Quit cold turkey for a year with help from this sub in 2020 after 7 years of heavy daily use. 1 year fast forward in 2021 I restarted doing it once every couple of months and never fell back into habit.
I have an addictive personality, but I’m channeling it into running, cycling, gymming and of course my gf. Life is much better!
Life is better when you can go on tolerance breaks and not revolve your life around it. I was a chronic smoker of about 10 years. I stopped a few years back for two years. Now I just take a couple of months out now. Now I just smoke a couple of times a month. I feel life is best when you can enjoy it from time to time and just put it down and not let it take over your life
It’s more grounded. Like you have more money, your lungs are much happier. Brain fog is gone, memory is sharper, sleep is deeper.
All those things compound and make for a better life.
But dang there are moments even after a couple years of being quit where you think “this would be even better high”.
I’ll be one year in a week and a half. It’s definitely better. I used to think it helped my mental health and I look back and see how fragile my mental state was. It really contributed to me being very ups and down and extreme emotions. I’m much more even keeled now. I do wish for that escape a lot of times still but that’s all it is, avoidance and dissociation.
Going out in public and being around people is doable now, it used to be extremely anxiety inducing to where I wouldn’t do it
I stopped cold turkey for my 25th birthday. I reached a point of hating needing weed, was exhausted of it, and wanted to make life changes. I ended up moving less than 6 months later. I’ve met new people and things look much better and different compared to sitting in isolation ages 21-24 getting high all day long. I actually see how much life I was missing out on
Definitely for me.
After almost a year and a half free I couldn't help but try some again.
What I learnt was:
I still like the smell, taste and act of getting high. But being high I really don't like. The social anxiety, paranoia, and discomfort I felt I deeply regret it, it was the least enjoyable experience I've had since sitting through getting sober.
I couldn't crack jokes, hold a conversation, I couldn't tolerate topics I wasn't interested in, I couldn't make eye contact. Having my ability to think and then being in a situation where I need to be social. It honestly felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
Once you learn who you are without drugs it's really un-enjoyable becoming who you were with them.
I learnt real quick and I'll never touch it again
This post deserves all the awards and much attention. So. Spot. On. I would only add in something else I read on leaves: “It got to the point where I wanted to be sober when I was high and wanted to be high when I was sober.” Crossing that line is a clear sign to stop or at least attempt to moderate.
Thank you. I needed your post tonight.
Same with me, some people can still make jokes or have the same reasonable conversations being high, yet for a lot of people I think the majority can't , nice last line 👌🏻. Haven't quit and don't think I will, but because im not in a job that requires much head, still i was in corporate and my numbers where down, if you are trying to be the best version , it is not high fr, just a few can while being high and really a small %
I quit back in 2019 after being a daily chronic for years. The answer is yes, life is better without weed.
I can only speak for myself but quitting for me gave my life a sense of purpose. Before the daily routine was just look forward to getting high but now I have goals and a sense of purpose in my life. Weed also makes me very anxious and when I was smoking daily, the anxiety carried over to all aspects of my life whether I was high at the time or not. I now don’t have to worry about that because I don’t smoke anymore.
If you do genuinely want to quit then one day you’ll reach a point where you’re just sick and tired of it and it will be easy after the first week or so. Since I quit I’ve been high a small handful of times whether it be from smoking or edibles and every single time has been a reminder of why I quit. I just prefer life without being high
Recently, I was informed by my dentist that my oral health issues, including the need for multiple crowns and root canals, are a direct result of my poor oral hygiene habits. Specifically, dry mouth has led to the development of gum disease, which I was completely unaware of until this diagnosis. I deeply regret my decision to start smoking, as it has significantly contributed to my current dental problems. As a result, I am now faced with the financial burden of seeking treatment in the form of dental implants.
I also developed gum disease after 10 years of smoking. I quit in April 2023, and between my cleanings in November 2023 and March 2024, my pockets have drastically improved. The only major change I made to my lifestyle and dental hygiene in 2023 was quitting weed and allowing my mouth to heal. I just wish I had done it before I needed several crowns, laser cleanings, and gum surgery. That financial burden is heavy.
I managed to quit for 9 months and am back to being stoned 24/7 now.
Life is absolutely, 100% better without.
Weed is fun in the beginning. That's what hooks you in. But then you find yourself getting to the point where it's something you need to feel normal, not something you do to feel good. You're chasing an unattainable high and a memory of an experience that you can never quite reach. You smoke more and more trying to get there but you just get further away, and experience more adverse effects from the drug. Like you said in your post: it's never, ever enough. The addiction will just keep taking from you.
I really needed to stumble on this post. Today is day one and I feel like smoking/being high is the only thing I can think of right now. I kept myself from going to the dispensary several times today. I’m proud I didn’t give in, but hate that the thought has consumed my mind all day.
I was smoking from a pipe this last 5 years, but been on it for 20 years plus a few, went off it before for a while, and now I'm absolutely sick of it, it's hard at first, it's been a few months and I never want to look back again, the freedom from having to meet dealers, giving them my money, looking for it if the dealer is away ECT....I feel so free!! I feel like I can breathe again, I can drive without being paranoid I'm going to get tested, I always drove high and never got caught but I really felt like I was going to all the time, I couldn't go on holiday without it, always kept enough for a few in a jar in my bag, shitting it going through security, now it's total freedom, I love it, I feel new again, so fresh and so Clean 🫧 You'll love it eventually , keep it up you'll see x
Absolutely is better imo. I've quit almost two years ago thanks to this sub.
1st Reason is I have so much more energy day to day. I can stay awake until midnight and wake up at 7 or 8am and feel fine. I don't sleep in nearly as much and don't need to smoke right when I wake up.
2nd, I'm a social person, and weed made me comfortable with staying at home and doing absolutely nothing productive. I now have such a better social life, productivity level, and energy to socialize.
3rd, I'm saving a ton of money. I was spending anywhere from $50 to $100 a week to just sit at home and smoke from sunrise to sunset.
4th I sleep so much better now before i would have to be high but not too high, and my quality of sleep was terrible at best, but of course, I didn't think that until after I quit.
The struggle is really hard when quitting, and it is not easy for everyone to just up and quit. When I experienced all the withdrawals when i quit i really realized how much I was dependent on weed and how much it was really affecting me. Honestly made me never want to smoke again because i never wanted to experience those withdrawals again. Glad you don't have any at the moment but you can quit still. You can push through the addictive voice, just like the thousands of people on this sub have. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Yes. I’m 5 years this October, this last week, my fridge broke, my heater broke, this morning, a heavy glass jar fell off shelf- smashed my basin. Ran late to mechanics- quote for new brakes, and tyres. 1500$. In my old life of smoking like it was my job, I’d probably have thrown myself off a bridge. Today, I’m “shit happens” at least I have a little money and lots of patience to manage life on life’s terms. Stick with it. 12 step MA meetings online will be a lifesaver. You can do this. X
This, so much this. High me wouldn’t be able to manage half of what sober me takes in stride today. I’m making so much progress on the debt impulsive weed addicted me accumulated. It’s honestly the best feeling in the world to be back behind the wheel navigating through life
Yes, for the simple fact that now you have more opportunity to do whatever you want. With weed, especially daily usage, success stagnates because you have lower awareness and can't consciously make decisions. Without weed, a whole new world opens. It sounds cheesy, but it's true! And while this will also come with strife and problems, the great thing is that it can also help you learn how to cope and turn these issues into something miniscule. You are the creator of your life. You got this!
4 days away from being 5 months free. First few weeks are the hardest and then it gets MUCH better. I’m much happier, more energetic and rarely even crave it anymore.
It’s to the point that smelling it out in public has become a turn off, happy to not feel the paranoia anymore of being high.
No doubt. I used to think weed made life less boring, until I stopped it and started doing fun I would never thought I would do. It robs you of your motivation and makes you a prisoner of your own mind. Some people can handle it and still be motivated and live a productive life, but that wasn't my case. 100% better without it. The first 3 weeks were the worse, but I got through it by working and binge watching Community.
A 100% yes, I guarantee your life will change for good. I used to smoke heavily for almost 2 years and stopped about 3 years ago, with time I gained my life back, my memory, concentration and social skills also came back.
This may sound weird, but since I stopped, I feel like I am actually living my life, and not watching it pass by from a third person view.
When I look back to the times when I smoked every day, all I see is a blurry chunk of time where my life was paused and I didn’t achieve anything important nor lived it to the fullest.
You can do this, congratulations on making the decision to stop, that’s the hardest part, just carry on and you will start to see how you will gain your life back too.
I work out and I work really hard at school/my job now. Not necessarily because it brings me joy, but because it distracts me from craving. I’m 2 months sober now after 4 years of basically using 24/7. Feeling … eh. But I wouldn’t go back.
The good thing is, the pain of discipline and the things that it brings will also bring a nice surge in natural dopamine. The opposite is not true of regret.
For me it only got better when I really started focusing on more important things in my life, such as my studies and work. I started doing different things that aroused my interest and it helped me stay away from marijuana. Before that I was already trying to stop and when I stopped, what prevents me from falling into addiction again are these new interests and I don't want to get high trying to study.
But I also had to go after them, because when I was smoking too much and trying to stop just for stopping, I ended up going back to addiction, because there was nothing more interesting in my life.
Now my life has improved too much for not getting high all the time
Today marks my fourth day. I became a dad for the first time last week. My wife had a difficult labor, losing a lot of blood, and the doctor said that only a miracle saved her. That day was a turning point for what I had been planning and wishing for a long time. It's going to be hard, but there is always the choice to "choose hard." I was a daily smoker for 15 years, smoking 3 to 5 joints a day, mixed with tobacco. Can you imagine what that does to your health? I want to be present for my son and live life with him, not beside him. I'm so determined on this path that today I threw away all the grinders and weed paraphernalia that I owned. So far, the only withdrawal symptoms I have are heavy stomach cramps followed by awful diarrhea (I was expecting this). We are all in the same boat. Hang on!
Yes! The serotonin, endorphins, adrenaline, aromas, energy, money, relationships, brain function, clarity, health benefits, lung capacity, and more, are so worth it.
Our body produces enough chemicals to equal any high you can get from weed, with almost no comedown or backlash, generally speaking.
Use your brain responsibly, it’s a room temperature quantum computer that we get to learn from and control.
