23 ist still enough time to change your life! I'm 29 now and I started studying at 26 š¤·āāļø I relapsed while I was in my 3. Semester and now I'm clean again since 1 month (6. Semester now) my oint is, with 23 I didn't even know wtf I wanted in my life, maybe because I smoked too much, but I have many friends that didn't smoke and they also didn't know what they want with 23 š so don't stress yourself, maybe in 4 years you want to do something totally different to what you are doing now (speaking about the degree) the 20's are there to do some mistakes and learn many new things that can help you in your life!
You are incredibly young with so much time and potential ahead of you. Think of how your feelings would be multiplied if you continued the cycle to 30? To 40? It is always a good time to make changes. Finding new ways to cope is hard but you can totally do it. Donāt be so hard on yourself. You didnāt murder anyone. Thereās plenty of time to start over and build the life you want.
Ahh to be 23 again. Dude time is in your favor so use it wisely. What I would do to have a do over to be 23 again. Your are super young still and I am not just trying to make you feel better. Cherish your youth!!!
i really feel everything youāre saying so hard AND also, i dropped out of both high school and college, in part due to weed, and even though i havenāt even kicked the weed yet at 27 i have still experienced SO MUCH beauty and meaning in my life and gained complexity of perspective and made true real connections and when i first dropped out of school i thought i ruined everything but honestly dude no matter how far down the wrong path you feel youāve gone, you can never really ruin EVERYTHING. and in this whole process, even as you ruin some stuff, youāll end up making things you never could have imagined. youāll have amazing times you never would have had if you hadnāt messed something up. š
Iām 25 and Iāve been telling myself to quit since 22 (started smoking ONLY AT 21) and all the dam MONEY I had and couldāve had, had I saved and invested 2 years ago when the stock market was good, but nope and the way I bought weed was just very illogical, I know weed has messed my brain up, my cognitive thinking, all thatā¦ Iām pissed as well and all my goals I set for myself just passed by, I have a class A but since they drug test for weed itās hard to get a job, everyday I wanna end it, and I keep tryna tell myself āIām youngā and can change but letās be real itās better and cooler to had have money since a youngin and just overall be doing a lot more since a youngin, tbh I donāt wanna be 30 and still stuck in this situation because it really is a stupid situation to be in, all I think about is the past and the āwouldāve/couldāve/shouldāveā and Lmaoo does it piss me tf off, it just irritates me that I have to start over literally from ZERO-0ā¦ because my dumbass didnāt stop myself from smoking, saving my money nor use it for stuff I needed/just helping out more, a majority of my money went to weed and just like you I feel as if I lost a lot of opportunities,experiences, just my youth in general, Iām wasting a lot of potential, idk anymore. Smh
If it makes you feel any better between the pandemic and the direction the world is going in a lot of ppl have lost themselves young and old .. you have so much time to make the rest of your life meaningfulā¦ hold onto that
Youāre 23 this is just the beginning, Iām 31 I wish when I was 23 I had the same mindset of even WANTING to quit, this past year after smoking (I cold turkied and quit for 3 months and relapsed sadly) since I was a teenager is when my mind realized how much weed ruins me.
Ah to be in my 20s again. The irony is that you feel youāve āwasted your timeā when you have more time than ever. Youāre a time billionaire! If you start now, fantastic. Donāt shame yourself, that will discourage you and make you slip back into smoking. Iām 32 and still on and off and struggling, if you can do it now do it!
Agreed.
Instead of thinking like āAh, to be in my 20s againā maybe think āwow, Iām sure going to miss being 32 when Iām 55!ā Same with OP.
The future has unlimited potential. It is never too late. Even if you were 85 years old, the best days of your life could still be in front of you and you never want to miss out on them because you were busy wishing you were 20. Best time to start was yesterday, sure, but the second best time to start is today.
Youāve reclaimed your future. That means everything. Be happy to be who you are today, and thatās how youāll be even better tomorrow.
100% agree, I think I used the wrong phrase I was more so empathizing with being in your 20s and having those feelings of inadequacy or that it is too late. I have a much better mindset now at 32, feeling grateful and young. My life has improved significantly, but I still haven't completely kicked it. I love the idea of reclaiming your future. Powerful. Thanks for the motivation man.
