Benefits of quitting cannabis

As I'm no longer a "raging depressive maniac" and only have a mild depression (caused mainly by failing) I thought I'd start a new thread.

I've never sought help with quitting before because I've always thought I had enough willpower to do it on my own. I'd managed to give up cigarettes for 3 months previously (though I did have a joint every couple of weeks or so) and I now have even more reason to quit than ever before - being a father of 2 youngsters. So, I really thought I had sufficient motivation this time to quit smoking forever. The simple fact is, that even though I really want to quit, I can't get past 1 month without risking becoming a seriously unstable individual!

Though I'm obviously anxious about going to a clinic for cannabis addicts, I'm also looking forward to experiencing it. My first appointment should have been today but the therapist/councillor/whatever, was sick, so it's been postponed till Tuesday Seems I'm destined to smoke forever sometimes! Anyhoo... tune in next week folks as I'll be broadcasting (almost live) my experience of quitting with help!

I'd be very interested to hear what the professionals do for you, do you know whether it'll involve medication, some kind of counselling/group therapy or what?

Keep us updated.

Counselling, group therapy and possibly medication as a last resort are all involved from what I understand (my Danish is still poor!). First they meet me 1-to-1 to get all the facts, then I'm not sure what happens after that, but I'll keep you up to speed.

Lee - I really hope you will keep us posted about this.  Most of the groups in the U.S. are directed towards hard drugs - meth, cocaine, heroine are all huge problems - and they have a hard time taking someone with cannabis addiction seriously.    I'm sure there are medications that could make the transition easier.  I'm looking forward to hearing how this goes for you.   In the meantime,  I am certain that the support I have found here has been a huge incentive for me to make it to Day 20 - I'm almost to the point where I don't want to count the days any more - except to give encouragement.  20 days ago was the beginning of my new life and the end of 10 years of addiction. 

I hope you keep coming back well after 20 days, grandma.  I'm going to try and do so, I know that for a long time after quitting, perhaps even for the rest of my life (though I really hope not), it'll be lurking at the back of my mind and if I have more serious upsets in my life (and who doesn't get them?) then the urge to start smoking again will be strong.

Plus, over time, I hope to be able to come back and relate how things have turned around.  In my quit journal I have a massive list of all the ways in which it has harmed my life.  Perhaps someday I will be able to write another list, but one which will be a mirror image of the 'harms' list, to show how so many of those things have been fixed.

It is nice to think that this might inspire others.

So, a quick update as time is limited. I went to the clinic on Tuesday and had an interview lasting nearly 2 hours. They wanted to know as much as possible about the things you would expect: drug use, childhood, parents, social circle, etc... Then they discuss my case with a Dr. and other counsellors, before deciding on the best way forward. I am attending a 20-minute meeting (when they decide on my treatment) this coming Tuesday. They've told me I'm welcome to invite someone, so I'm taking my wife (who, incidentally, smokes tobacco but not cannabis). She supports me 100%, naturally.

WELL DONE James and grandma!!! I will be joining you in quitting very soon!

Lee - I'm so glad you updated us.  I'm really eager to hear how this works for you and if it will be a good option for others.  Keep us posted. 

Thanks for the encouragement - this is a small but extraordinary group of human beings and I feel a deep

connection to each of you.  You've made the difference for me.

Grandma

In true Danish style things are moving forward slowly but precisely! At the recent meeting I mentioned in my last post it was decided that my case needs to be considered further in order that a tailor-made solution can be found. The doctor present at the meeting also prescribed some medication to help neutralise some of the effects I suffered during my last attempt to quit. As I have not yet been instructed to commence with a further attempt the medication is in storage. It has already given me the confidence to try again soon just knowing that chemical assistance is close to hand - the last experience I had was enough to destroy belief in my ability to quit.

So, nothing much to report at this stage I'm afraid. I can't wait till the "fun" begins!

Hi Lee, I too am looking forward to this , I am very interested to hear anything you can report back as far as a quit like this goes.  I know a few people who have used NA AA and even GA for their cannabis quits, but this really is a whole new approach , and one I would be very interested in following .

