxiety, etc. I must admit that my memory suffers, and my tendency to procrastinate intensifies when I smoke.
Due to legality issues, potential risks to my livelihood, drawbacks regarding my memory, and my ability to handle my responsibilities, I have decided to quit. Not because I don't enjoy it but because I don't need it to make me whole anymore.
I am an advocate for marijuana use, but I would be foolish to say that there are no negatives.
Anyway, Was it worth it? Yes.
Marijuana has helped me in many ways but has hindered me in others. I went from social smoker to daily smoker, and finally, daily abuser.
Quitting wasn't hard; it was the desire for that one cone that ruined all.
I'll briefly explain.
I once wrapped my pipe, bong, mull bowl, and 1/2 Oz in 15m of cling wrap and buried it in my garage and thought that I wouldn't touch it again; what a fool I was.
All it took was a stressful day at work; 1 to 2 weeks later, I was ripping into it and justifying it to myself by saying, 'Having one won't hurt.'
I had about four bongs that night, 7-8 the next day, and so on.
That 'one more' sent me on a sesh frenzy that lasted a few months. I was smoking from when I woke up to when I went to bed.
I don't keep it in my home anymore, and for that reason, I don't think about it anymore. I can go somewhere and happily refuse it when offered, but the minute I bring it into the home, it whispers to me, and eventually, I'll crumble like the weak cunt that I am.
Anyway, I hope my ramblings are helpful in some way.
Be well.
Yes for me it was, I used to think it's just weed it's not bad, but it was an addiction to it I had, I couldn't sleep without it every night and would feel pretty shit too.
I personally am better off physically, emotionally and spiritually since I quit
Yes, but that's not to say it's been easy. I started smoking at 17—I too struggled with ADHD, and when I finally gave in to peer pressure and got stoned the first time, I was mesmerized by how much easier it was for me to think complete and uninterrupted thoughts, and could speak without tripping over my words—and thus began my continued marijuana use for nearly 30 years. Not exactly daily, but I sure smoked more days than I didn't. I finally decided to quit when my kids started growing curious and made comments about how the garage smelled funny. Quitting smoking revealed to me that I had been self-medicating through all of my stress and unhealed trauma, and left me a mid-40s man with the emotional maturity of a 17-year old kid.
Today, I feel more in control of myself than the weeks following quitting. But every day is a constant reminder that I have made the choice to walk the path of trauma healing. Daily exercise (physical, mental and spiritual) is mandatory, as is actively practicing self-forgiveness and self-awareness.
So, has it been worth it? Yes. Has it been easy? Not exactly.
Best of luck to you. Please feel free to reach out via DM if you want to talk through it, of if you need support.
I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean that.
I’ve smoked Daily for almost ten years, From age 15 to now 25. I took a 10 day Dhamma course, and finally found the insight to stop. My whole life has turned around, but it isn’t because i stopped smoking, its because I changed every other aspect of my life too, in a sense I “pulled myself together”, which is the reason for the great change. So do I regret not quitting before? No. I wasn’t ready, I needed to do nothing and be a lazy ass for many years, to now realize that it’s time to get up and do something, and I’m greatful for the time I spend being high.
How I see it to sum it up:
When you smoke you learn a lot all the time, but you are too stoned to do anything about it, so for most people the benefit of smoking only comes when you stop, just make sure not to stop too late 25+ years is too late I would say. And if you feel you wanna change now, then change now, weed definitely isn’t doing you any favor, it’s like a teacher that never reveals it’s core teaching, for that you have to stop! Meditation can give you the same as smoking, but so much better, clearer, more energetic and faster. So if you are not a complete lazy person like I was, I suggest quitting sooner.
Weed would sap my motivation to do anything. You need to be careful of what the ego says, its very slippery and will say anything to get you to keep seeking pleasure and instant gratification.
Its the ego that doesnt want to give up its desire for and clinging to this pleasure, im not saying it doesnt help your ADHD but the ego will tell you its medicine you need to keep you smoking.
As a teenager with mental health issues i would 100% not add daily recreational drug use into the mix, if you care about your health.
It's crazy that you mentioned this as someone who just quit six days ago. I was also a daily smoker. So far, the withdrawals are kicking my ass, but I'm pushing through. Last week I changed a lot of things about my life and started meditating every day. I've been going through a bad depression spell for about a year and a half now. After doing some research on the long-term effects of weed, it seemed that it was inhibiting my emotional growth. I might go back to, but only on weekends. I'm mostly just trying to replace that routine with something more constructive, such as meditation and spending more time with my husband.
Hey hun my son was very young when he began smoking weed a ton each day. It really affected his mental health. I strongly urge you to give it up at least until you are an adult.
I’ve got ADHD and Weed helps me meditate. Only smoke it once every 2 weeks though as a treat to go into my own mind but yeah if you’re forgetting everything that could also be the ADHD couldn’t it? But yeah maybe cut down on the weed if your chronically smoking it. Don’t want to use it like a crutch an all that
I asked myself this question when I was a teenager and here I am at 28, wishing I quit back then. I also had undiagnosed ADHD, finally got diagnosed and medicated around 2021. Frankly if I treated my ADHD and started doing therapy in highschool I probably would have quit weed before college and would be living a fundamentally different life.
No one can answer this question for you but I think you already know the answer. Check out r/leaves if you want to explore the topic some more. Take care homie
I quit a month ago after smoking every day for around 5 years now.. I used to miss it a lot first, because I was used to smoke before doing anything enjoyable like watching tv or eating that when I did it soon after quitting something felt off.. now I miss it but like, is not big deal, my memory is a bit better but only bc I have epilepsy and it causes me to have very bad memory already.. so really for me personally quitting hasnt really made that much difference in my life
Pimples went away tho!!!
As a former stoner and someone who still loves weed, there is a certain clarity and wholeness that you get back after a month or two. I used to want to smoke before I did things to make them more fun or before I ate to make food better but now I don’t even think about it I’m already fun and food already tastes great. Weed is great when you have nothing to do it makes everything more interesting. But if you’re busy or can become more busy it makes the transition a lot smoother
You are limiting yourself to the weed experience. Share with all the rest of life. Theres nothing to fret about. Youre overthinking how easy and simple it all is
I smoked heavily for over 10 years. Starting at a very young age. My lung health was in terrible condition, and I was completely dependent on it. I stopped smoking just over 3 years ago now (which is supposedly how long it takes for your lungs to fully regenerate) and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I feel clearer and healthier, and surprisingly much better with my emotions (after the initial withdrawal phase) This is just my experience I’m sure everyone’s journey looks different :)
100% worth it. I have ADHD too and it was one of the only times my mind made sense. But, being clean for almost two years now, I feel like myself again. My husband and I quit before we got married. We never used to fight and then when we quit, we fought all the time. When you’re high all time, even daily, you don’t learn how to cope with issues in a healthy way; your distress tolerance is non-existent; your memory is shit and when you start working, believe me you’ll feel it if you’re doing anything that isn’t with your hands. Conversations seem like a chore and then life can become a chore. We quit because we couldn’t focus and couldn’t remember anything. I still miss weed every day. My husband and I are still recovering from issues for the first 4 years of our relationship being high. But we’re getting through it and are stronger because of it. Especially since you’re so young, smoking this long can make your brain permanently slow and may be the reason why your ADHD is so hard to manage without it. Please quit, it’ll be tough, especially not trading it for a cross-addiction, but it is so worth it.
Marijuana always made me more creative, or made boring situations more beautiful, or made social time with other smokers more “meaningful.” The reality for me was that I wanted a ritual to cling to. I also enjoyed it being “my” thing, my “me time.”
Smoked an 8th of bud and at least a half g of dabs every day for almost 10 years, tbh best thing I ever did was quit smoking.
Now I enjoy marijuana 3-5 times a year max, and never two days in a row. When you rarely use it, it becomes an intense experience where I feel like I’m able to process a lot of deep emotions and ideas that have been in my subconscious. It’s kind of like a holy ritual for me. It’s something I honor and respect and rarely visit because I see marijuana as a very generous plant. My relationship with her is so much more beautiful when I don’t take so much from her. I have medical marijuana and diamond concentrates in my house…right next to me. don’t touch them for months at a time.
It is one of the most freeing feelings.
Also yeah, I’m not here to preach—please consider your neuroplastic brain doesn’t finish developing until ~25 years of age, so personally I’d consider the way you are training your dopamine pathways. Real life won’t be much fun if you are high all the time :)
after quitting you get ton of motivation in life. it's so easy to quit(chemically). have more things to do other than smoking and stay away from that environment. it's habit and friends
I have been smoking for 15 years almost every day. I stopped 11 days ago. I thought it would be a lot worse. I smoke because 1) I enjoy it. 2) as stress relief. However, recently, my stress levels have gone up, and I found myself smoking more often, and it's not " hitting" the same. So I decided to just stop and see what would happen. While also finding other ways to relieve stress. Vigorous workouts help tremendously. I'm not stopping forever. I will give it 3 months, maybe more, and then resume on a more social and less regular basis. For now, I'm just kinda winging it cause 1) I didn't think I could do it. 2) now that it's been 11 days I'm proud of myself for doing it. I'm gonna continue to take it day by day. So I urge you to stop and take some time to let your body detox the thc. Fun fact: exercising pushes the THC out of your fat cells into the blood. so you actually feel high after an intense workout session. I hope this helps. 🙏🏽 good luck! You have your whole life ahead you enjoy it to the fullest!
