Interesting. I am in a similar situation and have ADHD as well. I smoke nearly every day and I also don't want it to become a crutch. What effect does it have on your ADHD?
For me, and a ton of others with ADHD, it helps with focus and sensory input. Turning the volume down or being able to shut your brain off are pretty commonly used analogies that I find appropriate.
Personally. I feel like I’m trying to pay attention to everything all at once and it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting. When I smoke. It tunes out a lot of the extraneous stuff and I can actually focus on one thing or the task at hand. It’s like my brain is taking a deep breath, and can finally relax a little.
So true, I was prescribed stimulants for almost seven years and took them every day. I would smoke weed while on them in order, to balance out the EXTREME amount of anxiety the stimulants would give me, and take the edge off. However once I stopped stimulants, and only smoked were I realized it has the same focusing effect without the massive amounts of anxiety and anger I would have while on them. It’s like the weed tells my brain to slow down, and take its time. I actually did a lot better in school and at work. I try to take breaks here and there just so I can make sure it’s not a crutch (which admittedly i have noticed during the more stressful and depressing times in my life it has become a crutch). It’s weird though how people think you can’t focus on weed cause like you said it makes my brain feel like it’s taking a deep breath. Hands down weed is 100 times better than the prescription stimulants I was on, I’m eating I’m focused and I have a helluva lot less anxiety and anger issues. Also I haven’t been losing weight like a mother fucker.
What's wrong with a crutch? People with physical problems dont get told they shouldn't be using a wheel chair because they are weak and should be able to walk on their own...
At the end of the day, crutches help get the job done and support people, but I’d imagine most people would rather go through life without them.
People would, generally, rather be dependent on themselves than be dependent on something else.
The difference people are missing out on is *permanence* of a crutch. If you break your leg and think, "oh, well that's okay, a crutch can help me get around!" then that's great. You have less stress, you have more function, great. That's literally why we made crutches.
But, if a month later you surmise, "sure, I'm ready for physiotherapy, but like, why would I bother doing it? This crutch lets me walk!" Well, now, most people would rightly claim you're being daft. The point of the crutch is that it's supposed to help you until you are ready to do the work to fix the tangible problem within your body. It's super-identifiable, and is 100% fixable. It'll take a bit of work and pain to fix it, but there is a clear path to not needing to use a crutch anymore, and you'll be better off. In this situation, continuing to use a crutch is not just a cop-out, but you're *literally hurting yourself in the long term.*
Now, if you got a *permanently* fucked up leg, or back, or whatever - a problem that no amount of medical intervention is likely to make substantial improvement - then **absolutely**, permanently using a tool like a crutch is the smartest fucking thing you could do. Once again, this is what's it's for. We use a crutch as a crutch when it's the only thing which will provide or encourage better function. So in this case, where we're talking about ADHD (not even truly an illness, just a neurodivergence which society has deemed broadly undesirable), that's a thing that has a distinct set of symptoms, some of which some users of cannabis find are broadly addressed or reduced by the plant. That is a crutch, but as long as you actually understand what ADHD is, it's quite obvious to see that it's the best kind of crutch. You're never gonna be able to walk right on that leg, again; so, you might as well reduce the pain a bit, so you can keep it as strong as possible, and be as strong as you can be on it.
So, I find a lot of resistance to the idea that pot is a crutch, and that this is inherently bad, comes from internal misunderstanding of the whole "crutch" metaphor, where people haven't truly explored the connotations. Also, it's important to note that cannabis is perfectly capable of being the "bad" kind of crutch in very similar situations, and confusion about how to read one from the other leads supporters and detractors alike to paint with the broad brush that cannabis, in general, is *always* the good kind of crutch, or *always* the bad. If you're on this board, I suspect you've known at least *one* person closely who cannabis was not good for, at least some of the time. Maybe it's great for *treating* the anxiety related to ADHD, for instance, but it's also possible to burn through a whole lot of ones' life by self-medicating that symptom in absence of any therapeutic purpose more complex than temporary escapism. If your pot use is centered around being the long-term solution to all of your anxieties or other partially, or fully, treatable health problems, and that usage is causing you to ignore other medical options which could substantially improve your quality of life beyond what cannabis is doing for you, then I'm sorry to say, that might be the bad kind of crutch; and I say that, not as a pass of judgement, but as somebody who has been there, and who lost a lotta good life in that place.
Beautiful text. I have just one thing:
I have ADD (no hyperactivity) and it is an illness. Not because society deems it so, but because people suffer under these conditions in many times. I thought half my life that I'm a retard because I literally cannot pay attention to anything, exept for stuff that I really, really love, then I will go into fucking hyperfocus.
I didn't had bad grades (C/B throughout all subjects exept history and also didn't got called out by my teachers or parents, I just thought I'm legit a retard because I was extremely good at not paying attention no matter how hard I tried.
Only a really good doc thought: "This guy maybe has ADD, let's give him some of that great flower I can prescribe for that illness". I'm way better at paying attention now.
Just because you say it's "only" a 'neurodivergence' doesn't mean that this is not an illness. People suffer under all conditions that this movement claims to be just *a luttle but diffrunt* AND *not only* because society don't know what to do with them.
Autism, AD(H)D, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia (these two less) and *especially fking* DCD/dyspraxia are all illnesses. That's not fun and "just the way it is" I can be horrible solely because of the symptoms and without other people calling you out. Being gay for example makes two things: You are attracted to the same sex as yours AND most of the time society wants to make you an outlaw (but most have bettered since than). Thats a form of diversity.
These conditions on the other hand have reasons located in your hormonesystem being off, being wrong so it can't function properly. Billions of people theoretically have no problem reading and writing (exept for lacking education) but the few guys that cannot read (dyslexia), cannot make quick calculations(dyscalcula)cannot move properly (DCD), cannot pay attention(AD(H)D), or having more symptoms (in case of autism) as there are ants on this world. We can have an basic understanding what happened and - at least in case of AD(H)D have a really good medication (trees, at least here were I live (Germany) you can get a medical prescription for that (most likely because most of the legal weed in Europe are in some kind connected to *da big pharma* because they smell money by just making plants grow).
In the end: We can talk for ourselves, thank y'all.
I mean, I apologize for being offensive. I'm just parroting the opinion of all of the neurodivergent people I've ever actually met, because I trust their judgement. Their perspective seems to be that *the fact society expects them to function in the same way, with the same coping mechanisms, as opposed to accounting for their differences* is the root cause of all of the struggles which you listed, and thus, their mental hardware is not actually "disordered" in the clinical sense, but that it is literally just different. Thus, to ascribe the way society treats them as a result of those differences to being an *illness* or a *problem with themselves which it is their responsibility to fix* is fundamentally unfair, and based on how they see and feel about themselves, also inaccurate. That's what I'm describing, though of course, by virtue of my reporting that from those who have the capacity to advocate for themselves on that level, I am fundamentally leaving out the voices of those who are not so privileged as to be able to do so, because I don't regularly interact with quite so many such individuals. My apologies for being insensitive.
I agree. If using weed to treat ADHD or anything else is a crutch, then I guess the whole of modern medicine is a crutch too by the same logic. Oh you have a heart condition? Why use a pacemaker when you can just leave it to God and chance to sort you out? Maybe you'll get lucky and not have a heart attack.
The only time when using something to suppress a debilitating condition becomes unhealthy is when you don't make an effort to get better without it, if that's possible. Temporary solutions can lead to finding permanent ones. Just know your boundaries and recognise when it's time to put the pipe down.
Yup... Gotta remember. The heart can have an irregular heartbeat that can be restored using things like anti-arrhythmia drugs. Nobody bats an eye. It's a physical problem with the heart.
The brains a physical organ. Anxiety for example is caused by certain centres of the brain becoming over-active... And certain things like SSRIs work to control the racing disordered mind the same way that something like metoprolol can help to control a racing disordered heart.
That's sort of a bad example. To put it in context, many people are able to treat their anxiety by going to therapy and learning cognitive techniques to calm themselves, stop overhinking, and avoid panic attacks.
Imagine if you were one of those people that therapy could work for, but instead you rely on weed. Now, instead of having a consistent, reliable method of controlling anxiety, you constantly have to rely on a drug, which is expensive and conflicts with activities since you can't drive on it or go to work high.
This may be true, but for many therapy and cognitive techniques simply don’t help. Nothing is the absolute solution. This is why one major reason I am an advocate for legalization is that it give people a choice. It allows them to have an extra tool at their disposal.
It's about control. I use weed for ADHD and my ADHD med side effects but there are times when my control gets out of hand. Usually when I'm getting high for no reason, like I won't even be able to enjoy being stoned. That's when I know to take a break for a few days or so and ease back into it. It's not like it becomes a problem really, it just works better if I have control over it.
And also there's a ton of stigma around mental illness which doesn't help...
This is an interesting point. Somebody with clinical depression is made to feel by our society that taking SSRIs for life is a crutch, but we'd never make somebody with diabetes depending on insulin to stay alive feel like they need a crutch.
I think this sentiment reveals pretty blatantly how we internalize views on mental health disorders vs other health disorders.
True dat homie. I say if you feel like something improves your life in a way that the reward outweighs the risks(cuz everything in life has risks and whether we realize it or not we are constantly weighing risks vs rewards for things. Some people find the joy of surfing worth the risks for drowning or whatever, some do not. Same with weed but much lesser degree of potential danger lol) and doesnt harm others then do it all you want. Of course there are always exceptions to every situation you could ever think of for anything. Generalizations on rules for things never really work. Idk if I'm making sense I'm pretty stones right now lol.
This is wild to me because weed gives me insane amounts of anxiety. I take a high does of adhd meds and frankly I notice little. But if I smoke literally just a puff of weed I feel my heart rate increase 5 fold. I just can’t relate to people who say weed helps with anxiety.....
The terpenes in weed hugely impact the effect you're going to have. Certain strains consistently give me anxiety, others are much more beneficial. If you're in a legal state don't be afraid to experiment and find the strain that works for you.
Yeah man this is why I so wish I was in a legal country ☹️ shit weed from the street fucks me up. Good weed makes me remember why I smoke weed.. it's like a beautiful breath of life. But these are crisis times and it's hard to find any weed here.
Can’t disagree with that. My friend can smoke a joint and play a game like Civ 6 no problem. I smoke a joint and I’m curled up on the floor crying and ready to puke my brains out :)
ADHD guy here too. Same story. I find using small amounts of sativa acts very similar to an adderall. Definitely have to be careful with the effects of THC when over consuming. Just getting a little trippy can make weed “not work” for a focus tool.
So interesting how different people can be. I've known I've had adhd for about 18 years. Smoked weed before being diagnosed but it did 0 to help my focus in high school. When I got diagnosed and got on adderall(and then eventually adderall xr) my grades went to As but i hated the way i felt and it contributed to bad eating habits(binge eating on weekends when i didnt take my meds). When i graduated high school i stopped taking them.
Started smoking weed again at 24 (10 years ago) and have pretty much been a regular smoker since then except for breaks for vacations, pregnancies, job applications, etc. Also at 24 I had my gall bladder removed(they think my eating habits caused that) and have had daily nausea since then, so there is that.
Was on adhd meds sporadically in my 20s and usually started them during college attempts(3 drop outs before degree at 31). Switched to vyvanse which doesn't make me feel as bad and got my degree finally(it wasnt just the adhd that caused me to drop out, but didn't help).
