Originally Posted by
FT 
Okay, I see this thread going south as nobody seems to be able to stay on point about how the OP's life was ruined by pot, and no it isn't just him.
I was hoping to see more posts about "life after weed," how did recovery go, how long did it take to start feeling normal again (if ever); in other words, not whether weed should be legal or not, but HOW TO QUIT. And, what then?
My loved-one's symptoms since quitting weed have been extreme worry, fear of something bad happening, inability to see future happiness for himself, weight gain and GI distress, and extreme sadness to the point of sobbing for hours. In addition, extreme isolation due to the above. Yet he functions at work, so he has not become unable to care for himself.
This is all very distressing to him, as he thought the isolation surrounding weed would lift, and the apathy he felt while on weed would give way to more motivation. However, he has only been quit for three months, maybe a little longer, with one slip-up (which involved a few days of smoking, but he's quit again).
Dee, thank you for that link. It was useful. Yes, I have access to medical journals, but few of the studies deal with long term recovery, if any. I feel like we are a study in process. That's why I started reading here, to get real life weed recovery stories. Just like I did with opiate recovery.
I did find an article in Psychology today that described my loved-one's recovery symptoms EXACTLY, right down to the sobbing for hours, every day, and extreme depression. It just did not delve into how long it would last, just saying it could take "a long time" to get over that.
I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings about their posts, but please can we stick to weed recovery here and forget the legality stuff for just a minute?
Thanks everyone for their input. As usual, I imagine there are a lot of people reading who never post, who might really benefit from this discussion.
I remember reading a book during my research entitled "The Neurobiology of Addiction" by James D. Stoehr. Perhaps you could recommend it to your loved one. It was extremely helpful to me in understanding what changes the long term use of alcohol AND cannabis had made in my brain. It was written in an easy layman style that idiots like me can understand, LOL! In addition, it had a nice bibliography that provided additional reading material.
Everything you describe is completely normal for your loved one. This book may provide some comfort to him/her by helping them understand what has happened to their brain and that it will take time to heal.
Cannabis is not necessarily an easy natural substance and it certainly is not interpreted as such by the brain. The withdrawal from cannabis MAY be much more difficult as it takes longer and can be more profound than alcohol. This depends on level and frequency of use, potency of product and individual response.
Speaking for myself, I smoked regularly from the age of 23. High potency product and often. Supply never an issue and quality never an issue. I never really enjoyed getting high by itself (tried the marijuana maintenance plan and it was a dismal failure) so alcohol was really my DOC. Smoked right up until I quit drinking.....at the end I was smoking daily and had been for years.
I didn't feel much immediate withdrawal from quitting cannabis. I was too busy dealing with the withdrawal symptoms from the alcohol. However, I believe that some of the lingering problems I am having may be tied to cannabis withdrawal. (In addition to the obvious brain changes that occur with marijuana abuse.)
The withdrawal from marijuana often takes longer because the drug is stored in the subcutaneous tissues of the body. Depending on the potency, frequency of use, percentage of body fat, etc often it will take 30-60 days for the last of the drug to be eliminated from the system. So the withdrawal doesn't even start until then. At 90 days out your loved one is smack in the middle of it.
It seems as though your loved one may be one of the unlucky ones. I hope he/she is getting the treatment they need for the depression?
Best Wishes