To all who say pot isn't physically addictive....?

Question

When you use it to have an appetite and to sleep, doesn't that sound physical to you?! This is my 2nd time trying to quit (I quit for 8 months last year) and I just feel like I can't do it. Most of the addiction is, in fact, mental....but I do believe there are reletevely mild mithdrawals. The last time I quit I had a slight fever (arounf 100 degrees) for 2-3 weeks. Hard time sleeping. Always nautious and so I couldnt eat much.

What are your opinions?

And also, I'm one of those stoner hippie girls. I leada good, responsible life with a good job and all. I didn't think marijuana was a problem ( I thought it was a blessing, and sadly I still kinda do) until I said I could quit and found out that I was really, really addicted. Can't live without it sorta thing. MaryJane has been my a huge part of my life for 5 years now. High all day everyday (unless I'm broke and my friends are broke). It's not like Im a criminal. I don't even drink. Nothing like that. I just smoke a little weed to calm me down and keep me balanced. Not to mention broadening my mental horizons and seeing beauty in life like no other people I know. I've been clinically diagnosed with depression, anxiety & OCD.

I'm going on day 3 of sobriety and I cried today because I just can't deal with it.

ADVICE? OPINIONS? HELP?

Answer 1

Of course everything can be addictive if you do it enough. Your body was so used to the THC that you feel horrible without it. It's just completely different than any other type of drug, a few tries won't have you begging for more.

Answer 2

I you think you are addicted, but our minds are a powerful thing. They will try to convince us into doing what ever they want. And of course, your brain doesn't want you to stop smoking pot, then it has to work. (not saying your dumb, don't take it that way) All the things you are using pot for are things that your brain should be doing on it's own. Take away the pot, the brain has to step up. I also self medicate with marijuana. I have so much going on in one day that by the time I get home, my brain is spinning. I smoke to relax, watch some tele, enjoy a meal and go to bed. There was a time awhile back that it did seem to get a hold of me, I wasn't keeping up with my responsibilities and had to get away from it. You have to learn to take control of it. You are the only one who can tell you what to do and when to do it. Now, before I smoke I ask myself if there is ANYTHING else that should be done that day. If all my priorities are taken care of and ONLY if I'm having a difficult time relaxing, I'll smoke. Be strong, sweetie. Maybe its not the pot that is the issue.... maybe if you had some more commitments in your life, things that were important to you you wouldn't want to be high. Are you in school or classes of any kind? Have you tried volunteering for a cause you feel passionate about? Fill your life with meaning and chances are you will not feel this dependency. You don't have to quit completely, unless that is really what you want. You just shouldn't be wasting everyday of your life, I'm sure there are many wonderful things that you are not experiencing the way you should. You just need to get a hold of it.

About that clinical diagnosis.... there are plenty of herbal supplements that will offer comfort. Good luck.

Answer 3

I think quitting may just be exaberating your other problems. Are you now taking meds. for your depression, anxiety & OCD? If not the pot was likely masking the symptoms of those. I also smoke a little and I get the same things you do out of it. I do smoke a lot less though. Maybe once a day in the evening and I can go for days without really thinking about it. But then again I don't have any of the disorders you mention. If you are serious about quitting, see your Dr. if you are not on anything for your other problems. I know a couple of people that say it works better than prescription drugs for ADD.

Answer 4

It is very aditive and its bad for you it can make you parnoid and it can make the problems you have worse. you need to stop it and get the to the doctor get on meds for deperession and move on its not for you and its not good you wouldn't be broke if you stopped using it. its not good and habit forming you are seeing its not wortht he risk of being in jail for possession either.

Answer 5

The only time I felt a need for it, it was all mental. I'm not sure how to help, I only smoke occasionally, which is how I feel it should be enjoyed. Just make yourself believe that you don't need it. None of it's effects are permanent, so still have hope that your body will go back to its normal ways. its mental, and your stronger than that. Force yourself from it, when I take long breaks the only effect that stays with me is the odd liking for skunk odor. Best of luck to you.

Answer 6

I smoked weed daily and more than once a day from about the time I was sixteen until I got pregnant at twenty. I quit with absolutely no problems at all. Although I can say that the weed had helped me sleep better in the past. But I hardly even thought about it and I WAS a stoner. It ruined my highschool career really, I guess I wasn't the kind of person that wouldn't let it interfere with my life. But after highschool it hardly affected me in a negative way. I too suffer from anxiety and depression and sometimes weed would make the anxiety worse but the depression better I guess if that makes sense. But once I quit, I was a little happier because I had a bit more energy and ate a lot less, but there were certainly times I craved it. h**l, I haven't had one hit of weed in about two years and I still crave it from time to time. But as far a physical withdrawal symptoms go, I don't think I had any. It was just a habit and habits can be hard to break, even if they are not addictions. My boyfriend was a long time smoker as well and quit, had more problems than me but not a lot of them. He thinks it is addicting, I do not. I LOVED weed too, I still want to smell it and look at it and smoke it, I just don't because I feel a responsibilty to my daughter not to care for her while I am high. She's still under a year old and babies can get into a lot of trouble while a person is spacing out or something. Anyway, no I don't think it is physically addictive at all and it's not mentally addictive, it is just a habit, that is all. Why have you quit? If it does so many good things for you? Are you on probation, is it for a job? Because really, if you feel it enriches your life to the degree you described, why quit? Just try to get consumed by other things, like reading or video games or writting or anything really that would keep your mind off of it. I know, I hated reading without weed though, well, not hated it, but felt it and video games kinda sucked worse without it, everything did for a while. Good luck!:)