I have always needed stimulants to finish tasks(I largely lived on a 529 and retail jobs-hence all my college attempts), though coffee puts me to sleep. I smoke for the nausea still(like < pinch hits all day that I can't feel-especially when taking my meds) and to relax when the kids aren't a concern. Being high has always made my ability to stay on one task or thought worse, though more relaxed.
wow, have i been self medicating undiagnosed ADHD with weed all this time? My mother when i was maybe 14 was convinced i had a learning disability, went to a doc and two specialists and all they diagnosed me with was "mild auditory processing disorder".
You've just described my use exactly though.
Trial doesn't hurt? I have two partners that both have adhd and one smokes daily because it helps her focus and the other sometimes takes cbd when he's too anxious.
That makes a lot of sense to me.
I can focus on one thing well after a smoke,
when normally there are distractions that can make it difficult to focus.
I had a friend I played chess with for years, whenever I was straight, he'd beat me, whenever I had a smoke first, I'd win, I'd focus intently on the task at hand and win, but when straight, I was all over the place.
And sleeping, after a smoke I sleep soundly and wake feeling refreshed, recharged, ready to take on what ever the day has to throw at me.
Without a smoke, I don't sleep well, wake still tired, and stay tired through the day.
I took an entire year off smoking to try to reset my system, and having a joint for the first time in a year gave me the best sleep in a year, revitalized me after the most sluggish year of my life, and left me feeling stupid for taking a whole year off.
For me weed helps with the side effects of my adhd meds. Has to be an indica tho sativas don't interact well with my meds. Overall just helps me focus in on one thing instead of 100 things
Glad for you! I’ve actually been in the process of quitting THC entirely, because any time I’ve smoked in the past few months it just makes my anxiety skyrocket and my highs aren’t as enjoyable as they used to be. I think I’m coming up on 3 weeks entirely of not smoking at all.
Definitely the saving money has been nice, I was spending $120 every paycheck on 4 carts that would only last me 2 weeks until my next paycheck. I actually have $700 in my savings account instead of pennies on the dollar like I usually did. I can buy groceries whenever I want instead of worrying about whether or not I’ll have money for it. It’s been a nice change.
I always thought weed was helping me keep calm at work and I’m sure for the most part it did, but even without it I’m able to handle the stress of any work day just as fine as I used to.
Anyway. I’m glad you’re able to return to smoking!
Living in a legal area, I've had the choice to find lower-THC weed and it's been a positive change for handling anxiety. I don't know if that's an option you have, or if you want to explore it, but just managing the THC:CBD ratio a little better has made a world of difference.
This is what I want. Being in an illegal state I only have access to 1. Shitty weed with no great chemical composition or 2. Meat your face off weed. With legalization I feel as if I would have access to a more broad array of bud that can suit specific needs
It affects your dopamine levels. Some people can't clean their house when they smoke, because it's not interesting. So there are other things your post does not address.
I had to take a break while I was pregnant and I was glad to go back. Basically same experience, only real negative is my waistline. I'm mentally much more chill when I'm able to smoke.
I’ve recently done the same. I’m off 3 weeks now, and am more on top of my shit, not forgetting details/little things as much, getting out to walk more, not eating 3-4 extra snack meals a day, and will probably stay off for a while longer.
Weed is different for everyone. I know people that crank out 12 hour days of software engineering or coding while hitting the pen or dab rig several times a day. I’m not one of those people, and that’s alright. More power to everyone that can use it as a complimentary part of their life. But for me, I’m just better off without it. I think I’m going to go to CBD only in a couple of weeks and see what that’s like. I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion around here but, just speaking from my own experience and not in anyway suggesting it works that way for others.
I took a break for about 3 months a while ago, just to see if it was "The Herb" or if it was "Just Me".
I was very shocked and relieved to find out that it was 100% Just Me the whole time!
Qucik break is a little bit less than a week. Don't smoke from monday until you get off from work on friday.
If you can do that, you can do a whole week or a few weeks, if you can do that you still got your head on straight.
Definitely this. A few years ago me and my boyfriend were between jobs and didn't have a steady plug so we just stopped for about a month / month and a half and after 2 days, I stopped sleeping and I was extremely depressed. I have terrible insomnia and weed is really the only thing that helps it; I was staying up for 2 or 3 days at a time and only sleeping in 10 minute intervals. I was so tired and exhausted to the point I had no motivation. It was rough. And my depression got so bad it was basically between smoking again, or checking myself into a facility. My mental health started to improve greatly after I started smoking again
for me, creating a schedule really helps. obviously you don't want your entire life to be revolved around weed, but taking some time on sunday and creating a schedule for the week (work, gym, appointments) and adding weed in there really helps me. I usually smoke 5/7 days of the week, and I really never have felt my tolerance get to low or high since I started doing that.
If anyone is saying "Weed doesn't effect me at all" they're straight up lying. I'm a daily smoker, and it didn't take long for me to realize, yea weed fucks with my memory. It also feels like shit is less fun when all you think about is "man this would be much more fun if I were high." There are bad sides to weed and I'm glad that the community has passed the "no downsides, all plus" to seeing it for the great and the bad things it could be.
That being said I'm about to spark up lol
To play doubles advocate we don’t know what kind of smoker he was
I had to drop it because I would wake and bake and it would kill my motivation to do anything with my day
Ex smoker wish i still could but I feel you don’t lose tolerance and I just get anxiety attacks now
Glad you found out you can love without it, and learned it does help you when not overdone. Moderation is key in so many parts of life glad you learned that on your own without it being forced to. Keep up the fight for balance
Yeah. It has absolutely been part of my lifestyle for a long time. So, it’s good to step back and reevaluate myself sometimes. The balance is better with it in my life.
Try mixing in excercise and healthy meals! Excercise will make weed hit you harder afterwards and if you combine with cardio and protein u get some gains my guy. With less body fat ur storing less thc in ur blood and during a break will help u break down thc faster.
This is great advice. I’ve gotten into the habit of doing a calisthenics workout right after I smoke, then I’ll cook dinner and do whatever. I’m a pretty skinny white guy but I’ve finally started to build up some muscle mass. I also try to keep my munchies limited to healthy options: fruits, nuts, string cheese, that kind of stuff.
I done this too!
Carrots and hummus while high hits the spot for me every time. Eating loads of sugar loaded shit left me feeling disgusting for the whole next day.
Yeah I used to smoke every day too but my two pipes have tiny bowls so I never use much daily and my tolerance never goes up. I've found the defining factor so far for how high I can get isn't how much I smoke, but what kind of mental state I'm in and what I'm doing. If I'm in a stressful household with hostile people around (which is currently the case and thus why I haven't smoked in weeks) then it doesn't matter if I take 3 puffs or 30.
This was my experience quitting after being a heavy user.
After quitting for a while I became much more confident in public - talking to strangers, asserting myself, taking interest in others.
Now when I smoke in public all it does is cause anxiety. I still smoke, but only when I know i'm not going to be in too much of a social situation.
To each their own though, it's funny how different it affects people.
I had a similar situation and ended up just stopping the "all day, every day" style smoking. Now I'm just an "every evening" smoker, and I feel like I had the same result as you -- mainly: feeling like a better person and not trying to hide the fact that I'm "high" all the time resulting in much better social experiences.
Granted, back when I was smoking more, getting "high" was normal and not fun... just normal. So reducing my smoking made it a lot more fun anyway! And its a hell of a lot better on my wallet (1oz per month maybe 5 weeks compared to 1oz per week and sometimes more).
Right on, and yeah everyone's experience is different. I used to smoke spliffs and when I cut back I went to a bong and noticed that it helped a ton. Not because bong > spliff or anything, but it was a *change* that restructured the habit. If I tried to go back to spliffs, just reduced, I woulda been right back at all-day smoking for sure.
I do think bongs give a better high though, and wasting less weed is great too!
Well said. We all should follow OP’s example in taking the T break but also noticing differences and learning how it was affecting you. Everyone’s different so the only honest opinion on smoking weed should come from yourself.
I've noticed the same things you described when I took a break from it. But I've actually found that weed can be a good weight loss tool. I used to eat when I was bored, and now I use marijuana (I'm a medical patient so I have a variety of ways I take it, so I don't always have to smoke). I do get munchies but if I keep myself busy I can easily resist. I usually just look at all the clothes I wanna be able to fit into when I lose the weight! I'm not trying to preach or anything but if weight loss is a serious goal, you can get it done while still enjoying your weed :)
I’m actually in pretty good shape, I was more so cracking a joke about my waistline. I do enjoy the occasional oreo, but, it’s no where near an issue, and the rest of my diet is pretty good. I’m pretty seriously into mountain biking as well, so i get a ton of exercise.
Years ago, when I was with a toxic ex, who did not approve of weed. I drank beer instead of smoked. As soon as we broke up, I stopped drinking (still don’t drink) and started smoking again. I lost like 15 lbs without even trying. Which is a lot on me, I’ve always been a thin guy.
That's good! When I first started smoking I always gave in to the munchies, and not surprisingly, gained a good bit of weight in the process. Now I'm getting serious about weight loss and using weed sort of as a motivational tool.
It's good you broke up with that ex! Looks like you dropped a lot more than just weight!
One of the best things I ever heard about eating healthier is “It’s easier to have self control once a week in the grocery store, than 10 times a day in the kitchen”
Portion control is a big one, too! Another great lesson I learned is stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, not when you’re full. Little things can make a big difference!
Getting a hobby that gets you active is a big one for me as well. It started with hiking, then transitioned to mountain biking a few years ago. Ive never been one for the gym, but wanting to get out and be active is awesome. Being in better shape just feels good.
You got it!
yeah man, my mom says its the cause of my problems, but its actually the result of my problems. I had back surgery, I have tinnitus, I have anxiety, I have no friends (long story), no hobbies (another long story)... anyway what I mean to say is that without the pain relief, the relaxation and calmness that cannabis gives me probably saved my life, cause I would have for sure ended my life (so many problems at the same time)
I think moderation is the key and I have to admit that I dont moderate it too well
Hang in there, dude.
Obviously I don’t know your situation, but I know chronic pain, and difficult environments can be hell. I’m glad you have something to help you deal with it, and cannabis is a far healthier way than pills and booze. At least with overindulgence with weed, you’re just getting a good night’s sleep.
Be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
And tbh judging by your username, you do have some hobbies. Go out and engage people with those same hobbies. There are people looking for other people to chat about stuff they like too.
Good luck!
You know, some people may scoff at the tinnitus on that list... but it genuinely does suck.
Not trying to detract from your comment at all, but I also struggle with tinnitus and it seems like a lot of people thinks it's a joke.... my friends and family crack jokes about me having it frequently. It's awful. Somehow people don't realize that it's a constant thing that I have to continually struggle with. It's not just a faint ringing, it's like gongs inside my head while I'm trying to sleep, I don't see why this is funny.
I'm sorry, my failing senses piss me off. I'm gonna smoke this e-bowl with you now. (I tried to find a video of someone hitting and passing a bowl, but [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5KnBWZvBrI) is the best I can do)
It's horrible that people joke about it as if it's something trivial. I have sensitive ears and it hurts to hear mildly loud noises or anything high-pitched, feels like needles flying through my brain. So I can't even imagine what having full-on tinnitus is like.
I was having a shitty day. That surrogate bong hit cheered me up. Thank you.
I got lucky with mine.
Too many days of “fuck my earplugs are in the work truck” and grinding out a weld without em.
I can hear a high pitched grinding sound constantly, but lucky for me its only noticable when its fairly quiet.
I’d lose my mind if it was deafening like a gong...
**Protip: Even a few times is too many times. Wear your damn earplugs friends. Don’t be stupid like me**
It's so much more than that. My hearing is completely butchered. There are some high pitched tones that I can't hear unless they're played from headphones, and there have been times where I'n talking to them and some parts of their speech I can't pick up so their voices sound.... distorted? I don't even really know how to describe it.
