Getting weed out of your system - my method
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Getting weed out of your system - my method Important: Always seek the advice of your GP or medical practitioner as a first step to recovery. This is my personal method and although it has helped me, it may not work for everybody.
There isn't mention of prescription medication in this thread as I am not a trained medical professional. I've often taken prescribed medication when quitting and have personally found it helpful.
As it has been for most addicts, planning and strategy have been paramount to me getting better over the years. The quits in my early 20's, when I had no-idea what I was doing, were horrendous. Since then I've quit many times over and gradually built a personal system of recovery that has helped me.
I'm the variety of pothead prone to psychosis and extreme consumption, where it's significantly more addictive than all other substances I've tried. This is my genetic predisposition. Before starting to work on my recovery process I was plagued with depression, psychotic thought-patterns and crippling anxiety for several months after quitting. Through research and experimentation I've gradually pieced together the below. Now when I quit I only exhibit these symptoms at a fraction of what I used to, to the point where I can comfortably control them so no-one else is aware. The standard time for regaining complete normalcy has also shortened from 6 to 3 months.
From my point of view, taking this approach has saved my sanity, if not my life.
Basic Principles:
THC takes a long time to leave your body, especially your fat cells, but it makes sense to maximise your recovery as much as possible, and in doing so you can drastically improve how you feel and function.
A drug leaves your system through three avenues:
Blood flow
Sweat
Urine
These require physical exertion of various kinds to be triggered into full gear. In doing so, it's extremely important to preserve your energy and mental balance as much as possible. Your body is already extremely stressed from dealing with withdrawal symptoms and a significantly increased metabolic rate, as well as potentially exhaustive thinking patterns. Be careful not to overdo it, else run the risk of complete physical and mental exhaustion. Mixed with withdrawals that is a horrible, horrible experience. You truly can lose the balance of your mind when that happens.
For these reasons it is at least as important to have a focus on mental balance as it is on physical detoxification.
If you've done your quit unaided it's likely your body will be too sleep-deprived to do much for the first week, but still do at least a little. If aided or if you've just been lucky enough to be able to sleep ok, then you can start to push yourself a bit more. It's important that you listen to your body.
Additionally you'll need fuel to drive all of these things, so a major component is a healthy and nutrient-rich diet.
My Detox Method
To increase BLOOD FLOW:
My experience:
- The longer the walk, the better
- Audiobooks and walking were made for each other
- Jogs of no longer than 45 minutes at a slow pace, 20-30 minutes at a decent one
- Use cross-trainers for a good overall workout - more blood will flow into more areas this way
- Any sport is good, team ones having the added dimension of human interaction
- Do not engage in intense physical activity if you've had less than 4 hours sleep the night before. Preferably 5-8 hours.
To increase SWEAT:
- Saunas/steamrooms are your detoxes best friend.
- Allow up to 90 minutes for the session, cycling 10-15 minute sweats with 5 minute cool-downs several times over
- Have as many of these sessions as possible without going consecutively for more than 2 days in a row
- Drink several bottles of water while doing this
- Avoid sports and electrolyte drinks beforehand as sodium limits the amount of sweat you release. But have plenty within 30 minutes of leaving.
- 60-90 minute bikram sessions combine exercise, relaxation and sweat. Sells itself.
- Saunas/steamrooms can still be done when sleep deprived - just keep each sit shorter and keep your sugars up
To increase URINE:
- Whatever you normally drink in a day, double or triple it. If you're of average build drink a gallon or more. This will be especially made easier by the exercise and sweating sessions you do
- You're aim is to be urinating at least every 60-90 minutes
To improve your MENTAL BALANCE:
- Meditation is your mind's best friend - whether in recovery or life in general
- Any meditation technique will help in some way, and has been scientifically proven to do so
- I've practiced several and have found vipassana to be the most intensified and beneficial by a significant margin, however it's a big commitment and requires a committed 10 day course just to learn the basics
- A simple guided meditation CD that relaxes you and trains you to focus on the 'space between thoughts' will still do wonders
- Continuing meditation beyond your recovery will majorly improve your chances of avoiding future relapses while helping you live a happy life
- The best results happen when you meditate at least twice a day - usually morning and before bed
- Walking kills three birds with one stone (blood flow, mental balance, mental relaxation)
- Your restless mind may find 'Peace in Movement'
- Expressing yourself creatively will help channel the myriad of the emotions you experience
- Yoga relaxes, stretches, invigorates and balances you physically as well as mentally
- Listening to music can help in a range of different ways, from giving inspiration to reflecting your emotional state
- Relaxation techniques extend well beyond meditation. Listening to guided relaxation hypnoses will put you on a cloud like nothing else will
- Writing about your experience keeps your focus and allows you to process everything with more clarity
- It's also expressive and can help to balance your emotions
Eating a healthy and nutrient-rich DIET:
Diet can become incredibly complex and scientific. For our purposes it's best to keep it as simple as possible.