Answer 7

it is addicting,its hard to stop but not that hard you just gotta do it,i had a hard time stoping i kept saying one more sack and 2months later i finally stoped so i can get another job, iv been clean for about 2weeks its hard at first but you just gotta go for it, i think about it this way once you get past the first couple days theres no turning back because then you gotta start all over again

Answer 8

If and since you are stopping,again, will  you drink or get the Dr to prescribe you some pills to calm you down? So whats the difference?

Pills pot,booze? Pretty much we all have a 'drug' of our choice. Some its wine or beer nightly to unwind as soon as they walk in the door.

Or its poppin pills all day cause your tweaked and booze has never been your bag. Pot is your bag.  I guess I am saying we all choose one of these 3. Booze,pills or pot.

Yours mine and millions of other chose pot over the other to its just our preference. I am allergic to all pain meds this is all I have. I would not sleep if I didn't partake before bed. I am aslo allergic to wheat. Food is boring and to entice my appitite I smoke..

Why are you stressin? Sit back and get back to your normal. Or go  to the Dr and get some pills for Depression,and some for anexity and pills for OCD. I have OCD and depression from more surgeries than I can count. In Calif you can get a permit. I have one.

Do what brings peace to your head and heart.

Study Finds No Link Between Marijuana Smoking and Cancer

Reuters

May 24, 2006

Marijuana smoking does not increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, according to the findings of a new study at the University of California Los Angeles that surprised even the researchers.

They had expected to find that a history of heavy marijuana use, like cigarette smoking, would increase the risk of cancer.

Instead, the study, which compared the lifestyles of 611 Los Angeles County lung cancer patients and 601 patients with head and neck cancers with those of 1,040 people without cancer, found no elevated cancer risk for even the heaviest pot smokers. It did find a 20-fold increased risk of lung cancer in people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day.

The study results were presented in San Diego Tuesday at a meeting of the American Thoracic Society.

The study was confined to people under age 60 since baby boomers were the most likely age group to have long-term exposure to marijuana, said Dr. Donald Tashkin, senior researcher and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine.

=^  )

Answer 9

it would probably help to go to an NA meeting!

Answer 10

It's all mental. Everything is. You need to want to quit. If you don't quit, you really don't want to. Same with cigarettes. A mentally strong person can quit cold turkey and never pick one up again while a mentally weaker person will cut down, make excuses, and continue to not only keep smoking but be miserable doing it.

Answer 11

if youre one of those stoner hippie babes, you should understand best: why r u stressing man.

first of all, if i were you, i would look at it and say, if it isnt even a problem, why am i trying to quit?  im medicating myself, and freeing myself from the needs of 5 or 6 dr. perscriptions for some pills that will mess me up far more than weed ever could.  

second of all, and someone already said it, you have to want to quit.  because it is habit forming, (not addictive), you'll have a tendency to make excuses and undermine your quitting effort.  if your making excuses and stuff, you dont really want to quit. you just have to go for it.  the fever stuff, the naseous stuff, thats all in your head.  you're only sick because you think you're sick, and then your body is reiterating what you think.  just up and do it man, its no big deal

decriminalize

www.norml.com

Answer 12

Your addiction is psychological not physical.  You have addictive tendencies that can easily transferred to other behaviors such as gambling or alcohol addiction.  So be careful.  You do need to seek medical help as in a counselor or support group to help you kick the habit.

Answer 13

i don't think theres is any physical addiction involved, just mental. i smoke pot 2-3 times a day every day. its been that way for the past year or so ever since i first smoked. (I'm 16; first time was age 14) the longest i've quit for was about a month twice and it wasn't by choice either time. both times i felt pretty terrible but i found that exercising, getting out of the house and having fun and spending time with friends or family you like who don't smoke pot. also, simple distractions like tv, music, and movies can help you get over it. i have anxiety and ocd as well and both of those disorders can make drug problems worse. your absolutely right about pot broadening our minds and showing us beauty. when school starts again (september) i hope to reduce my smoking to maybe 3 or 4 times a week. that way it isn't such a financial drain and its even funner when done in moderation. good luck whatever you do.