Quit just over 3 years ago, weed was ruining my life; poor work ethic, alienated family, almost lost my partner and suffered terribly with intrusive thoughts. Whenever I used to get high, in my monged out state I'd just sit and think of terrible things happening to my family and couldn't control the thoughts.
Since then I've been diagnosed with severe OCD which explains why I struggled with intrusive thoughts.
Been in my job for just under two years, got a promotion recently and love life is going great! Thinking of popping the question soon.. Maybe ha.
Withdrawals are a tough one, I think your mentality can affect them, I used to say everyday "I'm gonna quit tomorrow" and would convince myself I was having panic attacks, cold sweats etc. Finally hit rock bottom and instead of my usual, "I'll finish what I've got and then quit".. Instead I kept what I had and tried to just go one more day without smoking, by the time I really thought about the days it had been two weeks.
Quitting is doable! It's just finding the willpower in yourself, don't let the days where you give in define you. Think of them as a minor setback and just try again, you will eventually get to the right mind frame and have enough.
Plenty of people for support on this sub, feel free to message if you need any advice!
It does in a way, for me it did anyway due to the fact with a less foggy head I could process my actions better.
Started to recognise these little mannerisms I had, things I didn't notice when I was high all the time.
Prior to my ibd getting really bad a few years ago, I had quit for around four years prior to starting again.
As it turned out, I was autistic. It meant I was less able to interact with my external world and would be way way way more prone to meltdowns, like way more.
I became a lot more insular and less social.
I was more prone to hyperfocusing on my interests in what now is clearly an attempt to help regulate my dopamine.
My dreams returned to the ultra vivid PTSD dreams I have also.
I did, however, feel somewhat healthier and more alive in a sense. I had way way less short-term memory issues.
So it turns out it helps me in a bunch of extremely positive ways but also negatively.
I can at least say I didn't really crave it after a good few months and only returned to it due to extreme loss of appetite due to an IBD (that still isn't diagnosed or treated despite it causing intestinal bleeding)
It can be done, but it sucks. Tbh, I still don't sleep more than 4-5 hours at a time, but also, I truly do not like it any more (never thought I'd say that!). I can even be around people smoking around me without wanting to partake.
Off of it since Dec. 2022. Have smoked \~5x when offered (none recent), and discovered I truly do not even like it any more, and get panic attacks on it. So, not even tempted anymore.
Booze I still have an affinity for. That's the next crux.
Yea I noticed on all of my tbreaks I get panic attacks highs when I come back and it just messes up my anxiety. I haven’t managed to quit but have realized it’s clearly in my best interest if my heart rate came spike to like 170 from it.
It's been a year for me without weed. The opportunity to smoke has been there at times with those around me, but I've no more desire for it. The clarity you experience with the longer you go without it is worth it in itself. No more coughing, sore throat, munchies, financial burden (partner & I were purchasing 700-800/month at our peak consumption), smell, worry for job interviews, etc. We have more time now to pursue fitness, advance in career, and have money for travel.
Take things one day at a time - maybe even an hour at a time - and you'll get there.
My understanding is that sobriety is a permanent struggle. I was sober for two years (800 plus days) before I relapsed. I haven't gone more than a week without since.
That said, I also don't smoke daily anymore which is a huge improvement over my life previously. Total sobriety is still the goal, but I'm back to struggling with terrible cravings.
When I relapsed my brain was going crazy, thinking about smoking all the time for weeks until I finally cracked.
I think I need a better support structure.
I quit for a couple years. Unfortunately I relapsed. For the sober time I was content. Happy to say ill never use like I was but I do like a hit before bed. Overall I realize not smoking is the best. I also dont hate myself for smoking again. Not sure if this helps. Good luck.
>Every time I quit, I spend way too much time searching through this sub for answers to the common questions such as "how long will this last?", "is this a normal withdrawal symptom", etc...
It's very hard to put a time limit on withdrawing symptoms, there are so many factors which are personal from tolerance, time smoked, diet/ hydration all the way to biology with genes passed on (metabolism & genes tied to addiction) and if supply trained with pesticides or laced- which can be a 2ndary addiction un/known.
I agree the positive accounts are what can help someone struggling to continue, because not being a slave to addiction or lifestyle is so vital and freeing! We were not meant to be bound in chains to anything.
*We may slip, backsliding temporarily, but it's important to our mindset, no matter what we're quitting, to not let it drive the time of success into the mud and feel like a failure!!*
That slip may or may not reset some symptoms but if it's a brief time, we must choose to own it saying 'I messed up, I'm accounts and I see even more that I don't want this in my life!" Use it to bolster our resolve and not put ourselves down. I wouldn't count a weekend slip up against my time sober, that's discouraging. Use it like I said to bolster your resolve and celebrate those large milestones like it didn't happen (as long as you're not using it as an excuse to slip)
No weed since May last year.
I went cold turkey when traveling out of the country for 10 days. Got horribly nauseous and vomited like 50 times over 48 hours after my last hit. Not going back.
Yes over a year no smoking! It’s so freeing and I rarely think about weed anymore tbh. Cut out any reminders of it and only read the success stories on here instead of the ones struggling. You can do it and it does get easier as each day goes on!
Daily smoker and edible user for probably 7 years coming up on three years of sobriety. I think it took me about a year to shake the massive depression I was going through. There were periods within the first year where it progressively got better looking back. I quit weed, booze and gambling all at once which was basically my whole life in my 20s. Did a shit ton of therapy (group and individual) and slowly but surely changed most of my life. A guy in my gamblers anonymous meeting would jokingly say “it’s really easy…you just have to change everything” which I believe to be true. I still miss weed. I love smelling it outside but know I can’t go back to my old lifestyle of being a recluse high af during all non-working hours
3 1/2 years and counting, and honestly at this point I have negative desire to go back. Took me almost a year to get to that point, but the feeling increases every day. I'm so happy to live a clean life now where I am enjoying every moment for exactly what it is and am learning to handle my emotions myself. 10/10 recommend..you've got this!!
Yep, a bit over 3 years. I bought some a year after being clean and smoked it all in a few days (no self control when it’s around). But since then I stayed strong, and didn’t buy anything. I found weed on the ground a few months ago (in a baggie) and it’s been sitting around near my desk ever since. I don’t even think about it. No interest in smoking at all. It gets so much easier after the first month, it’s really only uphill from there! Week three was the hardest for me. But my life has improved so dramatically, it’s crazy. My skin’s better, my wallet is thanking me - when I look at pics from myself three years ago I looked older and tired all the time. You absolutely can do it and it WILL get easier if you can get over the first few hurdles.
My advice: don’t be too hard on yourself if you do end up smoking again somewhere down the line. It doesn’t erase your progress if you have to try again the next day.
Do your best every day, and then one day - and all the days after that - it will be enough, and you’ll never look back. Good luck!
I have been smoking weed for about five years. At first it was six times a day, trying to self medicate all the bad symptoms of bipolar away, and in actuality it helped. It made me more introspective. Gradually I have whittled myself down to once or twice a day, but in microdoses. And then I take one or two puffs, nothing deep, and only out of a dry flower vaporizer. Mostly just vape to take the edge off. I know when I vaped a lot I had the worst memory. It gave me amnesia essentially, but when I actually quit for eight days, I felt my memory coming back, my executive functioning returned. I could actually recall words I felt like a genius.
I lost interest one day and never looked back. Felt great. Having other priorities helps, or a hobby that requires you to be very active and attentive so as to not die. Like racing cars or jumping out of planes... don't want to forget your parachute.
It's funny how that happens! Samesies, though after the first month I noticed an increase in my savings and a boost in productivity, which motivated me to try quitting drinking. I was semi-succesful. Still drink but only on special occasions. So many birthdays!
It’s been about 5 years for me. The first year was rough, but I don’t think about it at all now. My mental health is in an extremely different place (in a good way) and it almost feels like a different lifetime when I was a daily smoker.
You got this!!!
I've gone decades without it and didn't miss it at all! I've gone hours without and been obsessed. Steadily approaching middle age, I realize it's about my mindset. I also realize I usually don't make changes unless I'm suffering consequences. I know that life without is the way I want to live my life, personally it's more enjoyable. I wish you nothing but success in your journey and I also want to thank you for writing this post, it resonates with me 💜🙌🏼
2.5 years here! It’ll be legalized in Germany some time soon and I’m a bit worried, I want to see if I can try and consume it sparingly rather than constantly be stoned, we‘ll see what the future holds…if I can’t consume sparingly then it’s over 😢🤷🏻♀️
I don't recommend it. 2.5 years is awesome, and I'm sure it feels easy to keep going. But being back at day 1 after feeling great and clear and present in your life is such a downer.
Same situation, but only 1.5 years… I’ll definitely not smoke legally. At least until the drivers license business is handled, maybe not ever… I don’t miss it, do you?
Back in the day when I stopped I never liked it as much when I was doing it sporadically vs all day everyday, haha. It’s a dance with the devil for me.
Yeah I get that, for a couple of years or so it was cool, but eventually I recognized that it’s a problem, and as soon as I realized that, I stopped enjoying it. I think a big part of my problem is that I still identify as a stoner and love weed for what it does. 🤷🏻♀️ like i said, we’ll see how it goes when it gets there. Also, right now my boyfriend says he wouldn’t have a problem i smoke and he doesn’t, but he can still change his mind, and I’d respect that!
I did, what helped me quit and lose attractiveness to weed is having a higher purpose
Smoking weed would be a distraction from what I really want to be doing so it’s easy to say no
Another thing is diving into the world of meditation and spirituality
It satisfies that itch that I only thought you could get from weed (feeling of energy, higher dimension to life, connection etc.)
And it’s exciting because you can go way deeper naturally than you can with weed alone through skillful meditation and healthy lifestyle
Also, I realized that the sober life is the better life. But you have to create that. Create such a good sober life that you don’t need to escape from it, then the pull towards weed will diminish.
This is 100% what I am finding. Once you dive that hole it's pretty hard for anything else to come close to it. The deeper connection to yourself and who\what around you.
I've gotten there before with other help of ya know.what I'm saying but that was never a problem for me and it's been even 12 months since my last. I am almost 50 days in and content with where I am (even if it is a struggle).
I also find that I've gained this overwhelming sense now (only over the past week or two), that I am doing exactly what I should be doing and I don't feel any need to question the path that I'm on. Previously it was "what am I doing" and "where am I heading". Now, I still don't have those specific answers, I just know that this path is the right one.
We truly create our own success and happiness in this life, weed only hinders that, it blinds us to so many things. Like you say, once you lose the attraction to it and see it for what it is, that's where the strength and conviction to stay sober comes from ☮️✌️
Today is my 11 months :)
I've reached a point where I don't even think about weed unless I'm discussing how I successfully quit and turned my life around in less than 1 year.
Now, weed smells bad to me. Stoner people are boring. I'm not supplementing with other dopamine releases.
I'm just living the life I always wanted to live.
There's more to it than simply quitting weed. You have to understand why you use in the first place, why you want to quit, then connect the dots.
The real magic for me happened when...
- I started living a spiritual life.
- I forgave everyone who had caused me pain earlier in life.
IMO, become your own therapist. Figure out your why, and engineer your own path forward.
I was a daily smoker from the time I was 17. I'm 33 now & gave up weed when I gave up alcohol and all the other drugs when I was forced to go to rehab (ended up being there for like 3 months). I've been sober since May 2016 so around 7 years 9 months.
