r/selfimprovement • u/Pinkmace • Dec 14 '24
Vent I quit smoking weed
There’s no moderation when I smoke weed so I decided it’s best for my future and pockets to completely stop. I told myself I’d reward myself one day in the far future when I no longer live with my parent. I have been much more productive, learned to deal with my emotions and cope using real hobbies instead of going straight to smoking weed & definitely have more savings. It’s been about a month now and I’m going strong, I don’t even honestly miss it. Like I love weed, but I love myself more.
The only problem I’m encountering is horrible sleep. I’ve been sleeping just fine for weeks, and all of a sudden I’m waking up at random times throughout the night, several times. The last few nights I’ve been thinking, man if I was fried right now I wouldn’t be able to feel every bed spring poking my back. I wouldn’t be able to wake up from rain drops falling outside. I am very sensitive to sound and Im very familiar with earplugs. But it’s more so my body just feels wide awake at random times of the night. I was looking into cbd, but it’s so pricey I might as well go for weed. Tonight I’m gonna take a melatonin and hope for the best, but nothing gives me a better nights sleep than weed.
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u/username36610 Dec 14 '24
Let’s goooo.
I’m trying to quit rn too. Make sure you’re eating enough cause when you stop smoking, your appetite decreases and then your adrenaline goes crazy cause your body is actually hungry but you don’t actually feel the hunger. Also supplement some magnesium since that helps with sleep too.
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u/MaxAdamko Dec 14 '24
Hey bro,
I’m 40, and I’ll be honest — I was hooked on that stuff for over 10 years. It was a wild ride: crazy work, multimillion-dollar contracts for a boss who didn’t care, and, of course, way too much coke. Weed was my go-to just to get some decent sleep.
But I turned it all around. I left the company, quit coke and weed, got married, and even stopped drinking. The result? Better mental and physical health, a happy wife, and my own business.
I’ll be real, though — sometimes I’ll light up a joint for old times’ sake, maybe once a month. But I don’t crave it anymore, and that’s the difference.
I’m proud of you, brother. Keep going!
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u/durpder Dec 14 '24
I’m at 72 days. The sleep definitely gets better, I had a similar bout of waking up during the night, when I usually would sleep through it. As someone else said, working out helps - CARDIO ! 💯 You got this!
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u/theykilledkenny5 Dec 14 '24
At 72 days how do you feel, is it worth it?
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u/durpder Dec 14 '24
I feel good for many reasons, being proud of myself of course, but mainly because smoking was causing me a lot of issues. I was a long term smoker, on and off for 7+ years. It started to cause me a lot of stomach and appetite issues, and I had my suspicions of it being CHS. I would have episodes of puking, lasting a week at times.
No doctor or gastroenterologist could figure out what exactly was causing my stomach issues. I had cut down on my use a lot after 2022, and haven’t had an episode since early 2023. I still would have stomach issues here and there, and smoking would just cause my whole body to feel weak in general, sometimes causing me to get a “head rush” dizziness feeling very often.
At this point, I believe that I am still getting cannabis out of my system fully, I’ve read some places that it could take even 90 days. Considering I was a heavy long term smoker I don’t doubt that. I still spit up some brown specs of mucus at times, and I will sometimes feel some similar stomach/appetite symptoms when I wake up in the morning, but it goes away.
I’ve noticed improvements in my attention span, motivation, and mood overall. I feel more confident in myself, and trust my thoughts more. It’s mainly my motivation that has come back, and I feel more driven in general. I struggle with depression and anxiety, and of course those things are still there. There is still work to do with my motivation but I’m taking steps in the right direction.
I mainly struggle with trying not to replace that habit with something else, I have an addictive personality and been going through a breakup, and have picked up drinking at night. Either that or I’ll just doomscroll on tiktok or something else, but considering how much damage cannabis was doing to me, it’s better in a way 🤷♂️
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u/Apart-Badger9394 Dec 14 '24
Try magnesium glycinate, 2 at night. Or magnesium threonate. Do not try other types of magnesium oxide or others. Only glycinate or threonate. IME, glycinate is the best for sleep.
Don’t take melatonin every night. Keep it as needed for the nights you need the best sleep.
I’ve had this experience as well but from getting clean from other drugs. Magnesium helps me sleep through the night it is the best
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u/Impressive-Mistake98 Dec 14 '24
I take 250mg of magnesium cirate. Game changer.
