Benefits of quitting cannabis

I first started smoking when I was 14, and have been using regularly ever since. In all this time I have barely ever gone more than a day or 2 without having anything to smoke. For a long time I have never seen any problems with my habit, but over the past 18 months or so my life has spiralled severely downward and I think I may have finally hit rock bottom. I have gone from being an outgoing person with an active social life, that exercised often etc etc to being a virtual recluse. I no longer see my main group of friends, although I think unconsciously this may be a manifestation of my growing desire to quit the lifestyle I was leading with them. I have become less confident and the only 'thing' in my life nowdays is my girlfriend who I only see for a couple of weekends or so a month due to the distance between us. It seems if I am not with her I'm doing nothing. 

This isn't the way things should be and I have decided I want to make a change, and I want to be serious about it in a way that I never have before in all the times I've made similar claims to myself. I smoke as much as I do as an escape from my boredom and unhappiness - I do not really know what has changed in my mindset, but I can now see this fact with much more clarity. Although I still feel there are positives to toking I feel that these are far outweighed by the negatives (for me at least). In my mind I'm not sure if I see a problem with smoking very moderately... I just don't want it to run my life the way it has for so long. I liken it to Jack Daniels.... I love the drink and could easily drink it everyday, but I don't. I will buy a bottle maybe once every couple of months and have a drink or 2 for a few nights until the bottle is done. After that I won't think about or get another bottle for weeks or months. Maybe I am being naive or optimistic, who knows? but this level or less is what I see as acceptable for myself.

I know this is going to be difficult, and I hope joining this site eases some of that. One day at a time I guess. I have a vision of myself in the future.... now I just need get my ass on that path.

Good Luck All

same as me I like a drink and do it alot but can go without it. Some people can do that with dope but we cant. I for years used it as an excuse for it being ok when your sitting alone to relieve boredom but then realised after years that that was why I was sitting alone! Plan it then do it and stay off the drink for a week or so when you go for it cause when I sit and have a drink in the house I m used to having a joint in the other hand...good luck and go for it!

Hey Niall, I think your right about the drink and the association, definitely need to cut down or out with the drinking too.

Appreciate your comments, so what's your story? Just starting out like me or been a while?

I had already smoked a joint by the time I started writing this earlier and for that reason have vowed that my 'quit date' is tomorrow on the first of the month. I've got about 1 left in the bag.... right or wrong I'm gonna smoke that tonight then throw out my 'smoking box', and then think positive and contemplate on new beginnings.

Here's to a new dawn :-)    

I ve been smokin the shit for years and would still do it if I could control it to be honest but cant so time to stop before I get lung cancer really or throat! LIke a couple cans and a spliff..the spliffs are better with a couple cans for the throat then once youve had a couple cans you need a couple more spliffs..was smokin them probably as a nicotine intake. I d have your last one later on and enjoy it! I m 3 days off it and not too bad actually(a bit of a rough ride through the night...I d recommend a towel dressing gown).I ll hopefully get a sleep tonight...could actually go a drink but would crave too much but should be ok by next week! Enjoy your spliff!!

ok.... its 8.30am on my day 1.... let the adventure begin! 

I think this may be easier if I wasn't out of work (company is under investigation and we can't work until we get the say so - don't even now if I need to be looking for another job or not!), staying busy is going to be extra hard. Because of that I'm thinking I may escape to my GF for the week.... better than wasting here I guess and it removes me from the temptation of my dealers lol, I can't get hold of anything in Cambridge! 

As I thought I've woke this morning and before I even leave my bed I'm thinking about the skunk. Normally it would be when and where can I pick up... but this morning was a lil different. Yes the same old thoughts were there but they were over shadowed by my resolve to stop this stuff from invading my life so severely. Think that is why I came straight on here.... incentive for today.

Well done on the 3 days Niall and good luck with the rest of your journey.

Have a great day peeps and stay positive!

