Quit Weed, not easy

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Why Quitting Weed is harder than it seems

When you think of it, quitting a  marijuana habit seems quite simple. Just don’t smoke it anymore right?And for many people that is indeed all there is to it. Great news for them.

But there are plenty who just   to kick the habit. They either fall back into relapse  , or they just can’t seem to quit at all. And these are   know that it’s time for change in their lives. Often because   issues.

The ability to quit weed successfully depends on many factors. Some might argue that it’s all a question of will power but I dare to differ. In fact,will power has nothing to do with it.

A very important one is the environment you live in. Is it easy to get to weed or other drugs? How many of your friends and family are smokers? When most people you know smoke cannabis, the change to a sober lifestyle is all the more difficult.Because one important point in stopping to smoke marijuana is staying away from the temptation.

That means leaving most of your social life behind you. And that is something else than just quitting weed,it’s quitting life as you know it.

Another factor is how long and how much marijuana you use. For occasional smokers there is most of the time no reason to stop. It’s the chronic smokers that have all the more reason to stop.

That’s where the problem lies. When weed has become a part of your life, like taking your dog for a walk,it has probably shaped the way you think.

Something like: „If I fail to perform on the that (important) job interview tomorrow it’s not the end of my world, after all, I still got that job at the car wash.“

Smoking weed can really knock the ambition out in you.

So in this case quitting weed means changing the way you think, your personality. And that too is far more than just stopping to smoke pot.

Mostly, when a person quits weed, they have to cope with a new perception of life and that is where the challenge lies. A challenge that can’t be overcome alone. Help is needed. Rehab, therapy and alternative solutions like hypnosis, that are laughed at by many, suddenly become serious options.

Nothing wrong with that too, they’re all means to an end. But many weed lovers won’t have the money to pay for that. Or better said, no pothead will see the value of it right away. That’s because all decision making is ruled by marijuana (or the lack of it). That’s why it’s not so easy to quit weed.

Weed and personality

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Does weed influence your personality?

To put it short: Yes!!!

The question you should ask yourself is this though:

Has the use of marijuana influenced my life for the better or not?

To answer this one we will make a list with strong points and weak points. I will use my own answers as an example.

Strong points of weed

  • relaxing: Long term use of weed has made me a kind of laid back person. It is a trait that many people like. It makes you lovable and cool.
  • Makes me sleep easy. We all know that weed kind a knocks you out ;)
  • Appetising : Gives the munchies!
  • Inspiring : It does make the connection doesn’t it? Great ideas gush out constantly.

Weak points of weed

  • Makes me sleep easy.
  • I always want to have some weed within reach
  • Those damn munchies!
  • Inspiring? what was that great plan I had again? What’s the last great idea that I really started work on and was it still a great idea after I finished it?
  • My laid back personality: Sometimes a bit more bite can be very useful.

And the list can go on and on.

What I’m  trying to prove with this list is that for every reason to smoke weed, there’s a reason not to as well.

And that is exactly the point with personality. Your weed persona is you, no doubt. But your real you is there too, but it is numbed by weed use.

When you quit weed, the first weeks are still dominated by your weed persona. But over time your real you will knock the door more and more often.

NOTE:When you are depressed or angry in the first weeks it is your weed persona that is frustrated, not you!

What I have experienced is that my ‘ laid back’ style has not left. Maybe it has been my personality all along? Or has it? I think it quite possible that it is a left over of my weed persona. Just as my appetite for good food :)

Now for a before and after list.

Before I quit weed

  • Lazy
  • Less interested in my family
  • Focused on short term
  • Used weed as a way to shut down my system

After I quit weed

  • More alert
  • More focused on long term
  • More activity with my family and I love it!
  • More interaction with my surroundings
  • Grab a beer to relax

Now imagine this: These benefits above mixed with your cool and laid back personality. Works like a charm.

So what about my weed persona? Over time I am trying to eliminate that persona. If ‘weedy‘ keeps hanging around, chances are I will relapse sooner or later.  And if that means killing of my laid back character trait, so be it.

There we have the hard part of quitting weed:

Stop smoking is one thing, but to stop using weed forever means taking on a different personality. Not a new one, no. You will have to rediscover yourself by digging up the personality that was buried by marijuana. And that is tough stuff. Especially when you have been smoking pot for more than half your life.

