Qutting weed was the hardest experience of my life.

[lynne66]

Today I had a day where I felt depressed but not foggy headed and detached, so this was a more familiar sort of a day and feeling for me, for which I was grateful. I did yoga and it got better. It really does come and go though the bad days can seem really long.

OSR, you are very right that it is a good idea to look for progress points because surely there is progress from the fact alone of not using cannabis anymore. I am functioning and able to focus on one thing at a time a lot better and am able to reason through my emotions better and not overreact in my head so that I do or say something stupid that I will regret later as much as I used to.

I feel more conscious about who I want to include in my life now and what and who is probably best to let go of. This caused me a lot of anxiety at first and now I feel better for not being in touch as much and sort of drifting away from old cannabis abusing friends. It just seems to be a more normal and healthy thing to me now. There was so much b.s. dysfunction and imbalance in those relationships for me. My ex still calls me but I think once he figured out I was not coming back to Colorado so he could try and do whatever he was going to pull on me, he backed off. This is fine, though it hurt me a bit. But he has not changed and I see that. I am changing and still moving on.

I am also finding myself naturally reaching out more to the folks I know are not addicts of one thing or another. I figure this will also save me a lot of grief from dealing with the weird antics of cannabis-head flakes in the long run....As they say, "More will be revealed." And as someone else said, changes will happen sometimes very naturally as a course of being on the no cannabis path of life.

[olskoolru]

Lynn,

Life is too short to try to repair unhealthy and one sided relationships. You have obviously progressed while some stay stagnant. Sometimes we have to come to the very difficult realization that the substance that caused the addiction was much much more important than we were to them. I agree that socializing with folks that are not addicts is good, but also take into consideration that these folks will never understand where you are coming from. Meeting former addicts is very valuable because they have been where you are now, just like us on this forum. Just like you are being to us as well. We are all in different stages of recovery and can learn valuable lessons from one another. It is also highly therapeutic to give back as well. Many think that I am only here to help others. This is true to a certain extent, but on the contrary, while I share my experienced with others I have also learned a whole lot about myself through their experiences.

I don't know what city you are in now, but maybe a city in Colorado would not be the best place to be. I'm in Oakland and weed is legal here. Not technically, but you can smoke right in front of a cop and they will not bother you in the least. Getting a medical marijuana card is as easy as taking $100 out of an ATM.

Congrats on your progress and keep us all posted!

OSR

[george5030]

Guys I'm currently going through a bad episode right now. I don't know, it definitely isn't as bad as MANY others I've experienced but for now I'm experiencing intense laziness due to my lack of energy from anxiety, ANXIETY, repetitive thoughts, lack of enjoyment and motivation and difficulties with my sleep. Even though I've been noticing many positive changes when a bad episode hits all the hope and optimism diminishes A LOT. I'm still working on my social skills specially with girls. I just moved to Montreal which is a beautiful city but I still don't know many people yet. Slowly I've been meeting great people but still haven't made any type of relationship with girls. It'll eventually happen.

And WILDCARD dude... those thoughts about reality, humans, existence, etc. You're NOTTT ALONEEE man i've been struggling with the same thoughts and they suck. I've slowly notice how they are less and less present with me. Sometimes i just forget about them. Since I've been struggling with em for some months now they don't produce the same level of stress as before. But it makes me feel sooo good to know that I'm not the only one struggling with that irrational sh*t.

Anyway, best of luck to everybody.. We are strong and there's nothing on this earth more relieving than this forum. I don't know how I would be if I didn't find this forum before. I love you for supporting me and most importantly, providing me hope.

[olskoolru]

George,

Just the fact that you know it's an episode is therapeutic. This means that you know it will pass. Breathing exercises work wonders to lower anxiety. Lay down and take short deep inhales and slowly exhale. The web can provide great techniques. Also, write down a list of ALL of your worries and then tear them up and throw it away. They are only worries and are just your mind playing tricks on you.

Hope this helps.

[Josee]

Hi all,I want to ask you something that's been my struggle for years.
I'm not addicted to weed,but I do have the same symptoms when I quit smoking,the symptoms of numbness of the brain.
Nobody I asked knows has ever heard of it...so...I started Googling in English (I'm from Holland-) .And there I found it!

Please...if you have a moment...I want to tell you what happens when I quit smoking.My last time was a month ago.It lasted 4 days.
First of all:Headaches like you wouldn't believe,feeling very very dizzy,so dizzy that I cant't read a book or watch tv,I can't even read my computer screen.So...there goes my distraction.Walking?I bumped my shoulder on the stairs two times in 2 days,I can't walk a staight line.
Then,the Zombie-state...That's what I call it.
I wrote a note,taped it in front of me on the table.The note said:"Eat at...drink at...take medication at...eat again at"...etc.That was my to-do-note for every day.
I also had a hlp-note:"In case of anxiety,go for a walk,in case of ..."etc
Well...after 4 days the fruit had fruitflies,the bread wasn't eatable anymore,I didn't do dishes,I hardly cooked or cleaned,my cats got their food because they came screaming in my ear if I took to long.But I totally,totally forgot who I was,what day it was,my help-list and the scariest part was that I didn't feel ANYTHING.I didn't feel hungry,no initiatives to do anything because I completely forgot what I needed to do on a dayly basis.I didn't notice the note on the table...I was completely out of my usual self.
It scared the ....out of me.
Any tips on how to get through those frightning times are really welcome,because I can't find anyone who recognises this in the Netherlands...

Thanks in advance!

[endofdelta9]

thank you for this post OSR

[NewDeep1987]

I'm on day 36 without. It's been hell. The last has been very encouraging. For the past 3 weeks I've changed my diet completly. Have drinkin plenty of water and excersise everyday. Yoga completly set me free mentally. However I'm experiencing itching. Not a constant scratch but a crawly, itching sensation in random spots throughout the day. Anyone experience this? I also quit smoking cigarettes and have read this is capillaries improving, nerves re-awakening and your body detoxing. Anyone experience this?

Thanks,
NewDeep

[barryh83]

Very inspiring stuff. Helping me mentally at moment.clean life is the only way