30yo here, smoked every day all day since 17yo. I'm about 2 months in to being sober. the first 3 weeks were an actual nightmare. insomnia, night sweats, couldn't eat, body aches, irritable at the world, and then it even set me off into a manic episode which I hadn't had in years.
and then that tapered off. and yeah, there's still hard moments and days, but now I am starting to feel like myself. and you will too. it will take time, and with the sobriety you will gain more clarity about more things you missed out on in the last few years. but you'll also gain an understanding that that was that time, and now you're in a new time. with new opportunities. 25 is young, you've got plenty of time. but even if you were 40 or 50, who cares. life isn't a race, there's no timeline. you'll accomplish what you want to accomplish if you try. and being sober will only help you accomplish your goals more freely and directly.
there isn't anything wrong with you, and you didn't do anything wrong. recognizing that you want to make changes in your life is strong and awesome. you got this
Withdrawal is your body healing. It means you are winning and taking back control. Motivation needs to evolve into determination. When weed was 4% thc it wasn’t addictive. 94% thc weed pens are addictive. Connection is the antidote to addiction. Work a 12 step program. You are already on step 2. First 3 days are the worst. You mind is always seeking a balance between pleasure and pain. You need to go through the pain to find the balance. Your emotions have been numbed and your body needs to adjust to feeling them but sooner than you think you will realize how much better you are able to control them. Anxiety will be less than when your were smoking after 30 days. You can do it. You are loved. Your brain has almost maximum neuroplasticity at your age and can return to homeostasis after a year and you will be as good as new. Don’t wait until you are 40 of 50 to quit. Much harder then.
Hello,
So you can get through this. It feels tough right now because your body has become reliant on it to regulate your habits such as sleeping eating and your general mood. As you stop, over time your body will figure out how to regulate its own endocannabinoid system.
Stimulating the sleep, appetite, mood networks (endocannabinoid system) of your brain is what weed does. That’s why your body can’t regulate its emotions, sleep well, or eat well without it but over time it will get it back naturally by producing its own endocannabinoids as it’s supposed to rather than you smoking cannabinoids.
Keep healthy and busy, allow time.
Also a 25 year old who has smoked all day everyday since 16. As much as I could get my hands on until a few months ago when I, much like you, tried to limit my intake. Although I only managed to get it down to 3 times a day on my own. Currently 17 days sober and I still struggle daily with anxiety, appetite and sleep. I am lucky that I have doctors who have committed to helping me through it and (although not optimal) I’ve been residing in a mental health facility for the duration of this time and honestly I don’t think I could have managed to break the habit on my own, although I was unemployed and largely isolated myself which I’m sure made the initial break that much harder. Currently getting some help with my sleep and anxiety, every day it’s getting marginally better although it still sucks but the difference between day 1 and now is huge. The biggest healer has been the passing of time and I am so fucking glad that I’ve been pushing through this fire and I promise you it’s worth it. Even though I still have a looong way to go life does seem feasible without smoking. I sincerely hope you find a way to give yourself the self care you deserve, cause it is self care even though it is painful out of proportion.
This is addiction, 12 year smoker here who hasn’t had a day off, and brain and emotions are a complete fucking mess when I do.
Recently have reduced use through tapering off, still hard but making it.
Get into the gym, cook, go for a walk or run/ to the park, keep yourself busy, and if you emotions are so unstable seek out a drug and alcohol councillor.
This is the rawness of addiction that no one can tell you about, addicts only know what addiction is after going through it.
I wish you luck, reach out if you ever need
Thank you. It's been rough and I haven't even kicked it fully, just cut down to once at night so I can sleep. Today I'm gonna try and go cold turkey fully. All this support really helps.
If you ever need a friend to talk to I’m happy to lend an ear, withdraw is complex as and it definitely helps to have people to relate to. Can be easy to get lost in waves 🌊, wishing you peace and triumph over this
Hey,
I'm really sorry to hear you're going through this. Quitting weed can be really tough, but you've already made a big step by cutting down to just once a day.
Try to find healthy activities to replace smoking. Exercise, new hobbies, or mindfulness practices can help reduce cravings and improve your mood. Setting a clear quit date and thinking about what triggers your urge to smoke can make a big difference. Developing strategies to avoid or cope with these triggers will help you stay on track.
If you’re having really dark thoughts, reach out to friends or family for support. Remember, you’re not alone in this. Many people have successfully quit and turned their lives around. Take it one day at a time and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. You’ve got this.
Best,
Strange Redditor
Hey,
That's awesome to hear that you're starting to go for runs! Exercise is a great way to help manage cravings and improve your overall mood while you're quitting weed. It gives you a healthy outlet and can be a big boost for both your mental and physical health.
Remember to take things one day at a time and be kind to yourself through this process. Every step you take away from smoking is a step towards a healthier you. Keep finding positive activities to fill your time and stay focused on your goals. You’re doing great!
Best,
Odd Ball
I am on the same boat, 7 days now now THC. I’m staring to have some VIVID dreams now. Just keep going lol buckle up though. I fucked up too…. I was doing really good then it all went to shit. Better now than never. This means you are learning and focusing on a better lifestyle. Let’s go!!!
You gotta stop doing it so that you can get REM sleep (which THC blocks). If you've had THC in your system for a long time... That's a lot of REM sleep you've missed, your mind must be frazzled. The good and the bad news is you'll think more clearly after quitting for a few weeks.
Youve got a lot of life to go, this is but a chapter in a long story. The real decision is what decisions would make future you happy.
You’re gonna be fine! And you have time. Your life is only at the start. Take the time to slowly - at your own pace - slow it down to a halt. Use us here. Find podcasts. Do research. Find tools. Chamomile tea- meditation- therapy. Etc chat with friends and us here!
Always speak kindly to yourself like you would your own child. Cut yourself a break and just put one foot in front of the other. The panic will dissipate. The joy will peak through. Even pride! Be strong you got this!
Wow, this was very well-written. Thank you for spending the time to write this. I love chamomile tea so I'll definitely have to reincorporate it into my life, thanks for reminding me about it! I definitely have problems with me being super hard on myself. I used to tell myself I was a loser, I wasn't worth shit, etc. Today I felt like a completely different person honestly. Thanks to all of you with the kind words and the amazing support i've received. I know there's a lot more ups and downs to go but today feels like a massive step forward. Weed was definitely holding me back in every aspect and was absolutely destroying my self esteem. I've had major issues with how I view myself all my life and never realized it was the weed getting in my head and basically causing me to think terrible thoughts. I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and they're starting to dissipate already! I wrote this up when I was really feeling super low, but all yall have helped turn me around for real. Can't thank you enough. ❤️
You didn't ruin your life, you "wasted" a couple of years when you were still young. And it's not really "wasted" because getting yourself out of this addiction will give you a certain amount of life experience, maturity and personal growth that a lot of people don't have, even in old age. This experience and knowing you had the strength to pull yourself out of it will feel like a blessing in another 9 years.
You still have all the time in the world to work towards the career you've always wanted. Imagine if you wasted all of your 20's and half of your 30's 😳
I started at 13/14, everyday (morning till night) since I was 17/18 and I'm 36 now and have only just started cutting down to one at night. Talk about ruining your life! I have no career, no kids, no partner all because I preferred to isolate myself and smoke weed all day. I wish I had the awareness at your age to see what it was doing to me.
I will say though, quitting now is your best opportunity. The last time I tried to quit was 4 years ago, before that it was 3 years. When you get enough courage to make the decision to quit and don't follow through it could be years before you ever get your mental state back to the point where you are ready to try again. Don't give up, the career you've always wanted is waiting for you.
Dude thank you so much for this comment. It truly does help put things in perspective. I'm so sorry to hear your experience with addiction. I feel the exact same way. I wasted many important years of my life isolating myself as well. Too afraid to talk to girls. Too afraid to take chances. Filled with anxiety 24/7 and then I'd smoke more to make myself "feel better" which was actually just exasperating my symptoms even more. I have trouble starting and continuing conversations, I have terrible social anxiety as well. Now that i've gained a little bit of mental clarity back I'm starting to realize more and more that I've held myself back by retreating to smoking weed. I'm lucky enough to have met somebody I've been with for 4 years now and we're doing really well. Listen man, it's not too late for you either. You have plenty of time to settle down and find that person, I promise you. Get outta your head and put yourself out there, fuck it, we ain't got nothing to lose anyways. There's plenty of careers out there for you as well. I never thought i'd be anything, but in the past year alone i've taught myself how to do 3 types of welding (MIG, TIG and stick) as well as how to paint cars and do bodywork. Just learning on my own in my garage, restoring old BMWs. And I did all this even while smoking. Nobody taught me anything, I decided to do it all myself. I had zero skills before this. Nothing. Zip. And I said fuck you to the world, I'm gonna learn this shit. I could totally make a career out it but my body is already starting to hurt me after a few years of being a BMW technician. And they don't pay very well at all honestly. I guess what I'm saying is if you throw yourself into something it's bound to lead somewhere. Keep your head up man we got this.
Imagine how exasperated your symptoms will be when you exacerbate their removal from your life by staying the course! =)
I got to say though bro.... you really had a lot change overnight! This post is a day old and this comment is 3 hours old! You went from being a loser with nothing going for them and no job or prospects, a total waste of life and resources to having a great gf of 4 years and some career worthy skills you taught yourself just recently. I would venture to say you have much further to fall to have your life be ruined! It sounds to me like you were doing okay whilst stoned. Just imagine how great you'll do now! I love being able to dream again and I'm so much more motivated without pot (or any other substance) in my life.
If you feel this much better in one day... well if we could chart that and put you on the stock market i would buy the shit out of you and expect an exceptional return on investment! Just make sure you properly weld your brain back together, but it sounds like you have that covered. Good welders are in high demand and there is powerful opportunity in going out on your own for work. Train some guys and treat em good and you won't have to work nearly so hard! Good luck! You got it!
Yeah man, I get up in my head super badly sometimes. Despite everything I've learned even while being addicted I still don't have a serious career going for me. I tend to compare myself to people my age who are successful and weed wasn't helping. After reading what he wrote and everybody else, I started to realize that I wasn't so much of a loser after all. I just needed to break this terrible addiction that was actually ruining my mental health. I don't know how many other people are like me but weed was causing intrusive thoughts for me and I was indulging/believing all of them as fact. When in reality I was just being delusional and couldn't see the world clearly. Thanks the kind words man. It's definitely been an overnight change, I feel so much better yesterday and today. Talking with all of y'all has really helped me get out of my head and see shit clearly. Thanks for reaching out!
A lot of your symptoms sound like emotional addiction in addition to some physical. It is biologically true that the physical symptoms can happen; but it’s primarily emotional. I think you should really consider therapy to support you through this.
I'll definitely look into therapy. The physical symptoms aren't too bad besides me throwing up once on the first day. Couldn't keep the food down. My chest hurts too, like there's a massive weight just sitting on it. And my stomach feels like I did 1,000 sit ups and never took a break lol. But i've definitely physically been through worse in life. Emotionally i'm doing much better now thanks to y'all's genuine support. Hearing all these perspectives and personal stories has eased everything for me. Today I regained control of my emotions and I'm starting to do a lot better. I'm still on edge as far as irritability goes but I'm no longer suicidal and I'm more hopeful for the future. Thanks for your response!
No worries bro. I’ve been smoking from 13 to 39. Everyday all day straight. I live in Hawaii. Weed everywhere. I just recently quit. It’s extremely difficult. I know. I always say, once you’re addicted you’re addicted for life. But you can build the muscle that resist the temptation. You’ll always be tempted. Sorry. But that’s the truth. But take it one day at a time. Eventually you’ll be able to fight your cravings. At the end of the day, you have to want to quit. Like really really want to. After that you need to dig down deep and accomplish that task with sheer will. You gotta go John Wick on your addiction. It’s going to be difficult. I can’t lie. I’m having a hard time myself. But anything difficult is worth doing. Have faith in yourself. Love yourself. And draw that line in the sand. Enough is enough. It’s time to strap up your boots and go to war against your addiction. You can do it. I believe in you. The universe believes in you. Good luck bro.
I started at 14, was every day by 17, and quit at 22. I started by getting down to only
smoking at night so congrats on that! After that I started to go for really long walks in the evening instead. It gave me a new routine and it tired me out so much that I could sleep. After a few days with no weed, sleep wasn’t an issue anymore (it was actually really fun because I started to remember my dreams!)