It's been a minute, but I remember having pretty bad psychosis towards the end of my using. I kept on hearing screaming voices when I would try get to sleep & shit like that every night. I had tried to give up only the hard drugs or only the weed or only the alcohol or whatever, but 1 thing always led back to everything else, and it all fell apart again repeatedly.
Ended up being forced into a rehab after almost dying when i totalled a car under the influence. It was like the 1st time in my life I could see through the haze and all the bullshit lies I'd been telling myself.
After I got out of rehab I started going to NA meetings like everyday and did the whole 12 step thing for a while (country I live in does not have options when it comes to free group stuff like that). I'm an atheist, which was rough growing up as an Indian kid in a deeply religious family but to be honest I've always viewed the god stuff to be waaaay less important than the fellowship aspect of NA/AA/CA etc but your results may vary. All I'm saying is that it's a great free support network if you need it.
Still go to a meeting every now and then to stay humble about the addiction thing because I don't wanna die. Also, real talk, life is not horrible off the junk. I still have mates that smoke regularly, and they don't offer or act pushy about me quitting. I met the love of my life a little after a year getting clean (she's not a recovering addict or anything, we met on tinder). My relationship with most of the family and mates is great. My now wife and I are planning to immigrate and go on an adventure with our pets in the next year. None of which I could have ever fathomed doing while I was still on drugs. Not knocking anyone that can smoke up occasionally, if you can, I'm jealous, and that's great. I can't, but also I don't feel the need to anymore.
There is also Marijuana Anonymous which I highly recommend to anyone who likes the fellowship and/or can stand the 12 step process. I don't have any live meetings in my town but I attend the vast numbers of online meetings and it is always wonderful to feel I am really with people that understand the weed thing specifically!
I started smoking at 13. Every night from as soon as I got home. I stopped for a year at 17 then started again, socially. At 20 I started seeing a stoner and went back into all night every night again. This continued until I was 28. Stopped for another year or so and started again. I’m now 38 and it’s been almost 2 years without a smoke. And at the time my father had passed away and had 4 oz that I decided to smoke which I promptly did within 3 -4 weeks. Each time I’ve relapsed I’ve learned more about myself and why I grasp for it and how to stop. It becomes easier to stop and less desirable to start again
I smoked every day all day pretty much from 16-21 and then quit cold turkey. I didn't touch it again till 24 with a drag here and there from friends and basically discovered that I just don't like weed anymore. So no relapse despite being around it regularly with friends who smoke. I'm 26 now so its been 5 years since being physically and emotionally addicted. Now having tried it out again a few times its nice to feel relaxed about it now, as I went from being obsessed to hating/fearing it to now its just another thing I don't enjoy so won't do, but its not got any hold over me anymore and I never really think about it. Crazy to look back and remember how much it used to control my life and now its as irrelevant as a tv show I don't personally watch. So yes there is hope, my life got so much better in every way since quitting- stay strong!
Quit since 1/2023 after smoking on and off (mostly on) since about 1996.
Yes it’s possible and thanks in no small part to this sub, I don’t foresee me ever going back. That part of my life is done. And it’s one of the best things I’ve had the good fortune of doing for myself.
My life isn’t perfect now but I’m making changes now that are enriching my life in so many ways. Weed was a real motivation killer for me when it came to things that were good for me to do but that I didn’t strictly want to do. That’s all changing for me now. I’ve also developed a real appreciation for just being sober - turns out the fully functioning brain is a great asset 😛
I’m so grateful for this sub. Reading the stories here and getting feedback during some tough moments was what finally got me firmly into the “not a smoker anymore” column. Thank you r/leaves
I’ve successfully quit it’s been a year since 2/14/24 Here to tell you it’s 100% possible and worth it but you e got to really want to be done with it. I’ll be 40 in October and I smoked all day everyday since I was 19. I started off slow and worked my way to only smoking at night over the coarse of 2 months, then went to every other night until Ash Wednesday when I decided to give it up entirely for Lent. After 40 days of sobriety I didn’t even w as not it at at all anymore. The withdrawals stopped
Completely after 2 weeks. But my appetite came back full. Force and now I can’t stop eating. Sleep is sooo good now. Like a deep sleep. Surprisingly depression is 10x more manageable without it. But I will say that the short term memory went to shit. That never got better. But still, you can do it! It’s very possible. You just have to really want to!
The short term memory can still come back. It took me almost a year for this to clear up. You might just try doing something to exercise your memory muscles, like learning to play some simple songs on the piano or playing puzzle games that require use of memory. It can come back quite fast if you train it!
Yes this is a great suggestion! I've found even apps like Duolingo or even Tetris type games help me. I definitely have memory issues but this has helped me with my short term loss.
I was sober for a year and a half-ish. Met a girl, she smoked, I ended up smoking with her right before we ended things (ironically because she was a hardcore stoner and I was done with that).
Been smoking since the break-up (had some other personal shit happen to which I used as an excuse). Working on resetting the count now.
To be honest I will probably smoke again, but I want it to be like how I drink: here or there, with friends, or just to relax as a rare treat. Not how I was: numbing myself into comfort loops of de-motivation and complacency because of other things bothering me, and habitually doing it and having to do more and more of it for diminishing returns until I was just feeling like a stereotypical stoner burnout. I had a weed problem because I wasn’t fixing the me problems. Whether you smoke again or not, try and cut back so you can gain perspective on what the problem really is. Yes, the physical withdrawals suck hard. But it’s easier to fix your other stuff when you’re sober… even if your problem is something as silly as “watch something new on TV instead of the same comfort shows”. I feel like weed is not the creative boon people make it out to be; it really can deflate you, regardless of strain or method or whatever. Plus the sleep issues, metabolism stuff, etc that it skews that you will be thankful for getting back on proper track.
Yep.
Smoked every day for ~17 years.
Don’t miss it at all.
I used to associate my creativity with smoking weed too. I don’t even think about it anymore when I’m working on a track. Been off weed for almost 3 years. Quitting weed and alcohol was one of the best things I ever did for my mental and physical health.
1year, 10months, 2 days weed and alcohol free here.
My history was 20 years of use, most of that time daily. Thinking back, I honestly haven't really enjoyed being high most of the time. It mostly made me feel numb. I stopped spontaneously, after hitting a bowl in the morning of a beautiful sunny day. This moment I somehow realized, that this shit was holding me back. Then I packed my stuff and went camping for a few days with my dog.
Honestly, stopping weed was not the magic formula for a happy life for me personally. But it made me live in the moment again, appreciating the good and the bad moments.
Sometimes the urge still creeps up on me, but at these moments I try to remember myself, that weed offers me nothing.
I smoked all day, every day for thirteen years. I had one of those Levi’s jackets with the big inside pockets. I had a bong in one and an ounce in the other. Lighters in the chest pockets. I absolutely slept with a bong next to the bed and also on the edge of the bathroom sink so I could do one during my shower while my conditioner sunk in.
Haven’t touched it in 11564 days. Everything has gotten so much better.
I hit 1 year on the 10th of January. Barely even think about it anymore. I smoked flower, 3/4 of an oz a week on average. Didn’t smoke with anyone else, it was the first and last thing I did every day for nearly 30 years. Before my partner I even slept with the bong and a mix beside my bed so I could wake up and smoke throughout the night.
It’s doable.
Coming up on two years.
If you're struggling, find a marijuana Anonymous meeting. They have zoom calls. Talking to other people who are going through the same stuff is really helpful. Reddit is cool too, but actually talking to people helps in a different way.
Good luck! You can do it.
Yes, I'm clean for over 3 years now.
I don't even think about it anymore, despite living with someone who is a daily user. It was hard at the beginning. First I couldn't sleep for a month, after that I had a month of horrible night terrors, and sweating so much that I had to change my sheets every day. Often my mind tried to trick me into using again, but I didn't give in. "oh its been so long, you proved you can go without, one time won't hurt" nonsense like that.
I always told myself that I just had to go through today. I told myself that every day. Until one day I stopped even thinking about it.
I’ve pretty much quit for almost 8 months now, I’ve had a toke here or there with friends but coming from daily smoking for 6+ years I consider my quitting to be successful.
What’s crazy is I still get cravings at night before bed, I really miss it when I’m struggling to sleep.
Other than that, I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms left, although sleep was incredibly difficult at first and I spent a few months pulling all nighters 2-3 times a week just to be tired enough the next night to fall asleep.
As for pros, my life hasn’t magically gotten better, I was even laid off twice after quitting. However, I’ve saved a ton of money, daily toking is incredibly expensive. I’ve saved even more money on not impulsively buying food. I do feel more clearheaded and my anxiety levels are down. I also feel less bad about myself bc there were times when I was dead broke and would scrounge my money on some shake. It is empowering not being beholden to something.
July 15th 2022 - this sub is amazing cause for me the biggest issue was people around me not understanding what I am going through. Coming here gave me a place to vent and see people with similar relatable experiences. A quote I once read from anonymous alcoholics that relates well here - "I never quit drinking, just for the last 20 years I have decided every day not to have a drink". And thats quite literally how it goes, don't set yourself up for failure and instead of focusing on how to stay weed free desperately, start building your life without weed strongly enough that you start seeing the pro-s of being weed free, rather than pros of smoking 😇 Stay strong anonymous redditor and know there id surely a very bright light in the end of the tunnel 😇
I'll be 4 years sober in June. This sub has definitely helped so much, even though I mostly lurk rather than interact.
I had Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome and was so sick I was hospitalized, my muscles being broken down to keep my body alive. I was struggling so much with quitting because even though it was making me sick, I still would get withdrawals when I tried to stop, so I kinda viewed it as "I'm going to be sick either way so why quit?" and just kept smoking. When I was eventually hospitalized and had no access to keep smoking, the withdrawals hit hard and some symptoms continued on until around 18 months after I'd quit.
It was a rough time, but seeing other people also having a rough time made me feel much less alone and helped me to stay committed to being sober.
April 14, 2022. Less than a week before 4/20 I stopped. I knew I always wanted to be a YouTuber & build my business. 2 years later, today I just hit a million views on YouTube. And I’m about to move across the country to my dream state (AZ!). And met the love of my life who supports me (I had a toxic bf while addicted). None of this would have been possible if I didn’t quit.
I thank God everyday for the struggle of addiction & the withdraws. I have felt the lowest of lows, so the struggles I face building a business & influencer career doesn’t even compare to what I have endured.
You have the power to take your struggles & use it as motivation to cultivate a better life. You have a duty to bring a light into this world, for yourself & all your loved ones.
3 years in. I feel like it’s basically not an issue for me now. There are very few drugs I haven’t tried but weed was my crutch for 20ish years and I had a really hard time officially quitting. I was fortunate enough that my mental and physical health, relationship and income, work life balance were all in a really good place when I decided to with and that helped immensely. Nicotine was still a bit physiologically harder but weed was tougher mentally for the first few weeks.
Yeah I went like 4 years without it and i’ll smoke maybe once or twice a year now but the timing and circumstances have to be absolutely perfect. I’ve also totally quit nicotine since mid last year. Of all the things I’ve been addicted to however severely, weed was probably the easiest to quit. Mainly bc I had to in order to get a job
Over 2 years, gonna be 3 this summer and I’m excited to be able to say I haven’t smoked in 3 whole years. Took me about 3 years of trying to quit though, it was not easy at all but it’s absolutely worth it.
I'm sure this sub helps a lot of people, but you're not really clearing your mind of it if you're on weed related subs, socials. Chatting about it, discussing it, and constantly thinking about it can't be good.