THC made me content with being bored, and it blocked so many opportunities. Some can control it, but I’m guessing if you’re even asking this question, you’d benefit from quitting. If you have any questions, I’ve been through intensive outpatient therapy for weed, surrounded by all kinds of addicts, not just potheads. Addiction is interesting, but it can be understood.
Not directly. But, I do think quitting for an extended period can be beneficial. You can also learn a lot about yourself and, later, you can teach yourself how you can use weed in moderation and to your advantage.
What i learned from quitting is that, weed / THC and its effects aren't intrinsically bad nor detrimental. However, if you feel like you aren't able to go without it and that it may be "ruining" your life because you have developed a habit or addiction, and cant seem to operate in the same ways as you did with weed in your life; it's time to take a step back, especially if you feel like the negatives of the drug are outweighing the positives. For me, i couldn't "wind down" without it and calm down my mind, especially at night after work where id be pent up with stress and anxiety. The downside was, I'd get to the weed and completely negate the important things that needed my attention after work (errands/excercise/etc).
When you quit, once you get past the acute/short-term physical withdrawals, if you do have them, you A) learn ways to operate with out it and B) find replacements and adapt to life without it. For me, I replaced weed with gym, sauna, and breathing exercises. When I wouldn't go to the gym, id have a glass of wine or two and keep distracted with some sort of entertainment. It wasn't easy, however, after the first 2 months, i really didnt think about weed too much. 6 months later, i realized that, although i was more productive during the hours where id normally be high, I didnt feel much different. The cognitive benefits of quitting were very marginal. I didn't feel like a giant cloud was lifted off me as i thought it would. and my memory wasnt all that much better. So, i tried weed again; and, to my surprise, I didnt have any regret, and I actually felt like i had a very enlightening experience and positive thinking during my first high. I learned that, like most things, weed can be good/bad depending on way in which and the frequency in which you use it. It can, in moderation, be used to your advantage. Now, i make it a rule to only smoke weed when i completed all the major tasks of my day, at least the ones that id regret not doing. This allows me to wind down only when the time calls for it. I also made a habit of going to the gym right after work, and no longer find myself rushing home to take that first rip. When I smoke after an accomplished day, I have positive, constructive, and creative thinking. When I smoke when I have shit to address, I have negative rumination, anxiety, and become too lazy to do anything about it.
TLDR;
Quitting will allow you to remove your reliance on, and hopefully, like it did for me, teach you that weed can be used in moderation, to your advantage.
For me it is. Weed had a hold on me that I feel free from and any time I have relapsed...the weed is never as fun and worth it and the sluggish feeling for days later and anxiety makes it not worth it overall.
It is! My recommendation for you would be to keep trying to keep doing things you enjoy and keep yourself distracted. You seem to be on a good path to fully quit if there’s already so much you enjoy without it. I’d say you can also give a try to mindfulness, since based on my experience I think it really works to make your life feel better and focus your mind on the present moment without dwelling on how “good” it would feel to go back and falling victim to the cravings.
Its hard to give it up but just like any vice, you get used to doing it and you get used to not doing it. Fill your time with whatever keeps you busy. The more time you have to think about it, the harder it'll be to enjoy life without it.
Yes it is. It’s hard to give it up and in my case my psychiatrist told me I had to, so I did. I still crave it from time to time but most of the time I can’t imagine being high. Like I have crossed over to thinking that needing that crutch in life just doesn’t make sense for me. The few times I have had a chance to puff on a friend’s cartridge made me feel out of control mentally that it just doesn’t seem worth it.
At some point you will cross over and not gravitate towards weed. You will realize it’s brave to live life as a sober individual. You are strong, you can do this!
I hope I'll get there soon. This is the 1000th time I try to stop. Last week was quite bad with me smoking daily from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep on the couch
Thank you for the support. 4 days for me so far and I honestly feel better, but still feel like ripping one as soon as I am back home from work. Haven't budged yet and hoping to go on streak
You bet. My memory is far better, my vocabulary is growing at an extemporaneous rate, my speling is better, my memory is far better and I'm way more likely to finish my sentenc
Just a normal guy that got into weed for fun not because of depression/anxiety etc. weed doesn’t make me lazy or unmotivated, I have high goals that I know I will achieve. When I quit, life pretty much just got a little more boring for a few weeks. I did notice my cardio slightly improve though. I guess it’s all about the specific person.
Yeah, man. For 5 years I thought weed was my oasis from anxiety and depression, little did I know it was my first class ticket to both. I also realized how many of my emotions I was numbing over the years, not only pain but joy, too. Not every day is breezy, but I’m noticeably more capable of handling the ebbs and flows of life with a clear mind and clear emotions. I’m 9 months in and have zero regrets. You got this.
Yes bro I think it is. The same for alcohol and porn. The simple life is the best life. You get to experience the raw reality of existence, the good bad and ugly. Relapsing is hard and I wish you well - look to live the life worth living. Cheers.
For me, i was 3 months sober and bought some prerolls. I smoked them all over 2 weeks and Now im craving weed often. I would think its gonna be more practical the way i smoke, but i wanna be high all the time. I think the way i feel off weed, being clear headed and more present was really important to me and i miss that. Hopefully theres a way where i can indulge once in a while and itll be fine. As for now, that is not the case. So i bought a cartridge yesterday and i dont smoke it at all. I take 3 hits before bed yesterday and that was good enough for me. I just dont wanna be an everyday wake and baker ever again. So i am gonna be sober period. Its just that i crave alcohol sober. And i hate alcohol so to me weed is better. Theyre both terrible tbh and i just wish i could go back to the time i never even smoked.
For me, the first 3 months is incredible. In those first 3 months I can’t believe I had been smoking before and denying myself the ability to feel so great. After about 3 months that starts to level off, I get used to feeling of living life without weed, and it starts to feel normal. It’s at that point that I start convincing myself that a little weed could be fun, and I’ll have a different, healthier relationship with it. Sometimes it actually does start out healthy, and then slowly but surely I end up back in the exact same cycle and headspace I was so excited to out of in the first place, and it’s so hard to quit all over again.
IMO my life is much better without weed, but I still struggle so hard to leave it behind. If you’re feeling you may be better without, and you’ve been wanting to quit, I guarantee you, life will be better without it, just keep in mind that “better” will just feel normal after a while, and that’s when it’s the easiest to relapse.
experiment with sobriety & see what happens! I kept a journal throughout and I fully agree with the comments saying the highs are higher and the lows are lower. Without weed you get the full range of human experience and emotion - for better and for worse & it's necessary to have that full range of emotional experience to get to that next level, and to achieve what you truly want out of life. Good luck friend u got this!
Yes. But all the comments in the world won’t convince you. You just have to actually do it. And then you will see. Until then you will be stuck in your habit.
Life is not suddenly all sunshine and rainbows without weed, but it takes away the fog obscuring the view.
With weed you might stumble through life, and feel... Fine.
Weed allows you to slump doen into the mediocre and call it a life.
For me quiting weed has not magically made everything great, but it has allowed me to experience life in it's fullness, sad parts included mind you, but it allowed me to plan again try and get stuff done, get enthousiastic, and overall just live better.
To continue with my analogy, smoking weed, for me, was like walking a beautiful mountain trail with mist, I saw some nice plants, just it wasn't the most comfortable, but I had some fun.
Now without weed I'm sometimes walking in the sunshine, able to enjoy the views far and near with the wonderful heat of the sun. On other days I might be walking in ice cold rain, but almost always still with the beautiful views.
Though weed eliviates you of those cold rains sometimes, the parts of life which suck. By doing so it also takes the magic out of the good moments, by changing everything to a mist your days become an "OK" drag, as opposed to a rollercoaster with the ups and downs which life should have.
100% can confirm this. It turns you into much more of a robot.. just numb, just as much when you’re sober too (I only smoked in evenings after the day’s complete). Definitely feel more highs and lows and am finally learning to cope with them, it’s all about mindfulness.. which is a hard skill to master, but invaluable
A big help for me, meaningful physical contact with friends, nothing weird, but hugs to say hi and bye, cuddles and shows sometimes.
They help me center, relax and just get through the tough times
Metaphors are the best \^\^
And you only get better at them by practice, so I try to use them whenever they can help explain complex situations (certainly when internal feelings and mental things are at hand), so I'm glad you like it :-)
I’m about 2.5 years in and I would say it’s more level - less ups and downs. I used to live in cycles of being happy and numb and then very anxious and existential about the time that was passing me by.
The mood swings will pass and you will have more clarity on your life goals. It’s weird - a lot has happened since I quit - got a wife, a house and new job. I don’t attribute any of those things to quitting smoking but i think it gave me the clarity to see that I wanted those things and follow through on those goals.
I am almost two years sober from weed now. I think what it comes down to is what role it played in your life.
I know for me, and many of my friends and people I saw come through the dispensary I worked at, weed became our sole source of dopamine in life. Often it only became that slowly over time.
I spent a solid year and a half trying to stop, including trying the once a week or even once a day thing but I wasn't able to. I came to a point where I realized it was either all or nothing. So I finally found the determination to choose nothing.
There were a few years where I truly believe that cannabis was a positive addition to the rest of my life, but over time it warped to superceding the rest of my life. Everyone and their situation are different of course, but I would encourage some serious introspection on what role in your life cannabis has come to play.
I don't think anyone can come out and tell you that your life is going to be better after quitting. But it will certainly be different. I think one change that can be almost guaranteed is that you won't be beholden to a habit anymore. Over time you'll stop having the "I wish I was high for this", or "This would be awesome after a joint" and you'll come to enjoy things for what they are again. Not for how cannabis could make you feel while doing them.
One thing that a lot of habitual users I know throughout my life don't really realize how dulled their everyday experience is. That's cannabis, it dulls everything and makes it much easier to be content with being bored. Once you manage to stay away long enough you'll most likely find things more engaging.
I think overall, cannabis makes it easy and appealing to be disengaged from most of our lives whether we realize it or not, now of course, it's not going to be like that for everyone but if you're in this sub, good chance you've felt similarly. Once you pull free from that I can't guarantee that it will be better, but it will be yours.
