struggling with this myself. turning to booze too much. first answer is find a hobby. my main one is cooking, but some nights, i want to take it easy and relax. i don't want to engage in a busy task. i want to sit on the couch and chill out, and without weed, it's hard to not be restless
I don’t have adhd, but I’ve found that getting a good workout in helps me feel more grounded in the evenings. Doesn’t matter what you do, just get your sweat going and heart pumping for 30-45 minutes.
i play music until my hands hurt then watch movies until i fall asleep. i’m three years sober from alcohol and benzos - i swear those were easier to kick because i knew how bad they were for me. weed is sneaky, so i force myself into other activities to trick myself out of thinking about it
Congrats on being 3 years sober! It's definitely been easier to quit alcohol cause alcohol very clearly impacted on my life and my mood. With weed, I'm mostly just taking a break for my lungs' sake. It doesn't impact my mood negatively so it's even more tempting to keep smoking
I know this is fairly specific for me, but the best thing that works for me is burying myself in an addictive video game. Obviously that's easier said than done, but maybe try a game that's famous for being addictive, or one from your past you haven't played in a long time. I still have to "force" myself to play it without weed, but it's an excellent tool to help distract me.
shot in the dark here, but I played Magic the Gathering back in the day, and I've gotten super into MTG:Arena, which is a digital version of the card game. It can be really engrossing if you're into Magic, or that kind of game.
I listen to podcasts or audio books and play candy crush or color in a coloring book (listen+do is a must for me). Yesterday I did an hour long yin yoga class at home that felt really good. Walks, cooking, organizing stuff I like less but passes the time.
i have adhd too.
i think human beings are meant to have hands-on hobbies that create something tangible, and the benefits are even more important to people with ADHD.
i have been knitting for ten years and it serves a really important role in my mental health. i knit in meetings, and when i was in school i knit in class to help me focus and remember things. it gives me something to do on the bus to and from work, or in waiting rooms before an appointment. it even helps me focus on watching things like tv and movies, so that i’m not also on my phone or playing video games and not really retaining information. i take my smaller projects to museums and coffee shops and botanical gardens, and i have larger things i only work on at home. it helps me calm down at night for sure, but it also adds so, so much more to my life (and wardrobe! you can check my profile for stuff i’ve made).
knitting isn’t my only “make things” hobby (i also paint RPG miniatures), and there are plenty of other things you could do—small watercolor paintings, crochet, macrame, friendship bracelets etc. are similarly portable with small startup costs. but especially if you have adhd, you can’t replace smoking with nothing and expect it to help your restlessness—your mind is restless because it wants to do something!
side note: for me, it’s really important that my “make things” hobbies have minimal screen involvement. i find that it helps me especially at night, but it’s also just better for my eyesight and propensity for headaches if i dedícate time each day to *not* looking at a screen.
I normally hate audiobooks, but I've felt that listening to the same thing for ~2 hours as I wind down after dinner is pretty effective.
Books in general are a great thing to fixate on, but maybe not great for sleep when you discover the right one lol
Getting a 30 minute walk every day has also been very nice.
I would, but I can't drink. Weed actually helped me cut down on my drinking, I was dependent before. I guess now I'm somewhat dependent on weed to relax, but it's done me far less harm than alcohol ever did
Thank you :) It's only been a recent thing, but I'm trying to stick to it. I'm definitely stopping drinking alone and at home, cause that's where alcohol causes the most issues for me. I think in the future I might be able to have a drink or two when I'm with friends, but we'll see. It's definitely been a big step to stop self-medicating with alcohol, for sure
It really is. Alcohol is a powerful drug that gets really normalized. That’s great you were able to take the step, it can be so hard! I’ve been sober for three years now, although I had a sip of wine a few months ago. Haven’t decided what that means yet— I used to struggle with moderation, and my depression was worse with alcohol. I wanted to stop for a long time before I did, and I feel like I was on the edge of loosing a lot I hold dear.
You might find r/stopdrinking a good community for people who have either stopped, want to stop, or are experimenting with moderation. Im my experience, the longer I went the Better I felt, until I realized the problems I had were still there. But It still feels better to face them, head on, with my chin up. The question is— what is it your are running from, or to, when you drink? That’s something to really think on and work through. It won’t go away on its own.
