darylburnikell

I'm new to this forum so please no negative comments!

I'm 20 years old and although I'm always ashamed to admit it, I've been smoking cannabis daily for almost 2 years. I started smoking on a night out over year ago after a breakup and I found It made me feel like myself again, felt like the weight was lifted and I could be happy again..

So, a year on and weed has some what became my 'hobby' or favourite past time. I don't particularly want to quit and I still believe that alcohol is ten times worse and marijuana should be legalized! my friends are mostly 'anti-weed' which has lead to myself rarely going out, because after a day at work all I want to do is go home and get stoned. I cancel plans made with mates because I feel judged when I smoke in front of them, but if I don't I become irrational and unpleasantly moody. So it's lead to me being stoned at home by myself. I exclude myself from everything and then resent people for eventually not asking me to join them anymore.

Recently I have applied to join the Armed Forces and obviously they have a strict anti-drugs policy! and I would like to regain my friendships to how they once were.

But I can't seem to quit, and it feels pathetic knowing people have overcome heroin addictions and I can't even quit pot! it's hard for me because I live with my dad who also smokes weed.

And when I try quit I'm not the nicest chap to be around and I can't seem to stop myself, I feel with rage easily and get overwhelmed with my emotions, I become depressed and stay in my room in bed, missing work and so on. Does anybody else feel like this with weed or a m I alone? Does anybody else get feelings of utter despair and anxiety over something as simple as not having pot? Does anybody know any advice how I can quit? Any help will be appreciated!

least

There are many people here who have quit smoking pot. It can be done, but you need the motivation to do it. I hope the support you'll find here can help you quit for good.

doggonecarl

Welcome to SR.

I spent my late teens and all of my twenties smoking pot. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it either. And I loved how it made me feel. Those two things make it tough to committ to quitting. However, at the end of 12 years, most of it all day, every day smoking, I realized that I had wasted an entire decade. Ten years I couldn't get back because I was stoned, giggling at stupid TV or partying with friends.

Get on the right track now. It only gets more difficult the longer you go.

marchHazel

Hello, Welcome.
If you decide to join the military don't do it unless you commit to stop smoking cannabis. I did four years in the service and the **** tests are no joke. You are better off not going in to begin with if you are not able to stop getting high than going in and getting into trouble.

If you are obsessed and powerless over anything find ways that you can gain power. If a person wants something bad enough they will find a way to attain their goals. There are a lot of people who use substances recreationally and don't let it rule their lives and still live happy successful lives. Cannabis last in a persons system for so long if they are subjected to drug testing it will eventually lead to problems if one gets caught. Personally only thing bad about cannabis I see is the possibility of going to jail for a plant that helps many people.

But anyway. Im new to SR too and have four days since I drank or used narcotics. This is a helpful site. If you think you have a problem then do something positive to find a solution. The bottom line is weed smoking is not allowed in the military so unless you can commit to stopping I would avoid going in. They will not cure you of your love of weed. Even if you can stop for 30 days just to pass the tests to get in. If you can't stay stopped and keep smoking when your in its likely you'll pop positive on a **** test.

Good luck. keep hanging out here and hope you can achieve your goals.

Oh yeah. There is this thing called Marijuana Anonymous. Check out their website. My friend quit 3 months ago and has been going to those meetings. Its helped him. peace

whiskeyman

you wont stop until you are in enough pain to quit

DG0409

I too had a lot of trouble with anger and depression after I first quit smoking weed. It takes a little bit of time for the chemicals in your brain to rebalance themselves. BUT it DOES happen. It's just kind of something you have to go through.

It's best to try to do little things to help it- go for a walk or a run. Write about how you're feeling, etc. Eating healthy and getting exercise will help accelerate your return to feeling normal.

I found the worst was over within two weeks or so, but it took a few months to really feel all the way better again.

Quitting alcohol and weed was the best thing I ever did. I have my life back.

darylburnikell

that's deep dude!

darylburnikell

thanks!

darylburnikell

Thanks, I found this rather inspiring and helpful!

DG0409

I have a really long thread on this topic from when I quit. Here's the link in case you're interested. http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...wakenbake.html

Like you, I didn't really want to at first, but kind of felt like I 'should'. At first, I started out just trying to smoke less, but after a while, I got tired with the obsession and counting down the hours until I could smoke, so I figured it was time to try life without any. I think it's about page 5 or 6 on the thread that I did that.

