I feel duller days after quitting from chronic marijuana use

Read The Drug Repair That Works by Jost Sauer. It's awesome and has and is helping me to feel normal again after drugs.

This is a looong post but may be interesting for those who can relate.

@ crooked (36098)
Thanks for the good comment. You seem to know weed quite well.

@ yupyupuhuh (36090)
You probably haven't done it heavily enough. I'm surprised that I didn't become a burnout over and over. I came pretty close to going crazy on a few nights. I don't have a predisposition to psychosis, but when you're being pushed around by forces, your bed is shaking, you feel like you're in a living slaughterhouse that's trying to eat you, then a horror-movie-esque hospital, hearing drilling sounds and screaming, you know that you've gone overboard. I wasn't even that high at the time, it was after day full of smoking. Go easy on the Jack Herer and super haze... no more than 20 bowls in one day... but usually it was 5 times a day, half to two or even three bowls each time (tolerance, strain).
By the way, the supplement 5-htp is useful for restoring serotonin, which helps with depression, sleeping, and mental clarity. It works to a decent extent. Pot smokers should try it

Residual effects (lasting from 5 days to now, probably more than a month):

Food looks bad, my appetite is fucked. If I eat, my stomach hurts (gone).
My eyes look slightly zombified, like I was just being choked (gone)
My eyes look worse (circles under eyes, puffy lower eyelid, eyes pushed in, redder eyes, glazed eyes, not too severe)
Very vivid dreams, especially nightmares about psychosis, but also very nice, almost psychedelic dreams. At first I remembered them, now I'm starting to forget them all the time, they're just so weird.
A period of the day when I feel tense, like there's a chance that I might snap, usually when I'm starting to get tired but not enough to sleep.
Creepy doors (hospital-like)
Flickering vision, especially around lights, but even with eyes closed (sometimes)
Sparks and staying after-images in vision (almost gone)
Depression to the point of constantly imploding and walls closing in, feeling suicidal (essentially gone, thanks time and 5-htp)
Everything is annoying and irritating, I can't help but pay attention to the more annoying parts of things (getting better)
Eyes move more choppily, vision is less smooth
Slightly exaggerated vision (subtle fish-eye-lens/cartoony effect)
Fuzzy racing noise around edges
Vision is more 3D, more depth in the environment
Overall decrease in cognitive abilities
Slight blurriness in vision, especially when trying to look at tiny details that I used to be able to (getting better).
There are more effects, but this post is getting really long. I'll stop here. Thanks for reading.

What you're feeling is completely normal and will work itself out in a few weeks to a couple months depending on various factors (i.e. quality and quantity of bud, individual biological factors). I've been a heavy pot smoker since I was 14--on and off--sometimes more on than others (i.e. currently).

You'll also experience little to no appetite, vivid dreams and nightmares, irrational/depressed moods, insomnia, sluggishness, mental off-ness such as you've described, etc.

It's important to exercise, eat right and take your vitamins while your body is detoxing. Doing so will help make the symptoms more manageable.

Good luck and hope you feel better!

Continue...

The nightmares are thought to be caused by a shortage of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep pattern and has some other properties. When we smoke a joint, our melatonin levels rise to ridiculous and unnatural heights, that's why we sleep so well (at least we think, quality of sleep isn't that great when stoned, REM sleep is shorter). So when we quit, our brain/body is not used to producing enough of its own melatonin, resulting in insomnia, light sleep with really weird vivid dreams, sleep paralysis etc. This will stop, it just needs time, depending on how long you've been at it, and how much you've been taking. Try to look at it as if it's a positive thing, even when it's creepy as hell, it's just an experience.

DONT take melatonin supplements, they will make your dreams a lot weirder and not help you recover your own production.

- When people stop smoking weed, some will experience anxiety, this is kind of common for people in the western world between 20 and 30 anyway, and marijuana abuse can def pull you deeper into anxiety, trigger it or push it away, and let it grow in the background until you quit or snap. Long time smokers can reach a point where they suddenly experience an extreme panic attack that can trigger a chronic but curable disorder called GAD (general anxiety disorder).

GAD/anxiety manifests itself in many different forms with many physicals and mental manifestations. Most common are: general feeling of discomfort, sweaty hands, chest pain, fear of going crazy, de-realisation (feeling like not really being there), muscle pain, blurry vision, insomnia, mild depression, fatigue, neurosis (OCD) is also possible.

- Here is the good news: Anxiety disorder is a behavioural problem!!! Because it's a side effect of quitting and most will experience it for the first time and got no idea how to deal with it, they will end up clinging to it, and keeping it alive themselves. Basically you're in fear of fear, the fear causes psychological and physical manifestations which will cause more fear etc...