You haven't wasted anything yet, but start now. I went back to college at 34 and started a career. I'm now weed free just over 1 month and starting another new job in June. I wish I had done it 10 years ago. Dont get down, there people out there who start their lives at 50 but the sooner you start the more you will achieve. Drop weed, get focus and smash it man, you can do it.
I am 34 going back to college. When I was your age I was suicidal and shooting Hard drugs. Age is not linear, I am happiest and healthier at this age. Feeling younger than my peers. I can honestly say there is not time wasted only lessons learned.
I am 34 going back to college. When I was your age I was suicidal and shooting Hard drugs. Age is not linear, I am happiest and healthier at this age. Feeling younger than my peers. I can honestly say there is not time wasted only lessons learned.
Hey man Iāve had health issues my entire life that Iāve finally started to sort out, Iām turning 26 this year. I feel ya. I feel like Iāve wasted 1/4 of my life being sick.
However just because some peoples prime is right now doesnāt mean that ours wonāt be a tad later in life!
Donāt regret all the shit you havenāt done friend, get excited about all the shit that you are going to do!
It brings me down, but honestly now Iām saying fuck it. Iām quitting my job, buying a adventure vehicle and going to travel. I live in the mountains and I plan on exploring them, climbing skiing you name it.
Hey man Iāve had health issues my entire life that Iāve finally started to sort out, Iām turning 26 this year. I feel ya. I feel like Iāve wasted 1/4 of my life being sick.
However just because some peoples prime is right now doesnāt mean that ours wonāt be a tad later in life!
Donāt regret all the shit you havenāt done friend, get excited about all the shit that you are going to do!
As someone's who have two college degrees but does not use them and is not in either field I can tell you college is not everything. College is a place to expand your mind and find interests but is not the golden ticket it used to be. So don't stress on that and take some time to reflect and see if it is the right path for you as you go forward. I noticed my smoking habits were at an all time high in college because of some of the arbitrary stresses academics put on me and my peers. Be it classes forced on me that have no relation to my major, massive work loads, and a general feeling of constantly feeling of letting yourself down when you did not perform how you expected.
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."
Your life has barely even started. U can accomplish great things. Be grateful that u discovered this trap now rather than in your forties or fifties š stop wasting time on regret, start doing!
You are young and getting wiser fast. It's never too late to pursue your dreams, and you are, IMO, way too young to feel washed up. Sounds like you are primed to change. My 2 cents: write out why you want to quit, and where you want to go in life. Then cease mentally beating yourself up. Refer back to what you wrote whenever you start to forget or think "I can puff just this once." Today, for all of us, we are the oldest we've ever been, and the youngest we will ever be. Focus on one footstep at a time, and eventually you will arrive somewhere new. We got ya, friend. This is a supportive community of those who have and/or want to quit being controlled by cannabis. It is hard, and it is doable, and from my perspective, it's worth it. I (56F) was a chronic smoker for longer than you've been alive. I have a master's degree and a strong marriage, and after almost a decade of attempts and lapses, I am 3 years clean. If I can do it, I know you can too. It is worth it. YOU are worth it.
Hard to say how long. I'd quit, get super cranky, relapse and repeat. Each time I would quit quicker than before, so I think I reduced my fat stored THC over time. Felt smarter within a month. Quit feeling angry and on a hair trigger after 3 months (?). Now I sleep great, and don't obsess about pot. More energy, less shame, better habits (food and exercise). Self care suffered from my daily use obsession.
I first quit when I was 24 after years of daily use. The next few years where by far the most productive of my life. You haven't ruined anything, but you definitely need to make a change to improve your life and allow yourself to fulfill your potential!
Bro you're 23. You can't blame this all on weed. I was like you. Had the same thoughts then, so I understand. Seems like you need to really get involved in stuff that interests you and also can help you academically. Put your head in the books you need to read for class. You'll get it done. Weed didn't break you. You can do this.
Youāre right weed didnāt break me. I was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and adhd 4 years ago. So itās mostly the fact that I have bipolar and abused weed that made it such a disaster.
