Many people view Marijuana as being a safe drug to use because it is considered herbal and medicinal. Unfortunately, the commonly used party drug isn’t as safe as people think. Addiction to Marijuana isn’t as common as with other drugs, but it is possible. When someone stops using the drug Marijuana detox can happen. When dependence occurs, a person can go through Marijuana withdrawal syndrome, which can be painful and dangerous at times. The following guide walks you through a few things that you need to know about addiction to Marijuana.
Is Quitting Marijuana Easy?
Since so many people think cannabis is not addictive, they assume they can quit using it whenever they want, but this isn’t always the case. There are many times when people go through Marijuana detox and withdrawal symptoms when they try to quit and end up relapsing. Marijuana withdrawal syndrome causes someone to feel restless, anxiety stricken, irritable, have insomnia and more as they detox.
The body becomes so used to the regular use of Marijuana it needs to figure out how to do function without it again. Insomnia is common because the drug often makes sleeping easier. Once the body becomes used to the drug, it can be difficult to fall or stay asleep for some time. Marijuana often stimulates hunger cravings causing users to eat more often than they normally would. Once they stop using, their body must get used to regulating hunger on its own.
Psychological Addiction to Marijuana
People often enjoy the way that Marijuana makes them feel. Stress and anxiety can be difficult to handle, and Marijuana can give someone an overall sense of peace because it can make their anxiety seem to dull and make it feel as though things are easier to handle. When someone stops using Marijuana, they have to handle the stress and anxiety that they normally have to deal with while they are high.
Many people forget what it’s like to have to deal with the hustle and bustle of everyday life and cannot handle it at first. They often focus on the fact that they don’t feel the stress and anxiety as much when they use Marijuana. They then start to crave it because they don’t want to feel the way that they are feeling. Not being able to handle stress well often leads to addiction because people use Marijuana as a crutch and self-medicate every time something becomes difficult in life.
Even though someone may not be physically addicted to Marijuana, the psychological addiction to it can be difficult to overcome. Many people need to seek professional help, so they can treat whatever mental conditions are causing them to want to use.
Weed Addiction and Poly-Drug Use
Many people want and assume they are only using Marijuana when they buy it from a local dealer. They think they can trust the person and don’t realize they may be doing other drugs unknowingly. Much of the Marijuana bought on the streets is laced with other drugs. This is to create an addiction to the drugs so that users will come back, again and again, to buy drugs from one dealer.
When Marijuana users use Marijuana laced with something else, they get a different high. At times, it may be more intense high and more enjoyable to the person. This causes the user to want to track down the dealer and only buy drugs from them so that they can always get the same high. When the person stops using the drugs, they often go through withdrawal because they are actually addicted to different drugs than they thought they were addicted to.
Being Prepared For Marijuana Detox
If you want to quit using Marijuana, it’s a good idea to make sure that you know you can. However, you need to be aware that you may struggle with Marijuana detox. You can buy a drug test over the counter at many drug stores you can take at home. This allows you to discreetly find out if you are using Marijuana that’s laced and are possibly addicted to more drugs than you thought. This provides you with a starting point to establish a recovery plan to achieve sobriety.
Finding Professional Help For Addiction
If you want to quit using Marijuana but aren’t sure that you can avoid the temptation to use on your own, professional addiction help maybe your best option. There are treatment centers available that offer in-patient and out-patient treatment for users. Your situation will be assessed to determine what form of treatment best suits your situation.
It’s important to look for a treatment option that offers psychological help as well as physical help with your addiction. You need to learn what makes you want to use Marijuana and healthy ways to manage your triggers. If you don’t take the time to learn how to manage them, you’ll relapse the first-time things start to get stressful in life.
Recovery is a Lifelong Process
Marijuana is so readily available that staying clean from it will be difficult. You need to show yourself grace and take things one day at a time. Know that recovery from addiction isn’t something that happens overnight. You may need to rely on support from others to maintain your sobriety.
There are addiction groups that people who are trying to stay sober can go to when they want to have accountability and assistance after recovery. In the groups, you’ll meet other people who are trying to live a sober lifestyle. Building these relationships provides you with the opportunity to have people that you can contact when you feel tempted to use. Being able to talk openly and honestly can allow you to get advice on how to handle the situations when they arise. Having support during recovery can make it easier to stick to your recovery plan and reach the end goal of sobriety.
Once you stop using Marijuana, you’ll have more money to spend on other things, the ability to focus on daily activities and less risk of going to jail if you are caught with it in a place where it’s still illegal. You’ll have a noticeable improvement in your quality of life.