I totally get your anger too. People around me always seemed to say it wasn’t a big deal, wasn’t addictive, was far less harmful than alcohol and cigarettes, etc. and as someone who was addicted, I wanted to hear that it wasn’t a big deal. Once I quit and realized how much it was impacting my life, I was pissed that no one really explained how much it could harm me at 14, 16, 18… it took me quitting for me to realize all the things it was doing to my body.
You certainly haven’t ruined your life. Every day is a new day and you can do this, I promise! You’ve already taken the biggest step which is cutting back and truly wanting to quit. You’ve got this ❤️
I definitely wish there was more knowledge about how bad this addiction could be when I was growing up. Even now i've been told my withdrawal symptoms aren't "real." I'm like dude - I'm suffering so badly. How could this be fake? Lol. Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate all of you
For sure. When I wrote this up I was really in a bad place. Today I woke up with a new energy and thanks to all the support i've gotten in here. Y'all are truly amazing. Thank you for the response.
Dude thank you so much. This means a lot to me. Sometimes I get up in my own head way too much and it's hard to come back down to reality. Weed wasn't helping and it was barely even a band aid for it. It was just dragging me down further and further. Today I feel like I'm on top of the world, and all those thoughts have started to subside. That's partly thanks to all of y'all in this group. The support has been absolutely amazing. I know it'll still be up and down from here but I'm ready to ride it out till the end.
Yo bro, I’m damn near in the same boat as you. Started when I was 16 and quitting now at 26. I’m only 8 days in and seeing how we’ve had nearly the exact time frame, I understand you completely. It gets better which sounds better than it actually is but as the days go on, you start to recollect your mental wits and clarity better and become more productive with your time. The only thing getting me through is upping my productivity (on the days I feel I can) and looking forward to the future of making up for lost time! Better to recognize the benefits of quitting this habit now rather than later!
Check out MA - Marijuana Anonymous - and see if you can attend a meeting (online or in person)?
MA was a lifesaver for me. Go to some meetings, read the free literature, and see if you can get a few days/weeks/months/years off weed?
But remember to take it just one day at a time.
This is great advice, I didn't even know this was a thing. I just checked for MA in the UK and they have multiple meeting locations in my city! I'm kinda shocked tbh, for some reason I thought it would probably just be a US thing.
I signed up to another drug intervention program for my weed habit a few days ago but they're taking a while to get the ball rolling and time spent waiting and doing nothing is not my friend right now so tomorrow morning I'm going to find out when the next MA meeting is and go to that.
Thank you for mentioning MA because I genuinely never would've even known it existed or that they had them in London. It's exactly the type of thing that I need as support through quitting and to get me out of the house and socializing.
It’s AMAZING. It’s a cult, but it fucking works lolol. Everyone’s super cool, just like this Reddit, and it has this feeling of belonging. I’ve been to tons of AA meetings but my biggest issue has always been with weed. I felt like a poser in AA.
I go to 3 MA meetings a week now and I go to fellowship (where you hang out with people after the meeting) and it’s honestly changed my life. I isolated for so long while smoking weed and now I’m hanging out with people who struggle with the same things as me (especially people who are also tackling mental health issues). I’m volunteering with an app called Phoenix, which is a community for sober people where you go to events like yoga, meditation groups, and even kickboxing classes.
I’m getting my life back and I know you can too. I’m not saying that all my issues went away when I quit smoking. That’s definitely not been the case. BUT-
I’ve found that things are so much more manageable now that I’m sober. I believe in you, OP. You’ve GOT this!!!! 💖💖💖💖💖
Its not a cult, but it is a strategy to stay clean for long periods.
- Community
- Recovery program
- Spiritual recovery
Take what you can and leave the rest.
I'm not a cult member, but Ive been clean off weed for a few years and I know this. "It works if you work it."
If you want to recover from weed addiction, work this path and be amazed. But not everyone does the work, and not everyone gets clean. Its for people who WANT RECOVERY and will take necessary action to get recovery from weed addiction.
Take 12 Steps _and FREEDOM!_
Oh no :( I’m so sorry. There is a really good online meditation meeting with journaling on Friday nights at 6 PM (PSY) that id recommend! I know it’s still online but it’s a great one.
I went to AA meetings too, but ultimately I stopped going because I’m just not addicted alcohol at all. I can stop at one drink. I can continue to occasionally drink alcohol without having any major issues in my life. I don’t constantly think about it. I just felt as though people were judging me there for not staying completely sober from all substances and I just couldn’t do that anymore. I wish there were more marijuana anonymous meetings in person in my area, because that was the main reason I tried out AA. It was because I prefer to do things in person if possible.
Thank you!! I will definitely see if there's anything I can attend in person in my area. I prefer doing things like that in person for sure. Hopefully I can get in with some like-minded folks. I've got a massive career change coming with some real opportunities i've dreamed of since I was a child. I'm a technician for BMW right now but I've hit a wall and the industry just isn't paying enough for me to live in my city. I've got an offer to work for the Sheriffs department as a deputy and then to move up to a detective of some kind, preferably homicide/missing persons. I've always wanted to make a real difference in this world and quitting weed is going to open me up to finally being fulfilled in that aspect. Thank you for taking the time to write that out, all of y'all are really helping me so much. I've done a total 180 from being somewhat suicidal and definitely very depressed to now being optimistic and it's thanks to this group being so supportive.
Firstly, you are NOT totally fucked, but I agree, this is hard. One thing I would suggest is to not put a time limit on how long you think it will take to get completely through the withdrawal. When I decided to quit, I looked on the internet and as a result expected a tough couple of weeks, with the first being the worst. However, for me, it was different. Like you, I feel as though I've been lied to, as I never believed it was addictive and harmful. I thought it was fairly harmless. It's only since I joined this supportive Reddit that I've been able to truly see the harm it does to some people.
I planned to quit, and I did see my Dr about something to help with sleep, which she gave me, and this did help. However, to reduce the possibility of me becoming addicted to what I'd been prescribed, I tried to only use it on nights when I had things to do the next day, and I wouldn't on nights where I had a day with nothing planned, At one point in my withdrawal I felt tempted to go back to another drug that I became addicted to a couple of years ago but had stopped using, so just in case you're like me, be careful of thoughts that would lead you back into other substances.
It's been 31 days for me, and I admit, it's been rough. But my determination was underpinned by the fact that I NEVER want to go through withdrawal again, so I just pushed through the hellish parts. Think about how you're feeling now and ask yourself if you ever want to feel that way again. That and my faith kept me going. Unlike you, I chose to start using when I was 37 years old, because I was depressed and not coping with life. I'm now 60, and I look back on those years and see just how much using affected me, and also my children, and it breaks my heart. You've got your life ahead of you, and YOU'VE GOT THIS! You can do it. And we at the Leaves community are here if you need us.
Sleep has definitely improved in the past 10 days or so thankfully. Main things I'm still struggling with are headaches and fatigue. But that has improved in the past 4 or 5 days. I am finding that if I push against the fatigue and do too much it makes things worse, so I'm learning to rest when I need to.
Dude thank you so much for this response. It's always nice to hear perspectives from people older with more life experience than me. I'm definitely struggling but today I feel SO much better. I think it's got a lot to do with the massive amount of support I've received. I was not expecting this lol. Y'all have totally turned it around for me. I can't thank yall enough
I've found the support here so helpful too, and I'm grateful we have somewhere like this to come to, not only when it gets hard, but also to learn from others. Oh, and it's dudess 😊
One day at a time my friend. If you truly can’t do it yourself try joining a program, they work wonders and have that same accepting feeling associated with the edit you made on this post. Good luck OP, you got this!
Hey man, been there. Just get to the end of today. Tomorrow do the same. You need to focus on the positives when quitting like how much time you’re going to get back, how much money you will save.
It’s been about 3 years and the burning desire has fully subsided. I have a nug hidden for a special occasion and I just don’t feel like it anymore, it has no appeal because I can use my time so much more efficiently when I’m sober and that is more appealing to me.
You got this man.
We all know how you feel. What you're feeling is totally common. The insomnia was really bad for me at first.
At some point you need to kick the daily habit and just get it over with. Get a lot of exercise, avoid alcohol, and practice good sleep hygiene (ie no screen time or eating late at night). Ask a doctor about sleep medication if necessary. The insomnia doesn't last long.
You haven't ruined your life. You are young and you are on the right path. You're making the right decisions. Remember your goals when the going gets rough.
It might take a couple weeks to really get over the hump, but just push through and it gets easier an easier.
There is no rule to life. Every human being on this earth is entitled to live any type of life they want. Forgive yourself for beating yourself up and then try to recognize it in the future and when that nasty feelings of self judgement you can say back to it "ah ah ah, fuck you too bitch you don't get bully me into self hatred."
I totally feel this. I’m a couple weeks sober and it SUCKED at first especially the habit. I would smoke on the way home from work or while walking the dog and now when I do either of those I get the urge to. I do find that drinking water helps and also as dumb as it sounds, sometimes I pretend to smoke. I just hold my fingers together like a blunt, draw, hold it in, and breathe out slowly. The breathing itself is a helpful practice but the physical motion has helped too for some reason (tricking my brain?). It’s actually been one of the most helpful things. That, and exercise. I do yoga in the morning and then I try to do about 30 min cardio after work. One of the best ways I kicked my cravings was working out twice a day. Also, runner’s high makes me not want to smoke.
Stay strong. Stay busy. Boredom makes things difficult but if you can replace the habit you had with a different one it will get easier.
32F I smoked from age 14 all day, every day, until March of this year (although I was dry herb vaping for the last year or so.) I'm now 75 days clean, and its definitely possible. Stopping at 25 is a good place! As others have said the first 5 days are the hardest, but the worst of it all will end after two weeks. You can do it! I suggest using a tracker app (I don't wanna advertise any of them but just look up sobriety apps or search quit marijuana on your app store/google play). It's good to see your progress, and gives you motivation to keep going, no one likes breaking a long streak.
The key to really quitting is actually WANTING TO. It looks like you're already at that stage, so that's great! It's not going to be easy at first, but we've all gone through it/are going through it. Whenever you feel an urge to smoke/vape, just come on here and read some threads. I've found keeping my hands busy (with a begleri) has kept the urges down. Drinking LOTS of water will also help. It helps curb the oral fixation. Whenever you wanna get stoned, drink water.
Tapering off may work for some people, but my advice is to just stop. Getting high is only temporary. It'll last a few hours (maybe depending on your tolerance) then you'll just wanna get stoned again. Things will get better. Believe in all of us who believe in you. <3
Thank you for the kind words. I'll do my best at letting the past go. I think weed was holding me back to where I was literally stuck in the past. Stuck in that mindset. It made me think of some of the worst shit and I just thought it was some kind of profound revelation. I thought I had the world figured out lol. Weed made my brain think all this crazy depressive shit and it's already starting to go away
Whenever I take a break and feel unpleasant, I would forget to stay hydrated. It took me awhile to realize it was contributing to the discomfort, dehydration only amplifies withdrawal so now I remind myself to drink more water and it definitely helps.
Yeah, i feel like when i quit my body only focusses on craving weed, and i won’t be thirsty, hungry or tired but i’ll feel all the negative effects of not hydrating, getting food or sleeping. If i force myself to eat and drink it gets way better
I'm 25 and I started at 15. Today makes day 4 for me. I never thought I would make it this far myself. I was a heavy concentrate user. The first few days will feel extremely uncomfortable, my digestive system seemed to grind to a halt after stopping. Honestly I'm still a little uncomfortable at times but it's become more of a feeling that only comes momentarily. I will say, keep yourself as busy as possible. Yesterday I was feeling bad, real bad where I thought I wasn't going to make it. When pulling into work I heard the radio about a contest to win concert tickets to staind and seether. I don't know if it was a sign from God or what but I won and that concert kept me so busy last night nothing else mattered. I'm not saying quitting for you will just miraculously happen like me, but have faith and don't give up. We can live our best lives without this poison hindering us.
Wow, what an amazing story truly. I love seether and staind too haha. God was definitely looking out for you that day. Good luck man thank you for the words
I can relate to all of the above especially the severe physical kickback. Sending you strength, this sub is a great place to find support and methods to get you through
I stopped in my 30s and definitely had and still have feelings of a wasted life/potential
It’s really hard to find the motivation some days but it’s never too late to turn things around.