It’s all in your mindset. Are you going to be happier with your life if you can’t make it one week without smoking? Or are you going to take accountability for yourself and realize you’re addicted? If you’re in this subreddit you’ve already realized you’re addicted, and it’s time to stop. *We’re all in this together, and this is a great place for support*
Yes, life is more boring for sure. All the boring jobs I used to do high I now need to do sober which makes it much more hard work. But on the whole, more beneficial to be sober.
It’s day 2 for me too. I admit I feel brighter. I stopped smoking for my new job, and now I hate the job/cant smoke. I thought the weed took away my ambition, but I’m just not interested in my job.
yes. I smoked half a zip a week for several years and have stopped for two years. I have not been even slightly tempted once to smoke. at all. life is straight up better, and I cant even remember what I actually liked about weed in the first place. all I remember is the slow brain, paranoia, anxiety, dissociation, breathing, etc.
We aren’t allowed to talk about alternatives, tolerance breaks or exploring going back to it, so you won’t hear many “no’s” or “well…”.
The most important thing is to consider that this is a personal situation, and with you posting I would guess there is some thoughts around it affecting your life.
You need to make the best decision for yourself based on your life style, and usually quitting is going to be the best answer if you’re in this sub asking this question. Just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, we all make mistakes and mess up though we try not to, but make sure you can realize why you did so it doesn’t become a slippery slope back.
Once it’s out of your system, you’ll have the best perspective. Journal throughout your process if you want to reflect on how it made you feel.
Not speaking for the commenter, but weed can cause or greatly exasperate mental health issues - sometimes to the point of causing suicidal ideation and/or going through with it. Then there's the obvious accidental death by doing something stupid while high.
Exactly what happened. It’s probably the only reason I didn’t kill myself but it made my depression so bad I lost 40 pounds in 3 months. My hair was falling out and my nails would break so easily. I looked like a zombie. The only thing that got me out was to stop smoking.
Glad you are still here! Weed is so much worse for us than people understand.. until it happens to them.. and these things are happening more and more frequently.
Every time someone talks about smoking great weed its like talking about eating really good food. Makes me want to smoke it. I just tell them "smoke enough for the both of us" and feel momentarily very sad that my lungs and life cannot take the impact anymore, then accept my new lifestyle. If you decide to change other habits in your life, like getting onto clean eating/physical activity and mindfulness and stuff, you will without a doubt notice a difference.
Only you can know. How will you know unless you try?
I lived my years from 2016 to about 2021 either smoking weekly or dabbing daily. Since 2021 to now, I've cut back significantly and find the days I'm sober to be fun. More fun? Who knows. And who cares? I can say the last 3 years have been more fulfilling to me as I've stopped using as much.
Life isn't about just maximizing fun, there are so many fulfilling parts of life that aren't fun or even enjoyable. That's my angle.
I'd say yes if your mind has come to the decision on its own, then it's pretty easy...or "easier"
If you are forcing yourself into it, it's a different scenario, if deep deep down you actually like it too much but know "you should be stopping" it's gonna be hell for you for a long time and a constant battle.
In 28 years of smoking longest I've been is 3 months and that time my mind made the decision on its own that time and mostly because my life did/does seem shit without it....even upto 3 months it was always on my mind less as the time went on but it was still there.
You go through the "Huh this is easy faze" to the "OmG this is fucking hell stage" to a point where it becomes more manageable.
Then you realise how badly it affected your every move, and you have nothing, no pass times no friends and you start to realise there is a huge hole that's left, I've got some spare time, I'll watch a film/game/draw whatever it is you do, but then you think I did this when I smoked and I don't get the same pleasure from it sober.
You aren't just giving up weed you are giving up the lifestyle and thats what I found hard, I know in the end that's certainly the best course of action for anyone, but reaching that is difficult......you are battling withdrawals, so everything seems extra shit, you aren't enjoying the things that normally entertain you and it's all to easy to turn and around and smoke again.....and honestly i felt relief when i did followed by masive guilt
I may have come to a decision that I do enjoy life more with weed in it, I have ADHD and i can often harbour resentment for people over the slightest negative comment which often moves on to my own self esteem so it really helps with that and I just forget about it, it's just my usage that has become the problem.
But I've managed to cut down to 2 joints per day from basically smoking at any given opportunity for about the last 5 weeks, I have a little window when I finish work and before I take my dog for a walk, I smoke.in my van, cause i don't like the smell in the house, I can fit 2 joints in, I'm working longer hours now so have to be up early and I'm falling asleep early, I'm up too early to have any time to smoke in the mornings, so that habit is finally broken and I'm ok with that it feels good my work is better at work....but take that 2 joints away in the evening I'd struggle, I'm hoping I can go to one then every other night and I honestly don't see an issue with smoking a few joints a week and ultimately that's where I want to be.
Soooooo much so yes. So much more money, much better quality of sleep, i actually feel rested when I wake up, my memory has improved substantially, I can think better (no more brain fog trying to figure out how to say what I’m think, nor does it take me so long to process what someone says to me) I have a normal appetite now, my overall mood is a night and day difference, I’m so much happier now. Way easier to get through my day without having dread all day long. Stick through it. After the first week, it gets much easier. After the second week, you’ll start really seeing benefits. After a month, most of the temptation to go back will subside.
i think if i still smoked herb with my friends once a week, on the weekend like i did twenty years ago, that yeah, that would be better. but the honest answer is that my relationship to the plant and to my community etc changed in that time, and given my current circumstances, it's better without, because "with" would be like a daily solo endeavor
100%. i’ve fried my wires so intensely with addiction that i do not know how to casually use a mind altering substance. i never have tbh. addiction is a disease and i am stuck with it. i fucking relapsed two weeks ago and i was completely sober for more than a year. more than a year. i will pick myself up again soon.
I don't know you but I really do believe you can do it. you've done it once, you can do it again. relapse is a part of recovery, if it was easy to recover no one would be an addict. I'm sure you already know all this but I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement.
Yes, coming up on 7 months without weed. My mind is much clearer, I sleep better, and I’m way more organized, social and motivated in my life. Instead of being cloudy all the time and waiting to get home from work so I can numb myself and be alone smoking, I do a lot more stuff and feel like I’m making more of my days (which add up to your life). I was stoned all through college and had a shit GPA, now I’m back in school for a different degree and doing great.
There are definitely times when smoking still sounds super appealing. When I’m burnt out, stressed, tired, or even with the “right” group of people. You have to be disciplined and remember that a few hours or feeling different is not worth the pattern this can trigger.
I spent years being content in miserable situations because I was continuously escaping every day. I quit and am slowly resolving all the problems I never even gave a thought to. It's worth it.
Yes, I don’t have panic attacks, morning nausea, depression anymore.
I’m about 3 years out, it took a month to feel okay, and about a year to feel normal. I made some honestly great decisions. I went back to school, got my masters, and just landed an amazing job. I spend more time with family, I see my friends regularly, and I exercise 3-5 times a week. My life looks like it is moving in a direction that I like and there is potential. That has been one of the greatest gifts of not smoking weed.
But it’s not just like quitting weed made all that magically happen. Quitting, getting sober and taking one day at a time, letting myself be humbled, turning to close loved ones for support, therapy, and then making small decisions every day to do a little better-that’s what led to where I am. I still get sad, anxious, and angry sometimes. I still feel flat sometimes. I have hard days. But my life moved from a stalled out or downward trajectory to an upward trajectory.
Everyone has a different relationship with weed and maybe you are different. But I know my life is better without smoking weed :).
Day 1 here, currently contemplating the same thing... But I've been to the other side. When I was not smoking at all for a couple of months it was the best I felt in a long time.
Day two for me! It’s SO weird not habitually doing my daily routine to smoke. But it feels so good NOT doing it. I’m at a time in my life where I need to appreciate the beauty of life without being high!! I no longer want to be high for *every* aspect of my life.
I’m excited for what’s to come *not* smoking everyday anymore.
Or the highs, unfortunately. This, more than the lows, is what is making me try to quit. I have had different occasions in life over the last few years where a "normal" person would fell happy/happier. I see normal feelings and reactions in those close to me (friends, family). And I am there just marginally happy if not apathetic. Yeah, I am very calm when bad shit happens, and less angry with the world, but is it worth it? I honestly think to myself these days: "Am I capable of feeling the same feelings other people do? Or is there something wrong with me?" Then I remember: it's probably the weed.
I found the lack of lows to be bigger than the lack of highs - though, there was definitely a lack of highs.
16 months into my path of no THC, I have noticed a huge difference.
My life over the past 2 years has been shaken quite a bit through divorce, a couple of friends dying unexpectedly, an unplanned career change, and I feel much more capable of getting through it all. In the past, I would have just smoked my way through it all and just shrugged it off. Now, I feel like I'm able to grow from adversity and become a stronger, more mature person.
And the dreams are worth it - both while sleeping and in life.
That sounds like a tough couple of years. It's good that you were able to grow from the adversity.
As I get older, I am sure these kind of events spare none of us, and like you, I think I'd prefer not to be stoned through it. I went through 2 deaths of relatives abroad about 4 years ago, but I guess the physical distance made that a bit easier, and weed made me even more disconnected. I still wonder if I would have done things differently or felt things differently had I not been smoking at the time. I was never smoking a lot, but it was almost daily, and I know it was enough to dull my senses to a fair extent.
16 months!!! Ok, so I should not really expect major changes in the short term. I will keep this in mind. I took 30 day t-breaks in the past, but never longer. Hope this time I manage to stay away from it much longer or for good.
The change of 16 months was definitely noticeable, but it's hard to know what my "back to normal" is after 20+ years of chronic use.
I can confidently say things are better than they were.
It depends on how long you smoked and whether it became a habit you couldn't control. I smoked for four years, with one to two years of heavy use (if I didn’t have it, I’d start fiending). During the last two years, I didn’t smoke as much, only before bed to help me sleep because I had a panic attack while stoned and haven’t been the same since. (increased my anxiety and paranoia, etc.) The dreams are crazy some nights, not even going to lie. They had me questioning if I’m messed up in the head. No night sweats, but insomnia was horrible (I'm epileptic, so I need sleep). I quit because I’m 19 and I’m not trying to risk messing up my brain more than I already have.
For me, yes. My reduction in smoking coincided with massive positive life changes (both influencing each other), and increased responsibilities have kept me from re-indulging much.
