by SparkleFly12 » Sat May 23, 2020 6:55 am
Ive got my own thread on here ive updated for almost a year now...but ill give you the short summary.
Decided to stop smoking 15 months ago, cause I was experiencing some mild paws symptoms at times I was not high. Got intense paws when I quit, but for me more physical than mental. Intense, debilitating headache; crazy insomnia; swolen inability to think / brain fog; no sex drive and ED, muscles dont heal when sleeping; swolen lymph nodes, depression/anxiety, to name a few. No joy in anything.
The mental symptoms wore off over 6-9 months or so. Physical symptoms are still going away, but very tolerable now. The other important thing is that I am starting to feel joy from other things.
I did (and have done in the past) a lot of casual reading about dopamine. Not claiming to be an expert, but It seems a lot of the (mental) symptoms I have could be related to dopamine. Especially the depression, low libido, and not finding joy in things - dopamine is a driving force in all of these feelings. I never realized that weed gave me such a dopamine rush; but I recognize it now when I think about or do other things I find enjoyable. An excitement I used to only get when Id take a hit. I never noticed it when I smoked; cause its not a crazy dopamine high like other drugs. But I guess it is enough (in some people, like me) to mess with your dopamine feedback loop.
Unfortunately, time is the only cure. I was on here a lot more when my symptoms were life consuming; and I tried everything. Weird suppliments, intense exercise, staying healthy. But the only thing that actually worked is time. And Im still in it; still have mild headache, swolen lymph nodes, and low libido but all mild now.
My advice? Dont feel sorry for yourself. Its gonna suck cause you dont get that comfort from smoking; but that comfort is nothing more than a dopamine rush. And in time, your brain will learn to get that dopamine rush from other things. You just have to trust that it will, and take solace in that fact. I found it a lot easier to face each day knowing that I would feel that comfort again, but it would just take time. Do things that are productive to your life so you will be in a good place once you are better. Its a sh** way to live - but it is temporary. Keep reminding yourself of that.