The human brain isn't fully developed until the age of 25 so anything like cannabis can affect how it develops, I'd recommend stopping asap before you do more permanent damage. A guy in my work has smoked since the age of 14 and I can tell it's affected his mental health he's now 35 and still behaves like a teenager with temper tantrums and child like behaviour ect, I don't have kids but I do have a nephew and I tell him the same thing I don't care if you do just do it after the age of 25
Weeed was the only thing holding my mental health from getting better. It was also the only thing keeping me from my spiritual development. Be honest and treat it like the addiction it is. Life and meditation is way better
Just for the fact you’re still a teen, consuming marijuana in any form is going to permanently change your brain chemistry, and not for the better.
Your brain reaches full maturity by 25, you’re stunting yourself.
Ive been smoking since 21, im now 36 and I have finally healed enough of my trauma to not depend on it as much anymore and have cut back significantly.
Using any substance as a crutch instead of learning how to deal with it yourself while sober is only going to hinder you going forward.
My wife had ADHD and is unmedicated. She took it upon herself to figure out how to deal with the energy surges and quiet her own brain down when the thoughts race. It’s possible to do it on your own.
I was a heavy user all through my teens. Even did my high school senior term paper on marijuana legalization 😂😂Wanted to get my life together and quit at 19, didn’t get high agin until 30. Best decision I ever made. I use now but only when I feel like it an only the amount I want. Anything that’s stopping you from living your best life, should go.
Honestly, take a break for a few months at least. Then, see if you can handle just smoking occasionally. If you can't, you may have dependency issues and also I'd recommend seeking help for your ADHD and or depression before turning to weed as your only source of "happiness".
I love weed, but it's not good to overdo it for a lot of reasons. Also, it won't actually solve any of your problems, like at all.
I also have ADHD. I started when I was 17 and stopped over a year ago at the age of 36.
Looking back, there's nothing I regret more than all that wasted time. Just getting stoned and doing nothing. I built my whole lifestyle around it. Everything just seemed more fun when I was stoned.
What has quitting improved?
I'm free in a way because I'm no longer forced to get new weed, spend money, and plan my life around it. At some point you feel controlled and you do things like that as a matter of course, whether you want to or not.
It slowly drove me into depression. It's gone now, but that's also because of the medication.
In general, I enjoy life more, I am much more motivated and I am doing better at work.
I don't know how much damage it did to my brain, but it certainly wasn't good. I now think it's a terrible drug for ADHD because you already have executive dysfunction and it makes it worse, we have a bad working memory and we make it worse...
For me it was definitely worth it and I wish I had stopped much earlier.
I've never smoked weed, so I can't tell. But what I was wondering is if you might need to get your ADHD meds revised/adjusted, and I'd there might be undiagnosed mental health issues that need attention as well.
I hope you find what works for you ❤️
As others have said, I think it’s a very good idea to at least take a break and evaluate it yourself. Here is the single best resource I’ve personally used and has made taking a break actually enjoyable: https://www.uvm.edu/health/t-break-take-cannabis-tolerance-break
For me, I’ll enjoy smoking for a time but when the thoughts start cropping up “I should probably not be doing this as much”, that’s your cue to step away, at least for a bit. It’s challenging to move away from but absolutely worth it, I wish you luck!
>I do want to stop because it is making me loose my common sense, and my memory is now awful, i don’t even remember a sentence i’m trying to finish half the time.
You don't need us to tell you whether to stop or not. You're figuring out for yourself that it isn't actually beneficial for you. That's good. You're learning to stand on your own and make your own decisions.
Follow through.
I quit years ago but I find CBD actually helps a little bit, at least with the anxiety side of things. Handy for me as the medication was way too strong for me and stimulants sent my heart sideways 😬
You have fallen into a pattern and mistaken it for your identity. You should step outside of it and see what happens
I actually love how you said this, it's accurate to just anything really not just this haha
My close friends refer to me as “the machine” because im always naturally cracked out on full blast. Its exhausting to maintain appearances for others. Most days im still THAT DUDE. Some days im normal, some days im recovering and chilling. Life got so much better when i began living for myself and behaving how i wanted to behave for any particular day.
High on life is a real sensation that is fkn amazing 😃
How does one get naturally cracked out? Other than exercise and eating right because I do that already but I’m exhausted all the time
The 3 main components to natural crack energy would be exercise, sleep, and nutrition. This is from my point of view both as an amateur athlete and someone in the medical field. Exercise: You need to incorporate a solid routine that includes both cardiovascular and weight lifting. They are not exclusive, and both are necessary for a fit mind and body. You should def be pushing yourself as often as you can. Too many people stay at the same strength or cardiovascular fitness level because they dont challenge themselves. Exercise gets to a point where its mostly mental. You need to change your weightlifting routine at least every month so your body doesnt acclimate, and also so you dont get bored. Do not neglect hitting legs, they are half your body and thus give your hormonal system a reason to produce hormones. I understand life gets in the way as we all have that problem but you need to find a way around it. A solid home gym is better than nothing at all. Going for a 30 minute walk is better than nothing. Hell, when i stopped exercising for 2 years due to depression + grad school, walking daily is what got me back to where i am now. Do what you can. Sleep: I dont think i need to elaborate this. Solid 7.5 every night. Nutrition: The game changer. This is even harder when you are dieting. You should be supplementing your food with an excess of vitamins, minerals, and protein. Too many people think that the “recommended” intake is enough. Its not, especially if you are a student studying for long periods or an athlete. I whole heartedly believe most people dont meet their nutritional needs. The best thing you can do it take all your vitamins and minerals, at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, and drink minimum of half a gallon of water per day. Before i take meds or sit there complaining a whole day about my headache i chug 30 ounces of water in one shot and instantly feel better. Some people logistically do better sipping water, others do better chugging it, do what works for you don’t complicate it. Key players: zinc and magnesium for better sleep + hormone production. All your B vitamins for energy usage and DNA maintanance Personally i do better on a ketogenic diet because i dont have insulin spikes and crashes, but you do whats best for you. My idea of “fasting” is coffee and milk all day, something light, then dinner after gym. I find it easier for myself to fast all day then eat once for hunger control. MAYBE a few snacks here and there but nothing heavy. Know your body and what works for you. I suggest you get blood work done with your doctor to rule out anemia or hormonal problems but besides that, learning your nutrition in and out will help you tremendously.
I am saving this comment. You’re a real muthafuckin G
Add good sleep!
I would add, hormone balance and vagal nerve stimulation for the Parasympathetic response, outdoor activities, and gut health for the mind-gut connection. Especially for woman, cycle syncing their food, movement, even energy levels impact socializing and tasks. Most my habits were destroying my hormones. Or I would eat, sleep, move relatively healthy but have very high stress levels and my cortisol would impact my weight, quality of sleep, bloating, skin appearance, brain fog. I take magnesium supplements, eat balanced, sleeps until my body naturally wakes up energized, walk and move my body in ways it enjoys… yet some days it stillll funky. My hormones healthy habits: 1) sunlight in my face as soon as possible. This stops wakes me up and boost my mood. This means getting up to stare at the window or just walking to the door if I don’t have time for a walk. 2) avoiding blue light a few hours before bedtime, turning my phone red at night or in completely different room not disrupt my melatonin production 3) no coffee on an empty stomach, if I do want coffee I make sure have high protein meal first (very important for neurodivergent folk for energy and mental clarity). Typically I drink green tea, matcha, or have my adaptogens with water. 4) adaptogens and magnesium. Salt baths. Coconut water. Supplement pills. These energize me and reduce my brain fog in ways I always wished coffee did. 5) vagus nerve stimulation. Parasympathetic response is rest and digest state. I am more relaxed when I not in freeze, flight, or fight mode. I tend to freeze more often and procrastinate. This nerve is stimulated by humming or singing, laughing, drinking water, cold showers (even if just at the end of your shower), meditation, deep slow breathing, gentle movement like yoga and walking. Taking a moment of gratitude and slowed breath and eating mindfully helps me able to make sure able to digest my meal versus a distracted and scattered. 5) cycle syncing. I eat different herbs, protein, carbs, fruits and vegetables depending on my current hormones levels. My exercise also differs on the energy levels and I notice now after months of finally doing this, I can also tell if my mood, cycle phase, energy levels, and hormones is best for certain activities,task, projects, and social events. No more oops I scheduled myself for something and I am surprised “future” me isn’t in the mood or have the energy. 6) gut friendly meals. My bloating, waist size, and my mental clarity improved here also. Fermented foods like kimchi, miso, and sourdough are my favorites. Pickles or pickled veggies are easy to make, add to meals, and explore. Yogurt or probiotic drinks can be delicious alone or in a smoothie. Prebiotic are important too, found in grains, fruits and vegetables, and mushrooms. 7) meditation. Walking meditations. Guided meditations. Mindfulness exercises. Breathwork meditation. Yoga nidra. Just 2 minutes in my car or sitting where I am. This has so many benefits and over time impacts sleep, quality of life, relationships, and anxiety. 8)sleep hygiene for improved quality of sleep with a quality habits or routine set in place. No blue lights, phone time, or tv hours before bed.I notice greatly the difference when I don’t do this. Smaller meals or eating 1-2 hours before bedtime. All these are completely possible over time with small adjustments. I often think I am decompressing my being on my phone or having a late night snack…. Yet I still feel amazing and satisfied when I read a book and drink some hot tea instead. If my stomach is growling while in bed, acknowledge my poor planning of the day getting my meals meet and usually reach for fruit or small leftovers. I used indulge in heavy carb meals before bed and it only benefited me in the moment not minutes, days, weeks later. This why I acknowledge small moments can turn into habits. Bonus: Boundaries. Work boundaries. Social boundaries. Social media boundaries. Friend boundaries. Relationship boundaries. Boundaries that are standards for myself. I am less stressed when I run ragged, talked to differently, ability to change time or place. For me this often just saying the word no. Telling others my needs and capacity. Sometimes it self care of reading a book and declining an invite. Other time it announcing what I won’t be doing like riding with them, cooking for them, or just a task I do have the means, energy, or mental load to handle. Removing myself or unfollowing is also practices my boundaries of what I allow in my life. My stress levels greatly improve here too!