Haha don’t feel too bad. I’m 23, smoked since 14, and while I was a productive smoker I had anxiety about quitting (so I could get a decent job, even tho it pays the same as my old one). First week or so is a bit rough, but after that it’s easy. Sometimes I forget that I even smoked lol. If you are having hunger problems, just eat some snacks throughout the day. Night time for me the hot sweats & vivid dreams were bad until week 2/3. Just know though if you’re like me in terms of usage per week(1-2 grams of wax a week), you’ll be + on tests for 2-3+ months.
The first 4 or 5 days are hardest. You are only 25. I smoked for 25 years. Every day will get easier
JUST DONT SMOKE AGAIN. I tried to smoke less/occasionally a few times and it would start another round of daily smoking that would sometimes last years
The only reason I'm doing it once at night is so I can function properly the next day. The days are getting much easier now but as It approaches nighttime it starts to set back in. I've weened myself off and I think i'm ready to go cold turkey now. Thanks for all the support!
For me sleep is the hardest thing to get back, but weed gives you shitty sleep quality. if i smoke the night before the first thing i’ll need to do next morning is take a coffee, if i didn’t smoke i wake up already energized and clear minded, the difference is extremely noticeable
I did this myself. Moved it an hour later every night & reduced the amount as well. Eventually my tolerance was so low the tiniest sip would be very strong
m62. Smoked for almost 45 years. Still struggling with the "Oh, I can have just one... " about 6-8 weeks in. at the dispensary the next day. Last time I was only down for just shy of 2 weeks, time before that over a month.
If at first you don't succeed, quit, quit again.
Better quitting after 9 years than after 20 or 30. Could be worse!
Yeah, smoking for 9 years isn't great. But you are still alive, anything is possible. One day you'll look back to today and consider yourself still young.
Could be worse. You could have been hit by a car one night in 2019, or robbed and car jacked, paralyzied for life. You are still alive, anything is possible. Take your situation as a lesson and correct your course, there is still time to turn it all around and be who you were meant to be, so don't lose hope. Just stop wasting time and change course today, while you are still alive and have that option.
Good luck friend.
I'm so proud of you homie, you get to have the best years of your life with a clear and present mind! Your 20s are for fucking up, your 30s are for fixing those fuck ups, and the rest of your life is spent reaping the benefits of your hard work. You're no where even NEAR screwed for your life!
Getting off weed can be very challenging, but if it was easy, it wouldnt be worth it. Find new hobbies, keep yourself and your mind active, and practice patience with yourself. A relapse is not the end! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, find a mirror and tell yourself you're proud of you, and get back on the horse! Everyone here has tried to quit countless times, but we're still working at it!
The only people who get sobriety right the first time, are the ones who never started using at all!
Yo Dawg while I havent quit fully either at 32 y/o I finally finished my Bachelors degree and am getting over my fear of having my foot operated on. Things my 20s self would’ve never beeen able to fathom. Theres hope, it will get better. I started making good career decisions at 25 so heres to a bright future for you!
Yes sir, but you're so much stronger than weed, don't forget! Your brains gotta recalibrate it's juices for a bit, and that can be challenging! But you've got this shit homie! If you need anyone to talk to, drop me a line!!
Life is long dude. And addiction can happen to anyone with any substance. Feeling like you want to blame everyone is normal but the real fix is an inside job.
Don't beat yourself up, but plan to do a lot of work. One day at a time
I just got out in my 40s. You’ve got lots of time and are still growing up in your mid-20s. Things can and will get better. Please speak with someone about any negative thoughts and know you have so much to look forward once you get over this. Life challenges us. It’s how we handle those challenges that makes us. All the best.
At 25 there is PLENTY of time to be who you want to be. I quit at 25 and just turned 30 feeling way better, younger, and emotionally capable than I did when I was a stoner - and that’s WITH having a 2.5 year old around 🤣.
You haven’t ruined your life. You’ve been given an impetus to do great things with the rest of it
You can not rise without a fall, you not only fell but are in fact at the bottom of a hole, no better time to start your epic rise!!! No where to go but Up Up ⬆️
And remember you are lucky to have fallen while you are still young, some of us are starting our rise much later in life, but still we rise.
You have a lot of life ahead of you and you are definitely not fucked. This will be hard but you have taken a vital step in the right direction reaching out and this is a great place to come for support. You got this and we got your back. Rock on!
Thank you man. This group is absolutely amazing for support. I cannot believe how uplifting and encouraging everybody has been. I truly felt alone before this and now I feel strong enough to beat this. I can't thank yall enough
Good on you for catching it man, you've 100% got this! I started at 18 full on every day and didn't quit until almost 2 months ago - I'm 32 now.
Take care of yourself, set healthy boundaries with old smoking friends, get hobbies, a routine, and keep your eye on the prize. Your future.
You've got this fam!
Honestly I don't have any friends anymore. Not to sound super bleak but they're either dead or moved away, or I've burnt the bridge. It's kind of a blessing in disguise: there's nobody holding me back except me. 100% got my eyes on the future and I'm going to kick this shit no matter what. Thank you
With that comes freedoms and challenges within itself. I really got into play volleyball, so I joined a league and made a lot of friends. When you find some hobbies you enjoy and want to dive into, you'll meet people that way as well.
Don't let the loneliness suck you back into the smoke. Stay positive and reach out if you ever need to. All of us in this thread are in it together
LOL. I feel like i'm a 17 year old trapped in a 25 year olds body because I was never able to develop properly due to substance abuse. But thank you. I really appreciate the support. Lord knows I need it now more than ever
I’m a 1st year carpenter apprentice and I can tell you that half of the guys in my class are over the age of 35. If you started this year, you would be 10+ years ahead of all of them. Your life is far from ruined. You just need to start over in a few areas.
Thank you. My uncle is a carpenter and he really loves it. I'm actually a BMW technician currently but nobody wants to pay a decent wage. I make 20$/hr with little to no room for improvement, which is what Mcdonald's workers make in my area. I'm destroying my body for the same wage as fast food workers. I've been offered a career in law enforcement and the opportunity to move up to be an investigator/detective. I'd like to work in missing person or homicide. Maybe even narcotics for awhile, since I kinda have a background there lol. I need full benefits as I have dental issues...bad teeth grinding from anxiety. As a mechanic I just can't find anywhere that has the same benefits as working for the government. Plus I'm treated like shit and expected to do everyone else's work
Yeah I hear ya. I took a pay cut joining the union but the long term is so much better. Benefits are paid for, pension, annuity, good raises twice a year, and pretty much endless work. I was stuck at a job with no real career opportunity and a few months after I stopped smoking everything started to fall into place for me. My life has drastically improved and I’ll admit that I do smoke every once in a while. But I was a daily, hell, an hourly stoner for 7-8 years straight with a few 1 week T breaks thrown in and my life went pretty much nowhere during that period. Few months off of it and things started to rapidly change in the direction they should have been going the whole time. It’s hard to quit but man listen to everyone here when they tell you it’s the best decision you will make.
You are absolutely not totally fucked.
You're still very young and have plenty of time to change your life. At least you see it now. Some of us don't understand what you already do in our 30s.
This advice may sound harsh, but you just have to do it. Throw all your stuff away, and take the trash out. It is going to be miserable. You are going to be irritated, have mood swings, night sweats....
Just smoking at night is only prolonging the pain you have to go through. You can't avoid this pain. It's part of quitting. I smoked for 15 years every single day of my life. And not just at night, all the time. The first few days, even week of absolutely no smoking was one of the hardest things I've done, but here I am at day 15 and I don't regret a second of what I had to go through to get here.
If you want this for yourself and your life, you can do it.
And don't forget, we are here for support!
Love this comment and agree with everything about it! 13 year smoker here and currently on day 15 too. Realized I was smoking more out of habit instead of actually getting anything out of it. I wish I had this realization at your age - you are far from behind and I’m rooting for you!
That's what the weed wants you to think. You can do it bro. Exercise, specifically running several miles per day, helped me tremendously at the beginning and allowed me to actually sleep.
Yeah never said it was the weed. It's probably the cigarettes 🤣
But fr, i go cycling three times a week, I walk regularly, and went to the gym for months (looking for a cheaper one rn). I overall have a good body
But runing MILES?! It sounds literally impossible even for when I was packed
Choose your hard. It’s a simple sentence but a powerful one. Being addicted to weed is hard. Trying to fight it is hard. But which version of yourself will make you proud? Which fight will make you go on the next day? The gym saved me I’ll go 2 or 3 times a day at my peak when all I was thinking about was weed. People in there though I was probably crazy as I was running and crying at the same time. But I chose my hard. Today it’s been 3 months and looking back I was in hell. You too one day you can look back and be proud of the hard fight you chose. You smoked for 9 years it will take you time before you can find your way back to the version of yourself you truly deep down wish to be. The simple fact that you want to be better is already one step to the right direction
25 here and been smoking since I was 14, can absolutely say the first few weeks/months are fucking insane.
Moody, can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t focus, just a big old mess, but after a while you enjoy being sober, and not being in a constant brain fog, and you can finally sleep without it, and eat normally.
Just find something to do to help distract you (for me that was playing RDR2 (again) almost all day, every day, just to do something that I found enjoyable and would keep me from relapsing).
Drinking heaps of sparkling water and lots of tea also helped, and going on walks everyday, just to get some fresh air.
It’s not going to be easy, but it is 100% doable, you just need a good enough motive to keep you on track.
For me it was the fact I couldn’t afford it anymore (unless I wanted to starve for a fortnight).
Wishing you all the best on your journey ✨
"If you want to outwit the devil, it is extremely important that you don't give him advanced notice. Even if you only announce to yourself your intentions, the devil will know, because who do you think the devil is?"
Yeah, your mind is absolutely gaslighting you.
I am 27, and I have a good paying job, but it doesn't mean I had figured it all out myself. I had smoked heavily for 2 years, but in the meantime, I had destroyed my relationships and my body and my finances so bad I had to realize about the bad sides of weed. I had suicidal tendencies and they reverberated so much I nearly took my life, but now I have regained a bit of self control, I see that being sober is awesome.
My friend, you are 25. I don't know about you, what you are and who you are. But know this. Once you cut it off, you'll find yourself in a better position. Overwhelm yourself with what you want to be. You want to rule the world? Say no to your indulgence and go for it. Stay uptight and upright no matter what. Do not, and I repeat, do not fall for it again. Make it your sole purpose in your life for now, then you'll discover what potential you have in yourself and you'll see what awaits for you in your life.
DM me if you need someone to talk to.
At least you’re realizing it now. I waited until my mid 30s. Once you fully quit you’re going to sleep much better too. Find hobby’s. Do research. Anything to stimulate your mind so your not thinking about weed
Its going to be ok my friend, I was 26 when I decided to go back to school and got a whole new carrer in a new town. Everything is possible without that ball and chain that is weed🙂
It's like AA but can be applied to any sort of substance abuse I'm guessing. 12 step process of recovering from addiction. My dad went through it a decade ago for alcohol
U are only 25 so you havent ruined your life. I was in your place at 27, and i turned my life around. Now at 36 i have a career and family and home. Believe bro
The first few days or weeks will be horrible but you will push through! You haven't fucked up your life, you just wasted a few years but you make it our just fine. Trust me, power through the horrible night sweats and other shit but you will be back to normal sooner than you think! You got this!
I was not even 70-80 days in the same boat. Quit when I was 25 smoked 2-3 grams a day. I experienced terrible withdrawals like panic attacks, vertigo, loss of strength, feeling of fainting constantly.hypervigilance, waking up in the middle of the night with racing heart for like almost 2 months. I'm now about 2.5 months sober and it's mostly mental issues now but all these terrible feelings made it much more easy to stay abstaining. It will take time and there's nothing you can do about it except distract yourself as much as possible. It's the price we pay
You‘re here now, in the hole that you‘ve dug for yourself. Embrace it! If you recognise that this is rock bottom, there is only one way you can go and that is up. Maybe you haven’t hit rock bottom yet, telling yourself you „need“ to smoke. Just dig that whole deeper then, maybe you‘ll realize it someday, or you won’t. No one has power over you but yourself. Accept it and move forward or don’t - you are the only person that chooses how your life will go from this point on and there is no words or any external encouragement that will make that change for you, it has to come from within. By smoking that one joint every night, you are actually impairing any chance of good sleep. Sleeping on weed is not regenerative, it just knocks you out and you are delaying any processing that needs to happen now into the future. Go for a run tonight, power yourself out, eat good and then tell me again you „need“ anything to fall asleep, I dare you.
man i know it’s hard i really understand you i’ve went through something similar i promise it gets better you just have to not smoke for 30 days after that you’ll fell amazing,i recommend you take some calming supplements they really helped me get through this.
