Seeking effective marijuana cessation ideas
July 25, 2016 8:25 AM Subscribe
Daily user beginning a detox soon and looking for strategies, propaganda, anything that I can turn to for staying clean [more inside]
Hello- started relatively late (22 yrs old) but long time (~15 yrs with a few breaks) daily enjoyer of pot and THC products. Over the last 5 years or so, my use has tapered to only at the end of the day. It helps me relax and get to sleep, helps with certain aspects of creative work, and it is definitely a coping mechanism for some persistent job issues. It is my only vice. I do not (and can't for medical reasons) drink alcohol, and I do have propensity for emotional eating, but this hasn't been a problem in the last year or so. I'm beginning a detox on August 1st, and am wondering if anyone who had a similar experience would share any type of ideas, thoughts, books, culture, films, etc that helped them to maintain right perspective. Especially in the face of that most insidious thing about marijuana: that super relaxed feeling that everything is "OK" and how getting high, or the prospect thereof, tends to suppress certain strains of critical thought and foresight.
I appreciate any thoughts/suggestions, no matter how far out they may seem. Thanks!
Hello- started relatively late (22 yrs old) but long time (~15 yrs with a few breaks) daily enjoyer of pot and THC products. Over the last 5 years or so, my use has tapered to only at the end of the day. It helps me relax and get to sleep, helps with certain aspects of creative work, and it is definitely a coping mechanism for some persistent job issues. It is my only vice. I do not (and can't for medical reasons) drink alcohol, and I do have propensity for emotional eating, but this hasn't been a problem in the last year or so. I'm beginning a detox on August 1st, and am wondering if anyone who had a similar experience would share any type of ideas, thoughts, books, culture, films, etc that helped them to maintain right perspective. Especially in the face of that most insidious thing about marijuana: that super relaxed feeling that everything is "OK" and how getting high, or the prospect thereof, tends to suppress certain strains of critical thought and foresight.
I appreciate any thoughts/suggestions, no matter how far out they may seem. Thanks!
It helps me relax and get to sleep, helps with certain aspects of creative work, and it is definitely a coping mechanism for some persistent job issues.
The number one suggestion I would have for you is loads of exercise. "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" by John J. Ratey is the book that really sold me on this.
There's also chamomile tea for bedtime.
posted by aniola at 8:56 AM on July 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
The number one suggestion I would have for you is loads of exercise. "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" by John J. Ratey is the book that really sold me on this.
There's also chamomile tea for bedtime.
posted by aniola at 8:56 AM on July 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
Something I learned when I finally successfully quit tobacco is to be very careful about the narrative you're writing for yourself about it. You're already braced for this to be so hard, but what if you regarded it as nothing more than a minor change - like when you move and have to make a habit out of a new route to work, which you know will become an autopilot task in a few weeks? This too, shall pass. Just need to keep your eyes a little more on the road for a little while.
But my One Weird Trick when I need to get the ball rolling/my head in the game/hyped up for a change I need to make is...Tony Robbins. I know, stay with me: because he does his whole neuro-linguistic programming thing in his tapes and books, when you're reading them you get this big rush of "rah rah rah my brain is amazing and can do *anything*" which is true, your brain is amazing and it can do this.
You're probably not going to increase your sales to $20K a month or suddenly find yourself living in a house with a gold swimming pool, and the high wears off pretty quickly and it gets a little hokey, but grab yourself a used copy of one or two of his books (it doesn't even matter which ones) and put one in the kitchen where you know you're going to go when you don't know what to do with yourself, and maybe put a second one in the bathroom. When you need it, go huff a little "only you can achieve your goals!" (also true) and use it to remind yourself that the weed was never the source of your creativity, and that your brain is amazing and can learn to handle the general anxiety of being alive.
There are probably other similar books you can do this with - Dale Carnegie probably works just as well and is probably less dated, and I certainly keep Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird on my "in case of emergency" shelf (and since her sobriety is wound through that book, it's not a bad one to read through for the first time or again, if you've read it before), but when I need big cheerleader feelings it's Tony I go back to.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:12 AM on July 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
But my One Weird Trick when I need to get the ball rolling/my head in the game/hyped up for a change I need to make is...Tony Robbins. I know, stay with me: because he does his whole neuro-linguistic programming thing in his tapes and books, when you're reading them you get this big rush of "rah rah rah my brain is amazing and can do *anything*" which is true, your brain is amazing and it can do this.