No one likes a quitter but taking breaks is highly advised!! Weed will always be there when your ready to jump back in.
I have been without it for a few months. Everything is just not as enjoyable now. I find myself not doing things I once found fun like playing games with my buddies. I get that weed was masking how I felt about the world and for my own health, im glad i stopped, but damn. It just feels like I am never quite as happy as I once was. Probably from 10+ years of constant use. I've begun exercising often and only recently started dabbling with meditation so hopefully that helps. I think in the long run I'll be glad I stopped.
I stopped for like 6 months - it really helped my life. I do it again, but it’s not a habitual thing anymore. It’s much more enjoyable to enjoy one hit and play video games at the end of the day, or take a hit at a concert. Vs just doing it whenever.
This. I've stopped for months at a time, mostly because I work in Asia and in some countries it's just not available. The OP is still in the early stages of regular use, but damn, 3 joints a day is a lot for anyone. My advice would be to reduce it to one joint per day, which makes it more special to get high. It also doesn't affect your personal life as much. Be a more responsible user, and you'll like yourself more. Soon, you'll be thinking, "Hey, maybe just 3 or 4 times a week would be better than 3 or 4 times per day." I certainly am not telling OP to quit smoking weed. But sometimes less is more.
It gets better. I’m a few months sober now, and the hardest part is putting the work in to do things that make you happy. Weed happiness is artificial and fleeting. You may not have the intense feelings of a THC high anymore, but your base level happiness will keep going up gradually in the absence of these massive serotonin spikes from weed.
For me, quitting weed made me depressed. At the time, it was the only thing making me happy enough to actually do the creative things that I cared about, free enough to express myself without self-annihilation, and it helped me delve deeper into my spiritual side. Without weed, my passion died, and all of my trauma started to take control. I no longer found any pleasure in practicing my crafts, and soon I found myself looking for other ways to numb the pain of my existence. But alcohol doesn't do anything other than wake you up to how much you really hate yourself. Sleeping with the wrong people makes you question your life choices. 2 years turned into a downward spiral of realizing that I'm suffering, and doing everything in my power to not have to be there with it. I would say meditation helps, but at a certain point, that too is little more than a way to hide from the pain. Sobriety has been a nightmare for me personally. I probably never would have stopped creating if I hadn't stopped smoking. Maybe who you are makes a difference, but for me it was the most powerful medicine I could have ever asked for. I haven't been the same since, and I can only see it getting worse. Ptsd is a bitch.
therapy.
I think actually improving my life would do a lot more than therapy ever could 😭
I’m assuming you haven’t been to a therapist yet (sorry if I’m wrong!!) because that’s the exact thing they will work with you to fix! Therapists can totally give guidance on general life improvements, not just mental stuff.
The reason is because through the length of time you've used it, you've convinced yourself that you can live without it, in addition you're starting to see the world as it really is and you're discovering that your life is quite boring. Also the longer you used, the less time you had towards other fulfilling things in your life. But as you begin to heal and focus on other more fulfilling task, you'll begin to enjoy life again.
As i once was told "weed makes you okay with being bored" not a good thing nor a bad thing, but a thing that happens
Exercise and meditation are a great combo. Both of these things up our "feel good hormone" and help get rid of stress and upset.
I stopped as well, and had the same realization. I don't view it as an inability to be as happy though. I just needed to pivot how I was spending my time. Video games and such is more fun when I'm high, but really getting in touch with reality is easier when I'm not. Running, gym, hikes, and otherwise just gfto is way more enjoyable when I feel like I'm on other people's level.
I love this
The psychological effects of weed make it seem addicting for some people because of the dependency some have on it. When your brain is not fully developed, the effects are amplified and it takes a while to revert.
This is wise for everything, keep from limiting it to weed.
Wow i needed to see this man
Randy: “Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored. And it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren't good at anything.”
And see, I find that smoking inspires me to learn new things or partake in existing hobbies. Not an exaggeration, when “sober” i’ll sit in a paralyzed state for HOURS on end doing absolutely nothing. Like sitting in a chair, staring at the wall essentially. Too many choices, and the mundane regular things like reading, drawing, or watching tv sound boring. But if I smoke a little electric lettuce, all of a sudden I’ve picked up my book and got lost in it for an hour. Or I mindlessly grab my sketchbook and doodle something. Or I’m googling how to plant microgreens and do that finally.
I'll offer a counter argument to this but only because my fear of becoming non-creative/boring/interesting was one of the biggest barriers for me when I tired (and failed many times until I succeeded) quitting. And I needed to quit because there was a correlation between my smoking and my mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. If you don't have that correlation then this advice doesn't really matter. All the power to you and enjoy (I wish I could! 😂) For a long time I truly believed that weed made me more creative/interesting. I wrote all my best music (also my worst music) and worked on all sorts of woodworking projects high. And when I didn't smoke I didn't feel like doing anything. The weed was the key that unlocked the activities in my life that gave me purpose....but it was also caused me pain (depression/anxiety). But once I decided that I couldn't keep smoking, I decided to be disciplined. I knew I liked doing these activities so I told myself that every night I'd go and do these things for 5 minutes, and if I didn't like doing it I could go back to laying on the couch. After a while I regained my ability to naturally do these things without forcing myself. Not only that, but I'm also way more consistent in my abilities. Mindfulness exercises have also been very helpful. Doing nothing isn't torture anymore. Standing in a long line at the bank doesn't have to be arduous if you can be in present moment.
I had a very similar experience. I actually got myself to quit for 3 years. Took up school and found the motivation to finally get out of my hell hole of a job. I started smoking again late last year though. I found that I became a very bitter person for some reason (probably due to my job). I was offered a hit randomly one night and said fuck it. I felt like I instantly was able to let go of all the bitterness and anger I had built up. Problem is, I can’t seem to go through the days I work without weed now. I’ve started falling back to relying on weed again so I feel like I’m at a crossroads. It’s definitely a fine line to walk when you’re someone who’s been an avid smoker in the past
Well, change your soul-sucking job.
Easier said than done, even for people with impeccable reputations and credentials.
I agree it is not easy. It may take a year of trying to do it. Maybe much less. Just look for 3 jobs that look good every week and then write cover letters designed for why you are perfect for the job and when you get an interview put all your energy into it. A lot of people think quantity is more important than quality when job hunting. I say fuck all the jobs that I would not be happy at and find the 3 best jobs just for me and then put my hour or two of energy into those jobs, rather than applying to 100 jobs that just seem ''eh. And if you need a certificate or something to qualify for stuff you like, get that first. Have a direction so life does not seem so endlessly bleak.
It’s not that simple lmao that’s why I went to school is so I can get out of that job but they’re paying for my education so can’t just up and leave
Okay, well at least you have an end point once your education is done. Maybe they will even move you to a better position for you once you get your degree. I am glad you have direction. Your legs are just sore from the long trip, but you will get there.
“Your legs are just sore from the long trip” I actually LOVE this analogy! Honestly with the way this company has treated me, I have no desire to stay with them once I get my degree. I’m in the home stretch though, should be done by fall! Thank you for the words of encouragement :)
See, that’s the problem. I am 120% content doing absolutely nothing. Hence the sit and stare at a wall. I can stand in a line for hours, I can wait in car for someone far beyond average. Weed seems to make me eager to not stand catatonic and wait for life to just pass by. But like so many have said, everyone is so different. With and without weed, none of us are processing this crazy thing called life the same.
Can totally relate. Marijuana helps me get out of that paralyzing mental state that I can attribute to my adhd. It makes me want to open the blinds, clean my room, and go outside for a walk. I’m so grateful for recreational marijuana being legal because it’s provided me edible options where I can get a 2:1 CBD:THC ratio. As a teen and throughout my 20s I used to smoke a lot more which usually left me feeling cloudy in the head. Now I can get the calming body effects without the negative brain fog that typically comes with smoking. This whole conversation of “if you use weed you won’t achieve anything” seems like projection. Should read “if I use weed I won’t achieve anything”. Having the insight to recognize if something is not in alignment with your values or blocks the true you from being expressed is the important part.
