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quitting cannabis

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
hi. i am a life long smoker of cannabis. i would like to stop but cant help myself. when i try to stop i get aggressive. what could i do to help?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yo.

    Nice 1 for wanting to quit. I want to want to quit.

    I got no real advice for you other than talk to your gp. they can and will help even if its just refering you to a wellbeing centre where they can talk to you and support you.

    Also, if you smoke cigarettes, concider giving that up at the same time. You can get tablets to stop you craving nicotine and they might stop you wanting weed too!

    Worth a try. Good luck though, I might quit some day, maybe, possibly, when i have no money.

    Dan
  • MCGrammarMCGrammar Posts: 7 Confirmed not a robot
    Hi lonelylife

    First off, you're already over the first hurdle, you want to quit. Coming here to talk about it is a really good step, it can help to share what you're going through and see what other people have gone through.

    Experiences of quitting cannabis can vary hugely depending on the length of time you've been using it, other drugs its been used alongside and your tendency towards dependency. Some people can stop straight away but for others it's much more difficult. You say you've been using it your whole life so this is bound to be a big change for you that will probably take time and commitment.

    Withdrawl symptoms can be experienced, and the feelings of aggression you've had when you've tried to stop are pretty common, along with irritability, mood changes; appetite disturbance, weight loss and difficulty sleeping.

    The long term effects on your mental health if you keep using can be serious, so it's really important that you get the support you need to stop, there will be ways to deal with your symptoms.

    Morphandcoffee is absolutely right in suggesting that you go to your doctor- he or she will be able to give you the right medical advice to help you give up (and may also be able to offer you counselling if you'd like to).

    There's a good article on stopping drug use on TheSite as well as lots of information and advice on http://www.knowcannabis.org.uk/

    Frank also has a self-help programme that you might want to look into that takes around four weeks to complete. This might help you identify some of the "risk" situations involved with your cannabis use so that you can start to think about avoiding these or removing them from your life.

    Quite a few different links there but hopefully you'll find some of it useful, everyone is different so it's about finding something that works for you, do you think you could consider seeing your GP for starters? Good luck and let us know how you're doing. :-)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Do you smoke? If you don't, then the withdrawal is probably just because you're essentially giving up smoking. Get nicorette or something similar and it'll probably help a lot.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It should only a day or two before you get over the addiction, the main problem IME is getting to sleep the first night without it...you get passed that, and the addiction should pretty much be broken. But...the problem is trying to avoid the people you get high with finding something else to do with your time; quitting leaves a gap, and boredom is the first step on the road to relapse.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I dont see a connection at all with aggression and cannabis use. That may be another issue all together. Maybe cigarettes?
    Everyone knows that marijuana is not addictive, but it is habitual.
    Breaking a habit is hard, i know a guy who quit smoking and while doing so stopped drinking coffee. I asked why coffee? He said when i have a smoke in the morning, coffee is in the other hand, same with lunch. He had quit both for 5 years at that time.
    Im basically saying that breaking a habit doesnt just mean stopping one thing. The people you hang around with, the activities you do will in the end determine if you are successful. Its hard to stop doing something when you are surrounded by it.
    Good luck
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    adude111 wrote: »
    I dont see a connection at all with aggression and cannabis use. That may be another issue all together. Maybe cigarettes?

    Quitting weed or tobacco can both easily cause someone to be aggressive...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ok, its all nice discussion and thanks for that. I was thinking about just one
    issue. Actually, I came to know that cannabis smoke is effective in the cure of
    pancreatic cancer. Does anyone know more about it?
    regards
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jimmy84 wrote: »
    Ok, its all nice discussion and thanks for that. I was thinking about just one
    issue. Actually, I came to know that cannabis smoke is effective in the cure of
    pancreatic cancer. Does anyone know more about it?
    regards

    Cure is the wrong word.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Most things in this world will either be a cause of cancer or help prevent it. Cannabis being preventative against pancreatic cancer? I've not heard of that but anything is possible. But being a major contributory cause of lung cancer? If you smoke it for long enough definitely.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    But being a major contributory cause of lung cancer? If you smoke it for long enough definitely.

    No evidence for this whatsover. Main health risk comes from unregulated and adulterated criminal supply.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Spliffie wrote: »
    No evidence for this whatsover. Main health risk comes from unregulated and adulterated criminal supply.

    Isn't that all of it then?

    You say there's no evidence, when there is some, not all of it is conclusive and there's too many variables, but its there. This page alone shows evidence.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JavaKrypt wrote: »
    Isn't that all of it then?

    And why is that then eh?
    You say there's no evidence, when there is some, not all of it is conclusive and there's too many variables, but its there. This page alone shows evidence.

    None of it is conclusive or even close. Study after study and nothing to show. The main danger listed there is consuming with tobacco.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well that would be all of them because it's illegal, so its not regulated, and its sold by criminal supply...
    Cannabis smoke contains many of the same cancer causing substances (carcinogens) as tobacco - at least 50 of them

    I'd say that's pretty close and is a main danger which doesn't involve tobacco?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JavaKrypt wrote: »
    Well that would be all of them because it's illegal, so its not regulated, and its sold by criminal supply...

    So the obvious solution is to legalise and regulate surely?
    I'd say that's pretty close and is a main danger which doesn't involve tobacco?

    Yet they can't produce a single study gives at least a strong indication. To say smoking weed is bad for your health because of carcinogens is a claim based on dubious inference, little more.
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