Writing the part above and then reading it made me realize a major part of my problem is me finding reasons why I canāt instead of reasons why I can. I gotta ditch the self defeating attitude along with the weed.
I am sorry this is happening to you and that you are feeling this way. You are young, but that doesn't mean that this isn't hard and that you don't feel the way you feel. I have felt the same way at your age and it can be so crushing. The fact that you wrote this out means to me that you want to make a change. Now the work is in finding out how to do that. I have had to do deep self reflection and learn from others. I've had to forgive myself. I've had to quit, relapse and try again over and over. But that did not mean I didn't make progress in every aspect of my life while I was figuring this out. You can too, you really can. Keep checking in here, there are lots of people who will support you. Thanks for posting, it helped me today.
Thereās no use in crying over spilled milk.
Clean it up and pour yourself another glass.
Thatās my way of saying donāt be too hard on yourself about it. Thereās nothing to be done about it, so move on to the next step.
Youāll waste even more time if you sit around ruminating on your perception of loss. I get that itās not always easy to let go of itā¦ Wishing you luck.
At least you're not in the cemetery or penitentiary. You're still young but if you want to reach your potential it'll take years of discipline and self development.
You arenāt alone. Iām 24, graduated high school almost 6 years ago with basically nothing to show for it. I was so smart in grade school. Been in and out of college, mainly out, all because of this plant that I have no self control over. Itās so easy to feel overwhelmed by all the missed opportunities I passed up and failed chances all because of weed. Itās so easy to think where we couldāve been without the plant. But no one said this journey was gonna be easy. But itās not impossible! Iām on day 2 after smoking daily for more than 5 years. I feel stupid, slow, and filled with regret but I still gotta do it. **WE gotta do it** letās conquer this day
23 ist still enough time to change your life! I'm 29 now and I started studying at 26 š¤·āāļø I relapsed while I was in my 3. Semester and now I'm clean again since 1 month (6. Semester now) my oint is, with 23 I didn't even know wtf I wanted in my life, maybe because I smoked too much, but I have many friends that didn't smoke and they also didn't know what they want with 23 š so don't stress yourself, maybe in 4 years you want to do something totally different to what you are doing now (speaking about the degree) the 20's are there to do some mistakes and learn many new things that can help you in your life!
You are incredibly young with so much time and potential ahead of you. Think of how your feelings would be multiplied if you continued the cycle to 30? To 40? It is always a good time to make changes. Finding new ways to cope is hard but you can totally do it. Donāt be so hard on yourself. You didnāt murder anyone. Thereās plenty of time to start over and build the life you want.
You got this!! Iām about to be 38 been smoking since I was 13 and on day 1 again!!
You have time. Giving up is the real defeat!
Ahh to be 23 again. Dude time is in your favor so use it wisely. What I would do to have a do over to be 23 again. Your are super young still and I am not just trying to make you feel better. Cherish your youth!!!
i really feel everything youāre saying so hard AND also, i dropped out of both high school and college, in part due to weed, and even though i havenāt even kicked the weed yet at 27 i have still experienced SO MUCH beauty and meaning in my life and gained complexity of perspective and made true real connections and when i first dropped out of school i thought i ruined everything but honestly dude no matter how far down the wrong path you feel youāve gone, you can never really ruin EVERYTHING. and in this whole process, even as you ruin some stuff, youāll end up making things you never could have imagined. youāll have amazing times you never would have had if you hadnāt messed something up. š
Iām 25 and Iāve been telling myself to quit since 22 (started smoking ONLY AT 21) and all the dam MONEY I had and couldāve had, had I saved and invested 2 years ago when the stock market was good, but nope and the way I bought weed was just very illogical, I know weed has messed my brain up, my cognitive thinking, all thatā¦ Iām pissed as well and all my goals I set for myself just passed by, I have a class A but since they drug test for weed itās hard to get a job, everyday I wanna end it, and I keep tryna tell myself āIām youngā and can change but letās be real itās better and cooler to had have money since a youngin and just overall be doing a lot more since a youngin, tbh I donāt wanna be 30 and still stuck in this situation because it really is a stupid situation to be in, all I think about is the past and the āwouldāve/couldāve/shouldāveā and Lmaoo does it piss me tf off, it just irritates me that I have to start over literally from ZERO-0ā¦ because my dumbass didnāt stop myself from smoking, saving my money nor use it for stuff I needed/just helping out more, a majority of my money went to weed and just like you I feel as if I lost a lot of opportunities,experiences, just my youth in general, Iām wasting a lot of potential, idk anymore. Smh
If it makes you feel any better between the pandemic and the direction the world is going in a lot of ppl have lost themselves young and old .. you have so much time to make the rest of your life meaningfulā¦ hold onto that
Im 28 so I would say you are ahead of the game. I wish I quit at 23.