I m self employed in building trade and the last 3 years had far too much spare time thats when my intake increased big time.Anyway going to do a post but to ley you know today(day 4) although still never got a decent sleep I got up with a spring in my step,didnt reach out for the usual  left over of a spliff that would be by my bedside,felt fuckin A,ambitious again,cravings right down,can breathe through my nose totally(without having to open my mouth) and everything great! Make sure you reach day 4 ma man and it ll be a breeze!!!

Well done Niall ,  sound advice, and a huge congratulations on getting past the worse first days .  Things can only get better.

Once again well done. 

Warm wishes.

Hey peeps, well I'm halfway through day 2 and doing ok. I think it has definately helped escaping to my girlfriends for a bit. Not sure if it is knowing that I can't really get anything up here or my new resolve, but I'm not craving half as bad as I thought I would be.

This is how it should be... majority of days wih nothing and the odd smoke here and there.... I know I'm only on day 2 but I gotta stay positive and think ahead of what I want, rather than thinking of what I havn't got and constantly telling myself I want a smoke!

Congrats again to everyone on here trying to make a difference for yourselves, for whatever reasons. We've all got the knowledge and the willpower, its just a matter of choosing our paths.

Stay Positive.

Cool one,day six and I aint hardly thinkin of the stuff.My mate who is a heavy smoker was going to pop down for the footie the other night and told him that he couldnt! Its easy now and even if I did fall off the waggon I d jump straight back on. Still cant sleep though but think thats cause I m full of energy.Might go for a sauna and steam bath  to try sweat the rest of the toxins out! Funny thing is if I d done this years ago I d be that successful I d probably have one in the house(and never use it)...maybe next year ha ha

Neil this is great news.  Really inspiring to hear how well you're coming along .

Please keep updating with your progress, it's good to see someone in such good spirits throughout the quit .

Keep it up .

All the best

Hey all, hope all is good.

Its day 4 and still going strong. I'd be lying if I said I don't want a joint right now but I'm not going to! Just as much as I would like one I am enjoying the simple fact that its been a few days since I have. I have only ever gone this long when I've gone on holiday and not taken any with me.... and of course its a lot easier then because of being so busy and distracted doing other things. I do still plan on smoking in moderation - that being the key word - as I don't think we need to completely deny ourselves the things we enjoy, but the longer I go without the better.

If and when I do get a bag I plan to make it last at least twice as long as I used to. But that is all if and when... for now I am still a complete non smoker.

To be honest I'm actually wishing my dreams will hurry up and come back, I went without for a week about a month ago when I went on another holiday and my dreams came back with a vengance - I loved it! lol. Does anyone know how dreams are affected if you were to smoke a joint or 2 per week?

I'm glad to hear your doing so well Niall, positivity is the the key my man! I've seen that you post on here quite a bit too, I like that, sites like this I think are a great help for people, and the more everyone gets involved and helps each other the better.

Stay well people, be back soon!

Stay Positive.

Just posting a bit to keep busy at the start and doing it now so people who are about to stop can get inspiration from us. Last week we were like them probably scared to stop and thinking we couldnt do it. Hopefully they ll be the ones posting next week for the next generation. It ll be a week in the morning and still aint had a half decent sleep though..anyone tell us the score with that..I mean never been a good sleeper but I m due one??? That used to be my excuse for smokin it in the first place!!

Well its the morning of my day 6 and I'm feeling very good. I'd still be lying if I said I didn't fancy a lil smoke, but I'm also feeling really good for not having smoked at all. I realise it won't be quite as simple as this when I am back at my end (London) rather than in Cambridge with my gf but I can see now with more clarity what it is like to not spend my days in a half baked daze! I'm liking it, a lot. I have a new resolve to not go back to the way I was which was only getting worse. I can see a new me emerging with regards to the way I feel about smoking. Before it was an escape route from boredom which only led to actually being even more bored. From here on in if I do have a smoke it will be in the same league as drinking... I wouldn't dream of drinking everyday the way I was smoking, they are both a pleasure to be enjoyed in moderation; pretty much like everything on this planet that I find enjoyable! lol.

