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Quitting weed

Hello Exitwound,

I'm currently in the same situation as yours.

I've been smoking weed/hash since I was 12 years old, it was the first entheogen and plant teacher I've found, always coupled with tobacco.
I was thought to use it like this by my friends.

I started playing this instrument because my mental world was falling apart. I desperately needed something to guide me, and in fact it thought me how to breathe and meditate, leading me to the first entheogenic experiences I've ever had, lifting a bit of that weight I was feeling.

I was using it sparingly, maybe once a month, but as I became older and more problems arise I started relying heavily (many times a day) on it but he effects changed with time, becoming more a stimulant than a relaxant.

I think that these teachers have a really rough way to make themselves earn the respect they deserve.

In fact now most of the times I smoke, I almost have a panic attack, chest pains, racing mind full of paranoid thoughts, and I have to be really careful with the dosage. It's almost as if something, maybe my body, maybe the plant, is angry.

Last year I made a four months break, but as I was working night shifts but having a hard time controlling my mind I went back to it.

Now that the effects are turning on me again, I decided to take a closer look at them with the help of microdoses of LSD, since I've found that it makes me more in tune with my bodily feelings, almost like a microscope that permits me to see better the sensations I often overlook.

I've reached the conclusion that I have to be strong enough to not let it control my days.
No more wake and bake, no more smoking after eating, no more smoking to fill in spare time, no more smoking before going to bed. Medicinal smoking is still ok, but in really low and small doses.
I've realized that quitting "cold turkey" has never worked for me, it made it become a forbidden pleasure, so now i opted for moderation of use and I'm feeling much better.

You've got to find your way with these teachers, since they communicate by sensations and not by words.

Thanks.

My 2c☀️
 
Hello Hulius,

I feel you. Also had chest pains and panicky episodes for months before decision to quit. Weed becoming stimulant instead of relaxant is so true!
I smoked weed to be productive! I could zone in and do one thing very focused and concentrated for hours, as long as I had more weed to keep up the high.

Glad that you are able to control the use, which I never could do.
Tried tapering or reducing use many times, but it never worked for me. If I had weed at hand, I smoked until I ran out of it.
I was also terrified about prospect of being sober, have to go get some more!

So this time I decided it will be different.

It was a very strong ally and friend for me during trying times in life, allowed me to pass through a lot of crap, helped establish some new very dear friendships somewhat late in life.
Too bad that I abused this friendship. I wish I could build a healthy relation with MJ, but it seems that it's not simply possible for me to do so.

Anyways, I didn't really think it would be like this, but week later I can say, that it indeed gets much much better with every day.
Energy levels are increasing, I am able to get interested in simple things (like playing game or watching video), without need to get high first, to amplify the feelings.

I hope that everybody finds their sweet spot with plants that God/Universe/Life had gifted us. Healthy use, less abuse! :)
 
After decades of cannabis use, I personally believe that cannabis is psychedelic in a very special way. It allows you to use it very frequently (which is not possible with "stronger" psychedelics), but it will also show you quite clearly that there is some limit of its use (which is typical for other psychedelics). Exceeding this limit leads to all typical symptoms most of us here know very well. ;)
What I see as a big problem to overcome is the strong self-identification with social model of "stoner", or "pot smoker". This mental model has lot of components - individual, social, there is even political activism level.
It's not easy to abandon it if you invested lot of mental energy into it.
In some aspect it is also some form of cult - you can be attacked by other cult believers as being weak or wrong (or similar adjective) when you try to leave.
 
I'm a marijuana addict.
At this stage of my life I smoke on and off. When I'm smoking, I an a stoner and I smoke too much. I cannot mediate my use. However I can stop it completely when desired. So, I smoke (too much) for a while and then I quit for a while. That's been my pattern for a few years anyway. Lately, I've been, "on the wagon".

DMT helps me immeasurably with not smoking and that not being an "act of will". Psychedelics always made me less inclined to feel like smoking and drinking and other addictive behaviours. Occasional DMT use helps me with not smoking pot when that's what I desire.
 