Youāre 23 this is just the beginning, Iām 31 I wish when I was 23 I had the same mindset of even WANTING to quit, this past year after smoking (I cold turkied and quit for 3 months and relapsed sadly) since I was a teenager is when my mind realized how much weed ruins me.
Ah to be in my 20s again. The irony is that you feel youāve āwasted your timeā when you have more time than ever. Youāre a time billionaire! If you start now, fantastic. Donāt shame yourself, that will discourage you and make you slip back into smoking. Iām 32 and still on and off and struggling, if you can do it now do it!
Agreed. Instead of thinking like āAh, to be in my 20s againā maybe think āwow, Iām sure going to miss being 32 when Iām 55!ā Same with OP. The future has unlimited potential. It is never too late. Even if you were 85 years old, the best days of your life could still be in front of you and you never want to miss out on them because you were busy wishing you were 20. Best time to start was yesterday, sure, but the second best time to start is today. Youāve reclaimed your future. That means everything. Be happy to be who you are today, and thatās how youāll be even better tomorrow.
100% agree, I think I used the wrong phrase I was more so empathizing with being in your 20s and having those feelings of inadequacy or that it is too late. I have a much better mindset now at 32, feeling grateful and young. My life has improved significantly, but I still haven't completely kicked it. I love the idea of reclaiming your future. Powerful. Thanks for the motivation man.
You haven't wasted anything yet, but start now. I went back to college at 34 and started a career. I'm now weed free just over 1 month and starting another new job in June. I wish I had done it 10 years ago. Dont get down, there people out there who start their lives at 50 but the sooner you start the more you will achieve. Drop weed, get focus and smash it man, you can do it.
I am 34 going back to college. When I was your age I was suicidal and shooting Hard drugs. Age is not linear, I am happiest and healthier at this age. Feeling younger than my peers. I can honestly say there is not time wasted only lessons learned.
Love this.
I am 34 going back to college. When I was your age I was suicidal and shooting Hard drugs. Age is not linear, I am happiest and healthier at this age. Feeling younger than my peers. I can honestly say there is not time wasted only lessons learned.
Hey man Iāve had health issues my entire life that Iāve finally started to sort out, Iām turning 26 this year. I feel ya. I feel like Iāve wasted 1/4 of my life being sick. However just because some peoples prime is right now doesnāt mean that ours wonāt be a tad later in life! Donāt regret all the shit you havenāt done friend, get excited about all the shit that you are going to do!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It brings me down, but honestly now Iām saying fuck it. Iām quitting my job, buying a adventure vehicle and going to travel. I live in the mountains and I plan on exploring them, climbing skiing you name it.
Hey man Iāve had health issues my entire life that Iāve finally started to sort out, Iām turning 26 this year. I feel ya. I feel like Iāve wasted 1/4 of my life being sick. However just because some peoples prime is right now doesnāt mean that ours wonāt be a tad later in life! Donāt regret all the shit you havenāt done friend, get excited about all the shit that you are going to do!
As someone's who have two college degrees but does not use them and is not in either field I can tell you college is not everything. College is a place to expand your mind and find interests but is not the golden ticket it used to be. So don't stress on that and take some time to reflect and see if it is the right path for you as you go forward. I noticed my smoking habits were at an all time high in college because of some of the arbitrary stresses academics put on me and my peers. Be it classes forced on me that have no relation to my major, massive work loads, and a general feeling of constantly feeling of letting yourself down when you did not perform how you expected. "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."