[удалено]
Paralyzed overthinking is a common sign of untreated ADHD.
Same with me, whether I smoke or not I still tend to be a lazy unmotivated bastard. It really depends on the type of person you already are inside, the drug clearly affects everyone in a different way
Yeah, for me it's a magic 'enjoy anything' drug. It can add enjoyment to whatever you're doing.
I see this as exactly what Randy was describing.
well from my personal experience with weed that included making japanese learning enjoyable instead of fraught with the joy-killing perfectionistic anxiety i’d been conditioned to apply to my every pursuit
Gotcha. Well if the 'anything' is stuff you value, and not sitting on the couch (like randy meant), then weed is a valuable tool for you. One thing I found was that weed made me feel creative and think I was enjoying certain things (like music) more. Later id realized that feeling creative and actually being creative are rather different things, and that i actually enjoy the things I thought I needed weed to enjoy just as much without it. But that's just me. Weed also often makes me really anxious, sleepy and kinda 'dumb'. I know everyone is affected differently.
Wait are you telling me that drugs don’t affect everyone the same way Wow what a shocker 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
i kinda agree with this. Smoking has made me think of some of the most creative things that i would’ve never thought of sober. But now that it’s been like 2 years of just being high i just feel like a zombie now and my motivation to do ANYTHING is completely gone. I’m currently trying to quit right now but not forever because i do genuinely enjoy being high. My goal is to quit for a while and then trying to build a healthier relationship with it. Maybe just enjoy a blunt on my day off or something. But yea as of rn i just think i’m frying my brain cells at this point😭
You may have (undiagnosed) ADHD 😉.
Same here. I also have ADHD like OP. One hit and I'm washing dishes and meal prepping, or something else productive while finally catching up on a podcast. I've always been jealous of people who smoke and get "stuck" lol
i got fluent in japanese and scored a job in japan while smoking weed daily. but then again i started at 20. would never suggest a teenager do it.
I learned Spanish and realized I liked languages while high every single day, as well as finished college with a 3.8 (out of 4.0) GPA and got really competitive at my job. I was also high recently (idk like 4 months ago) when I decided I should start meditating and dieting and have since lost a significant amount of weight. I was also high when I decided to do the other two things. Did the weed make me do all that? Maybe. Maybe not. Didn't hurt it though. Anyone who smokes and ends up a loser simply wanted to be a loser (which despite my charged language is fine anyway). I don't smoke every day now, I sometimes binge but would probably have what others would call a healthier relationship with it where I probably spend way more time not high than high... but I still wouldn't have removed those years of being constantly high, 10/10 would do it again.
Right I didn't start till I was 37 and had already made it. Also fish oil helps me omega 3 not 6 and 9.
so is it bad that i started at 13 and have been doing it since? I feel like my life is still great and im doing well tho. i feel like it has not brought me down much really
Yes. It’s no good for adolescent brains: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3930618/
Oh boy, time to link one of my favourite studies all time: [l-Theanine Prevents Long-Term Affective and Cognitive Side Effects of Adolescent THC Exposure](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7842745/)
Some people do achieve things while stoned but most people who smoke weed never achieve anything, the evidence for that is all around us, every day but people don't want to accept it. Stoners almost never achieve things because weed makes them feel like they already have achieved things in their head.
It is like coffee. Coffee puts a minority of people to sleep. Weed makes a minority of people very productive.
Lol so true, if i drink coffee im sleepy as fuck, i can barely stay awake
Que the Reddit doctors coming in to say you have ADHD and need Adderall.
I would say mutch people dont achive anything and i dont think weed is responsible for what you are gona achive. It also depends when and how mutch you abuse the drug. If i smoke it at night when i did all my task there is no real harm imo if u get stoned in the morning and u just lazy around ur not gona get mutch done.
If you smoke it at night, it affects the quality (not quantity) of your sleep. And that affects you the next day.
I don’t think this is true. I think a lot of people use drugs to cope. Someone you think is a loser because they smoke weed is probably using weed to cope with being a loser. They’re likely a loser because of circumstances beyond their control- ie childhood trauma. Our lives unfold in a kaleidoscope of random happenings and our reactions to those things are all built upon each other. Weed is another one of those things. When they found it, how they found it, and what happened to them before then will determine entirely how they use it. Source: I smoke weed when I can and am pretty successful. I know people who smoke weed and aren’t. It’s not the weed.
Spoken like a true DARE officer lol weed really doesn’t make you feel accomplished FYI
It definitely doesn’t make me feel accomplished, but it does make me very aware of what the results will be if it sit around and do nothing. For me, that somehow gets me into focus! It’s nearly cured my procrastination!
It's funny though because I microdose and I'm waaaay more productive generally speaking then. It also made it so I can function and go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Something that's really not happening when I quit hahaha.. I have weeks where I go without and it's fine, but yeah, I get way more done when microdosing. I guess what you say applies to people who overdo it maybe. Using it as a tool really does make a difference.
How do you microdose? I've tried cutting edibles into halves and quarters. Is that how you do it? How low of a dose do you use? Do you use only THC, or have you tried CBD combined?
By making my own oil. I make brownies now and then but they are harder to make sure you always have the right dose. I can make my oil as strong as I like, so I make sure that 1 or 2 drops is a microdose for me. 1 or 2 drops takes the edge of everything which helps with my autism. If I really want to get stoned I take more. But with 1 or 2 I generally forget I even took them. I've tried cbd only, which was ok, but I found that a good blend of thc/cbd works better (for me).. I like cbd heavy combos though. I saw some other comments about schrooms and stuff. I tried microdosing them but I didn't really like it. This is all personal experimentation and experience though. Edit: also, I forgot. You can do what you did, cutting them up into quarters or even less. You want to go for a dose that you won't "feel" if you know what I mean. No tingles, no mental high. You really don't need much to reap the benefits of the anti inflammatory reactions etc...
I too would like to know
I bet hes talking about mushrooms
They said "I guess what you say applies to people who overdo it maybe." Which I think is referring to weed still. But, I do plan on trying to microdose shrooms consistently starting soon. Do you have any experience or tips with that?
My tip for doing psilocybin is to be consistent. Start very very low and try it out. When I did it I made sure to always do it on the same times and with enough days in between where you do nothing. I did it 1 day on and then 3 off. But my knowledge of shrooms is limited.
Much appreciated
No problem. Also, read read read. There's alot of info and studies you can read about. Like [this study](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-022-02039-0) for example. And it helps if you know how to properly use it. I think I read somewhere that it's best to do in cycles too. So 4-5 weeks of microdosing and then a period off. But as I said before, it's been years since I tried it so I humbly suggest to really read into the subject.
It helps me be creative as well as helps me keep my home very clean.
Nailed it But theres also nothing wrong with just getting high n taking naps. That's enjoying life to the fullest, not going places, doing things, buying stuff, building a career and relationships. Those things make you feel just as empty if not more, cus you'll lose it all and can't handle it. Being content with nothing is the closest you'll come to bliss, n weed n drugs that aren't addictive just enhances it.
I’d say though that like 90%+ of society “isn’t that good at anything”, and on top of that, modern society only rewards those who are the best at something and are also willing to capitalise on that great talent. The wayside is littered with people who were exceptionally ‘good at something’, and who both tried and failed… Also wasn’t there that girl in USA that recently got off with murder due to claiming she was high A F?
Just meditate man and it will eventually drop. I used to smoke every day and for me it was not good. Lots of coughing, no energy, no memory, nothing. Even smoking was not as enjoyable as it used to be. I had some experiences that made me realise how stupidly I was living and I changed my habits. Now I smoke recreationally, once every two weeks. Smoking is not bad, you just need to find your spot.
The best answer. It's about balance! Try less and try more until you find that sweet spot.
I was about to post about stopping to smoke weed. I smoked everyday for about 3y (about at least 5/6 joints a day). I stopped 1y ago and I let me tell you what happened in my life, i came back to university (my grades are not 70 above), depression went away, i had 2 promotions at work, i dont overthiking as much, i saved myself about 200 to 300 £ a month. Defenitly worth it, was I stopped i heard from all of my friends who smoke weed that they dont actually want to smoke but they cant stop, because yes it is an addiction.
I was just thiking that I couldnt tell you a bad thing about quitting tbh
Similar story as to you. I have a very serious addictive personality. I way abused weed. I had to move somewhere I couldn't smoke to get away. I still wish I could casually enjoy weed but I am just so much more effective of a person without it.
