Vaslaney

I have been smoking ( heavily) for the best part of 15 years and I have had enough, the guilt, the disappointment with myself, the constant panic when it runs out and the effort to go get it! It doesn't even get me high anymore, just makes me cross with myself.. I want it out of my life but haven't got a clue how to do it as it has been part of my life for so long, I don't know how else to behave. It has taken over my life, I don't want it to take over another 15 years! Today is DAY 1 of not smoking...so far so good but it's the evenings I struggle with, and evening is coming up!
Does anyone feel the same, has anyone out there beaten it?

ScottFromWI

Sobriety from alcohol is my current focus, but I was a nicotine ( smokeless tobacco) user for many many years as well. I quit about 4 years ago and went cold turkey. I have to say that the initial withdrawals from nicotine were probably worse mentally for me than alcohol was even - since i used nicotine literally all day long every day. But once i got over the first week or so it really got much better, nothing like the long term challenges of quitting alcohol.

doggonecarl

Can I assume you mean pot?

I was an every-day, all-day pot smoker. Ten years. Struggled to quit the last couple of years, but I finally got so disgusted with myself that I did. So you can too.

One thing though. I kept drinking (this was over 25 years ago) because alcohol wasn't my "problem." But the things that drove me to get high were the things that drove me to drink. So I ended up abusing alcohol worse than pot. So if you drink, you might need to consider living clean and sober!

Good luck.

Vaslaney

Yes, I mean weed!
The trouble is, I constantly think about it, and the idea of living like that depresses me, but the idea of smoking weed indefinitely depresses me too, not to mention the amount of money I spend on it. My husband hasn't got a clue how much I spend and if he knew, I would be in serious trouble, that is also why I want to stop. How did I become this person? I have 3 little children and find it hard to cope with that unless I have a joint, then I feel much more able to cope! Soooo stupid but that's where I am now, If someone had told me 15 years ago that I would end up a MJ addict I would have laughed my head off....that's how easily it crept and took over my life...what do I do????????

ScottFromWI

Sorry I misinterpreted your post, thought you mean cigarrettes.

With any addiction you need to have a desire to quit more than a desire to use. If you do have that desire, i'd recommend seeking some kind of daily support like NA or perhaps talking with your local drug/alcohol resource center. Getting over the initial hump is very difficult and having daily meetings for accountability and support can be key.

doggonecarl

Whatever it takes. Resolve yourself to it being a difficult decision, a hard road, but do it. Your addictive mind is going to play all sorts of tricks to get you to keep using. Difficult to resist when the same "mind" that decides to quit, decides it is okay to smoke. But it's not your mind, it is your addictive voice (AV).

You can do this if you set your heart on it...You'll notice I didn't say "set your mind on it" because your head's going to F#%$ with you big time in order to get you to unquit. Stay strong.

Nonsensical

WELCOME!

The good news is that brains can be retrained. It will take some work, but if you want it, you can do it.

Dee74

Hi Vaslaney

I smoked daily for the best part of 30 years. It really is possible to quit
altho you'll find the going tough in the first week, there is a ton of support here


here are some links that helped me quit several years ago:
MARIJUANA – A Guide to Quitting
https://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/...from-marijuana
Quitting Marijuana a 30 Day Self Help Guide // OADE // University of Notre Dame

There are other supports available too, like Marijuana Anonymous (link above) if you think you need more help

D

ru12

Stubbornly refuse to take that first hit. Distract yourself. Exercise. Come here and vent. Changing bad habits is often difficult initially. But it becomes easier with time. Perhaps put the money you were spending on pot into a jar and save it for something special. You might be surprised on how fast it accuulates.

Vaslaney

Thank you to dee74, ru12, doggonecarl and nonsensical and all the others that posted! Wow, there is so much support here that I feel that i stand a chance of beating this, and this for the first time in 15 years! At the moment, you guys ae my lifeline and the difference between making it and sinking back down! It's day 2 and I still haven't had any weed...been smoking cigarettes but not that many, and feel quite proud of myself! However, had serious insomnia last night, must have woken up about every hour and never really went back to sleep again, I had no idea the insomnia would be that bad...I hope it gets better...I still can't stop thinking about it and am really resisting the urge to go get some..it's the evening and that's when I struggle the most, my routine being that I would have had one by now, and then another and then another...am apprehensive about sleeping too....but am also amazed that I have made it to 2 days...I have been using for so long that my addictive brain doesn't seem to understand what is hapening...a life with no weed, now that would be something!!!!it scares me, and sometimes, I just want to say to myself, its ok, one more wont hurt....but it will, I have NEVER made it to 2 days before, I didn't even know I could do it, and I have only managed to get this far because of the support I have found here... I just need to find the way out, the door, and open it and go through it, close it and lock it behind me...I can see it, but I have a long walk towards it and hope hope hope hope that I make it without A detour....please keep posting, it makes a HUGE difference.....

