I guess some things in life are hard to see, even when theyre right in front of your face. I always found ways to rationalize what I did, I go to work, I pay my bills on time for the most part, and I dont rob/cheat/steal to support my habbit, but I still have a problem, and its determental to my life.
You see, for about the last 10 years, almost every single day, I smoke pot. I know, everyone thinks its a lightweight addiction and should be easy to shake, and the truth is, if Im out of town and dont have any, I survive. I can go a week/month without it if I dont have any choice. But the whole time, Im doing everything I can to get some, and when I do...I feel so much better.
I just came to the realization that I do nothing with my life, am somewhat antisocial, make poor financial decisions, and despite keeping on top of my bills, I have no savings whatsoever. I have a job, but Im not thrilled with it, and my attempts at going back to school have been repeatedly thwarted by lapses of motivation, due to getting high.
I guess I dont even know where to start, or what steps I can take to stop. I know, just stop all together is the easy answer, but I live alone and have easy enough access to make that hard. Suggestions?
Location: The Big Giant Apple, mind you, it's pretty delicious
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You can get outpatient therapy if your addiction doesn't warrant an inpatient one. Any addiction is hard, and like alcoholism they require a lot of steps and trials before you finally reach that point where you can absolutely say you're sober and been going for so- and - so years.
Have you talked with anybody close about your addiction? Sometimes having friends and family know makes them aware of the signs of a relapse.
And an addiction can be hard-hitting on the wallet. Try putting all your income into your savings account and only get the necessary amount for that certain week.
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Last edited by xpaperxcutx; 20th September 2009 at 12:44 AM..
Have you talked with anybody close about your addiction? Sometimes having friends and family know makes them aware of the signs of a relapse.
Well, my friends arent really in a position to judge, some smoke, and the rest think its perfectly fine. People look at my life, and think its just fine, so what if I smoke? But there is so much more to it than that.
I couldnt imagine talking to anyone in my family about it. Either we just arent close enough, or they just wouldnt understand.
Location: The Big Giant Apple, mind you, it's pretty delicious
Posts: 3,895
Quote:
Originally Posted by BCCA
Well, my friends arent really in a position to judge, some smoke, and the rest think its perfectly fine. People look at my life, and think its just fine, so what if I smoke? But there is so much more to it than that.
I couldnt imagine talking to anyone in my family about it. Either we just arent close enough, or they just wouldnt understand.
Then you need to research your area for a group therapy clinic for addictions because then you can build a social network with people who have the same goals as you. But if you can afford a therapist I'm sure you can also try having them on speed dial. When I used to cut ( because of depression) my ex therapist gave me her # to call her.
It's all about getting as much support as you can. If your friends and family can't help you then you can talk with acquaintances and strangers. There are more options than you think and its important to seek them out if you're serious in getting better.
I guess I dont even know where to start, or what steps I can take to stop. I know, just stop all together is the easy answer, but I live alone and have easy enough access to make that hard. Suggestions?
i smoked pot for a number of years when i was in my late teens early 20s and i found it really took away my motivation to do much. you can PM me and i will assist.
BCCA, I used to smoke pot too, and it was getting to the point where I was skipping most of my classes to smoke. I was the kid who was reluctant to start smoking it, but then I turned into the kid who couldn't get enough of it. I think I stopped when I realised I had problems in my life that I needed to deal with, and that smoking would only make it worse. It was getting to the point where I would feel paranoid when I was high, and I just wasn't feeling the buzz I used to when I had first started.
I stopped all of a sudden. It was hard seeing my friends smoking and knowing I couldn't do it, it wasn't easy. But what made me not smoke was knowing that if I did smoke, if I took that one puff, it would only make my life worse.
Perhaps it's not the same for you. Perhaps your life passes you by and you're not that troubled by it.
But, obviously you are. It's good you came out to admit it, but I think the first step is in stopping. It's really hard. But I think you'll realise, once you do, that even if you're life isn't as great as it should or could be, it's alot better without that substance making it even that much worse. I think stopping all together is the best choice, because it doesn't give you the chance to put off your goal and simply say, I'll smoke less next week, or I'll stop in a month.