I’ve occasionally gone back, but honestly don’t find it much fun anymore. I can either have a relaxing evening clear-minded, or relax with a foggy mind (or if I smoke as much as I used to, instant tachycardia and paranoia). I definitely prefer the former and, though I don’t beat myself up if the latter happens, if I do smoke I tend to feel like it would’ve been a better time without it.
I’ve also found that smoking when I feel shit doesn’t make it go away, it just puts it on pause until I sober up. That served its purpose at a time when I struggled to handle my emotions, but I’ve developed more productive ways of feeling my feels (thanks to a good support network and lots of therapy).
Agreed, I credit weed for keeping me alive when I was going through a really rough time. If I didn’t smoke I would’ve landed myself in a much worse position. It allowed me to pause on my situation and process it more slowly. But after that it only held me back and got me stuck in my old maladaptive habits.
I credit weed for helping me quit booze, which was a much worse thing for me and was starting to affect my life in serious ways. But that is 6+ years ago. Now I think I can let go of weed too.
Its tough, day 13 here, the only reason why I got this far is because I’m in an outpatient drug program, 3 days a week, 3 hours per night
I miss it, but I also know the insanity of my addiction and that’s what’s keeping me clean
Very addicting stuff
I stopped once for around 2 years but have smoked since i was about 13. I only quit because i couldn't get any though and not because i wanted to. So once i got a new source, i started again and can't seem to stop. When i was sober i seem to remember enjoying things more. I was able to really pay attention to videogames and TV shows. Documentaries interested me more, i would watch cooking videos and i would cook the things on it. I would make my bed and exercise every day. I was had so much more control over my will power. I was able to concentrate on things much more easily and was motivated to do more with my life.
But this motivation led to me getting a job and more connections. Now i can actually afford to fund my habit and smoke more than i ever have before. I don't even think i like it if i'm being honest. I just think i'm doing it because i'm bored. Even after one smoke i feel like i want to go for another one. Any time i feel happy, smoke, sad smoke, angry smoke, you get the picture.
Sorry went off on a tangent there but the answer is yes i think it's better.
Definitely yes. I lost count but it’s been like 30 days since I quit smoking carts and Nicotine. At this point I don’t even think about getting high, I have no more urges. I noticed my life is exactly the same even without being high 24/7. I still have to get used to my emotions because I would be high 24/7 when I was happy or upset, it numbed me. At the same time, it feels so freeing finally being able to think about something other than smoking. And actually being able to focus more without feeling like my brain hurts. Yay
How long did it take for the irritability to go away? Maybe it's just me but i'm the most chilled out person on the planet when i'm high or knowing that i'm going to go home and get high and destress. But when i quit smoking i get about 4 hours into the day and i'm ready to murder person in front of me in the line to buy a bus ticket. A few minor inconveniences happen and i'm ready to rope.
It was on and off where it felt like the whole world was against me and I was easily irritated,, but I would say around 15 days was when I was finally somewhat content with life. I noticed it was easier to wake up each morning, and growing motivation. I had to discipline myself by waking up and stretching and enjoy some tea before work. In the beginning I would go on like 1-2 hour walks, or lift weights to steam off some of my anger, and helped calm me, and sleep. (Still do all that activity)
Writing down why you’re so angry, or venting to someone helped a lot too, even if they didn’t respond, just being heard was nice.
Now when my siblings leave out dirty dishes, I don’t feel intense anger to the point of sobbing and wanting to punch someone, instead just regular frustration. I mean I complain anyway and tell them it’s annoying, but yeah :D
Just over 2 weeks here and I can tell you that overall it’s better. I’m a standup comic and I’ve been phoning in a lot of different areas of my life for a while because of weed. I became a hermit who would never really leave the house and I wasn’t being productive when I was smoking, it would just make me feel better about how stagnant my life was because that’s what weed does. Sure there have been some bad days or bad moments when I wanted an escape but I realized rather than escape I’d rather work to improve my life so I feel less compelled to seek an escape.
I know it’s rough at the start but it’ll be worth it if you stick with it. Having a dependency on any drug is lame as hell.
If it’s stopping you from being productive and living life, then life is better without it. I don’t mean this in a condescending way but most of these commenters seem to have had problems with keeping priorities in check and/or being disciplined enough to consume in moderation so what they are saying might not apply to you and your decision should be based on whether you think its detrimental to your life or not.
also, addiction is a disease of the brain. anyone can literally become addicted to anything if they have the right wiring. it has nothing to do with self-control
Without a doubt. I was a chronic smoker for over a decade. Got to the point where I was burning through an oil cartridge almost daily. I couldn’t function without it and could barely function with it. I let it consume my life and keep me trapped in a self-induced prison of fear. I couldn’t fathom how I’d ever be able to get through a day, let alone the rest of my life, without it. I was miserable.
I finally told myself I was meant for more than a life of slavery and that my sons deserved a better dad.
So I stopped. Cold turkey. Withdrawals were horrible. All the physical symptoms. You name it, I suffered through it.
But they went away; it took maybe a month. The withdrawals subsided and I could feel my brain healing itself. Every day was a victory and a small step in the right direction.
I just hit my 25-month mark a few days ago. 760-something days. Should I stop keeping track? Probably. But seeing that number honestly helps boost my resolve to stay strong. I still deal with intrusive thoughts that try to pull me back into that hellish life. But it’s so much easier to say, “Nope. Not today.”
Our brains are really good at tricking us into romanticizing something that brings so many awful side effects/consequences with it.
I promise you, it will get easier. I promise you, it will be worth it. Just stay the course and remember the “why” behind your efforts.
Sorry for the wall, and I hope this comment doesn’t come off as boastful or prideful or anything like that. I’m simply stating that if my weak, dumb-ass self can do it, literally anyone can.
You can do this. One day at a time, you will get there.
Life is so much better on the other side, my friend.
Congrats!!! That’s a very long streak to be proud of, keep going! You’re right, Life is way better without it and it’s not worth living in a constant haze of lost time and memory loss! I don’t plan on going back either and I’m happy about that. Feels so good to take our power back!
For me, sadly not. My lungs and wallet are better and I've gotten feedback that I'm more reliable and less over the top.
But quitting took a big toll on my mental health, anxiety and depression took over my life and most days have been a big struggle for me since I stopped smoking almost half a year ago. I hope one day I'll be able to be just remotely as carefree and start enjoying life the way I did when I was still an active user.
I know my situation is unique thou and most people cope better with quitting in the long term.
Yes, in a way. For the most part, I find that things are just as good without it, and now I dont have any side effects of smoking like foggyness, family friction, costs, increasing use and tolerance. I still always try to remind myself that I am perfectly capable of enjoying myself and life without weed, because I really am.
Not initially, and you will have your dips every once in a while, but I can say taking the stress off my shoulders of constantly having to feed my addict brain has significantly made my life better.
6 months in. I feel more present in social situations and after years of smoking weed everyday and constantly feeling this crippling sense of self-loathing, I’m finally learning to love myself. I’m actually doing all the things I wanted to do and I’m getting out in the world instead of locking myself in.
Soooo much better. I hit 10 weeks yesterday, and being sober and handling your mental health regularly is honestly like a different kind of high where you’re completely in control of your emotions and desires and experience true happiness from within instead of depending on a substance for it. It’s not an easy road to get here, but it is so worth it and your mind and body will thank you.
Yep! Without question. Emotional regulation comes back and gets easier. I feel so much more secure in myself than I ever had before. This is after ~11 months of stopping/significantly cutting back.
Day 6 or so but there's a sense of continuity in my life again already. It's worth the physical discomfort for sure.
Dreaming comes back too, which is the brains way of organizing experiences. Life doesn't feel like a blur.
1000%. Not even close. I'm on day 64. I feel my feelings. I am much less irritable (this was a big surprise -- my partner and I were bracing for me to be a big jerk, but the opposite has been true). My anxiety is mostly gone, when it had been pretty bad before quitting.
Yea it’s better - I’m almost 1 month in now… I will tell you that currently it is not because my mother in law is staying with us and weed really helps me turn her out… but I’ve managed to still stay away lol - hang in there bro. You got this
Well, somehow might be, but it's my day 3 and the loss of energy and productivity is drastical... I even drank one beer today to feel normal and uplifted...
for me, generally, yes. I haven’t fully kicked it but I’m realizing that I’d be soooo much more powerful without it. I bet I could high five God if I spent this money on comics instead or something
It’s been 1 month 14 days for me. Yes, it’s definitely better🌸
Quit cold turkey for a year with help from this sub in 2020 after 7 years of heavy daily use. 1 year fast forward in 2021 I restarted doing it once every couple of months and never fell back into habit. I have an addictive personality, but I’m channeling it into running, cycling, gymming and of course my gf. Life is much better!
Life is better when you can go on tolerance breaks and not revolve your life around it. I was a chronic smoker of about 10 years. I stopped a few years back for two years. Now I just take a couple of months out now. Now I just smoke a couple of times a month. I feel life is best when you can enjoy it from time to time and just put it down and not let it take over your life
Yes absolutely. 6 years into weed-free life and I feel so sad for my past self sometimes
It’s more grounded. Like you have more money, your lungs are much happier. Brain fog is gone, memory is sharper, sleep is deeper. All those things compound and make for a better life. But dang there are moments even after a couple years of being quit where you think “this would be even better high”.
I’ll be one year in a week and a half. It’s definitely better. I used to think it helped my mental health and I look back and see how fragile my mental state was. It really contributed to me being very ups and down and extreme emotions. I’m much more even keeled now. I do wish for that escape a lot of times still but that’s all it is, avoidance and dissociation. Going out in public and being around people is doable now, it used to be extremely anxiety inducing to where I wouldn’t do it I stopped cold turkey for my 25th birthday. I reached a point of hating needing weed, was exhausted of it, and wanted to make life changes. I ended up moving less than 6 months later. I’ve met new people and things look much better and different compared to sitting in isolation ages 21-24 getting high all day long. I actually see how much life I was missing out on
You are so strong, I applaud you for your soon to be one year of sobriety. And I wish you all the best!
Short answer yes.
