Comment on Is trying weed edibles worth it?
Xella@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
I have been smoking weed daily for 11 years now. If I knew what I’d become I never would have started. I am completely dependent on it, I have really low/bad moods if I’m sober and I’ve lost all motivation. I am just coasting through life, smoking weed and playing video games. It really sounds like an amazing time but it’s depressing. I haven’t done anything in my life and I’m coming up on 40. I have a career and that’s it. I can’t lose weight because I simply don’t care enough to stick to it. I never traveled anywhere, I have never ridden on a boat, I’ve never ridden a horse, hell… I haven’t even gone skiing and I live in an area where it’s very popular and I have access to the best spots.
I’m not saying weed is bad but you’re young and your brain is still developing. I started smoking when I was 26 and if this can happen to my supposedly developed brain it can be worse for yours. I used to have a drive, I used to be able to do anything. I was pulled out of school in 7th grade and I haven’t gone back to any school but somehow ended up being a software engineer. I was excited for my next steps up to management and then director. Now I don’t give a fuck. I just anxiously wait for each work day to end so I can start smoking until I go to sleep.
Don’t be me. Be smart.
flabberjabber@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Hello friend. I was also in your position not so long ago and really feel for you so much. But have hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel youre in, and you’ve taken the first and hardest step in admitting to yourself that it’s a problem. Seriously well done.
There are two things I would suggest you consider if you feel you have the energy to start to tackle this:
The first is that, I believe current methods of getting “clean” and “sober” are inconsistent in their outcomes for a reason.
Whilst total sobriety works for some people, it is my belief and experience, that going completely cold turkey and abstaining from a social and common drug like weed forever, is the hardest route forward long term. I have observed that for those that choose this path, they will always to some degree, feel the pull towards that drug regardless of the length of time they’ve abstained. It will be a constant battle for the rest of their life. To some degree this is sobriety on a knifes edge.
I saw this in the midst of my addiction and decided this wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted a new relationship with my drug of choice. One where I challenged every unhealthy behaviour I’d developed with it. One where I gained control back piece by piece. One where I rewired my brain so much that I could say yes or no depending on the context and reasoning occurring inside.
And so that’s what I did. I started by weaning myself off by working out how much I smoked and choosing to weigh that amount at the start of every day. I’d then decrease this little by little every day, getting used to the feeling and effects of taking that control and running out at the end of each day. This forced my front brain to take charge amdnstart to plan where I’d have this limited amount.
Over two months I eventually whittled it down to one joint a day. It wasn’t without slip ups, but it was important that I accepted these, and instead of criticising myself, got straight back on the horse.
Once I made the jump to zero, I felt it important to give myself a length of time entirely off of it. To deal with the effects of withdrawal, such as night sweats, nightmares, vivid dreams etc.
Then once that period of time, for me six months, had elapsed, I made a list of all the unhealthy behaviours that I had built up over the years with weed. And reintroduced the weed with those in mind, challenging them each individually. This ranged from being able to say no to it when being social, to stopping at a certain point of the evening (one and done etc), to preplanning when I’d order it so that I was free and available to waste that time, so it didn’t impact my life.
For you this will be unique to your addiction.
I can now happily say I’m at a point where 80% of my addictive behaviours are dealt with. Where I am in control and weed is no longer my mistress. The balance has swung in my favour. But I still have some work to do :).
Secondly, I would advise you examine the reasons why you may have been attracted to weed in the first place.
The route cause of your issues will vary depending on your own individual history. But for me things like childhood trauma, ADHD and health issues formed the core parts of my need to use weed as a means to hide from the adult world.
Tackling these greatly helped alleviate the gut feeling of needing weed as a means to cope. Now it forms a part of my social life, as a means to accentuate and elevate a night, or a day at home, rather than a means to close off and hide.
I hope you find this helpful and I wish you the best of luck moving forward friend. Should you choose to go down this path, know that regardless of the slip ups, you’ve got this. As long as you can be gentle with yourself, you can always come back to it.
Peace and love :)