wackybunny

Hi Chrissy. Sounds like you're doing well too! Good on you for being so determined!

racingthoughts

Thanks for the support everyone. Came extremely close to picking up a blunt but I didn't and now I actually feel a bit better

wackybunny

Yay!!!! You did it! One challenge at a time. I found it came in waves. Hence the urge surfing Dee mentioned.

racingthoughts

. Good news is that in the past few hours something happened in my brain. I went from craving so hard to feelings of elation, and they haven't disappeared after 20 min. I feel like a fog's been lifted in a way. Right now I can also say that for the first time since I quit that I actually am not craving even the slightest bit right now. I'm sure this is just me riding the emotional rollercoaster, but I finally think I might be making a little progress in this. You guys were all right. So glad I didn't cave earlier.

happycampers

SO awesome to hear !!! It'll get a bit easier each day, but just prepare yourself for emotional waves as Wacky said and be OK with them coming and going and then they'll come and go quicker and level out sooner. SEE , you hung in long enough to KNOW now that cravings don't last forever - you just have to stay strong for yourself and your brighter future !!! Way to go !!!

wackybunny

Wonderful! I remember the moment when I suddenly felt the benefits, not just intellectualized them. It's like before that, all I had to go by was faith in a theory. Then came the aha moment when I was like "THIS is what they mean!". You may be on a roller coaster for a little while but at least you've experience your first breakthrough moment. I once had a high that lasted days and was like natural ecstasy. Your brain is probably beginning to heal. It's at least thanking you for your hard hard work.

wackybunny

The absolute best thing for me since quitting has been the ability to totally relax. I don't know that everyone has the same experience but for me, I feel way more mellow than I ever did as a stoner (ironic and unexpected). There was always some anxiety sitting on my shoulder even if I considered myself relaxed. I didn't know any better. Just thought I'd mention it since your name is racingthoughts and all...

happycampers

how are you doing today, racingthoughts?

racingthoughts

Solid, still sober. The pink cloud I was on last night has faded and I feel kinda crappy again. However, it's not as bad as it's been and I think it might be partly because I didn't sleep too well last night. I don't really feel on the verge of a relapse like I've felt the past two days. Still hard, but still trucking. How I felt last night is motivating me to keep going.

happycampers

that's awesome - you were gifted with a glimpse because of your commitment to free yourself from that which has been making you less than you truly are ! Life will become brighter as you stay committed to the goal of true self freedom - Life will shine brighter through you ! Keep it up - you'll only love yourself more for goin through the work of untangling because only YOU can do it !

racingthoughts

Still hanging in there! Although I will say that today wasn't as positive as I was hoping (thought about weed all day and still am). However, I'm feeling a bit disheartened about some things I read on another website from other recovering weed addicts. You guys all keep saying that it gets so much better and I believe it, but at the same time there were a lot of people claiming to have smoked for as long as I did and that it hasn't gotten much better even after months and months of sobriety. Maybe these people haven't filled their voids, but this is something I'm not sure how I'm going to do myself. This isn't really "triggering" me at the moment, but it is depressing me. I'm just afraid that I'm going to still feel crappy in a month or two when my resolve isn't as strong and say screw it, thus making all this hard work be for nothing. Ughh, I think it was inevitable but I'm starting to say I wished I hadn't laughed at all the adults telling me it was bad when I was 15-16 when I started getting really into it.

Dee74

The straight truth is I smoked daily for almost 30 years from 15 or so. It was not an overnight change or an easy one, but I felt much better after a month.

I've read thse horror stories too. All I can say is there must be more to the story.

I got out befoe spice was a thing for example but that stuff can mess you up for a long time..

D

racingthoughts

Definitely smoked my share of spice, although not regularly. It would be in 2-3 week periods when I couldn't find any weed where I was. Probably about 4-5 of these in the past couple years. Hope this hasn't messed me up too much...

Chrissy58

I am so proud of you. Just try and take it one day or even one second at a time. Best wishes.

wackybunny

I think you could be one the success stories based on what I've read. There are lots of way to approach quitting and you seem like you're on the right track. Only one way to tell how you'll feel after several months of no weed

I quit once a looong time ago and was miserable for months before caving in and going right back to my old habit. It didn't work that time. I think it was because I was doing it only for my bf at the time who gave me an ultimatum. I was pretty much sulking and fighting it the whole time. This time was so different. I wanted it for myself. I armed myself with knowledge and support. I read a ton about what to expect of the quitting process (including Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). I was determined to face it head on and plough through no matter what. I said "bring it on, none of this is going to kill me".

I really did wonder if I was ever going to be happy again or get my sense of humour back because I was really flat for a while. It didn't matter though because I knew that smoking weed didn't work for me either. If I was going to be miserable high or straight, I chose straight. And boy was I ever rewarded. If only I knew then what I knew now I wouldn't have been afraid. I was addicted for 264 months of my life (give or take, LOL) so what was a mere 2 or 3 months????

racingthoughts

I hope you're right wackybunny, I really hope I stick it out. I'll be at one week in 12 hours! Still foggy and confused, but I think all the struggles are just causing me to resent weed more and more rather than give into it.

FatallyUncool

Congratulations on 6 1/2 days clean. That is huge.

Some addicts have a quick turnaround once they get clean. For others, it is a long and gradual process. Life will not be perfect or easy without drugs, but in my experience and those of other addicts I know, it is always better. Without exception.

If I stay clean, there is always hope and always a chance that I will be happy, peaceful and live up to my potential. With weed, the chance of that happening drops down to zero. For me, it is guaranteed misery.

racingthoughts

Well I'm pretty much at a week of sobriety. I'm feeling a little crappy at the moment, but I guess that's ok. I don't want to go back. Thank you so much for everything everyone. I highly doubt I'd be here without all the support!

happycampers

you've done great getting to this point ! Keep it up and you'll save yourself from alot of future grief ! And keep coming here whenever you need help - there's usually someone around or will be soon .

Admiral

I quit drinking and smoking weed on January 1, 2014, so I've been clean for nearly 9 months now. Prior to that I probably spent four years or so relapsing over and over again after trying to quit. I never gave up and now I'm doing pretty good, I can share my own experiences in regard to what you said above.

I don't feel amazing, my life hasn't completely turned around, I'm still unsure what to do in life and feel frustrated and aimless sometimes. I had problems before I started smoking, and those problems are still there now. One of the biggest hopes is that quitting will make mental and emotional problems go away, it won't, you have to work on those problems, which is something that isn't really possible when you're abusing drugs.

This isn't the only aspect of addiction though, there are also the cravings and the obsession. I used to think about smoking weed all day every day. I'd think about how to get it, what I was going to do when I got it, I'd fantasize about the high, it consumed me completely, all the time. There are circuits in your brain that you reinforce when you use. Your body wants to feel that way again and begs you for it. Over time these connections will fade away, this is a fact. Your life may not get easier, your problems might not go away, but the cravings and the obsession to use will fade.

Things are still better right now then they were when I was using, even if my life hasn't completely turned around. Keep going, it will get easier.