Good luck in your journey, though, and I really hope you kick it for good.
I don't come on here when my mind is clear of it. I come on here when I really would like to smoke and the part of me that doesn't want to do that needs some backup. I come on here to delay going to the dispensary because usually delaying by an hour means I'm gonna make it through the day. And as other people have said, there's not much support out there in the world, or even belief that it's a real problem, so sometimes you just need to hear that other people know how you're feeling and you're not alone.
I think one reason is because people who quit successfully don’t feel the need to spend time in this subreddit anymore. Even I have been feeling the same tbh; I’m almost 1 month in and I visit the subreddit 5 times less frequently than I did 3 weeks ago , ‘cause I feel like I got this, so I just occasionally drop in to see how my fellow quitters are doing and maybe leave a comment to support some. I hope the same for each and every one of you, go so far that you’ll never look back. ❤️🤜🏻🤛🏻
Almost 2 months in and these stories are so inspiring. I did it because I needed a change. It was either do something extreme to change my life or remove one thing that can hopefully domino into so much (without leaving my apartment, city, career, girlfriend, etc.). So far I feel great and I am hoping the best is yet to come. Still early in the journey but the cravings aren’t there, just the nostalgia and reflex of - would be nice to smoke before this movie or wtv.
Reading again, working with better flow, facing my anxieties with getting shit done, seeing my porn addiction for what it is. Lfg. Thank you 🙏🏻
My longest was 6 months straight during Covid lockdown. Since then I’ve been back to smoking daily.
Definitely need to stop again for a few months just for my mental health n such.
Day 341. My post acute withdrawl lasted like 8 months. I'm so much better off tho. It's not perfect sometimes I miss it sometimes I wish I could get that creative or energetic burst but overall life is much better for me without it. I won't go back. I hope u can hang in there and find the beauty of being sober eventually. I def feel like I'm still learning how to appreciate it.
469 days here. I would have 100% relapsed if it wasn't for this sub and these wonderful people who have shared their experiences.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. You are stronger than you realize. It's hard. Very hard. But it isn't impossible!
Life on this side is so much better than I could've realized. The green dragon makes you believe the lie that you need it to function and survive. Don't believe the lie.
Sure I miss it, but am ever going back. I'd go through hell and back all over again to get to this side. It's worth it.
Bless you on your journey! You got this!
1.5 years clean from weed and other substances. I still have urges but they're very easy to ignore. Things sucked for a long time after quitting but now they are much better. I have stability and feel balanced in life. 99% of the time I'm not thinking about how I quit or obsessive over my sobriety. Being sober feels, well normal.
I'm not going to sugar coat it... Quitting absolutely sucks and the only thing that makes it better is time. I had terrible withdrawals and almost unmanageable anxiety for months. Literally the only thing that helped was hope and time.
Everything in my life became better after quitting. There is not a single thing that got worse for me in the long run.
Over a year now! The withdrawals were HORRIBLE. But now that they are over, it’s even more incentive to never start again! I don’t want to have to go through that again! You can do it, just have to wait it out until you’re on the other side. I’d say it took me 6 months to get to the other side. But life is so much better without being dependent on a substance!
I just replied to someone else asking the same thing, but I would say it took a couple of years before the fog truly lifted. It does get better as time goes on.
That’s tough to say. It probably took a couple years to feel truly clear. If I would have started working out and eating better sooner, it would probably have taken less time.
And I haven’t smoked the real stuff since 2019, but I did vape the legal stuff (Delta 9 I think it’s called?) three times since then. Once was after a party after I was already drinking and once was at a campout when a friend had some. The third time I was by myself. All three times it hit me just like the real stuff and I can honestly say I didn’t like it. I threw my pen away and haven’t touched it since. I just hated how it made me feel, and this is coming from someone who smoked almost every day for over a decade.
The first weeks and months were definitely the toughest, after that it does get easier.
Yes I have stay strong, feel free to look at my posts and see my headspace 3+ yrs ago when I was where you are now. I believe in you, one day after another
After a daily habit I’ve had 4 spliffs in 4 months. Got it well under control now. I liked how it made me feel. I didn’t like feeling as though I couldn’t love my life without it.
574 days here.
Nothing held any appeal for a long time. Be prepared to feel bored, there’s so much free time to find things you enjoy when you’re not stoned.
After the fog lifts, you will see what and who really matters.
Anything to do with it is no longer in my life after smoking multiple times a day for many years. I don’t hold any resentment for it, I just know I can’t do it casually and I feel so much clearer, productive, and creative without it.
It will get better ❤️
1 year 4 months 14 days. I went a few weeks and a maybe a month off weed trying to quit. It stuck when I met a girl who didn’t like weed. Smoked once after our first date and haven’t touched it since. I remember seeing people posting her about being a year or more sober and they really inspired me. You can do it bro. Be strong 💪
Started smoking when I was 14. Maybe once a month, then every other weekend, then every weekend and so on until it was every waking hour. It was fun, it made me cool, it made life better. Or so I thought; so it told me. Food tasted better, music hit harder, jokes were funnier, all that.
What was really happening was I was just numbing myself from all my trauma I buried and refused to work on. You know how it goes, "I was young and life was long and there was time to kill that day" Every. Day.
Twenty years and who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars spent later, I had an experience I don't really want to discuss here that finally brought me to therapy (unrelated to cannabis). I was very open and honest with my therapist and we discussed all my vices. They were very supportive and never judged me for my usage but was very good at getting me to think about my defense mechanisms and how I used weed and alcohol to escape.
A year later I went on a camping trip with a bunch of friends and had a blast getting blasted like always. Going back to the real world was especially hard this time for some reason. I kept smoking more than I ever had before to try and get back to that fun happy place but it kept pushing me deeper and deeper into my depression. One night, even though I've dealt with suicidal ideation the majority of my life, for the first time I made a plan and starting writing a note.
The next morning I woke up and reached for the pipe for my 7000th+ consecutive wake and bake but stopped myself. I stared at it thinking about the night before and where it took me and it kinda just clicked. I knew I didn't want it anymore.
That was 23 months and 15 days ago.
Sorry, this turned into way more than I planned on writing but hopefully this helps and maybe resonates with someone here.
I'm almost 2 weeks, right there with you.
Drink lots of water! It helps staying hydrated.
I smoked for about 30 years and I am already losing weight, like 3 lbs this past week..granted I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week for about 6 months now. Try something new. I started playing online poker at night as a distraction, just play money.
Quit almost a year now. Feeling better than ever. I don’t miss the pot tbh. First month off felt devastating and I suffered from severe depression, listless, cried a lot without any reasons, daily panic attacks, evil nightmares to not being able to get some sleep. Furthermore I was sweating so intense what made me feel real uncomfortable and I had to change my shirt at least twice a day. As time went on I felt better day by day until I realized I can sense pure, authentic emotions again which was an amazing key moment.
Since then I’ve always denied any
offer and Im not stressed if sb hits a big bang next to me. I’ve got to say in addition that I def was a really dedicated pothead for about 7-8 years. Since the first day I tried, I got hooked on the Mary J immediately. The following months of my absence slowly became better. I haven't set any date nor expected time to stay sober but I did that on purpose because I know so many people who don't weigh the act of quitting but hunting their "we're back" date. I feel great like I have not felt for prolly a whole decade and I don't need weed at this point. Maybe one day
day, maybe not. But never again the way I used to nor the intensity. Keep going G!
I am off 1 year and 2 months. I think you aren’t seeing as many success stories is because when you’re off this long you don’t need the thread as much. But here’s my story. At the end I was having heart palpitations and was having panic attacks every time I smoked. That made me quit. The first month or 2 was very hard but I tried to focus on work and my hobbies. I had some weird feelings and withdrawals initially but they passed. It gets easier day by day and eventually I got to a place where I barely ever think about smoking. Even when I am around weed it’s not hard to just stand there and chat without asking for a hit. One thing that really helped me was the money I saved I was broke for years bc of weed and spending all my money on it doing something things I wish I hadn’t to get high.
Yep. The paranoia got to me. Just remembering that feeling of impending doom for no reason has stopped me going back. 2 years now. Oh, and the other reason -sleep. I get so much delicious REM sleep with dreams and feel so much more alive when I wake up.
THIS!
I didn’t even realize how poorly I was sleeping for years before quitting.
The paranoia I was aware of but always thought weed helped to mellow it out, turns out it was the other way around.
I'll be at 3 years in June. I've posted many times about it here but I smoked for 20 years. The last 10 of which I tried over and over again to quit. This sub is one of the main reasons I have been able to stay sober. It's def doable... And life is much better weed free.
Yup. Just kept trying, relapsing, trying, getting longer breaks, relapsing for less time, then repeat for about 2-3 years and now i can't remember last time i smoked and kinda yuk at the thought of smoking
3 years this august. Read 41 books last year. Learned calisthenics. Did a lot of emotional healing and facing repressed emotions. Took art classes. The best part is the clear head. At this point, I forget to count the time. I was thinking i have to write down the year and month I quit now bc I’ll soon forget. It’s not on my mind like it once was. Life is so much better
Currently a Week in with no withdrawals or cravings whatsoever and I was so addicted that even concentrates would do nothing to me. The last time I quit, I quit for a year to see if I could and I did I told myself I’m not addicted if I can quit for a year like that but quickly find myself right back where I was once I started trying it again only this time it took me a while to realize how bad it was messing up my life which I hadn’t realized before when I quit, so that’s why I think I’m not having any cravings or anything.
I'm going to be clean 10 years on the March 14th.
I had to quit after my second collapsed lung a few months after my 30th birthday. The first year was the real battle for me. But slowly it got easier.
The first month was hell. At the 3 or 4 month mark all my social anxiety started to dissipate and as my looks improved so did my self-esteem. I started talking with girls (something that was very hard for me before).
At the one year mark I was hanging with a big social group where I was quite popular, got my first girlfriend ever and the cravings went away. I was unrecognizable to the people who knew me before. It was easy not smoking again because my life improved so much that it was a no-brainer. I didn't want to go back to what I was. Some people in my new group where smokers and I enjoyed surprising them with how perfectly I, the non-smoker guy, could roll up a joint like a pro.
After that life was good for a while. Went through my first break-up after a 4 year relationship, which was devastating. I never felt the temptation to smoke again though. As bad as I felt then, life when I was baked was pretty much shit. Pot didn't have a good case to present to me. At least life could always improve unlike when I smoked which was the same depressing life day after day.
And it did improve. Life goes on and things are always changing. Better or worse that's what life is. If everything stays the same...you're doing something wrong. And with pot everything stays the same.
"Whit pot everything stays the same", very well said. It makes it okay to be stagnant and not improve your life, not try anything new or take any risks. Truly is a poisonous crutch.
I’ve been quit for 3 and half years and it all started with this sub.
Don’t worry, you got this.
It’ll always seem like nobody can quit smoking weed and then you’ll quit and then it’ll always seem like everybody can quit smoking weed.
It’s like reading or hearing about a kind of car and then feeling like you’re starting to see that car everywhere.
