Key points
People who insist cannabis cannot be addictive ignore the science and deny the reality of others’ experience.
Cannabis withdraw can be subtle and everyone experiences it differently.
The most common withdrawal symptoms are restlessness, irritability, boredom/depressed mood, and insomnia.
A reader of this blog recently asked me for help abstaining from his frequent cannabis use. I responded with the advice later summarized in my post " Practical Advice on How To Quit Cannabis ." In exchange, I asked for a weekly report on his experience. What follows is quoted with permission from his emails and weekly diary: Prologue
I would like to stop using for at least a couple months to see how my life would benefit, but I have a hard time stopping use entirely. I keep slipping back into my old habit. To overcome this obstacle, I feel like I need a little guidance, a timetable that is doable, as well as some outside accountability. Week One of Abstinence
It’s now 7 days that I’ve not used and I’m not feeling like myself right now. My mind feels raw, exposed, and very vulnerable. I’ve been more emotional and even small tasks or problems were overwhelming. As soon as I had to think about complex problems, my mind spun out of control, and it’s been really hard to get it back under control. Needless to say, it’s impacted my work, and thinking is so hard right now I’m extremely slow and unsure about what I do. The same goes for social interactions with people with whom I have no established relationship of trust. Sleeping is as you predicted (i.e., insomnia ). I really hope I’ve hit rock bottom… cause keeping up appearances is tough and sometimes impossible.
Interestingly enough, no urge to use at all. Week Two
The second week of abstinence, I experienced pretty much the same symptoms, but to a lesser degree. The feeling of being unable to control my emotions and thoughts still persisted and I felt overwhelmed by simple tasks and even by (emotionally) mildly challenging situations, but it didn’t feel […]
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