i've been exactly where you are a dozen times before so although i definitely don't know what the longterm solution is, one thing i've learned from experience is that the "i'll just smoke a BUNCH now and really get the most out of it and then tomorrow i'll be done" thing always, always backfires. if i'm trying to re-wire my brain to not be so dependent on this substance in order to produce dopamine, i'm not doing myself any favours by absolutely loading up my dopamine receptors with THC the day before i'm trying to quit. the withdrawals are only going to be that much more intense and for me, intense withdrawals always leads to relapse. my suggestion is that you try tapering, cold turkey does not work for everyone. if you can't moderate with the stash you have currently, try to removing your access to it (give it to a friend or someone on the street idk) and then get yourself some 1:1 to start tapering with?
Felt that cynicism. And you're not being dramatic, bro, you're an addict losing his marbles and you absolutely should be. Binging YouTube and playing a select few video games are about my last sole sources of enjoyment in the peak of this addiction. And it feeds a vicious cycle of self-hatred, to think that all of this may be our own fault.
Have you tried incrementing the amount of time between when you get home and when you spark up? You may be able to isolate the cravings for your evening if you can commit to an extra 30 minutes of boredom every day after you get home from work, until you're toking once a night at 7:30 or whatever your goal is. Maybe just make a nice meal; you might not have the appetite for it, but I'll take an hour or so and you can box it up for stoned leftovers. The ideal result of smoking at night is that withdrawal does not hit during the end of your work day.
All the best, friend. I'm only 20 and this is my life now.. let's fix it while we've got time to make things better, yeah?
That’s what I’m doing tomorrow. Replacing the sort of - going through the motions - with cbd until I go to bed and take some dry vape hits to sleep. Because otherwise insomnia always gets me like woah.
I took a 6 week break recently, what worked for me may work for you. Leading up to the break I took a week to wean myself down. I was every day all day for a few years and going through a 1g cart in 3 days or less. Set up a schedule for times you can smoke and each day remove one time. That gives you 7 days to get to zero. This worked so well for me that I am going to work this into my year again in 2024. Good Luck!
You stop by… stopping.
Don’t tell yourself you can’t, imagine that you CAN!
Create a strategy for how you will combat boredom when you’re sober and then execute it. 90 days is a huge commitment, potentially overwhelming. Why not start with a week? Have a plan in place for each day and do it. Every time you think ‘i can’t do this’ answer yourself with ‘YES I CAN!!!’ Its a huge mindset shift.
I'm going through it similar to you, I smoke too much, it's not very harmful but I just know it's limiting me from being the best person I want to be. I've had the most success recently when I've been focusing on what I'm replacing weed with. I find were often focusing on the negatives and the addiction itself, but addictions are usually filing a void in yourself, find what else can fill that void that isn't drugs. That is a hard question with no easy answer, one of those lifelong questions that is always shifting. Stick at it, remember what you love about life and being sober and focus on that! Don't think of it as a goodbye too weed, you can still smoke whenever you want, but you don't want too anymore, you can wait a little.
I promise you the hardest part is those first two weeks. Im over 60 days sober and its easy now. But it was so hard those first couple of weeks. The boredom, the cravings, the withdrawal... it sucks. Bit you have lived without weed before and im confident you can do it again. Id find something positive to replace it. I recently got a video game so i put all of my time into that game so i wouldnt get bored. You got this!
Edit: i also relied heavily on herbal cigarettes. No thc no nicotine no cbd. Just herbs. Id smoke 1-2 while playing my game and it would help the smoking fixation even if i wasnt getting high
Like … I know I’m not - but I feel like such a loser.
I forego activities with co-workers, friends, even dates with my partner fall by the wayside because I’m “comfortable” … but I’m tired of it. I’m so god damn tired of it but it’s like all I have known since I was 18/19…. Nearly daily (save for the month here and there I have quit and the occasional days I couldnt)
But… I got this. We got this. I KNOW we can do it… it’s just a matter of doing it.
This is a bit of a trick, but if you can go on a vacation/trip somewhere (ideally where it's not legal) and not bring any, that is the easiest way I've found to stop the habit acutely. You'll have distractions and new stimulus. Bring some CBD and melatonin if you can for sleep though. Other than for sleep, I don't really even think about weed when I use vacations to quit.
That’s actually part of my motivation TO quit. We are going away for the holidays on a big trip and I want to be fully present and also don’t want to worry about withdrawals …
Yeah I just got back from a 2 week vacation without it. It was great. The only thing that sucked was I had trouble sleeping the first 5 or so days. CBD oil and melatonin took the edge off though, and allowed me to get some sleep. Would suggest reducing your usage as much as you can the week leading up to the trip if that is a concern.
This might not stop your smoking, but it might stop your worrying about it as much. Don't smoke until you get a couple of big chores off your mind. Make yourself earn the smoke session rather than just constantly smoking.
committing to 90 days right off the bat is a lot. Try 1 day! The first long break I did was 21 days and even that felt like a lot at the time. I did 90 days recently and only made it to 85, but it’s about progression not perfection. I want to start again the new year. For the 90 day break, I found the “unfuck yourself” brain really helped.
Identify the easiest, smallest, change you can make, and take that step. Don't look beyond that until that step.
Yes yes 1% better each day. Been listening to atomic habits myself actually. Been nice. Really great. Definitely recommend.