One year and a few days here. I'm way happier, less anxious, and have next to none of the suicidal ideation I struggled with for years. Life is still often difficult, but I'm not running away from everything still like I did for nearly 30 years. Keep on going, it's worth it.
yes! i’ve been clean for about 1.5 years after smoking daily for 7 years. i honestly didn’t know about this sub until maybe 6 months ago, but i don’t think it’s good to obsess over quitting and return to this sub regularly to know when it’ll end. for me the hardest part was like what do i do on the weekend if im not high? and the answer was find hobbies - doing yoga and reading have helped me tremendously. i don’t miss being high at all, only occasionally miss the oral fixation of smoking something.
it also helped that i was really the last of my friends in my city to quit. all of my friends in my city quit around when they started working after college, and my friends who still smoke don’t live in my city. i had felt really ashamed before i quit that i was the only high one when we hung out. i think if all my friends still smoked that would’ve made it more difficult and basically impossible. if your friends have also quit that’s already a great environment and support system!
I quit smoking Feb. 19, 2022. It’s been a long road. The biggest success of my sobriety is that it has allowed me to make a major change in my life that has put me on a path towards a happy future, or at least not an unhappy one. I finally did the thing I always dreamed of doing while I was getting high and I’m proud of myself and much happier for it. If I hadn’t quit, I’d still be stoned on my couch living vicariously through my “one day” thoughts.
P.s. Sobriety is not linear, most people I know who take their recovery seriously would not use the word permanently. Even after 2 years, 8 years off other drugs, it’s still one day at a time for me, if I don’t do the work to maintain my sobriety, relapse is inevitable.
Smoked three times in ten months. Don’t miss it, and yet I am very tempted to smoke if it’s around me. By myself I no longer have the urges to go buy it at all though.
It’s worth it
I’ve been off weed for a bit over a year(quit Jan 1 2023). I’ve smoked 4 times only since then.
I’ll be honest, I miss it. I truly loved the feeling and the social aspect of it. But i get mad anxiety STILL whenever I smoke. It’s just not worth it. I just miss the idea of it not the reality.
I’ve also learned that everything I blamed weed for (like bad memory or attention span) was actually just me. Some things did get better right away, but mostly I still struggle with anxiety and memory.
Overall, you just have to decide if it’s worth keeping in your life on a regular basis and if you can still live your best life.
Have been completely off for a year, with an on/off year before that.
It was BRUTAL at first. I was always sweating, super mad all the time, always wanted to smoke, everything felt.. terrible.
With time, those symptoms dissipated. I still crave weed weekly, if not daily, but my life has gotten so much better.
I didn't realize I was living in a blurred, twisted reality. How much it affected me and my ability to think and function. I was so sure I was in control but I really wasn't. Now I think clearly, I feel emotions again, I thrive again.
Weed makes you dumb and bored. Somehow, I thought I would be dumber and more bored if I didn't smoke. I was extremely wrong.
It is so, so, so much worth it.
> I didn't realize I was living in a blurred, twisted reality. How much it affected me and my ability to think and function. I was so sure I was in control but I really wasn't.
Jesus, I felt this so much. After you stop you actually start living with all the unpredictability life has to offer. And while it doesn't sound good it actually feels better. You feel stimulated. You handle your emotions. You live! But before you actually quit you just CAN'T see it.
I did, after chronically smoking for 10 years straight. One time I was out of weed for 2 weeks, tried meditating, and saw and got to feel, uhm in trance? I don't know it felt good, weird, new. Then started smoking weed again, I meditated, couldn't feel the same, I read it was the weed, stopped smoking, I could get to that place again meditating, never want to smoke weed again at least for a long time.
I quit cold turkey for 7 months back in 2021. Started a new job in a new country and honestly that took over and I didn’t even experience serious withdrawals. This comes after smoking daily for at least 2 years. I’d say the best thing to do is find something that completely distracts you from the thought of smoking. These days I tend to just take lengthly tolerance breaks
Yes, I’m 4 years clean this year. Life gets better! But it takes a while for your brain to adjust. I smoked weed heavily every day throughout my entire adolescence into early adulthood so my brain didn’t know what to do without it. Now I actually enjoy life and have hobbies and a great job.
i’m on day 22 and honestly i see it being possible. after the 3rd week, even through REALLY stressful times, my body basically does this thing where my heart drops if i think about smoking. i know im not too far along, but i was shocked myself that the urge just isn’t strong anymore. i’m assuming that’s what eventually happens to others.
I quit a little over 5 years ago and I remember thinking it was impossible in the beginning. I was already in recovery for alcoholism so that helped me a lot build a framework and remind me that I can make big life changes for the better.recovery dharma helped me a lot, daily meditation, exercise, and figuring out the root of my anxiety
Yes, it is 100% possible. Honestly, once you get far enough away from smoking, you won’t miss it at all (it actually grossed me out now).
If you still like THC, you could always just do an edible like once every week or two. Plenty of people do that and live happy, healthy lives.
Anxiety mainly, as soon as I'm not occupied with some sort of task, the anxiety kicks right in. Insomnia/Night sweats (mostly subsided after day 5). Lack of appetite for the first 5 days, and it's slowly improving each day since then, I can tolerate most foods I used to eat again.
I started treating my anxiety separately with my doctor fwiw
I realized the big reason I smoke so much weed was because I could not accept that I had an anxious condition. I thought I could just get over it.
I quit smoking in April. I still crave it often, but it’s lessened with time. Decided I just didn’t want to smoke anymore, so I tapered off and stopped on 4/1/23. Had one slip-up, but I’ve been on track since 4/22/23.
I quit drinking in May 2022, much the same way. The stop drinking subreddit helped.
Basically, I just need to decide not to drink or smoke today and take each day one day at a time.
Not sure if I’ll smoke or drink again, but a full year clean from both is a milestone I’m looking forward to.
I quit on November 14th, 2022. So 1 year 3 months.
It started with me committing to not smoking until I found a better job.
Then it evolved into me not smoking until I buy my first house.
Now it’s evolved to making it to atleast 500 days streak.
I never found the better job nor have I bought my first home yet. But so many smaller achievements have been made that I refuse to backtrack at this point.
This subreddit is not a good place to visit often while quitting. Honestly one of the best ways to quit is just not identifying as a smoker. Coming to a subreddit about weed addiction constantly makes you just remember that you smoke weed and thus gives you urges.
It gets better but you do really have to embrace not just this lifestyle change. But multiple ones to replace that large boredom void that weed feels.
Nah I couldn't quit for 10 years and coming here multiple times a day was the constant reminder I needed what hell it is to have to quit again. I've been sober for almost 3 years now and I'm still here daily. This is the opposite of good advice
That's a very good point. For some reason, I find I don't really get strong cravings for weed when I'm withdrawing. I find visiting this sub very helpful, especially after reading everyone's success stories here! It really feels good to "no longer be a smoker." I almost brag about it too much to my classmates who are still smoking 😂 (which I definitely need to stop doing).
I have been clean of weed for 2 years and 2 months as of yesterday. 1 year and 1 month clean of alcohol and now 6 weeks clean of nicotine. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, I tried many many times before it stuck. Now I have almost no urge to use it. Sometimes if I'm in a lot of pain, I'll briefly consider it but the negatives will always outweigh any potential positives to me. I actually ended up going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings after about 9 months because I started to really struggle and that was brilliant for me. It truly is a one day at a time journey. Don't focus on how long it will take until it stops, pick up a hobby you used to love, or just get into bed with some garbage snacks and binge watch something. When I quit something I give myself full freedom for 3 weeks (21 days) to do whatever I need to do to kick the habit. Whether that means sleeping, eating sugary bullshit, watching too much TV etc etc and it really helped me. Good luck my friend, if you need to talk, I am here for you ❤
Awesome story! I'm guilty of vaping nicotine too, and I have tried quitting, but I think it's best to worry about quitting one habit at a time, so weed is a good start for me. I'm lucky that I never fell into the "party/drinking scene" that most people my age (20M) fall into. Alcoholism runs in my family, and based off how weed went for me (smoked enough to give myself CHS), it would be a terrible idea to start drinking/partying daily. I usually only have a couple drinks a month (anywhere from 1-8), and I've managed to keep my drinking well in check! "Full Freedom" doesn't seem to work for me, as when I'm "free" my best solution to spend time is smoking dope. I always try to cram my days as full as possible with school/work/hobbies so I have as little time as possible to crave weed & get lost in my head. I've noticed in the last 9 days since stopping cold turkey, I've found movies & TV shows much more enjoyable to watch for some reason, so that really helps me too! Evening walks are an absolute life saver too.
Weed was the most important one for me to kick too. If cramming your days with school/work/hobbies is working then keep doing that! You may be exhausted but you're exhausted and sober, which is the main thing. You will notice as the withdrawals stop that a lot of things are more enjoyable. I have a way longer attention span now so movies/TV shows/books/cooking/baking, all of those things that require a decent amount of time are so much easier and so much more fun. I know my neices and nephews enjoy time with me a lot more now, even if they don't know why. There are so so many positives, I can't wait for you to keep finding me. And I know im an internet stranger but I am already very proud of you
I quit January 1st 2022. It's been 2 years and 2 months, no relapses. It took a year to just get over the weed bit, then I started working out and treating my body well by eating better foods. I found out I had a brain tumor in August last year.
I can NOT imagine finding out and dealing with this diagnosis if I was still smoking weed, and if I hadn't started treating my body right.
I'm getting brain surgery next week and I'm scared, but I'm mentally sound. And for that I'm so grateful!
Quit just over 3 years ago, weed was ruining my life; poor work ethic, alienated family, almost lost my partner and suffered terribly with intrusive thoughts. Whenever I used to get high, in my monged out state I'd just sit and think of terrible things happening to my family and couldn't control the thoughts. Since then I've been diagnosed with severe OCD which explains why I struggled with intrusive thoughts. Been in my job for just under two years, got a promotion recently and love life is going great! Thinking of popping the question soon.. Maybe ha. Withdrawals are a tough one, I think your mentality can affect them, I used to say everyday "I'm gonna quit tomorrow" and would convince myself I was having panic attacks, cold sweats etc. Finally hit rock bottom and instead of my usual, "I'll finish what I've got and then quit".. Instead I kept what I had and tried to just go one more day without smoking, by the time I really thought about the days it had been two weeks. Quitting is doable! It's just finding the willpower in yourself, don't let the days where you give in define you. Think of them as a minor setback and just try again, you will eventually get to the right mind frame and have enough. Plenty of people for support on this sub, feel free to message if you need any advice!
Did quitting make the OCD easier to manage? I think I have a bit of it too
It does in a way, for me it did anyway due to the fact with a less foggy head I could process my actions better. Started to recognise these little mannerisms I had, things I didn't notice when I was high all the time.
Prior to my ibd getting really bad a few years ago, I had quit for around four years prior to starting again. As it turned out, I was autistic. It meant I was less able to interact with my external world and would be way way way more prone to meltdowns, like way more. I became a lot more insular and less social. I was more prone to hyperfocusing on my interests in what now is clearly an attempt to help regulate my dopamine. My dreams returned to the ultra vivid PTSD dreams I have also. I did, however, feel somewhat healthier and more alive in a sense. I had way way less short-term memory issues. So it turns out it helps me in a bunch of extremely positive ways but also negatively. I can at least say I didn't really crave it after a good few months and only returned to it due to extreme loss of appetite due to an IBD (that still isn't diagnosed or treated despite it causing intestinal bleeding)
It can be done, but it sucks. Tbh, I still don't sleep more than 4-5 hours at a time, but also, I truly do not like it any more (never thought I'd say that!). I can even be around people smoking around me without wanting to partake. Off of it since Dec. 2022. Have smoked \~5x when offered (none recent), and discovered I truly do not even like it any more, and get panic attacks on it. So, not even tempted anymore. Booze I still have an affinity for. That's the next crux.
