Saturday, May 30, 2009
Why do People Want to Quit Cannabis if it is so Harmless?
While obviously not all pot smokers are so hardcore in support of the drug, the culture that it breeds is always saying how weed is harmless and should be available just like alcohol as that is actually more dangerous. So a reasonable answer to this is that these people who want to quit want to do so because they feel that it is bad for them and need to know how to quit smoking pot even if they do not believe the drug is a terrible thing.
Even though they perhaps do not realize it yet and may have some blame toward marijuana itself, the realization that the habit of smoking weed has created a negative thing in their lives is indicative of a psychological addiction. Just like any other behavioral addiction like gambling for instance this is an addiction of habit, and addiction of a high, and addiction of something that makes them feel good even if it causes harm in many other ways.
So lay down your arms on the legalization issue of pot, those that want to know how to quit smoking weed have a genuine problem that they need help with that is only partly to do with the actual drug. In fact if people were more understanding about psychological addictions then maybe more people addicted to marijuana would feel better about coming forward and trying to quit if they know it is hurting thier lives.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Quitting Pot - The Nasty 4 Letter Word That Is Stopping You
That’s right … it is FEAR (what did you think I was talking about?)
We all like to think we can do what we want but there are obstacles in our way that stop us when the reality is that fear plays a much larger part in it that we will care to admit and if you have a been a long time smoker of marijuana it only intensifies because the alternative seems to much further away.
Most fear is quite subconscious however and usually shows its influences in the form of procrastination “I will quit: next week … after my birthday … when I finish this last bag of weed” etc or more overtly as an imagined obstacle “I can’t quit yet I will: lose my friends … suffer terrible withdrawals … lose my creativity.” etc. In the end though we realize what must be done it just seems to hard right?
This is not isolated to quitting marijuana addiction though or even any other addiction but can be applied to so many things in life whenever we need to embark on something new, a change of lifestyle or a new project or anything that we can not control the outcome.
The key is to not let it stop you from doing the things you know you have to do!
Here are a few main ways fear infects you and stops you quitting the bad habits that are holding you back and remember that courage is facing fear and doing what needs to be done despite of it, it is not the absence of fear itself!
Fear of Failure
Innumerable psychological studies have shown that the fear of failure is the main obstacle to personal success. This is linked closely to self-esteem in that we so closely link any task to our own self worth and so rather than risk possible humiliation we never even try … and if we do try and we do fail it negatively reinforces it all over again.
So how do we get over this fear of failure and all the negative self worth baggage that comes along with it?
- Admit to yourself that you are afraid of failure to quit smoking pot.
- Understand that if you stumble and fail, give in for just one smoke etc that it is not the end .. just something to learn from.
- Relish the learning experience, and reject the illusion of humiliation, this can seem hard but once it becomes an ingrained habit it is a tool you can use for everything in life.
Fear of Success
Why the heck should anyone fear success?? If you want to quit smoking marijuana then why would we be afraid of being able to do it? This can be a tricky concept and is one of the hardest to puzzle out but basically it is because we are afraid of change and the new challenges that come with change that drive this, instead of thinking about positives we subconsciously associate success with all the problems that might come with it rather than the positives it will bring.
Success can also inject a few things into life that seem scary and can be overwhelming: Will your friends be hateful of your choice? Will you no longer be able to feel a high? How will you combat stress now? Any of these feel familiar?
Here are some tips to fight back against this type of fear:
- Change comes no matter what happens, quit or keep smoking change will come so why not quit and face the change with a clear head and a fuller wallet?
- Babe Ruth held the home run record and the strikeout record simultaneously. Keep swinging for the fences.
- The positives that you get from quitting pot are not just the fact you will not be smoking and all that comes with that but it is the drive and determination and life lessons you will gain from the journey too.
Fear of Social Rejection
This can be a part of a fear of success but seems to have a special place for many people looking to quit smoking weed. Often your entire circle of friends may be smokers and the fear of them rejecting your choices can lead to you feeling like they are rejecting you as a person not just your life decision.
So, how do we avoid our fear of social rejection? Some do not do anything and do not even try but this is going to leave you unfulfilled and scared to do anything for yourself, so instead these tips may help you get over this fear.
- Remember, you’ll never please everyone. Some people may be supportive and some will never be … who do you want to be your friends anyway?
- Your life choices are your own, not theirs and it does not reflect on their choices either, if you let them know that and do not judge them then they have no right to judge you.
