3+ year quitter picked up a cannabis addiction

[notch9]

Hi Everyone,

I am new here and can hardly navigate this site, so I hope I will be able to find this thread again later on to see if there are replies and engage with other people.

I feel like I have gone from one very bad addiction, nicotine, to another much less bad one, but still an addiction. I smoked cigarettes for decades and finally became nicotine free in 2015 and haven't touched a cig since then. Hooray. 

But I did pick up a cannabis addiction. Although it is not very much, less than one joint a day, I am continuously taking in small amounts to run an almost constant buzz.

Quitting nicotine was one of the hardest things I ever did and I'm proud of that accomplishment. I feel ashamed that now I have this other addiction to deal with.

[notch9]

I can add that I also have an internet addiction.

[notch9]

I've also noticed that I go for a toke of weed when I am getting anxiety. I don't take benzos or any pills for anxiety but have a diagnosis. My anxiety also shot way up when I quit cigarettes but eventually normalized.

my sleep is also better than when i was smoking cigs.

I've also done lots of google searches. That is how I found this place. 

[crazymama_Lori]

you might try CBD oil for your anxiety instead of smoking a joint.  You get the calming effects without the high from the THC

[Barbscloud]

You only need to do what's right for you!

[Giulia]

Just added you to our /blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016?sr=search&searchId=f3801851-ba18-46fc-9...‌  I smoked marijuana every night before bed until one day at my Chiropractor's office he asked:  "Don't you have a hangover from it every day."  I thought about it and said, "I don't know.  I've smoked for so long I can't answer that."   That night I didn't smoke as a experiment to see how I felt the next day.  I woke up the next morning - felt no different, but thought "What the heck do I need this for?!"  That was the last time I used weed on a regular basis.  (35 or so years ago).  Now I don't have any but will partake if someone offers me a hit if I'm in the mood.  Why am I relating this?  Have you tried just not smoking weed for a whole day?  Give it a try.  See how you feel the next day. 

On a secondary note - "There is no comparison to the damage done by smoking a pack a day of cigarettes."  

Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs longer.  Think about it.

[notch9]

Hi Giulia, thanks for adding me to the list. If I could go a whole day without cannabis I would be well on my way to a quit. I think about the fact that I was smoking 20 cigarettes a day whereas I am smoking less than one joint a day. There is no comparison.

[Giulia]

Keep working at it.  You'll get there.  Oh, and if you need help with navigating the site, just give a holler.  Took us a while to figure it out ourselves.

[notch9]

OK, I will do that. Just figured out there is a way to send direct messages. I don't understand what the difference is between blogs and other posts. Also when I try to look at what i am following I don't find the groups I have joined. Is there anyway to hide a thread you don't want to see anymore?

[Giulia]

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/docs/DOC-1081-different-content-types-on-ex-and-when-to-use-each-...  You can find a lot of answers by going to Community Help and by typing a word or phrase in the search box (magnifying glass, upper right.)  If you hover over your avatar, one of options says "Your Places."  That should list the groups you've joined.

You can also go to your page and click on Groups and then select My Groups.

As far as hiding a thread you don't want to see anymore, from your inbox you can select "Hide new activity" (right side)  

Hope this helps.

[Beck37]

I for one have an addictive personality and have quit things one by one as ready. I however until recently never experienced anxiety and it’s only occasional. I can’t even imagine living with it on a daily non-stop basis. If given a choice to be on meds or smoke a joint I would take the joint. I think with anything moderation is the key.  The alcohol industry is huge, advertised all over and widely accepted by most. It’s only purpose is a buzz so can’t really knock the buzz from pot...... After all a buzz is a buzz. 

You better than anyone knows if you have a problem as you can’t hide from yourself.  Have you talked to any kind of therapist to try to figure out some sort of game plan?

Beck