Believe333

I am feeling so incredibly overwhelmed tonight. I am trapped living in this repetitive and viscous cycle known as addiction. I turned to the internet, as I often do, for some information on my particular issues, and perhaps a bit of comfort....and I found my way to this site. This is my first thread, and I suppose the best thing to do is just come out with it. I smoke marijuana daily, and have done so for almost 10 years (with a few exceptions). I also smoke a pack of cigarettes daily which I know might not classify as an issue for some, but I see it as a serious addiction for myself. Between my weed and cigarette addiction, I am smoking my life away. I smoked not long before I got on here and will probably smoke more before going to bed tonight. I threw away all my pipes and bongs. This was my latest attempt to say no. I figured if I had no devices to smoke from, I would simply not smoke. Wrong!! I got some then I made a bowl out of a soda can tonight. That is sad! I do not want to smoke anymore. I have wanted to quit for a long time now, but I have not had any real significant success. I am addicted. I am ashamed. I need help! I don't even know why I smoke anymore. I have been a pothead for so long that, unless I smoke the really good stuff (which I can not afford), It barely does anything to me...and yet I just keep on smoking it anyways. When I don't smoke, I do not feel any real physical withdrawals, but I truly do feel psychological withdrawals. I just want to relax. unwind....SELF MEDICATE I feel like such a weak person for not being able to stop even when I know what it is doing to my health. I feel hopeless sometimes. I just want my life back but I realistically have NO CLUE how to begin.

Skye2

Hi and to the forum Believe I don't have any experience of MJ but i'm sure someone will be along soon that does Xx

Dee74

Welcome Believe

I smoked for nearly 30 years so I know what it's like.

It wasn't terribly pleasant to give up pot, but it wasn't impossible either - not if you're really determined to make the change and reclaim your life

These links helped me in those first few days, to varying extents.

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's also a ton of support here, 24/7.

Start with day one - get rid of all your stuff and paraphenalia - stay away from your smoking circle...and go on from there man.

sugarbear1

Stop buying it and just work life one day at a time.

We can stay stopped!

Image101

Hi believe. Your story could be mine! I finally quit after a decade of heavy daily use. Best thing I've ever done for myself. I've been addicted to alcohol, opiates, amphetamines... But weed was the hardest to give up, by far. It was the one drug that kept me from true sobriety.
Got any plans to stop? I know I had to make a plan. I can share it with you and more details of my story if you'd like (typing from my phone right now)

Mikie9

Hey I man, i have been there with the weed too. I spent a LOT of time smoking my time away, and doing nothing else. I finally quit a few years ago because, well I couldn't find it anymore.

There aren't any physical withdrawals from pot, but pot gives you such a dopamine release that after long term use your body can't produce it on it's own anymore and if you were like me, being a pot head means you don't do anything natural to produce it anyway. Exercise is the thing that got mine going again, and learning to fill the time. Without dopamine, you feel down, low energy and have no general feeling of satisfaction in life. Google it and you will see what dopamine does for our bodies. It is a good thing, but with pot(and all drugs) we are getting it without earning it, and when you learn about it you will see why it takes more and more to get that feeling.

Unfortunately for me, at some point I started having beer with my weed, and when I quit the weed I was fine during the day with filling my dopamine desires, but at night it just made me drink more and more. To the point I am now here having to get off alcohol.

Best of luck man, trust me you can get off the pot and get your time back if you will just give it a few days. It took me about a week until I started feeling ok without it, and after that I never really wanted it anymore.

Bruce292

Quitting cigarettes/tobacco/nicotine was one of the hardest things I ever did. Harder than the two times I quite opiates cold turkey. For me it was a very difficult. No sugar coating it. That being said I've been nicotine free since 1990. It can be done but it's a very hard thing to do. Same thing with weed. For me it was also a daily indulgence that I really missed when I ran out. These things are difficult to quit so don't say to yourself "I'm weak". I quite nicotine countless times before it stuck. The thing is to keep trying. I guess that's true for many things. I hope that made sense. Sometimes I ramble.

coming_clean

Welcome...