Most sufferers of anxiety have moments where they forgot about it, and that was the best indicator for researchers to pick up the idea of it being behavioural about two decades ago. If your brain is sick, then why is it suddenly doing fine if you're with a few friends having a laugh or when you're caught up in a game of whatever?

Exactly...

Anyway, it's been researched a ton, and the success rates of cognitive (behavioural) therapy are very significant and higher than medication, and a LOT higher if you consider risk of relapsing.

Here are the things you need to do when you want to quit or when you're still struggling with withdrawal, even if it's been months, these things will help both with your withdrawal and with anxiety related issues, don't expect a miracle cure, it's hard work, but i'm sure it will work for almost everyone itt:

- EXERCISE, mostly endurance, until you can't feel your legs and your heart is at top rate, every day, preferably two hours before you go to bed. Exercise is known to make the body more resilient to stress and it stimulates a bunch of hormones that will make us feel good, hungry and sleep better.

- MEDITATE, while this in itself is already a great thing to do, meditating will make your brain more flexible and in control. You'll practice a technique that helps you cope with stress and anxiety. Try mindfulness, i'm sure you can find some audio books on torrent sites if you're too poor to buy it.

- EAT WELL, avoid sugars and too many fats, you can't eat too much in the beginning anyway, so be sure that what you eat is healthy! It will simply help you recover faster and feel better.

- I think this one is really big and falls back on the "most sufferers of anxiety have moments where they forgot about it" thing I said earlier: make a list of things you want to achieve in life (realistic goals) and then use that list to make a planning for the next day each and every day. Make sure you're not being to hard on yourself, but try to not give yourself any time to feel sorry for yourself. This will help you rewire your brain and get rid of the nasty anxiety related habits.

- Don't talk about your "condition" any more, you've probably already shared it with others (like on a forum). Reminding yourself and your surroundings is not only not constructive, it keeps you aware of what is actually not really wrong with you. It's also annoying for people around you.

- Avoid the friends that smoke weed for a few weeks. If they call you a pussy or weak because you want to quit, they're not really friends or they're trying to be an ironically "tough guy" at an inappropriate moment, make them aware of that and ask if they can respect your stand on it.

- Don't go cold turkey if you don't have to, while it's true for a lot of drugs that dosage is not that important for addiction, with marijuana it is, because it mostly uses the body's own chemicals. By slowly decreasing your intake day by day in a week time(keeping a dosage log is a good idea) your brain will not be smacked in the face by a sudden drop in certain chemicals/neurotransmitters etc.

- Don't use medication like xanax or antidepressants unless it is still unbearable after a few months or you have suicidal thoughts (really go see your GP now if you have them, then let him help you find a good therapist, and don't go home with only a box of pills, it's not a long term solution)

GOOD, I hope this is helpful to people (it certainly is to me and i'll be using this as a guideline for the next couple of weeks). This is not a miracle cure, but I know from science and my own experience that this is the way to go at it. If you've been smoking for a while you probably turned a bit lazy, and I realize it looks like a lot of work, but it will be worth it.

Good luck.

I got no idea how old this thread is so sorry for bumping something really old if it is. I searched on google because i'm about to move from Amsterdam to Malta, where the laws are very strict (and kind of twisted).. Sooo, i'm going cold turkey and after reading some stories of people that got caught, will for the live of me obey their laws, if someone even comes close to me with any sort of psycho active substance i'll tell them to stay the fk away from me.

Reading trough this thread made me a bit concerned, because there seem to be some gross misunderstandings itt. As an experienced smoker, reader of scientific literature on the subject, psychology master student, someone that overcame anxiety and few times quitter i'd like to clear a few things up, this will be pretty long so bear with me if you're serious about getting better, you need to know how it works in order to tackle your problem:

- Smoking marijuana does not CAUSE anything directly, there has never been any scientific evidence for it damaging the brain (except for some biased research from the 70s that some conservatives still like to lean on, but it has been researched many times and much better after this). The risk factors you often hear about are for people with underlying problems and even a puff can work like a trigger, but not as a cause. Don't confuse damage with alternation either, it def alters your brain chemistry on a quite a few levels, in good and bad ways, but so does eating a lot of sugar every day.

People that think they got dumber because of smoking weed either got more realistic about themselves (lol, sorry, jk) or are dealing with other problems that cloud the mind or they are overly focussed on it because of something they read about. (this is all anxiety, more on that later)

- The withdrawal effects of weed can be quite severe for some people, esp for those used to taking it as a sleeping aid daily. However, I know people that smoke every day for a year and then quit without any problems. But that's not us, so lets get to the case...