Good luck , and Please keep informed . We're all still following

CAT

I had another meeting (1-to-1) with my assigned counsellor last week in which I decided to set a quit date - Thursday 12th November. I had an enjoyable evening out with friends on the Wednesday evening and smoked my last joints, so today (Sunday) is my 4th pot-free day. I missed it for the first time this afternoon, but not even remotely seriously... just thought it would be nice to "skin one up"!

After following James' success story to date I've also decided to carry on smoking cigarettes until I'm sure that all the THC has left my body (which apparently takes somewhere around 6 weeks). I'll wait 2 months, just to be on the safe side! Dealing with one addiction at a time does seem a more sensible route to take, given my previous disastrous experience! I'm awestruck by those who have managed to quit both together.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't done anything with regard to the therapy for my psychological problems. The particular group offering this support is separate to the clinic for cannabis addicts, so I still need to approach them and make an appointment. As I can manage a couple of pot-free weeks without problems I haven't made it the priority that I should. However, I know that if I'm going to stay pot-free then I will have to address certain psychological issues at some point in the near future.

So, all is still rosy in my garden of abstinence! I hope it will remain so in the forthcoming weeks.

Lee - so glad you checked in - and that Day 4 was relatively stress free.  You had mentioned medication - so is that not happening?   6 weeks is probably about right for detox - I'm almost to 8 weeks and have FINALLY stopped the night sweats.

Have the counselors given you any useful information? insights? that helped you make the decision?

Hope Day 5 goes smoothly for you.  I think I mentioned that I only quit tobacco and cannabis at the same time because I smoked them together - so complicating the MJ withdrawal with nicotine withdrawls probably made it more difficult for me.

I hope Day 5 is an easy one for you!

Hey grandma, thanks for your kind concern, it's always appreciated. The counsellor I'm seeing has spent the majority of our time asking questions about me rather than giving me any particular information or insights. She has also made it clear that there is no miracle "cure" for cannabis addiction and that quitting does require the addict to suffer some unpleasant experiences for a while. I have some prescribed medication which will help me to stay calm and get to sleep when the time comes - right now it's in storage because i don't need it. My next meeting (in one week) will be the first since my quit date. However, read on!.....

Last night I went around to a friend's house and ended up smoking some hash. It was a really enjoyable evening, which led me to question my decision to quit. An idea began to percolate in my brain: perhaps I could enjoy an occasional smoke with friends in the same way that some people enjoy an occasional fine cigar and cognac. Perhaps it could become an occasional luxury, rather than something that controls how I live or the decisions I make. After all, I have never smoked cannabis to such an excessive degree that I am unable to live a relatively normal life. It is only a short step away from the idea I am considering. It's something I'll think about and discuss with my counsellor next week. For now I will continue with the decision not to buy any or to engineer situations that would allow me to smoke.

Hi Lee... 

Obviously it's your decision.. but remember the mind tricks cannabis plays... "psychological addiction" as they say. It makes you think you don't want to give it up, and the near  lack of short term side effects makes it easy to fall into the trap of continuing to smoke.

It doesn't punish you with unbearable physical withdrawal symptoms when you decide to give up... it does't need to.. it simply undermines that decision in the first place..  it'll make you forget the negative aspects, the reason you want to quit, while reminding you of all the ways you seem to be coping fine, thus lessening your will to quit.. 

maybe worth comparing it with other, non-addictive "occaisional luxuries".  These are things we look forward to, but don't crave.. things we do only rarely, like foreign holidays, or expensive restaurants.. it's no problem knowing you'll not be going abroad in the next six months.  If one isn't addicted, it should be just as easy to put off smoking for the same amount of time?

Sorry.. don't mean to lecture.. I'm the last one to talk.. in fact this is advice for myself as much as anything!

Thanks Lee & Pete - interesting discussion - and since I feel like I've been walking that tightrope lately, it's very relevant.  If I thought for one moment that I could smoke only occasionally for pleasure, I'd light one up.  Unfortunately, 10 years have proven that for me that will never be the case.  Admitting I'm addicted and that opening that option opens me to addiction has been a very difficult thing for me to come to grips with - much like an alcoholic must feel when told they can NEVER have a drink again.  Not everyone who drink is alcoholic.