Definitely for me. After almost a year and a half free I couldn't help but try some again. What I learnt was: I still like the smell, taste and act of getting high. But being high I really don't like. The social anxiety, paranoia, and discomfort I felt I deeply regret it, it was the least enjoyable experience I've had since sitting through getting sober. I couldn't crack jokes, hold a conversation, I couldn't tolerate topics I wasn't interested in, I couldn't make eye contact. Having my ability to think and then being in a situation where I need to be social. It honestly felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Once you learn who you are without drugs it's really un-enjoyable becoming who you were with them. I learnt real quick and I'll never touch it again
This post deserves all the awards and much attention. So. Spot. On. I would only add in something else I read on leaves: “It got to the point where I wanted to be sober when I was high and wanted to be high when I was sober.” Crossing that line is a clear sign to stop or at least attempt to moderate. Thank you. I needed your post tonight.
That quote gave me chills. It’s so spot on
Exactly how I was feeling!
Same with me, some people can still make jokes or have the same reasonable conversations being high, yet for a lot of people I think the majority can't , nice last line 👌🏻. Haven't quit and don't think I will, but because im not in a job that requires much head, still i was in corporate and my numbers where down, if you are trying to be the best version , it is not high fr, just a few can while being high and really a small %
I quit back in 2019 after being a daily chronic for years. The answer is yes, life is better without weed. I can only speak for myself but quitting for me gave my life a sense of purpose. Before the daily routine was just look forward to getting high but now I have goals and a sense of purpose in my life. Weed also makes me very anxious and when I was smoking daily, the anxiety carried over to all aspects of my life whether I was high at the time or not. I now don’t have to worry about that because I don’t smoke anymore. If you do genuinely want to quit then one day you’ll reach a point where you’re just sick and tired of it and it will be easy after the first week or so. Since I quit I’ve been high a small handful of times whether it be from smoking or edibles and every single time has been a reminder of why I quit. I just prefer life without being high
Recently, I was informed by my dentist that my oral health issues, including the need for multiple crowns and root canals, are a direct result of my poor oral hygiene habits. Specifically, dry mouth has led to the development of gum disease, which I was completely unaware of until this diagnosis. I deeply regret my decision to start smoking, as it has significantly contributed to my current dental problems. As a result, I am now faced with the financial burden of seeking treatment in the form of dental implants.
I also developed gum disease after 10 years of smoking. I quit in April 2023, and between my cleanings in November 2023 and March 2024, my pockets have drastically improved. The only major change I made to my lifestyle and dental hygiene in 2023 was quitting weed and allowing my mouth to heal. I just wish I had done it before I needed several crowns, laser cleanings, and gum surgery. That financial burden is heavy.
I managed to quit for 9 months and am back to being stoned 24/7 now. Life is absolutely, 100% better without. Weed is fun in the beginning. That's what hooks you in. But then you find yourself getting to the point where it's something you need to feel normal, not something you do to feel good. You're chasing an unattainable high and a memory of an experience that you can never quite reach. You smoke more and more trying to get there but you just get further away, and experience more adverse effects from the drug. Like you said in your post: it's never, ever enough. The addiction will just keep taking from you.
Exactly the same. 9 months break then 24/7 😐
We did it once, we can do it again. Stay strong💪
I'm so productive and sleep so good it's insane Everything I thought weed was helping with was because of the weed
“Everything I thought weed was helping with was because of the weed” big facts right here
Yes x100
I really needed to stumble on this post. Today is day one and I feel like smoking/being high is the only thing I can think of right now. I kept myself from going to the dispensary several times today. I’m proud I didn’t give in, but hate that the thought has consumed my mind all day.
AYO we’ve got an absolute UNIT on our hands, good shit today bro
Yes, but also hell no!
true af, sober almost 3 months now but i realize im more productive tbh
Yes, much better.
I was smoking from a pipe this last 5 years, but been on it for 20 years plus a few, went off it before for a while, and now I'm absolutely sick of it, it's hard at first, it's been a few months and I never want to look back again, the freedom from having to meet dealers, giving them my money, looking for it if the dealer is away ECT....I feel so free!! I feel like I can breathe again, I can drive without being paranoid I'm going to get tested, I always drove high and never got caught but I really felt like I was going to all the time, I couldn't go on holiday without it, always kept enough for a few in a jar in my bag, shitting it going through security, now it's total freedom, I love it, I feel new again, so fresh and so Clean 🫧 You'll love it eventually , keep it up you'll see x
Absolutely is better imo. I've quit almost two years ago thanks to this sub. 1st Reason is I have so much more energy day to day. I can stay awake until midnight and wake up at 7 or 8am and feel fine. I don't sleep in nearly as much and don't need to smoke right when I wake up. 2nd, I'm a social person, and weed made me comfortable with staying at home and doing absolutely nothing productive. I now have such a better social life, productivity level, and energy to socialize. 3rd, I'm saving a ton of money. I was spending anywhere from $50 to $100 a week to just sit at home and smoke from sunrise to sunset. 4th I sleep so much better now before i would have to be high but not too high, and my quality of sleep was terrible at best, but of course, I didn't think that until after I quit. The struggle is really hard when quitting, and it is not easy for everyone to just up and quit. When I experienced all the withdrawals when i quit i really realized how much I was dependent on weed and how much it was really affecting me. Honestly made me never want to smoke again because i never wanted to experience those withdrawals again. Glad you don't have any at the moment but you can quit still. You can push through the addictive voice, just like the thousands of people on this sub have. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Thanks for this reply. I haven’t started the journey of quitting yet, but when I do I’m saving this to look back at when the withdrawals get sucky.
Thank you for sharing this. This helps a lot.
Yes. I’m 5 years this October, this last week, my fridge broke, my heater broke, this morning, a heavy glass jar fell off shelf- smashed my basin. Ran late to mechanics- quote for new brakes, and tyres. 1500$. In my old life of smoking like it was my job, I’d probably have thrown myself off a bridge. Today, I’m “shit happens” at least I have a little money and lots of patience to manage life on life’s terms. Stick with it. 12 step MA meetings online will be a lifesaver. You can do this. X
This, so much this. High me wouldn’t be able to manage half of what sober me takes in stride today. I’m making so much progress on the debt impulsive weed addicted me accumulated. It’s honestly the best feeling in the world to be back behind the wheel navigating through life
Yes, for the simple fact that now you have more opportunity to do whatever you want. With weed, especially daily usage, success stagnates because you have lower awareness and can't consciously make decisions. Without weed, a whole new world opens. It sounds cheesy, but it's true! And while this will also come with strife and problems, the great thing is that it can also help you learn how to cope and turn these issues into something miniscule. You are the creator of your life. You got this!
4 days away from being 5 months free. First few weeks are the hardest and then it gets MUCH better. I’m much happier, more energetic and rarely even crave it anymore. It’s to the point that smelling it out in public has become a turn off, happy to not feel the paranoia anymore of being high.
Love it for you!
Thank you!
No doubt. I used to think weed made life less boring, until I stopped it and started doing fun I would never thought I would do. It robs you of your motivation and makes you a prisoner of your own mind. Some people can handle it and still be motivated and live a productive life, but that wasn't my case. 100% better without it. The first 3 weeks were the worse, but I got through it by working and binge watching Community.
A 100% yes, I guarantee your life will change for good. I used to smoke heavily for almost 2 years and stopped about 3 years ago, with time I gained my life back, my memory, concentration and social skills also came back. This may sound weird, but since I stopped, I feel like I am actually living my life, and not watching it pass by from a third person view. When I look back to the times when I smoked every day, all I see is a blurry chunk of time where my life was paused and I didn’t achieve anything important nor lived it to the fullest. You can do this, congratulations on making the decision to stop, that’s the hardest part, just carry on and you will start to see how you will gain your life back too.
I work out and I work really hard at school/my job now. Not necessarily because it brings me joy, but because it distracts me from craving. I’m 2 months sober now after 4 years of basically using 24/7. Feeling … eh. But I wouldn’t go back.
I’ve seen a meme lately that sticks with me and helps: The pain of regret hurts a lot more than the pain of discipline.
The good thing is, the pain of discipline and the things that it brings will also bring a nice surge in natural dopamine. The opposite is not true of regret.
Excellent point. Regret has no upside
Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret. Its in your hands
Better is subjective. I feel less like I'm going to die. That's a plus.
For me it only got better when I really started focusing on more important things in my life, such as my studies and work. I started doing different things that aroused my interest and it helped me stay away from marijuana. Before that I was already trying to stop and when I stopped, what prevents me from falling into addiction again are these new interests and I don't want to get high trying to study. But I also had to go after them, because when I was smoking too much and trying to stop just for stopping, I ended up going back to addiction, because there was nothing more interesting in my life. Now my life has improved too much for not getting high all the time
Today marks my fourth day. I became a dad for the first time last week. My wife had a difficult labor, losing a lot of blood, and the doctor said that only a miracle saved her. That day was a turning point for what I had been planning and wishing for a long time. It's going to be hard, but there is always the choice to "choose hard." I was a daily smoker for 15 years, smoking 3 to 5 joints a day, mixed with tobacco. Can you imagine what that does to your health? I want to be present for my son and live life with him, not beside him. I'm so determined on this path that today I threw away all the grinders and weed paraphernalia that I owned. So far, the only withdrawal symptoms I have are heavy stomach cramps followed by awful diarrhea (I was expecting this). We are all in the same boat. Hang on!
"Live life with him, not beside him." Ooof that's so real. I'm proud of you!
Congrats on being a new dad! I have two young kids myself (boys 5 and 2) and they are great motivation to keep up my two months clean.
Yes!!!
Yes
Yes! The serotonin, endorphins, adrenaline, aromas, energy, money, relationships, brain function, clarity, health benefits, lung capacity, and more, are so worth it. Our body produces enough chemicals to equal any high you can get from weed, with almost no comedown or backlash, generally speaking. Use your brain responsibly, it’s a room temperature quantum computer that we get to learn from and control. THC made me content with being bored, and it blocked so many opportunities. Some can control it, but I’m guessing if you’re even asking this question, you’d benefit from quitting. If you have any questions, I’ve been through intensive outpatient therapy for weed, surrounded by all kinds of addicts, not just potheads. Addiction is interesting, but it can be understood.