Egzoset said:
I strongly suggest the creation of a separate area that would be called the « Wall of Shame », for « failure experts ». Invasion of a dedicated cannabis resource by prohibitionists so they can tap on each other's shoulder victoriously is simply disgusting.
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This "dedicated cannabis resource" doesn't have to be all praising the high praises of weed, who said that? It's an open discussion forum on this particular topic. Secondly, where did anyone for one minute talk about prohibition? Like has anyone even once here said "it should be outlawed" or did I miss something? This is exactly the type of knee-jerk reaction that typical proponents viewing what they perceive as an 'attack' on their holy sacrament that can simply "do no harm." No matter how much one tries to frame it as a personal admission of ones particular relationship with the plant there always seems to be people popping out of the woodwork claiming 'No but you're wrong! It's all great!' Kinda funny that. Commenting on one thread is hardly an invasion. Go start your own topic then.
 
Exitwound said:
Your are not owner... ...stop posting in my thread. Your negativity is not welcome...
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aethereon said:
Go start your own topic then.
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M'well i didn't give money to be marked "esteemed" or else and yet all i see here was put in simple words previously: failure experts.

Lazy individuals without a sense of responsability pick cannabis and abuse it like there's no tomorrow despite the repeated warnings, then complain and seek pity if dame Cannabis kicks back. Too bad, i have no sympathy for such drama queens quick to use expressions like « cold turkey » when there's avoidance to account for ALL factors involved... Another observation i make is that now a systematic prohibitionnist juxtaposition gets displayed every single time i access the front page. So i repeat my suggestion with insistance, get a dedicated thread of your own and quite preferably one without the characteristic i just mentioned.
 
Egzoset said:
M'well i didn't give money to be marked "esteemed" or else and yet all i see here was put in simple words previously: failure experts.

Lazy individuals without a sense of responsability pick cannabis and abuse it like there's no tomorrow despite the repeated warnings, then complain and seek pity if dame Cannabis kicks back. Too bad, i have no sympathy for such drama queens quick to use expressions like « cold turkey » when there's avoidance to account for ALL factors involved... Another observation i make is that now a systematic prohibitionnist juxtaposition gets displayed every single time i access the front page. So i repeat my suggestion with insistance, get a dedicated thread of your own and quite preferably one without the characteristic i just mentioned.
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This is your only warning @Egzoset

Two members including the OP have informed you that your rhetoric is unhelpful and unwelcome.

In my eyes you look like an idiot searching for an argument. What kind of buffoon repeatedly goes into a thread that vexes them (when they can be an adult and just ignore it) that is steeped in the OP's efforts to better themselves? A crybaby bored ass buffoon. You.

One love
 
Well, it's a first time I'm going to use "Ignore" function here. There is just too much to unpack and I got no time for that.

Some people chimed in with just helpful messages, some with encouragement, some shared their struggles and I think we all collectively got a little bit of healing therapy going here.
That's what matters.
 
Look, I mean come on, never judge people's psychiatric brain chemistry, needs and wants, physical activity or anything else in life based on what seems easier and softer or harder or more or less important and valid to you or who you listen to. I'm a person with a lot of strength who has done a ton of work on and with herbs and spices, the whole rack, and I was a major crackhead of cigarettes then nicotine vapor and desperately needed nicotine patch tapering off to finally be free of my "heroin with fentanyl addiction" that was gonna help me f off in life and kill myself like I was doing, while also having bouts of alcoholism. People who equate theirs or anyone else's drug use or cessation of drug use with guts brain mind balls and heart power maybe only have the power to be addicted to crap up their butts where they keep their heads. Good luck to all, the struggle gets real. No reason to throw people under busses.
 
Egzoset said:
I strongly suggest the creation of a separate area that would be called the « Wall of Shame », for « failure experts ». Invasion of a dedicated cannabis resource by prohibitionists so they can tap on each other's shoulder victoriously is simply disgusting.
Click to expand...

Egzoset said:
M'well i didn't give money to be marked "esteemed" or else and yet all i see here was put in simple words previously: failure experts.

Lazy individuals without a sense of responsability pick cannabis and abuse it like there's no tomorrow despite the repeated warnings, then complain and seek pity if dame Cannabis kicks back. Too bad, i have no sympathy for such drama queens quick to use expressions like « cold turkey » when there's avoidance to account for ALL factors involved... Another observation i make is that now a systematic prohibitionnist juxtaposition gets displayed every single time i access the front page. So i repeat my suggestion with insistance, get a dedicated thread of your own and quite preferably one without the characteristic i just mentioned.
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Please read what you wrote and I ask you.... What do you gain from this?
 
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I honestly wasn't even sure what I was assisting in a reaction and response to, and just had a couple things to say. From my end it is all good. I don't judge any of you harshly, Take care.
 