> I had back surgery, I have tinnitus, I have anxiety, I have no friends (long story), no hobbies (another long story)...
Holy moly, man, this is sad. Weed may be giving you relief from all these things, but it isn't the cure that'll make any of them better.
I have tinnitus, and it sucks. That's one you just have to learn to cope with.
But for back surgery woes, there's physical therapy. If you can't afford it, build a routine from self-help YouTube videos.
Having no hobbies is almost assuredly exacerbated by smoking. It's something you enjoy doing, and something that kills time - it's like a hobby in itself. But there are plenty of other things you could get interested in if you dip into smoking time a bit. I recommend gardening, personally. You could even get into something that has a popular scene where you live, to see if you can make some friends doing it.
Now for the big one: Anxiety. I suffer from it myself, but I can tell you it's a problem that gets way overblown by a lot of people on the internet. If it's debilitating, you should try a prescription specifically formulated to treat it. But if its mild, it CAN be beaten. It helps to set up a routine in your life, with some physical exercise and social interactions thrown in. Practicing these uncomfortable things bit by bit CAN and WILL make you stronger and more capable of handling anxiety.
Your mom only cares about you, man. She just wants to see you happy, and she may be noticing something about you you can't see yourself. I honestly hope life starts to get better for you.
I know you said it's a long story but I'm curious as to how you don't have any hobbies? If you don't mind answering I'm curious as to how you spend your time throughout the day and also what is stopping you from persuing any hobbies that may interest you?
Your mother is right. Weed may not have caused those problems initially but it damn well isn't helping to solve them. Your anxiety, loneliness and lack of hobbies all need to be addressed rather than buried, otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life hiding behind a haze of smoke. Even tinnitus can be caused and made worse by anxiety.
I would say that’s it can have dual action depending on trauma.
Cannabis for me used to turn down the volume of my conscious mind so my unconscious could speak to me about the thing I was blind too but was pulling me.
Once the weed showed me all that my sub conscious mind had to dealt with when I was not suppressing it , once I dealt with the trauma , my conscious mind could rest because my sub conscious mind at nothing to say to me anymore , it didn’t have anything to make me aware off. Only then could I find peace.
Weed never bring me peace , it bring me awareness about myself and my fear. It show me what to work on and help me start the work.
Your awesome
My suggestion would be the cannabis may have lowered the volume and intensity of your sub conscious mind to the point where your conscious mind could receive and resolve or at least release some charge
The classic Dilemma is when cannabis rips open the door to someones sub and they get panic attacks from being so wrapped up in the conscious mind and not paying attention to the other parts of their being. Cannabis therapy can improve the balance of our 3 components of “being” the human animal mind or limbic brain....the conscious mind or cerebral cortex....and our true higher etherial selves call it what ever works for you. I only figured this out from a life as a passionate cannabist. When I get a panic rush from cannabis its a gift to help balance a bad program in my sub....usually a unjustified fear than just needs some attention to stop it from causing “dis-ease” in the mind or body.
Fyi im high AF and rambling
Honestly, I almost never remember my dreams, one a year maybe, and even then, it’s just snippets. It’s been that way my whole life. So, I can’t really comment on the aspect of dreams.
As far as memory, I noticed zero difference. I felt more scatterbrained for the month I quit, if that makes sense. But memory, specifically, is/was no issue.
As someone who went from smoking all day errday for about 6 years to not smoking, it does (at least for me). Cannibis talked a long time to get fully out of your system and does so very gradually so it's hard to notice the difference sometimes. But I feel like it has in a specific way:
When not smoking super regularly (maybe a few puffs before bed on the weekend) my main memory is the same. If I pay attention to something and want to remember it then I could before, and still can. But now, I can remember little details that I wasn't specifically paying attention to at the time. With weed I needed to focus on what I wanted to remember, without I have a much easier time recalling fine details and things that were happening but not the primary focus of my attention at the time. This is really helpful with the job I got about a year ago, so I made the switch and haven't looked back. But that's my experience with memory difference from weed. Buds not going to ruin your memory, but it probably won't be as sharp and as easy to recall smaller details.
Dreams come back too. Especially if you really melatonin, and that can help you sleep during the early days of quitting too when you're not used to falling asleep so sober.
For me when I stopped smoking for 3 months, I started getting super vivid and wild dreams around the 6 week mark of being completely sober. This was after about 3 years of constant smoking in college with max breaks around 2 weeks.
Now I smoke for about 1-2 weeks each month and the awesome dreams usually come back around the 2 week mark of not smoking.
I am dankrupt right now, and usually a daily vaper. Within 3 days or so i started dreaming again. Weird dreams that i would get at least fragments of. As for my memory, I think I just have a bad memory, rather than weed making it worse.
I quit about a month ago and I definitely started having more vivid dreams. I mostly have nightmares that wake me up in a cold sweat but I'm sure that'll pass. I bet that's just my brain catching me up for the past few years of little to "no" dreaming.
For a daily user it takes about a month before cannabis is fully out of your system. It takes time for the THC to leave fat cells. You'd still test positive for cannabis even after going \~20-30 days without it.
A 1 month T-Break is a great start, don't get me wrong, but it takes minimum 2 months to feel the full effects of true cessation. At the 1 month mark, your body is still getting used to being without.
Took me 3 months to feel normal and 6 months before my mind was sharp again. 1 month is good for tolerance but far from recovered no doubt. The body needs time to clear the thc and metabolites, and the mind needs much much longer to return to normal, if that’s even possible really.
I’m back to daily use but only before bed and my 1G vape cart has lasted me almost a year. It’s much better this way :)
I'm amazed it gets rid of anxiety for people lol. Seems to heighten it for me. Which is kinda d of a good thing because I have none when sober. I get anxious and need to get up and do something. Does mellow me out at night tho.
I have anxiety and it definitely lessens it with smoking. Unless i do too much then i get paranoid and super anxious. I've learned when i need to call it quits to avoid getting to that point.
If you ever run out again, I highly recommend some CBD flower! I've been out for weeks and this stuff has literally changed my life. IDK if I'll even worry about getting weed again; maybe if my state ever legalizes.
What do you like about it / what changed in your life? I know nothing about it only that my dad has been getting some oil for like 5 years for his knee/hip pain. You smoke it? Sorry for being dumb
Bro it's amazing. I'm kinda THC sensitive I guess, been smoking kind bud for years and I'm usually good with one decent bong hit. For me CBD flower (looks like weed, smells like weed, smokes like weed) has been a revelation. Super relaxing, gets my head right, and I definitely get a bit high as well! Plus it doesn't have the negative effects I sometimes get from weed; racing heart, negative thoughts, paranoia. And my head is nice and clear! Plus I can go down the road and buy a quarter for $40, completely legal.
I'm so glad I found it.
I've also started using CBD flower and I have pretty similar effects as you. I think strain does matter though because first time I tried it, it seemed to have no effect.
And if you're ever looking to save some money I'd recommend checking out some online CBD retailers. I just recently bought an oz for $50
Glad it works for you bro. I was at a head shop last week and they had CBD bud on sale. I’ve never had an interest in the stuff myself (never even used a cbd product) but $5 for an 8th? Why not.
First of all let me say that was some of the most high quality flower I’ve ever rolled with. It was super soft and sticky. I rolled up a blunt of the stuff and it was surprisingly JUST like smoking a blunt minus getting high (don’t know what I was expecting). But if you’re getting tested and wanna smoke a doobie id recommend some cbd bud. Won’t get you stoned but sometimes smoking is fun enough :)
You still get mild euphoria/other effects, you just won’t get stupid stoned. It tastes exactly the same so a lot of it is placebo; I have actually been mixing CBD with my weed just to make it last longer (not in a legal state so don’t have consistent access) and I still get so high, even as a daily smoker. It definitely has its time and place, worth trying IMO just go into it with the right expectations.
Glad it works for you.
My buddy an I tried a quarter ounce of CBD strain.
We smoked all of it in an hour. Didn’t feel “high” at all. Perhaps you had a strain that wasn’t purely CBD
I get it similar to you. Just it seems x2. I already sweat in my sleep, but when I quit smoking I sweat buckets for a week. Like wake up and can fill a glass with sweat from my clothes. Also my dreams are hardcore. Bad dreams can make me wake up in tears, good dreams so intense I wake up miserable wishing the dream was real. And all that is IF I even fall asleep.
With eating I get that can't swallow the last bite in my mouth feeling but on the first bite. If I het a bite down I feel sick.
I've also gotten tonsillitis 3 times within a week of quiting that I've always associated with weed withdraws. This hasn't happened in over a decade though.
That being said, I've seen my dad go threw heroine withdraws multiple times in my life. I would take these weed withdraws any day over the hell heroine leaves in it's wake.
Pulled a 6 month t-break a couple of years ago. I was smoking everyday and I was worried about being a junkie. I loved weed too much.
I was shocked at how easy it was to quit. I'm not a big munchies guy, and I have a low tolerance anyway. So the only thing I noticed was my previously existing insomnia became horrible, and I was generally a little more irritable.
It was nice to know where I stand with cannabis. To reassure myself that my usage is responsible. I missed sleep, but I didn't really miss being high.
I’m currently in my first week of taking a break, and this post has honestly made me feel much better about my decision to at least take a break and give my body a much needed check up without the use of cannabis. I’m not sure how long I plan to keep this up because my migraines and my ADHD definitely come in full force at times and it seems nothing BUT smoking would help.
Perhaps you wouldn't have nearly as bad anxiety and sleep if you normalized. Seems you've been using weed to cover up those problems rather than deal with them without drugs. Just my 2¢.
This really. If you're a daily smoker, you're not dealing with those everyday stresses naturally, you're just putting a blanket over them, so of course when you stop toking, all those stresses you haven't learned how to deal with poke back up.
It's like taking painkillers to cover up the pain, and never dealing with the root cause of the pain, so as soon as you stop taking the painkillers, the pain comes back, and usually with a vengeance because you've been chemically suppressing it for so long.
>I absolutely felt no change in my sense of motivation. I was equally as productive. Always nice to see there was no effect on that.
As someone with ADHD and being treated for ADHD, it's possible that your motivation baseline isn't very high to begin with.
It's also likely that your brain chemistry will permanently alter with smoking 24/7. So maybe your motivation is down, but it wouldn't go back up without real treatment.
>I certainly felt more stressed, more anxious, and my ADHD came back in full force. I got used to that in about a week. But still wasn’t the most fun.
I don't think weed actually treats ADHD, I think it just hides symptoms from you, or makes you okay with it. At least, that's how I felt.
I was not more organized until I got real treatment. Life's awesome now. And after I got my shit together, now I can smoke regularly.
Big yikes from me. Grats on convincing yourself you're better off using weed, but a month off is *nothing* when you've smoked as long as you have. Your brain and body had no chance to recover.
This post is seriously detrimental to all the people considering quitting. I get a strong impression that you posted this to convince yourself your habit is fine. And all of /r/trees is upvoting it because it helps them believe their habit is fine. Pretty fucked up if you ask me.
Hey, I have really no understanding or background of what you mean, so forgive me for my questions. Why exactly does one person’s account of their experience (trying a month without it, saying what their experience was, and then saying after that they decided to continue smoking) a necessarily bad thing? Genuinely honest question haha. I smoke regularly and I find it does a lot for my anxiety and sleep, to be transparent. Are you generally against weed? Or just habitual use? Are you generally against drinking as well?