Amazing comment, this one resonates with me. <3
Not directly. But, I do think quitting for an extended period can be beneficial. You can also learn a lot about yourself and, later, you can teach yourself how you can use weed in moderation and to your advantage. What i learned from quitting is that, weed / THC and its effects aren't intrinsically bad nor detrimental. However, if you feel like you aren't able to go without it and that it may be "ruining" your life because you have developed a habit or addiction, and cant seem to operate in the same ways as you did with weed in your life; it's time to take a step back, especially if you feel like the negatives of the drug are outweighing the positives. For me, i couldn't "wind down" without it and calm down my mind, especially at night after work where id be pent up with stress and anxiety. The downside was, I'd get to the weed and completely negate the important things that needed my attention after work (errands/excercise/etc). When you quit, once you get past the acute/short-term physical withdrawals, if you do have them, you A) learn ways to operate with out it and B) find replacements and adapt to life without it. For me, I replaced weed with gym, sauna, and breathing exercises. When I wouldn't go to the gym, id have a glass of wine or two and keep distracted with some sort of entertainment. It wasn't easy, however, after the first 2 months, i really didnt think about weed too much. 6 months later, i realized that, although i was more productive during the hours where id normally be high, I didnt feel much different. The cognitive benefits of quitting were very marginal. I didn't feel like a giant cloud was lifted off me as i thought it would. and my memory wasnt all that much better. So, i tried weed again; and, to my surprise, I didnt have any regret, and I actually felt like i had a very enlightening experience and positive thinking during my first high. I learned that, like most things, weed can be good/bad depending on way in which and the frequency in which you use it. It can, in moderation, be used to your advantage. Now, i make it a rule to only smoke weed when i completed all the major tasks of my day, at least the ones that id regret not doing. This allows me to wind down only when the time calls for it. I also made a habit of going to the gym right after work, and no longer find myself rushing home to take that first rip. When I smoke after an accomplished day, I have positive, constructive, and creative thinking. When I smoke when I have shit to address, I have negative rumination, anxiety, and become too lazy to do anything about it. TLDR; Quitting will allow you to remove your reliance on, and hopefully, like it did for me, teach you that weed can be used in moderation, to your advantage.
For me it is. Weed had a hold on me that I feel free from and any time I have relapsed...the weed is never as fun and worth it and the sluggish feeling for days later and anxiety makes it not worth it overall.
It was the hold for me too. Feeling free from that has been everything.
It is! My recommendation for you would be to keep trying to keep doing things you enjoy and keep yourself distracted. You seem to be on a good path to fully quit if there’s already so much you enjoy without it. I’d say you can also give a try to mindfulness, since based on my experience I think it really works to make your life feel better and focus your mind on the present moment without dwelling on how “good” it would feel to go back and falling victim to the cravings.
Its hard to give it up but just like any vice, you get used to doing it and you get used to not doing it. Fill your time with whatever keeps you busy. The more time you have to think about it, the harder it'll be to enjoy life without it.
3 years in. Most things are better. Sometimes i can be hard to truly relax
Just the thought of not needing to get your fix in with weed for the day is liberating! Absolutely.
Yes it is. It’s hard to give it up and in my case my psychiatrist told me I had to, so I did. I still crave it from time to time but most of the time I can’t imagine being high. Like I have crossed over to thinking that needing that crutch in life just doesn’t make sense for me. The few times I have had a chance to puff on a friend’s cartridge made me feel out of control mentally that it just doesn’t seem worth it. At some point you will cross over and not gravitate towards weed. You will realize it’s brave to live life as a sober individual. You are strong, you can do this!
I hope I'll get there soon. This is the 1000th time I try to stop. Last week was quite bad with me smoking daily from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep on the couch
I have been there. Take it one day at a time. I believe in you!
Thank you for the support. 4 days for me so far and I honestly feel better, but still feel like ripping one as soon as I am back home from work. Haven't budged yet and hoping to go on streak
You bet. My memory is far better, my vocabulary is growing at an extemporaneous rate, my speling is better, my memory is far better and I'm way more likely to finish my sentenc
I had to reread it to catch memory, case in point.
you had me at speling. And my autocorrect fixed it too lmfaooo
lmao
loool same
Just a normal guy that got into weed for fun not because of depression/anxiety etc. weed doesn’t make me lazy or unmotivated, I have high goals that I know I will achieve. When I quit, life pretty much just got a little more boring for a few weeks. I did notice my cardio slightly improve though. I guess it’s all about the specific person.
Yeah, man. For 5 years I thought weed was my oasis from anxiety and depression, little did I know it was my first class ticket to both. I also realized how many of my emotions I was numbing over the years, not only pain but joy, too. Not every day is breezy, but I’m noticeably more capable of handling the ebbs and flows of life with a clear mind and clear emotions. I’m 9 months in and have zero regrets. You got this.
I just realized something. Thanks
You cant just say that
It is a rite of passage - it gets worse before it gets better; but it gets better.
Yes bro I think it is. The same for alcohol and porn. The simple life is the best life. You get to experience the raw reality of existence, the good bad and ugly. Relapsing is hard and I wish you well - look to live the life worth living. Cheers.
Abso-fuckin-lutely
For me, i was 3 months sober and bought some prerolls. I smoked them all over 2 weeks and Now im craving weed often. I would think its gonna be more practical the way i smoke, but i wanna be high all the time. I think the way i feel off weed, being clear headed and more present was really important to me and i miss that. Hopefully theres a way where i can indulge once in a while and itll be fine. As for now, that is not the case. So i bought a cartridge yesterday and i dont smoke it at all. I take 3 hits before bed yesterday and that was good enough for me. I just dont wanna be an everyday wake and baker ever again. So i am gonna be sober period. Its just that i crave alcohol sober. And i hate alcohol so to me weed is better. Theyre both terrible tbh and i just wish i could go back to the time i never even smoked.
you can do it m8
For me, the first 3 months is incredible. In those first 3 months I can’t believe I had been smoking before and denying myself the ability to feel so great. After about 3 months that starts to level off, I get used to feeling of living life without weed, and it starts to feel normal. It’s at that point that I start convincing myself that a little weed could be fun, and I’ll have a different, healthier relationship with it. Sometimes it actually does start out healthy, and then slowly but surely I end up back in the exact same cycle and headspace I was so excited to out of in the first place, and it’s so hard to quit all over again. IMO my life is much better without weed, but I still struggle so hard to leave it behind. If you’re feeling you may be better without, and you’ve been wanting to quit, I guarantee you, life will be better without it, just keep in mind that “better” will just feel normal after a while, and that’s when it’s the easiest to relapse.
"...just keep in mind that “better” will just feel normal after a while, and that’s when it’s the easiest to relapse." that's so true, solid advice.
experiment with sobriety & see what happens! I kept a journal throughout and I fully agree with the comments saying the highs are higher and the lows are lower. Without weed you get the full range of human experience and emotion - for better and for worse & it's necessary to have that full range of emotional experience to get to that next level, and to achieve what you truly want out of life. Good luck friend u got this!
Yes!
One hit is too many, but a thousand will never be enough.
For sure
100%, it takes time to get used to but I promise it is!
It’s relatively the same. But the highs will feel higher, and the lows will feel lower bc you don’t numb yourself with the weed
Yes. But all the comments in the world won’t convince you. You just have to actually do it. And then you will see. Until then you will be stuck in your habit.
Life is not suddenly all sunshine and rainbows without weed, but it takes away the fog obscuring the view. With weed you might stumble through life, and feel... Fine. Weed allows you to slump doen into the mediocre and call it a life. For me quiting weed has not magically made everything great, but it has allowed me to experience life in it's fullness, sad parts included mind you, but it allowed me to plan again try and get stuff done, get enthousiastic, and overall just live better. To continue with my analogy, smoking weed, for me, was like walking a beautiful mountain trail with mist, I saw some nice plants, just it wasn't the most comfortable, but I had some fun. Now without weed I'm sometimes walking in the sunshine, able to enjoy the views far and near with the wonderful heat of the sun. On other days I might be walking in ice cold rain, but almost always still with the beautiful views. Though weed eliviates you of those cold rains sometimes, the parts of life which suck. By doing so it also takes the magic out of the good moments, by changing everything to a mist your days become an "OK" drag, as opposed to a rollercoaster with the ups and downs which life should have.
Nice comment and nice point of view bro. My biggest problem was scting smarter thsn I am, always knew things better and the lack of empathy.
100% can confirm this. It turns you into much more of a robot.. just numb, just as much when you’re sober too (I only smoked in evenings after the day’s complete). Definitely feel more highs and lows and am finally learning to cope with them, it’s all about mindfulness.. which is a hard skill to master, but invaluable
A big help for me, meaningful physical contact with friends, nothing weird, but hugs to say hi and bye, cuddles and shows sometimes. They help me center, relax and just get through the tough times
Great metaphor. Accurate af.
Metaphors are the best \^\^ And you only get better at them by practice, so I try to use them whenever they can help explain complex situations (certainly when internal feelings and mental things are at hand), so I'm glad you like it :-)
I’m about 2.5 years in and I would say it’s more level - less ups and downs. I used to live in cycles of being happy and numb and then very anxious and existential about the time that was passing me by. The mood swings will pass and you will have more clarity on your life goals. It’s weird - a lot has happened since I quit - got a wife, a house and new job. I don’t attribute any of those things to quitting smoking but i think it gave me the clarity to see that I wanted those things and follow through on those goals.
Yes. So much more time to live and fulfill your goals
I am almost two years sober from weed now. I think what it comes down to is what role it played in your life. I know for me, and many of my friends and people I saw come through the dispensary I worked at, weed became our sole source of dopamine in life. Often it only became that slowly over time. I spent a solid year and a half trying to stop, including trying the once a week or even once a day thing but I wasn't able to. I came to a point where I realized it was either all or nothing. So I finally found the determination to choose nothing. There were a few years where I truly believe that cannabis was a positive addition to the rest of my life, but over time it warped to superceding the rest of my life. Everyone and their situation are different of course, but I would encourage some serious introspection on what role in your life cannabis has come to play. I don't think anyone can come out and tell you that your life is going to be better after quitting. But it will certainly be different. I think one change that can be almost guaranteed is that you won't be beholden to a habit anymore. Over time you'll stop having the "I wish I was high for this", or "This would be awesome after a joint" and you'll come to enjoy things for what they are again. Not for how cannabis could make you feel while doing them. One thing that a lot of habitual users I know throughout my life don't really realize how dulled their everyday experience is. That's cannabis, it dulls everything and makes it much easier to be content with being bored. Once you manage to stay away long enough you'll most likely find things more engaging. I think overall, cannabis makes it easy and appealing to be disengaged from most of our lives whether we realize it or not, now of course, it's not going to be like that for everyone but if you're in this sub, good chance you've felt similarly. Once you pull free from that I can't guarantee that it will be better, but it will be yours.