Tiny milestone of 2 weeks reached today, yay! :)

From the remaining side effects there are:
- Lowered libido (lol)
- Sometimes, when I have a lot of different things/tasks to do and think about it, anxiety rises up and I need to re-learn how to calm myself down and focus, without assistance from MJ
- Sweating is still a bit over normal, especially in the morning, but it's much better and manageable now

Overall - I am much happier overall and able to do things which I postponed indefinitely before.
Sleep is also of better quality, even if I have dreams now.
 
Exitwound said:
Tiny milestone of 2 weeks reached today, yay! :)

From the remaining side effects there are:
- Lowered libido (lol)
- Sometimes, when I have a lot of different things/tasks to do and think about it, anxiety rises up and I need to re-learn how to calm myself down and focus, without assistance from MJ
- Sweating is still a bit over normal, especially in the morning, but it's much better and manageable now

Overall - I am much happier overall and able to do things which I postponed indefinitely before.
Sleep is also of better quality, even if I have dreams now.
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Omg lowered libido... definitely cannabis can make you a bit of a horn dog, i remember that well. Whether or not it's a good or bad thing is of course up to you to decide. While a lot of people like the feeling I get it, you can also look at it another way as it's more or less resonating on the same frequency as desire and desire basically equates to not having. Actually being good and bad are totally egoistic judgment calls to begin with but from personal experience being stuck in that whole lusty mindset all the time for me was not beneficial. I'm sure if you keep going it will reach a better balance (once again my own experience.) And now find myself doing way more actual productive things instead of being stuck in some 'desire trap' most of the time.

The sweating I hear you, I have had hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) my entire life and being stoned all the time tended to make it worse, same with having a runny nose 23/7. When i quit (especially at night) it was like going on turbo, I would wake up drenched. But definitely now I am 80% less sweaty and it's a total godsend. No more runny nose either. I remember going to a dispensary once and arguing with the guy at the counter who smoked more. But we both had runny noses and I was like hmm there's something to this here.

Sleep for sure improves. It's fun to dream again for sure. What's bizarre though is i swear my dreams seemed to be a bit more vivid, somehow colorful before, not really sure whats up with that. Almost like I can tell it's a bit 'faded' and I am dreaming but at the same time I can't fully tell until I wake up. Maybe it's just my imagination with this and dreams were always like that but I am curious to revisit african dream herb again and see how it goes, it's a plant that is supposed to make your dreams more vivid, wild and realistic.

I do miss musically jamming though, it was definitely fun to play some instruments high and see what you come up with. But also in the greater scheme of things it was telling myself I needed something 'external' when really you have everything you need within you. Also the cloudy mindset was okay for little doodles and jams but putting something 'grander' together always got muddied in the haze, i was finding my thinking/vision was often too inebriated to keep focused on the grander vision and would get bogged down in certain things and eventually give up and move onto something else.
 
I find this whole thread very inspiring, as I'm going through the same difficult process: I've smoked marijuana nonstop for over 30 years, every day, all day. I love cannabis; I find it the most beautiful entheogen I've ever known. It's taught me great things all these years. But I've disrespected it by not knowing how to set limits for myself. On this healing path, I've experienced sudden mood swings, apathy, and even an episode where emergency services had to come to work because I felt so bad. It's a difficult process, sometimes very frustrating, but very necessary. My infernal triad is alcohol, cannabis, and the internet, and I'm trying to tame them simultaneously. It's not easy; in my case, it's not without falls and getting back up. I think being clear about what you want is important. In my case, my desire is to return to a healthier, more occasional relationship with the sacred plant. I congratulate you and encourage you to continue on that path!
 
Caminante said:
I find this whole thread very inspiring, as I'm going through the same difficult process: I've smoked marijuana nonstop for over 30 years, every day, all day. I love cannabis; I find it the most beautiful entheogen I've ever known. It's taught me great things all these years. But I've disrespected it by not knowing how to set limits for myself. On this healing path, I've experienced sudden mood swings, apathy, and even an episode where emergency services had to come to work because I felt so bad. It's a difficult process, sometimes very frustrating, but very necessary. My infernal triad is alcohol, cannabis, and the internet, and I'm trying to tame them simultaneously. It's not easy; in my case, it's not without falls and getting back up. I think being clear about what you want is important. In my case, my desire is to return to a healthier, more occasional relationship with the sacred plant. I congratulate you and encourage you to continue on that path!
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All that "one year" shit is what you have to accomplish for occasional use as well. Optimally, anyway.
 
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