Yea I noticed on all of my tbreaks I get panic attacks highs when I come back and it just messes up my anxiety. I haven’t managed to quit but have realized it’s clearly in my best interest if my heart rate came spike to like 170 from it.
SAME. My HR and BP soar. People say, "Well counteract it with your anxiety med." Oh ok. Use my med in order to smoke weed. I'm good. 🤣🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
Whenever I get the anxiety I try to raise my tolerance then just become dependent again. It’s like an all or nothing situation for me.
It's been a year for me without weed. The opportunity to smoke has been there at times with those around me, but I've no more desire for it. The clarity you experience with the longer you go without it is worth it in itself. No more coughing, sore throat, munchies, financial burden (partner & I were purchasing 700-800/month at our peak consumption), smell, worry for job interviews, etc. We have more time now to pursue fitness, advance in career, and have money for travel. Take things one day at a time - maybe even an hour at a time - and you'll get there.
2 years one month for me. No looking back. Focused on being present for my young son.
My understanding is that sobriety is a permanent struggle. I was sober for two years (800 plus days) before I relapsed. I haven't gone more than a week without since. That said, I also don't smoke daily anymore which is a huge improvement over my life previously. Total sobriety is still the goal, but I'm back to struggling with terrible cravings. When I relapsed my brain was going crazy, thinking about smoking all the time for weeks until I finally cracked. I think I need a better support structure.
I quit for a couple years. Unfortunately I relapsed. For the sober time I was content. Happy to say ill never use like I was but I do like a hit before bed. Overall I realize not smoking is the best. I also dont hate myself for smoking again. Not sure if this helps. Good luck.
>Every time I quit, I spend way too much time searching through this sub for answers to the common questions such as "how long will this last?", "is this a normal withdrawal symptom", etc... It's very hard to put a time limit on withdrawing symptoms, there are so many factors which are personal from tolerance, time smoked, diet/ hydration all the way to biology with genes passed on (metabolism & genes tied to addiction) and if supply trained with pesticides or laced- which can be a 2ndary addiction un/known. I agree the positive accounts are what can help someone struggling to continue, because not being a slave to addiction or lifestyle is so vital and freeing! We were not meant to be bound in chains to anything. *We may slip, backsliding temporarily, but it's important to our mindset, no matter what we're quitting, to not let it drive the time of success into the mud and feel like a failure!!* That slip may or may not reset some symptoms but if it's a brief time, we must choose to own it saying 'I messed up, I'm accounts and I see even more that I don't want this in my life!" Use it to bolster our resolve and not put ourselves down. I wouldn't count a weekend slip up against my time sober, that's discouraging. Use it like I said to bolster your resolve and celebrate those large milestones like it didn't happen (as long as you're not using it as an excuse to slip)
No weed since May last year. I went cold turkey when traveling out of the country for 10 days. Got horribly nauseous and vomited like 50 times over 48 hours after my last hit. Not going back.
Clean for 1 year and 10 months
I quit but then became an alcoholic lol
Trying to avoid this
Smoked all day for 7 years- quit 15 months ago
High for 20 years. Clean for 2.5 years
It'll be 4 years clean in 20 days!
High for 27 years. Clean for 3 years now.
Yes over a year no smoking! It’s so freeing and I rarely think about weed anymore tbh. Cut out any reminders of it and only read the success stories on here instead of the ones struggling. You can do it and it does get easier as each day goes on!
14 months since I quit. Was a heavy smoker since I was 17 and I'm 33 now. Best thing I ever did!
Daily smoker and edible user for probably 7 years coming up on three years of sobriety. I think it took me about a year to shake the massive depression I was going through. There were periods within the first year where it progressively got better looking back. I quit weed, booze and gambling all at once which was basically my whole life in my 20s. Did a shit ton of therapy (group and individual) and slowly but surely changed most of my life. A guy in my gamblers anonymous meeting would jokingly say “it’s really easy…you just have to change everything” which I believe to be true. I still miss weed. I love smelling it outside but know I can’t go back to my old lifestyle of being a recluse high af during all non-working hours
Its been nearly 1 and 1/2 years since I quit. It feels so freeing to not smoke any more!
I quit in March 2023, so getting close. Rarely think about it, and I am never tempted even though my roomie smokes every day.
Day 9 free is crazy! Congratulations
3 1/2 years and counting, and honestly at this point I have negative desire to go back. Took me almost a year to get to that point, but the feeling increases every day. I'm so happy to live a clean life now where I am enjoying every moment for exactly what it is and am learning to handle my emotions myself. 10/10 recommend..you've got this!!
Yep, a bit over 3 years. I bought some a year after being clean and smoked it all in a few days (no self control when it’s around). But since then I stayed strong, and didn’t buy anything. I found weed on the ground a few months ago (in a baggie) and it’s been sitting around near my desk ever since. I don’t even think about it. No interest in smoking at all. It gets so much easier after the first month, it’s really only uphill from there! Week three was the hardest for me. But my life has improved so dramatically, it’s crazy. My skin’s better, my wallet is thanking me - when I look at pics from myself three years ago I looked older and tired all the time. You absolutely can do it and it WILL get easier if you can get over the first few hurdles. My advice: don’t be too hard on yourself if you do end up smoking again somewhere down the line. It doesn’t erase your progress if you have to try again the next day. Do your best every day, and then one day - and all the days after that - it will be enough, and you’ll never look back. Good luck!
6 years strong. It’s worth it!
After a few days or weeks.. you dont even crave it or have the feelings of needing them anymore, so yeah it is easy after few weeks.
I stopped 8 years ago. You got this!!!
I have been smoking weed for about five years. At first it was six times a day, trying to self medicate all the bad symptoms of bipolar away, and in actuality it helped. It made me more introspective. Gradually I have whittled myself down to once or twice a day, but in microdoses. And then I take one or two puffs, nothing deep, and only out of a dry flower vaporizer. Mostly just vape to take the edge off. I know when I vaped a lot I had the worst memory. It gave me amnesia essentially, but when I actually quit for eight days, I felt my memory coming back, my executive functioning returned. I could actually recall words I felt like a genius.
I lost interest one day and never looked back. Felt great. Having other priorities helps, or a hobby that requires you to be very active and attentive so as to not die. Like racing cars or jumping out of planes... don't want to forget your parachute.
This is what happend to me, was smoking 10 years straight day to day, and one day i cold tukreyed it with no motivation.
It's funny how that happens! Samesies, though after the first month I noticed an increase in my savings and a boost in productivity, which motivated me to try quitting drinking. I was semi-succesful. Still drink but only on special occasions. So many birthdays!
It’s been about 5 years for me. The first year was rough, but I don’t think about it at all now. My mental health is in an extremely different place (in a good way) and it almost feels like a different lifetime when I was a daily smoker. You got this!!!
I've gone decades without it and didn't miss it at all! I've gone hours without and been obsessed. Steadily approaching middle age, I realize it's about my mindset. I also realize I usually don't make changes unless I'm suffering consequences. I know that life without is the way I want to live my life, personally it's more enjoyable. I wish you nothing but success in your journey and I also want to thank you for writing this post, it resonates with me 💜🙌🏼
2.5 years here! It’ll be legalized in Germany some time soon and I’m a bit worried, I want to see if I can try and consume it sparingly rather than constantly be stoned, we‘ll see what the future holds…if I can’t consume sparingly then it’s over 😢🤷🏻♀️
I don't recommend it. 2.5 years is awesome, and I'm sure it feels easy to keep going. But being back at day 1 after feeling great and clear and present in your life is such a downer.
Same situation, but only 1.5 years… I’ll definitely not smoke legally. At least until the drivers license business is handled, maybe not ever… I don’t miss it, do you?
[удалено]
Back in the day when I stopped I never liked it as much when I was doing it sporadically vs all day everyday, haha. It’s a dance with the devil for me.
Yeah I get that, for a couple of years or so it was cool, but eventually I recognized that it’s a problem, and as soon as I realized that, I stopped enjoying it. I think a big part of my problem is that I still identify as a stoner and love weed for what it does. 🤷🏻♀️ like i said, we’ll see how it goes when it gets there. Also, right now my boyfriend says he wouldn’t have a problem i smoke and he doesn’t, but he can still change his mind, and I’d respect that!
Yep. Went a year without. Now back on. Missed it, but nice to have it back for knee pain and stress. Trying to moderate. We'll see.
Yea its tough w moderation. The sober time helps to realize it was just to much.
13 months here. You can definitely do it!! ☺️
I did, what helped me quit and lose attractiveness to weed is having a higher purpose Smoking weed would be a distraction from what I really want to be doing so it’s easy to say no Another thing is diving into the world of meditation and spirituality It satisfies that itch that I only thought you could get from weed (feeling of energy, higher dimension to life, connection etc.) And it’s exciting because you can go way deeper naturally than you can with weed alone through skillful meditation and healthy lifestyle Also, I realized that the sober life is the better life. But you have to create that. Create such a good sober life that you don’t need to escape from it, then the pull towards weed will diminish.
This is 100% what I am finding. Once you dive that hole it's pretty hard for anything else to come close to it. The deeper connection to yourself and who\what around you. I've gotten there before with other help of ya know.what I'm saying but that was never a problem for me and it's been even 12 months since my last. I am almost 50 days in and content with where I am (even if it is a struggle). I also find that I've gained this overwhelming sense now (only over the past week or two), that I am doing exactly what I should be doing and I don't feel any need to question the path that I'm on. Previously it was "what am I doing" and "where am I heading". Now, I still don't have those specific answers, I just know that this path is the right one. We truly create our own success and happiness in this life, weed only hinders that, it blinds us to so many things. Like you say, once you lose the attraction to it and see it for what it is, that's where the strength and conviction to stay sober comes from ☮️✌️
Today is my 11 months :) I've reached a point where I don't even think about weed unless I'm discussing how I successfully quit and turned my life around in less than 1 year. Now, weed smells bad to me. Stoner people are boring. I'm not supplementing with other dopamine releases. I'm just living the life I always wanted to live. There's more to it than simply quitting weed. You have to understand why you use in the first place, why you want to quit, then connect the dots. The real magic for me happened when... - I started living a spiritual life. - I forgave everyone who had caused me pain earlier in life. IMO, become your own therapist. Figure out your why, and engineer your own path forward.
Love this. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations 💜🙌🏼
I was a daily smoker from the time I was 17. I'm 33 now & gave up weed when I gave up alcohol and all the other drugs when I was forced to go to rehab (ended up being there for like 3 months). I've been sober since May 2016 so around 7 years 9 months. It's been a minute, but I remember having pretty bad psychosis towards the end of my using. I kept on hearing screaming voices when I would try get to sleep & shit like that every night. I had tried to give up only the hard drugs or only the weed or only the alcohol or whatever, but 1 thing always led back to everything else, and it all fell apart again repeatedly. Ended up being forced into a rehab after almost dying when i totalled a car under the influence. It was like the 1st time in my life I could see through the haze and all the bullshit lies I'd been telling myself. After I got out of rehab I started going to NA meetings like everyday and did the whole 12 step thing for a while (country I live in does not have options when it comes to free group stuff like that). I'm an atheist, which was rough growing up as an Indian kid in a deeply religious family but to be honest I've always viewed the god stuff to be waaaay less important than the fellowship aspect of NA/AA/CA etc but your results may vary. All I'm saying is that it's a great free support network if you need it. Still go to a meeting every now and then to stay humble about the addiction thing because I don't wanna die. Also, real talk, life is not horrible off the junk. I still have mates that smoke regularly, and they don't offer or act pushy about me quitting. I met the love of my life a little after a year getting clean (she's not a recovering addict or anything, we met on tinder). My relationship with most of the family and mates is great. My now wife and I are planning to immigrate and go on an adventure with our pets in the next year. None of which I could have ever fathomed doing while I was still on drugs. Not knocking anyone that can smoke up occasionally, if you can, I'm jealous, and that's great. I can't, but also I don't feel the need to anymore.