Have a daily portion of:
Fruit, Vegies, Salad, Nuts, Seeds, Grains, Brown Rice, Fish and Fresh Juice
Your meat intake doesn't need to change, except to make it as fresh and free of fat as possible, same for milk and dairy.
Supplements
It's been shown through clinical trial that a healthy adult with a healthy diet gains little advantage from a daily multivitamin. Extra zinc and vitamin D can help (particularly zinc), but mostly there is virtually no evidence to support the claims of supplement companies beyond their own internal research.
That being said, we are drug addicts. We are not healthy adults. Take a high-potency multivitamin to be sure your body has everything it needs to get better.
Spirulina (an algae) is the closest thing to a super-food I know of and can provide a lot more goodness than a multivitamin can. Check the nutritional value, it's crazy good for you. And not just for vitamins and minerals, it's also full of fibre and has a rich amino acid spectrum that aids the protein synthesis of your other meals. If I'm fit and healthy I can feel a discernible difference when I take it compared to when I don't. Fantastic for your energy levels as well.
Building a Routine
Use the above principles to build an achievable routine around your work or study schedule. If you do meditate it's important to keep that as a staple of each morning and evening, but everything else can be mixed on a daily basis. Here's an example of a few days of a routine:
MONDAY:
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (45 minutes gym and 45 minute sauna session)
8:00pm (Watch a movie with dinner)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery
)
10:30pm (30 minute guided relaxation meditation)
11:00pm (Sleep)
TUESDAY
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (1.5 hour walk while listening to an audiobook)
8:00pm (chill)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery)
10:30pm (30 minute guided relaxation meditation)
11:00pm (Sleep)
WEDNESDAY
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (1 hour bikram yoga)
8:00pm (Dinner with friends)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery)
10:30pm (1 hour relaxation hypnosis)
11:30pm (Sleep)
Keeping it dynamic and changing will do a lot to keeping things interesting and engaging for you. Once you get in a rhythm you won't look back, though you may find plenty of obstacles beforehand.
Take some time to plan out a schedule for yourself for at least a fortnight, preferably a month or more. The longer you can benefit yourself in these ways the better.
Be mindful that these things will only improve your situation, they won't cure it. That will take time, patience and a very strong determination.
Make of these things whatever works best for you. Remember, your goals must be achievable, so ensure you maximise your chances of continuation by tailoring it to your own sensitivities. Your day doesn't need to be planned down to the microbe, it can be just as good to have a list of things and tick them off as their completed. Meditation? Check. Run? Check. And so on and so forth.
Simplicity is one of many keys to success in your recovery. The simpler your plan, the less energy the 'sticking to it' will take out of you.
Remember, even if you don't do any of this stuff your body is still actively healing itself all the time. It's already stressed more than normal, so rest should be a major component of whatever recovery plan you set out for yourself.
If I've gotten something wrong please let me know
There isn't mention of prescription medication in this thread as I am not a trained medical professional. I've often taken prescribed medication when quitting and have personally found it helpful.
As it has been for most addicts, planning and strategy have been paramount to me getting better over the years. The quits in my early 20's, when I had no-idea what I was doing, were horrendous. Since then I've quit many times over and gradually built a personal system of recovery that has helped me.
I'm the variety of pothead prone to psychosis and extreme consumption, where it's significantly more addictive than all other substances I've tried. This is my genetic predisposition. Before starting to work on my recovery process I was plagued with depression, psychotic thought-patterns and crippling anxiety for several months after quitting. Through research and experimentation I've gradually pieced together the below. Now when I quit I only exhibit these symptoms at a fraction of what I used to, to the point where I can comfortably control them so no-one else is aware. The standard time for regaining complete normalcy has also shortened from 6 to 3 months.
From my point of view, taking this approach has saved my sanity, if not my life.
Basic Principles:
THC takes a long time to leave your body, especially your fat cells, but it makes sense to maximise your recovery as much as possible, and in doing so you can drastically improve how you feel and function.