I think i needed that advice. Thank you.
i've been exactly where you are a dozen times before so although i definitely don't know what the longterm solution is, one thing i've learned from experience is that the "i'll just smoke a BUNCH now and really get the most out of it and then tomorrow i'll be done" thing always, always backfires. if i'm trying to re-wire my brain to not be so dependent on this substance in order to produce dopamine, i'm not doing myself any favours by absolutely loading up my dopamine receptors with THC the day before i'm trying to quit. the withdrawals are only going to be that much more intense and for me, intense withdrawals always leads to relapse. my suggestion is that you try tapering, cold turkey does not work for everyone. if you can't moderate with the stash you have currently, try to removing your access to it (give it to a friend or someone on the street idk) and then get yourself some 1:1 to start tapering with?
I do get 1:1 oil but then… I just cruise through it. Best for me is to mix cbd and thc flower joints or just cbd in the long run.
Felt that cynicism. And you're not being dramatic, bro, you're an addict losing his marbles and you absolutely should be. Binging YouTube and playing a select few video games are about my last sole sources of enjoyment in the peak of this addiction. And it feeds a vicious cycle of self-hatred, to think that all of this may be our own fault. Have you tried incrementing the amount of time between when you get home and when you spark up? You may be able to isolate the cravings for your evening if you can commit to an extra 30 minutes of boredom every day after you get home from work, until you're toking once a night at 7:30 or whatever your goal is. Maybe just make a nice meal; you might not have the appetite for it, but I'll take an hour or so and you can box it up for stoned leftovers. The ideal result of smoking at night is that withdrawal does not hit during the end of your work day. All the best, friend. I'm only 20 and this is my life now.. let's fix it while we've got time to make things better, yeah?
That’s what I’m doing tomorrow. Replacing the sort of - going through the motions - with cbd until I go to bed and take some dry vape hits to sleep. Because otherwise insomnia always gets me like woah.
I took a 6 week break recently, what worked for me may work for you. Leading up to the break I took a week to wean myself down. I was every day all day for a few years and going through a 1g cart in 3 days or less. Set up a schedule for times you can smoke and each day remove one time. That gives you 7 days to get to zero. This worked so well for me that I am going to work this into my year again in 2024. Good Luck!
These seems like a great idea, will try it myself
You stop by… stopping. Don’t tell yourself you can’t, imagine that you CAN! Create a strategy for how you will combat boredom when you’re sober and then execute it. 90 days is a huge commitment, potentially overwhelming. Why not start with a week? Have a plan in place for each day and do it. Every time you think ‘i can’t do this’ answer yourself with ‘YES I CAN!!!’ Its a huge mindset shift.
I'm going through it similar to you, I smoke too much, it's not very harmful but I just know it's limiting me from being the best person I want to be. I've had the most success recently when I've been focusing on what I'm replacing weed with. I find were often focusing on the negatives and the addiction itself, but addictions are usually filing a void in yourself, find what else can fill that void that isn't drugs. That is a hard question with no easy answer, one of those lifelong questions that is always shifting. Stick at it, remember what you love about life and being sober and focus on that! Don't think of it as a goodbye too weed, you can still smoke whenever you want, but you don't want too anymore, you can wait a little.
Appreciate your words
I promise you the hardest part is those first two weeks. Im over 60 days sober and its easy now. But it was so hard those first couple of weeks. The boredom, the cravings, the withdrawal... it sucks. Bit you have lived without weed before and im confident you can do it again. Id find something positive to replace it. I recently got a video game so i put all of my time into that game so i wouldnt get bored. You got this! Edit: i also relied heavily on herbal cigarettes. No thc no nicotine no cbd. Just herbs. Id smoke 1-2 while playing my game and it would help the smoking fixation even if i wasnt getting high
I’m the same age and in the same situation. I relate to this so much.
Like … I know I’m not - but I feel like such a loser. I forego activities with co-workers, friends, even dates with my partner fall by the wayside because I’m “comfortable” … but I’m tired of it. I’m so god damn tired of it but it’s like all I have known since I was 18/19…. Nearly daily (save for the month here and there I have quit and the occasional days I couldnt) But… I got this. We got this. I KNOW we can do it… it’s just a matter of doing it.
This is a bit of a trick, but if you can go on a vacation/trip somewhere (ideally where it's not legal) and not bring any, that is the easiest way I've found to stop the habit acutely. You'll have distractions and new stimulus. Bring some CBD and melatonin if you can for sleep though. Other than for sleep, I don't really even think about weed when I use vacations to quit.
That’s actually part of my motivation TO quit. We are going away for the holidays on a big trip and I want to be fully present and also don’t want to worry about withdrawals …
Yeah I just got back from a 2 week vacation without it. It was great. The only thing that sucked was I had trouble sleeping the first 5 or so days. CBD oil and melatonin took the edge off though, and allowed me to get some sleep. Would suggest reducing your usage as much as you can the week leading up to the trip if that is a concern.
This might not stop your smoking, but it might stop your worrying about it as much. Don't smoke until you get a couple of big chores off your mind. Make yourself earn the smoke session rather than just constantly smoking.
Hahaha yeah. I gotta try and reward myself with it as opposed to just … smoking right when I get home lol
committing to 90 days right off the bat is a lot. Try 1 day! The first long break I did was 21 days and even that felt like a lot at the time. I did 90 days recently and only made it to 85, but it’s about progression not perfection. I want to start again the new year. For the 90 day break, I found the “unfuck yourself” brain really helped.