Lee - I hope you find your balance in this.  I think Pete and I know that's not possible for us.  I know many people who CAN smoke only occasionally - Unfortunately, I'm not one of them.  

Lee I really appreciate that you keep posting - and that you

are so totally honest about where you are and how you feel.

I really do want to know how this goes for you, as you have chosen to approach it so differently.  Your version of 'success' may be totally different than mine - and I really want to know the course this takes for you.  Share what you can when you can. 

THC - Glad to know you're still out there - and hey I grew up on Manilow!!! - I also likes me some Marley!:D- however you're right - he sounds ever so much better when you're STONED! 

Sorry to threadjack you, Lee - but thanks for your wisdom THC - sounds like you know exactly where I am.  The longer that you get away from it and the more confidence you feel, the more you start thinking "why did I do this??"  It's really hard to remember how shit life had become.  Then you start thinking - hey, if I quit once I can do it again, it wasn't that hard, yada yada yada.  OR - I'll just have a joint from time to

time.    Posts like yours are why I continue to check in every day - and  I learn something really valuable from guys like Pete and Bob who are just starting the quit and remind me where I WAS and really why I spent two years trying to get where I am now. 

Hugs to you all -

Grandma

Hey guys, don't worry about "lecturing" or "threadjacking", I come on here because I want to share and discuss my thoughts and experiences concerning my cannabis addiction. ALL opinions are 100% welcome, so just keep them coming.

I've smoked cannabis for almost 20 years and during that time my use has fluctuated between smoking from morning till night and just having a joint every week or so. My usage has depended on many factors, which would require a lot of explaining! 

My main motivation for quitting completely has been the health issue. I'm not getting any younger and I don't want to destroy my lungs (and brain cells) any more than I have already. Therefore, I feel that continuing to smoke tobacco while quitting cannabis may just be undermining my motivation, i.e. the health issue. I need to reflect on the situation a while longer before deciding on the best way forward. The idea of quitting both simultaneously still scares the hell out of me!

I'd just like to point out that when I have used cannabis sparingly - weekly or fortnightly, rather than daily - I've enjoyed the positive aspects of pot-smoking and had very few of the negatives. I obviously expect to read lots of the negative aspects on a site dedicated to helping people quit, but I can't help feeling that there should also be an acknowledgement of the positive aspects. I'm certainly not trying to undermine anyone's resolve by suggesting this; if anything I think it is more helpful to have an open, honest appraisal of ALL aspects of pot smoking. I would challenge anyone on here who claimed that they have never had any enjoyable experiences while under the influence. After all, it must have brought some benefits in order for us to become addicted in the first place. Right?

So, if there is a way for me to enjoy the positive aspects, without suffering from the many negative aspects (which have been eloquently and thoroughly discussed on this site) then it must be worthy of consideration. The real question of course, is whether I can manage to limit myself to the "occasional luxury"!

Hmmmmmmmmm............    

Lee -

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this question you are posing.  Of COURSE for me there were many, many benefits to cannabis use.  It  enabled me to be reasonably functional for over 8 years.  It, in many ways, gave me my life back for those years.  It was medicine for me - and worked far better than the prescription drugs I had spent years addicted to.  It is available by prescription in the state where I live - and many doctors will prescribe it for anything from headaches to cancer - it is valuable for the treatment of a broad range of ailments - even depression.

I would probably still be using it BUT - like you I smoked it.  I don't like eating it in brownies or cookes or fudge - or even soup - or tinctures.  Nausea is a major problem for me, and smoking it is the ONLY option when it's hard to keep anything on your stomach.  It is also very hard to dose when you consume it  - too easy to get too much and then takes several hours to get it out of your system.  Smoking is fast, efficient, easily dosed - one puff at a time.  BUT, like you, I also began to realize that the smoke was damaging my lungs.  My throat hurt  ALL the time.  I got pneumonia every year - and bronchitis several times a year. 

