Marijuana withdrawal is killing me help

Hi, im not going to pretend that i have ever had an addiction to marijuana, however i definately understand the overwhelming feeling over anxiety, In the past couple of years i have has to deal with many life changing events. I think the key is distraction. It sounds stupid and simple i know. Have you tried removing yourself from the situations that cause particularly bad anxiety attacks. I was told to focus on several things around the room (roughly 5) that you cannot touch but you can see. Then do it again but with things you can touch. Do it as many times as you need to. Its simple but it helps your mind to focus on something even if it is for a split second. It gives your body time to relax. I also find it really helpful to write or do something you enjoy doing, it could be reading, listening to music etc. Anxiety is not something that can be fixed with a medication or therapy its something you have to learn to cope with unfortunately. One last idea is counselling. I know again its stereotypical, but if you find the right one they can help you mind put the puzzle pieces in your head back together and help you see the bigger picture. Hope this has helped and really well done for doing your best with quitting. It will be a long road back to a stable life but keep at it you're doing amazingly.

Hey bro I wish you the best of luck. I am 29 years old and started smoking at age 17, and started noticing anxiety and depersonalization around age 25 but continued to smoke, not believing that it would all of a sudden be affecting me that way. After that, I tried a few times (usually unsuccessfully) to quit, and each time I was stricken with pretty severe anxiety and some panic attacks. In doing a ton of research, and from my own experience, I have learned a ton and will share the high points with you.

What happens when a person smokes weed is that the cannabis smoke transfers cannabinoids (I believe thc is the most famous of this class of chemicals) into the brain, where our brains welcome it into our endocannabinoid receptors. You see, the human brain makes many lf its oen necessary chemicals, such as the well-known neurotransmitters dopamine, seratonin, and norephinephrine. Our brains also make their own endocannabinoids, which are fully natural to us, but the cannabinoids in the weed mimick these chemicals and bind with the receptors in our brains meant for our own chemicals. What happens after sustained use of marijuana (for some, years, and for others, weeks) is that our brains adapt to this constant excess of cannabinoids by producing less endocannabinoids. This is called deregulation and you can google it to learn more than I've put here.

So basically, now the smoker quits weed and their brain is way out of balance because it produces less of its native endocannabinoids, which I believe affects areas such as learning, memory, and mood regulation. It is very possible that other chemicals are downregulated too, and that explains the persistent anxiety, depression, panic attacks, moodiness, headaches, blurred vision and some other effects.

So this stage is very scary because it takes a while for our brains to adjust back to normal. Based on the stories I've read online and some other resources, the process of healing fully can take anywhere from 6 months up to 2 years (and sometimes longer.)

The good news is that people do recover from this state of anxiety and generally feeling wayyyy different than before. That's how I am. I used to be super witty and charming and all of that jazz, and because I was arrogant and continued to smoke in spite of my worsening mental health, I have temporarily lost most of those gifts which I was taking for granted. That's how I view it, but you also don't want to beat yourself up with regret or any negative emotiona because they will only irritate your less-than-100% condition.

Recovery can be very difficult at times but there are many things you can try. WhennI was 20, I was kind of arrogant in some ways and didn't believe in the power of things like yoga or meditation, but many people find those things to be extremely helpful. Also a good diet and exercise helps, and it sounds like you are doing that already. Just go easy on yourself and try to enjoy the journey even though it might be tough for a while. This forum is a great resource for meeting other people going through the same process and you will find a lot of cool as f*** people on here.

Also the withdrawal stage is also called Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and is sometimes called P.A.W.S. for short. Usually, when you quit weed you go through an acute withdrawal lasting something like 20 days (maybe you are still in acute withdrawal, in which case your recovery might be quick) but either way just focus on the positive and you can search for something like "paws recovery weed" on Google and hear the stories of many people who have gone through shitty times after quitting but go 100% back to normal. And a lot of people are much happier after fully going back to normal, having a new appreciation for the everyday things that maybe we took for granted and now are missing from our lives.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel Stay strong and best of luck on your quit.