Stop. Give yourself a reason to stop, and you'll stop.
it has been proven the marijuana is psychologically addicting, not physically. one can be psychologically addicted to anything. hell, i love coffee. if i don't have coffee, i have a hissy fit.
i have smoked weed most every day since i was 19 and i am 36 now. i will admit, for most people, it can have a somewhat antimotivational effect on them. but for me, it worked the opposite. i didn't get my GED and driver's license UNTIL i was smoking weed all the time. for some reason, it keeps me from being TOO anal. my mind works extremely fast, demands constant info and stimulation, and weed helps me lose that superintense focus. if i didn't i would have to work equations all the time or something. the brain needs down time, and for me, it works. i don't think that weed in and of itself is the problem so much as the fact that people eat alot of junk food sometimes when we get the munchies. MSG is more if a problem than THC.
but then again, it seems most tweakers have ADD, so maybe i have a hyperactive brain (no problem focusing and completing tasks or anything like that tho, so i don't really fit any pattern) and am self medicating. maybe its the same for you. i don't know, but i just felt like i had to defend weed a little bit. it beats antidepressants any day, and try and go tell a heroin addict about your problem with weed. he'll show you a real problem. i have quit for up to six months at a time and had no issues. but when i smoked after all that time it literally felt like my brain unfolded. i could almost hear my brain saying "thank you, thank you".
but i digress.....
anyway, i wouldn't beat myself up for it. just stop smoking it. don't put in any money to a rehab for something like weed. that just doesn't make any sense. you aren't going to die if you quit. you aren't even going to be close to uncomfortable. just do it!
it has been proven the marijuana is psychologically addicting, not physically. one can be psychologically addicted to anything. hell, i love coffee. if i don't have coffee, i have a hissy fit.
I'm not familiar with the addiction status of pot. In general however, an addiction is understood to have taken place when a person has made an explicit connection between withdrawal symptoms and consuming/doing whatever they're addicted to to relieve them, and then accepts that the way to stave them off is to keep taking the substance. Clearly, an addiction that has no physiological basis will be less severe, but that doesn't make it any less of an addiction. Moreover, sometimes it's pretty hard to separate physiological from psychological issues. I had a brief stint with coke (just a few weeks), and the psychological experience of anxiety when you come down is generally phisiological, but it's not like your limbs are shaking etc..
(also, coffee is physiologically addicting - look it up; I'm addicted to coffee; beyond the comfort it provides, in the context of the above I am also aware that I will collapse and get SEVERE headackes if I stop drinking it... (i was off coffee for 6 months ))
Well i have to say i think just saying you do is a MASSIVE step...so dont beat yourself about not quite knowing how to stop.
Do you mind if i ask why you smoked it in the first place?! My ex was really insecure and and had quite bad anxiety so he smoked it everyday...like you but hence the ex it only ended up making it a lot worse so i wish he had your nerve to realise its an issue. Seriously be proud hun.
You're pretty close, but not out of the woods yet. I haven't had problems with pot or any other drugs, but alcohol, so here's what I learned:
THE most iportant part (perhaps really the only part) of overcoming an addiction is simply realising that you do have a problem. Sounds simple, but the catch is to REALLY understand it, not just rationally, but on an emptional level as well, if that makes sense. For example, before I quit drinking, I spent years with the vague (and then not so vague) feeling that I have problem with alcohol. But, I didn't do much about it until one day i realised very clearly that I simply can't have another drink ever again. After that, it has been VERY easy to stay off it (4+ years).
(I hate the AA crap etc., but they've got one thing right, which is that you can't shake it before you really admit it). For people with alcohol problems, this usually involves going through) a lenghty period of rationalizations and cheap tricks such as "rules" and relapses (e.g. "I can moderate", "I will only have X drinks", "I will only have beer", etc.). Any "quitting" in the midst of that is usually temporary and doesn't "take" unless the above mentioned true, rational and emotional coming to terms takse place...
Please note: The suggestions and advice offered on this web site are opinions only and are not to be used in the place of professional psychological counseling or medical advice. If you or someone close to you is currently in crisis or in an emergency situation, contact your local law enforcement agency or emergency number.
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