A drug leaves your system through three avenues:
Blood flow
Sweat
Urine
These require physical exertion of various kinds to be triggered into full gear. In doing so, it's extremely important to preserve your energy and mental balance as much as possible. Your body is already extremely stressed from dealing with withdrawal symptoms and a significantly increased metabolic rate, as well as potentially exhaustive thinking patterns. Be careful not to overdo it, else run the risk of complete physical and mental exhaustion. Mixed with withdrawals that is a horrible, horrible experience. You truly can lose the balance of your mind when that happens.
For these reasons it is at least as important to have a focus on mental balance as it is on physical detoxification.
If you've done your quit unaided it's likely your body will be too sleep-deprived to do much for the first week, but still do at least a little. If aided or if you've just been lucky enough to be able to sleep ok, then you can start to push yourself a bit more. It's important that you listen to your body.
Additionally you'll need fuel to drive all of these things, so a major component is a healthy and nutrient-rich diet.
My Detox Method
To increase BLOOD FLOW:
- Walking
- Jogging
- Cardio equipment at the gym
- Sports in general
My experience:
- The longer the walk, the better
- Audiobooks and walking were made for each other
- Jogs of no longer than 45 minutes at a slow pace, 20-30 minutes at a decent one
- Use cross-trainers for a good overall workout - more blood will flow into more areas this way
- Any sport is good, team ones having the added dimension of human interaction
- Do not engage in intense physical activity if you've had less than 4 hours sleep the night before. Preferably 5-8 hours.
To increase SWEAT:
- Saunas
- Steamrooms
- Small rooms in your house with a powerful heater
- Hot showers
- Hot spas
- Bikram yoga
- Saunas/steamrooms are your detoxes best friend.
- Allow up to 90 minutes for the session, cycling 10-15 minute sweats with 5 minute cool-downs several times over
- Have as many of these sessions as possible without going consecutively for more than 2 days in a row
- Drink several bottles of water while doing this
- Avoid sports and electrolyte drinks beforehand as sodium limits the amount of sweat you release. But have plenty within 30 minutes of leaving.
- 60-90 minute bikram sessions combine exercise, relaxation and sweat. Sells itself.
- Saunas/steamrooms can still be done when sleep deprived - just keep each sit shorter and keep your sugars up
To increase URINE:
- Water intake
- Whatever you normally drink in a day, double or triple it. If you're of average build drink a gallon or more. This will be especially made easier by the exercise and sweating sessions you do
- You're aim is to be urinating at least every 60-90 minutes
To improve your MENTAL BALANCE:
- Meditation
- Walking
- Creative endeavor
- Yoga
- Listening to music
- Concentrated relaxation
- Keeping a diary/blog
- Meditation is your mind's best friend - whether in recovery or life in general
- Any meditation technique will help in some way, and has been scientifically proven to do so
- I've practiced several and have found vipassana to be the most intensified and beneficial by a significant margin, however it's a big commitment and requires a committed 10 day course just to learn the basics
- A simple guided meditation CD that relaxes you and trains you to focus on the 'space between thoughts' will still do wonders
- Continuing meditation beyond your recovery will majorly improve your chances of avoiding future relapses while helping you live a happy life
- The best results happen when you meditate at least twice a day - usually morning and before bed
- Walking kills three birds with one stone (blood flow, mental balance, mental relaxation)
- Your restless mind may find 'Peace in Movement'
- Expressing yourself creatively will help channel the myriad of the emotions you experience
- Yoga relaxes, stretches, invigorates and balances you physically as well as mentally
- Listening to music can help in a range of different ways, from giving inspiration to reflecting your emotional state
- Relaxation techniques extend well beyond meditation. Listening to guided relaxation hypnoses will put you on a cloud like nothing else will
- Writing about your experience keeps your focus and allows you to process everything with more clarity
- It's also expressive and can help to balance your emotions
Eating a healthy and nutrient-rich DIET:
Diet can become incredibly complex and scientific. For our purposes it's best to keep it as simple as possible.
Have a daily portion of:
Fruit, Vegies, Salad, Nuts, Seeds, Grains, Brown Rice, Fish and Fresh Juice
Your meat intake doesn't need to change, except to make it as fresh and free of fat as possible, same for milk and dairy.
Supplements
It's been shown through clinical trial that a healthy adult with a healthy diet gains little advantage from a daily multivitamin. Extra zinc and vitamin D can help (particularly zinc), but mostly there is virtually no evidence to support the claims of supplement companies beyond their own internal research.