The reason we experience withdrawal is mostly caused by the brain being adapted to the input of THC and a bunch of other less well understood psychoactive compounds of weed on a daily basis. The "marijuana is only mentally addictive" thing you'll hear often, is simply not true. Mentally addictive implies that it's just a "feeling like doing it". But with the brain being an organ, and it getting unstable after we quit, means we're dealing with an actually unstable organ = physical. Most of the symptoms are already mentioned itt, so i'll leave those out.

Hi yupyupuhuh! Actually, at least for some of us, we do have physical withdrawal symptoms. I don't know if you've been using pot for 30+ years like I have. Maybe the longer you do it worse the physical withdrawal? You should might look at my previous comment to see that at least for me and a few friends it always leads to "cotton brain" and a "short temper/fuse" for the first few weeks. I didn't mention in my first post that I typically feel, "Fluish" the first 2-3 weeks, It's fairly miserable with achy bones, headache, mouth sores and a nasty temperament. Don't much like it and hate to contradict a fellow user, but this is the way it is for me. If you can recommend any supplements or other help for the transition, I'm all ears...

Interesting comments on this thread. I'm kind of an old guy here at 51. I've been using pot off and on (mostly on) for the past 30 years. My first romantic interest at 21 got me to try it and there was no looking back. Yeah, I was always a shy late starter and growing up in an ultra-religious family I never got the chance to be serious with anybody or have sex or try drugs until I was on my own at 21.

Anyhow, as I made my way thru life I found that pot always worked mostly pretty well for me whether it made me less shy and inhibited or made me concentrate more on the task at hand. Not long after I first started it became apparent I wanted to continue but didn't want to draw super heated smoke into my lungs multiple times a day (though since then I've read 4-5 studies showing smoking protects against lung cancer). I learned how to grow it from Dutch hybrid seeds and then grind it up into the consistency of flour and make "edibles," which were much stronger and lasted much longer than smoking it. Eating it made me feel physically a lot better and more energetic and obviously didn't make my chest hurt.

While eating it once or twice a day I managed to learn how to become a software engineer, without getting a degree at university (ugh) and work my way up to a VP as a software developer at a major bank (I know, that borders on being a traitor these days!) I did quit cold turkey occasionally when I became frustrated with upper management and thought I'd look for another job. The experience of quitting was usually difficult and I'd experience what you and lots of other people describe here. The biggest problem was always the feeling like my head was stuffed with cotton and had a metal band wrapped tightly around the wad of cotton. I'd be quite grouchy, pissy, annoyed by the tiniest thing, have trouble sleeping and when I did sleep I'd have very vivid, technicolor dreams and generally a horrible person to be around as well as being unable to think of simple words or sometimes even remember how to code (computers). I never really felt like I had to have pot at that point, just that I was very in-between feeling high and feeling sober. Eventually I discovered that the amino acid metabolite SAMe would reduce my problems by probably 80% - much more than 5-HTP, for me anyway.

Taking SAMe it usually takes me about 2 months to feel completely sober. Seems like a long time I guess but it took much longer, say 6 - 12 months without SAMe.

I've retired and continue to use my "edibles." I really like my life the way it is and really see no reason to become sober at this point. I don't know that I'd recommend anybody else follow my path but I sure am glad I did!

Best wishes to everybody here and may your path bring you a lifetime of happiness. Namaste!

malfoy thanks an assload. i hope this forum aint closed as i have just now discovered the awesomeness of all you awesome bastards' insights. But this is my plight. I am 18 and have been smoking mary since the 9th grade. I have a good iq and a slightly artistic temperament(which may or may not be attributed to heavy pot/shroom use). Any ways, the first I smoked was by myself in the woods because i wanted to try it and it is demonized in the deep south by friends and parents. I got baked. Ever since then I've used it as rather and enhancer than an escape. If I listen to modest mouse, the shins, mason jennings, jefferson airplane, etc. it makes it better. sex is better. everything. except my dignity, maintanence of personal, business,, family relationships, distinction between reality and falsity. And for that I have decided to quit. I used to have the best times with sober friends sober hilling. Where did the good times go? Well they left along with my innocence and comfortability. Ever since I started smoking weed I have felt detached from the normal affluent, intelligent, good looking friends and girls I hung out with. Couldn't hold conversations, couldn't go on dates without a crutch. Ever since I started smoking weed I've felt like this is not enough or that is not enough. I've always wanted more. "More" that is unreasonable and unatainable. I have fucked up many friendships from being this monster weed pussy and its time for a change. Everyone has a chance. The'yre just too high to see it. And I'm not high now. Anyone want to join me?