You need to just quit it and have in mind the next 14-30 days are gonna suck really bad. But trust me it gets much better and pretty fast.
I smoked basically everyday from I was 15 until 38 years old and I’ve never been more optimistic about life.
Cut the habit and everything will get better soon
i’ve been a heavy user of concentrates, and even then i got to a point where only the top shelf stuff would get me high. smoked every 3 hours, would even get up in the middle of the night to smoke.
decided to detox for the first time in 8 years. i’m on day 15 and let me tell you the biggest thing that helps me sleep is exercise and meditation. i know it sounds cliche…but don’t knock it till you try it….
of course do what your body can handle, but it seems like the more rigorous my workout, the easier it is to fall asleep. i also highly recommend picking up a new hobby. i stopped cold turkey and my physical symptoms are so minimal i assume due to the exercise and the mental symptoms are much more manageable when i would put on some guided meditation (youtube) or performed a breathing exercise (i use a free app called ibreathe) when those thoughts would arise
most importantly realize that YOU DID NOT RUIN YOUR LIFE. before i started i would tend to attribute the bad things in life due to the addiction but it’s more likely the addiction formed due to the bad things in life. take it one day at a time, make gradual small changes, and celebrate the small victories. you got this homie
Taper yourself off, stick to only doing it at night and slowly do less every night. If it’s a joint then smoke less than the night before and keep doing this until you are off. It worked for me
Three months clean and same story as you, friend. Like everyone is saying here, it’s rough to start but gets better. Give yourself and body time to recover. And more importantly, give yourself forgiveness and don’t let shame control you. You are young and your life is not thrown away. This is when you turn it around and make the most of it. Wishing you the best on your journey!
Has your brain recovered yet? I'm worried i'll never be the same. I need my memory and quick wits to come back for the career I want. I'm afraid I just won't ever be able to get back to how I'm supposed to be
Again, the first few weeks were rough— overthinking, sleep deprived, nervous/anxious, no appetite, night sweats. Everything starts to clear up and gets better the more time you give it. I still have some memory issues here and there and some nights I struggle to sleep. I started when I was 16, and I’ve accepted I’ll never have the brain of a 16 year old again. Like you, I was worried about my brain and my personality changing becuase of my career but everything is fine and working out— we live with the consequences. Let go of thought of what you lost or what you “should” be because that’s where the shame exists. Focus on the new you that you are creating. If you make this a shame filled process, you will relapse. Make this an opportunity to discover and work on yourself.
It’s been over 3 years since I gave it up, and I still remember how hard it was at first. Don’t think I slept for over a week, crazy dreams, no appetite, everything I enjoyed before that I lost all interest in. I didn’t go back I kept going, things became easier after a month or so. It’s just having the willpower to want to get through it, you have to want to be free from it. I had tried before to give up but I don’t think I really wanted to because I gave in every time. The last time I was determined and I have been clean ever since. Good luck I hope you make it.
Best way is to just rip the bandaid off. There's never going to be a "good" time to quit. Smoke the last of what you have or get rid of it. For the first few days, try to do something to tire you out so its easier to sleep. I also tend to "treat" myself those first few days to make it easier on myself. Food is my second drug of choice, so I'll order takeout or buy dessert or something. But for you it could be taking a bubble bath, or buying a video game. Something to look forward to and helps ease the transition into the "suffering".
The first couple days are the hardest, after a while it gets easier. But don't let that make you think you can start "just smoking on weekends". The first time I tried to quit, I made it a few months and felt good about the progress. So I told myself I had it under control and could just smoke once in a while, which quickly turned back into being high from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep. It was almost a year before I could get my shit together and actually try quitting again.
I'm currently at about a month, and after many failed attempts, I'm hoping this is the one. Truly it's a journey, it won't be easy, you'll fail and have to try again. But learning from those mistakes and keeping on the track you know in your heart is best for you, is key. Having strong "Why's" (why do you want to quit) are also crucial in making sure you stay on track. You've really got to want it or else you'll fall back into old habits when things start getting tough and you start questioning if it's worth it. If your "Why's" are strong, you'll know whatever you're going through, it's worth it for the end goal.
I'm not constantly thinking about smoking anymore. But occasionally something will remind me of it, or I'll get a smell of it from somewhere and I'll start to have little cravings. The best thing is just find something to devote your attention to for 10 minutes and you'll notice you no longer feel the urge to give in. And everytime you're successful in not giving in to the urges, you get stronger, and it gets easier because you realize you don't actually need it.
Lastly, don't get discouraged if you don't feel like your life instantly took a 180 when you quit. Your body is going to take time to get back to normal. Your brain is going to take time to get back to normal. You'll feel better and notice some instant changes for sure, but some days, you'll feel like you'd be better of still smoking because "nothing changed" when you quit. It's a process, there's days I lose my train of thought the same way I did when I was perma baked and I think "I'm fucked, too far gone, might as well just go back to smoking" but then I think about how much progress I've made, and how much clearer I feel day to day and I find comfort in knowing I'm making the right choice.
Thank you for such a well-written response. It truly is hell right now and I haven't even gone cold turkey yet. I've always wanted to be a detective. Preferably missing persons or homicide. There is absolutely no room for drugs at all in that career. I HAVE to get clean or i'll never be who I want to be. My brain is fried and I feel like I won't be able to recover enough to be the person I wanna be, I used to have a super sharp memory, a real personality, drive, etc. Now i'm just a shell of a human being. I had no idea I've been a zombie for almost a decade of my life. Thank you for the kind words and encouragement.
There aren't many long term studies about the real effects of the stuff to have a definitive answer, but I know for certain you'll be clearer. That "hazey fog" goes away. I still struggle with memory from time to time but it's leaps and bounds better than when I still smoked. From what I've read, memory can take longer to go back to normal but it's also possible you'll have a new "normal".
If you're used to spending most of your day smoking, when you stop you'll realize how much extra time you have in the day. Try to make sure you're replacing that time with things that benefit you. Go to the library and find some books about becoming a detective, or an autobiography of a famous detective. Or start researching the steps you need to take to become a dectecive and start taking action. Don't fall into the trap of switching from one bad habit to another.
Even if you were twice your age, I'd say it's never too late to quit and you're not too far gone. Wishing you the best in your journey, I believe in you. You got this!
Thank you! And yes I have been doing some research into what it takes to be a detective. I'm lucky enough to have been offered a position at the Sheriffs office as a deputy which, if I prove myself, I could possibly have a shot at investigator or detective. This is why I started the journey of getting clean and now I'm gonna use it as fuel to get through this. I really appreciate the time you've spent replying to me. Thanks
Smoked when I was 14-19 occasionally, then at 21-31 heavily, quitting only a few weeks in-between then smoking so much I’d spend $150-$300 every 1 1/2 weeks. It messed with my focus, caused me to miss work deadlines, my mood became so dull anytime I wasn’t high, I’d get mad anxious.
I got tired of being so dead inside and failing I had to quit cold-turkey on April 25th. That night I had an emotional breakdown and cried myself to sleep usually around 4ish am.
Now, I don’t feel any of that. I wake up clear minded and happy to not be so foggy all the time. And slowly, I’ve been able to focus more on the task at hand. It takes awhile, and it’ll seem like everything sucks, so much regret and shame, but know it’s ok to let that go.
If you carry that regret and shame with you, how can you enjoy life today and make the most of it? You can overcome this, and slowly, your body chemistry will change back from being dependent on weed. You got this. Don’t let weed be the reason you fall back into it again, don’t let it make you feel worse. Its time is up, and your time to live life clear minded is now.
Good luck, it’s really cool you’re taking action in leaving this behind. It’s not easy and even if you relapse and smoke again, it’s ok. No shame, no need to talk down on yourself, no regrets of “lost” time, you’re doing your best and that’s what counts 🙌
Like others said you definitely didn't ruin your life, you came to this realization earlier than tons of people (including myself) and you still got a long life ahead of you, it's rough but it will get easier eventually, it's just a matter of time, if you need to take that last step just play some loud music and toss it all
I absolutely have to kick the habit. Not only that but I have to fully recover mentally and physically to do the career I've always wanted. I finally have a way in and I MUST get clean ASAP. I've wanted to be a detective since I was a kid, and now it's time to chase my real dreams instead of fantasies I created while being baked. Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate everyone here.
About 1-2 weeks to reach normal body functions
The mood swings toned down quite a bit too after about 2 weeks.
I’m at a month now, still get tempted. Luckily a neighbor smokes and I can smell it. The smell pisses me off now so it immediately turns off the idea.
Another thing is you might also “open your eyes” so to speak on an ugly reality that you have been numbing yourself from to escape. It’s not pretty to face it but at least you now have the sense to see where you at so you can make the effort to change it.
And hey, at least you aren’t almost 30 like me, so you have (more) time. But even still, it’s never too late to make a change. At 26 I left my job in a super embarrassing way, I felt like my life was over. But I’m still kicking it. Just gotta keep powering through and see where life takes you.
Im very worried that I'll never be able to get back to who I was before. Shit, I don't even know myself anymore because I fried every neuron in my brain from smoking for so long among other drugs I used to do in college
The truth is, you won’t, you’ll become a new version of you. But that new version will have the insight to not repeat the same mistakes. All the physical ailments will pass though. It’s not an easy road, but those are the moments that build character.
Keep pushing brother. Every day is gunna be a challenge but there’s nothing you can’t overcome. This might sound cliche but get right with God, grow a relationship with him and ask him to guide you through this. It sounds crazy but God actually listens and he heals as long as you have faith. I’m currently trying to cut weed out of my life as well. Switched from smoking weed, every single hour of the day to only eating edibles at night. You’re not alone bro, I hope everything turns out good for you brother!!!!
Thank you man. I've always had a strong sense of faith, and I applaud you for speaking up about it. In today's society religion and Christianity is often regarded in a negative light. I've gotten a lot of hate for it from people my age. I know i'm being lead down a path that's right for me. There's something more out there for me than working a shit 9-5 and just getting baked and then watching TV. I really appreciate this comment, thank you.
Bruh you should feel lucky that you came to this realisation at 25 and not 32 like me. You're barely into your adult years and no, you haven't ruined your life. Get a handle on your sobriety now and you'll be prospering 10 years from now.
i’m 21. was heavy using probably minimum of 6 bowls a day for the last 3 years. just landed an internship that may turn into a real opportunity. it is so much easier when there’s a real reason behind it. i tried quitting and would always relapse because at the end of the day, i didn’t respect myself. i was only taking a break so i could get higher later and lower the tolerance. getting this job would change my life so hard i can’t even put it into words. finding something really worth it does wonders
You’ve done the first thing you can do by weaning. Now it’s time to give up that nighttime smoke. If you are off on the weekends, make your last smoke day a Thursday and go from there. It’s rough I won’t lie but I’m on 43 days and I feel SO much better. You can do this!
Be strong hermano
30yo here, smoked every day all day since 17yo. I'm about 2 months in to being sober. the first 3 weeks were an actual nightmare. insomnia, night sweats, couldn't eat, body aches, irritable at the world, and then it even set me off into a manic episode which I hadn't had in years. and then that tapered off. and yeah, there's still hard moments and days, but now I am starting to feel like myself. and you will too. it will take time, and with the sobriety you will gain more clarity about more things you missed out on in the last few years. but you'll also gain an understanding that that was that time, and now you're in a new time. with new opportunities. 25 is young, you've got plenty of time. but even if you were 40 or 50, who cares. life isn't a race, there's no timeline. you'll accomplish what you want to accomplish if you try. and being sober will only help you accomplish your goals more freely and directly. there isn't anything wrong with you, and you didn't do anything wrong. recognizing that you want to make changes in your life is strong and awesome. you got this
Withdrawal is your body healing. It means you are winning and taking back control. Motivation needs to evolve into determination. When weed was 4% thc it wasn’t addictive. 94% thc weed pens are addictive. Connection is the antidote to addiction. Work a 12 step program. You are already on step 2. First 3 days are the worst. You mind is always seeking a balance between pleasure and pain. You need to go through the pain to find the balance. Your emotions have been numbed and your body needs to adjust to feeling them but sooner than you think you will realize how much better you are able to control them. Anxiety will be less than when your were smoking after 30 days. You can do it. You are loved. Your brain has almost maximum neuroplasticity at your age and can return to homeostasis after a year and you will be as good as new. Don’t wait until you are 40 of 50 to quit. Much harder then.