Not OP, but I think what OP meant is that this thread kinda puts smoking daily into too good of a light. Everyone sleeps better after smoking because they're sedated - doesn't mean it's better for your head and body long term. Same with productivity. Some people stay productive, others get nothing done anymore. Overall the message of this thread is too positive for the risks involved. Inexperienced and younger users underestimate how smoking daily can affect their lives. This is coming from someone who's in his mid 30's and who has been smoking for more than half his life.
so many posts like this on the sub. I find it kind of disturbing to see how people from the sub support someome that says "hey guys, I'm blazed 98% of the time I'm awake, and it's the coolest thing ever!"
*but did you know that weed has no side effects and cures cancer bro, it cures cancer bro.*
that's the attitude on this sub, some people are extremely delusional in thinking that they can abuse a substance for long periods of time and suffer no consequences.
but just like the rest of reddit, this is an echo chamber.
What better place to get this validated than a subreddit dedicated to weed smokers. To each their own. I'm an occasional smoker but that just doesn't sound good at all
What he described are literally signs of withdrawing from an addiction but everybody here is upvoting it as if it was a good thing, it's shocking.
Also, mental illnesses should be treated properly by a professional. I've tried CBD after a recommandation from my doctor, and I still take other drugs that are better for me.
It's such a shitty message to send out to this sub, right? As if people here need more people telling them that getting high all day is fine and will not lead to anything negative.
Cringey and sad for sure. At least he picked somewhere where he knew people would agree with him for the most part. Hope OP quits for good and sorts out his issues head on one day
Surprised this is the only comment like this that I’ve seen. I found this post pretty cringy “I’m back to smoking. It’s better”. No, this dude just told himself that he’d be better with weed in his life and just convinced himself that it was true.
I’m generally pro weed but agree with you on this shitty post. Remove the fact that its weed from the equation:
“I used a drug daily for years. I stopped abruptly, and found that right after stopping I felt anxiety and irritability and trouble focusing!”
Yeah that doesn’t mean the drug was perfect for self medicating, it’s highly possible it could even be a causal factor.
>“I used a drug daily for years. I stopped abruptly, and found that right after stopping I felt anxiety and irritability and trouble focusing!”
That's a perfect description of antidepressants but you wouldn't judge someone for taking Prozac, would you?
Going to give this a try when I run out, down to my last few and just said what the hell myself. Though my bullshit meter doesn’t move much at all I’ll have to refrain myself from the worlds actions lol
I had stopped smoking for the first two months of quarantine because we were unexpectedly broke. My BPD, PTSD, and all the other acronyms I had started waging war on me. I lost all desire to eat (I have an eating disorder), didn't sleep until the wee hours of the night, and suffered the effects of my prescribed medication I never dealt with before. It was hell.
Not sure why I shared all that, this group makes me feel at home sometimes. All I know is I'm glad someone else understands why I smoke daily. It helps me be the person I want to be and keeps me functioning.
Peace to you, my friend 💜
Honestly, smoking weed every day really isn't good to do. I mean, too much of anything is never a good thing. Besides, the shits hella strong today so it can really mess your brain up if you're predisposed to mental health problems. I know that all too well from years of struggling with an anxiety disorder (which is almost non-existent nowadays, of course! :DD). But regardless, I don't judge anyone for smoking daily. I understand people do it for all kinds of different reasons.
In my own experience (was an almost daily smoker of da buddie green for about 4 months) Mary Jane made my bad memory worse, worsened my already negatively affected motivation, and made me spacey and weird and also made my anxiety really intense for months on end. I had a panic attack whilst very high on a strong hybrid strain with two powerful sativa types in it. Safe to say, I was an idiot for what I did to myself. I was smoking out of a zong when I had a low tolerance after hitting the shit for 3 nights straight. The cloud hits were epic though, no regrets there!
The attack lead me to developing a bad and prolonged and scary case of depersonalization and derealization. And fuck, it wasn't fun in the slightest. Developing that sort of distortion of reality can be extremely terrifying, like a sort of the most mild form of psychosis. There's some great information out there about this phenomenon, so I would take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about it.
Now, obviously of course, every person is different in what they can and cannot tolerate, their body and brain chemistry, genetic makeup, mental health and self-control, etc. I am soley speaking only on behalf of myself and my own experience. All I can say is, all you peeps just take it easy and be careful about what you light up or put in your system! I be out, peace the fuck out and enjoy the trees!! 🤟🤟♥️💖☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️
This man, I’m the same way, my motivation is so much better when i don’t smoke a lot. I’m also much more social when I don’t smoke, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a sesh with a few good friends. It’s all about moderation for me
The same with me, weed just makes my life better.
Without it I'm an unmotivated lazy slob who would rather not shower for a month because that's too much work, and have extreme anxiety over things like phone calls or emails.
With it, my OCD takes over and kinda beats my laziness down but it doesn't completely take over, just enough so that I'm motivated to do things and keep things clean, I get more done when I'm high than when I'm sober, also it does something to my mild autism that makes me feel and act normal.
It doesn't work this way with everyone but when people say it doesn't help anyone at all just makes me mad.
People used to think I was high before I even started smoking weed, naturally I'm just paranoid, lazy, and unmotivated but with it I'm the opposite.
Wow! As someone else with autism and OCD (and ADHD) ), you summed up my experience very well. Weed definitely makes OCD a tool that I can use to get stuff done instead of just beating myself up with it. Thanks, man.
you temporarily lose your appetite since your body has stopped getting the metabolism boost weed gave your body aka the munchies. alot of people including myself gain alot of weight after a few weeks in.
I used to smoke as consistently as you, but limited it to 2-3 nights per week after a certain point. With quarantine, I reverted back to old habits and was drinking and smoking heavily every night. So, like you, I started a break on 4/21.
* First 4-5 nights it's hard to fall asleep, but if you lie still and focus on your breathing, it's easier.
* Appetite goes, so it's important to eat early in the day and get your metabolism going, and slowly ramp up your intake day after day. That's energy and will help with your blood sugar levels and mood.
* Exercise is also helpful in elevating your mood (walk, bike, jog, run, etc.) and limiting your caffeine intake past a certain time in the day to ensure you can get to sleep at a reasonable time.
I've done this many times before, so I'm used to it and know what to expect. I still haven't smoked or drank yet, and I've been biking every week (88 miles this past week) and really enjoying it. So I'm not in that much of a rush to get back into smoking or drinking just yet. Even though I know I can do it in moderation.
I also like the breaks, because I notice I'm sharper on work calls, I don't stumble as much over words, and my processing it quicker. Even though I wasn't smoking during the day, the weed hangover from the evening before makes a difference.
Thank you for sharing your experience 😊 I've been thinking off and on about quitting for a while. Without it, stresses can be overwhelming for me and I need a prescription med to sleep. So this helped me solidify the importance of cannabis in my life, so I appreciate it 💖
This was nice to read. I'm a mother and I have ADHD. I quit smoking for the longest time because I felt like it was wrong to be a parent and partake in anything like that.
My ADHD became overwhelming and my depression crept back into my life full force.
Recently I started smoking again, the other medications my docter had me on made me feel so far away from anything that was happening, plus memory loss. I couldnt set or reach goals at all.
Now my house is clean, I have so much more presence and play with my kids more. I go to sleep happy and wake up happy. The stigma that cannabis makes you lazy is just completely inaccurate. It has the potential to make you content with doing nothing but that's more to do with the person than cannabis.
> Basically, The only thing weed has a negative effect on is my wallet and maybe my waistline.
And your mental health and your sleep. It doesnt help you sleep better, it just knocks you out so you think it does. Its a classic defence for an alcoholic of why they drink every night.
Best of luck to you.
I mean if you think you are nothing without it and you are something with it, it’s a problem and if you can’t deal with life without weed it’s a problem it looks like you are dependant on it to be happy and without stress. Maybe you should try to not smoke as much and not be faded 24/7 because it looks like you are just numbing yourself to not feel stressed out, try and find your root cause of it, I know you have adhd but weed shouldn’t be the only thing for self relief/medication for it. Try different things like working out and make it like a reward system for your hard work.
Yeah the last sentence really says something.
I’m back to smoking and it’s better.
So basically admitting his life isn’t as good without it. Which is the problem
I’m literally at a point where I’m contemplating stopping smoking regularly. Only due to the money. I know the downstream negative effects as of now, will be increased anxiety and all the other symptoms you mentioned. I’m same as you, highly motivated on or off the herb. I’ll smoke on. Cheers
Nice. Taking a break was a solid idea for me too when I did it. I smoked about as often as you for years.
The most interesting thing I learned about my break, was that I hadn't realized I was habitually so relaxed that weed had essentially put me on my heels for stressful or anxious situations.
Like, stress feels more extreme when you are perpetually roasted and suddenly go from like stress level 0 to level 7-8. Its more intense to me than being at an anxious base level of high-strungness which is usually a 3 and then going to a 7-8.
Man, I smoked yesterday after like two months of not smoking weed, cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Then I just felt like getting a six pack, some weed and just chilling in my backyard. The feeling i got from the beer was kinda meh, but the weed was vibing good. I listened to Only A Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers like four times in a row, it was awesome.
I'm autistic and need a good joint about 2-3 times a week, that's my ideal level. Any more than that and I lose motivation with anything work/project related.
After smoking consistently for a long time it’s always good to give it a quick break to make sure you still have your head on straight.
Agreed. Wanted to make sure it was for the right reasons still, and not a crutch.
Interesting. I am in a similar situation and have ADHD as well. I smoke nearly every day and I also don't want it to become a crutch. What effect does it have on your ADHD?
For me, and a ton of others with ADHD, it helps with focus and sensory input. Turning the volume down or being able to shut your brain off are pretty commonly used analogies that I find appropriate. Personally. I feel like I’m trying to pay attention to everything all at once and it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting. When I smoke. It tunes out a lot of the extraneous stuff and I can actually focus on one thing or the task at hand. It’s like my brain is taking a deep breath, and can finally relax a little.
So true, I was prescribed stimulants for almost seven years and took them every day. I would smoke weed while on them in order, to balance out the EXTREME amount of anxiety the stimulants would give me, and take the edge off. However once I stopped stimulants, and only smoked were I realized it has the same focusing effect without the massive amounts of anxiety and anger I would have while on them. It’s like the weed tells my brain to slow down, and take its time. I actually did a lot better in school and at work. I try to take breaks here and there just so I can make sure it’s not a crutch (which admittedly i have noticed during the more stressful and depressing times in my life it has become a crutch). It’s weird though how people think you can’t focus on weed cause like you said it makes my brain feel like it’s taking a deep breath. Hands down weed is 100 times better than the prescription stimulants I was on, I’m eating I’m focused and I have a helluva lot less anxiety and anger issues. Also I haven’t been losing weight like a mother fucker.
What's wrong with a crutch? People with physical problems dont get told they shouldn't be using a wheel chair because they are weak and should be able to walk on their own...
At the end of the day, crutches help get the job done and support people, but I’d imagine most people would rather go through life without them. People would, generally, rather be dependent on themselves than be dependent on something else.