There are ways of doing this though. Hypnosis is one (not my favorite though). Therapy is one I can recommend. It helped me not only quit weed, but it made some other issues I had clear too. But hey, it’s only a suggestion.

More on  therapy and hypnosis in another post.

How to deal with Relapse

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Why Relapse is so easy

When you have been clean for a while and you are starting to feel more accustomed to your new lifestyle without weed the great danger of relapse comes to rear its ugly head. You’re feeling fit, strong and more confident than ever.  And not without reason.

However, feeling confident puts you in a weak position when it comes to the good old weed smoking habit. One puff won’t hurt after a hard days work and a couple of beers. Catch my drift?

I’ve been in this position countless times and I must admit: Most of the time I did take that joint and had a good time. And many a time I got back into my old habit for a short while. And I even expect it to happen again sooner or later.

Why is relapsing so easy for me? I put some thought to it and I came up with a number of reasons.

Note! this applies to my life, unfortunately I can’t speak for others here.

  1. The mind has been used to  grass for a long time. Accepting a joint again is an ‘automatic’ decision.
  2. Friends. Having stopped the contact to old smoker friends does not mean you won’t meet any new friends that turn out to have an appetite for weed. I always seem to meet smokers. Guess they are friendly people.
  3. Overconfidence: Knowing that life without weed addiction is not too hard to achieve makes it easy to have a puff for old times’ sake or any reason for that matter.
  4. Life can be very stressful at times. Especially when life is sober and serious. And when I am under some kind of pressure, weed has proved a great relaxing help for a long time.

What to do after a relapse?

First of all, don’t make an issue out of it. Let others waste their nerves on it. It happened. Period.

Secondly, think about why you wanted to quit weed again. And how quitting weed has improved your life and health. This should put you in the proper thinking mode again. Also remember the drawbacks of weed smoking.

As with any other addiction, be it cigarettes or alcohol, it is a fight that ends on the deathbed. Addiction is in many cases a genetic ‘bug’. Some people are more prone to addiction than others.

But always be aware that after a relapse you are basically back to base one!

The drug is back in your system and that is where the real danger is.

So whatever you do after ‘sinning’ again, it’s best to start from the beginning again and concentrate on the positive achievements from before your relapse. We’re only human, and knowing this makes me confident I can make it better.

The Power of Books

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How can books help you quit weed?

They can, to some extend, get your mind of smoking.

As I have written in a previous post, when you quit weed, your mind needs a new challenge. And a good book can provide you with one.

Where weed used to be my escape from reality, a good book took its place. No, not the bible;)

As I am somewhat of a dreamer I love a medieval novel and sometimes fantasy novels. Firstly, I re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This time sober. And a great story it was. At least as epic as the bible. Every time I craved a joint, I started a new chapter and before I knew it another day and past without weed. And TLOTR can keep you busy for at least a week or two.

Then my second big one. 1200 pages in small print paperback; Ken Follet’s Pillars of the earth. A classic. I got up with it and went to bed with it for a week. A must-read if you like medieval history of England.

I instantly followed up with World without End, the sequel of Pillars of the earth. Again at least a weeks read if not more.

What really kept me from smoking was the difficult language in which TLOTR was written. A challenge in itself. And if your high, the plot is not very easy to follow. Sometimes I even shed a small tear, something I hadn’t done in a long time. Dope just numbs the emotion.

Another great benefit: Reading opened a new world for me and really stimulated my creativity. And it enriched my language enormously. So much that I even started blogging. Something I never would have imagined when I still smoked weed all day.

Reading can really get your mind of dope and stimulate your intelligence. Just make sure it’s not comics (Although Freak Brothers is absolutely hilarious), not about drugs and Playboy doesn’t count. That’s for the toilet…

I am not saying you should read the books I just recommended. It’s just an indicator. Just start reading (again).

Weed Withdrawal Symptoms

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How to deal with Withdrawal Symptoms

If anyone tells you there’s no cold turkey when giving up smoking weed after years of heavy use, think again. Not everyone experiences the same physical withdrawal signs, but I can sum up a list and how to deal with them.