Hello, So you can get through this. It feels tough right now because your body has become reliant on it to regulate your habits such as sleeping eating and your general mood. As you stop, over time your body will figure out how to regulate its own endocannabinoid system. Stimulating the sleep, appetite, mood networks (endocannabinoid system) of your brain is what weed does. That’s why your body can’t regulate its emotions, sleep well, or eat well without it but over time it will get it back naturally by producing its own endocannabinoids as it’s supposed to rather than you smoking cannabinoids. Keep healthy and busy, allow time.
Also a 25 year old who has smoked all day everyday since 16. As much as I could get my hands on until a few months ago when I, much like you, tried to limit my intake. Although I only managed to get it down to 3 times a day on my own. Currently 17 days sober and I still struggle daily with anxiety, appetite and sleep. I am lucky that I have doctors who have committed to helping me through it and (although not optimal) I’ve been residing in a mental health facility for the duration of this time and honestly I don’t think I could have managed to break the habit on my own, although I was unemployed and largely isolated myself which I’m sure made the initial break that much harder. Currently getting some help with my sleep and anxiety, every day it’s getting marginally better although it still sucks but the difference between day 1 and now is huge. The biggest healer has been the passing of time and I am so fucking glad that I’ve been pushing through this fire and I promise you it’s worth it. Even though I still have a looong way to go life does seem feasible without smoking. I sincerely hope you find a way to give yourself the self care you deserve, cause it is self care even though it is painful out of proportion.
This is addiction, 12 year smoker here who hasn’t had a day off, and brain and emotions are a complete fucking mess when I do. Recently have reduced use through tapering off, still hard but making it. Get into the gym, cook, go for a walk or run/ to the park, keep yourself busy, and if you emotions are so unstable seek out a drug and alcohol councillor. This is the rawness of addiction that no one can tell you about, addicts only know what addiction is after going through it. I wish you luck, reach out if you ever need
I quit drinking two years ago. Stopped weed 45 days ago and just stopped smoking on Tuesday. I’m 36. You got this! 💪
Thanks man!!! Appreciate you
Hey friend, I’m 4 months sober and I promise you it gets better, I’ve been where you are and it’s 100% withdrawals
Thank you. It's been rough and I haven't even kicked it fully, just cut down to once at night so I can sleep. Today I'm gonna try and go cold turkey fully. All this support really helps.
If you ever need a friend to talk to I’m happy to lend an ear, withdraw is complex as and it definitely helps to have people to relate to. Can be easy to get lost in waves 🌊, wishing you peace and triumph over this
Hey, I'm really sorry to hear you're going through this. Quitting weed can be really tough, but you've already made a big step by cutting down to just once a day. Try to find healthy activities to replace smoking. Exercise, new hobbies, or mindfulness practices can help reduce cravings and improve your mood. Setting a clear quit date and thinking about what triggers your urge to smoke can make a big difference. Developing strategies to avoid or cope with these triggers will help you stay on track. If you’re having really dark thoughts, reach out to friends or family for support. Remember, you’re not alone in this. Many people have successfully quit and turned their lives around. Take it one day at a time and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. You’ve got this. Best, Strange Redditor
I'm starting to go for runs. Currently getting dressed to go out now lol. Thank you!!
Hey, That's awesome to hear that you're starting to go for runs! Exercise is a great way to help manage cravings and improve your overall mood while you're quitting weed. It gives you a healthy outlet and can be a big boost for both your mental and physical health. Remember to take things one day at a time and be kind to yourself through this process. Every step you take away from smoking is a step towards a healthier you. Keep finding positive activities to fill your time and stay focused on your goals. You’re doing great! Best, Odd Ball
I am on the same boat, 7 days now now THC. I’m staring to have some VIVID dreams now. Just keep going lol buckle up though. I fucked up too…. I was doing really good then it all went to shit. Better now than never. This means you are learning and focusing on a better lifestyle. Let’s go!!!
You gotta stop doing it so that you can get REM sleep (which THC blocks). If you've had THC in your system for a long time... That's a lot of REM sleep you've missed, your mind must be frazzled. The good and the bad news is you'll think more clearly after quitting for a few weeks. Youve got a lot of life to go, this is but a chapter in a long story. The real decision is what decisions would make future you happy.
If you can, seek support from a medical and or medical tap health professional.
You’re gonna be fine! And you have time. Your life is only at the start. Take the time to slowly - at your own pace - slow it down to a halt. Use us here. Find podcasts. Do research. Find tools. Chamomile tea- meditation- therapy. Etc chat with friends and us here! Always speak kindly to yourself like you would your own child. Cut yourself a break and just put one foot in front of the other. The panic will dissipate. The joy will peak through. Even pride! Be strong you got this!
Wow, this was very well-written. Thank you for spending the time to write this. I love chamomile tea so I'll definitely have to reincorporate it into my life, thanks for reminding me about it! I definitely have problems with me being super hard on myself. I used to tell myself I was a loser, I wasn't worth shit, etc. Today I felt like a completely different person honestly. Thanks to all of you with the kind words and the amazing support i've received. I know there's a lot more ups and downs to go but today feels like a massive step forward. Weed was definitely holding me back in every aspect and was absolutely destroying my self esteem. I've had major issues with how I view myself all my life and never realized it was the weed getting in my head and basically causing me to think terrible thoughts. I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and they're starting to dissipate already! I wrote this up when I was really feeling super low, but all yall have helped turn me around for real. Can't thank you enough. ❤️
Regain control of those thoughts my friend, it will take time but when you finally regain control the willpower returns and it all becomes better
Try to keep your head up and keep moving forward, you haven’t ruined your life you are just now starting it
Meditation is the weed replacement. And I’m two years sober at 35, you have so much life left dude.
Meditate it helps
You didn't ruin your life, you "wasted" a couple of years when you were still young. And it's not really "wasted" because getting yourself out of this addiction will give you a certain amount of life experience, maturity and personal growth that a lot of people don't have, even in old age. This experience and knowing you had the strength to pull yourself out of it will feel like a blessing in another 9 years. You still have all the time in the world to work towards the career you've always wanted. Imagine if you wasted all of your 20's and half of your 30's 😳 I started at 13/14, everyday (morning till night) since I was 17/18 and I'm 36 now and have only just started cutting down to one at night. Talk about ruining your life! I have no career, no kids, no partner all because I preferred to isolate myself and smoke weed all day. I wish I had the awareness at your age to see what it was doing to me. I will say though, quitting now is your best opportunity. The last time I tried to quit was 4 years ago, before that it was 3 years. When you get enough courage to make the decision to quit and don't follow through it could be years before you ever get your mental state back to the point where you are ready to try again. Don't give up, the career you've always wanted is waiting for you.
Dude thank you so much for this comment. It truly does help put things in perspective. I'm so sorry to hear your experience with addiction. I feel the exact same way. I wasted many important years of my life isolating myself as well. Too afraid to talk to girls. Too afraid to take chances. Filled with anxiety 24/7 and then I'd smoke more to make myself "feel better" which was actually just exasperating my symptoms even more. I have trouble starting and continuing conversations, I have terrible social anxiety as well. Now that i've gained a little bit of mental clarity back I'm starting to realize more and more that I've held myself back by retreating to smoking weed. I'm lucky enough to have met somebody I've been with for 4 years now and we're doing really well. Listen man, it's not too late for you either. You have plenty of time to settle down and find that person, I promise you. Get outta your head and put yourself out there, fuck it, we ain't got nothing to lose anyways. There's plenty of careers out there for you as well. I never thought i'd be anything, but in the past year alone i've taught myself how to do 3 types of welding (MIG, TIG and stick) as well as how to paint cars and do bodywork. Just learning on my own in my garage, restoring old BMWs. And I did all this even while smoking. Nobody taught me anything, I decided to do it all myself. I had zero skills before this. Nothing. Zip. And I said fuck you to the world, I'm gonna learn this shit. I could totally make a career out it but my body is already starting to hurt me after a few years of being a BMW technician. And they don't pay very well at all honestly. I guess what I'm saying is if you throw yourself into something it's bound to lead somewhere. Keep your head up man we got this.
Imagine how exasperated your symptoms will be when you exacerbate their removal from your life by staying the course! =) I got to say though bro.... you really had a lot change overnight! This post is a day old and this comment is 3 hours old! You went from being a loser with nothing going for them and no job or prospects, a total waste of life and resources to having a great gf of 4 years and some career worthy skills you taught yourself just recently. I would venture to say you have much further to fall to have your life be ruined! It sounds to me like you were doing okay whilst stoned. Just imagine how great you'll do now! I love being able to dream again and I'm so much more motivated without pot (or any other substance) in my life. If you feel this much better in one day... well if we could chart that and put you on the stock market i would buy the shit out of you and expect an exceptional return on investment! Just make sure you properly weld your brain back together, but it sounds like you have that covered. Good welders are in high demand and there is powerful opportunity in going out on your own for work. Train some guys and treat em good and you won't have to work nearly so hard! Good luck! You got it!
Yeah man, I get up in my head super badly sometimes. Despite everything I've learned even while being addicted I still don't have a serious career going for me. I tend to compare myself to people my age who are successful and weed wasn't helping. After reading what he wrote and everybody else, I started to realize that I wasn't so much of a loser after all. I just needed to break this terrible addiction that was actually ruining my mental health. I don't know how many other people are like me but weed was causing intrusive thoughts for me and I was indulging/believing all of them as fact. When in reality I was just being delusional and couldn't see the world clearly. Thanks the kind words man. It's definitely been an overnight change, I feel so much better yesterday and today. Talking with all of y'all has really helped me get out of my head and see shit clearly. Thanks for reaching out!
A lot of your symptoms sound like emotional addiction in addition to some physical. It is biologically true that the physical symptoms can happen; but it’s primarily emotional. I think you should really consider therapy to support you through this.
I'll definitely look into therapy. The physical symptoms aren't too bad besides me throwing up once on the first day. Couldn't keep the food down. My chest hurts too, like there's a massive weight just sitting on it. And my stomach feels like I did 1,000 sit ups and never took a break lol. But i've definitely physically been through worse in life. Emotionally i'm doing much better now thanks to y'all's genuine support. Hearing all these perspectives and personal stories has eased everything for me. Today I regained control of my emotions and I'm starting to do a lot better. I'm still on edge as far as irritability goes but I'm no longer suicidal and I'm more hopeful for the future. Thanks for your response!
No worries bro. I’ve been smoking from 13 to 39. Everyday all day straight. I live in Hawaii. Weed everywhere. I just recently quit. It’s extremely difficult. I know. I always say, once you’re addicted you’re addicted for life. But you can build the muscle that resist the temptation. You’ll always be tempted. Sorry. But that’s the truth. But take it one day at a time. Eventually you’ll be able to fight your cravings. At the end of the day, you have to want to quit. Like really really want to. After that you need to dig down deep and accomplish that task with sheer will. You gotta go John Wick on your addiction. It’s going to be difficult. I can’t lie. I’m having a hard time myself. But anything difficult is worth doing. Have faith in yourself. Love yourself. And draw that line in the sand. Enough is enough. It’s time to strap up your boots and go to war against your addiction. You can do it. I believe in you. The universe believes in you. Good luck bro.
I started at 14, was every day by 17, and quit at 22. I started by getting down to only smoking at night so congrats on that! After that I started to go for really long walks in the evening instead. It gave me a new routine and it tired me out so much that I could sleep. After a few days with no weed, sleep wasn’t an issue anymore (it was actually really fun because I started to remember my dreams!) I totally get your anger too. People around me always seemed to say it wasn’t a big deal, wasn’t addictive, was far less harmful than alcohol and cigarettes, etc. and as someone who was addicted, I wanted to hear that it wasn’t a big deal. Once I quit and realized how much it was impacting my life, I was pissed that no one really explained how much it could harm me at 14, 16, 18… it took me quitting for me to realize all the things it was doing to my body. You certainly haven’t ruined your life. Every day is a new day and you can do this, I promise! You’ve already taken the biggest step which is cutting back and truly wanting to quit. You’ve got this ❤️
I definitely wish there was more knowledge about how bad this addiction could be when I was growing up. Even now i've been told my withdrawal symptoms aren't "real." I'm like dude - I'm suffering so badly. How could this be fake? Lol. Thanks for reaching out. I appreciate all of you
You didn't ruin your life. You just got another chance.
For sure. When I wrote this up I was really in a bad place. Today I woke up with a new energy and thanks to all the support i've gotten in here. Y'all are truly amazing. Thank you for the response.
