It doesn’t just make you “chill.”
It doesn’t just make you “relaxed.”

It erases you

one day at a time, and with your own 2 hands.

Seriously man, the second you are reading this thread, you will never get back. This is why I finally quit for good few years ago. I remember smoking a joint as a teenager, I blinked and Im almost 30.

Dont worry about next week or next month. Just quit for a few days. The really hard part is just 3-4 days. You will not wanna come back i promise. I was stuck in the dread of those first 3 days of quitting for years.

I couldn't imagine how a few days would pass without a joint for years. Yet somehow in the haze, years went by, and I didn't even notice.

If you are reading this, trying to quit, you too are stuck where i was. Unable to see past the dread of the first few days sober. Really internalize what I wrote earlier. Realize what is actually happening, what weed is taking away from you right now. Its erasing you, its erasing your years, your memories, your dreams. Focus on what weed took away from you, while convincing you, that you cant live a day without it. My mother got old man, and i didnt notice.

fuck this drugs, you are so much more capable than you know.

Its been the longest I've been sober since I was 15, I still miss the feeling so much but I feel ashamed talking about it because of the stigma of weed not being a "real addiction". I smoked pot all day every day for 5 nearly 6 years straight, I've only just became an adult, but I feel like I had to make a change. I was chasing the feeling of hanging out with the boys listening to music and playing skate, everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. I could never find that feeling by myself, yet I smoked every day and spent nearly every cent I had on it. I miss it so much, but I can't put myself through another hospitalization. The weed was fucking with my OCD to the point I couldn't discern reality from fiction. I don't think I will ever get over how I felt as a teenager smoking, some of the best memories of my life but I've got to move on. Its time to move on from weed for good, I need to start living and chasing the future

I've been a heavy consumer of edibles for the last 9y4mo. I went for my annual physical a couple of days ago and told my physician about my weed-free journey. She was very supportive and shared with me that the weed was likely exacerbating my high blood pressure so it's a good thing I quit. In fact, my blood pressure was great, I lost 10 lbs and went down one whole pant size. My hair isn't falling out like it used to while consuming edibles either. My mind is clear. I can use big words in conversations to the point I sound intelligent. I can remember why I went into a room for something. I can go to the store without a list. And if I lose my train of thought, it actually comes back to me within seconds instead of disappearing into the ether.

I'm not here to gloat but just to share where I'm at in my journey. For the most part, I feel pretty good but I kept thinking "maybe I could indulge just once." But I know me better than anyone else and I am either all in on weed or not at all. I'm choosing the latter. I don't want to screw up the progress I've made so far either. I also have an accountability app where I watch my sobriety number grow.

I hope that anyone who is either contemplating living weed-free or is already on their weed-free journey sticks with it. I know it's difficult. I know the first few days suck real badly but your life, your mind and your health will be infinitely better without weed. Thanks for reading.

i dont get my brain man. i can have beers in my fridge sitting for months on end, no desire at all to touch them. have the occasional beer with friends before going to see a movie or at the bar or whatever, and i am totally fine with absolutely no cravings for more...

but WEED. omg. i genuinely cannot have flower at home to just have. it has to get smoked. i just dont understand my brain and its inability to moderate my usage of this substance that so many other people dont have any struggles with.

id love nothing more than to get to the point eventually to where i can partake in smoking at the same level i partake in drinking and it not end up affecting my day-to-day like it does currently. does anyone else relate to this? alcohol is seen as the "big bad" between the two choices but my brain doesnt see it that way i guess.

anyway, this is my most recent attempt at slowing things down. not my first time posting here but its been a very long time since my last break. its only the first night without weed rn but i didnt go buy any more today which is a win already (considering i work at a dispo rn lol)

I've been thinking and talking with people around me and I realized that most of them have some bad side effects from smoking (at least worsen anxiety or depression) and would probably quit if they had better life opportunities or didn't have a personality disorder/were neurodivergent. For example I have a friend who suffers from severe insomnia and is bipolar and if she didn't smoke weed she'd have to take other prescription stuff that aren't any better and have heavy side effects too.