Imabuleva

I drank a lot of coffee for a week in college (I don't like coffee, so it didn't turn into a new addiction) to kick the nicotine habit. But then again, I had only been smoking / chewing for a couple years at the time.

neferkamichael

Vaslaney, FANTASTIC. I smoked for over 40 years and have been nicotene free for 1 year 5 months, so yes you can quit. Rootin for ya.

kadidee

Hi Vaslaney, have you seen this thread in the newcomer's forum? You might find it helpful...

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...t-so-easy.html

Dee74

Keep it going Vaslaney

D

Vaslaney

Well, it's day 4 and I'm still hanging in there, although day 3 was the hardest so far. I found myself smoking a nicotine joint, no weed in it, just nicotine... Does that count as falling off the wagon? Funnily enough, it seemed to satisfy my craving, not sure wether psychologically I felt it was a joint that I was smoking so made me feel better, but I know it wasn't so am not sure where I am....I also slept a bit more last night than I have on day 1 and day 2, but am still feeling the lack of sleep and for now, the sleep thing is the only thing that's making me want to go back to it....but I haven't called my dealer....I have very mixed feelings about this... On one hand I am ecstatic that I have made it this far, although I am very tired I feel a lot more clear headed and for the first time in a long time, I am excited about the future.... On the other hand, I can see now how mental this drug is because I have no desperatly uncontrollable physical cravings ( again, not sure what the nicotine joint is all about), it's all in my HEAD!! But my brain is so powerfully pulling me back that I have to make humongous efforts to tell it to stop!!! That is exhausting, but it helps that I don't have any so nothing I can do about it....just have to deal with it...I know that if I had some I would smoke it so I have still have a long way to go...I am also feeling very emotional but have rediscovered music and I find that it helps me to listen to music when I really feel the pull....i cant stop dancing!!!
i know I can't carry on not sleeping, I have 3 small children and it is difficult to function on a long term basis like this...I don't and won't take anything to help me sleep, but has anyone out there had the insomnia problem? Did it get better with time? I am also trying to stop smoking cigarettes, I want a fresh start in 2014, I want to enjoy life again, i want my husband and friends to be proud of me ( no one around me smokes weed, i am the only one so am very alone in my fight, they don't understand what the big deal is about quitting, my husband ESP is very black and white about it: if you don't want to smoke anymore, just don't put a joint in your mouth he says .... Well that doesn't help me much ) but am I doing too much at the same time?

misspond

Hi Vaslaney - I smoked pot for 20 years and gave up 3 years ago. I had a couple of false starts where I wanted to give up but couldn't quite manage it, then got to a point (I too have kids and they were 6 and 2 at the time) where I just didn't want to be that fugged up all of the time so I went cold turkey.

I did however carry on smoking tobacco, and managed to give that up nearly 2 years ago now (wow, it'll be two years in January). It is do-able, you can retrain your brain and it does take a little while.

What amazes me now is that I feel as though I have never smoked and don't miss it one bit. For a while I put aside the money I would have spent on it and then used it to take me and the kids away on holiday

Sleeplessness? Yeah, that passes, you just have to give your brain and body a break. You can do it, you just have to give yourself permission to. x

Nonsensical

Insomnia is so common among addicts that we have our own forum for it.

Insomnia/Nightmares - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

Some good suggestions in there, and a lot of commiserating, too.

Keep the press on! You're doing this!

Vaslaney

THANKYOU misspond!!! That's what I needed to hear!!! ESP coming from a mum!!!!

Image101

Hi Vaslaney!
Oh wow, can I relate to you (minus the kids). Been smoking daily (a couple grams/day) of super high quality pot for a decade. Today is day 5 and I feel GREAT!

Someone above mentioned it, but come join us in this thread:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...t-so-easy.html
A few of us are supporting each other in this journey together, and of course you are more than welcome to join!