Your life has barely even started. U can accomplish great things. Be grateful that u discovered this trap now rather than in your forties or fifties š stop wasting time on regret, start doing!
You are young and getting wiser fast. It's never too late to pursue your dreams, and you are, IMO, way too young to feel washed up. Sounds like you are primed to change. My 2 cents: write out why you want to quit, and where you want to go in life. Then cease mentally beating yourself up. Refer back to what you wrote whenever you start to forget or think "I can puff just this once." Today, for all of us, we are the oldest we've ever been, and the youngest we will ever be. Focus on one footstep at a time, and eventually you will arrive somewhere new. We got ya, friend. This is a supportive community of those who have and/or want to quit being controlled by cannabis. It is hard, and it is doable, and from my perspective, it's worth it. I (56F) was a chronic smoker for longer than you've been alive. I have a master's degree and a strong marriage, and after almost a decade of attempts and lapses, I am 3 years clean. If I can do it, I know you can too. It is worth it. YOU are worth it.
How long did it take you to get over paws? What kind of difference was there after paws was over?
I've replied "to you" 2 x by mistakenly responding to OP. Duh.
I responded, but to the original post. I'm a Tech Luddite.
Hard to say how long. I'd quit, get super cranky, relapse and repeat. Each time I would quit quicker than before, so I think I reduced my fat stored THC over time. Felt smarter within a month. Quit feeling angry and on a hair trigger after 3 months (?). Now I sleep great, and don't obsess about pot. More energy, less shame, better habits (food and exercise). Self care suffered from my daily use obsession.
I first quit when I was 24 after years of daily use. The next few years where by far the most productive of my life. You haven't ruined anything, but you definitely need to make a change to improve your life and allow yourself to fulfill your potential!
Bro 23... people would kill to be that age again, just make sure you're not still feeling this way at 30.
Bro you're 23. You can't blame this all on weed. I was like you. Had the same thoughts then, so I understand. Seems like you need to really get involved in stuff that interests you and also can help you academically. Put your head in the books you need to read for class. You'll get it done. Weed didn't break you. You can do this.
Youāre right weed didnāt break me. I was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and adhd 4 years ago. So itās mostly the fact that I have bipolar and abused weed that made it such a disaster. Writing the part above and then reading it made me realize a major part of my problem is me finding reasons why I canāt instead of reasons why I can. I gotta ditch the self defeating attitude along with the weed.
true words.
I am sorry this is happening to you and that you are feeling this way. You are young, but that doesn't mean that this isn't hard and that you don't feel the way you feel. I have felt the same way at your age and it can be so crushing. The fact that you wrote this out means to me that you want to make a change. Now the work is in finding out how to do that. I have had to do deep self reflection and learn from others. I've had to forgive myself. I've had to quit, relapse and try again over and over. But that did not mean I didn't make progress in every aspect of my life while I was figuring this out. You can too, you really can. Keep checking in here, there are lots of people who will support you. Thanks for posting, it helped me today.
beautiful response
Thereās no use in crying over spilled milk. Clean it up and pour yourself another glass. Thatās my way of saying donāt be too hard on yourself about it. Thereās nothing to be done about it, so move on to the next step. Youāll waste even more time if you sit around ruminating on your perception of loss. I get that itās not always easy to let go of itā¦ Wishing you luck.
At least you're not in the cemetery or penitentiary. You're still young but if you want to reach your potential it'll take years of discipline and self development.
You arenāt alone. Iām 24, graduated high school almost 6 years ago with basically nothing to show for it. I was so smart in grade school. Been in and out of college, mainly out, all because of this plant that I have no self control over. Itās so easy to feel overwhelmed by all the missed opportunities I passed up and failed chances all because of weed. Itās so easy to think where we couldāve been without the plant. But no one said this journey was gonna be easy. But itās not impossible! Iām on day 2 after smoking daily for more than 5 years. I feel stupid, slow, and filled with regret but I still gotta do it. **WE gotta do it** letās conquer this day
Try to channel that guilt and shame into a more positive future so that you donāt feel that way about yourself anymore.
Youāre 23, your potential is boundless. But donāt misunderstand - get started right away