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humorist-workshop
Quitting smoking pot
Hi, okay
so basically I'm 19 years old, and I've smoked pot daily since I was 13. My life revolves around it. I often smoke a bowl before I'm even out of bed in the morning, and generally keep my buzz going by smoking more and more on an hourly basis throughout the day. I smoke weed at work, when I was in school, I blazed all day at school too. I got kicked out of my parents house as a result. A lot of my money and energy goes to staying high. I recognize that it isn't a sustainable way to live and I want to stop. But when I'm not maintaining a high, I default to liquor, or whatever drug is available at the time. It's almost like the only place I can get pleasure or contentment is from getting that light, dizzy feeling in my head. I don't want to go to a therapist - I have dysthymia, a borderline personality, ADD, social anxiety, and a whole host of other issues I've been clinically diagnosed with but refuse to take medicine for. As far as I'm concerned, this is the hand that God dealt me with and I believe in coping with it without drugs. I think there's a huge difference between solving a problem, and just eliminating it. So basically smoking weed has been my means of self-medicating and I've been hugely dependant on it for 6 years. I feel like I'm going to be depressed and suicidal if I stop. But I don't wanna be that person that self-medicates either. I would like to stop but willpower has never been one of my strong points and it's HIGHLY available to me.. I won't go into the details because I'd rather not implicate anyone, but there are people in my life who make a living off of pot and they definately aren't going anywhere. Nor do I want these people out of my life, they are very dear loved ones and that just isn't an option. Soo with all this in mind, does anyone have any ideas on how I might stop? Especially I would appreciate comments from people who used to blaze a lot and stopped themselves. Anyways thanks in advance, hope I get something useful
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Hello. I'm 23. I've smoked pot sence I was 14. And I still do. Looks to be your problem is, clearly way to much reefer. Cut down. Or atleast try. I smoke as soon as I wake up to. Mabey you need to try, instead of a bowl, get a nice lil 1 hitter. Smoke that as if it was a bowl. Buh in time you will be smoking alot less. Slowly cut down from it. Don't quit all together. And that's the trick it's going to take a while. But if you are ready to quit. It will be simple. If you smoke cigs, it might be simpler to smoke more cigs. Buh if you don't smoke Tabacoo. Don't start trust me lol. I wish you much luck(:
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I can see where you're coming from. I'm not going to bitch to you, but when you consider quitting smoking pot, let this idea really hit you (haha,cheesy puns!)
Anywayssss,
You say you've been smoking for about 6 years. That's a great,great chunk of adolescence you've used the herb. In adolescence, the brain grows in various amounts of ways, that you may not have even realized. You may have grown out of many of your disorders, if you had stayed sober enough to feel normal again. The brain is malleable, almost like clay. Give it enough time to fix itself with out any use of drugs,and you'll be thankful you've stopped.
Since it's been so habitual for so long, you're going to have to very, very slowly turn away from it.But you can do it, if you plan it right.Write down how many times a day you smoke, and how much you spend on it a month, and then how many times a month you smoke (estimated). Once you've done this create a plan on your calender to start cutting down slowly every month, then week, then day, until you are completely ridden of it. (This may take many,many months). Take into consideration the other upsides of ridding yourself, rather than the downsides. You'll have more money, you'll care more, you'll develop a new personality, and you'll feel better about yourself that you're doing something for you. It seems as though you feel trapped within a never ending circle, and are just going with the motions. Stopping the motion all together is the only way to choose a new destination (which in your eyes is a better future)
Now, I'm not one to say ganja is in any way bad, as it has many good effects. Sometimes though, which has happened to many people, it makes them feel like they're not good enough with out it. You may feel intense insecurity, which leads to depression if you don't cope with it the right way. But remember, everyone has felt insecure and vulnerable to new things. Over time it goes away so long as you stick with a positive idea in your head. Think reassuring thoughts, things like
"I will get better, I'm getting older and moving on from this point of my life, I'm doing this for myself. I will become something, create something I'm proud of"
Repeat this as much as you can, write it down, look at it every morning. Whatever it takes.
Next, start to view weed as most of a "fun past time" rather than an "every day ritual". Look at is as though you're breaking up with a girlfriend who's lazy and become a bore,but you'll still be fond of the memories you've shared. :P
Creatively, you can excel- pick up an instrument, a pen and paper, write,draw-create other outlets than just smoking pot all day. Will-power comes when you've got the courage to try something new, and you've clearly decided want to change with this question. So don't think you don't have any, it's in there.
You say it's highly available to you from loved ones, well, to put shortly loved one's will always understand. Say "Truth be told, I'm feeling a need to move on from smoking." - And don't listen to whether they accept it or not, this is for you. If they can't accept it, then let them know that you don't want to live in the situation you've been in and want to try something new. They'll support you and come around if you stick with you're decision, maybe even be proud of you.
I'm going to leave this part short-
Therapy may seem like a "needy-helpy-resource"
But if I could, I'd go to it in a heartbeat. These people have read books upon books of how the mind works, and generally are looking at helping you cope with your disorders,on a brain functioning level. So although they look at you as a person, they're really just applying the general psychological info. they know on how the brain works. It's like, they break down all that is you to your main ingredients, and try to make a new and better mixture. Feel meh? I personally think it's fascinating, if you couldn't tell :P.