Thanks becks1983, I'll look into it. I want to feel normal too...

Those of you who want to ask me questions or comment on anything, read my profile, an email account has been created specifically for this reason (marijuana problems).

I smoked for a couple months once or twice a day when I was 16 I stopped because I started to not feel like myself anymore, a few days after I quit I started to feel EXACTLY like you did; not being able to speak right, not being aware of my surroundings, and having a severe decrease in not being able to pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds. I felt lost and started to question who I really was, I don't know if this was also combined with that "who am I" thing that teens go through but it definitaly sucked. I think I was about 5% of who I used to be right after I stopped. Since then its been about 2 and a half years and I think i'm up to 85% of who I used to be. I don't think I ever be 100%. I was so lost then(and a little now). Weed was the worst choice of my life.Period.

Malfoy's hey do u have an email cuz im going though this shit right now and i need to ask for some help like how you got thought this??

I hada similar feeling, but it went away after roughly a month. A single drug experience of any kind can cause severe damage if you're unlucky or if the dose is very high. You can go to a health store and get 5-htp to help restore serotonin. You may feel weird for a few months, but this doesn't mean it'll be this way forever. You'll most likely recover almost fully (or fully), and if you don't you'll get used to being slow. But I wouldn't worry about it. Whether or not it damaged you in a significant way is the past now.

ya, that's cool.
the framework! i've gotten that too. doesn't it feel like you've witnessed some grand, cosmic underpinning? i had a panic-attack or something like that (which is why i stopped smoking) several days after toking. only it was strange because it wasn't a classic panic attack (no choking feelings; heartbeat was just a little abnormal). i felt like i was going mad. everything went suddenly backward; i had been exposed to the underpinning of reality.

god forbid i ever experience something like that again.. but phenomenologically, it was interesting. ultimately, i am much too philosophical to smoke pot. i used to think pot would compliment my contemplative, creative nature, but it only made it worse lol. i am better without it!

Also, heart pain... at my age!
Seems to be from a combination of sitting around all day, eating lots of crap (then very little), and smoking pot till my heart exploded (my heart didn't get that much faster after the first 2 months). Damn my cousin for introducing me. He was a sly devil. This is also kind of gone now, but it felt like I was living in a dream and my senses seemed like synthetic addons (i.e. vision is a tv in front of me, sound is speakers, touch is motion tracking/ pain sensing suit, etc.)
Why do so many people in my jewish family seem to be corrupt, sly pot smokers?!
Thanks for the replies, everyone

Dude, you're my idol... Ive been thinking about trying out some kinda drug for the past few days just because my life seems so boring, but because of what you just wrote, i dont think i ever wanna feel that way. ive always ben kinda smart (not bragging) and idk if i wanna give it up just for a little 'happy high time.' Stay sober man! You're fuckin awesome!

This is normal, I smoked pot off and on for many years, but regularly (like every day) for about two years. I quit smoking regularly two years ago and just within the past six months or so am I starting to feel like I'm getting my old quick wit back. It takes time, but stick with it.

Oh by the way, there is nothing to recover from when stopping smoking (physically), mentally there will probably be a craving for it.

You are showing signs of depression, smoking does not help with that nor do any mood altering drugs. Get psychiatric help for your depression, and do let them know of any mood altering drugs you have been taking, regardless of legality.

I have been smoking cannabis since I was 16, I am 23 now. I usually grab an ounce at a time which usually lasts 2 weeks. I feel that my performance as a person and as an employee of a large IT company (contracted to the government) have not been at all adversely affected by my smoking.

In fact, I love computer science, everything about it, which is where I get my drive from. I live to learn. I treat cannabis like alcohol, you don't do it at work *duh* and as a recreational drug.

I personally don't drink because I hate the way I don't have full cognitive control over myself, and the mornings just suck. Its always funny when I wake up at 7AM and my roomates sleep 'til 2PM to recover.

I attend a large computer security conference DEFCON and a lot of the attendees also smoke cannabis. Also, a lot of them that I know are contractors of the DoD; they don't get tested because any way you spin it, they are extremely bright individuals.

I think, If you are feeling dull, you really don't have a personal drive (a true passion), that you are using it to get away from something, or avoid real live, which is a symptom of depression not cannabis.

I cant wait until it is legal and the Govt can start making money from it! It will be legal in California within the next two years, it will be a success there and emulated across the country.