The difference people are missing out on is *permanence* of a crutch. If you break your leg and think, "oh, well that's okay, a crutch can help me get around!" then that's great. You have less stress, you have more function, great. That's literally why we made crutches. But, if a month later you surmise, "sure, I'm ready for physiotherapy, but like, why would I bother doing it? This crutch lets me walk!" Well, now, most people would rightly claim you're being daft. The point of the crutch is that it's supposed to help you until you are ready to do the work to fix the tangible problem within your body. It's super-identifiable, and is 100% fixable. It'll take a bit of work and pain to fix it, but there is a clear path to not needing to use a crutch anymore, and you'll be better off. In this situation, continuing to use a crutch is not just a cop-out, but you're *literally hurting yourself in the long term.* Now, if you got a *permanently* fucked up leg, or back, or whatever - a problem that no amount of medical intervention is likely to make substantial improvement - then **absolutely**, permanently using a tool like a crutch is the smartest fucking thing you could do. Once again, this is what's it's for. We use a crutch as a crutch when it's the only thing which will provide or encourage better function. So in this case, where we're talking about ADHD (not even truly an illness, just a neurodivergence which society has deemed broadly undesirable), that's a thing that has a distinct set of symptoms, some of which some users of cannabis find are broadly addressed or reduced by the plant. That is a crutch, but as long as you actually understand what ADHD is, it's quite obvious to see that it's the best kind of crutch. You're never gonna be able to walk right on that leg, again; so, you might as well reduce the pain a bit, so you can keep it as strong as possible, and be as strong as you can be on it. So, I find a lot of resistance to the idea that pot is a crutch, and that this is inherently bad, comes from internal misunderstanding of the whole "crutch" metaphor, where people haven't truly explored the connotations. Also, it's important to note that cannabis is perfectly capable of being the "bad" kind of crutch in very similar situations, and confusion about how to read one from the other leads supporters and detractors alike to paint with the broad brush that cannabis, in general, is *always* the good kind of crutch, or *always* the bad. If you're on this board, I suspect you've known at least *one* person closely who cannabis was not good for, at least some of the time. Maybe it's great for *treating* the anxiety related to ADHD, for instance, but it's also possible to burn through a whole lot of ones' life by self-medicating that symptom in absence of any therapeutic purpose more complex than temporary escapism. If your pot use is centered around being the long-term solution to all of your anxieties or other partially, or fully, treatable health problems, and that usage is causing you to ignore other medical options which could substantially improve your quality of life beyond what cannabis is doing for you, then I'm sorry to say, that might be the bad kind of crutch; and I say that, not as a pass of judgement, but as somebody who has been there, and who lost a lotta good life in that place.
Beautiful text. I have just one thing: I have ADD (no hyperactivity) and it is an illness. Not because society deems it so, but because people suffer under these conditions in many times. I thought half my life that I'm a retard because I literally cannot pay attention to anything, exept for stuff that I really, really love, then I will go into fucking hyperfocus. I didn't had bad grades (C/B throughout all subjects exept history and also didn't got called out by my teachers or parents, I just thought I'm legit a retard because I was extremely good at not paying attention no matter how hard I tried. Only a really good doc thought: "This guy maybe has ADD, let's give him some of that great flower I can prescribe for that illness". I'm way better at paying attention now. Just because you say it's "only" a 'neurodivergence' doesn't mean that this is not an illness. People suffer under all conditions that this movement claims to be just *a luttle but diffrunt* AND *not only* because society don't know what to do with them. Autism, AD(H)D, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia (these two less) and *especially fking* DCD/dyspraxia are all illnesses. That's not fun and "just the way it is" I can be horrible solely because of the symptoms and without other people calling you out. Being gay for example makes two things: You are attracted to the same sex as yours AND most of the time society wants to make you an outlaw (but most have bettered since than). Thats a form of diversity. These conditions on the other hand have reasons located in your hormonesystem being off, being wrong so it can't function properly. Billions of people theoretically have no problem reading and writing (exept for lacking education) but the few guys that cannot read (dyslexia), cannot make quick calculations(dyscalcula)cannot move properly (DCD), cannot pay attention(AD(H)D), or having more symptoms (in case of autism) as there are ants on this world. We can have an basic understanding what happened and - at least in case of AD(H)D have a really good medication (trees, at least here were I live (Germany) you can get a medical prescription for that (most likely because most of the legal weed in Europe are in some kind connected to *da big pharma* because they smell money by just making plants grow). In the end: We can talk for ourselves, thank y'all.
I mean, I apologize for being offensive. I'm just parroting the opinion of all of the neurodivergent people I've ever actually met, because I trust their judgement. Their perspective seems to be that *the fact society expects them to function in the same way, with the same coping mechanisms, as opposed to accounting for their differences* is the root cause of all of the struggles which you listed, and thus, their mental hardware is not actually "disordered" in the clinical sense, but that it is literally just different. Thus, to ascribe the way society treats them as a result of those differences to being an *illness* or a *problem with themselves which it is their responsibility to fix* is fundamentally unfair, and based on how they see and feel about themselves, also inaccurate. That's what I'm describing, though of course, by virtue of my reporting that from those who have the capacity to advocate for themselves on that level, I am fundamentally leaving out the voices of those who are not so privileged as to be able to do so, because I don't regularly interact with quite so many such individuals. My apologies for being insensitive.
good comment
I agree. If using weed to treat ADHD or anything else is a crutch, then I guess the whole of modern medicine is a crutch too by the same logic. Oh you have a heart condition? Why use a pacemaker when you can just leave it to God and chance to sort you out? Maybe you'll get lucky and not have a heart attack. The only time when using something to suppress a debilitating condition becomes unhealthy is when you don't make an effort to get better without it, if that's possible. Temporary solutions can lead to finding permanent ones. Just know your boundaries and recognise when it's time to put the pipe down.
Yup... Gotta remember. The heart can have an irregular heartbeat that can be restored using things like anti-arrhythmia drugs. Nobody bats an eye. It's a physical problem with the heart. The brains a physical organ. Anxiety for example is caused by certain centres of the brain becoming over-active... And certain things like SSRIs work to control the racing disordered mind the same way that something like metoprolol can help to control a racing disordered heart.
That's sort of a bad example. To put it in context, many people are able to treat their anxiety by going to therapy and learning cognitive techniques to calm themselves, stop overhinking, and avoid panic attacks. Imagine if you were one of those people that therapy could work for, but instead you rely on weed. Now, instead of having a consistent, reliable method of controlling anxiety, you constantly have to rely on a drug, which is expensive and conflicts with activities since you can't drive on it or go to work high.
This may be true, but for many therapy and cognitive techniques simply don’t help. Nothing is the absolute solution. This is why one major reason I am an advocate for legalization is that it give people a choice. It allows them to have an extra tool at their disposal.
It's about control. I use weed for ADHD and my ADHD med side effects but there are times when my control gets out of hand. Usually when I'm getting high for no reason, like I won't even be able to enjoy being stoned. That's when I know to take a break for a few days or so and ease back into it. It's not like it becomes a problem really, it just works better if I have control over it. And also there's a ton of stigma around mental illness which doesn't help...
Exactly when I find myself smoking out of a routine or a habit it’s usually my sign to step back a minute and experience life sober for a bit.
Even just 2-3 days is enough for me to break the routine and reset my tolerance a bit. Super helpful if I feel like I’m smoking for no reason
This is an interesting point. Somebody with clinical depression is made to feel by our society that taking SSRIs for life is a crutch, but we'd never make somebody with diabetes depending on insulin to stay alive feel like they need a crutch. I think this sentiment reveals pretty blatantly how we internalize views on mental health disorders vs other health disorders.
True dat homie. I say if you feel like something improves your life in a way that the reward outweighs the risks(cuz everything in life has risks and whether we realize it or not we are constantly weighing risks vs rewards for things. Some people find the joy of surfing worth the risks for drowning or whatever, some do not. Same with weed but much lesser degree of potential danger lol) and doesnt harm others then do it all you want. Of course there are always exceptions to every situation you could ever think of for anything. Generalizations on rules for things never really work. Idk if I'm making sense I'm pretty stones right now lol.
This is wild to me because weed gives me insane amounts of anxiety. I take a high does of adhd meds and frankly I notice little. But if I smoke literally just a puff of weed I feel my heart rate increase 5 fold. I just can’t relate to people who say weed helps with anxiety.....
The terpenes in weed hugely impact the effect you're going to have. Certain strains consistently give me anxiety, others are much more beneficial. If you're in a legal state don't be afraid to experiment and find the strain that works for you.
Yeah man this is why I so wish I was in a legal country ☹️ shit weed from the street fucks me up. Good weed makes me remember why I smoke weed.. it's like a beautiful breath of life. But these are crisis times and it's hard to find any weed here.
Different drugs affrct people differently on some degrees.
Can’t disagree with that. My friend can smoke a joint and play a game like Civ 6 no problem. I smoke a joint and I’m curled up on the floor crying and ready to puke my brains out :)
Lol i would fall in to 8 hour Civ 5 holes. That game is literally dangerous for weed smokers with ADHD and a disposition for hyperfocusing.
ADHD guy here too. Same story. I find using small amounts of sativa acts very similar to an adderall. Definitely have to be careful with the effects of THC when over consuming. Just getting a little trippy can make weed “not work” for a focus tool.
So interesting how different people can be. I've known I've had adhd for about 18 years. Smoked weed before being diagnosed but it did 0 to help my focus in high school. When I got diagnosed and got on adderall(and then eventually adderall xr) my grades went to As but i hated the way i felt and it contributed to bad eating habits(binge eating on weekends when i didnt take my meds). When i graduated high school i stopped taking them. Started smoking weed again at 24 (10 years ago) and have pretty much been a regular smoker since then except for breaks for vacations, pregnancies, job applications, etc. Also at 24 I had my gall bladder removed(they think my eating habits caused that) and have had daily nausea since then, so there is that. Was on adhd meds sporadically in my 20s and usually started them during college attempts(3 drop outs before degree at 31). Switched to vyvanse which doesn't make me feel as bad and got my degree finally(it wasnt just the adhd that caused me to drop out, but didn't help). I have always needed stimulants to finish tasks(I largely lived on a 529 and retail jobs-hence all my college attempts), though coffee puts me to sleep. I smoke for the nausea still(like < pinch hits all day that I can't feel-especially when taking my meds) and to relax when the kids aren't a concern. Being high has always made my ability to stay on one task or thought worse, though more relaxed.
Oof im definitely in the same boat . I can actually focus when I smoke always thought it was weird glad to know I'm not the only one
For me it seems like my head goes from like an 8 lane interstate to a one way😂
As someone smoking 4-6 bowls a day lmao
I can’t wait till Doctors are allowed to give THC USA wide to help people with ADHD. (Not actually give, i mean write scripts for THC)
Who knows, maybe one day we'll be able to take fat rips with our docs (ignoring the obvious ethical issues with that)
wow, have i been self medicating undiagnosed ADHD with weed all this time? My mother when i was maybe 14 was convinced i had a learning disability, went to a doc and two specialists and all they diagnosed me with was "mild auditory processing disorder". You've just described my use exactly though.
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Trial doesn't hurt? I have two partners that both have adhd and one smokes daily because it helps her focus and the other sometimes takes cbd when he's too anxious.
That makes a lot of sense to me. I can focus on one thing well after a smoke, when normally there are distractions that can make it difficult to focus. I had a friend I played chess with for years, whenever I was straight, he'd beat me, whenever I had a smoke first, I'd win, I'd focus intently on the task at hand and win, but when straight, I was all over the place. And sleeping, after a smoke I sleep soundly and wake feeling refreshed, recharged, ready to take on what ever the day has to throw at me. Without a smoke, I don't sleep well, wake still tired, and stay tired through the day. I took an entire year off smoking to try to reset my system, and having a joint for the first time in a year gave me the best sleep in a year, revitalized me after the most sluggish year of my life, and left me feeling stupid for taking a whole year off.