Believe333

I am surprised that my ramble actually got some responses. Surprised but very thankful!! For all those who took the time to welcome me and leave some words of understanding, thank you so much!! First off, I should say, I am a female. I think most of the responses assumed I was male which I guess does not really matter. I am in my early 30's, married, and the mother of 2 young girls. Not your typical pothead description, huh?? Most people do not even know that I smoke. I have turned into a closeted smoker over the years out of shame. I have been told that I do not "look" like your typical pothead...whatever that means. But the reality is, I am without a doubt, addicted to weed and cigarettes as well. Last night, after I posted, I threw the rest of my bag of weed away along with the stupid soda can smoking device I made to smoke it out of. All I would have to do is make a call if I wanted some which actually makes me nervous. Weed is very obtainable anymore and my self control is terrible! I am also out of cigarettes today. I am puffing on an electronic cigarette though...and I'm not sure that e-cigs are any better for me since it is still nicotine. But hey...one step at a time, right? Anyhow, I would love to talk more with folks on here and again, I sincerely appreciate all of the responses. I guess we are not as alone as we feel I think stumbling on to this site might have been a blessing in disguise.

Dee74

Sorry, for my inadvertent 'man' - too much late 60s music right now at my place

I don't think many of us fit the Cheech and Chong Stereotype

Weed took over my life tho - I started to feel both physical and mental effects, and not good ones.

I had to stop before it got worse.

I did it, so you can do it too

D

Mountainmanbob

if you just start cutting down on your pot intake
you should be able to stop with some time

note
most old pot heads such as myself
don't even smoke pot anymore
I never thought that I would stop
but
in time it get's old
especially as we get to a point where we wish to protect our memories
or what's left of them

if we stop smoking pot for a while
then have a little relapse
most see where it is truly not the fun thing that we thought it was
as we are feeling all dinged out
or as many old recovered pot heads state -- it was making them paranoid

to pay money to feel paranoid is insanity at it's best

MM

Dee74

I don't agree with this Bob.
Maybe you had better luck, but I was as fundamentally unable to taper my pot smoking as I was my drinking.

No offense, but personally I think it's better just to go all or nothing - rip that band off right off.

D

Mountainmanbob

I agree with you Dee with the drinking
but
for me and many others I know
smoking pot just got old with time
and even though we would try it later on from time to time
it did not have the "got to have more right now effect"

of course after 30 or more years of heavy smoking
the lungs were also pretty burnt out (this will also help one to stop)

MM

Mikie9

hey man sorry lol :p "man" just sorta coms out when I talk about weed, go figure

On the e-cigs, are you using one of the cig look a likes? I started on those and moved onto using e-liquid. I am down to one maybe two real cigs a day now, even while learning to not drink alcohol. I started using it before I started to get off alcohol, but drunk I like a cig. Now that i am not drinking, it really is replacing real cigs. Eliquid contains 4 things btw, propylene glycol, vegetable glycol, nicotine and food flavorings. And inhaling into your lungs isn't needed, vapor is too large to be adsorbed by the lungs.

Whoops, sorry went on a tangent. If you are more interested, google e-cgarette forum to learn more, or goto youtube and check out some of Pbsuardo's videos.

Sorry for calling you man earlier, ma'am

Believe333

LOL That is quite alright Mikie9 I actually call everyone "dude" for some reason regardless of gender lol I just thought I should let everyone know a tad bit more about me since I was so vague before in my original post.

Believe333

Oh, and to answer your question, I have used many types of e- cigs. I had some success with the ego vaping system, but over time, the cravings for the real thing just took over. I found the vaping system to feel ackward in my hands, and so I am now using the blue e-cig which I purchased from the gas station one day instead of my usual cigarettes. It feels a bit more natural to hold and smoke, and I puff on it much less then I would a real cigarette. My hubby smokes so I find that as soon as he gets home, I can not control the urge to bum the real thing off of him. However, I am smoking much less. I have gone through this many times. It truly is a vicious cycle. I do good for awhile, then fail. I have failed so many times, I almost don't even believe myself when I say I am going to "try" to quit again. It gets discouraging for sure. If anyone has an e-cig or vaping system that has worked for them, I would certainly be interesting in learning more about it. I do think that above it all, the mind has to be in the right place to succeed. My lungs are pretty bad for my age. For health reasons, I know I should stoop, but then I self sabotage. It's very sad!