Fear of Risk
Like a fear of success this is a fear of the unknown, it is however more focused on being ’safe’. No one ever got anywhere in life by not taking some risks and the same is true of stopping marijuana use because safety is about the status quo and not moving out of your comfort zone where everything seems controllable compared to the alternative.
Our brains actually are geared this way too which makes it doubly hard to beat this fear as we are hard wired to embrace consistency and familiarity. However better things are only there for those who seek the unfamiliar. Try to remember these things in your goals.
- What is the worst that could happen? Will quitting pot really be that hard or difficult?
- Risk-taking breeds self-confidence. Each step you take, each day you abstain from smoking will give you the energy to take the next step, face the next day until you conquer the fear completely
- Do not over think it! Just do it!
If these tips are helpful to you click here to sign up for the quit marijuana newsletter and check out the downloadable resources available from the Marijuana Addiction Treatment page
Monday, February 16, 2009
How To Quit Smoking Marijuana - Help To Quit Marijuana Forever!
Thankfully there are a few key facts about marijuana addiction that can help you quit marijuana forever. The first thing you must know is that marijuana is not a chemically addictive drug like cigarettes or cocaine which contain certain chemicals that give the user withdrawal symptoms that have physical side effects that only the drug itself seem to be able to cure. Marijuana has none of these properties which means that addiction to pot is a physiological addiction.
Psychological addiction is similar to gambling addiction or alcohol addiction in that the user seeks the high of this activity because they desperately want it for reasons to do with their state of mind not what their body craves. While a problem gambler may keep gambling for the elation of winning and the chance to gain back his losses a marijuana addict must have a core set of issues that bring tem back to the drug time and time again. For some it is simple as being a relaxant they rely on to help them calm down, others are drawn back because all of their friends also smoke and they do it to be social, others still may have mental problems that cut deep and the high of marijuana smoking is the only thing they feel can help them escape their constant torment.
In any case however the solution is similar, find these core issues you have before you try to give up on marijuana! If you do not have a firm grasp on the issues that keep you coming back to the drug you will never be able to quit smoking pot and keep sliding back into using it again and again.
So before you even start trying to quit smoking marijuana take this advice and look at the root causes of your addiction which may not be the same as why you started smoking either. I hope this can help you to quit marijuana and live the life you want to lead!
Did you find this article helpful?
Are you sick of wasting your life in a cloud or marijuana smoke?
Do you want to kick your pot addiction successfully?
If so click the link below to find out the best way to leave pot addiction behind!
http://www.kick-addiction.com/Quit-Marijuana.html
Sunday, February 8, 2009
How to Quit Smoking Weed - You Can Quit Smoking Pot Forever
Marijuana while only a “soft drug” compared to the likes of cocaine, heroin and others can still be a very addictive and destructive drug. Many people who long to quit smoking pot find their lives revolve around marijuana and it becomes a habit that fills any gap in their lives. It can become such an integral part of their lives that they feel like they are living in a haze most of the time and are missing out on some very important parts of life. The first thing to know when learning how to quit smoking weed is that the drug is not chemically addictive!
Pot is not an addictive drug like heroin or cigarettes as there is no physical craving that occurs when you do not take the drugs. Pot does not affect the receptors in your brain like these drugs and the effects are also not as vivid as the hard drugs making it less of an issue to many people to start smoking. The primary addiction to weed is a psychological addiction, the memory of the highs you once felt smoking pot always come back and make you want to try to reach that feeling again even if it takes you more and more pot to do this as you become more resistant to its effects. The smoking goes from a pleasurable action to a habit with little real benefit just a perceived one. To compound this many pot smokers have friends who also smoke and it becomes a social thing making it more ingrained.
So this being said it is possible to quit smoking weed without suffering cravings or relapses and you are not fighting with a chemical need but a psychological need which can be overcome with willpower. While this may sound easy it can of course be a lot harder in practice as the habit can run very deep especially for those who have smoked for years. Quitting can be accompanied by anxiety and depression as you learn to live life without the constant smoking which can seem soothing and comforting but only because it was a part of your routine. The trick for some people is to find something to replace this addiction, obviously not another addiction but something creative and fulfilling. Something that makes you happy without an extreme high you may try to latch onto as an alternative.
So how to quit smoking weed in a nutshell? You must realize you do not crave weed but just want it! Once you learn to adapt to a life without marijuana you will find you can quit smoking pot forever!
Did you find this article helpful?
Are you sick of wasting your life in a cloud or marijuana smoke?
Do you want to kick your pot addiction successfully?
If so click here to find out the best way to leave pot addiction behind!
http://www.kick-addiction.com/Quit-Marijuana.html