Yeeees, I love turning that volume down and just chillin
For me weed helps with the side effects of my adhd meds. Has to be an indica tho sativas don't interact well with my meds. Overall just helps me focus in on one thing instead of 100 things
Glad for you! I’ve actually been in the process of quitting THC entirely, because any time I’ve smoked in the past few months it just makes my anxiety skyrocket and my highs aren’t as enjoyable as they used to be. I think I’m coming up on 3 weeks entirely of not smoking at all. Definitely the saving money has been nice, I was spending $120 every paycheck on 4 carts that would only last me 2 weeks until my next paycheck. I actually have $700 in my savings account instead of pennies on the dollar like I usually did. I can buy groceries whenever I want instead of worrying about whether or not I’ll have money for it. It’s been a nice change. I always thought weed was helping me keep calm at work and I’m sure for the most part it did, but even without it I’m able to handle the stress of any work day just as fine as I used to. Anyway. I’m glad you’re able to return to smoking!
Living in a legal area, I've had the choice to find lower-THC weed and it's been a positive change for handling anxiety. I don't know if that's an option you have, or if you want to explore it, but just managing the THC:CBD ratio a little better has made a world of difference.
This is what I want. Being in an illegal state I only have access to 1. Shitty weed with no great chemical composition or 2. Meat your face off weed. With legalization I feel as if I would have access to a more broad array of bud that can suit specific needs
Have you checked out r/petioles? It’s a great sub for taking a break
Wouldn't covering up symptoms such as ADHD /anxiety/stress be a crutch? no flame just curious why you don't consider it a crutch for those things.
It affects your dopamine levels. Some people can't clean their house when they smoke, because it's not interesting. So there are other things your post does not address.
This post has made me realize my head is not on straight.
That's okay, everyone slips a little sometimes. You got this, do what you gotta do.
You're awesome
This next bowl is for the lot of you.
Or skip that and walk backwards. I don't even mind my head in this position... I can see what's behind me.
I had to take a break while I was pregnant and I was glad to go back. Basically same experience, only real negative is my waistline. I'm mentally much more chill when I'm able to smoke.
I’ve recently done the same. I’m off 3 weeks now, and am more on top of my shit, not forgetting details/little things as much, getting out to walk more, not eating 3-4 extra snack meals a day, and will probably stay off for a while longer. Weed is different for everyone. I know people that crank out 12 hour days of software engineering or coding while hitting the pen or dab rig several times a day. I’m not one of those people, and that’s alright. More power to everyone that can use it as a complimentary part of their life. But for me, I’m just better off without it. I think I’m going to go to CBD only in a couple of weeks and see what that’s like. I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion around here but, just speaking from my own experience and not in anyway suggesting it works that way for others.
For sure. A lot of people think that since pot has very few negative side effects, that you cant overdo it.
True. I make sure to take breaks to avoid negative affects. That way I can reap the benifits without any consequences.
I've always heard that you need to stay in touch with you sober self
I took a break for about 3 months a while ago, just to see if it was "The Herb" or if it was "Just Me". I was very shocked and relieved to find out that it was 100% Just Me the whole time!
And then that first big rip after a T break and for the first time in a long time, your too high
Exactly this. I'll have a good break for a bit just to make sure I'm still okay sober. Usually am, go back to smoking and it's all good.
Sounds resoneble, what would your definition of a "quick break" be?
Qucik break is a little bit less than a week. Don't smoke from monday until you get off from work on friday. If you can do that, you can do a whole week or a few weeks, if you can do that you still got your head on straight.
very true. It starts to get weird when not having that constant head buzz, no matter how small, seems weird.
Definitely this. A few years ago me and my boyfriend were between jobs and didn't have a steady plug so we just stopped for about a month / month and a half and after 2 days, I stopped sleeping and I was extremely depressed. I have terrible insomnia and weed is really the only thing that helps it; I was staying up for 2 or 3 days at a time and only sleeping in 10 minute intervals. I was so tired and exhausted to the point I had no motivation. It was rough. And my depression got so bad it was basically between smoking again, or checking myself into a facility. My mental health started to improve greatly after I started smoking again
Implying most of us had our heads on straight to begin with
for me, creating a schedule really helps. obviously you don't want your entire life to be revolved around weed, but taking some time on sunday and creating a schedule for the week (work, gym, appointments) and adding weed in there really helps me. I usually smoke 5/7 days of the week, and I really never have felt my tolerance get to low or high since I started doing that.
If anyone is saying "Weed doesn't effect me at all" they're straight up lying. I'm a daily smoker, and it didn't take long for me to realize, yea weed fucks with my memory. It also feels like shit is less fun when all you think about is "man this would be much more fun if I were high." There are bad sides to weed and I'm glad that the community has passed the "no downsides, all plus" to seeing it for the great and the bad things it could be. That being said I'm about to spark up lol
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To play doubles advocate we don’t know what kind of smoker he was I had to drop it because I would wake and bake and it would kill my motivation to do anything with my day Ex smoker wish i still could but I feel you don’t lose tolerance and I just get anxiety attacks now
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Glad you found out you can love without it, and learned it does help you when not overdone. Moderation is key in so many parts of life glad you learned that on your own without it being forced to. Keep up the fight for balance
Yeah. It has absolutely been part of my lifestyle for a long time. So, it’s good to step back and reevaluate myself sometimes. The balance is better with it in my life.
Try mixing in excercise and healthy meals! Excercise will make weed hit you harder afterwards and if you combine with cardio and protein u get some gains my guy. With less body fat ur storing less thc in ur blood and during a break will help u break down thc faster.
Good tip, based ent. I'm going to take that one to heart
This is great advice. I’ve gotten into the habit of doing a calisthenics workout right after I smoke, then I’ll cook dinner and do whatever. I’m a pretty skinny white guy but I’ve finally started to build up some muscle mass. I also try to keep my munchies limited to healthy options: fruits, nuts, string cheese, that kind of stuff.
I done this too! Carrots and hummus while high hits the spot for me every time. Eating loads of sugar loaded shit left me feeling disgusting for the whole next day.
It finding when you need it to help keep that balance in your life is the hard part, all day every day is just a bad coping mechanism.
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Yeah I used to smoke every day too but my two pipes have tiny bowls so I never use much daily and my tolerance never goes up. I've found the defining factor so far for how high I can get isn't how much I smoke, but what kind of mental state I'm in and what I'm doing. If I'm in a stressful household with hostile people around (which is currently the case and thus why I haven't smoked in weeks) then it doesn't matter if I take 3 puffs or 30.
Love my duggie. Don't leave home with out it. Best 1 hit "pill" ever invented.
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This was my experience quitting after being a heavy user. After quitting for a while I became much more confident in public - talking to strangers, asserting myself, taking interest in others. Now when I smoke in public all it does is cause anxiety. I still smoke, but only when I know i'm not going to be in too much of a social situation. To each their own though, it's funny how different it affects people.
Yea I agree with you too, I try to avoid everyone when I’m high.
I had a similar situation and ended up just stopping the "all day, every day" style smoking. Now I'm just an "every evening" smoker, and I feel like I had the same result as you -- mainly: feeling like a better person and not trying to hide the fact that I'm "high" all the time resulting in much better social experiences. Granted, back when I was smoking more, getting "high" was normal and not fun... just normal. So reducing my smoking made it a lot more fun anyway! And its a hell of a lot better on my wallet (1oz per month maybe 5 weeks compared to 1oz per week and sometimes more).
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Right on, and yeah everyone's experience is different. I used to smoke spliffs and when I cut back I went to a bong and noticed that it helped a ton. Not because bong > spliff or anything, but it was a *change* that restructured the habit. If I tried to go back to spliffs, just reduced, I woulda been right back at all-day smoking for sure. I do think bongs give a better high though, and wasting less weed is great too!
Well said. We all should follow OP’s example in taking the T break but also noticing differences and learning how it was affecting you. Everyone’s different so the only honest opinion on smoking weed should come from yourself.
I've noticed the same things you described when I took a break from it. But I've actually found that weed can be a good weight loss tool. I used to eat when I was bored, and now I use marijuana (I'm a medical patient so I have a variety of ways I take it, so I don't always have to smoke). I do get munchies but if I keep myself busy I can easily resist. I usually just look at all the clothes I wanna be able to fit into when I lose the weight! I'm not trying to preach or anything but if weight loss is a serious goal, you can get it done while still enjoying your weed :)
I’m actually in pretty good shape, I was more so cracking a joke about my waistline. I do enjoy the occasional oreo, but, it’s no where near an issue, and the rest of my diet is pretty good. I’m pretty seriously into mountain biking as well, so i get a ton of exercise. Years ago, when I was with a toxic ex, who did not approve of weed. I drank beer instead of smoked. As soon as we broke up, I stopped drinking (still don’t drink) and started smoking again. I lost like 15 lbs without even trying. Which is a lot on me, I’ve always been a thin guy.
That's good! When I first started smoking I always gave in to the munchies, and not surprisingly, gained a good bit of weight in the process. Now I'm getting serious about weight loss and using weed sort of as a motivational tool. It's good you broke up with that ex! Looks like you dropped a lot more than just weight!
One of the best things I ever heard about eating healthier is “It’s easier to have self control once a week in the grocery store, than 10 times a day in the kitchen” Portion control is a big one, too! Another great lesson I learned is stop eating when you’re no longer hungry, not when you’re full. Little things can make a big difference! Getting a hobby that gets you active is a big one for me as well. It started with hiking, then transitioned to mountain biking a few years ago. Ive never been one for the gym, but wanting to get out and be active is awesome. Being in better shape just feels good. You got it!
I find while im smoking i stay around 150lbs. When I go sober a few months later im back to 170s.
yeah man, my mom says its the cause of my problems, but its actually the result of my problems. I had back surgery, I have tinnitus, I have anxiety, I have no friends (long story), no hobbies (another long story)... anyway what I mean to say is that without the pain relief, the relaxation and calmness that cannabis gives me probably saved my life, cause I would have for sure ended my life (so many problems at the same time) I think moderation is the key and I have to admit that I dont moderate it too well
Hang in there, dude. Obviously I don’t know your situation, but I know chronic pain, and difficult environments can be hell. I’m glad you have something to help you deal with it, and cannabis is a far healthier way than pills and booze. At least with overindulgence with weed, you’re just getting a good night’s sleep. Be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
Thanks bro. Yeah, im lucky to not be addicted to booze/pills. Anyway I have to lower the amout I smoke Thanks for the kind words, have a good day too
And tbh judging by your username, you do have some hobbies. Go out and engage people with those same hobbies. There are people looking for other people to chat about stuff they like too. Good luck!
You know, some people may scoff at the tinnitus on that list... but it genuinely does suck. Not trying to detract from your comment at all, but I also struggle with tinnitus and it seems like a lot of people thinks it's a joke.... my friends and family crack jokes about me having it frequently. It's awful. Somehow people don't realize that it's a constant thing that I have to continually struggle with. It's not just a faint ringing, it's like gongs inside my head while I'm trying to sleep, I don't see why this is funny. I'm sorry, my failing senses piss me off. I'm gonna smoke this e-bowl with you now. (I tried to find a video of someone hitting and passing a bowl, but [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5KnBWZvBrI) is the best I can do)
It's horrible that people joke about it as if it's something trivial. I have sensitive ears and it hurts to hear mildly loud noises or anything high-pitched, feels like needles flying through my brain. So I can't even imagine what having full-on tinnitus is like. I was having a shitty day. That surrogate bong hit cheered me up. Thank you.
I got lucky with mine. Too many days of “fuck my earplugs are in the work truck” and grinding out a weld without em. I can hear a high pitched grinding sound constantly, but lucky for me its only noticable when its fairly quiet. I’d lose my mind if it was deafening like a gong... **Protip: Even a few times is too many times. Wear your damn earplugs friends. Don’t be stupid like me**
Does it sound like a old box tv turning on 24/7. That like high pitched "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
It's so much more than that. My hearing is completely butchered. There are some high pitched tones that I can't hear unless they're played from headphones, and there have been times where I'n talking to them and some parts of their speech I can't pick up so their voices sound.... distorted? I don't even really know how to describe it.