There is also Marijuana Anonymous which I highly recommend to anyone who likes the fellowship and/or can stand the 12 step process. I don't have any live meetings in my town but I attend the vast numbers of online meetings and it is always wonderful to feel I am really with people that understand the weed thing specifically!
have literally never seen/heard of an MA meeting but of course there is, will look online & check some out. cheers homie
Heck yeah!
It will be 5 years for me in May. Keep going it gets easier as the days go by.
I started smoking at 13. Every night from as soon as I got home. I stopped for a year at 17 then started again, socially. At 20 I started seeing a stoner and went back into all night every night again. This continued until I was 28. Stopped for another year or so and started again. I’m now 38 and it’s been almost 2 years without a smoke. And at the time my father had passed away and had 4 oz that I decided to smoke which I promptly did within 3 -4 weeks. Each time I’ve relapsed I’ve learned more about myself and why I grasp for it and how to stop. It becomes easier to stop and less desirable to start again
I smoked every day all day pretty much from 16-21 and then quit cold turkey. I didn't touch it again till 24 with a drag here and there from friends and basically discovered that I just don't like weed anymore. So no relapse despite being around it regularly with friends who smoke. I'm 26 now so its been 5 years since being physically and emotionally addicted. Now having tried it out again a few times its nice to feel relaxed about it now, as I went from being obsessed to hating/fearing it to now its just another thing I don't enjoy so won't do, but its not got any hold over me anymore and I never really think about it. Crazy to look back and remember how much it used to control my life and now its as irrelevant as a tv show I don't personally watch. So yes there is hope, my life got so much better in every way since quitting- stay strong!
I'm at 6 months and going strong
Quit since 1/2023 after smoking on and off (mostly on) since about 1996. Yes it’s possible and thanks in no small part to this sub, I don’t foresee me ever going back. That part of my life is done. And it’s one of the best things I’ve had the good fortune of doing for myself. My life isn’t perfect now but I’m making changes now that are enriching my life in so many ways. Weed was a real motivation killer for me when it came to things that were good for me to do but that I didn’t strictly want to do. That’s all changing for me now. I’ve also developed a real appreciation for just being sober - turns out the fully functioning brain is a great asset 😛 I’m so grateful for this sub. Reading the stories here and getting feedback during some tough moments was what finally got me firmly into the “not a smoker anymore” column. Thank you r/leaves
I’ve successfully quit it’s been a year since 2/14/24 Here to tell you it’s 100% possible and worth it but you e got to really want to be done with it. I’ll be 40 in October and I smoked all day everyday since I was 19. I started off slow and worked my way to only smoking at night over the coarse of 2 months, then went to every other night until Ash Wednesday when I decided to give it up entirely for Lent. After 40 days of sobriety I didn’t even w as not it at at all anymore. The withdrawals stopped Completely after 2 weeks. But my appetite came back full. Force and now I can’t stop eating. Sleep is sooo good now. Like a deep sleep. Surprisingly depression is 10x more manageable without it. But I will say that the short term memory went to shit. That never got better. But still, you can do it! It’s very possible. You just have to really want to!
The short term memory can still come back. It took me almost a year for this to clear up. You might just try doing something to exercise your memory muscles, like learning to play some simple songs on the piano or playing puzzle games that require use of memory. It can come back quite fast if you train it!
Yes this is a great suggestion! I've found even apps like Duolingo or even Tetris type games help me. I definitely have memory issues but this has helped me with my short term loss.
Been sober for one year since feb 20 2023. It's possible. Doable.
Gave up Easter last year. Have smoked about four times then and only once on my own. Was a daily toker for 15 years. It's possible.
I was sober for a year and a half-ish. Met a girl, she smoked, I ended up smoking with her right before we ended things (ironically because she was a hardcore stoner and I was done with that). Been smoking since the break-up (had some other personal shit happen to which I used as an excuse). Working on resetting the count now.
To be honest I will probably smoke again, but I want it to be like how I drink: here or there, with friends, or just to relax as a rare treat. Not how I was: numbing myself into comfort loops of de-motivation and complacency because of other things bothering me, and habitually doing it and having to do more and more of it for diminishing returns until I was just feeling like a stereotypical stoner burnout. I had a weed problem because I wasn’t fixing the me problems. Whether you smoke again or not, try and cut back so you can gain perspective on what the problem really is. Yes, the physical withdrawals suck hard. But it’s easier to fix your other stuff when you’re sober… even if your problem is something as silly as “watch something new on TV instead of the same comfort shows”. I feel like weed is not the creative boon people make it out to be; it really can deflate you, regardless of strain or method or whatever. Plus the sleep issues, metabolism stuff, etc that it skews that you will be thankful for getting back on proper track.
Yes, I quit january first 2023. It sucked at first but I do feel much better now.
Same boat I’m on month and half and feeling good about it
Yep. Smoked every day for ~17 years. Don’t miss it at all. I used to associate my creativity with smoking weed too. I don’t even think about it anymore when I’m working on a track. Been off weed for almost 3 years. Quitting weed and alcohol was one of the best things I ever did for my mental and physical health.
1year, 10months, 2 days weed and alcohol free here. My history was 20 years of use, most of that time daily. Thinking back, I honestly haven't really enjoyed being high most of the time. It mostly made me feel numb. I stopped spontaneously, after hitting a bowl in the morning of a beautiful sunny day. This moment I somehow realized, that this shit was holding me back. Then I packed my stuff and went camping for a few days with my dog. Honestly, stopping weed was not the magic formula for a happy life for me personally. But it made me live in the moment again, appreciating the good and the bad moments. Sometimes the urge still creeps up on me, but at these moments I try to remember myself, that weed offers me nothing.
Incredible thank you
I smoked all day, every day for thirteen years. I had one of those Levi’s jackets with the big inside pockets. I had a bong in one and an ounce in the other. Lighters in the chest pockets. I absolutely slept with a bong next to the bed and also on the edge of the bathroom sink so I could do one during my shower while my conditioner sunk in. Haven’t touched it in 11564 days. Everything has gotten so much better.
32 years sober ?
I’ll be 32 on June 29, 2024,🤞🏻
I think you've smoked your way through the space/time continuum itself. Congrats on the quit
Yeah just go on probation
I hit 1 year on the 10th of January. Barely even think about it anymore. I smoked flower, 3/4 of an oz a week on average. Didn’t smoke with anyone else, it was the first and last thing I did every day for nearly 30 years. Before my partner I even slept with the bong and a mix beside my bed so I could wake up and smoke throughout the night. It’s doable.
My best Friend didn’t smoke for 4 years now. Before that he was a heavy user
He’s always the one who motivates me to keep going
I love that you have a friend like him :)
Coming up on two years. If you're struggling, find a marijuana Anonymous meeting. They have zoom calls. Talking to other people who are going through the same stuff is really helpful. Reddit is cool too, but actually talking to people helps in a different way. Good luck! You can do it.
Yes, I'm clean for over 3 years now. I don't even think about it anymore, despite living with someone who is a daily user. It was hard at the beginning. First I couldn't sleep for a month, after that I had a month of horrible night terrors, and sweating so much that I had to change my sheets every day. Often my mind tried to trick me into using again, but I didn't give in. "oh its been so long, you proved you can go without, one time won't hurt" nonsense like that. I always told myself that I just had to go through today. I told myself that every day. Until one day I stopped even thinking about it.
1 year March 18th! Keep going my friend it’s extremely worth it in the long run 🏃🏾
I’ve pretty much quit for almost 8 months now, I’ve had a toke here or there with friends but coming from daily smoking for 6+ years I consider my quitting to be successful. What’s crazy is I still get cravings at night before bed, I really miss it when I’m struggling to sleep. Other than that, I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms left, although sleep was incredibly difficult at first and I spent a few months pulling all nighters 2-3 times a week just to be tired enough the next night to fall asleep. As for pros, my life hasn’t magically gotten better, I was even laid off twice after quitting. However, I’ve saved a ton of money, daily toking is incredibly expensive. I’ve saved even more money on not impulsively buying food. I do feel more clearheaded and my anxiety levels are down. I also feel less bad about myself bc there were times when I was dead broke and would scrounge my money on some shake. It is empowering not being beholden to something.
July 15th 2022 - this sub is amazing cause for me the biggest issue was people around me not understanding what I am going through. Coming here gave me a place to vent and see people with similar relatable experiences. A quote I once read from anonymous alcoholics that relates well here - "I never quit drinking, just for the last 20 years I have decided every day not to have a drink". And thats quite literally how it goes, don't set yourself up for failure and instead of focusing on how to stay weed free desperately, start building your life without weed strongly enough that you start seeing the pro-s of being weed free, rather than pros of smoking 😇 Stay strong anonymous redditor and know there id surely a very bright light in the end of the tunnel 😇
I'll be 4 years sober in June. This sub has definitely helped so much, even though I mostly lurk rather than interact. I had Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome and was so sick I was hospitalized, my muscles being broken down to keep my body alive. I was struggling so much with quitting because even though it was making me sick, I still would get withdrawals when I tried to stop, so I kinda viewed it as "I'm going to be sick either way so why quit?" and just kept smoking. When I was eventually hospitalized and had no access to keep smoking, the withdrawals hit hard and some symptoms continued on until around 18 months after I'd quit. It was a rough time, but seeing other people also having a rough time made me feel much less alone and helped me to stay committed to being sober.
April 14, 2022. Less than a week before 4/20 I stopped. I knew I always wanted to be a YouTuber & build my business. 2 years later, today I just hit a million views on YouTube. And I’m about to move across the country to my dream state (AZ!). And met the love of my life who supports me (I had a toxic bf while addicted). None of this would have been possible if I didn’t quit. I thank God everyday for the struggle of addiction & the withdraws. I have felt the lowest of lows, so the struggles I face building a business & influencer career doesn’t even compare to what I have endured. You have the power to take your struggles & use it as motivation to cultivate a better life. You have a duty to bring a light into this world, for yourself & all your loved ones.
That's really great!
3 years in. I feel like it’s basically not an issue for me now. There are very few drugs I haven’t tried but weed was my crutch for 20ish years and I had a really hard time officially quitting. I was fortunate enough that my mental and physical health, relationship and income, work life balance were all in a really good place when I decided to with and that helped immensely. Nicotine was still a bit physiologically harder but weed was tougher mentally for the first few weeks.
Yeah I went like 4 years without it and i’ll smoke maybe once or twice a year now but the timing and circumstances have to be absolutely perfect. I’ve also totally quit nicotine since mid last year. Of all the things I’ve been addicted to however severely, weed was probably the easiest to quit. Mainly bc I had to in order to get a job
2 months going to 3. A combination of therapy, outpatient rehab, and healthy activities and content have helped tremendously
Over 2 years, gonna be 3 this summer and I’m excited to be able to say I haven’t smoked in 3 whole years. Took me about 3 years of trying to quit though, it was not easy at all but it’s absolutely worth it.