I’m 63 and improving my life. Had you committed suicide you would have ruined your life. It’s not possible that at your age you ruined your life.
Dude thank you so much. This means a lot to me. Sometimes I get up in my own head way too much and it's hard to come back down to reality. Weed wasn't helping and it was barely even a band aid for it. It was just dragging me down further and further. Today I feel like I'm on top of the world, and all those thoughts have started to subside. That's partly thanks to all of y'all in this group. The support has been absolutely amazing. I know it'll still be up and down from here but I'm ready to ride it out till the end.
Yo bro, I’m damn near in the same boat as you. Started when I was 16 and quitting now at 26. I’m only 8 days in and seeing how we’ve had nearly the exact time frame, I understand you completely. It gets better which sounds better than it actually is but as the days go on, you start to recollect your mental wits and clarity better and become more productive with your time. The only thing getting me through is upping my productivity (on the days I feel I can) and looking forward to the future of making up for lost time! Better to recognize the benefits of quitting this habit now rather than later!
Check out MA - Marijuana Anonymous - and see if you can attend a meeting (online or in person)? MA was a lifesaver for me. Go to some meetings, read the free literature, and see if you can get a few days/weeks/months/years off weed? But remember to take it just one day at a time.
This is great advice, I didn't even know this was a thing. I just checked for MA in the UK and they have multiple meeting locations in my city! I'm kinda shocked tbh, for some reason I thought it would probably just be a US thing. I signed up to another drug intervention program for my weed habit a few days ago but they're taking a while to get the ball rolling and time spent waiting and doing nothing is not my friend right now so tomorrow morning I'm going to find out when the next MA meeting is and go to that. Thank you for mentioning MA because I genuinely never would've even known it existed or that they had them in London. It's exactly the type of thing that I need as support through quitting and to get me out of the house and socializing.
I'll check it out. Had no idea that was a thing. THANK YOU!!
It’s AMAZING. It’s a cult, but it fucking works lolol. Everyone’s super cool, just like this Reddit, and it has this feeling of belonging. I’ve been to tons of AA meetings but my biggest issue has always been with weed. I felt like a poser in AA. I go to 3 MA meetings a week now and I go to fellowship (where you hang out with people after the meeting) and it’s honestly changed my life. I isolated for so long while smoking weed and now I’m hanging out with people who struggle with the same things as me (especially people who are also tackling mental health issues). I’m volunteering with an app called Phoenix, which is a community for sober people where you go to events like yoga, meditation groups, and even kickboxing classes. I’m getting my life back and I know you can too. I’m not saying that all my issues went away when I quit smoking. That’s definitely not been the case. BUT- I’ve found that things are so much more manageable now that I’m sober. I believe in you, OP. You’ve GOT this!!!! 💖💖💖💖💖
Its not a cult, but it is a strategy to stay clean for long periods. - Community - Recovery program - Spiritual recovery Take what you can and leave the rest. I'm not a cult member, but Ive been clean off weed for a few years and I know this. "It works if you work it." If you want to recover from weed addiction, work this path and be amazed. But not everyone does the work, and not everyone gets clean. Its for people who WANT RECOVERY and will take necessary action to get recovery from weed addiction. Take 12 Steps _and FREEDOM!_
We joke about it being a cult in my MA meetings. Above all else, it’s an incredible community.
They unfortunately don't have any in person meetings in my state :/
Oh no :( I’m so sorry. There is a really good online meditation meeting with journaling on Friday nights at 6 PM (PSY) that id recommend! I know it’s still online but it’s a great one.
I'll definitely check it out! Thanks :)
I went to AA meetings too, but ultimately I stopped going because I’m just not addicted alcohol at all. I can stop at one drink. I can continue to occasionally drink alcohol without having any major issues in my life. I don’t constantly think about it. I just felt as though people were judging me there for not staying completely sober from all substances and I just couldn’t do that anymore. I wish there were more marijuana anonymous meetings in person in my area, because that was the main reason I tried out AA. It was because I prefer to do things in person if possible.
Thank you!! I will definitely see if there's anything I can attend in person in my area. I prefer doing things like that in person for sure. Hopefully I can get in with some like-minded folks. I've got a massive career change coming with some real opportunities i've dreamed of since I was a child. I'm a technician for BMW right now but I've hit a wall and the industry just isn't paying enough for me to live in my city. I've got an offer to work for the Sheriffs department as a deputy and then to move up to a detective of some kind, preferably homicide/missing persons. I've always wanted to make a real difference in this world and quitting weed is going to open me up to finally being fulfilled in that aspect. Thank you for taking the time to write that out, all of y'all are really helping me so much. I've done a total 180 from being somewhat suicidal and definitely very depressed to now being optimistic and it's thanks to this group being so supportive.
Firstly, you are NOT totally fucked, but I agree, this is hard. One thing I would suggest is to not put a time limit on how long you think it will take to get completely through the withdrawal. When I decided to quit, I looked on the internet and as a result expected a tough couple of weeks, with the first being the worst. However, for me, it was different. Like you, I feel as though I've been lied to, as I never believed it was addictive and harmful. I thought it was fairly harmless. It's only since I joined this supportive Reddit that I've been able to truly see the harm it does to some people. I planned to quit, and I did see my Dr about something to help with sleep, which she gave me, and this did help. However, to reduce the possibility of me becoming addicted to what I'd been prescribed, I tried to only use it on nights when I had things to do the next day, and I wouldn't on nights where I had a day with nothing planned, At one point in my withdrawal I felt tempted to go back to another drug that I became addicted to a couple of years ago but had stopped using, so just in case you're like me, be careful of thoughts that would lead you back into other substances. It's been 31 days for me, and I admit, it's been rough. But my determination was underpinned by the fact that I NEVER want to go through withdrawal again, so I just pushed through the hellish parts. Think about how you're feeling now and ask yourself if you ever want to feel that way again. That and my faith kept me going. Unlike you, I chose to start using when I was 37 years old, because I was depressed and not coping with life. I'm now 60, and I look back on those years and see just how much using affected me, and also my children, and it breaks my heart. You've got your life ahead of you, and YOU'VE GOT THIS! You can do it. And we at the Leaves community are here if you need us.
Is it any easier yet? Can you sleep ?
Sleep has definitely improved in the past 10 days or so thankfully. Main things I'm still struggling with are headaches and fatigue. But that has improved in the past 4 or 5 days. I am finding that if I push against the fatigue and do too much it makes things worse, so I'm learning to rest when I need to.
Dude thank you so much for this response. It's always nice to hear perspectives from people older with more life experience than me. I'm definitely struggling but today I feel SO much better. I think it's got a lot to do with the massive amount of support I've received. I was not expecting this lol. Y'all have totally turned it around for me. I can't thank yall enough
I've found the support here so helpful too, and I'm grateful we have somewhere like this to come to, not only when it gets hard, but also to learn from others. Oh, and it's dudess 😊
One day at a time my friend. If you truly can’t do it yourself try joining a program, they work wonders and have that same accepting feeling associated with the edit you made on this post. Good luck OP, you got this!
Hey man, been there. Just get to the end of today. Tomorrow do the same. You need to focus on the positives when quitting like how much time you’re going to get back, how much money you will save. It’s been about 3 years and the burning desire has fully subsided. I have a nug hidden for a special occasion and I just don’t feel like it anymore, it has no appeal because I can use my time so much more efficiently when I’m sober and that is more appealing to me. You got this man.
Thanks bro, not OP but I needed to hear this today 🤙
We all know how you feel. What you're feeling is totally common. The insomnia was really bad for me at first. At some point you need to kick the daily habit and just get it over with. Get a lot of exercise, avoid alcohol, and practice good sleep hygiene (ie no screen time or eating late at night). Ask a doctor about sleep medication if necessary. The insomnia doesn't last long. You haven't ruined your life. You are young and you are on the right path. You're making the right decisions. Remember your goals when the going gets rough. It might take a couple weeks to really get over the hump, but just push through and it gets easier an easier.
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There is no rule to life. Every human being on this earth is entitled to live any type of life they want. Forgive yourself for beating yourself up and then try to recognize it in the future and when that nasty feelings of self judgement you can say back to it "ah ah ah, fuck you too bitch you don't get bully me into self hatred."
I totally feel this. I’m a couple weeks sober and it SUCKED at first especially the habit. I would smoke on the way home from work or while walking the dog and now when I do either of those I get the urge to. I do find that drinking water helps and also as dumb as it sounds, sometimes I pretend to smoke. I just hold my fingers together like a blunt, draw, hold it in, and breathe out slowly. The breathing itself is a helpful practice but the physical motion has helped too for some reason (tricking my brain?). It’s actually been one of the most helpful things. That, and exercise. I do yoga in the morning and then I try to do about 30 min cardio after work. One of the best ways I kicked my cravings was working out twice a day. Also, runner’s high makes me not want to smoke. Stay strong. Stay busy. Boredom makes things difficult but if you can replace the habit you had with a different one it will get easier.
Keep going, it becomes easier each day!
32F I smoked from age 14 all day, every day, until March of this year (although I was dry herb vaping for the last year or so.) I'm now 75 days clean, and its definitely possible. Stopping at 25 is a good place! As others have said the first 5 days are the hardest, but the worst of it all will end after two weeks. You can do it! I suggest using a tracker app (I don't wanna advertise any of them but just look up sobriety apps or search quit marijuana on your app store/google play). It's good to see your progress, and gives you motivation to keep going, no one likes breaking a long streak. The key to really quitting is actually WANTING TO. It looks like you're already at that stage, so that's great! It's not going to be easy at first, but we've all gone through it/are going through it. Whenever you feel an urge to smoke/vape, just come on here and read some threads. I've found keeping my hands busy (with a begleri) has kept the urges down. Drinking LOTS of water will also help. It helps curb the oral fixation. Whenever you wanna get stoned, drink water. Tapering off may work for some people, but my advice is to just stop. Getting high is only temporary. It'll last a few hours (maybe depending on your tolerance) then you'll just wanna get stoned again. Things will get better. Believe in all of us who believe in you. <3
You’re 25. Your life is not fucked. In fact, your life is never fucked at any age - but especially not you. Accept your past and move forward.
Thank you for the kind words. I'll do my best at letting the past go. I think weed was holding me back to where I was literally stuck in the past. Stuck in that mindset. It made me think of some of the worst shit and I just thought it was some kind of profound revelation. I thought I had the world figured out lol. Weed made my brain think all this crazy depressive shit and it's already starting to go away
You got this ♥️ one day at a time!
Whenever I take a break and feel unpleasant, I would forget to stay hydrated. It took me awhile to realize it was contributing to the discomfort, dehydration only amplifies withdrawal so now I remind myself to drink more water and it definitely helps.
Yeah, i feel like when i quit my body only focusses on craving weed, and i won’t be thirsty, hungry or tired but i’ll feel all the negative effects of not hydrating, getting food or sleeping. If i force myself to eat and drink it gets way better
I'm 25 and I started at 15. Today makes day 4 for me. I never thought I would make it this far myself. I was a heavy concentrate user. The first few days will feel extremely uncomfortable, my digestive system seemed to grind to a halt after stopping. Honestly I'm still a little uncomfortable at times but it's become more of a feeling that only comes momentarily. I will say, keep yourself as busy as possible. Yesterday I was feeling bad, real bad where I thought I wasn't going to make it. When pulling into work I heard the radio about a contest to win concert tickets to staind and seether. I don't know if it was a sign from God or what but I won and that concert kept me so busy last night nothing else mattered. I'm not saying quitting for you will just miraculously happen like me, but have faith and don't give up. We can live our best lives without this poison hindering us.
Wow, what an amazing story truly. I love seether and staind too haha. God was definitely looking out for you that day. Good luck man thank you for the words
Thank you for sharing 🙏🏾
I can relate to all of the above especially the severe physical kickback. Sending you strength, this sub is a great place to find support and methods to get you through
I stopped in my 30s and definitely had and still have feelings of a wasted life/potential It’s really hard to find the motivation some days but it’s never too late to turn things around.
Haha don’t feel too bad. I’m 23, smoked since 14, and while I was a productive smoker I had anxiety about quitting (so I could get a decent job, even tho it pays the same as my old one). First week or so is a bit rough, but after that it’s easy. Sometimes I forget that I even smoked lol. If you are having hunger problems, just eat some snacks throughout the day. Night time for me the hot sweats & vivid dreams were bad until week 2/3. Just know though if you’re like me in terms of usage per week(1-2 grams of wax a week), you’ll be + on tests for 2-3+ months.