I really hope I've helped, I know this is long, but I've been here before. It's a long road. But you gotta start somewhere. I can only hope for the best for you now, good luck and stay strong!
xkisakissx
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EDIT IN RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK.
If you'd mentioned previous experience with medication and therapy, my advice might have been a bit less harsh, but fundamentally, I stand by what I said. I made an assumption based on what you wrote here - that's what advice is. It's not my fault when you leave out huge pieces of the puzzle.
And I do reject your premise, completely. I actually think one of the most valuable parts of advice giving in pointing out when a person's premise is faulty – when their thinking is fundamentally flawed. Yours is unrealistic, it's counter-productive, destructive and the very core of your self-medicating problem is the your illusion that you should be able to handle all of life’s problems by yourself. You've stopped looking for solutions beyond your own mind - despite the fact your own mind is where all the trouble resides. You aren't going to find real solutions until you start looking for them again.
Many people have done what you are asking without the help of the professionals, but even more have needed the assistance. Since you haven't managed to stop yet on your own, what was so crazy about saying you need assistance? Not a damn thing.
So you haven't found the right professional support for YOU yet. So what? I saw three therapists and tried four different medications before I found the mix that helped me address my problems. I have now been out of therapy, sober and off medications for years. I didn't elimate my issues, but I had support controlling them until I learned to control without that support.
I didn't stop looking when the first professional advice and support I got didn't work for me. I didn't give up on therapy because my first therapist was a quack and the second one was the wrong personality for me to work with. I kept looking for real solutions until I found them.
They are out there, and they reside within the professionals. Stop giving up and making excuses. It's hard work finding help. If you want help, start doing the work.
I wish you luck solving your problems all by your lonesome. It's certainly not impossible - just at this point, it's looking unlikely for you. You need to reach outside of yourself and leave your comfortable opinions and perspectives behind. Your comfortable when you high. You are comfortable with your mental illness. To combat these issues, you are going to have to be willing to get uncomfortable and yes, even try some shit that might not work.
- - -
You don't want to see a therapist.
You don't want to see a doctor for medication.
You don't want to remove your access to the drug.
You've fucked yourself with your restrictions. You've eliminated all the very good, sensible advice that anyone would give you. How can you possible get well when you've decided that you don't want to do anything of the things that will actually help you get well?
No one here has some magical spell you haven't heard of yet. Your faith hasn't saved you. Your own will power isn't saving you. Your self-medicating with illegal and dangerous drugs isn't gonna save you.
Not being able to save yourself all by yourself does not make you a bad person. The vast majority of people with substance abuse problems or mental health problems can't solve them all by themselves. Therapy and medication work. That's why people give you lots of advice to go down those paths. That's what works. That is what begins the long path to solving problems - or at least coping with them!
The obvious, clear as crystal solution is to seek counselling or therapy for you ongoing mental health issues and your substance abuse problem. Seeking a doctor's advice on how to handle the physical withdrawal - and yes for medication that will support your goals at therapy is the next logical step. Medications don't eliminate the problems! Wouldn't it be nice if they did. All they do is help you find a headspace where you can actually start to address the problems you�ve got.
Stop making unrealistic demands from the universe. It's not going to change the way this shit works just 'cause you want it too. Start with seeing a therapist, or join a support group for people with drug dependencies. Then get the hell over yourself long enough to start actually taking the good advice you are being given. It's really that simple. If you say "please help me" but then won't trust anyone to help you - you aren't going to get help.
God didn't just deal you a hand with this body and mind. There is also a whole world full of people with advice, expertise, experience and training. Each time you lock them out, you lock yourself in into your misery.
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So you believe in coping with your issues without drugs but you a)won't go see a therapist and b)won't stop using pot. What's the difference between medicating with pot and medicating with some other medicine that might actually cure you? You are addicted. There's no other way to put it. You're addicted because you can't cope with your real life without being high. So if you really want to stop smoking (and I believe you do), than the best place to start is therapy, because you won't kick the urge until you kick the cause of the urge. You need help. Is that such a bad thing to admit? You don't even necessarily need to stop smoking right away. Just go see someone and start working to figure out how to reasonably live with your mental health issues. As you discover more about yourself and the reasons for your dependency, you'll naturally start to 'need' pot less and less until one day it just isn't a part of your daily existence anymore. You can't do this alone. And that's not a bad thing. That's a fact of life. If takes a lot of guts to admit you need help and seek help when you need it. Do you have the guts?
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First you must realize that you already are self-medicating by trying to treat yourself with marijuana. Second, tell the people in your life what you plan to do and though it may be hard you will have to leave behind the ones that won't support and help your decision, at least for the time being while it is difficult.
You can't just give up weed at the drop of a dime and be successful in most cases although marijuana is NOT PHYSICALLY ADDICTING, so you need to replace it with something. Exercise would be very beneficial and it still causes your brain to release chemicals that make you feel calmer, happier, etc. the way drugs do.
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