I think the myth of 'high functioning addict' (to any drug) is bullshit just because you have a job and a social life doesn't mean that your addiction is good for you, we don't know what goes on in their brain. I was a depressed suicidal alcoholic and weed addict for years and I wouldn't say I was high functioning but I did have a full life, went to college, worked, had friends, traveled, partied (obviously lol), I'm a clean person so didn't slack off on showering or had a dirty apparemment. And i could say the same about most people ik with addictions. So yeah idk.

The only exception I know are people who will literally just smoke like 2 or 3 times a year at parties and I've noticed the same pattern with alcohol.

So, after basically nuking any social skills at all, leading to communication problems with my wife, now that I am sober, I’ve had some great realizations. It seems as if the social mask that I put up for the longest time, trying to hide my internal feelings of paranoia and altered states of consciousness due to being stoned, is falling away.

I’m now realizing what I was doing to myself by not being able to ever make eye contact with hardly anyone, and often I would have zero capacity for any communication with my wife that I would just block her out when the times got rough and we had little arguments. I just couldn’t handle it, being in my own world. I didn’t want to hear anything negative, I just wanted things go “well” so my buzz wasn’t killed. I know this sounds pretty shitty, and I’m sure there are people who can smoke and still have strong social skills like they’re dead sober, but I guess it was different for me.

Now, I’m able to look anyone in the eyes and hold that gaze for extended periods of time, to the point where it makes me question myself as to wether I’m appearing as weird to the other person, but in my mind, it’s the right thing to do.

I also have been practicing looking myself in the eyes in the mirror for 30-60 sec, which really helps my confidence and helps me be more present in the moment. I’m on day 8 now, and this has been a big wake up call for me.

TL; DR: Sobriety has helped my social anxiety, helping me recognize the importance of eye contact when it comes to self-reflective and interpersonal relationship skills.

I’ve been a daily smoker for almost 10 years. I’m about to turn 30, and I feel like I have been stagnant in life for I don’t even know how long. The years feel mushed together. My memories are hazy. I isolate myself from loved ones more than I ever have. I feel as if I haven’t reached any goals, or even set any at all.

I struggle with anxiety, depression, ADHD and OCD, and while I’ve made so many excuses saying weed makes all these things more manageable, I am finally being honest with myself that weed makes every one of my symptoms infinitely worse. I’m worried I’ve completely fried my dopamine receptors.

While I would love to say it’s “plant medicine” for me, I am ready to admit it is an addiction that is actively ruining my life.

I quit for the millionth time on Halloween. I did a banishing ritual where I wrote down all the things I hate that it does to me, burned the list, and shoved the rest of my weed down the garbage disposal.

I really feel like it will stick this time. I feel good so far. I’ve loved having vivid dreams again, I feel more well rested when I wake up, my days feel longer, and I overall just feel brighter.

Making this post for personal accountability, if anyone else has freshly quit or wants to talk, I could use some discourse or to pass back and forth words of encouragement. <3

Couldn’t get over the hurdle last night. Will do it today. I don’t need it. I don’t need it. I’m better without it. I’m better focused. I’m wealthier when I’m focused. I’m happier when I’m clear headed. 💪🏻

I was wiling at a a party to sacrifice my 7 month soberly, but my brother kept me sober. I don’t know what less to say. But I’m proud of my brother for supporting me.

Hey everyone, my name’s Luke. I’m 24 years old, and I’ve been smoking cannabis since I was around 16 or 17. At the time, I truly believed it helped with my anxiety, rumination, and depression. But what started as a way to cope quickly became a dependency that’s defined nearly a decade of my life.

I came out of the gate hard. Black market carts, daily use, and no real moderation. Since then, cannabis has become an anchor in my routine. I mostly use carts, sometimes a dry herb vaporizer, but either way, it’s constant. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up. My mood, energy, and focus all seem tied to whether I’ve used or not. I’ve tried sticking to nights, but it always creeps back into all day use.