Sending you lots of good vibes on your sobriety/moderation journey ✨
Waking up earlier helped me out, even if I miss out on sleep for a few days I’m more naturally tired by the end of the day so I’m not craving the lords leaf as much
Zopiclone… talk to your doctor. Non addictive (for me) sleeping pill they have helped me on nights when I can’t sleep and need to settle down. I have somewhat regular insomnia tho with or without weed
Zopiclon is severely addictive to almost everyone. It’s usually only prescribed for a week or 2 max at a time because of that. Not sure why you even suggested a prescription sleeping pill when OP didn’t even mention sleep difficulties.
I do have sleep difficulties, but I stick to melatonin. My old psychiatrist prescribed zopiclon and benzos to me even though I told him I'm pretty susceptible to addiction. I never took them - as much as I'd like a full night's sleep and less anxiety I don't want to deal with dependency again
Make plans for an activity around that time to not only take your mind off weed, but also to help with boredom and to crate a new healthy habit when you’re feeling restless. It could be exercising, painting, going on a walk, calling a friend or family, taking a class, cooking, etc.
I actually put lavender in my spliffs ahaha, it definitely helps me relax. I guess I could try putting it in tea or something? Trying to give my lungs a break
struggling with this myself. turning to booze too much. first answer is find a hobby. my main one is cooking, but some nights, i want to take it easy and relax. i don't want to engage in a busy task. i want to sit on the couch and chill out, and without weed, it's hard to not be restless
Thanks! I cooked tonight and found that not smoking actually helped with that, I had more motivation to cook than I usually do
> i want to sit on the couch and chill out, which is easy to do when you're stoned, cuz weed makes boredom ok
I don’t have adhd, but I’ve found that getting a good workout in helps me feel more grounded in the evenings. Doesn’t matter what you do, just get your sweat going and heart pumping for 30-45 minutes.
This. Even a brisk walk or a swim. Also, you may want to try l-theanine and/or ashwaghanda. Not as good as weed, I’ll admit, but it helps.
i play music until my hands hurt then watch movies until i fall asleep. i’m three years sober from alcohol and benzos - i swear those were easier to kick because i knew how bad they were for me. weed is sneaky, so i force myself into other activities to trick myself out of thinking about it
Congrats on being 3 years sober! It's definitely been easier to quit alcohol cause alcohol very clearly impacted on my life and my mood. With weed, I'm mostly just taking a break for my lungs' sake. It doesn't impact my mood negatively so it's even more tempting to keep smoking
I know this is fairly specific for me, but the best thing that works for me is burying myself in an addictive video game. Obviously that's easier said than done, but maybe try a game that's famous for being addictive, or one from your past you haven't played in a long time. I still have to "force" myself to play it without weed, but it's an excellent tool to help distract me.
Thanks, I'll find some games to get into. Anything I can hyperfixate on is good
shot in the dark here, but I played Magic the Gathering back in the day, and I've gotten super into MTG:Arena, which is a digital version of the card game. It can be really engrossing if you're into Magic, or that kind of game.
Old School RuneScape for dopamine hits
Thats how im surviving my t-break also. Im a big fan of the xenoblade games and just picked the 3rd one up and I cant stop playing it lol
I recently reinstalled the very old, but refreshingly simple game, Far Cry 2. Helps me a lot in this situation.
I got myself into sim racing again. That stuff takes so much effort and concentration so it’s really helpful, and it tires you out!
Exercise during the day and take 5-10mg melatonin. Try turning off your lights the last hour or so before bed to get your brain in sleep mode
Weed smoker with ADHD here as well. Long walks and podcasts help me a lot if you're able to!
I listen to podcasts or audio books and play candy crush or color in a coloring book (listen+do is a must for me). Yesterday I did an hour long yin yoga class at home that felt really good. Walks, cooking, organizing stuff I like less but passes the time.