  1. Loss of appetite/ nausea. This happens to many. Some people live on smoothies for weeks. Not very nourishing, but liquid food is often the way to go. My suggestion: Eat soup. During my first quitting weeks I became a soup expert. Another unexpected benefit of quitting weed.
  2. Mood swings. The most common of all. There’s no other way to deal with these but to try to think logically. They will go eventually.  Tell everyone around you you’ve quit marijuana and they will understand. The big problem is  that life gets “real” around you and you can’t cope with that. It’s like waking up from a dream. After years of heavy cannabis use, anti-depressives like xanax are popular to keep the mood swings down.
  3. Insomnia. Falling asleep is very hard. Then, once asleep you wake up every time. Haunted by vivid dreams. My best suggestion: Try sleeping a couple of hours on mid-day. With time, it will pass. BTW : Dreams are a good sign!
  4. Fatigue. Mostly due to lack of sleep and poor nutrition. My solution: Naps. Short sleep is an effective energy builder. Just close your eyes, no sleeping required.
  5. Breathing problems. When I stopped, I really gushed out slime and pieces of lung every morning. That was horrible. Drink lots of water. Water cleans. I drank sage tea to lessen the coughing.
  6. Extreme sweating and shaking. Drink water and try to eat. Water is most important. The sweating will pass after the first week.

More Tips to Quit Smoking Marijuana

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Four more quit marijuana tips

  1. Get rid of anything that could make you relapse. Throw away your building tools, bongs, papers, your cool grass grinder, vaporizer. Anything really. Don’t forget that piece of bad tasting emergency hash. Don’t put them in a box under your bed. Throw them away!
  2. Put smoker friendships on hold for at least a couple of weeks. This might sound harsh, but the only way you can level with your smoker friends is to smoke too. Or them quitting….  Don’t worry, your smoker friends won’t even notice you’re not there.
  3. Start a diary or a blog on your endeavours. If you put your progression in writing, the whole stopping process becomes more tangible, more present.
  4. Keep track of the money you save by no longer buying gear. This seriously adds up quickly. OK, you might spend more money on cigarettes now, but you’ll save anyway.

Especially the last tip is good motivator. Many weed addicts lack money to sustain their habit. But as soon as they have steady income and no longer spend major amounts of money on weed, they will feel rich as never before!

Learn to Sleep Again

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My biggest fear when I quit weed was sleeplessness or better said: Getting to sleep. I was so used to smoking myself to sleep that I forgot how it fells to be tired and sleepy. I wasn’t smoking during the day anymore, which was a real good thing, but having a spliff at night was the moment I lived up to after dinner.

The solution is simple. As I have written in a previous post, you have to challenge your mind. Wear out your psyched up and over- active brain. Numb it with a book. Preferably one that has small print. A paperback version of Ken Follets’ Pillars of the earth does the trick. Or hit yourself on the head with a bible, the lord will see and say it’s cool;)

You could catch up with some chores around the house, or get drunk. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t want to make you an alcoholic. But having a couple of beers at the pub is a great way of spending a sleepless evening once in a while. Of course this will cost you a lot more that getting high. But that’s beside the point.

Make sure your bed has fresh and clean sheets. This does make sleeping a lot more inviting. Close your eyes and think of what you are going to do tomorrow.

Good night.

Physical and Emotional Addiction

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The Difference between Physical and Emotional Addiction

Here we go again! The over-chewed, swallowed and puked out discussion recommences. Or is it?

Here’s how I see it: There is no difference.      Weed can be addictive

Almost everyone says weed is only emotionally addictive. That’s why nobody is really afraid about smoking too much. This thought actually makes weed more innocent than it really is.

Wake up cowboy! Whether one is emotionally or physically addicted doesn’t make a damn difference. The bottom line is the addiction part.

In fact, I even dare to state that weed is just as physically addictive as cocaine, opium and other hard drugs. Consider this:

When you stop smoking or drinking your body craves nicotine or alcohol right? When you quit weed, do you not want to smoke it? I bet you do buddy! It’s in your head right?

Then what is in your head? Exactly, your brain. And your brain craves THC. It might not reflect in body signs, but your brain wants it. And your brain is an organ, just like the liver and skin.

So don’t tell yourself that it is ‘only’ a mind thing. When it’s a mind thing it’s a problem. Nicotine can leave the body, but the memory stays in the mind. It’s the same with weed. The craving might leave, but the sympathy and memory remains…

There are plenty of people that have physical problems when they stop. Maybe not cold turkey as in heroin addiction but something similar. What about the sweaty hands, sleepless nights and sudden rise in blood pressure? Isn’t that physical?

