Addiction, Recovery Forum - Marijuana Withdrawal?

It was the lack of information about the subject, and the misnomers about the impossibility of marijuana withdrawal that almost drove me crazy. Listen up people, MARIJUANA WITHDRAWAL IS REAL , no matter what casual, self-denial potheads or growers will tell you. If you put any chemical in your body for an overly extended amount of time, then take it away abruptly, there is a possibility for side-effects. Here is my advice to any long-term pothead that wants to make a serious attempt at quitting with having the least amount of side effects.

1. Don’t quit on New-Years, do it during a warmer season depending where you live.
If you deprive your body of a chemical that is that prevalent in your brain it’s not going to react normally. Your immune system is also not going to run as normal (or what is perceived as normal) without THC. That’s why a lot of people think that a sickness goes along with the quitting of pot. The human body is more susceptible to colds and the flu during the winter months due to people being closer to each other more than they would be in better weather. Also don’t discount the ability of fresh air to naturally strengthen your immune system. When you quit anything, plenty of fresh air can help make you feel better in more ways than one.

2. Try and wean yourself off of it slowly if you’ve smoked heavily for an extended amount of time.
I know that for most, just the action itself will extend the addiction and lessen the chance for quitting. But if at all possible, just stop buying it. Many potheads have friends that are also potheads that will continue to smoke. Start with a few times a week, then one a week, and finally once every 2 weeks. For me, quitting cold-turkey was a major shock to my body chemistry and brain functions. If you’re really serious about quitting, you should try to plan out your quitting to help make the transition as painless as possible.

3. Talk to people that have been there before.
If you ask a casual user, or someone that doesn’t want to quit (sometimes misery loves company), they won’t always give you the correct information or advice. Smoking weed on and off for a couple months to a year will not always give the same body reactions to someone that has smoked between 10 and 30 years. It’s important to note that everyone’s bodies are different, and what happens to one doesn’t always happen to everyone else.

I’m not a doctor (nor have I played one on TV), but I know that this may be the right advice to some people that have gone through what I have for the past 5 weeks. Sometimes it can be the best thing to own up to your pot addiction to friends and family to get the much needed support to get you through this tough time in your life. We all know that any addiction to anything is unhealthy, even if it’s just pot. God Bless.