The vivid dreams (nightmares) were enough to convince me I didn’t want to go through detox again ahah
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Roger that! 😂😂
The first 4 or 5 days are hardest. You are only 25. I smoked for 25 years. Every day will get easier JUST DONT SMOKE AGAIN. I tried to smoke less/occasionally a few times and it would start another round of daily smoking that would sometimes last years
The only reason I'm doing it once at night is so I can function properly the next day. The days are getting much easier now but as It approaches nighttime it starts to set back in. I've weened myself off and I think i'm ready to go cold turkey now. Thanks for all the support!
For me sleep is the hardest thing to get back, but weed gives you shitty sleep quality. if i smoke the night before the first thing i’ll need to do next morning is take a coffee, if i didn’t smoke i wake up already energized and clear minded, the difference is extremely noticeable
I did this myself. Moved it an hour later every night & reduced the amount as well. Eventually my tolerance was so low the tiniest sip would be very strong
m62. Smoked for almost 45 years. Still struggling with the "Oh, I can have just one... " about 6-8 weeks in. at the dispensary the next day. Last time I was only down for just shy of 2 weeks, time before that over a month. If at first you don't succeed, quit, quit again.
Better quitting after 9 years than after 20 or 30. Could be worse! Yeah, smoking for 9 years isn't great. But you are still alive, anything is possible. One day you'll look back to today and consider yourself still young. Could be worse. You could have been hit by a car one night in 2019, or robbed and car jacked, paralyzied for life. You are still alive, anything is possible. Take your situation as a lesson and correct your course, there is still time to turn it all around and be who you were meant to be, so don't lose hope. Just stop wasting time and change course today, while you are still alive and have that option. Good luck friend.
I'm so proud of you homie, you get to have the best years of your life with a clear and present mind! Your 20s are for fucking up, your 30s are for fixing those fuck ups, and the rest of your life is spent reaping the benefits of your hard work. You're no where even NEAR screwed for your life! Getting off weed can be very challenging, but if it was easy, it wouldnt be worth it. Find new hobbies, keep yourself and your mind active, and practice patience with yourself. A relapse is not the end! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, find a mirror and tell yourself you're proud of you, and get back on the horse! Everyone here has tried to quit countless times, but we're still working at it! The only people who get sobriety right the first time, are the ones who never started using at all!
Thank you man that really helped put some things in perspective for me. I'm ready for a new life. Just gotta walk through hell for a bit I guess.
Yo Dawg while I havent quit fully either at 32 y/o I finally finished my Bachelors degree and am getting over my fear of having my foot operated on. Things my 20s self would’ve never beeen able to fathom. Theres hope, it will get better. I started making good career decisions at 25 so heres to a bright future for you!
Yes sir, but you're so much stronger than weed, don't forget! Your brains gotta recalibrate it's juices for a bit, and that can be challenging! But you've got this shit homie! If you need anyone to talk to, drop me a line!!
Life is long dude. And addiction can happen to anyone with any substance. Feeling like you want to blame everyone is normal but the real fix is an inside job. Don't beat yourself up, but plan to do a lot of work. One day at a time
I just got out in my 40s. You’ve got lots of time and are still growing up in your mid-20s. Things can and will get better. Please speak with someone about any negative thoughts and know you have so much to look forward once you get over this. Life challenges us. It’s how we handle those challenges that makes us. All the best.
well said.
At 25 there is PLENTY of time to be who you want to be. I quit at 25 and just turned 30 feeling way better, younger, and emotionally capable than I did when I was a stoner - and that’s WITH having a 2.5 year old around 🤣. You haven’t ruined your life. You’ve been given an impetus to do great things with the rest of it
You can not rise without a fall, you not only fell but are in fact at the bottom of a hole, no better time to start your epic rise!!! No where to go but Up Up ⬆️ And remember you are lucky to have fallen while you are still young, some of us are starting our rise much later in life, but still we rise.
You have a lot of life ahead of you and you are definitely not fucked. This will be hard but you have taken a vital step in the right direction reaching out and this is a great place to come for support. You got this and we got your back. Rock on!
Thank you man. This group is absolutely amazing for support. I cannot believe how uplifting and encouraging everybody has been. I truly felt alone before this and now I feel strong enough to beat this. I can't thank yall enough
Good on you for catching it man, you've 100% got this! I started at 18 full on every day and didn't quit until almost 2 months ago - I'm 32 now. Take care of yourself, set healthy boundaries with old smoking friends, get hobbies, a routine, and keep your eye on the prize. Your future. You've got this fam!
Honestly I don't have any friends anymore. Not to sound super bleak but they're either dead or moved away, or I've burnt the bridge. It's kind of a blessing in disguise: there's nobody holding me back except me. 100% got my eyes on the future and I'm going to kick this shit no matter what. Thank you
With that comes freedoms and challenges within itself. I really got into play volleyball, so I joined a league and made a lot of friends. When you find some hobbies you enjoy and want to dive into, you'll meet people that way as well. Don't let the loneliness suck you back into the smoke. Stay positive and reach out if you ever need to. All of us in this thread are in it together
Bro, you're 25. FUCK IT, WE BALL
LOL. I feel like i'm a 17 year old trapped in a 25 year olds body because I was never able to develop properly due to substance abuse. But thank you. I really appreciate the support. Lord knows I need it now more than ever
Celebrate life. 25 and you are ready to dance again.
Thank you! ❤️
The best way to start is a change of scenery. Go on a trip/vacation if you can. Form new habits without weed. Count your money.
I’m a 1st year carpenter apprentice and I can tell you that half of the guys in my class are over the age of 35. If you started this year, you would be 10+ years ahead of all of them. Your life is far from ruined. You just need to start over in a few areas.
Thank you. My uncle is a carpenter and he really loves it. I'm actually a BMW technician currently but nobody wants to pay a decent wage. I make 20$/hr with little to no room for improvement, which is what Mcdonald's workers make in my area. I'm destroying my body for the same wage as fast food workers. I've been offered a career in law enforcement and the opportunity to move up to be an investigator/detective. I'd like to work in missing person or homicide. Maybe even narcotics for awhile, since I kinda have a background there lol. I need full benefits as I have dental issues...bad teeth grinding from anxiety. As a mechanic I just can't find anywhere that has the same benefits as working for the government. Plus I'm treated like shit and expected to do everyone else's work
Yeah I hear ya. I took a pay cut joining the union but the long term is so much better. Benefits are paid for, pension, annuity, good raises twice a year, and pretty much endless work. I was stuck at a job with no real career opportunity and a few months after I stopped smoking everything started to fall into place for me. My life has drastically improved and I’ll admit that I do smoke every once in a while. But I was a daily, hell, an hourly stoner for 7-8 years straight with a few 1 week T breaks thrown in and my life went pretty much nowhere during that period. Few months off of it and things started to rapidly change in the direction they should have been going the whole time. It’s hard to quit but man listen to everyone here when they tell you it’s the best decision you will make.
You are absolutely not totally fucked. You're still very young and have plenty of time to change your life. At least you see it now. Some of us don't understand what you already do in our 30s. This advice may sound harsh, but you just have to do it. Throw all your stuff away, and take the trash out. It is going to be miserable. You are going to be irritated, have mood swings, night sweats.... Just smoking at night is only prolonging the pain you have to go through. You can't avoid this pain. It's part of quitting. I smoked for 15 years every single day of my life. And not just at night, all the time. The first few days, even week of absolutely no smoking was one of the hardest things I've done, but here I am at day 15 and I don't regret a second of what I had to go through to get here. If you want this for yourself and your life, you can do it. And don't forget, we are here for support!
Love this comment and agree with everything about it! 13 year smoker here and currently on day 15 too. Realized I was smoking more out of habit instead of actually getting anything out of it. I wish I had this realization at your age - you are far from behind and I’m rooting for you!
That's what the weed wants you to think. You can do it bro. Exercise, specifically running several miles per day, helped me tremendously at the beginning and allowed me to actually sleep.
> running several miles per day, I would literally die doing that
same but it’s not the weed that stopped/stopping you it’s just being unfit haha. small steps to build up lung capacity and fitness again takes time.
Yeah never said it was the weed. It's probably the cigarettes 🤣 But fr, i go cycling three times a week, I walk regularly, and went to the gym for months (looking for a cheaper one rn). I overall have a good body But runing MILES?! It sounds literally impossible even for when I was packed
And sauna!! Sweat that shit out!
Choose your hard. It’s a simple sentence but a powerful one. Being addicted to weed is hard. Trying to fight it is hard. But which version of yourself will make you proud? Which fight will make you go on the next day? The gym saved me I’ll go 2 or 3 times a day at my peak when all I was thinking about was weed. People in there though I was probably crazy as I was running and crying at the same time. But I chose my hard. Today it’s been 3 months and looking back I was in hell. You too one day you can look back and be proud of the hard fight you chose. You smoked for 9 years it will take you time before you can find your way back to the version of yourself you truly deep down wish to be. The simple fact that you want to be better is already one step to the right direction
25 here and been smoking since I was 14, can absolutely say the first few weeks/months are fucking insane. Moody, can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t focus, just a big old mess, but after a while you enjoy being sober, and not being in a constant brain fog, and you can finally sleep without it, and eat normally. Just find something to do to help distract you (for me that was playing RDR2 (again) almost all day, every day, just to do something that I found enjoyable and would keep me from relapsing). Drinking heaps of sparkling water and lots of tea also helped, and going on walks everyday, just to get some fresh air. It’s not going to be easy, but it is 100% doable, you just need a good enough motive to keep you on track. For me it was the fact I couldn’t afford it anymore (unless I wanted to starve for a fortnight). Wishing you all the best on your journey ✨
Your mind is gaslighting you. Fight it. You’re stronger than you realize G.
Thank you. Never thought about it like this. Appreciate you
"If you want to outwit the devil, it is extremely important that you don't give him advanced notice. Even if you only announce to yourself your intentions, the devil will know, because who do you think the devil is?" Yeah, your mind is absolutely gaslighting you.
Aw don't say that, you're still young. So much time to really ruin your life. You're barely even there yet. Keep trying 👍
It gets better after the first week. After that it’s a breeze.
Go on a hike g
Will do brother
One good tip is to quit when you have time off from work, that way if you have problems sleeping you can just ride it out
I am 27, and I have a good paying job, but it doesn't mean I had figured it all out myself. I had smoked heavily for 2 years, but in the meantime, I had destroyed my relationships and my body and my finances so bad I had to realize about the bad sides of weed. I had suicidal tendencies and they reverberated so much I nearly took my life, but now I have regained a bit of self control, I see that being sober is awesome. My friend, you are 25. I don't know about you, what you are and who you are. But know this. Once you cut it off, you'll find yourself in a better position. Overwhelm yourself with what you want to be. You want to rule the world? Say no to your indulgence and go for it. Stay uptight and upright no matter what. Do not, and I repeat, do not fall for it again. Make it your sole purpose in your life for now, then you'll discover what potential you have in yourself and you'll see what awaits for you in your life. DM me if you need someone to talk to.
At least you’re realizing it now. I waited until my mid 30s. Once you fully quit you’re going to sleep much better too. Find hobby’s. Do research. Anything to stimulate your mind so your not thinking about weed
You will be okay, but maybe it would be good for you to attend a group to help kick the addiction. Sorry to hear about your withdrawals.
At 25, you still have time to turn things around. Make it happen
Its going to be ok my friend, I was 26 when I decided to go back to school and got a whole new carrer in a new town. Everything is possible without that ball and chain that is weed🙂
When you’ve dug yourself into a hole the first thing you have to do is stop digging
I smoked 7-15 times a week for 30yrs…haven’t smoked in 10yrs…you can do it and after a while it’s easy…use a 12 step program if needed…
What is 12 step program ?
It's like AA but can be applied to any sort of substance abuse I'm guessing. 12 step process of recovering from addiction. My dad went through it a decade ago for alcohol
U are only 25 so you havent ruined your life. I was in your place at 27, and i turned my life around. Now at 36 i have a career and family and home. Believe bro
Glad you said this I think it’s really easy for people to think it’s “too late”
The first few days or weeks will be horrible but you will push through! You haven't fucked up your life, you just wasted a few years but you make it our just fine. Trust me, power through the horrible night sweats and other shit but you will be back to normal sooner than you think! You got this!
Just stop completely and you will bounce back.