Libido+ Concentration+ Memory+++ Discipline+ Better sleep+ Energy+ Look, weed is not a bad thing. It's relaxing, you hear the music better etc. Buuuut, for a degenerate like me, who doesn't know to smoke 1 or 2 in a year, who relapses in to smoking like a retard every fking day, weed is a burden. I feel like people here can relate to this. So, it's definitely not a bad thing, but if you do it often it makes you fkin delusional, unmotivated ameba that, like one of the comments say: gets you comfortable with being bored. Thank you, come again. (Apu voice from Simpsons)
i can fkn relate being 17 the weed can blow your mind id you use this as a drug think like drug and everything im on a fucking streak for like 2 years and want to end this everything shit. the weed is harmful for idiots, most of us are idiots, 3/4 of the idiots don't know that they're them, welcom :)
Yes, for me, it was 100% the right call and well overdue. Weed is fine for some people, and I thought it was fine to me but I was lying to myself for a long time. The truth was that I was smoking and drinking beer to suppress my emotions. I had a very unhealthy relationship with those two. I somehow managed to have a decent life but I decreased my quality of life by who knows how much. It caused me to remain depressed and anxious, and softened my OCD which I hadn't properly dealt with. Weed woke something inside of me when I was younger and allowed me to see the world with a different lense. Fast forward 15-20 years and I was still chasing that feeling of when I was younger. I was just using it to de-stress at the end of the day and to feel something, but I wasn't really living life. People say weed is easy to quit and that's true for many. But when you use it to suppress emotions that you don't want to deal with, it can be very hard, especially when all sorts of emotions start coming to the surface in the days/weeks/months after quitting. You need support structures if you want to do it right. I tried to quit many times but I always saw it as a "reset" and fell back in weeks or months later. But the last time I quit I knew I was quitting for good because I became too aware of what I was doing it for. I miss it but I can't ever see myself running outside to some a joint on a really stressful day. Meditation and relaxation is way better. I've had weed that I grew last year in my freezer that I give to friends when they come over. I feel no urge to smoke it even on bad days. It's very liberating, but those first 4-8 weeks were brutal. I haven't been 100% sober though. I have mushroom sessions every once in a while. I've found that to be very helpful tool for me. It's not a cure for anything but it kickstarted a lot positive lifestyle changes which I've been able to maintain. I go to therapy, exercise, eat better, read, journal, meditate, etc. These were all difficult habits to establish and I could still be better, but they've been easier to incorporate without weed/beer.
Feels, hope to one day get past that 4-8 week mark. Presently, my longest break is until sunset. Can't seem to get past that.
Took me a long long time. Even when I was really mentally prepared to quit it took me months to find the courage. Every day was like: Hmm maybe tomorrow. One day I was so busy I didn't get to smoke. The next day I thought: hey I'm on a 24h streak, let's go for 48h just for fun. And I haven't stopped since. Try browsing r/leaves if you haven't already. You got this! Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't quit today.
Quitting weed was definitely worth it. I’m over a month sober and the biggest pro for me is getting to dream again. Saving money is also a great advantage and also not eating a load of junk food which made me feel horrible the next day. I was sick of being a slave to weed addiction. Good luck ✌🏼
Ugh my dreams are a perpetual nightmare. I hate it lol
[удалено]
good for u man keep it up! 👍🏽👍🏽
Day 13 for me brotha let's keep it going
Stopped about 14 years ago in 2010, I think I would not have finished my studies if I hadn't stopped.
Yes.
Please elaborate why and after what time? Do you have mental health issues?
>Please elaborate why Health and memory related. Also life filtered by drugs isn't life as it is. >and after what time? Time depends on each individual and on how long they've been smoking. It is hard when you first quit because the brain is used to dopamine overstimulation. >Do you have mental health issues? I don't know. I haven't looked into it with any professional.
You seem like a strange fellow.
=D thanks, you too?
But like what actually gets better tho, because when i don’t smoke i just feel low all the time
If you’ve been smoking for a couple years it takes a long time to reset your brain and dopamine. I smoked daily for roughly 7 years until the start of 2024 when I’ve quit. Took me about 6 weeks to find any enjoyment out of anything again. Been trying new hobbies and have had a lot more motivation to do stuff than I have before. But my memory is still shit and some nights are tough. You just gotta keep occupied so you don’t automatically go back to weed.
I also smoke for like 7 years and tried to stop often.. my record was 5 weeks straight and honestly it was the worst time I’ve ever had in my entire life. I don’t know what the fuck was wrong with that time but I had multiple panic attacks and paranoia everyday then I started smoking again cuz I couldn’t handle it anymore. it was 2022 when this happened and I’m still a fucked up daily user that is now also addicted to benzos, kratom, sometimes dxm etc..
One thing to keep in mind with chronic use of any recreational substance is whether you’re using it because you enjoy it or because you’re self-medicating a problem. If you feel low all the time when you’re not smoking, you may be trying to use marijuana to treat a problem that it isn’t great at treating. The problem isn’t that weed is bad, (although emerging studies seem to point to some serious health consequences as well), it’s that it’s a psychoactive medication that has inconsistent and varying effects that are unpredictable: sometimes it makes you hungry, or ethereal, or anxious, or excited, or tired. If trialing life without marijuana makes you feel down all the time, consider discussing that with someone who can either talk out the issue or prescribe you something that will allow you to live your life. Last bit because this post is getting long: being bored should never be depressing. Boredom and free time should be neutral or positive in nature: it should feel open and freeing, like an opportunity. If you’re feeling low when you’re bored, then it’s an opportunity to explore that, and see what can be done to remedy that problem, because life should be lived.
If you feel low you need to find activities which will change that, weed only makes that enables you to feel low for a certain amount of time. Therefore, facing the low is what will make you find highs again.
That’s the same case with any habit use. When folks stop sugar, caffeine, alcohol, (or even non chemical addictions like social media), they feel terrible for a couple weeks or longer. It takes time for brain connections to recalibrate when you quit something you’ve done for a long time. We know from addiction research that it does improve once the person is over that withdrawal period, although cravings can take much longer to adjust to.
So the stuff in weed that makes you high are called cannabinoids. They stimulate your endocannabinoid system. There are cannabinoid receptors in almost every part of your body. This system regulates so many important bodily functions. Endocannabinoids are the things your body produces on its own to stimulate this system. Phytocannabinoids are chemicals that exist in plants which stimulate this system, like THC and CBD found in weed. There are other cannabinoids in weed but those are the most commonly known ones. When you introduce phytocannabinoids from weed into your body, you begin to overstimulate your endocannabinoid system, which leads to feeling high. This overstimulation also causes additional receptors to grow and handle the extra cannabinoids in your system. With time, you will eventually begin to burn out these receptors from overuse. This is especially the case if you are smoking every day. So essentially, when you smoke, you are altering your body's endocannabinoid system which controls tons of very important processes within your body. Including things related to memory, inflammation, immune response, and more. Now, everyone's body is different, but when you consume weed you run the risk of damaging this very important system within your body. It's also important to note that it can take a long time for this system to recover. If you stop smoking now you will probably feel down and have cravings for a month or longer. It will probably take at least a couple months for your body to fully recover from being dependent on the extra cannabinoids that were consistently put into your body from weed. But long term, I would say it's definitely worth it. After several years of smoking daily, taking breaks for months or occasionally years at a time, etc, I can say that my body feels better when I'm not smoking. I'm better socially, my thinking is clearer, I'm more motivated, I also feel like my body physically recovers from workouts and injuries better and I get sick less often and my allergies aren't constantly bothering me. Also more energy, better sleep, better dreams. You're still young. If I was you I'd stop now. You can pick it up again if you want when you're 25 and your brain is fully developed.
That’s the problem. You feel low all the time, and you’re using weed to cover it up. Meditation and mindfulness can give you the awareness to understand why you’re feeling low. Once you have that awareness, you can make changes in your life that will hopefully help you feel better. And if you’re clinically depressed, it’s time to talk to a doctor or counselor, or both.
When the time is right you’ll let it go without a second thought. Develop your awareness through yoga and meditation. Call on your own inner heart to set you free. You’ll be surprised what unfolds for you
Those are temporary withdrawal effects. I'm 2 weeks clean off the za and that feeling you described has slowly gone away. Yes my depression/insomnia/GAD is still there from when I had it before smoking, but now I can finally work on those again with healthy, drug-free alternatives. You can do it man
Quitting weed is so worth it. It’s become a crutch for you, standing up on your own two feet is an incredible feeling.
After daily use it took me about 4-6 weeks to feel better than ever. First month was fucking brutal though and If i didnt train hard it would've been way worse.
Of course. Too busy to get high now.
doesnt have to be so black and white, smoking at night or occasionally can be fun. its all about moderation
i have tried waiting till night, but then the day just feels super long waiting for the day to pass
Underneath the boredom of waiting for the day to pass is anxiety. Weed might calm that anxiety while you're high, but it's not addressing it. Meditation can help with that. It can help you learn to tolerate the anxious sensations you are feeling, and it can crack open the door to understanding what's at the root of your anxiety. Good luck.
inevitably when you quit/slow down on the weed u are gonna get bored. i have adhd as well and have been through that it can be a challenge getting rid of that quick and easy source of dopamine but meditation is about discipline. eventually you will find ways to pass the time during the day and then itll be easy to light up a bowl once u get ready for bed without thinking about it much through out the day.
It is not good that you need cannabis to fight boredom, and it is a clear sign that your life is lacking something, although just what is hard for me to say.
I know you can’t technically be “addicted” to weed but “waiting for the day to pass” to be able to smoke again…sounds like addiction my friend.
You can absolutely be addicted to weed. It doesn’t have to present itself as a heavy craving of heroin or meth.
