Hello world, first post here. After reading through (most) postings in this thread I finally decided to contribute for once. As other people have already remarked, it is very encouraging to hear from genuine people having a real desire to change their destructive thought patterns when it comes to abusing weed.
One of the worst aspects of mj is that it “enslaves” you to defend it or even encourage others not to think in a negative way about it. Yes, there might be people out there who can smoke from time to time without suddenly finding themselves smoking ten or more joints daily. I for one am not one of those (few?).
I became aware that I was a person who couldn’t just “enjoy” mj use (or any recreational drug use, for that matter) - I had to make a u-turn and just stop.
Back in my infantile teen days I vowed to at least “try” most of the recreational drugs that were available. I tried cocaine about four or five times in my life yet almost instantly after the first use saw the danger it posed for easily becoming VERY addicted to the ego-boosts it caused. I tried ecstasy two or three times (only when vacationing in Ibiza), but again, I pretty fast came to see its many shortcomings and dangers. I tried magic mushrooms which are readily available in my forsaken area, yet I couldn’t really cope with the immense, immense mental challenge those mushrooms posed. It is of course a whole lot different when it comes to mj – it just made me see it as the “perfect drug” – it really takes some time to see through it – to recognize the more and more elaborate lies one makes up to justify continued consumption.
One positive thing of mj I always had in mind is that it greatly reduced my alcohol intake, which is a real problem here (it really is that bad – what a delusional society). Most teens here start drinking in their earliest teens (starting drinking early being perfectly socially acceptable) and – guess what? - so did I. So after time I came to see mj as the lesser, “necessary” evil, yet couldn’t think about not consuming any mind-altering substances at all. I just wasn’t mature enough.
I have been smoking weed on a daily basis for at least six or seven years, before that from time to time until I went down the same road as many mj addicts. I finally came to the conclusion that breaking this habit is both valid and necessary.
My main motivation for quitting was the fact of me being sick for at least two or three times a year. Nothing serious really, just sore throats or flus or stomach aches, yet that didn´t seem normal for a twenty-something (My previous lack of physical activity might be another contributor to that, but that’s another story). Yet I knew going cold turkey without further preparations would likely result in disappointment sooner or later (rather sooner).
So the only way “out” I saw was to first quit smoking regular cigarettes (average consumption amounted to about half a package a day, of course that doesn’t cover mj intake), then quitting drinking alcohol and finally phasing out the “sh**”.
Getting off cigarettes was the natural first step for me. I live in a pretty backward country when it comes to non-smokers-rights (OT-Note: Restricting the “personal freedom to smoke” is until today somewhat associated with Nazism in my country of residence, as you might be aware there were smoking bans in the Third Reich) and just after a few weeks I thankfully was so estranged of cigarette consumption by just consciously observing the behaviour of my fellow students (and having to sit next to them in classes and having to cope with the foul stench of tobacco) that it was relatively easy to stick to my original plan. I, too, stopped smoking joints on a regular basis, and instead choose a small bong to be my preferred method of ingesting mj, so that I got used to not holding a stick in my hand. About half a year ago I stopped drinking alcohol altogether (beer being my preferred method of intake beforehand), and the relative ease of living without drinking made me more and more confident that I could possibly succeed also in phasing out mj use. I finally planned to quit by the new-year, yet supply shortages (a sign??) made me stop exactly a week ago, and I can honestly say that I really started feeling better the next morning! I cough like a retired Marlboro-man and there seems no stopping of that for a while.
The most important thing when quitting a destructive habit is to have a plan handy yet I must also stress that it is also very important (at least for me) not to make a big deal of it. Marijuana is by no means special in any way – it doesn’t deserve to be, it is just another drug – of which there are a lot. Being able to focus on lives more pressing issues is the main point of my convalescence, and I have a pretty optimistic outlook for the success of my personal plan.
I hope you all stay strong and never forget your personal reasons for quitting.
P.S.: The benefits I expect? Smoother skin, decreased anxiety and depressive moods, increased energy, easier getting up in the morning, and many, many more…
) unpleasant after-effects. I always thought I could come along nicely without alcohol - yet until shortly the desire to smoke weed every freakin´day was simply too strong to ignore...