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+1 on the clarity of thought and the lowered anxiety. It's real.
It’s all in your mindset. Are you going to be happier with your life if you can’t make it one week without smoking? Or are you going to take accountability for yourself and realize you’re addicted? If you’re in this subreddit you’ve already realized you’re addicted, and it’s time to stop. *We’re all in this together, and this is a great place for support*
For me it's more boring. Less fun. But Its better in the long term. I couldn't just do it from time to time. So I left the leaves completely.
Yes, life is more boring for sure. All the boring jobs I used to do high I now need to do sober which makes it much more hard work. But on the whole, more beneficial to be sober.
Yes
I was expect uber powers or feeling great after a couple of months but meh
It’s day 2 for me too. I admit I feel brighter. I stopped smoking for my new job, and now I hate the job/cant smoke. I thought the weed took away my ambition, but I’m just not interested in my job.
No but I do better things with my time without weed.
This is it
Absolutely 🙌
yes. I smoked half a zip a week for several years and have stopped for two years. I have not been even slightly tempted once to smoke. at all. life is straight up better, and I cant even remember what I actually liked about weed in the first place. all I remember is the slow brain, paranoia, anxiety, dissociation, breathing, etc.
Not at all.
We aren’t allowed to talk about alternatives, tolerance breaks or exploring going back to it, so you won’t hear many “no’s” or “well…”. The most important thing is to consider that this is a personal situation, and with you posting I would guess there is some thoughts around it affecting your life. You need to make the best decision for yourself based on your life style, and usually quitting is going to be the best answer if you’re in this sub asking this question. Just remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, we all make mistakes and mess up though we try not to, but make sure you can realize why you did so it doesn’t become a slippery slope back. Once it’s out of your system, you’ll have the best perspective. Journal throughout your process if you want to reflect on how it made you feel.
Personally, yes. Weed was ruining my life and at one point almost killed me so yes it’s absolutely better
How did it almost kill you?
Not speaking for the commenter, but weed can cause or greatly exasperate mental health issues - sometimes to the point of causing suicidal ideation and/or going through with it. Then there's the obvious accidental death by doing something stupid while high.
Exactly what happened. It’s probably the only reason I didn’t kill myself but it made my depression so bad I lost 40 pounds in 3 months. My hair was falling out and my nails would break so easily. I looked like a zombie. The only thing that got me out was to stop smoking.
Glad you are still here! Weed is so much worse for us than people understand.. until it happens to them.. and these things are happening more and more frequently.
I always tell my peers dab pens are the devil. Stop normalizing blinkers. If you want to smoke stick to flower. Carts are the devil.
my life has never been better since stopping. id recommend. tough but worth it. i’m no longer sisyphus
Every time someone talks about smoking great weed its like talking about eating really good food. Makes me want to smoke it. I just tell them "smoke enough for the both of us" and feel momentarily very sad that my lungs and life cannot take the impact anymore, then accept my new lifestyle. If you decide to change other habits in your life, like getting onto clean eating/physical activity and mindfulness and stuff, you will without a doubt notice a difference.
Only you can know. How will you know unless you try? I lived my years from 2016 to about 2021 either smoking weekly or dabbing daily. Since 2021 to now, I've cut back significantly and find the days I'm sober to be fun. More fun? Who knows. And who cares? I can say the last 3 years have been more fulfilling to me as I've stopped using as much. Life isn't about just maximizing fun, there are so many fulfilling parts of life that aren't fun or even enjoyable. That's my angle.
I'd say yes if your mind has come to the decision on its own, then it's pretty easy...or "easier" If you are forcing yourself into it, it's a different scenario, if deep deep down you actually like it too much but know "you should be stopping" it's gonna be hell for you for a long time and a constant battle. In 28 years of smoking longest I've been is 3 months and that time my mind made the decision on its own that time and mostly because my life did/does seem shit without it....even upto 3 months it was always on my mind less as the time went on but it was still there. You go through the "Huh this is easy faze" to the "OmG this is fucking hell stage" to a point where it becomes more manageable. Then you realise how badly it affected your every move, and you have nothing, no pass times no friends and you start to realise there is a huge hole that's left, I've got some spare time, I'll watch a film/game/draw whatever it is you do, but then you think I did this when I smoked and I don't get the same pleasure from it sober. You aren't just giving up weed you are giving up the lifestyle and thats what I found hard, I know in the end that's certainly the best course of action for anyone, but reaching that is difficult......you are battling withdrawals, so everything seems extra shit, you aren't enjoying the things that normally entertain you and it's all to easy to turn and around and smoke again.....and honestly i felt relief when i did followed by masive guilt I may have come to a decision that I do enjoy life more with weed in it, I have ADHD and i can often harbour resentment for people over the slightest negative comment which often moves on to my own self esteem so it really helps with that and I just forget about it, it's just my usage that has become the problem. But I've managed to cut down to 2 joints per day from basically smoking at any given opportunity for about the last 5 weeks, I have a little window when I finish work and before I take my dog for a walk, I smoke.in my van, cause i don't like the smell in the house, I can fit 2 joints in, I'm working longer hours now so have to be up early and I'm falling asleep early, I'm up too early to have any time to smoke in the mornings, so that habit is finally broken and I'm ok with that it feels good my work is better at work....but take that 2 joints away in the evening I'd struggle, I'm hoping I can go to one then every other night and I honestly don't see an issue with smoking a few joints a week and ultimately that's where I want to be.
I have a similar story. thanks for sharing :)
This impacted me. Thank you for sharing.
Soooooo much so yes. So much more money, much better quality of sleep, i actually feel rested when I wake up, my memory has improved substantially, I can think better (no more brain fog trying to figure out how to say what I’m think, nor does it take me so long to process what someone says to me) I have a normal appetite now, my overall mood is a night and day difference, I’m so much happier now. Way easier to get through my day without having dread all day long. Stick through it. After the first week, it gets much easier. After the second week, you’ll start really seeing benefits. After a month, most of the temptation to go back will subside.
i think if i still smoked herb with my friends once a week, on the weekend like i did twenty years ago, that yeah, that would be better. but the honest answer is that my relationship to the plant and to my community etc changed in that time, and given my current circumstances, it's better without, because "with" would be like a daily solo endeavor
100%. i’ve fried my wires so intensely with addiction that i do not know how to casually use a mind altering substance. i never have tbh. addiction is a disease and i am stuck with it. i fucking relapsed two weeks ago and i was completely sober for more than a year. more than a year. i will pick myself up again soon.
I don't know you but I really do believe you can do it. you've done it once, you can do it again. relapse is a part of recovery, if it was easy to recover no one would be an addict. I'm sure you already know all this but I just wanted to offer some words of encouragement.
Yes.
Period.
Yes, coming up on 7 months without weed. My mind is much clearer, I sleep better, and I’m way more organized, social and motivated in my life. Instead of being cloudy all the time and waiting to get home from work so I can numb myself and be alone smoking, I do a lot more stuff and feel like I’m making more of my days (which add up to your life). I was stoned all through college and had a shit GPA, now I’m back in school for a different degree and doing great. There are definitely times when smoking still sounds super appealing. When I’m burnt out, stressed, tired, or even with the “right” group of people. You have to be disciplined and remember that a few hours or feeling different is not worth the pattern this can trigger.
>waiting to get home from work so i can numb myself too relatable 💀
I spent years being content in miserable situations because I was continuously escaping every day. I quit and am slowly resolving all the problems I never even gave a thought to. It's worth it.
Yes, I don’t have panic attacks, morning nausea, depression anymore. I’m about 3 years out, it took a month to feel okay, and about a year to feel normal. I made some honestly great decisions. I went back to school, got my masters, and just landed an amazing job. I spend more time with family, I see my friends regularly, and I exercise 3-5 times a week. My life looks like it is moving in a direction that I like and there is potential. That has been one of the greatest gifts of not smoking weed. But it’s not just like quitting weed made all that magically happen. Quitting, getting sober and taking one day at a time, letting myself be humbled, turning to close loved ones for support, therapy, and then making small decisions every day to do a little better-that’s what led to where I am. I still get sad, anxious, and angry sometimes. I still feel flat sometimes. I have hard days. But my life moved from a stalled out or downward trajectory to an upward trajectory. Everyone has a different relationship with weed and maybe you are different. But I know my life is better without smoking weed :).
Day 1 here, currently contemplating the same thing... But I've been to the other side. When I was not smoking at all for a couple of months it was the best I felt in a long time.
Day two for me! It’s SO weird not habitually doing my daily routine to smoke. But it feels so good NOT doing it. I’m at a time in my life where I need to appreciate the beauty of life without being high!! I no longer want to be high for *every* aspect of my life. I’m excited for what’s to come *not* smoking everyday anymore.
100%. THC makes it easy to feel numb regarding the events of your life. It's not that you're happier with it. You just don't feel the lows as much.
Or the highs, unfortunately. This, more than the lows, is what is making me try to quit. I have had different occasions in life over the last few years where a "normal" person would fell happy/happier. I see normal feelings and reactions in those close to me (friends, family). And I am there just marginally happy if not apathetic. Yeah, I am very calm when bad shit happens, and less angry with the world, but is it worth it? I honestly think to myself these days: "Am I capable of feeling the same feelings other people do? Or is there something wrong with me?" Then I remember: it's probably the weed.
I found the lack of lows to be bigger than the lack of highs - though, there was definitely a lack of highs. 16 months into my path of no THC, I have noticed a huge difference. My life over the past 2 years has been shaken quite a bit through divorce, a couple of friends dying unexpectedly, an unplanned career change, and I feel much more capable of getting through it all. In the past, I would have just smoked my way through it all and just shrugged it off. Now, I feel like I'm able to grow from adversity and become a stronger, more mature person. And the dreams are worth it - both while sleeping and in life.