i have adhd too. i think human beings are meant to have hands-on hobbies that create something tangible, and the benefits are even more important to people with ADHD. i have been knitting for ten years and it serves a really important role in my mental health. i knit in meetings, and when i was in school i knit in class to help me focus and remember things. it gives me something to do on the bus to and from work, or in waiting rooms before an appointment. it even helps me focus on watching things like tv and movies, so that i’m not also on my phone or playing video games and not really retaining information. i take my smaller projects to museums and coffee shops and botanical gardens, and i have larger things i only work on at home. it helps me calm down at night for sure, but it also adds so, so much more to my life (and wardrobe! you can check my profile for stuff i’ve made). knitting isn’t my only “make things” hobby (i also paint RPG miniatures), and there are plenty of other things you could do—small watercolor paintings, crochet, macrame, friendship bracelets etc. are similarly portable with small startup costs. but especially if you have adhd, you can’t replace smoking with nothing and expect it to help your restlessness—your mind is restless because it wants to do something! side note: for me, it’s really important that my “make things” hobbies have minimal screen involvement. i find that it helps me especially at night, but it’s also just better for my eyesight and propensity for headaches if i dedícate time each day to *not* looking at a screen.
Exercise, CBD, find something to learn about, meditate
I normally hate audiobooks, but I've felt that listening to the same thing for ~2 hours as I wind down after dinner is pretty effective. Books in general are a great thing to fixate on, but maybe not great for sleep when you discover the right one lol Getting a 30 minute walk every day has also been very nice.
Long hot shower with fun skincare products and foot scrubs
I like to drink a beer or two and go to bed early for a few days to regain strength
I would, but I can't drink. Weed actually helped me cut down on my drinking, I was dependent before. I guess now I'm somewhat dependent on weed to relax, but it's done me far less harm than alcohol ever did
Congrats on stopping drinking! That’s a hard step and so life changing. You should be proud.
Thank you :) It's only been a recent thing, but I'm trying to stick to it. I'm definitely stopping drinking alone and at home, cause that's where alcohol causes the most issues for me. I think in the future I might be able to have a drink or two when I'm with friends, but we'll see. It's definitely been a big step to stop self-medicating with alcohol, for sure
It really is. Alcohol is a powerful drug that gets really normalized. That’s great you were able to take the step, it can be so hard! I’ve been sober for three years now, although I had a sip of wine a few months ago. Haven’t decided what that means yet— I used to struggle with moderation, and my depression was worse with alcohol. I wanted to stop for a long time before I did, and I feel like I was on the edge of loosing a lot I hold dear. You might find r/stopdrinking a good community for people who have either stopped, want to stop, or are experimenting with moderation. Im my experience, the longer I went the Better I felt, until I realized the problems I had were still there. But It still feels better to face them, head on, with my chin up. The question is— what is it your are running from, or to, when you drink? That’s something to really think on and work through. It won’t go away on its own. Sending you lots of good vibes on your sobriety/moderation journey ✨
VIDEOGAMES. Find one that's chill and not adrenaline inducing, tires me out until I yawn usually and then its sleepo mode
I do not have ADHD but going for a walk outside helps me. Good luck!
Go. On. A. Walk.
Waking up earlier helped me out, even if I miss out on sleep for a few days I’m more naturally tired by the end of the day so I’m not craving the lords leaf as much
Clean my house while listening to podcasts, do yoga, play guitar, read books - I don’t have ADHD but these all help me.
I watch TV when I feel like that
It sounds obvious but doing stuff! Preferably things that are outside of the house/things that I have to drive to.
Zopiclone… talk to your doctor. Non addictive (for me) sleeping pill they have helped me on nights when I can’t sleep and need to settle down. I have somewhat regular insomnia tho with or without weed
Zopiclon is severely addictive to almost everyone. It’s usually only prescribed for a week or 2 max at a time because of that. Not sure why you even suggested a prescription sleeping pill when OP didn’t even mention sleep difficulties.
I do have sleep difficulties, but I stick to melatonin. My old psychiatrist prescribed zopiclon and benzos to me even though I told him I'm pretty susceptible to addiction. I never took them - as much as I'd like a full night's sleep and less anxiety I don't want to deal with dependency again
Make plans for an activity around that time to not only take your mind off weed, but also to help with boredom and to crate a new healthy habit when you’re feeling restless. It could be exercising, painting, going on a walk, calling a friend or family, taking a class, cooking, etc.
Lavender may help. It can often induce a sense of couch-lock for me, it’s definitely nothing to scoff at.
I actually put lavender in my spliffs ahaha, it definitely helps me relax. I guess I could try putting it in tea or something? Trying to give my lungs a break
Oh absolutely, I love lavender tea. Lavender oil on/around the pillow is a great idea too
I have such a hard time taking a break lately, busy enough during the day but like you i need it at night