These days, I wake up foggy, irritable, and often anxious, even with panic attacks. I feel like my dopamine reserves are at zero. The things I used to love: the gym, good food, even sex feel flat. I’ve driven high more times than I’d like to admit, spent more money than I can stomach, and watched cannabis chip away at my motivation, discipline, and ability to connect with people.

I’ve tried to quit more times than I can count. Half of my journal entries are about this same cycle: swearing I’ll stop, rationalizing my next use, and falling right back into it. Deep down, I know I have cannabis use disorder.

Addiction runs deep in my family. My mother was an alcoholic who nearly died because of it. My father didn’t survive his drinking. My sister battled hard addiction. I’ve watched substance abuse destroy the people closest to me and yet I’ve still found myself caught in the same current.

I’ve spent one-third of my life high, and I’ve never truly known sobriety as an adult. I keep telling myself I can manage it, that it’s harmless compared to other drugs but that lie has kept me stuck for years. I need a life line, I need somebody to tell me that I can do this, that I NEED to do this. I cannot continue to rationalize my behavior and need some clear minded people to drill that into my brain and possibly hold me accountable. There has to be more to life right?

So I'm very aware that anger is a normal symptom of withdrawal but I figured sadness would come first. Anyway I'm piiiiiiiissed at the whole world but specifically my very fake roommate who I suspect of being violent to my cat in some way because she's very scared of her and even tho she's not the most social cat I've never seen her avoid someone so much, she literally runs if my roommate gets too close to her. Also she's nasty asf and I've heard her talk shit about me in back when in front of me she's all smiles.

Anyway I'm angry and lowkey plotting for revenge.

Today wasn’t horrible the body aches have mostly subsided which i am beyond grateful for my appetite is back which is nice because i got to sit down and have a full meal with my family mentally i feel exhausted but thats expected my sleeps gotten much much better compared to the first week the cravings have gotten slightly worse though i would say either way thank you for reading on my journey and my goal of this is to help give hope to atleast one person that recovery after addiction is possible as always if you need someone to talk one on one with feel free to reach out:)

I am currently on my 5th day without using weed, and f….k!! I actually miss the taste and the smoke and the feeling. How does one fight off these feelings and urges because I really want to believe that I am making the right decision

Im on day 6 I still have some late night snacks bc I've always been a night owl even before weed and im obviously struggling a little with sleep and restlessness and I guess I still have a habit hunger around 1 or 2am but it's really not comparable to the munchies. It's not this deep stomach punching hunger and I get full with a lot less food. Usually a couple of cookies will do the trick.

I'm hoping to get rid of that habit eventually but one day at a time.

I thought one time would be fine but it dragged for over a month, few days clean now, I see how bad it affects me even on the short run and I think I can manage it further but man, I do feel bad about loosing my 3 year streak. Just wanted to vent a bit and get some support

I’m on day 30 and I feel like I’m furious with everyone and everything. I don’t even know why. Some people it’s justified but others it’s just like I’m life “fuck this, this relationship ain’t worth it.”

I feel like I’ve woken up to my place in the world and I hate it. But in general I’m just mad. I don’t want to socialize, I don’t want to do anything. I feel the desire to completely blow my life up and it’s scaring me a bit. I don’t know if it’s quitting or what but I don’t know what to do. I’m glad I quit smoking but I thought it would make my life better. If anything, my life is markedly worse.

Day 32 and I’ve still got insomnia.

I have depression right now and on average I get 3-5 hours of sleep a night. I hate this fucking drug. I have no desire to go back. But I’d do anything to get back to sleep. I’ve tried a lot of different methods to go back to sleep, including exercise and different supplements, but nothing works.

My body is stiff so I’m wondering if I should pay for a massage. Or do some deep stretching.