That being said, we are drug addicts. We are not healthy adults. Take a high-potency multivitamin to be sure your body has everything it needs to get better.
Spirulina (an algae) is the closest thing to a super-food I know of and can provide a lot more goodness than a multivitamin can. Check the nutritional value, it's crazy good for you. And not just for vitamins and minerals, it's also full of fibre and has a rich amino acid spectrum that aids the protein synthesis of your other meals. If I'm fit and healthy I can feel a discernible difference when I take it compared to when I don't. Fantastic for your energy levels as well.
Building a Routine
Use the above principles to build an achievable routine around your work or study schedule. If you do meditate it's important to keep that as a staple of each morning and evening, but everything else can be mixed on a daily basis. Here's an example of a few days of a routine:
MONDAY:
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (45 minutes gym and 45 minute sauna session)
8:00pm (Watch a movie with dinner)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery
)10:30pm (30 minute guided relaxation meditation)
11:00pm (Sleep)
TUESDAY
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (1.5 hour walk while listening to an audiobook)
8:00pm (chill)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery
)10:30pm (30 minute guided relaxation meditation)
11:00pm (Sleep)
WEDNESDAY
7:00am (30 minute meditation)
9:00am (Work)
5:30pm (1 hour bikram yoga)
8:00pm (Dinner with friends)
9:45pm (Short diary entry about my day)
10:00pm (Share it on SoberRecovery
)10:30pm (1 hour relaxation hypnosis)
11:30pm (Sleep)
Keeping it dynamic and changing will do a lot to keeping things interesting and engaging for you. Once you get in a rhythm you won't look back, though you may find plenty of obstacles beforehand.
Take some time to plan out a schedule for yourself for at least a fortnight, preferably a month or more. The longer you can benefit yourself in these ways the better.
Be mindful that these things will only improve your situation, they won't cure it. That will take time, patience and a very strong determination.
Make of these things whatever works best for you. Remember, your goals must be achievable, so ensure you maximise your chances of continuation by tailoring it to your own sensitivities. Your day doesn't need to be planned down to the microbe, it can be just as good to have a list of things and tick them off as their completed. Meditation? Check. Run? Check. And so on and so forth.
Simplicity is one of many keys to success in your recovery. The simpler your plan, the less energy the 'sticking to it' will take out of you.
Remember, even if you don't do any of this stuff your body is still actively healing itself all the time. It's already stressed more than normal, so rest should be a major component of whatever recovery plan you set out for yourself.
If I've gotten something wrong please let me know
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
I didn't fully explain at the end, I don't view this as a finished piece at all and would appreciate any criticism or suggestions of any nature. It's been put together much more on experience than theory, so I may have some of the theory wrong.
Has anyone else tried an approach like this before?
Has anyone else tried an approach like this before?
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Central KY
Posts: 40
I believe youve got a good system
I would agree with everything you said here. And not only that, but that is beneficial for any drug / alocohol detox, not just weed. I attended a rehab here in the US called Narconon, i was there for poly-drug addiction they called it. They utilize alot of the techniques here, along with some weird scientology crap. But a key part of the program was the sauna. Drug residuals stay in your system for a while, especially when u take them like i Used to. anyway, there were several folks who would experience extreme "highs" during these sauna sessions from burning out old drug residuals. Believe it or not, some people claimed they got higher in there than they ever did. Never happened to me personally just sweated like crazy. Anyway I believe your ideas are intact. Narconon did use massive amounts of vitamins too btw.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Vashon WA
Posts: 1,035
It seems like you've got yourself a good plan there. I hope it works for you. I'm five months clean now myself, I kind of snuck up on myself with the whole quitting pot thing. I was empowered by quitting cigs a long time ago and alcohol three years ago but I never had a plan to quit weed because I didn't think it was harmful. Then Dee and some other folks here planted some seeds in my brain that got me to thinking. I started to be annoyed by the stoned people around me and that made me examine my own deal and I didn't like what I saw so I just quit. I smoked all the time for at least 20 years so it certainly wasn't easy but I'm a stubborn SOB and once I make my mind up about something like this I'm a rock.
So here is the plan that I use
ON'T SMOKE POT, EVER. It matches my proven plan for quitting cigs and drinking. It is basically the same plan that you have but a little more streamlined. The result should be the same, it keeps getting easier to not smoke pot. I never got the "pink cloud" of euphoria like I did from the early days of not drinking but I don't get the deep joneses either.