You're probably not going to increase your sales to $20K a month or suddenly find yourself living in a house with a gold swimming pool, and the high wears off pretty quickly and it gets a little hokey, but grab yourself a used copy of one or two of his books (it doesn't even matter which ones) and put one in the kitchen where you know you're going to go when you don't know what to do with yourself, and maybe put a second one in the bathroom. When you need it, go huff a little "only you can achieve your goals!" (also true) and use it to remind yourself that the weed was never the source of your creativity, and that your brain is amazing and can learn to handle the general anxiety of being alive.
There are probably other similar books you can do this with - Dale Carnegie probably works just as well and is probably less dated, and I certainly keep Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird on my "in case of emergency" shelf (and since her sobriety is wound through that book, it's not a bad one to read through for the first time or again, if you've read it before), but when I need big cheerleader feelings it's Tony I go back to.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:12 AM on July 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
How does marijuana produce its effects?
Your brain on chocolate
Things chemically similar to a cannabis high (It suggests: running, chocolate and cheese)
I found the above articles with googling "thc similar chemicals."
I have done lots of drug withdrawal, though not from marijuana. Sugar, chocolate and addressing nutrient deficiencies has helped enormously. Also: Walking. I do a lot of walking. Here lately, getting enough selenium has played a big role in staving off black moods. Brazil nuts are the best source for selenium.
posted by Michele in California at 10:35 AM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Your brain on chocolate
Things chemically similar to a cannabis high (It suggests: running, chocolate and cheese)
I found the above articles with googling "thc similar chemicals."
I have done lots of drug withdrawal, though not from marijuana. Sugar, chocolate and addressing nutrient deficiencies has helped enormously. Also: Walking. I do a lot of walking. Here lately, getting enough selenium has played a big role in staving off black moods. Brazil nuts are the best source for selenium.
posted by Michele in California at 10:35 AM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: YMMV (and I've heard from some that this is literally psychotic to believe) but to me it's like breaking up with a life partner--or maybe kicking out a bad roommate. More and more I came to personify weed as a sort of McKennian vegetable spirit that I had invited to share my consciousness with. I was able to see that I lost track of a perspective that doesn't identify with having weed in the picture, just like how being in a parasitic/codependent relationship means over-identifying with a partner's wants and gradually losing touch with your individuality.
I came to see weed as an antagonist, as dead weight, as a liar. This made quitting after long-term daily use feel like a relief.
posted by Taft at 10:42 AM on July 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
I came to see weed as an antagonist, as dead weight, as a liar. This made quitting after long-term daily use feel like a relief.
posted by Taft at 10:42 AM on July 25, 2016 [6 favorites]
hot showers hot showers hot showers too.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 12:53 PM on July 25, 2016
posted by Dressed to Kill at 12:53 PM on July 25, 2016
Try yoga! The breathing exercises will be a helpful substitute for the deep inhalation you're used to doing, and some of the poses are very relaxing. Yogatoday.com posts a free video every week (reg. req.) and, of course, there are tons of free videos on YouTube.
posted by acridrabbit at 1:14 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by acridrabbit at 1:14 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
When a friend of mine stopped smoking, all the feelings that his habit had been suppressing started to come out. We talked a lot. The thing that seemed to help him the most was me reminding him that he wasn't losing his mind but he was actually feeling what he was supposed to be feeling all along. He had to develop real life coping mechanisms that most people already have, but he hadn't had to develop because he was think in his habit.
You have been self medicating for a very long time. To successfully quit, you really should set yourself up with a counselor, go to AA meetings, and/or transition to legal medication.
On a side note, his dogs acted really crazy for the first few weeks. It didn't occur to him that the smoke was getting them stoned, and they had to detox as well.
posted by myselfasme at 1:46 PM on July 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
You have been self medicating for a very long time. To successfully quit, you really should set yourself up with a counselor, go to AA meetings, and/or transition to legal medication.
On a side note, his dogs acted really crazy for the first few weeks. It didn't occur to him that the smoke was getting them stoned, and they had to detox as well.
posted by myselfasme at 1:46 PM on July 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
You might also want to start a journal.
