Dealing with Marijuana Addiction And Withdrawal BY DAN JENKINS on August 16th, 2013
First off, if you recently decided to give up marijuana, congratulations on your newly found sobriety! As you know may notice, there are some common marijuana withdrawal symptoms you may be dealing with. If you had been a fairly regular user of marijuana for some time, your body is now in the process of flushing toxins that had been accumulating in your body for years. In addition, you may be having a hard time adjusting to life and reality without a numbing agent (marijuana). What are Some Symptoms of Marijuana Withdrawal? Although there is some research to suggest that there are no physiological effects of marijuana addiction, many recovering addicts have definite symptoms of withdrawal. Perhaps the cause is more mental that physiological, but the results are physical nonetheless. The common physiological symptoms of marijuana addiction withdrawal are minor discomfort related to detoxification, insomnia, depression, nightmares, vivid dreams and outbursts of anger. In addition, headaches, night sweats, dizziness, kidney pain, impotency, hormone changes and fatigue. Most problems associated with marijuana withdrawal will disappear on their own within weeks, but some may last up to 6 months or longer. Now that you know the potential withdrawal symptoms you may experience, let’s discuss dealing with withdrawal symptoms in a manner that will foster sobriety and positive life changes‌ Dealing with Marijuana Withdrawal 1. Recognize Your Emotions and Behaviors Relapse is not an event, it is a process. Practicing self-awareness can help you recognize and deal with emotions that may trigger behaviors that increase your chances of relapse. If you understand the signs of emotional relapse, you can isolate those emotions before they become detrimental to your recovery. 2. Practice Self-Care Take better care of yourself! Everything in your life affects and influences your quest for sobriety from sleep patterns and eating habits to social interactions and stress responses. If you eat poorly or have poor sleep habits, your exhaustion could lead you back to the habits that caused addiction in the first place. Eat well, sleep well, deal with stress and avoid social gatherings and individuals that could be detrimental to your recovery. Lifestyle changes are often the single most important aspect of an ongoing struggle with sobriety.
3. Deal with Mental Urges “Play the tape through. When you think about using, the fantasy is that you’ll be able to control your use this time. You’ll just have one drink. But play the tape through. One drink usually leads to more drinks. You’ll wake up the next day feeling disappointed in yourself. You may not be able to stop the next day, and you’ll get caught in the same vicious cycle. When you play that tape through to its logical conclusion, using doesn’t seem so appealing.” (http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/relapseprevention.htm) 4. Have a Support Group in Place When you are having urges to use, it’s important to have a trusted support group to talk to. If you can tell someone you trust that you have the urge to use, sharing your thoughts and urges can help them disappear! When this happens your problems don’t seem quite as big and your sense of loneliness fades. “Do your recovery one day at a time. Don’t think about whether you can stay abstinent forever. That’s a paralyzing thought. It’s overwhelming even for people who’ve been in recovery for a long time. One day at a time, means you should match your goals to your emotional strength. When you feel strong and you’re motivated to not use, then tell yourself that you won’t use for the next week or the next month. But when you’re struggling and having lots of urges, and those times will happen often, tell yourself that you won’t use for today or for the next 30 minutes. Do your recovery in bite-sized chunks and don’t sabotage yourself by thinking too far ahead.” (www.AddictionsAndRecovery.org) Sources: 1) https://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/literature/pamphlets/detoxing-from-marijuana 2) http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org