I'm pretty sure it's out of my system now. I was already drinking a lot of water, eating well, and exercising mostly because I want to be fit. I'm hesitant to tie a program of diet or exercise to my quit because that never worked for me when I was pulling my hair out trying to quit cigs. I would stop riding my bike or whatever then start smoking again. I finally just said "F*ck it!", gained thirty something pounds then dropped the weight when I was a couple of years free from the demon nicotine.
Quitting weed is very hard and I'm proud of myself for getting this far. I'm also proud of you Gamaur, for making this commitment. It will get easier, I promise. Just don't smoke pot, ever. Keep checking in here.
So here is the plan that I use
ON'T SMOKE POT, EVER. It matches my proven plan for quitting cigs and drinking. It is basically the same plan that you have but a little more streamlined. The result should be the same, it keeps getting easier to not smoke pot. I never got the "pink cloud" of euphoria like I did from the early days of not drinking but I don't get the deep joneses either. I'm pretty sure it's out of my system now. I was already drinking a lot of water, eating well, and exercising mostly because I want to be fit. I'm hesitant to tie a program of diet or exercise to my quit because that never worked for me when I was pulling my hair out trying to quit cigs. I would stop riding my bike or whatever then start smoking again. I finally just said "F*ck it!", gained thirty something pounds then dropped the weight when I was a couple of years free from the demon nicotine.
Quitting weed is very hard and I'm proud of myself for getting this far. I'm also proud of you Gamaur, for making this commitment. It will get easier, I promise. Just don't smoke pot, ever. Keep checking in here.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Originally Posted by OldSkool 
I would agree with everything you said here. And not only that, but that is beneficial for any drug / alocohol detox, not just weed. I attended a rehab here in the US called Narconon, i was there for poly-drug addiction they called it. They utilize alot of the techniques here, along with some weird scientology crap. But a key part of the program was the sauna. Drug residuals stay in your system for a while, especially when u take them like i Used to. anyway, there were several folks who would experience extreme "highs" during these sauna sessions from burning out old drug residuals. Believe it or not, some people claimed they got higher in there than they ever did. Never happened to me personally just sweated like crazy. Anyway I believe your ideas are intact. Narconon did use massive amounts of vitamins too btw.
Yeah extra vitamins are super important with this... I just wanted to be clear that if you're a healthy adult with a balanced diet, multis are pretty useless.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Originally Posted by gaffo
It seems like you've got yourself a good plan there. I hope it works for you. I'm five months clean now myself, I kind of snuck up on myself with the whole quitting pot thing. I was empowered by quitting cigs a long time ago and alcohol three years ago but I never had a plan to quit weed because I didn't think it was harmful. Then Dee and some other folks here planted some seeds in my brain that got me to thinking. I started to be annoyed by the stoned people around me and that made me examine my own deal and I didn't like what I saw so I just quit. I smoked all the time for at least 20 years so it certainly wasn't easy but I'm a stubborn SOB and once I make my mind up about something like this I'm a rock.
So here is the plan that I useON'T SMOKE POT, EVER. It matches my proven plan for quitting cigs and drinking. It is basically the same plan that you have but a little more streamlined. The result should be the same, it keeps getting easier to not smoke pot. I never got the "pink cloud" of euphoria like I did from the early days of not drinking but I don't get the deep joneses either.
I'm pretty sure it's out of my system now. I was already drinking a lot of water, eating well, and exercising mostly because I want to be fit. I'm hesitant to tie a program of diet or exercise to my quit because that never worked for me when I was pulling my hair out trying to quit cigs. I would stop riding my bike or whatever then start smoking again. I finally just said "F*ck it!", gained thirty something pounds then dropped the weight when I was a couple of years free from the demon nicotine.
Quitting weed is very hard and I'm proud of myself for getting this far. I'm also proud of you Gamaur, for making this commitment. It will get easier, I promise. Just don't smoke pot, ever. Keep checking in here.
So here is the plan that I use
ON'T SMOKE POT, EVER. It matches my proven plan for quitting cigs and drinking. It is basically the same plan that you have but a little more streamlined. The result should be the same, it keeps getting easier to not smoke pot. I never got the "pink cloud" of euphoria like I did from the early days of not drinking but I don't get the deep joneses either. I'm pretty sure it's out of my system now. I was already drinking a lot of water, eating well, and exercising mostly because I want to be fit. I'm hesitant to tie a program of diet or exercise to my quit because that never worked for me when I was pulling my hair out trying to quit cigs. I would stop riding my bike or whatever then start smoking again. I finally just said "F*ck it!", gained thirty something pounds then dropped the weight when I was a couple of years free from the demon nicotine.