You can also p.m. me if you ever need to talk homie. Good luck

Also forgot to add that it's really good you only smoked 1.5 years, you might have a pretty quick recovery. Good luck man!

Well i can say its bad not when you smoke but when you witdral because when you quit marijuana the toxins are present in your blood and thats way you feel bad .I can,t promise that will work for you but this program at quit marijuana help a friend of mine .I strongly advise you to stop marijuana and not start again ,every addiction afects you in some way : money,time,energy,losing positive thinking etc .Good luck

Hey just wanted to thank all of you immensely! around 35 days sober and I'm almost 100 percent back to normal. Back in the gym, anxiety has diminished almost entirely! Just wanted to thank those who helped! Your words were huge source of encouragement!

Hey Iquit2016,

Congrats on making it through your withdrawals. I am on day 4 of quitting and I am feeling awful. It is weird because I dont fiend for pot but I feel like Jim Carroll from bball diaries.

I got out of control with the wax and man I wish I had never tried it. I used it as a crutch and now I am paying for it.

Any recommendations on how to get past all the nausea and vomitting and cold sweats?

Any ways great job again and wish me luck.

The Nausea vomitting and cold sweats tend to dissipate after a few days. Marijuana withdrawal panic attacks are pretty common, but can freak you out the first time that you have them. I clearly remember mine. Cold sweat, heart racing, and the shakes. Just crazy.

You're incredibly lucky that after 35 days clean you're good again, I'm over 60 days clean and am still in hell, feel like a total failure, like a mentally ill person, who's unable to work and coexist in society

feel like that right now 30 day after i quit but start to subtile slowy
hard time create strong men

Hello Everyone

I am shocked that so many people experienced problems with cannabis. I use the herb for arthritis pain. It has been a year and a half, and have not had a problem -- not even cravings. I am posting a reply to ask do you think the withdrawal symptoms are because of our underlining anxiety disorder?

bro this post just helped in so many ways, youre a legend man!

Great posts. I realize I’m jumping in over a year since the last one. I’m on day 7. This is probably my 5th time quitting marijuana, so I’m an experienced quitter. This time it’s for good. I’ve been smoking for the better part of the the last 25 years.
And yes, RosaD, marijuana withdrawal is a very real thing. Check the DSM-5. Marijuana withdrawal didn’t make it in there because a lot of anxious x-potheads are inventing their symptoms or are confusing them with other underlying issues. People can’t induce night sweats while unconscious. The same goes for bloating and diarrhea.
The problem of old folk-wisdom about marijuana is what leads a lot of people down the road to daily usage, only to find out the hard way that dependence is very real when they attempt to quit or are in a situation where they lose access to the drug for an extended time. I started smoking in the mid-90’s when marijuana was counter-culture and everyone swore it was the answer to all life’s problems....with no drawbacks other than a shoddy short-term memory, red eyes and a funny smell. This attitude was carried over from the 60’s and 70’s when marijuana was averaging somewhere around 5%-7% THC. I don’t think weed like that exists anymore. Most strains are now in the 20%-30% range. Needless to say, it’s an entirely different animal. In the age of information, I find myself confused to find these misunderstandings still exist and seem to be more common than what medical experts now know to be true. I’m not trying to bang on anyone that is honestly ignorant about the possibility of dependency, but to suggest people’s experiences are other than what they describe or to attribute them to unrelated, underlying psychological issues has a seriously deleterious effect on those experimenting with the drug as a new user, those well into their usage and most importantly, those that are trying to quit. I’ve found these doubters on almost every forum I’ve been on...and I’ve been on many. Those quitting know firsthand how reading the truthful experiences of others helps create a feeling of solidarity and hope that can be of great benefit when struggling through withdrawal.
Kudos to all out there that have stuck it out through the quitting process. Thanks for all the posts. Unlike people going through alcohol or opioid withdrawal, marijuana users have the added challenge of getting people to take their experiences seriously.
Read, exercise, eat healthy, stay as busy as possible, drink fluids and be patient. You’ll feel like a superhero once you’re through.
My advice to anyone that knows someone starting the drug: Be honest with them about the potential risks. You may be the only person who is...

Worth it, ive been free from this stuff for some time now.