Quitting Help

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Need Help Quitting Weed?

Kicking a marijuana smoking habit can be a long and difficult process. One needs a bit of motivation and a pad on the back from time to time.

What really helped me stay motivated  were short mantras and philosophic one-liners. And of course my wife, who was very glad I stopped spliffing. And because of that she encouraged me to do different things. Anything to prevent a relapse.

So that is why I wanted to give weekly (or a bit more regular) tips for giving up smoking weed. Not only tips, but also encouraging thoughts that might help you to stay motivated.

On top of that, you get the eBook “Habit reconstruction Project” for free (regular price $ 17).

This Report shows you how to change your way of thinking step by step so that you can apply it on kicking your weed smoking habit. I found it really inspiring and I think it’s a great help for everybody who wants to change something in his or her life. It’s short and to the point and even gives you a small assignment for every little step towards change.

Enjoy! It’s a nice read!

What’s the use? You might ask.

Well if you keep on being confronted with your goal you’ve once set on a regular basis, one develops a new mind-set. A new way of thinking. And that is exactly what you need if you want to kick the habit.

Where’s the snag?

Quit being so paranoid man! There is none. I only want to help. I will send you positive thoughts and good advice, that’s all. And if you don’t like it, just unsubscribe any time. No hassle. No hard feelings.

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Fleeing doesn’t help you quit weed

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Why you can’t run away from weed

‘You can run , but you can’t hide’. You don’t stand a chance, temptation is everywhere.

A nasty trait of weed or weed addiction is that it follows you everywhere you go. It’s like a tracking  cookie. It sticks with you until you buy or smoke some again. And this cookie doesn’t expire that quickly. Oh no, it even refreshes every time you take a hit.

I experienced this myself.

As a dutchman, it’s easy to get to weed. So I figured that when I live somewhere else it would be harder to come by and therefore easier to quit. Makes sense right? Wrong!

Here’s something to chew on: In France, 80% of youth has tried smoking weed or hashiesh. More than half of them are regular smokers and have easy access to soft drugs.

I used to travel a lot for my job, and one time we had a job in Paris. Me and my colleague were a bit bored one evening and he asked me whether I had some smoke on me (It was sooo obvious, even to him). But I didn’t.

I suggested we go out and find some, cause I was really motivated to get some now. I walked outside the hotel and asked the first guy on the street. “Bien sur” he said and took me with him. Within minutes I got me a phat chunck of maroc for the price of two beers in a bar. Good stuff, real cheap, dead easy to get.

My colleague was impressed how fast I organized it. He couldn’t get it faster in Holland he told me.

Now this experience has taught me two things.

  1. Weed is omnipresent. You can get it almost anywhere.
  2. If I really want something, I feel no shame. I just go out there and get it. This is actually great news, but unfortunately at the time I didn’t realize the power of mindset.

The funny thing is that when I still smoked, I was always a bit shy to go out there and do my thing. It took me a lot of strength just to get out of my hole and do the groceries. But when it came to weed, it was simple. No matter where I was. More about this in another post.

Back to the fleeing: When I heard my girl was pregnant, I decided move to Austria and be with her. Not only because of the mountains, also I considered it my ticket out of my smoker life. An new country, a new life, a good reason to leave my friends behind.

Although I do not regret moving away -I still love being over here- it didn’t help me get rid of my cravings. In the beginning I even rode off to Holland for a couple of days, have bash with my buddies and smuggle some weed back home. Then I found my leads to weed in Austria. I could still get high every day.

Even in a country like Austria, where most people don’t even know how weed smells it is pretty easy to come by. OK, not as easy as in Holland, but all the same; where there’s a will, there’s a means to get it.

Conclusion

I tried getting away from my smoking/ party environment. It worked at first, but since I never came to terms with my addiction, it caught up with me after a while.

Yes, I secretly wanted to quit weed, but I never dared tell my family I had a problem. I never dared even admit it to myself.

My story makes one thing very clear:   Quitting weed -or kicking any other bad habit for that matter- is not done by depending on external factors like moving away. It will only work when you face the problem and fight it.