Quitting weed is very hard and I'm proud of myself for getting this far. I'm also proud of you Gamaur, for making this commitment. It will get easier, I promise. Just don't smoke pot, ever. Keep checking in here.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
The only part I might take issue with is the sauna - not everyone can take a sauna - if anyone reading has something like high blood pressure you might want to do a little research first
D
D
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
That one just occurred to me. I don't have the medical knowhow to suggest other people who might be at risk but common sense suggests you'd need to watch dehydration. If you had any liver or kidney problems you'd probably need to research as well.
don't overdo it, I guess
There was a case I remember from a while back where people died from heatstroke and dehydration. That involved Native American teepees and sweat lodges tho.
D
don't overdo it, I guess
There was a case I remember from a while back where people died from heatstroke and dehydration. That involved Native American teepees and sweat lodges tho.
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Good points.
Anyone who uses a sauna and has a health concern should definitely seek medical advice first. There most likely won't be an issue, but it's a risk not worth taking.
One example of that not happening was the European sauna championship a couple of years ago, where a man actually died. That was above 108 degrees celsius (226 degrees fahrenheit) though!
Saunas should be fine if you pay attention to your body and sense of balance. If you stand-up and feel light-headed, that's a good sign to have a rest.
You can also customise it to suit yourself by opening the door slightly to cool it down, or only going in for very sort intervals.
If you can't do saunas purely for reasons of discomfort, but can manage a bit more heat, take the other suggestions of hot showers and using a heater in a small room. Sweating is very helpful to flushing any drug out of your system. Your whole body will feel more relaxed and fresh for it.
The best sweating session I've had was easily in a 90 minute Bikram yoga class though. I drank 2.0 litres just while I was in there! Felt like a million bucks afterwards.
Anyone who uses a sauna and has a health concern should definitely seek medical advice first. There most likely won't be an issue, but it's a risk not worth taking.
One example of that not happening was the European sauna championship a couple of years ago, where a man actually died. That was above 108 degrees celsius (226 degrees fahrenheit) though!
Saunas should be fine if you pay attention to your body and sense of balance. If you stand-up and feel light-headed, that's a good sign to have a rest.
You can also customise it to suit yourself by opening the door slightly to cool it down, or only going in for very sort intervals.
If you can't do saunas purely for reasons of discomfort, but can manage a bit more heat, take the other suggestions of hot showers and using a heater in a small room. Sweating is very helpful to flushing any drug out of your system. Your whole body will feel more relaxed and fresh for it.
The best sweating session I've had was easily in a 90 minute Bikram yoga class though. I drank 2.0 litres just while I was in there! Felt like a million bucks afterwards.
hopping for freedom
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 847
I've done two vipassana 10 day courses. I found it an invaluable tool for just about every aspect of life. I don't keep up the practice but the principals live in me for sure.
I quit weed five months ago. I went from working out twice a week (when I was a stoner) to absolutely nothing. Quitting stripped me of motivation and energy. I had never been so lethargic in my life (even more so than when stoned), plus going outside seemed rather terrifying because everything out there was hard and spiky. All I could manage was to curl up under a blanket (it was winter) and treat myself like I had the flu or something. Also I developed a craving for sweets. This lasted months. I read all the stuff about what one should do but my process just was not like that, there was no forcing a different process for me.
It did end very happily though. I got my energy back very slowly and I started enjoying leaving the house again. Fast forward to now and I am doing GREAT. It's summer and I live in the country so gardening, hiking and going to the lake is my life. Those sacrificial months were an investment in the happiness and confidence that is ever increasing, week by week.
I tried hot yoga once and despite drinking lots of water I puked when I got home and had a pounding headache the rest of the day. It was horrible. I get heat stroke easier than most despite doing more to prevent it than most. Regular old room temperature yoga is my savior.
I quit weed five months ago. I went from working out twice a week (when I was a stoner) to absolutely nothing. Quitting stripped me of motivation and energy. I had never been so lethargic in my life (even more so than when stoned), plus going outside seemed rather terrifying because everything out there was hard and spiky. All I could manage was to curl up under a blanket (it was winter) and treat myself like I had the flu or something. Also I developed a craving for sweets. This lasted months. I read all the stuff about what one should do but my process just was not like that, there was no forcing a different process for me.