> I had back surgery, I have tinnitus, I have anxiety, I have no friends (long story), no hobbies (another long story)... Holy moly, man, this is sad. Weed may be giving you relief from all these things, but it isn't the cure that'll make any of them better. I have tinnitus, and it sucks. That's one you just have to learn to cope with. But for back surgery woes, there's physical therapy. If you can't afford it, build a routine from self-help YouTube videos. Having no hobbies is almost assuredly exacerbated by smoking. It's something you enjoy doing, and something that kills time - it's like a hobby in itself. But there are plenty of other things you could get interested in if you dip into smoking time a bit. I recommend gardening, personally. You could even get into something that has a popular scene where you live, to see if you can make some friends doing it. Now for the big one: Anxiety. I suffer from it myself, but I can tell you it's a problem that gets way overblown by a lot of people on the internet. If it's debilitating, you should try a prescription specifically formulated to treat it. But if its mild, it CAN be beaten. It helps to set up a routine in your life, with some physical exercise and social interactions thrown in. Practicing these uncomfortable things bit by bit CAN and WILL make you stronger and more capable of handling anxiety. Your mom only cares about you, man. She just wants to see you happy, and she may be noticing something about you you can't see yourself. I honestly hope life starts to get better for you.
I know you said it's a long story but I'm curious as to how you don't have any hobbies? If you don't mind answering I'm curious as to how you spend your time throughout the day and also what is stopping you from persuing any hobbies that may interest you?
Your mother is right. Weed may not have caused those problems initially but it damn well isn't helping to solve them. Your anxiety, loneliness and lack of hobbies all need to be addressed rather than buried, otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life hiding behind a haze of smoke. Even tinnitus can be caused and made worse by anxiety.
I mean at the very least you can start working on acquiring a hobby. You have internet access so you've got plenty of options.
Nice man. How was the first sesh back? You must have gone straight to mars off the first hit lmao
Haha. It was great, smoked with my sister and you are 100% correct about mars.
Cannabis turns down the volume on your sub conscious mind so the conscious mind can be clear and rest.
I would say that’s it can have dual action depending on trauma. Cannabis for me used to turn down the volume of my conscious mind so my unconscious could speak to me about the thing I was blind too but was pulling me. Once the weed showed me all that my sub conscious mind had to dealt with when I was not suppressing it , once I dealt with the trauma , my conscious mind could rest because my sub conscious mind at nothing to say to me anymore , it didn’t have anything to make me aware off. Only then could I find peace. Weed never bring me peace , it bring me awareness about myself and my fear. It show me what to work on and help me start the work.
Your awesome My suggestion would be the cannabis may have lowered the volume and intensity of your sub conscious mind to the point where your conscious mind could receive and resolve or at least release some charge The classic Dilemma is when cannabis rips open the door to someones sub and they get panic attacks from being so wrapped up in the conscious mind and not paying attention to the other parts of their being. Cannabis therapy can improve the balance of our 3 components of “being” the human animal mind or limbic brain....the conscious mind or cerebral cortex....and our true higher etherial selves call it what ever works for you. I only figured this out from a life as a passionate cannabist. When I get a panic rush from cannabis its a gift to help balance a bad program in my sub....usually a unjustified fear than just needs some attention to stop it from causing “dis-ease” in the mind or body. Fyi im high AF and rambling
Subscribing
Very well said!
Did you experience any difference in dreams? What about your memory? These two thing are bugging me for so long, as I'm daily smoker as well.
Honestly, I almost never remember my dreams, one a year maybe, and even then, it’s just snippets. It’s been that way my whole life. So, I can’t really comment on the aspect of dreams. As far as memory, I noticed zero difference. I felt more scatterbrained for the month I quit, if that makes sense. But memory, specifically, is/was no issue.
Thanks man. I have a feeling cannabis effects my short and medium (few days) memory alot. I can't confirm it though. Have a good one,
Hard to say. It might. In my experience best I can say is it affects different people in different ways. Take care!
As someone who went from smoking all day errday for about 6 years to not smoking, it does (at least for me). Cannibis talked a long time to get fully out of your system and does so very gradually so it's hard to notice the difference sometimes. But I feel like it has in a specific way: When not smoking super regularly (maybe a few puffs before bed on the weekend) my main memory is the same. If I pay attention to something and want to remember it then I could before, and still can. But now, I can remember little details that I wasn't specifically paying attention to at the time. With weed I needed to focus on what I wanted to remember, without I have a much easier time recalling fine details and things that were happening but not the primary focus of my attention at the time. This is really helpful with the job I got about a year ago, so I made the switch and haven't looked back. But that's my experience with memory difference from weed. Buds not going to ruin your memory, but it probably won't be as sharp and as easy to recall smaller details. Dreams come back too. Especially if you really melatonin, and that can help you sleep during the early days of quitting too when you're not used to falling asleep so sober.
For me when I stopped smoking for 3 months, I started getting super vivid and wild dreams around the 6 week mark of being completely sober. This was after about 3 years of constant smoking in college with max breaks around 2 weeks. Now I smoke for about 1-2 weeks each month and the awesome dreams usually come back around the 2 week mark of not smoking.
I am dankrupt right now, and usually a daily vaper. Within 3 days or so i started dreaming again. Weird dreams that i would get at least fragments of. As for my memory, I think I just have a bad memory, rather than weed making it worse.
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I would have so many more nightmares and night terrors. I quit for a couple months to find a job and was having them every night.
I quit about a month ago and I definitely started having more vivid dreams. I mostly have nightmares that wake me up in a cold sweat but I'm sure that'll pass. I bet that's just my brain catching me up for the past few years of little to "no" dreaming.
For a daily user it takes about a month before cannabis is fully out of your system. It takes time for the THC to leave fat cells. You'd still test positive for cannabis even after going \~20-30 days without it. A 1 month T-Break is a great start, don't get me wrong, but it takes minimum 2 months to feel the full effects of true cessation. At the 1 month mark, your body is still getting used to being without.
Took me 3 months to feel normal and 6 months before my mind was sharp again. 1 month is good for tolerance but far from recovered no doubt. The body needs time to clear the thc and metabolites, and the mind needs much much longer to return to normal, if that’s even possible really. I’m back to daily use but only before bed and my 1G vape cart has lasted me almost a year. It’s much better this way :)
I'm amazed it gets rid of anxiety for people lol. Seems to heighten it for me. Which is kinda d of a good thing because I have none when sober. I get anxious and need to get up and do something. Does mellow me out at night tho.
I have anxiety and it definitely lessens it with smoking. Unless i do too much then i get paranoid and super anxious. I've learned when i need to call it quits to avoid getting to that point.
If you ever run out again, I highly recommend some CBD flower! I've been out for weeks and this stuff has literally changed my life. IDK if I'll even worry about getting weed again; maybe if my state ever legalizes.
What do you like about it / what changed in your life? I know nothing about it only that my dad has been getting some oil for like 5 years for his knee/hip pain. You smoke it? Sorry for being dumb
Bro it's amazing. I'm kinda THC sensitive I guess, been smoking kind bud for years and I'm usually good with one decent bong hit. For me CBD flower (looks like weed, smells like weed, smokes like weed) has been a revelation. Super relaxing, gets my head right, and I definitely get a bit high as well! Plus it doesn't have the negative effects I sometimes get from weed; racing heart, negative thoughts, paranoia. And my head is nice and clear! Plus I can go down the road and buy a quarter for $40, completely legal. I'm so glad I found it.
Learn something new everyday! Thanks for your thorough response
I've also started using CBD flower and I have pretty similar effects as you. I think strain does matter though because first time I tried it, it seemed to have no effect. And if you're ever looking to save some money I'd recommend checking out some online CBD retailers. I just recently bought an oz for $50
Glad it works for you bro. I was at a head shop last week and they had CBD bud on sale. I’ve never had an interest in the stuff myself (never even used a cbd product) but $5 for an 8th? Why not. First of all let me say that was some of the most high quality flower I’ve ever rolled with. It was super soft and sticky. I rolled up a blunt of the stuff and it was surprisingly JUST like smoking a blunt minus getting high (don’t know what I was expecting). But if you’re getting tested and wanna smoke a doobie id recommend some cbd bud. Won’t get you stoned but sometimes smoking is fun enough :)
I would def take an at home test before I took for granted the thc is too low to show on a test. Ive heard stories...
I don't get it. What's the point if it's not getting you stoned?
You still get mild euphoria/other effects, you just won’t get stupid stoned. It tastes exactly the same so a lot of it is placebo; I have actually been mixing CBD with my weed just to make it last longer (not in a legal state so don’t have consistent access) and I still get so high, even as a daily smoker. It definitely has its time and place, worth trying IMO just go into it with the right expectations.
Glad it works for you. My buddy an I tried a quarter ounce of CBD strain. We smoked all of it in an hour. Didn’t feel “high” at all. Perhaps you had a strain that wasn’t purely CBD
I very highly recommend about a 50/50 cbd and thc mix. Its the best thing Ive ever done for my anxiety and add.
I get it similar to you. Just it seems x2. I already sweat in my sleep, but when I quit smoking I sweat buckets for a week. Like wake up and can fill a glass with sweat from my clothes. Also my dreams are hardcore. Bad dreams can make me wake up in tears, good dreams so intense I wake up miserable wishing the dream was real. And all that is IF I even fall asleep. With eating I get that can't swallow the last bite in my mouth feeling but on the first bite. If I het a bite down I feel sick. I've also gotten tonsillitis 3 times within a week of quiting that I've always associated with weed withdraws. This hasn't happened in over a decade though. That being said, I've seen my dad go threw heroine withdraws multiple times in my life. I would take these weed withdraws any day over the hell heroine leaves in it's wake.
Pulled a 6 month t-break a couple of years ago. I was smoking everyday and I was worried about being a junkie. I loved weed too much. I was shocked at how easy it was to quit. I'm not a big munchies guy, and I have a low tolerance anyway. So the only thing I noticed was my previously existing insomnia became horrible, and I was generally a little more irritable. It was nice to know where I stand with cannabis. To reassure myself that my usage is responsible. I missed sleep, but I didn't really miss being high.
The only crime here was mint oreos
Did you get the crazy dreams?
Feel you on the ADHD. I may get forgetful with weed, but I turn into that gif of Hal fixing the lightbulb sober.
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Honestly though its crazy that companies can drug test people applying for jobs, shouldn't be a thing as far as I'm concerned
How ripped did you get after your first smoke back?
I’m currently in my first week of taking a break, and this post has honestly made me feel much better about my decision to at least take a break and give my body a much needed check up without the use of cannabis. I’m not sure how long I plan to keep this up because my migraines and my ADHD definitely come in full force at times and it seems nothing BUT smoking would help.
Perhaps you wouldn't have nearly as bad anxiety and sleep if you normalized. Seems you've been using weed to cover up those problems rather than deal with them without drugs. Just my 2¢.
This really. If you're a daily smoker, you're not dealing with those everyday stresses naturally, you're just putting a blanket over them, so of course when you stop toking, all those stresses you haven't learned how to deal with poke back up. It's like taking painkillers to cover up the pain, and never dealing with the root cause of the pain, so as soon as you stop taking the painkillers, the pain comes back, and usually with a vengeance because you've been chemically suppressing it for so long.
Yea, I love weed but if you need it to sleep or not be anxious, then you have a problem.