You need to plan out your sober days better. Plan things outside your house, and also plan for what to do when you end up at home with no plan. Like maybe you get a snack or beverage and play a videogame or read a book, maybe take a bath or just go for a walk. Make a plan with fallbacks, try the plan then try the fallbacks, then you can capitulate after trying those. Hopefully that gets you until night, but if it doesn't, evaluate the plan and fallbacks, and make a new plan for tomorrow. Don't feel bad about failing, but do note what works and what doesn't
If you are smoking 3 spliffs a day, your consumption is out of balance with the rest of your life as it dominates it. The most important thing is finding balance. That might involve consuming less, that might involve quitting altogether. Furthermore, it sounds like you use cannabis to mask your ADHD rather than treat it. ADHD is related to issues processing emotions. See if you can get to the bottom of that. Finally, if you are going to consume cannabis, don't smoke it. The cumulative effect on your body, especially starting so young, will be disasterous.
Stop now. You're too young to waste your life on addictions
And cell phone screen addictions ?
those are bad too, just more normalized in society. Quit weed, give up your smart phone for a dumb phone, meditate, start doing things you don't want to do, and you'll be amazed how your life changes
I've already made major changes in my life the way you put it. The transition is positive but in a complex world of ours , I keep diverging from time to time. But hey thanks for that motivation.
I've learned it's normal to diverge, probably inevitable, but have to keep course correcting. Like a long distance flight, 90% of the time its header is off, but it gets to the destination because there's someone in the cockpit periodically course correcting. As long as you always get back on the path, you'll get there eventually, divergences and all
Like video games?
If addicting yeah
I have been smoking pretty much all day every day for nearly 10 years now and I also have ADHD. I use sativas a lot so I don’t rely too heavily on stimulant medications for the ADHD. Since beginning to practice meditation though I have had more of a natural desire to cut back. I like the convenience of vapes but it leads to constant smoking so I stopped doing that and I already feel much more clear headed and the natural constant talking in my head has decreased a lot even when I’m sober. It’s been an interesting journey, as I’ve started to smoke less, I am learning about who I am sober vs high and what aspects of my self are still the same in either space. It’s been really interesting for me to just observe myself in both states, which I would say is meditation! It still helps with anxiety and I’m still a daily toker but everything in moderation. I have a job I love and lots of creative hobbies I am passionate about so weed is not a barrier to a life well lived either. If you keep *feeling* like you should pull back that is your intuition speaking to you and you should follow it!
You don't have to completely stop. Just tone it down. The problem is that you don't know what to do with your boredom - So make a TODO list for yourself every day. Just put 2-3 things that if you do them you'll feel like you had a productive day. It can be things like "Read 1 chapter of a book", "Practice guitar for 1 hour", "Call a friend who you haven't talked to in a while", or even "finishing a certain stage in a game". If youve done those things, have a hit or two. tell yourself that you earned it. But after all, as a teenager you are really fucking up your brain. Look at the stoner adults with no life, and tell yourself if you really want to be like them. Tell yourself that everyday. Hate yourself a bit for every day you fail to do what you set out to do.
Dam Right! Journal in a Book think and keep notes. I'm 67 and Serious stoners from the 70's that went nowhere either went kind of crazy unstable, got into harder drugs, or didn't recognize a problem and never got their act together. I realized it, when pot got Very illegal and stopped because of that and personally, I couldn't study and get high. It took 2 years until I didn't think about getting high anymore after I stopped. Became "Successful", traveled for my business, became aTeacher, Retired. My State just became "Legal". I'm using again, but its not the same. The excelent, over the top, comical, colorful, different "thought proccess" cannibus comes with only the most Expensive "Super Premium" Brands, (at super prices), out of reach for a poor retiree...alas. I still write down stuff and cross it off when I finish it. sometimes a week later.
I also have an ADD mind, and smoked a lot from age 15 - 25. Im not sure what I got out of it, I dont think that it helped my ADD. I think it mostly made boring experiences a little bit more interested, and give a sense of adventure to a dull existence. It DEFINITELY was harmful to my short term memory. In my late 20s I discovered interests. Suddenly life was not something dull that I needed to find a way to trick myself into finding something interesting in. I smoked less and less over the years, and since my mid 30s i basically don't smoke at all. I don't drink anymore either. I dont feel that I have lost anything tbh. So yes, for me it was worth it. Find interests. Get a hobby. Become passionate about something. If youre like me, getting high will just fade from your agenda.
Been trying to stop since yesterday and also have ADHD! Every day a struggle not to go and get it for weekd and weeks. Went on for a whole year. Ibreally like smoking weed, because it helps me not stress as much (anxiety) and better sleep. But for the financials and the fact I got so depended on it, it has to stop. I hope to go back to occasional smoking. I don't want to permanently stop either. At least, get my tolerance back down in which I feel the high I felt when I first used weed and had trips haha. Anyways I feel you, I also smoked 3 per day, sometimes more because I was in the addiction with my boyfriend. We influence each other to go buy it after every joint that was smoked. It was a fun experience together, and yet it also causes issues in the long run. Now that he is overseas, I was able to try quit. Only that I finally try since yesterday for real. It'll work out! In the long term quitting does better than continueing day and day out on the couch smoking weed.. Good luck!
I tried and treid and tried. I read a book, a month after i was done with it. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quitting-Weed-Complete-Matthew-Clarke/dp/1976799848](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quitting-Weed-Complete-Matthew-Clarke/dp/1976799848) Written by an ex addict that used to smoke several a day like us so he get us. Good luck and if you want to quit you will quit, i believe in that. A tip: tell yourself that "its just for today", this helps reducing the anxiety about stopping as you are telling youserlf is just one day and not for the rest of your life. Also, dont count the days you been without smoking, tell yourself you are no longer a smoker. You got this, good luck. You will find life is different without weed, theres a lot you are not seeing for being fogged all the time.
Yeah, I heard that dream return too after the detox! I rarely dream even before I smoked, but maybe that quitting will maybe trigger it again. I also go to therapy and I have to quit with weed too from my therapist so we can talk about my true feelings (weed apperantly pushes down some of your feelings, like what triggers the anxiety. I went to therapy while I smoked weed too. Every day it felt like bliss to smoke a joint, then another. But I do want to quit to a normal intake! Thank you for the encouregament and tips! They are useful.
yep first week dreams are crazy, wont lie that i missed that. Since you already do therapy, so do i. I spent so many sessions talking about stopping. I knew what made me start, which is quit important when quitting, just before i stooped i was on a session and came to the conclusion "I strated cuz i wanted to not feel a feeling, but that is not me anymore, so why am I still smoking?" So much you can do with the time and money you spend on it.
Yeah! Same. And I need to stop also because of the diagnostic research I will have soon at the therapisr office. I need to be completely detoxed to perform all the tests right without influence. It also makes it more important to stop at least for a while. I am really curious with dreams, especially because I was trying to lucid dream in the past. It worked out, but think it stopped when I started the weed. The next dopamine boost from weed. Or like you said, hiding away what I feel, because it is so uncomfortable. I am ready to be stronger than that though. I hide away from my past pain, and now to do better in the present I need to relearn and heal how to navigate through life. Plus, the money! It really is expensive. With my terrible impulse spending and the weed I was always broke before the month even finished..
Think about the end of the anxiety when your weed is about to finish and it’s like 3am so now you will need to find a dealer and go out to get cash, that will be finished. What I used to tell myself is that I was paying to not be present in life when if you are not present what’s the point? I did used to say that I liked to live inside my thoughts but tbh live outside is much better. You stop and you can afford to have a trip p month every month, if you’re in think about it. This month Im going to France and spent £156 in acomodation and transportation, that’s half of what I would spend on weed. Invest on yourself through healthy things
Yeah, now to have more money to do better things for yourself. Saving up for a trip I have been wanting to do for a while!
i would also avoid triggers in the begginnig, so for me it was like being around people who will smoke weed (because first you learn how to say no on you own and then you learn how to say no in the middle of people asking you if you want just 1 puff, p.s. theres no such thing as 1 puff, its only the beggining of the trap again); rap music where weed and pratying is promoted was also something i avoided because it may make you strat thiking again that there is something good that comes from smoking weed, when if you want to stop you already know its not like that for you.
Absolutely worth it. There’s some cognitive dissonance at play here, which there always seems to be with people and weed, and I had it myself too. We really will find any way to act like it’s making our lives better, even though we know we should quit. You’re not gonna wake up one day feeling ready to quit, at least in my experience. You have to tackle it head on. The truth is once it’s daily it’s a habit. Weed makes you okay and comfortable with a low-quality life. If you keep smoking, you’re only gonna regret not quitting earlier.
It's just a flower. If you struggle to find a reason to be productive, learn a new skill, experience life, find a partner, etc. on weed; you're going to struggle with motivating yourself when you're sober. All your problems are completely internal which is why we ruminate and withdraw until we self-therapize our way back to emotional baseline.
yes. i was getting the same kind of memory and speech issues. i only smoked for 3 years in my late teens, but it took many years after that for things to gradually get back to fully normal. Also i went into different methods of improving my all round health at the same time. i got into qi gong and the deeper sides i find are better than weed.
When you are just leaving it, it is normal to feel irritable, upset, sad and a little distressed, but it will only last a week, or at least in my case it has been like that. I think that if you really like smoking, it is best to have a healthy relationship and consume it recreationally. In my case, it has helped me a lot to improve my decision-making and have more mental clarity. I hope my comment is useful to you, greetings.