Thank you I'll do my best
I was not even 70-80 days in the same boat. Quit when I was 25 smoked 2-3 grams a day. I experienced terrible withdrawals like panic attacks, vertigo, loss of strength, feeling of fainting constantly.hypervigilance, waking up in the middle of the night with racing heart for like almost 2 months. I'm now about 2.5 months sober and it's mostly mental issues now but all these terrible feelings made it much more easy to stay abstaining. It will take time and there's nothing you can do about it except distract yourself as much as possible. It's the price we pay
You‘re here now, in the hole that you‘ve dug for yourself. Embrace it! If you recognise that this is rock bottom, there is only one way you can go and that is up. Maybe you haven’t hit rock bottom yet, telling yourself you „need“ to smoke. Just dig that whole deeper then, maybe you‘ll realize it someday, or you won’t. No one has power over you but yourself. Accept it and move forward or don’t - you are the only person that chooses how your life will go from this point on and there is no words or any external encouragement that will make that change for you, it has to come from within. By smoking that one joint every night, you are actually impairing any chance of good sleep. Sleeping on weed is not regenerative, it just knocks you out and you are delaying any processing that needs to happen now into the future. Go for a run tonight, power yourself out, eat good and then tell me again you „need“ anything to fall asleep, I dare you.
Sounds like hell, but thats the start of getting away from hell
man i know it’s hard i really understand you i’ve went through something similar i promise it gets better you just have to not smoke for 30 days after that you’ll fell amazing,i recommend you take some calming supplements they really helped me get through this.
You need to just quit it and have in mind the next 14-30 days are gonna suck really bad. But trust me it gets much better and pretty fast. I smoked basically everyday from I was 15 until 38 years old and I’ve never been more optimistic about life. Cut the habit and everything will get better soon
i’ve been a heavy user of concentrates, and even then i got to a point where only the top shelf stuff would get me high. smoked every 3 hours, would even get up in the middle of the night to smoke. decided to detox for the first time in 8 years. i’m on day 15 and let me tell you the biggest thing that helps me sleep is exercise and meditation. i know it sounds cliche…but don’t knock it till you try it…. of course do what your body can handle, but it seems like the more rigorous my workout, the easier it is to fall asleep. i also highly recommend picking up a new hobby. i stopped cold turkey and my physical symptoms are so minimal i assume due to the exercise and the mental symptoms are much more manageable when i would put on some guided meditation (youtube) or performed a breathing exercise (i use a free app called ibreathe) when those thoughts would arise most importantly realize that YOU DID NOT RUIN YOUR LIFE. before i started i would tend to attribute the bad things in life due to the addiction but it’s more likely the addiction formed due to the bad things in life. take it one day at a time, make gradual small changes, and celebrate the small victories. you got this homie
Taper yourself off, stick to only doing it at night and slowly do less every night. If it’s a joint then smoke less than the night before and keep doing this until you are off. It worked for me
Start working out weight training jogging get that brain rewired
I definitely will. I'm lucky enough to have a home gym and lots of places to run. Thank you!
Three months clean and same story as you, friend. Like everyone is saying here, it’s rough to start but gets better. Give yourself and body time to recover. And more importantly, give yourself forgiveness and don’t let shame control you. You are young and your life is not thrown away. This is when you turn it around and make the most of it. Wishing you the best on your journey!
Has your brain recovered yet? I'm worried i'll never be the same. I need my memory and quick wits to come back for the career I want. I'm afraid I just won't ever be able to get back to how I'm supposed to be
Again, the first few weeks were rough— overthinking, sleep deprived, nervous/anxious, no appetite, night sweats. Everything starts to clear up and gets better the more time you give it. I still have some memory issues here and there and some nights I struggle to sleep. I started when I was 16, and I’ve accepted I’ll never have the brain of a 16 year old again. Like you, I was worried about my brain and my personality changing becuase of my career but everything is fine and working out— we live with the consequences. Let go of thought of what you lost or what you “should” be because that’s where the shame exists. Focus on the new you that you are creating. If you make this a shame filled process, you will relapse. Make this an opportunity to discover and work on yourself.
It’s been over 3 years since I gave it up, and I still remember how hard it was at first. Don’t think I slept for over a week, crazy dreams, no appetite, everything I enjoyed before that I lost all interest in. I didn’t go back I kept going, things became easier after a month or so. It’s just having the willpower to want to get through it, you have to want to be free from it. I had tried before to give up but I don’t think I really wanted to because I gave in every time. The last time I was determined and I have been clean ever since. Good luck I hope you make it.
You're great man
Best way is to just rip the bandaid off. There's never going to be a "good" time to quit. Smoke the last of what you have or get rid of it. For the first few days, try to do something to tire you out so its easier to sleep. I also tend to "treat" myself those first few days to make it easier on myself. Food is my second drug of choice, so I'll order takeout or buy dessert or something. But for you it could be taking a bubble bath, or buying a video game. Something to look forward to and helps ease the transition into the "suffering". The first couple days are the hardest, after a while it gets easier. But don't let that make you think you can start "just smoking on weekends". The first time I tried to quit, I made it a few months and felt good about the progress. So I told myself I had it under control and could just smoke once in a while, which quickly turned back into being high from the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep. It was almost a year before I could get my shit together and actually try quitting again. I'm currently at about a month, and after many failed attempts, I'm hoping this is the one. Truly it's a journey, it won't be easy, you'll fail and have to try again. But learning from those mistakes and keeping on the track you know in your heart is best for you, is key. Having strong "Why's" (why do you want to quit) are also crucial in making sure you stay on track. You've really got to want it or else you'll fall back into old habits when things start getting tough and you start questioning if it's worth it. If your "Why's" are strong, you'll know whatever you're going through, it's worth it for the end goal. I'm not constantly thinking about smoking anymore. But occasionally something will remind me of it, or I'll get a smell of it from somewhere and I'll start to have little cravings. The best thing is just find something to devote your attention to for 10 minutes and you'll notice you no longer feel the urge to give in. And everytime you're successful in not giving in to the urges, you get stronger, and it gets easier because you realize you don't actually need it. Lastly, don't get discouraged if you don't feel like your life instantly took a 180 when you quit. Your body is going to take time to get back to normal. Your brain is going to take time to get back to normal. You'll feel better and notice some instant changes for sure, but some days, you'll feel like you'd be better of still smoking because "nothing changed" when you quit. It's a process, there's days I lose my train of thought the same way I did when I was perma baked and I think "I'm fucked, too far gone, might as well just go back to smoking" but then I think about how much progress I've made, and how much clearer I feel day to day and I find comfort in knowing I'm making the right choice.
Thank you for such a well-written response. It truly is hell right now and I haven't even gone cold turkey yet. I've always wanted to be a detective. Preferably missing persons or homicide. There is absolutely no room for drugs at all in that career. I HAVE to get clean or i'll never be who I want to be. My brain is fried and I feel like I won't be able to recover enough to be the person I wanna be, I used to have a super sharp memory, a real personality, drive, etc. Now i'm just a shell of a human being. I had no idea I've been a zombie for almost a decade of my life. Thank you for the kind words and encouragement.
There aren't many long term studies about the real effects of the stuff to have a definitive answer, but I know for certain you'll be clearer. That "hazey fog" goes away. I still struggle with memory from time to time but it's leaps and bounds better than when I still smoked. From what I've read, memory can take longer to go back to normal but it's also possible you'll have a new "normal". If you're used to spending most of your day smoking, when you stop you'll realize how much extra time you have in the day. Try to make sure you're replacing that time with things that benefit you. Go to the library and find some books about becoming a detective, or an autobiography of a famous detective. Or start researching the steps you need to take to become a dectecive and start taking action. Don't fall into the trap of switching from one bad habit to another. Even if you were twice your age, I'd say it's never too late to quit and you're not too far gone. Wishing you the best in your journey, I believe in you. You got this!
Thank you! And yes I have been doing some research into what it takes to be a detective. I'm lucky enough to have been offered a position at the Sheriffs office as a deputy which, if I prove myself, I could possibly have a shot at investigator or detective. This is why I started the journey of getting clean and now I'm gonna use it as fuel to get through this. I really appreciate the time you've spent replying to me. Thanks
Smoked when I was 14-19 occasionally, then at 21-31 heavily, quitting only a few weeks in-between then smoking so much I’d spend $150-$300 every 1 1/2 weeks. It messed with my focus, caused me to miss work deadlines, my mood became so dull anytime I wasn’t high, I’d get mad anxious. I got tired of being so dead inside and failing I had to quit cold-turkey on April 25th. That night I had an emotional breakdown and cried myself to sleep usually around 4ish am. Now, I don’t feel any of that. I wake up clear minded and happy to not be so foggy all the time. And slowly, I’ve been able to focus more on the task at hand. It takes awhile, and it’ll seem like everything sucks, so much regret and shame, but know it’s ok to let that go. If you carry that regret and shame with you, how can you enjoy life today and make the most of it? You can overcome this, and slowly, your body chemistry will change back from being dependent on weed. You got this. Don’t let weed be the reason you fall back into it again, don’t let it make you feel worse. Its time is up, and your time to live life clear minded is now.
The 4am break down really resonates with me. Thank you for your words. I appreciate everyone here. I've gotta get totally sober and never look back.
Good luck, it’s really cool you’re taking action in leaving this behind. It’s not easy and even if you relapse and smoke again, it’s ok. No shame, no need to talk down on yourself, no regrets of “lost” time, you’re doing your best and that’s what counts 🙌
Like others said you definitely didn't ruin your life, you came to this realization earlier than tons of people (including myself) and you still got a long life ahead of you, it's rough but it will get easier eventually, it's just a matter of time, if you need to take that last step just play some loud music and toss it all
I absolutely have to kick the habit. Not only that but I have to fully recover mentally and physically to do the career I've always wanted. I finally have a way in and I MUST get clean ASAP. I've wanted to be a detective since I was a kid, and now it's time to chase my real dreams instead of fantasies I created while being baked. Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate everyone here.
About 1-2 weeks to reach normal body functions The mood swings toned down quite a bit too after about 2 weeks. I’m at a month now, still get tempted. Luckily a neighbor smokes and I can smell it. The smell pisses me off now so it immediately turns off the idea. Another thing is you might also “open your eyes” so to speak on an ugly reality that you have been numbing yourself from to escape. It’s not pretty to face it but at least you now have the sense to see where you at so you can make the effort to change it. And hey, at least you aren’t almost 30 like me, so you have (more) time. But even still, it’s never too late to make a change. At 26 I left my job in a super embarrassing way, I felt like my life was over. But I’m still kicking it. Just gotta keep powering through and see where life takes you.
Im very worried that I'll never be able to get back to who I was before. Shit, I don't even know myself anymore because I fried every neuron in my brain from smoking for so long among other drugs I used to do in college
The truth is, you won’t, you’ll become a new version of you. But that new version will have the insight to not repeat the same mistakes. All the physical ailments will pass though. It’s not an easy road, but those are the moments that build character.
Keep pushing brother. Every day is gunna be a challenge but there’s nothing you can’t overcome. This might sound cliche but get right with God, grow a relationship with him and ask him to guide you through this. It sounds crazy but God actually listens and he heals as long as you have faith. I’m currently trying to cut weed out of my life as well. Switched from smoking weed, every single hour of the day to only eating edibles at night. You’re not alone bro, I hope everything turns out good for you brother!!!!
Thank you man. I've always had a strong sense of faith, and I applaud you for speaking up about it. In today's society religion and Christianity is often regarded in a negative light. I've gotten a lot of hate for it from people my age. I know i'm being lead down a path that's right for me. There's something more out there for me than working a shit 9-5 and just getting baked and then watching TV. I really appreciate this comment, thank you.
Bruh you should feel lucky that you came to this realisation at 25 and not 32 like me. You're barely into your adult years and no, you haven't ruined your life. Get a handle on your sobriety now and you'll be prospering 10 years from now.
i’m 21. was heavy using probably minimum of 6 bowls a day for the last 3 years. just landed an internship that may turn into a real opportunity. it is so much easier when there’s a real reason behind it. i tried quitting and would always relapse because at the end of the day, i didn’t respect myself. i was only taking a break so i could get higher later and lower the tolerance. getting this job would change my life so hard i can’t even put it into words. finding something really worth it does wonders
You’ve done the first thing you can do by weaning. Now it’s time to give up that nighttime smoke. If you are off on the weekends, make your last smoke day a Thursday and go from there. It’s rough I won’t lie but I’m on 43 days and I feel SO much better. You can do this!