Oh - I also tried the vaporizer - it just didn't seem to work for me.  I've used waterpipes and special smokelss pipes - I think I've tried it all!!

Bottom line, I felt it was killing me.   Then I tried to stop.  Now I also have real difficulty with anything that takes control of my life to the point that I make a lot of really stupid decisions - that I go into a panic when I run out of it - that I take dangerous risks in order to travel with it.  Getting on an airplane is really important to my lifestyle - and very limiting when you have to think about stashing it in your luggage - or trying to find a source at the other destination - it's not legal in very many states here - and in few places in Europe.  The financial costs also became a factor for me.   I had to come to a point where I seriously analyzed the 'pros' against the 'cons' - and, quite simply - the 'cons' won.  At this point in my life they far outweigh the benefits. 

Like you, I've imagined how lovely it would be to treat myself to the 'occasional luzury' - for me it would be more than enjoyment - it would be a truly pain free day!  But after spending two years trying very seriously to quit - for even a week, I've concluded that's not just possible.  If I even made it for a couple of days, I would start again and each time smoke more and more often than before. 

Sorry to go on and on - but I've spent the better part of the last month thinking this through.  I would LOVE to smoke again - I would not LOVE to go back to a life of dying one smoke at a time.  I had to make a choice.  And I wish it were that simple!

I really want to know how this turns goes for you - and where you are a year from now.  I'm quite sure that I'll still be here, checking in.   I hope I'm not the only one - even if you're still smoking, it's valuable to hear your perspective.  I've made a deal with myself that if I make it to 80 years old and still want to smoke then I'll start again!!

Well, you asked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandma

First of all, you don't "go on and on", I'm sure I speak for everyone on this forum when I say that your contributions are extremely beneficial. Your empathy and understanding demonstrate a great capacity for the noblest of virtues, love. Your encouragement towards others can only enhance your karma!  May you receive the love that your kindness deserves.

Returning to my own plight, I've just had a day at work that nightmares are made of! I've had to take on some extra work on Thursdays in order to finish slightly earlier on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So, after a 12-hour day of stress I have been left with aching jaws from all the clenching of teeth. Surprisingly, I do not feel like smoking pot in the slightest. However, I have resorted to taking some of the medication I have been prescribed because, even though I'm completed wasted, my stress levels are in danger of giving me a difficult night of sleep... and I don't need that right now.

I'm pleased that you have acknowledged the pleasure that pot can bring, and I'm also in agreement that dabbling with the substance is a treacherous path to take. I must emphasise that I'm far from certain that enjoying an occasional joint is either possible or ultimately desirable. There are other, healthier, ways to get a buzz. I simply needed to feel that there was some balance in the discussions.

So, in the one week since my quit day I've smoked for one evening. Not exactly a disaster, and I still have a certain sense of achievement. I'm still "walking the talk" (in my own mind at least!)

I look forward to many more discussions. Please don't restrict yourself  

XxX

Ah Lee - my enigma! - you really need to know how beneficial your approach to this has been to me.  Keeping it 'real' has made me do some serious soul searching at a time when I have really had to re-evaluate my own motivations for this 'quit'. 

And your honesty - and persistence tells me much about your character - and caring - as well.  Thank you.  And thank you for the kind words - it does my heart good....may 'Karma' smile on us both!

I'm sorry about your stress at work - and I think using the meds given you are a valid option.  I have had to use prescription pain meds from time to time since my quit.  I'm also realizing that this is a vulnerable time when it would be very easy to substitute one addiction for another.   I sometimes wonder if our world is just not so complex - our systems so constantly assaulted with stimuli that our nervous systems become incredibly fragile.- and we become frantic to seek escape to a solitude that just doesn't exist in our environments - so we turn to addictions  that give us some sort of respite.  

Again - I'm thinking out loud.  Thanks for listening - and for keeping this discussion going.  You should be able to hear the wheels turning in my creaky old brain all the way to your side of the world! - if it isn't drowned out by the teeth clenching going on there!!  - tell me more about healthy ways to get a 'buzz'!!!:D

Hugs -

Grandma