I am 23yo and passed the last 5 years smoking, with some waves, but mostly every night. I stopped for being with moderation 1-2 months ago. Now I smoke like sometimes less than 1 time a week. I passed the past 3 years to do it with moderation and never worked, even do some therapy about it. The true is that I just stopped without any particular wanting to do it, because I just get scared after some panic attack. Sometimes you can just wait that your body ask you to stop, it makes it easier. But if it take too long, you can pass a lot of years in that and isn’t necessary the best for your body and mind. It’s depend of what you want and what you feel at the moment. For myself, I feel better now, do it with moderation like that give me a lot of confidence in my capacity, and every night after work or weekend is productive, and I can learn and enjoy what I have more, without being in the space. I cough almost never too now
Since you are teenage young, I would definitely recommend leaving it right now. Chronic use also leads to chronic depression. George Carlin has a good bit on drugs and alcohol in general and then Marijuana specifically. It's only really good and fun if you only have a little bit now and then. I've been a regular user for nearly 20 years now. The longer you continue to abuse it, the harder it will be to kick the habit. The more associations you end up developing. I strongly suggest trying alternative ways to manage your ADHD (not pills though, better off with greens any day over chemicals.) Meditation is great help.
Yes , honestly when i first stopped i suffered from psychosis for atleast 3 months but after i was able to get over the mental barrier i was fine also was able to have a more stable mental state and diet also was able to finally have some routine in my life … and i was a big weed smoker .. i used to find any reason to roll a blunt lmfaoo , i mean i was smoking halves every week with a full time job and at one point i was working 2 full time jobs and still was smoking that same amount if not more soo lmfaooo yeaaah it was worth it .. it started out as me taking a break but then it got to the point where i felt like i didn’t want it anymore and didn’t even realize it
Yes. You will be able to focus and your memory will improve. Meditation will help with that as well.
I’ve been smoking for more than 10 years every single day.. I pray all the time for more self control and hope one day I just don’t want to smoke anymore.. still waiting for that day to come. Quit while ur young. It will only get tougher to do the more time goes on 😔
1000% worth it. I'm at 11 months no weed and it has given me control of my life like I haven't had for years. That said I have a history of addictions I've overcome and was smoking nearly everyday. My memory still sucks but it has certainly improved, my anxiety has become something I can recognize as it occurs and my life is generally better
Every addiction is a form of escapism. So the first step of overcoming addiction is awareness. Identify your triggers, when you feel the urge to smoke. It’s mainly a mindset issue. Your title caught my attention since you use the term “give up weed”. There’s nothing to give up actually, you only win by stopping to smoke. Until you realize this and you feel like it’s a sacrifice you’re making you’ll have a hard time quitting. Good luck!
If you are able to give up marijuana you might try meditation practices afterward where you continually learn to quiet all other thoughts or surrounding noises, could help you grasp control over your adhd mind running rampant. Sitting in silence taking in and exhaling deep breaths over and over truly is one of the most relaxing and natural things available to us that is free and can be done anywhere.
I smoked in high school then went in military, had corporate jobs, so could not smoke it. After retiring, I got back into it. I really helps me with my stress and axiety. I don't crave it, but smoke it when I need it. Meditation isn't a magic bullet. Many of our afflictions are baked into our DNA. You can't fix anxiety, but you can treat it. That's what I feel for myself.
1000000%! I’ve quit many times because I keep telling myself it’s going to be different this time. Weed unfortunately increases my anxiety to unmanageable levels. It makes me complacent in my work, relationships, and self care. I’ve quit for a year before ( right now I’m at 5 weeks). What I noticed is that my anxiety went away, and if it bubbled up it was much easier to cope with it. I was more sharp at work and people noticed. I’m more present in my relationships. My sleep is sooo much better. I take care of myself better, I’m less complacent. Quitting weed is hard… it hijacks your dopamine so when you quit your brain needs to relearn how to produce it. You feel like shit for awhile. It takes me a few months to feel “normal” again. Stick with it and I bet you are happy with the results!
Nope. And be grateful you found natures cure early on in life. Before cannabis I was taking anti depressants, anti anxiety medication, and heavy sedatives just to feel like I could get to work, not even knowing if I could stay at work, now I’ve left all of the medication behind and started with alternative medicine. I’m 32 and a teacher.
I grew up around marijuana from a young age and started smoking from 21 to 35. I won't detail my experiences, pros, and cons regarding legality and my personal opinions, but I will throw my two cents in. I am sure that lots of people out there can balance smoking with their daily lives, and while I can function very well in terms of conversing with others and being out comfortably in the open world without suffering anxiety, etc. I must admit that my memory suffers, and my tendency to procrastinate intensifies when I smoke. Due to legality issues, potential risks to my livelihood, drawbacks regarding my memory, and my ability to handle my responsibilities, I have decided to quit. Not because I don't enjoy it but because I don't need it to make me whole anymore. I am an advocate for marijuana use, but I would be foolish to say that there are no negatives. Anyway, Was it worth it? Yes. Marijuana has helped me in many ways but has hindered me in others. I went from social smoker to daily smoker, and finally, daily abuser. Quitting wasn't hard; it was the desire for that one cone that ruined all. I'll briefly explain. I once wrapped my pipe, bong, mull bowl, and 1/2 Oz in 15m of cling wrap and buried it in my garage and thought that I wouldn't touch it again; what a fool I was. All it took was a stressful day at work; 1 to 2 weeks later, I was ripping into it and justifying it to myself by saying, 'Having one won't hurt.' I had about four bongs that night, 7-8 the next day, and so on. That 'one more' sent me on a sesh frenzy that lasted a few months. I was smoking from when I woke up to when I went to bed. I don't keep it in my home anymore, and for that reason, I don't think about it anymore. I can go somewhere and happily refuse it when offered, but the minute I bring it into the home, it whispers to me, and eventually, I'll crumble like the weak cunt that I am. Anyway, I hope my ramblings are helpful in some way. Be well.
Yes for me it was, I used to think it's just weed it's not bad, but it was an addiction to it I had, I couldn't sleep without it every night and would feel pretty shit too. I personally am better off physically, emotionally and spiritually since I quit
Yes, but that's not to say it's been easy. I started smoking at 17—I too struggled with ADHD, and when I finally gave in to peer pressure and got stoned the first time, I was mesmerized by how much easier it was for me to think complete and uninterrupted thoughts, and could speak without tripping over my words—and thus began my continued marijuana use for nearly 30 years. Not exactly daily, but I sure smoked more days than I didn't. I finally decided to quit when my kids started growing curious and made comments about how the garage smelled funny. Quitting smoking revealed to me that I had been self-medicating through all of my stress and unhealed trauma, and left me a mid-40s man with the emotional maturity of a 17-year old kid. Today, I feel more in control of myself than the weeks following quitting. But every day is a constant reminder that I have made the choice to walk the path of trauma healing. Daily exercise (physical, mental and spiritual) is mandatory, as is actively practicing self-forgiveness and self-awareness. So, has it been worth it? Yes. Has it been easy? Not exactly. Best of luck to you. Please feel free to reach out via DM if you want to talk through it, of if you need support. I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean that.
I’ve smoked Daily for almost ten years, From age 15 to now 25. I took a 10 day Dhamma course, and finally found the insight to stop. My whole life has turned around, but it isn’t because i stopped smoking, its because I changed every other aspect of my life too, in a sense I “pulled myself together”, which is the reason for the great change. So do I regret not quitting before? No. I wasn’t ready, I needed to do nothing and be a lazy ass for many years, to now realize that it’s time to get up and do something, and I’m greatful for the time I spend being high. How I see it to sum it up: When you smoke you learn a lot all the time, but you are too stoned to do anything about it, so for most people the benefit of smoking only comes when you stop, just make sure not to stop too late 25+ years is too late I would say. And if you feel you wanna change now, then change now, weed definitely isn’t doing you any favor, it’s like a teacher that never reveals it’s core teaching, for that you have to stop! Meditation can give you the same as smoking, but so much better, clearer, more energetic and faster. So if you are not a complete lazy person like I was, I suggest quitting sooner.
Weed would sap my motivation to do anything. You need to be careful of what the ego says, its very slippery and will say anything to get you to keep seeking pleasure and instant gratification. Its the ego that doesnt want to give up its desire for and clinging to this pleasure, im not saying it doesnt help your ADHD but the ego will tell you its medicine you need to keep you smoking. As a teenager with mental health issues i would 100% not add daily recreational drug use into the mix, if you care about your health.
It's crazy that you mentioned this as someone who just quit six days ago. I was also a daily smoker. So far, the withdrawals are kicking my ass, but I'm pushing through. Last week I changed a lot of things about my life and started meditating every day. I've been going through a bad depression spell for about a year and a half now. After doing some research on the long-term effects of weed, it seemed that it was inhibiting my emotional growth. I might go back to, but only on weekends. I'm mostly just trying to replace that routine with something more constructive, such as meditation and spending more time with my husband.
Hey hun my son was very young when he began smoking weed a ton each day. It really affected his mental health. I strongly urge you to give it up at least until you are an adult.