It did end very happily though. I got my energy back very slowly and I started enjoying leaving the house again. Fast forward to now and I am doing GREAT. It's summer and I live in the country so gardening, hiking and going to the lake is my life. Those sacrificial months were an investment in the happiness and confidence that is ever increasing, week by week.
I tried hot yoga once and despite drinking lots of water I puked when I got home and had a pounding headache the rest of the day. It was horrible. I get heat stroke easier than most despite doing more to prevent it than most. Regular old room temperature yoga is my savior.
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Georgetown, Ontario
Posts: 44
]Wackybunny.
around a month and a half into my recovery I went from going back and forth from meh, to depressed to occasional euphoria ..mainly just more able to deal with real life and more confidence in my self to slowed down to a snails pace and agitated all the time. My daily fast paced walks of 3x a day turned into watching Criminal Minds Marathons. I started avoiding calls from my circle of sober friends as most users even some family had been avoided for awhile. Your post gives me hope to push forward. I thought I had screwed up again. That I did something wrong. Thank-you!
gaffo ...you are inspiring. cigarette's are next on my list of things to get out of my life.
It's true. The commitment and dedication to chose once and for all to never do something ever again is paramount to sobriety. Thank-you.
Gamaur,
I don't know if it's appropriate on the forum but I was wondering which vitamins are recommended for detox? I think I would have a better chance at sobriety if I felt like I was doing something to help my body purge the toxins I have inflicted upon it for so long.
Congrat's on your sobriety!!
around a month and a half into my recovery I went from going back and forth from meh, to depressed to occasional euphoria ..mainly just more able to deal with real life and more confidence in my self to slowed down to a snails pace and agitated all the time. My daily fast paced walks of 3x a day turned into watching Criminal Minds Marathons. I started avoiding calls from my circle of sober friends as most users even some family had been avoided for awhile. Your post gives me hope to push forward. I thought I had screwed up again. That I did something wrong. Thank-you!
gaffo ...you are inspiring. cigarette's are next on my list of things to get out of my life.
It's true. The commitment and dedication to chose once and for all to never do something ever again is paramount to sobriety. Thank-you.
Gamaur,
I don't know if it's appropriate on the forum but I was wondering which vitamins are recommended for detox? I think I would have a better chance at sobriety if I felt like I was doing something to help my body purge the toxins I have inflicted upon it for so long.
Congrat's on your sobriety!!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
I think Gamaur covered that NorthernGirl
While I think of it, and seeing as this is a new forum:
Sharing experience is fine - but like Gamaur said, it's always good to check with your Dr.
please remember, as in other SR forums, we shouldn't be making recommendations for others here, under our medical advice rule
Medical advice rule
D
Supplements
It's been shown through clinical trial that a healthy adult with a healthy diet gains little advantage from a daily multivitamin. Extra zinc and vitamin D can help (particularly zinc), but mostly there is virtually no evidence to support the claims of supplement companies beyond their own internal research.
That being said, we are drug addicts. We are not healthy adults. Take a high-potency multivitamin to be sure your body has everything it needs to get better.
Spirulina (an algae) is the closest thing to a super-food I know of and can provide a lot more goodness than a multivitamin can. Check the nutritional value, it's crazy good for you. And not just for vitamins and minerals, it's also full of fibre and has a rich amino acid spectrum that aids the protein synthesis of your other meals. If I'm fit and healthy I can feel a discernible difference when I take it compared to when I don't. Fantastic for your energy levels as well.
It's been shown through clinical trial that a healthy adult with a healthy diet gains little advantage from a daily multivitamin. Extra zinc and vitamin D can help (particularly zinc), but mostly there is virtually no evidence to support the claims of supplement companies beyond their own internal research.
That being said, we are drug addicts. We are not healthy adults. Take a high-potency multivitamin to be sure your body has everything it needs to get better.
Spirulina (an algae) is the closest thing to a super-food I know of and can provide a lot more goodness than a multivitamin can. Check the nutritional value, it's crazy good for you. And not just for vitamins and minerals, it's also full of fibre and has a rich amino acid spectrum that aids the protein synthesis of your other meals. If I'm fit and healthy I can feel a discernible difference when I take it compared to when I don't. Fantastic for your energy levels as well.
Sharing experience is fine - but like Gamaur said, it's always good to check with your Dr.
please remember, as in other SR forums, we shouldn't be making recommendations for others here, under our medical advice rule
Medical advice rule
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
That's surprising, I was very careful when I put this together and read every forum rule closely beforehand (twice). That's why my disclaimer is so distinct.