MODERATION IS THE KEY!!

Anyway, good luck again to anyone and everyone reading this, I hope this website helps you in the way it has me. I'm sure I'll be a regular visitor as my journey progresses, reading other peoples experiences definitely helps to put things into perspective.

Stay Positive.

PS, hope ya still going strong Niall - you've defo been of help to me mate, thanks.

Oh... and my dreams have started to come back too. yay!!!

Yeah it was sound to have someone else doin it too..there were a couple others but think they must ve fallen off...shame cause they d be ok by now...to be honest I wouldnt mind havin a spliff from time to time...might do and might not I just know that I cant be hangin around with smokers or have any in my possession as it would get arsed but if someone gave me a spliff or twos worth every now and again i could handle that I think but cool just now...just hit something by accident and writtings gone all funny..anyone know what button to hit to sort that???

Hi Niall, I believe you hit the Italice .  The slanty I , next to the Bold B button .  No biggy though .

Yes you were right, you lost me along the way , but I've climbed back on the wagon and i'm not nearing the end of day 2. I know it doesn't sound like much , but my resolve is stronger than it has been in a long time . I'm about to go start my own thread to doccument my progress. I'm so glad to hear how well you're getting on , and this was part of my inspiration to give it another go .

Thankyou for sharing your story with us

Morning all. I hope everyone's feeling good :-)

Its Monday morning, day 8 and I'm feeling pretty darn good! lol. I'm pushing myself a little to test my new resolve... yesterday evening I brought an 8th - as you know I want moderation, not abstinence - the problem in the past is that I've not been able to actually put this into practice, but a new me is emerging and its time to test that.

I smoked one joint yesterday, and it lasted me fuckin' ages! I made sure that was the only one I had though, and I've not woke this morning and rolled a joint which would have been what I done in the past. Instead I'm actually just about to go for a run, yes a run.. on a wet Monday morning!!  This is the me that I want to see and that I am determined to become. I did enjoy the smoke yesterday, but as I've been saying on here I've really liked not being a stoner this past week. I want to go from being the stoner I was to somebody who gets a lil' stoned from time to time. I'm so determined to make it happen for me this time, I've never felt this way about it before.

I'm glad to hear your thoughts 'This is it', don't kid yourself about 2 days not sounding like much... this is an extremely tough journey for all of us... the simple fact we are trying means so much, we shouldn't sell ourselves short. Please feel free to keep posting your progress on this thread - it would make a simple way for all of us to chart our progress together. The support from this website over the past week has been of so much help. This isn't about it being 'my' thread - the more people on this journey in the one place, the better.

Anyway, I'm off to go get knackered and use my lungs in a new way!! lol. 

Have a great day people.

Stay Positive.

Hey NB, Thankyou for posting on my thread, I thought i'd pop here to see how you're doing . What can i say ... I'm jealolus ... well to be honest , I'm not jealous yet , but I will be jealous when I see it working ... the moderation  .

I would love to moderate , I would absolutely love it , but I've tried this for over 5 years , and it's amazing how fast my use spirals back to everyday !  I would love to hear how you get on with this  and hope that you keep posting whatever the outcome so we can learn from it .

I have had to realise for me that moderation is never going to work for something ive been addicted to , and that makes me lol

Day 3 now ... the reason it doesn't feel like much is probably down to the fact in the last year i managed a 4month quit and a 3 month quit . In the past I've seen 5 months plus , and still managed to go back to using everyday .

This time I hope it is the last .... Enjoy your smoke and let us all know the details , the morning after , any increased urge to use in the 72 hours that follow etc etc .....

sophie

Hi again Soph - I'm the same. Moderation is not an option.