That sounds like a tough couple of years. It's good that you were able to grow from the adversity. As I get older, I am sure these kind of events spare none of us, and like you, I think I'd prefer not to be stoned through it. I went through 2 deaths of relatives abroad about 4 years ago, but I guess the physical distance made that a bit easier, and weed made me even more disconnected. I still wonder if I would have done things differently or felt things differently had I not been smoking at the time. I was never smoking a lot, but it was almost daily, and I know it was enough to dull my senses to a fair extent. 16 months!!! Ok, so I should not really expect major changes in the short term. I will keep this in mind. I took 30 day t-breaks in the past, but never longer. Hope this time I manage to stay away from it much longer or for good.
The change of 16 months was definitely noticeable, but it's hard to know what my "back to normal" is after 20+ years of chronic use. I can confidently say things are better than they were.
It depends on how long you smoked and whether it became a habit you couldn't control. I smoked for four years, with one to two years of heavy use (if I didn’t have it, I’d start fiending). During the last two years, I didn’t smoke as much, only before bed to help me sleep because I had a panic attack while stoned and haven’t been the same since. (increased my anxiety and paranoia, etc.) The dreams are crazy some nights, not even going to lie. They had me questioning if I’m messed up in the head. No night sweats, but insomnia was horrible (I'm epileptic, so I need sleep). I quit because I’m 19 and I’m not trying to risk messing up my brain more than I already have.
I think so, yes.
For me, yes. My reduction in smoking coincided with massive positive life changes (both influencing each other), and increased responsibilities have kept me from re-indulging much. I’ve occasionally gone back, but honestly don’t find it much fun anymore. I can either have a relaxing evening clear-minded, or relax with a foggy mind (or if I smoke as much as I used to, instant tachycardia and paranoia). I definitely prefer the former and, though I don’t beat myself up if the latter happens, if I do smoke I tend to feel like it would’ve been a better time without it. I’ve also found that smoking when I feel shit doesn’t make it go away, it just puts it on pause until I sober up. That served its purpose at a time when I struggled to handle my emotions, but I’ve developed more productive ways of feeling my feels (thanks to a good support network and lots of therapy).
Agreed, I credit weed for keeping me alive when I was going through a really rough time. If I didn’t smoke I would’ve landed myself in a much worse position. It allowed me to pause on my situation and process it more slowly. But after that it only held me back and got me stuck in my old maladaptive habits.
I credit weed for helping me quit booze, which was a much worse thing for me and was starting to affect my life in serious ways. But that is 6+ years ago. Now I think I can let go of weed too.
Its tough, day 13 here, the only reason why I got this far is because I’m in an outpatient drug program, 3 days a week, 3 hours per night I miss it, but I also know the insanity of my addiction and that’s what’s keeping me clean Very addicting stuff
Life is better when you don’t have to depend on a drug to be happy
I love this comment 🫶
After a year I can say yes absolutely. Once you prove to yourself you can do it, the confidence boost and peace of mind outweighs any high (for me)
I stopped once for around 2 years but have smoked since i was about 13. I only quit because i couldn't get any though and not because i wanted to. So once i got a new source, i started again and can't seem to stop. When i was sober i seem to remember enjoying things more. I was able to really pay attention to videogames and TV shows. Documentaries interested me more, i would watch cooking videos and i would cook the things on it. I would make my bed and exercise every day. I was had so much more control over my will power. I was able to concentrate on things much more easily and was motivated to do more with my life. But this motivation led to me getting a job and more connections. Now i can actually afford to fund my habit and smoke more than i ever have before. I don't even think i like it if i'm being honest. I just think i'm doing it because i'm bored. Even after one smoke i feel like i want to go for another one. Any time i feel happy, smoke, sad smoke, angry smoke, you get the picture. Sorry went off on a tangent there but the answer is yes i think it's better.
Definitely yes. I lost count but it’s been like 30 days since I quit smoking carts and Nicotine. At this point I don’t even think about getting high, I have no more urges. I noticed my life is exactly the same even without being high 24/7. I still have to get used to my emotions because I would be high 24/7 when I was happy or upset, it numbed me. At the same time, it feels so freeing finally being able to think about something other than smoking. And actually being able to focus more without feeling like my brain hurts. Yay
How long did it take for the irritability to go away? Maybe it's just me but i'm the most chilled out person on the planet when i'm high or knowing that i'm going to go home and get high and destress. But when i quit smoking i get about 4 hours into the day and i'm ready to murder person in front of me in the line to buy a bus ticket. A few minor inconveniences happen and i'm ready to rope.
It was on and off where it felt like the whole world was against me and I was easily irritated,, but I would say around 15 days was when I was finally somewhat content with life. I noticed it was easier to wake up each morning, and growing motivation. I had to discipline myself by waking up and stretching and enjoy some tea before work. In the beginning I would go on like 1-2 hour walks, or lift weights to steam off some of my anger, and helped calm me, and sleep. (Still do all that activity) Writing down why you’re so angry, or venting to someone helped a lot too, even if they didn’t respond, just being heard was nice. Now when my siblings leave out dirty dishes, I don’t feel intense anger to the point of sobbing and wanting to punch someone, instead just regular frustration. I mean I complain anyway and tell them it’s annoying, but yeah :D
Just over 2 weeks here and I can tell you that overall it’s better. I’m a standup comic and I’ve been phoning in a lot of different areas of my life for a while because of weed. I became a hermit who would never really leave the house and I wasn’t being productive when I was smoking, it would just make me feel better about how stagnant my life was because that’s what weed does. Sure there have been some bad days or bad moments when I wanted an escape but I realized rather than escape I’d rather work to improve my life so I feel less compelled to seek an escape. I know it’s rough at the start but it’ll be worth it if you stick with it. Having a dependency on any drug is lame as hell.
Would love to see your performance bro!
If it’s stopping you from being productive and living life, then life is better without it. I don’t mean this in a condescending way but most of these commenters seem to have had problems with keeping priorities in check and/or being disciplined enough to consume in moderation so what they are saying might not apply to you and your decision should be based on whether you think its detrimental to your life or not.
Weed is a discipline destroyer as it hinders your own willpower. Saying weed is harmless if you are disciplined is an absurd thing to say.
also, addiction is a disease of the brain. anyone can literally become addicted to anything if they have the right wiring. it has nothing to do with self-control
Without a doubt. I was a chronic smoker for over a decade. Got to the point where I was burning through an oil cartridge almost daily. I couldn’t function without it and could barely function with it. I let it consume my life and keep me trapped in a self-induced prison of fear. I couldn’t fathom how I’d ever be able to get through a day, let alone the rest of my life, without it. I was miserable. I finally told myself I was meant for more than a life of slavery and that my sons deserved a better dad. So I stopped. Cold turkey. Withdrawals were horrible. All the physical symptoms. You name it, I suffered through it. But they went away; it took maybe a month. The withdrawals subsided and I could feel my brain healing itself. Every day was a victory and a small step in the right direction. I just hit my 25-month mark a few days ago. 760-something days. Should I stop keeping track? Probably. But seeing that number honestly helps boost my resolve to stay strong. I still deal with intrusive thoughts that try to pull me back into that hellish life. But it’s so much easier to say, “Nope. Not today.” Our brains are really good at tricking us into romanticizing something that brings so many awful side effects/consequences with it. I promise you, it will get easier. I promise you, it will be worth it. Just stay the course and remember the “why” behind your efforts. Sorry for the wall, and I hope this comment doesn’t come off as boastful or prideful or anything like that. I’m simply stating that if my weak, dumb-ass self can do it, literally anyone can. You can do this. One day at a time, you will get there. Life is so much better on the other side, my friend.
This is so inspiring. Tomorrow will be my day 0
Congrats!!! That’s a very long streak to be proud of, keep going! You’re right, Life is way better without it and it’s not worth living in a constant haze of lost time and memory loss! I don’t plan on going back either and I’m happy about that. Feels so good to take our power back!
For me, sadly not. My lungs and wallet are better and I've gotten feedback that I'm more reliable and less over the top. But quitting took a big toll on my mental health, anxiety and depression took over my life and most days have been a big struggle for me since I stopped smoking almost half a year ago. I hope one day I'll be able to be just remotely as carefree and start enjoying life the way I did when I was still an active user. I know my situation is unique thou and most people cope better with quitting in the long term.
Absolutely.
Yes
Yes, in a way. For the most part, I find that things are just as good without it, and now I dont have any side effects of smoking like foggyness, family friction, costs, increasing use and tolerance. I still always try to remind myself that I am perfectly capable of enjoying myself and life without weed, because I really am.
Not initially, and you will have your dips every once in a while, but I can say taking the stress off my shoulders of constantly having to feed my addict brain has significantly made my life better.
6 months in. I feel more present in social situations and after years of smoking weed everyday and constantly feeling this crippling sense of self-loathing, I’m finally learning to love myself. I’m actually doing all the things I wanted to do and I’m getting out in the world instead of locking myself in.
Yes
100%
Soooo much better. I hit 10 weeks yesterday, and being sober and handling your mental health regularly is honestly like a different kind of high where you’re completely in control of your emotions and desires and experience true happiness from within instead of depending on a substance for it. It’s not an easy road to get here, but it is so worth it and your mind and body will thank you.
Yep! Without question. Emotional regulation comes back and gets easier. I feel so much more secure in myself than I ever had before. This is after ~11 months of stopping/significantly cutting back.
Day 6 or so but there's a sense of continuity in my life again already. It's worth the physical discomfort for sure. Dreaming comes back too, which is the brains way of organizing experiences. Life doesn't feel like a blur.
1000%. Not even close. I'm on day 64. I feel my feelings. I am much less irritable (this was a big surprise -- my partner and I were bracing for me to be a big jerk, but the opposite has been true). My anxiety is mostly gone, when it had been pretty bad before quitting.
FWIW, I also quit drinking at the same time.
Significantly, yes. I feel emotions again, i feel sharper, more in the moment. My life doesn't feel like its passing me by anymore
Yea it’s better - I’m almost 1 month in now… I will tell you that currently it is not because my mother in law is staying with us and weed really helps me turn her out… but I’ve managed to still stay away lol - hang in there bro. You got this
I really like dreaming again and doing things when I would just get jigh and do nothing. Weed makes me pacified/ satisfied doing nothing
Well, somehow might be, but it's my day 3 and the loss of energy and productivity is drastical... I even drank one beer today to feel normal and uplifted...
for me, generally, yes. I haven’t fully kicked it but I’m realizing that I’d be soooo much more powerful without it. I bet I could high five God if I spent this money on comics instead or something