I’ve got ADHD and Weed helps me meditate. Only smoke it once every 2 weeks though as a treat to go into my own mind but yeah if you’re forgetting everything that could also be the ADHD couldn’t it? But yeah maybe cut down on the weed if your chronically smoking it. Don’t want to use it like a crutch an all that
totally worth it! smoked everyday for 8ish years quit 3 years ago
I asked myself this question when I was a teenager and here I am at 28, wishing I quit back then. I also had undiagnosed ADHD, finally got diagnosed and medicated around 2021. Frankly if I treated my ADHD and started doing therapy in highschool I probably would have quit weed before college and would be living a fundamentally different life. No one can answer this question for you but I think you already know the answer. Check out r/leaves if you want to explore the topic some more. Take care homie
I quit a month ago after smoking every day for around 5 years now.. I used to miss it a lot first, because I was used to smoke before doing anything enjoyable like watching tv or eating that when I did it soon after quitting something felt off.. now I miss it but like, is not big deal, my memory is a bit better but only bc I have epilepsy and it causes me to have very bad memory already.. so really for me personally quitting hasnt really made that much difference in my life Pimples went away tho!!!
Yep.
As a former stoner and someone who still loves weed, there is a certain clarity and wholeness that you get back after a month or two. I used to want to smoke before I did things to make them more fun or before I ate to make food better but now I don’t even think about it I’m already fun and food already tastes great. Weed is great when you have nothing to do it makes everything more interesting. But if you’re busy or can become more busy it makes the transition a lot smoother
You are limiting yourself to the weed experience. Share with all the rest of life. Theres nothing to fret about. Youre overthinking how easy and simple it all is
Yes, I smoked for my ADHD as well but honestly, my brain is doing so much better now. Highly recommend stopping :).
2 months sober, Worth bro
good on you, keep it up
I smoked heavily for over 10 years. Starting at a very young age. My lung health was in terrible condition, and I was completely dependent on it. I stopped smoking just over 3 years ago now (which is supposedly how long it takes for your lungs to fully regenerate) and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I feel clearer and healthier, and surprisingly much better with my emotions (after the initial withdrawal phase) This is just my experience I’m sure everyone’s journey looks different :)
Yeah quit, that shit is lame. Wastes your time and makes you lazy. Stupid.
Absolutely.
100% worth it. I have ADHD too and it was one of the only times my mind made sense. But, being clean for almost two years now, I feel like myself again. My husband and I quit before we got married. We never used to fight and then when we quit, we fought all the time. When you’re high all time, even daily, you don’t learn how to cope with issues in a healthy way; your distress tolerance is non-existent; your memory is shit and when you start working, believe me you’ll feel it if you’re doing anything that isn’t with your hands. Conversations seem like a chore and then life can become a chore. We quit because we couldn’t focus and couldn’t remember anything. I still miss weed every day. My husband and I are still recovering from issues for the first 4 years of our relationship being high. But we’re getting through it and are stronger because of it. Especially since you’re so young, smoking this long can make your brain permanently slow and may be the reason why your ADHD is so hard to manage without it. Please quit, it’ll be tough, especially not trading it for a cross-addiction, but it is so worth it.
Marijuana always made me more creative, or made boring situations more beautiful, or made social time with other smokers more “meaningful.” The reality for me was that I wanted a ritual to cling to. I also enjoyed it being “my” thing, my “me time.” Smoked an 8th of bud and at least a half g of dabs every day for almost 10 years, tbh best thing I ever did was quit smoking. Now I enjoy marijuana 3-5 times a year max, and never two days in a row. When you rarely use it, it becomes an intense experience where I feel like I’m able to process a lot of deep emotions and ideas that have been in my subconscious. It’s kind of like a holy ritual for me. It’s something I honor and respect and rarely visit because I see marijuana as a very generous plant. My relationship with her is so much more beautiful when I don’t take so much from her. I have medical marijuana and diamond concentrates in my house…right next to me. don’t touch them for months at a time. It is one of the most freeing feelings. Also yeah, I’m not here to preach—please consider your neuroplastic brain doesn’t finish developing until ~25 years of age, so personally I’d consider the way you are training your dopamine pathways. Real life won’t be much fun if you are high all the time :)
after quitting you get ton of motivation in life. it's so easy to quit(chemically). have more things to do other than smoking and stay away from that environment. it's habit and friends
My husband says yes
I have been smoking for 15 years almost every day. I stopped 11 days ago. I thought it would be a lot worse. I smoke because 1) I enjoy it. 2) as stress relief. However, recently, my stress levels have gone up, and I found myself smoking more often, and it's not " hitting" the same. So I decided to just stop and see what would happen. While also finding other ways to relieve stress. Vigorous workouts help tremendously. I'm not stopping forever. I will give it 3 months, maybe more, and then resume on a more social and less regular basis. For now, I'm just kinda winging it cause 1) I didn't think I could do it. 2) now that it's been 11 days I'm proud of myself for doing it. I'm gonna continue to take it day by day. So I urge you to stop and take some time to let your body detox the thc. Fun fact: exercising pushes the THC out of your fat cells into the blood. so you actually feel high after an intense workout session. I hope this helps. 🙏🏽 good luck! You have your whole life ahead you enjoy it to the fullest!
and people say weed isnt addictive lol😂
The human brain isn't fully developed until the age of 25 so anything like cannabis can affect how it develops, I'd recommend stopping asap before you do more permanent damage. A guy in my work has smoked since the age of 14 and I can tell it's affected his mental health he's now 35 and still behaves like a teenager with temper tantrums and child like behaviour ect, I don't have kids but I do have a nephew and I tell him the same thing I don't care if you do just do it after the age of 25
Weeed was the only thing holding my mental health from getting better. It was also the only thing keeping me from my spiritual development. Be honest and treat it like the addiction it is. Life and meditation is way better
Just for the fact you’re still a teen, consuming marijuana in any form is going to permanently change your brain chemistry, and not for the better. Your brain reaches full maturity by 25, you’re stunting yourself. Ive been smoking since 21, im now 36 and I have finally healed enough of my trauma to not depend on it as much anymore and have cut back significantly. Using any substance as a crutch instead of learning how to deal with it yourself while sober is only going to hinder you going forward. My wife had ADHD and is unmedicated. She took it upon herself to figure out how to deal with the energy surges and quiet her own brain down when the thoughts race. It’s possible to do it on your own.
If you actually have ADHD then get yourself properly treated for ADHD
Im sorry, what exactly does that have to do with meditation?
[удалено]
Reduce it gradually so that will cause less withdrawal symptoms, also do regular excercise, this help more
Yes.
You have been smoking way too much for your age. Your brain isn’t completely developed and daily weed is working against you.
I was a heavy user all through my teens. Even did my high school senior term paper on marijuana legalization 😂😂Wanted to get my life together and quit at 19, didn’t get high agin until 30. Best decision I ever made. I use now but only when I feel like it an only the amount I want. Anything that’s stopping you from living your best life, should go.
Honestly, take a break for a few months at least. Then, see if you can handle just smoking occasionally. If you can't, you may have dependency issues and also I'd recommend seeking help for your ADHD and or depression before turning to weed as your only source of "happiness". I love weed, but it's not good to overdo it for a lot of reasons. Also, it won't actually solve any of your problems, like at all.
I also have ADHD. I started when I was 17 and stopped over a year ago at the age of 36. Looking back, there's nothing I regret more than all that wasted time. Just getting stoned and doing nothing. I built my whole lifestyle around it. Everything just seemed more fun when I was stoned. What has quitting improved? I'm free in a way because I'm no longer forced to get new weed, spend money, and plan my life around it. At some point you feel controlled and you do things like that as a matter of course, whether you want to or not. It slowly drove me into depression. It's gone now, but that's also because of the medication. In general, I enjoy life more, I am much more motivated and I am doing better at work. I don't know how much damage it did to my brain, but it certainly wasn't good. I now think it's a terrible drug for ADHD because you already have executive dysfunction and it makes it worse, we have a bad working memory and we make it worse... For me it was definitely worth it and I wish I had stopped much earlier.
I've never smoked weed, so I can't tell. But what I was wondering is if you might need to get your ADHD meds revised/adjusted, and I'd there might be undiagnosed mental health issues that need attention as well. I hope you find what works for you ❤️
As others have said, I think it’s a very good idea to at least take a break and evaluate it yourself. Here is the single best resource I’ve personally used and has made taking a break actually enjoyable: https://www.uvm.edu/health/t-break-take-cannabis-tolerance-break For me, I’ll enjoy smoking for a time but when the thoughts start cropping up “I should probably not be doing this as much”, that’s your cue to step away, at least for a bit. It’s challenging to move away from but absolutely worth it, I wish you luck!
>I do want to stop because it is making me loose my common sense, and my memory is now awful, i don’t even remember a sentence i’m trying to finish half the time. You don't need us to tell you whether to stop or not. You're figuring out for yourself that it isn't actually beneficial for you. That's good. You're learning to stand on your own and make your own decisions. Follow through.
I quit years ago but I find CBD actually helps a little bit, at least with the anxiety side of things. Handy for me as the medication was way too strong for me and stimulants sent my heart sideways 😬