Withdrawal from cannabis

[Gclarke20]

Now you all may find this pathetic, ridiculous or just down right stupid but about a year ago I started smoking cannabis to help with my mental health, never stopped me from going to work, meeting up with friends or family or being productive in any way but I’ve decided that after smoking every day for almost a year that I should quit.

So far it’s been tough, people say that you can’t become addicted to cannabis but I definitely am addicted.

Has anyone been through this?

Symptoms - shortness of breath, anxiety, cravings, sore stomach, sickness and lack of motivation to do anything at all

[Cipher]

Well that depends on how you were "smoking" it ... if you mixed it with tobacco then you might have become addicted to nicotine. I rarely smoked weed so I never got hooked on it, but I hate smoking (smell, taste everything) so that might be partly reason why.

If you were smoking it (joints) mixed with tobacco that would easily explain shortness of breath, or inhaling any sort of fumes for that matter can impede your breathing.

Anxiety, cravings and lack of motivation could be linked to you quitting smoking weed but those are all things that could also be caused by smoking weed. Anywho, as you said you were smoking every day, it is pretty much a habit if not addiction that you developed and stopping abruptly is gonna make you feel physical change, as would with anything that you do every day and suddenly stop. What you could try is to stop gradually, not abruptly ... smoke every 3rd day ... then 5th... 8th .... etc, until you don't feel the need to.

Try to do some physical exercise, during which your body releases endorphins "make you feel good" hormones that might help with taking your mind off of things and generally make you feel better. Ultimately, only you can tell whether you are addicted to it ... if you crave having it, cannot concentrate or work without it, have to keep thinking about it then yes, sounds like addiction. But as I said, it could be other things as well. It most likely did keep you "happy" and now that you don't have a lazy way out for happiness of being high, you actually have to look for things that make you happy :). It is after all, a drug.

[Gclarke20 in reply to Cipher]

Think cold turkey is best way to go for me, on day 4 and the cravings have ceased, just anxiety and my mental health that are playing up, been prescribed propanalol and mitrazapine so hopefully these help

[Ryanr]

Yeah I’ve been there I smoked a lot of cannabis in my younger years I quit around 8 years ago and haven’t touched it since the only way to do it is go cold turkey it’s hard for a week or two but your body will recover and forget about it fairly quickly.

[Gclarke20 in reply to Ryanr]

On day 4 now mate, cravings are gone but anxiety and panic attacks are horrible, been to the doctor and got some anti-depressants, hopefully they help soon enough, I should never have self medicated

[Ryanr in reply to Gclarke20]

Try the anti depressants for a couple of weeks then come straight off them they can be bad for you if you stay on them too long

[Gclarke20 in reply to Ryanr]

Thanks for the advice mate, I don’t want to take them long term if I’m honest, just need to get through this and get my head back on track

[Ryanr in reply to Gclarke20]

That’s it mate just take them until your body gets over the loss and bin them 👍

[torkreel]

Hi

Most people that sat you cant get addicted to cannabis are the people who are addicted they just dont want to admit it. I do agree people are more addicted to the tabbaco then cannabis. But i myself was a heavy cannabis smoker. 20 bag a day and more on weekend because i didnt have work the next day. Smoked everyday for 10 years untill i had enough. Told myself everyday that today is the last day but would wake up and think of a spliff straight away. Now im allmost 8 months clean and hardley ever think about it.

The hardest part for me was the first 1 week, but after this i see such a big change i was determined not to go back to my old self.

8 months later i can officialy say (depending on how you smoke it) cannabis was a big downer on my life. I feel fresh, active, more talkative and alot more family orientated.