If it's in the house - I smoke it. 3-5 joints a night.

Wish I could as I love nothing better than a beer and a joint at the end of the day.

I basically have to stop buying it. I'm not worried about getting pissed at a party and having a pass but actually having my own stash is now out of the question if I'm to make a serious effort.

Cheers Y'all

Hi all, I'm back after my 'experiment', and I'm bringing mixed feelings with me.

Firstly I'll apologise for going missing, but I didn't think it would be fair to be writing on here whilst I done it, or maybe more accurately I didn't want to write on here as it didn't go completely to plan and in a small way I think I may have felt a little ashamed! Who knows? but anyway here I am again.

I've got a real mixed sense of feelings about how this past week has gone, not sure how best to put them here so I apologise now if I just ramble a bit!

The bag did last me longer than it would have normally; usually an 8th would be smoked within 3 days whereas this week I stretched it out to the best part of 5 days. Although I feel good about this I am let down by the fact that I had the urge to smoke at least a little everyday - this quite clearly is going to be the largest hurdle for me.

A couple of days I smoked only 1 spliff in the evening - and on these occasions I won't lie, I felt great and so did the smoke. The downside is that on a couple of other days I smoked 3 joints and on these days I didn't feel half as good. Those were the days that I decided to have a joint fairly early which I think was the biggest downfall and completely sets the day up wrong. On these days I smoked quite early - most likely as a symptom of boredom - and from there it was a chain reaction to smoke again that day. Although even on these days I still showed some restrain by making the 3 last all day/night. My mood on these days however was noticeably lower. I think this came from not only feeling stoned and lethargic but also from my inner self telling me that although it had its good points, this was not how I wanted to be. My mood, energy and general feelings were much better on the days of only 1 joint – not too surprising I know! Lol.

After a little break it was amazing to see how my tolerance levels had changed. For the first time in years a single spliff was more than enough to get me stoned. It has taken that week off and then smoking that first joint to realise with such clarity just how much of a difference there is between the 2 states. Before I would smoke all the time and go about my day and the things I had to do not really noticing just how stoned I must have been! I think in a way its been a bit of a wake up call. For a couple of reasons. It has made me see that I was spending nearly all my time in a half baked daze and also that the smoke is that much more enjoyable when it is done in moderation (still using that word very lightly – its a still a very, very thin line) compared to being in a 'fog' everyday. I've not felt that difference between stoned and not stoned for as long as I can remember. It has been nice to see a big change in my energy levels and general outlook, and smoking enough this past week to make some of that disappear has left me feeling a little 'empty and disappointed'. I'm not going to beat myself up over it or anything – it has simply strengthened these feelings towards change that have been developing lately.

One thing that hasn't changed through all of this however is my 'new resolve'. My enlightened outlook on how I perceive my smoking and which direction I want it go has remained unchanged. If anything this past 6 days has strengthened it further. I know that I won't quit outright – I don't want to – but something deep inside tells me that my smoking habits will never be the same as they have been for so long.

I don't consider myself to have 'fallen off the wagon' so to speak. Not at all, this past week has just been a few more days on my adventure to change some life long habits into some that will serve me better and allow new doors to open for me. I am now on day 12 of what I guess you could call a 'smoking adjustment'

hahaha if only it were as simple as that sounds huh?

Oh, and despite having been smoking this week and having a couple of lethargic days I still managed to get my arse out jogging. Everyday. And that is also making me feel really good about myself. That is one of the biggest things here guys; remembering to feel good about ourselves and what we are trying to do. This journey we are embarking on, like most things in life, is a mind game, and the biggest, most devious enemy we will face is ourselves. But luckily for us that is also the one thing in this world that we do have control over – even if a lot of the time it doesn't feel that way.

Its been good to write up here again, this site and the support and stories from you guys is most definitely a huge help, I hope you all find it useful the same way that I am.

Here's to another day on our adventures :-)

Stay Positive.