Studies show that when someone stops drinking or taking medication, etc, they have more dreams. If you have been on something a long time that suppresses dreams, the odds are good that you will go through a period of vivid, intense dreams when you finally stop. Many people experience them as nightmares, but it really is just your dream function coming back online more. I have found that knowing in advance that this will happen makes me less likely to have nightmares or interpret intense dreams as nightmares.
So if you start having intense or vivid dreams, this is totally normal and not indicative of anything else going on. It does not mean you are worrying more about work or something like that. It just means your dreams are no longer being suppressed by drugs.
posted by Michele in California at 1:53 PM on July 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
Studies show that when someone stops drinking or taking medication, etc, they have more dreams. If you have been on something a long time that suppresses dreams, the odds are good that you will go through a period of vivid, intense dreams when you finally stop. Many people experience them as nightmares, but it really is just your dream function coming back online more. I have found that knowing in advance that this will happen makes me less likely to have nightmares or interpret intense dreams as nightmares.
So if you start having intense or vivid dreams, this is totally normal and not indicative of anything else going on. It does not mean you are worrying more about work or something like that. It just means your dreams are no longer being suppressed by drugs.
posted by Michele in California at 1:53 PM on July 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
Michele said what I was going to. I had to quit smoking because I got arrested (whee, state of Georgia) and had to get drug tested. I did not want to quit and likely never will, so I imagine having a bit of agency in this decision will at least make it marginally easier for you. I did not know to expect the dream side effect, and the dreams I had were insane, every night, for 45 nights, multiple dreams a night. That in itself was a little bit like a drug, and I sort of miss it but it was mostly overwhelming and exhausting. Those dreams were like having two lives--a real one where I went to work every day, and a scary unpredictable one that was sometimes amazing but emotionally draining.
I tried replacing pot with other herbs and while I fully admit to loving the ritual, it turns out that smoking anything besides mj is awful, for me. I think the biggest thing is replacing that time with a different thing, like drinking tea or reading a book or exercising (though I hate exercising so to me that was like an extra punishment on top of not smoking).
Most of this truly will be mental. I love getting stoned and am relieved to be doing it again, but since you know you can always return to smoking if you need to, just try to remember this is a choice and thing you're doing as an experiment. Good luck!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:35 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
I tried replacing pot with other herbs and while I fully admit to loving the ritual, it turns out that smoking anything besides mj is awful, for me. I think the biggest thing is replacing that time with a different thing, like drinking tea or reading a book or exercising (though I hate exercising so to me that was like an extra punishment on top of not smoking).
Most of this truly will be mental. I love getting stoned and am relieved to be doing it again, but since you know you can always return to smoking if you need to, just try to remember this is a choice and thing you're doing as an experiment. Good luck!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:35 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Fill that time with something else - you would benefit from a new ritual to be timed for when you would normally smoke a bowl.
Meanwhile, this is my one anecdote: a psychiatrist I work with (who is a harm reduction type who works with lots of clients with much more severe and dangerous substance use patterns) has this theory about chronic marijuana use which resonates for me as a nurse who also has observed clients (and friends) who are daily users:
In his opinion (which has obv not been validated by research), daily smokers have greater levels of anxiety than the average population. In his thinking, this anxiety, rather than being the cause of smoking a lot (or perhaps in addition to that), is caused/worsened by pot, because the daily smoker is constantly suppressing their physiological response to anxiety. They are continuously loosing the mental and physiological habit/pathway/ability to experience something stressful and stay at an emotionally balanced place. Further, their anxiety response has to actually get stronger to try to overcome the constant external inputs that are suppressing the anxiety.
So this anecdote is just to hopefully be motivating for you. Good luck! I think it's always admirable and valuable to try doing things differently in life.
posted by latkes at 3:44 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Meanwhile, this is my one anecdote: a psychiatrist I work with (who is a harm reduction type who works with lots of clients with much more severe and dangerous substance use patterns) has this theory about chronic marijuana use which resonates for me as a nurse who also has observed clients (and friends) who are daily users:
In his opinion (which has obv not been validated by research), daily smokers have greater levels of anxiety than the average population. In his thinking, this anxiety, rather than being the cause of smoking a lot (or perhaps in addition to that), is caused/worsened by pot, because the daily smoker is constantly suppressing their physiological response to anxiety. They are continuously loosing the mental and physiological habit/pathway/ability to experience something stressful and stay at an emotionally balanced place. Further, their anxiety response has to actually get stronger to try to overcome the constant external inputs that are suppressing the anxiety.