It's a long thread, but I updated it pretty much daily for the first few months, so it may give you an idea of how it was for me and see how it got better over time.

darylburnikell

Thanks alot, I too am at the 'phase' where I've just cut down to about 3 j's a day, one when I wake, one around my break every day at 2 and one before bed! I know what you mean about feeling obsessed and counting the hours down, for the first time I actually feel addicted!

I like the idea of putting a day by day blog about quitting! Still I can't seem to quit cold turkey; thanks again for the link!

SoulKat

So why is it OK for people to smoke pot, but not drink? That's my eternal question. I'm married to a pot smoker who used to drink. He says his smoking is no problem but the drinking was and my drinking was. It pisses me off. I have no means of "dealing" or getting high and have to face everything on life's terms but he can't deal with even visiting his parents without smoking his way from our house to their house (2 hours away). But that's acceptable behavior. Ugh!

Serotonin

It's all self medicating and it's not OK to self medicate IMO. I myself have self medicated with marijuana since before I even started drinking. I think largely people believe that because marijuana is less harmful, that it's no big deal. It is a big deal, at least it was for me and many people I have met. I can't recall how many times myself or others actided like a toddler having a tantrum after running oit or not being able to find weed. Clearly not healthy behavior.

marchHazel

far as it goes with seeking help at AA though. AA is there for anyone with desire to stop drinking alcohol. Weed is an outside issue.

it is a topic of debate. I agree really being sober or clean means everything. except RX meds and such. escape is escape. Ive been clean for real. its really hard to do. I needed AA and the steps and Higher Power. thats real.

thing is. if the Govt. will give me psych meds for free that don't help me. but cannabis does but it is illegal where i live and mood altering. I admit. Though it is just a plant.

thing is I am full of it. I am an addict. My nature is to escape

Mountainmanbob

smoking pot will never mix with the Armed Forces
if you can't stop smoking pot and stay stopped
you may as well not waste your time going in

note
as I look back in my life today
I see where smoking pot cost me a lot
promotions I passed over because I knew the position would drug test me
many times I turned down excellent working out of class assignments
because I knew that I wreaked of pot

the price one will pay so as to get a little buzz

as we look back later we see where it was not worth it

Mountainman

Dee74

It wasn't OK for me SoulKat.

I smoked pot for around 30 years.

I destroyed my life as completely on pot as I did on alcohol later - the drug used me, not the other way around.

Hi and welcome Daryl - I really recommend you read DG's thread. Here are some other links that may help:

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
Quitting Cannabis

D

TigerLili

I think a lot of people are in the position where they know they NEED to quit, but don't WANT to.

You may not be addicted yet, but you could well be on the path to being addicted. You have nothing to lose by quitting and everything to gain.

Hope4Life

I'm another one of the many folks here who have successfully stopped using pot. I smoked EVERY day for about 38 years and for the last 5 years that I smoked, I went through an ounce about every 16-20 days. All day every day I would have the pipe in my hand, burning 10, 15, 20 bowls a day!

In my case, once I had made up my mind to stop, I looked at what was left and started tapering the amount each day. On the last day, I had 1 bowl that I nursed as long as I could. When it was gone, I made a vow to myself not to get anymore and with a lot of DETERMINATION, I recently passed my 1 year mark w/o it.

As others have said, if you can't get several (6) months clean before you enlist, then you might as well find another career. First off, if you enlist and fail the test to get in, YOU MAY NEVER BE ALLOWED IN!!! Second, if you manage to pass the test to get in but fail one later on, YOU COULD BE INCARCERATED!

It is possible to stop but you have to want it badly enough to follow through. It sounds like you really want to serve your country..... use that as motivation to get clean and stay clean. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

zerothehero

Deep, buy not necessarily true. Not to discourage anyone, but I wasn't really in pain when I was smoking weed, and it never got me into serious trouble, but the pain started when I quit. That's when I started drinking heavily. The pain was there, I just wasn't feeling it. After I was away from weed for awhile I never liked it much when I tried it again. It caused anxiety. The goal is not to avoid the pain, but to deal with it - face reality. It took me a long time to figure that out, and I'm still learning.

Mikie9

I started with weed 20+ years ago, and I wasted so much time. I later got into drinking along with it. Once I got to a point I realized I was NOT living, I was working and then going home and buzzing all night instead of living every freaking night of my life, did I change.

I understand how it can medicate us with our issues. But don't do that, LIVE! Any medicating we think we are doing for ourselves is just plain out hiding. I used to always ay that weed was at least better than going out drinking every night, and I still think that.. "better" tho, not good or healthy.

At 20 years old, do something now. 3 joints a day is pretty high man...