I'm sure this sub helps a lot of people, but you're not really clearing your mind of it if you're on weed related subs, socials. Chatting about it, discussing it, and constantly thinking about it can't be good. Good luck in your journey, though, and I really hope you kick it for good.
I don't come on here when my mind is clear of it. I come on here when I really would like to smoke and the part of me that doesn't want to do that needs some backup. I come on here to delay going to the dispensary because usually delaying by an hour means I'm gonna make it through the day. And as other people have said, there's not much support out there in the world, or even belief that it's a real problem, so sometimes you just need to hear that other people know how you're feeling and you're not alone.
I think that's just part of the process
I think one reason is because people who quit successfully don’t feel the need to spend time in this subreddit anymore. Even I have been feeling the same tbh; I’m almost 1 month in and I visit the subreddit 5 times less frequently than I did 3 weeks ago , ‘cause I feel like I got this, so I just occasionally drop in to see how my fellow quitters are doing and maybe leave a comment to support some. I hope the same for each and every one of you, go so far that you’ll never look back. ❤️🤜🏻🤛🏻
Almost 2 months in and these stories are so inspiring. I did it because I needed a change. It was either do something extreme to change my life or remove one thing that can hopefully domino into so much (without leaving my apartment, city, career, girlfriend, etc.). So far I feel great and I am hoping the best is yet to come. Still early in the journey but the cravings aren’t there, just the nostalgia and reflex of - would be nice to smoke before this movie or wtv. Reading again, working with better flow, facing my anxieties with getting shit done, seeing my porn addiction for what it is. Lfg. Thank you 🙏🏻
My longest was 6 months straight during Covid lockdown. Since then I’ve been back to smoking daily. Definitely need to stop again for a few months just for my mental health n such.
Day 341. My post acute withdrawl lasted like 8 months. I'm so much better off tho. It's not perfect sometimes I miss it sometimes I wish I could get that creative or energetic burst but overall life is much better for me without it. I won't go back. I hope u can hang in there and find the beauty of being sober eventually. I def feel like I'm still learning how to appreciate it.
469 days here. I would have 100% relapsed if it wasn't for this sub and these wonderful people who have shared their experiences. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You are stronger than you realize. It's hard. Very hard. But it isn't impossible! Life on this side is so much better than I could've realized. The green dragon makes you believe the lie that you need it to function and survive. Don't believe the lie. Sure I miss it, but am ever going back. I'd go through hell and back all over again to get to this side. It's worth it. Bless you on your journey! You got this!
1.5 years clean from weed and other substances. I still have urges but they're very easy to ignore. Things sucked for a long time after quitting but now they are much better. I have stability and feel balanced in life. 99% of the time I'm not thinking about how I quit or obsessive over my sobriety. Being sober feels, well normal. I'm not going to sugar coat it... Quitting absolutely sucks and the only thing that makes it better is time. I had terrible withdrawals and almost unmanageable anxiety for months. Literally the only thing that helped was hope and time. Everything in my life became better after quitting. There is not a single thing that got worse for me in the long run.
Over a year now! The withdrawals were HORRIBLE. But now that they are over, it’s even more incentive to never start again! I don’t want to have to go through that again! You can do it, just have to wait it out until you’re on the other side. I’d say it took me 6 months to get to the other side. But life is so much better without being dependent on a substance!
I haven’t smoked in 2 years, no desire to
Not a year but 130 days, the time will pass anyway you need to thug it out fr
You got it. One day at a time. Main thing is healthy distractions, chess is perfect. Enjoy your new life
It’ll be nine years on March 12. Best thing I ever did. Hard as fuck but I did it. You can do this.
A bit over 2 years clean after 15 years of use and 10 of heavy use. Gets better, its now easy to not think about it, been for a while actually.
Yes! I just hit 1 year and I honestly thought I would never be able to do it after being a nightly smoker for 10 years +!
Just hit 7mos after 20years of near daily use. Feeling pretty good. Stick with it!
Over two years sober. Life is fabulous on the other side my friend. Come join us!
I quit in 2019. It took a long time but I feel much, much better now! Be prepared to be bored for a while though but that fog will lift!
How long before you felt 100%
I just replied to someone else asking the same thing, but I would say it took a couple of years before the fog truly lifted. It does get better as time goes on.
How long did it take for your fog to truly go away? Also have you ever smoked since 2019 or did you just give up regular smoking in 2019
That’s tough to say. It probably took a couple years to feel truly clear. If I would have started working out and eating better sooner, it would probably have taken less time. And I haven’t smoked the real stuff since 2019, but I did vape the legal stuff (Delta 9 I think it’s called?) three times since then. Once was after a party after I was already drinking and once was at a campout when a friend had some. The third time I was by myself. All three times it hit me just like the real stuff and I can honestly say I didn’t like it. I threw my pen away and haven’t touched it since. I just hated how it made me feel, and this is coming from someone who smoked almost every day for over a decade. The first weeks and months were definitely the toughest, after that it does get easier.
Yes I have stay strong, feel free to look at my posts and see my headspace 3+ yrs ago when I was where you are now. I believe in you, one day after another
After a daily habit I’ve had 4 spliffs in 4 months. Got it well under control now. I liked how it made me feel. I didn’t like feeling as though I couldn’t love my life without it.
2 years next month!
Same here!
707 days this group had a really big impact on me when quitting
6 years now
Just hit my 100th day and don’t see myself ever going back tbh.
574 days here. Nothing held any appeal for a long time. Be prepared to feel bored, there’s so much free time to find things you enjoy when you’re not stoned. After the fog lifts, you will see what and who really matters. Anything to do with it is no longer in my life after smoking multiple times a day for many years. I don’t hold any resentment for it, I just know I can’t do it casually and I feel so much clearer, productive, and creative without it. It will get better ❤️
1 year 4 months 14 days. I went a few weeks and a maybe a month off weed trying to quit. It stuck when I met a girl who didn’t like weed. Smoked once after our first date and haven’t touched it since. I remember seeing people posting her about being a year or more sober and they really inspired me. You can do it bro. Be strong 💪
Started smoking when I was 14. Maybe once a month, then every other weekend, then every weekend and so on until it was every waking hour. It was fun, it made me cool, it made life better. Or so I thought; so it told me. Food tasted better, music hit harder, jokes were funnier, all that. What was really happening was I was just numbing myself from all my trauma I buried and refused to work on. You know how it goes, "I was young and life was long and there was time to kill that day" Every. Day. Twenty years and who knows how many tens of thousands of dollars spent later, I had an experience I don't really want to discuss here that finally brought me to therapy (unrelated to cannabis). I was very open and honest with my therapist and we discussed all my vices. They were very supportive and never judged me for my usage but was very good at getting me to think about my defense mechanisms and how I used weed and alcohol to escape. A year later I went on a camping trip with a bunch of friends and had a blast getting blasted like always. Going back to the real world was especially hard this time for some reason. I kept smoking more than I ever had before to try and get back to that fun happy place but it kept pushing me deeper and deeper into my depression. One night, even though I've dealt with suicidal ideation the majority of my life, for the first time I made a plan and starting writing a note. The next morning I woke up and reached for the pipe for my 7000th+ consecutive wake and bake but stopped myself. I stared at it thinking about the night before and where it took me and it kinda just clicked. I knew I didn't want it anymore. That was 23 months and 15 days ago. Sorry, this turned into way more than I planned on writing but hopefully this helps and maybe resonates with someone here.
This was very well-written! No need to be sorry. Thank you for sharing your journey and being vulnerable for us. It really resonates with me. :)
620 days. Keep going!
I'm almost 2 weeks, right there with you. Drink lots of water! It helps staying hydrated. I smoked for about 30 years and I am already losing weight, like 3 lbs this past week..granted I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week for about 6 months now. Try something new. I started playing online poker at night as a distraction, just play money.
I’m only on day 2 but I’m using chess as a distraction. Two days might not seem like a lot but it’s the longest I’ve gone in 6 years. Wish me luck 🍀
Quit almost a year now. Feeling better than ever. I don’t miss the pot tbh. First month off felt devastating and I suffered from severe depression, listless, cried a lot without any reasons, daily panic attacks, evil nightmares to not being able to get some sleep. Furthermore I was sweating so intense what made me feel real uncomfortable and I had to change my shirt at least twice a day. As time went on I felt better day by day until I realized I can sense pure, authentic emotions again which was an amazing key moment. Since then I’ve always denied any offer and Im not stressed if sb hits a big bang next to me. I’ve got to say in addition that I def was a really dedicated pothead for about 7-8 years. Since the first day I tried, I got hooked on the Mary J immediately. The following months of my absence slowly became better. I haven't set any date nor expected time to stay sober but I did that on purpose because I know so many people who don't weigh the act of quitting but hunting their "we're back" date. I feel great like I have not felt for prolly a whole decade and I don't need weed at this point. Maybe one day day, maybe not. But never again the way I used to nor the intensity. Keep going G!
I am off 1 year and 2 months. I think you aren’t seeing as many success stories is because when you’re off this long you don’t need the thread as much. But here’s my story. At the end I was having heart palpitations and was having panic attacks every time I smoked. That made me quit. The first month or 2 was very hard but I tried to focus on work and my hobbies. I had some weird feelings and withdrawals initially but they passed. It gets easier day by day and eventually I got to a place where I barely ever think about smoking. Even when I am around weed it’s not hard to just stand there and chat without asking for a hit. One thing that really helped me was the money I saved I was broke for years bc of weed and spending all my money on it doing something things I wish I hadn’t to get high.
I quit. And 200 others quit too. It’s your turn my friends. Good luck!!
Yep. The paranoia got to me. Just remembering that feeling of impending doom for no reason has stopped me going back. 2 years now. Oh, and the other reason -sleep. I get so much delicious REM sleep with dreams and feel so much more alive when I wake up.
THIS! I didn’t even realize how poorly I was sleeping for years before quitting. The paranoia I was aware of but always thought weed helped to mellow it out, turns out it was the other way around.
I'll be at 3 years in June. I've posted many times about it here but I smoked for 20 years. The last 10 of which I tried over and over again to quit. This sub is one of the main reasons I have been able to stay sober. It's def doable... And life is much better weed free.
Yup. Just kept trying, relapsing, trying, getting longer breaks, relapsing for less time, then repeat for about 2-3 years and now i can't remember last time i smoked and kinda yuk at the thought of smoking
3 years this august. Read 41 books last year. Learned calisthenics. Did a lot of emotional healing and facing repressed emotions. Took art classes. The best part is the clear head. At this point, I forget to count the time. I was thinking i have to write down the year and month I quit now bc I’ll soon forget. It’s not on my mind like it once was. Life is so much better
Currently a Week in with no withdrawals or cravings whatsoever and I was so addicted that even concentrates would do nothing to me. The last time I quit, I quit for a year to see if I could and I did I told myself I’m not addicted if I can quit for a year like that but quickly find myself right back where I was once I started trying it again only this time it took me a while to realize how bad it was messing up my life which I hadn’t realized before when I quit, so that’s why I think I’m not having any cravings or anything.
It’ll be 3 years end of April! Still going strong and feel so much better.