So this anecdote is just to hopefully be motivating for you. Good luck! I think it's always admirable and valuable to try doing things differently in life.
posted by latkes at 3:44 PM on July 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Hey, my usage is a lot like yours. Daily user, many years but with some breaks, etc. I'd really suggest just not thinking about it too hard. Like, don't think of this as something difficult or challenging, just think of it as a choice you're making. If you make it into this big thing in your head where you're in a constant battle of wills with yourself, you'll lose or at least get majorly stressed out.
I mean, you say right in your question that you've taken breaks before. How was that? Mine were fine, except that I wasn't doing a fun thing that I like to do, and also I felt a little less chill about life in general because I didn't have that easy, automatic de-stresser that is cannabis. So maybe do more other fun things that help you de-stress, as a general self-care sort of thing. And if you find yourself having a hard time sleeping without smoking first, take a benadryl.
But mostly just try not to think of this as a big deal. Marijuana isn't physically addicting like some other drugs. Some people use it as a crutch, or build their lives around it such that they don't know what to do with themselves if they're not smoking, but that doesn't sound like you. Just think of it as a fun activity that you're going to abstain from for a while (the why of this is unclear to me, but that's none of my business) and do other things instead. You'll be fine. Promise.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:53 PM on July 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
I mean, you say right in your question that you've taken breaks before. How was that? Mine were fine, except that I wasn't doing a fun thing that I like to do, and also I felt a little less chill about life in general because I didn't have that easy, automatic de-stresser that is cannabis. So maybe do more other fun things that help you de-stress, as a general self-care sort of thing. And if you find yourself having a hard time sleeping without smoking first, take a benadryl.
But mostly just try not to think of this as a big deal. Marijuana isn't physically addicting like some other drugs. Some people use it as a crutch, or build their lives around it such that they don't know what to do with themselves if they're not smoking, but that doesn't sound like you. Just think of it as a fun activity that you're going to abstain from for a while (the why of this is unclear to me, but that's none of my business) and do other things instead. You'll be fine. Promise.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 4:53 PM on July 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
All my potsmoking pals agree sleep is the biggest problem when quitting smoking.When I quit smoking last winter after many years of daily (okay usually nightly) use, I relied heavily on chamomile teas and melatonin for sleep. I hate chamomile tea but it really does help me sleep. I also specifically made time to wash up, brush & floss, clean nightie, etc, basically have a good evening routine. I'd turn off the tv at least 30 minutes before bed and just read quietly in a dimly lit room. If I have trouble falling asleep I use earbuds and listen to a relaxation or self hypnosis mp3 on my phone.
Meditation also helped me. And exercise during the day, not after dinner or it gave me sleeping problems. Good luck!
posted by RichardHenryYarbo at 12:57 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Meditation also helped me. And exercise during the day, not after dinner or it gave me sleeping problems. Good luck!
posted by RichardHenryYarbo at 12:57 PM on July 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
It might be worth considering getting a tobacco vape pen and some nicotine-free vape fluid. More than you might think, the ritual and physical act of smoking matters to the compulsion to do it. This is true of quitting both cigs and weed in my and my friends' experience.
For the sleep thing, something OTC like melatonin can be helpful, even if only for the placebo effect of "I am taking [something] to help myself sleep."
It may be helpful, since you seem kind of anxious about this, to think of it just as "this is a thing I'm trying right now, it doesn't mean 'I'm an addict' or 'I can never touch weed again,' it just means 'right now I'm off weed.'"
It gets easier pretty fast and you will notice benefits to it, like a little more clarity of thought, or even just getting your dishes done more regularly. Maybe write those things down. Get curious about what it will be like to not smoke for a while. Doing anything different in your life yields interesting results, no matter what the thing is.
I personally found it amusing to buy some bulk THC tests online and track how long it took me to piss clean. (For somebody with your history it could take a month or more.) It might sound stupid or weird, but this allowed me to 'gamify' not smoking. I wasn't just NOT doing a thing, I was actively working toward doing a thing, reaching a goal which required me to stay the course. I'd actually recommend this to anyone quitting, it's weirdly fun.
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:54 AM on July 25, 2016 [11 favorites]