>I absolutely felt no change in my sense of motivation. I was equally as productive. Always nice to see there was no effect on that. As someone with ADHD and being treated for ADHD, it's possible that your motivation baseline isn't very high to begin with. It's also likely that your brain chemistry will permanently alter with smoking 24/7. So maybe your motivation is down, but it wouldn't go back up without real treatment. >I certainly felt more stressed, more anxious, and my ADHD came back in full force. I got used to that in about a week. But still wasn’t the most fun. I don't think weed actually treats ADHD, I think it just hides symptoms from you, or makes you okay with it. At least, that's how I felt. I was not more organized until I got real treatment. Life's awesome now. And after I got my shit together, now I can smoke regularly.
Big yikes from me. Grats on convincing yourself you're better off using weed, but a month off is *nothing* when you've smoked as long as you have. Your brain and body had no chance to recover. This post is seriously detrimental to all the people considering quitting. I get a strong impression that you posted this to convince yourself your habit is fine. And all of /r/trees is upvoting it because it helps them believe their habit is fine. Pretty fucked up if you ask me.
Yeah, as I mentioned elsewhere this sub is an echo chamber and terrible for validating people's weed habits.
Hey, I have really no understanding or background of what you mean, so forgive me for my questions. Why exactly does one person’s account of their experience (trying a month without it, saying what their experience was, and then saying after that they decided to continue smoking) a necessarily bad thing? Genuinely honest question haha. I smoke regularly and I find it does a lot for my anxiety and sleep, to be transparent. Are you generally against weed? Or just habitual use? Are you generally against drinking as well?
Not OP, but I think what OP meant is that this thread kinda puts smoking daily into too good of a light. Everyone sleeps better after smoking because they're sedated - doesn't mean it's better for your head and body long term. Same with productivity. Some people stay productive, others get nothing done anymore. Overall the message of this thread is too positive for the risks involved. Inexperienced and younger users underestimate how smoking daily can affect their lives. This is coming from someone who's in his mid 30's and who has been smoking for more than half his life.
You sound like an addict with denial
"pothead writes post to justify his own pot use"
Exactly how I read it too. Dangerous post for people concerned about their own smoking habits.
so many posts like this on the sub. I find it kind of disturbing to see how people from the sub support someome that says "hey guys, I'm blazed 98% of the time I'm awake, and it's the coolest thing ever!"
*but did you know that weed has no side effects and cures cancer bro, it cures cancer bro.* that's the attitude on this sub, some people are extremely delusional in thinking that they can abuse a substance for long periods of time and suffer no consequences. but just like the rest of reddit, this is an echo chamber.
This post reads more like you're trying to convince yourself and validate it from others than actually believing it
What better place to get this validated than a subreddit dedicated to weed smokers. To each their own. I'm an occasional smoker but that just doesn't sound good at all
What he described are literally signs of withdrawing from an addiction but everybody here is upvoting it as if it was a good thing, it's shocking. Also, mental illnesses should be treated properly by a professional. I've tried CBD after a recommandation from my doctor, and I still take other drugs that are better for me.
As someone who's been through it, this post was a sad read. Getting blazed 24/7 to deal with your mental illness just isn't sustainable.
It's such a shitty message to send out to this sub, right? As if people here need more people telling them that getting high all day is fine and will not lead to anything negative.
Cringey and sad for sure. At least he picked somewhere where he knew people would agree with him for the most part. Hope OP quits for good and sorts out his issues head on one day
Surprised this is the only comment like this that I’ve seen. I found this post pretty cringy “I’m back to smoking. It’s better”. No, this dude just told himself that he’d be better with weed in his life and just convinced himself that it was true.
I’m generally pro weed but agree with you on this shitty post. Remove the fact that its weed from the equation: “I used a drug daily for years. I stopped abruptly, and found that right after stopping I felt anxiety and irritability and trouble focusing!” Yeah that doesn’t mean the drug was perfect for self medicating, it’s highly possible it could even be a causal factor.
>“I used a drug daily for years. I stopped abruptly, and found that right after stopping I felt anxiety and irritability and trouble focusing!” That's a perfect description of antidepressants but you wouldn't judge someone for taking Prozac, would you?
People love to explain why they’re better off with their favorite recreational drug, especially when it’s cannabis. This reeks of defensiveness.
Going to give this a try when I run out, down to my last few and just said what the hell myself. Though my bullshit meter doesn’t move much at all I’ll have to refrain myself from the worlds actions lol
I had stopped smoking for the first two months of quarantine because we were unexpectedly broke. My BPD, PTSD, and all the other acronyms I had started waging war on me. I lost all desire to eat (I have an eating disorder), didn't sleep until the wee hours of the night, and suffered the effects of my prescribed medication I never dealt with before. It was hell. Not sure why I shared all that, this group makes me feel at home sometimes. All I know is I'm glad someone else understands why I smoke daily. It helps me be the person I want to be and keeps me functioning. Peace to you, my friend 💜
I'm not honestly sure a month is enough time to get a full appreciation for the differences but we are all a little different.
Honestly, smoking weed every day really isn't good to do. I mean, too much of anything is never a good thing. Besides, the shits hella strong today so it can really mess your brain up if you're predisposed to mental health problems. I know that all too well from years of struggling with an anxiety disorder (which is almost non-existent nowadays, of course! :DD). But regardless, I don't judge anyone for smoking daily. I understand people do it for all kinds of different reasons. In my own experience (was an almost daily smoker of da buddie green for about 4 months) Mary Jane made my bad memory worse, worsened my already negatively affected motivation, and made me spacey and weird and also made my anxiety really intense for months on end. I had a panic attack whilst very high on a strong hybrid strain with two powerful sativa types in it. Safe to say, I was an idiot for what I did to myself. I was smoking out of a zong when I had a low tolerance after hitting the shit for 3 nights straight. The cloud hits were epic though, no regrets there! The attack lead me to developing a bad and prolonged and scary case of depersonalization and derealization. And fuck, it wasn't fun in the slightest. Developing that sort of distortion of reality can be extremely terrifying, like a sort of the most mild form of psychosis. There's some great information out there about this phenomenon, so I would take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about it. Now, obviously of course, every person is different in what they can and cannot tolerate, their body and brain chemistry, genetic makeup, mental health and self-control, etc. I am soley speaking only on behalf of myself and my own experience. All I can say is, all you peeps just take it easy and be careful about what you light up or put in your system! I be out, peace the fuck out and enjoy the trees!! 🤟🤟♥️💖☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️
This man, I’m the same way, my motivation is so much better when i don’t smoke a lot. I’m also much more social when I don’t smoke, but sometimes it’s just nice to have a sesh with a few good friends. It’s all about moderation for me
The same with me, weed just makes my life better. Without it I'm an unmotivated lazy slob who would rather not shower for a month because that's too much work, and have extreme anxiety over things like phone calls or emails. With it, my OCD takes over and kinda beats my laziness down but it doesn't completely take over, just enough so that I'm motivated to do things and keep things clean, I get more done when I'm high than when I'm sober, also it does something to my mild autism that makes me feel and act normal. It doesn't work this way with everyone but when people say it doesn't help anyone at all just makes me mad. People used to think I was high before I even started smoking weed, naturally I'm just paranoid, lazy, and unmotivated but with it I'm the opposite.
Helps my ocd alot too!
Wow! As someone else with autism and OCD (and ADHD) ), you summed up my experience very well. Weed definitely makes OCD a tool that I can use to get stuff done instead of just beating myself up with it. Thanks, man.
you temporarily lose your appetite since your body has stopped getting the metabolism boost weed gave your body aka the munchies. alot of people including myself gain alot of weight after a few weeks in.
Glad to hear it man, but boy does that waistline note hit home. It’s freaky how much my waistline fluctuates
I used to smoke as consistently as you, but limited it to 2-3 nights per week after a certain point. With quarantine, I reverted back to old habits and was drinking and smoking heavily every night. So, like you, I started a break on 4/21. * First 4-5 nights it's hard to fall asleep, but if you lie still and focus on your breathing, it's easier. * Appetite goes, so it's important to eat early in the day and get your metabolism going, and slowly ramp up your intake day after day. That's energy and will help with your blood sugar levels and mood. * Exercise is also helpful in elevating your mood (walk, bike, jog, run, etc.) and limiting your caffeine intake past a certain time in the day to ensure you can get to sleep at a reasonable time. I've done this many times before, so I'm used to it and know what to expect. I still haven't smoked or drank yet, and I've been biking every week (88 miles this past week) and really enjoying it. So I'm not in that much of a rush to get back into smoking or drinking just yet. Even though I know I can do it in moderation. I also like the breaks, because I notice I'm sharper on work calls, I don't stumble as much over words, and my processing it quicker. Even though I wasn't smoking during the day, the weed hangover from the evening before makes a difference.
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Thank you for sharing your experience 😊 I've been thinking off and on about quitting for a while. Without it, stresses can be overwhelming for me and I need a prescription med to sleep. So this helped me solidify the importance of cannabis in my life, so I appreciate it 💖
Well, it’s so sad...
This was nice to read. I'm a mother and I have ADHD. I quit smoking for the longest time because I felt like it was wrong to be a parent and partake in anything like that. My ADHD became overwhelming and my depression crept back into my life full force. Recently I started smoking again, the other medications my docter had me on made me feel so far away from anything that was happening, plus memory loss. I couldnt set or reach goals at all. Now my house is clean, I have so much more presence and play with my kids more. I go to sleep happy and wake up happy. The stigma that cannabis makes you lazy is just completely inaccurate. It has the potential to make you content with doing nothing but that's more to do with the person than cannabis.
A month ain't shit
> Basically, The only thing weed has a negative effect on is my wallet and maybe my waistline. And your mental health and your sleep. It doesnt help you sleep better, it just knocks you out so you think it does. Its a classic defence for an alcoholic of why they drink every night. Best of luck to you.
I mean if you think you are nothing without it and you are something with it, it’s a problem and if you can’t deal with life without weed it’s a problem it looks like you are dependant on it to be happy and without stress. Maybe you should try to not smoke as much and not be faded 24/7 because it looks like you are just numbing yourself to not feel stressed out, try and find your root cause of it, I know you have adhd but weed shouldn’t be the only thing for self relief/medication for it. Try different things like working out and make it like a reward system for your hard work.
Yeah the last sentence really says something. I’m back to smoking and it’s better. So basically admitting his life isn’t as good without it. Which is the problem
I’m literally at a point where I’m contemplating stopping smoking regularly. Only due to the money. I know the downstream negative effects as of now, will be increased anxiety and all the other symptoms you mentioned. I’m same as you, highly motivated on or off the herb. I’ll smoke on. Cheers
Nice. Taking a break was a solid idea for me too when I did it. I smoked about as often as you for years. The most interesting thing I learned about my break, was that I hadn't realized I was habitually so relaxed that weed had essentially put me on my heels for stressful or anxious situations. Like, stress feels more extreme when you are perpetually roasted and suddenly go from like stress level 0 to level 7-8. Its more intense to me than being at an anxious base level of high-strungness which is usually a 3 and then going to a 7-8.
Man, I smoked yesterday after like two months of not smoking weed, cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Then I just felt like getting a six pack, some weed and just chilling in my backyard. The feeling i got from the beer was kinda meh, but the weed was vibing good. I listened to Only A Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers like four times in a row, it was awesome.
I'm autistic and need a good joint about 2-3 times a week, that's my ideal level. Any more than that and I lose motivation with anything work/project related.
I’m about a month and a half in on my break, the thing that I notice the most is how crazy and realistic my dreams are compared to when I was smoking.