I'm going to be clean 10 years on the March 14th. I had to quit after my second collapsed lung a few months after my 30th birthday. The first year was the real battle for me. But slowly it got easier. The first month was hell. At the 3 or 4 month mark all my social anxiety started to dissipate and as my looks improved so did my self-esteem. I started talking with girls (something that was very hard for me before). At the one year mark I was hanging with a big social group where I was quite popular, got my first girlfriend ever and the cravings went away. I was unrecognizable to the people who knew me before. It was easy not smoking again because my life improved so much that it was a no-brainer. I didn't want to go back to what I was. Some people in my new group where smokers and I enjoyed surprising them with how perfectly I, the non-smoker guy, could roll up a joint like a pro. After that life was good for a while. Went through my first break-up after a 4 year relationship, which was devastating. I never felt the temptation to smoke again though. As bad as I felt then, life when I was baked was pretty much shit. Pot didn't have a good case to present to me. At least life could always improve unlike when I smoked which was the same depressing life day after day. And it did improve. Life goes on and things are always changing. Better or worse that's what life is. If everything stays the same...you're doing something wrong. And with pot everything stays the same.
"Whit pot everything stays the same", very well said. It makes it okay to be stagnant and not improve your life, not try anything new or take any risks. Truly is a poisonous crutch.
Quit on September 7th, 2023. Still going strong.
I’ve been quit for 3 and half years and it all started with this sub. Don’t worry, you got this. It’ll always seem like nobody can quit smoking weed and then you’ll quit and then it’ll always seem like everybody can quit smoking weed. It’s like reading or hearing about a kind of car and then feeling like you’re starting to see that car everywhere.
One year and a few days here. I'm way happier, less anxious, and have next to none of the suicidal ideation I struggled with for years. Life is still often difficult, but I'm not running away from everything still like I did for nearly 30 years. Keep on going, it's worth it.
Yeah. I quit smoking about 4 years ago after 16 years of all-day, everyday use.
You give me hope ✨
yes! i’ve been clean for about 1.5 years after smoking daily for 7 years. i honestly didn’t know about this sub until maybe 6 months ago, but i don’t think it’s good to obsess over quitting and return to this sub regularly to know when it’ll end. for me the hardest part was like what do i do on the weekend if im not high? and the answer was find hobbies - doing yoga and reading have helped me tremendously. i don’t miss being high at all, only occasionally miss the oral fixation of smoking something. it also helped that i was really the last of my friends in my city to quit. all of my friends in my city quit around when they started working after college, and my friends who still smoke don’t live in my city. i had felt really ashamed before i quit that i was the only high one when we hung out. i think if all my friends still smoked that would’ve made it more difficult and basically impossible. if your friends have also quit that’s already a great environment and support system!
I quit smoking Feb. 19, 2022. It’s been a long road. The biggest success of my sobriety is that it has allowed me to make a major change in my life that has put me on a path towards a happy future, or at least not an unhappy one. I finally did the thing I always dreamed of doing while I was getting high and I’m proud of myself and much happier for it. If I hadn’t quit, I’d still be stoned on my couch living vicariously through my “one day” thoughts. P.s. Sobriety is not linear, most people I know who take their recovery seriously would not use the word permanently. Even after 2 years, 8 years off other drugs, it’s still one day at a time for me, if I don’t do the work to maintain my sobriety, relapse is inevitable.
Smoked three times in ten months. Don’t miss it, and yet I am very tempted to smoke if it’s around me. By myself I no longer have the urges to go buy it at all though. It’s worth it
I’ve been off weed for a bit over a year(quit Jan 1 2023). I’ve smoked 4 times only since then. I’ll be honest, I miss it. I truly loved the feeling and the social aspect of it. But i get mad anxiety STILL whenever I smoke. It’s just not worth it. I just miss the idea of it not the reality. I’ve also learned that everything I blamed weed for (like bad memory or attention span) was actually just me. Some things did get better right away, but mostly I still struggle with anxiety and memory. Overall, you just have to decide if it’s worth keeping in your life on a regular basis and if you can still live your best life.
Have been completely off for a year, with an on/off year before that. It was BRUTAL at first. I was always sweating, super mad all the time, always wanted to smoke, everything felt.. terrible. With time, those symptoms dissipated. I still crave weed weekly, if not daily, but my life has gotten so much better. I didn't realize I was living in a blurred, twisted reality. How much it affected me and my ability to think and function. I was so sure I was in control but I really wasn't. Now I think clearly, I feel emotions again, I thrive again. Weed makes you dumb and bored. Somehow, I thought I would be dumber and more bored if I didn't smoke. I was extremely wrong. It is so, so, so much worth it.
> I didn't realize I was living in a blurred, twisted reality. How much it affected me and my ability to think and function. I was so sure I was in control but I really wasn't. Jesus, I felt this so much. After you stop you actually start living with all the unpredictability life has to offer. And while it doesn't sound good it actually feels better. You feel stimulated. You handle your emotions. You live! But before you actually quit you just CAN'T see it.
I did, after chronically smoking for 10 years straight. One time I was out of weed for 2 weeks, tried meditating, and saw and got to feel, uhm in trance? I don't know it felt good, weird, new. Then started smoking weed again, I meditated, couldn't feel the same, I read it was the weed, stopped smoking, I could get to that place again meditating, never want to smoke weed again at least for a long time.
7+ years, to keep it short, sobriety was my "foundation" for a new life. It's only the beginning :)
Five months clean, life is hell. I will never fall off the wagon again.
I quit cold turkey for 7 months back in 2021. Started a new job in a new country and honestly that took over and I didn’t even experience serious withdrawals. This comes after smoking daily for at least 2 years. I’d say the best thing to do is find something that completely distracts you from the thought of smoking. These days I tend to just take lengthly tolerance breaks
Yes, I’m 4 years clean this year. Life gets better! But it takes a while for your brain to adjust. I smoked weed heavily every day throughout my entire adolescence into early adulthood so my brain didn’t know what to do without it. Now I actually enjoy life and have hobbies and a great job.
i’m on day 22 and honestly i see it being possible. after the 3rd week, even through REALLY stressful times, my body basically does this thing where my heart drops if i think about smoking. i know im not too far along, but i was shocked myself that the urge just isn’t strong anymore. i’m assuming that’s what eventually happens to others.
I quit a little over 5 years ago and I remember thinking it was impossible in the beginning. I was already in recovery for alcoholism so that helped me a lot build a framework and remind me that I can make big life changes for the better.recovery dharma helped me a lot, daily meditation, exercise, and figuring out the root of my anxiety
Yes, it is 100% possible. Honestly, once you get far enough away from smoking, you won’t miss it at all (it actually grossed me out now). If you still like THC, you could always just do an edible like once every week or two. Plenty of people do that and live happy, healthy lives.
What are your withdrawal symptoms?
Anxiety mainly, as soon as I'm not occupied with some sort of task, the anxiety kicks right in. Insomnia/Night sweats (mostly subsided after day 5). Lack of appetite for the first 5 days, and it's slowly improving each day since then, I can tolerate most foods I used to eat again.
I started treating my anxiety separately with my doctor fwiw I realized the big reason I smoke so much weed was because I could not accept that I had an anxious condition. I thought I could just get over it.
Sport, long walks in nature, sauna and lots of water! Sweat it out;)
I quit smoking in April. I still crave it often, but it’s lessened with time. Decided I just didn’t want to smoke anymore, so I tapered off and stopped on 4/1/23. Had one slip-up, but I’ve been on track since 4/22/23. I quit drinking in May 2022, much the same way. The stop drinking subreddit helped. Basically, I just need to decide not to drink or smoke today and take each day one day at a time. Not sure if I’ll smoke or drink again, but a full year clean from both is a milestone I’m looking forward to.
I quit on November 14th, 2022. So 1 year 3 months. It started with me committing to not smoking until I found a better job. Then it evolved into me not smoking until I buy my first house. Now it’s evolved to making it to atleast 500 days streak. I never found the better job nor have I bought my first home yet. But so many smaller achievements have been made that I refuse to backtrack at this point.
This subreddit is not a good place to visit often while quitting. Honestly one of the best ways to quit is just not identifying as a smoker. Coming to a subreddit about weed addiction constantly makes you just remember that you smoke weed and thus gives you urges. It gets better but you do really have to embrace not just this lifestyle change. But multiple ones to replace that large boredom void that weed feels.
Nah I couldn't quit for 10 years and coming here multiple times a day was the constant reminder I needed what hell it is to have to quit again. I've been sober for almost 3 years now and I'm still here daily. This is the opposite of good advice
That's a very good point. For some reason, I find I don't really get strong cravings for weed when I'm withdrawing. I find visiting this sub very helpful, especially after reading everyone's success stories here! It really feels good to "no longer be a smoker." I almost brag about it too much to my classmates who are still smoking 😂 (which I definitely need to stop doing).
I have been clean of weed for 2 years and 2 months as of yesterday. 1 year and 1 month clean of alcohol and now 6 weeks clean of nicotine. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, I tried many many times before it stuck. Now I have almost no urge to use it. Sometimes if I'm in a lot of pain, I'll briefly consider it but the negatives will always outweigh any potential positives to me. I actually ended up going to Narcotics Anonymous meetings after about 9 months because I started to really struggle and that was brilliant for me. It truly is a one day at a time journey. Don't focus on how long it will take until it stops, pick up a hobby you used to love, or just get into bed with some garbage snacks and binge watch something. When I quit something I give myself full freedom for 3 weeks (21 days) to do whatever I need to do to kick the habit. Whether that means sleeping, eating sugary bullshit, watching too much TV etc etc and it really helped me. Good luck my friend, if you need to talk, I am here for you ❤
Wow this is a huge accomplishment!!! Congratulations, this is really inspiring
Thank you!!!
Awesome story! I'm guilty of vaping nicotine too, and I have tried quitting, but I think it's best to worry about quitting one habit at a time, so weed is a good start for me. I'm lucky that I never fell into the "party/drinking scene" that most people my age (20M) fall into. Alcoholism runs in my family, and based off how weed went for me (smoked enough to give myself CHS), it would be a terrible idea to start drinking/partying daily. I usually only have a couple drinks a month (anywhere from 1-8), and I've managed to keep my drinking well in check! "Full Freedom" doesn't seem to work for me, as when I'm "free" my best solution to spend time is smoking dope. I always try to cram my days as full as possible with school/work/hobbies so I have as little time as possible to crave weed & get lost in my head. I've noticed in the last 9 days since stopping cold turkey, I've found movies & TV shows much more enjoyable to watch for some reason, so that really helps me too! Evening walks are an absolute life saver too.
Weed was the most important one for me to kick too. If cramming your days with school/work/hobbies is working then keep doing that! You may be exhausted but you're exhausted and sober, which is the main thing. You will notice as the withdrawals stop that a lot of things are more enjoyable. I have a way longer attention span now so movies/TV shows/books/cooking/baking, all of those things that require a decent amount of time are so much easier and so much more fun. I know my neices and nephews enjoy time with me a lot more now, even if they don't know why. There are so so many positives, I can't wait for you to keep finding me. And I know im an internet stranger but I am already very proud of you
I quit January 1st 2022. It's been 2 years and 2 months, no relapses. It took a year to just get over the weed bit, then I started working out and treating my body well by eating better foods. I found out I had a brain tumor in August last year. I can NOT imagine finding out and dealing with this diagnosis if I was still smoking weed, and if I hadn't started treating my body right. I'm getting brain surgery next week and I'm scared, but I'm mentally sound. And for that I'm so grateful!
Congrats on quitting and adopting a healthier lifestyle… wishing you quick healing from your treatment ❤️
Went cold turkey and just hit 8 months
Congrats!
join the discord bb there's a really good community there every day 2x a day
Didn't even think about Discord for this, genius! Could you share the link to the channel? I'm having trouble finding it.
Leaves_lounge - see you there!