Speaking professionally now, the rule on medical advice is far too vague with respect to diet - if diet were mentioned specifically I would've left out this section. Might be worth amending the rule?
That being said, I'm unsure how recommending a healthy diet and then factually stating the properties of dietary supplements could do any harm? It's basic common sense, not advocating medical treatment of any kind. Vitamins are not medication. This is just my personal opinion though and I fully respect that this is a large place and you need to be careful to a T, as potentially some dietary supplements can influence harmfully. I guess I figured the risk of that was mitigated by the disclaimer at the beginning of the post.
All good, will keep a note for next time.
Speaking professionally now, the rule on medical advice is far too vague with respect to diet - if diet were mentioned specifically I would've left out this section. Might be worth amending the rule?
That being said, I'm unsure how recommending a healthy diet and then factually stating the properties of dietary supplements could do any harm? It's basic common sense, not advocating medical treatment of any kind. Vitamins are not medication. This is just my personal opinion though and I fully respect that this is a large place and you need to be careful to a T, as potentially some dietary supplements can influence harmfully. I guess I figured the risk of that was mitigated by the disclaimer at the beginning of the post.
All good, will keep a note for next time.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Australia
Posts: 100
Originally Posted by wackybunny
I've done two vipassana 10 day courses. I found it an invaluable tool for just about every aspect of life. I don't keep up the practice but the principals live in me for sure.
I quit weed five months ago. I went from working out twice a week (when I was a stoner) to absolutely nothing. Quitting stripped me of motivation and energy. I had never been so lethargic in my life (even more so than when stoned), plus going outside seemed rather terrifying because everything out there was hard and spiky. All I could manage was to curl up under a blanket (it was winter) and treat myself like I had the flu or something. Also I developed a craving for sweets. This lasted months. I read all the stuff about what one should do but my process just was not like that, there was no forcing a different process for me.
It did end very happily though. I got my energy back very slowly and I started enjoying leaving the house again. Fast forward to now and I am doing GREAT. It's summer and I live in the country so gardening, hiking and going to the lake is my life. Those sacrificial months were an investment in the happiness and confidence that is ever increasing, week by week.
I tried hot yoga once and despite drinking lots of water I puked when I got home and had a pounding headache the rest of the day. It was horrible. I get heat stroke easier than most despite doing more to prevent it than most. Regular old room temperature yoga is my savior.
I quit weed five months ago. I went from working out twice a week (when I was a stoner) to absolutely nothing. Quitting stripped me of motivation and energy. I had never been so lethargic in my life (even more so than when stoned), plus going outside seemed rather terrifying because everything out there was hard and spiky. All I could manage was to curl up under a blanket (it was winter) and treat myself like I had the flu or something. Also I developed a craving for sweets. This lasted months. I read all the stuff about what one should do but my process just was not like that, there was no forcing a different process for me.
It did end very happily though. I got my energy back very slowly and I started enjoying leaving the house again. Fast forward to now and I am doing GREAT. It's summer and I live in the country so gardening, hiking and going to the lake is my life. Those sacrificial months were an investment in the happiness and confidence that is ever increasing, week by week.
I tried hot yoga once and despite drinking lots of water I puked when I got home and had a pounding headache the rest of the day. It was horrible. I get heat stroke easier than most despite doing more to prevent it than most. Regular old room temperature yoga is my savior.
I can relate to all the feelings you mentioned, it's a horrid experience. Great to see you here on the other side!
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
Just a general notice, guys.
I didn't remove any posts cos I know the forum is full of people relatively new to SR, but the general rule is that asking for advice on what to take is medical advice...
sharing too much by recommending what you did for others could be medical advice too depending on the context.
I'm not a fanatic - I usually run on common sense lines
D
I didn't remove any posts cos I know the forum is full of people relatively new to SR, but the general rule is that asking for advice on what to take is medical advice...
sharing too much by recommending what you did for others could be medical advice too depending on the context.
I'm not a fanatic - I usually run on common sense lines
D
Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 163
I agree with the post about drinking more water, and doing cardio exercise.
That's what I did when I was a full blown pothead and then quit.
I take supplements but just fish oil, vitamin D, and a multi-vitamin.
I eat a balanced diet as I grew up eating a Mediterranean diet.
That's what I did when I was a full blown pothead and then quit.
I take supplements but just fish oil, vitamin D, and a multi-vitamin.
I eat a balanced diet as I grew up eating a Mediterranean diet.
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