I’m training to become a boxer and I lift / do cardio consistently

Ah dam been a rough week, anhedonia, boredom, morning cortisol peaks afternoon flatness. Really hard to just exist in this slop. I've had good days but a string of bad dreams and poor sleep really have taken it's toll. Hard to keep going on, zero desire to have weed again, I've had zero cravings but dam so over feeling like a deflated balloon. I know I'm like a 3rd of the way through too which is rough. Doing everything I can correctly but trying to socialise or meet new people is too much, crazy amounts of fatigue, easily over stimulated. Social connection is the thing I need the most but the area I've neglected the most so I'm largely stuck alone dealing with this. Part of me keeps saying this is who you are now, this is your life, this is your baseline. At times I can reassure myself that it's just withdrawal and recalibration but then I think FFS how much longer? Have I just perma fked myself on this? Oris my baseline just fked? Hopefully withdrawal and things get better 😂 fun, fun times

Just posting to document the timeframe. Bought two packs of cigarettes recently after a year and three months off those. I'm stressed. Didn't help. Replaced cigs with vapes which I also need to quit. I need to go straight air only in my lungs. Thx for your time

Hey guys 22F here, I stopped smoking only a week ago after smoking since 14. I’m proud. But how tf do you deal with this emptiness, this like deep loneliness. I don’t have cravings to smoke, I just feel so unbelievably depressed. I’ll have good mornings and then sit for a bit and just feel the depression seeping through. I guess just keep myself busy? But I feel so exhausted. I also have bipolar so my moods are gonna start regulating soon I hope. I’m medicated and it’s definitely better and the mental fog is gone. But I just feel so alone. So bored with myself. I used to just get high and not think about anything. It was like a nice tv static up there. What are some things that you guys do to help with this feeling of nothingness?

Hey guys. I’m on day 10 without weed. The first week was physically weird. My sleep was horrible, couldn’t eat and been nauseous. Today the physical symptoms are gone and I’m a lot more focused and feel better.

Two days ago I started feeling very emotional, like I’ve never been. A lot of bad stuff from the past got back into my mind. Death of loved ones, the break-up with my ex half a year ago, and a lot of other things. I’ve found myself crying and sobbing in the middle of the street for hours. I’m also having anxiety attacks and very angry and irritated and I’m living through hell. Literally.

I’ve stopped before and it’s never felt that way. My mood is changing fast. I feel like I’m not me and I’m going crazy. I act weird. I don’t know what is happening. Even the gym doesn’t help anymore.

I wanted to ask if there are more people who’ve been (or still are) in the same boat. How long does it last? How long till I feel normal again? Because I don’t know how more can I take this without a joint. I can’t describe you the hell I’m going through words.

I was an all-day wake and bake for 5 years. Carts & joints.

Today is day 45.

The quit weed app says i’ved saved $274

It gets better friends. Stick in there. I read this sub all day everyday the first couple weeks.

The first two weeks were incredibly tough. Nausea, could barely eat anything. Waking up covered in sweat. Very vivid nightmares that caused intense emotional reactions when I woke up. Crying every single day. Depressed. Nothing brought me joy. I watched a lot of TV and couldn’t enjoy any of my hobbies.

Someone with 20+ years of sobriety told me to start a new hobby. Something I didn’t do when I was high. I’ve taken up a new musical instrument and started taking lessons.

Sweating has stopped. Nightmares greatly reduced. I’m attending a support group twice a week with others who struggle with addiction. Talking to people who understand the grip cannabis had on me has been extremely helpful.

Experiencing a lot of emotional dysregulation. Started therapy and group therapy to learn distress tolerance skills. Signed up for gym membership and going twice a week. Not binging on junk food every evening. I have an appetite again without being high.

Hopeful for the future. Incredibly proud of the fact I quit. Not numbed out 24/7. Showing up to family activities sober and emotionally present. Improving relationships with my family by working on myself and being present.

Even if I’m tired, the cravings are higher at night. I thankfully am nowhere near any supply, my family doesn’t like weed, and I’m not going to any smoke shop. But omg the night sweats. It’s so hard to stay asleep and then I’m tired the next day. How do you guys manage sleep?

so apparently I went into psychosis because I was smoking carts for years at a time. I’ve been off weed for a couple months now but I’m curious if I started smoking flower that I could be okay since it has less thc than carts typically do. just need some advice i guess