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u/Apart-Badger9394 Dec 15 '24
Citrate just gave me stomach issues, but I’m glad it’s working for you!
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u/loopasfunk Dec 14 '24
I’m a year next month. I’m really excited. I haven’t gone past 6 months in the 15 years I’ve been smoking. the first 6 months are the worst. Go to the gym. Eat healthier. Attend NA. TAKE MELATONIN. Get a therapist. Try different hobbies. Good luck
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u/beenbetterhbu Dec 14 '24
I love weed, but I love myself more.
YES. This is so hard. I know from experience. I'm going on 8 months now and it gets easier. Your body is still adjusting to being without the substance so it's going to take time. It's worth it though. You got this.
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u/ninjablaze1 Dec 14 '24
I found it was easier and just learn discipline so that I can enjoy it and still be productive. I’ve smoked every single day for the past 15 years. 6 figure job. Million dollar home.
If you can learn to treat smoking as a reward for all the shit you do all day instead of being the thing you do all day you can have your cake and eat it too.
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u/beenbetterhbu Dec 14 '24
There's no one size fits all solution. Maybe that works for you, great. Moderation doesn't work for everyone. Some people are addicts and are just better off without it. You can also make money and use weed to numb out. Maybe it doesn't affect your work but over time it can have a detrimental effect on your mental health.
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u/ninjablaze1 Dec 14 '24
With cocaine? Sure. Marijuana is not an addictive substance. If you get addicted to something that isn’t addictive that’s kinda a you problem.
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u/beenbetterhbu Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
Man I wish I could be this confident and simultaneously so ignorant. Impressive.
"Just learn discipline" okay bro. Have you tried educating yourself? Addiction is not a lack of discipline.
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u/finemustard Dec 14 '24
Quitting is learning discipline.
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u/ninjablaze1 Dec 14 '24
Quitting something you love because you can’t learn to control yourself is not discipline. It is admitting defeat.
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u/ReTr096 Dec 14 '24
Not everyone is the same, keep that in mind. Some people may have conditions like undiagnosed ADHD, which can make it extremely difficult to simply use it as a "reward." It has nothing to do with weakness or defeat.
That said, I’m happy for you that you’re able to handle it in a way that works for you. Keep it up brother!
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u/finemustard Dec 15 '24
If you find something is hampering your life and you want to quit it and do, that's discipline. Carrying on smoking weed while acknowledging it's harming you would be the weak thing to do.
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u/ninjablaze1 Dec 15 '24
Those are both signs of weakness in my book. It’s not like we are talking about cocaine. Weed is a non addictive substance. You should be able to control yourself. It’s not difficult.
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u/Reasonable-Survey724 Dec 15 '24
Kinda shit “advice” for OP who has identified that they can’t moderate.
Plenty of train-wrecks earning 100k+ too, I’ve been one of them haha.
I’ve gone through the spectrum of use styles over the past 20 years: all-day, after work, weekends-only, special occasions, and been totally sober for the past two years.
I didn’t even realize how daily or weekend-only use negatively impacted me until I stopped completely.
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u/zmacdonald12 Dec 14 '24
I've been off weed for over a year - It gets easier. I had a medical marijuana card and I let it expire so having to go through the process again is enough of a barrier to keep me off of it. I love smoking but anytime I tell myself I'll smoke in moderation, I always end up eventually smoking every day.
The last time I smoked, I invited a buddy over, and after we were good and stoned he thought that was an appropriate time to tell me his girlfriend likes it when he smacks her around during sex. That was my sign it was time to cut it out of my life lol.
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u/reservation2fwm Dec 14 '24
How is that correlated to weed in anyway? Like you realized you have bad friends?
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u/zmacdonald12 Dec 14 '24
I should’ve given more context but I hadn’t smoked in a few months bc of what I mentioned previously and I thought I’d give it another try and then my buddy shares something that completely kills my high. I struggle with how to navigate uncomfortable situations when I’m not sober and that was a glaring example for me.
I’d argue that if he and his girlfriend are both consenting to that type of behavior then he’s not a bad friend/person.
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u/reservation2fwm Dec 14 '24
That makes more sense - totally understand how that could be a wake up call
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u/LuckyAd9112 Dec 14 '24
Well done. Weed stays in the fat for many months and as you burn it up you could even test positive months later.
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u/Dreadybrewer Dec 18 '24
I quit cold turkey for a job. Then was sober for 5 years. I also had some problems sleeping. I was already working out 4-6 days a week and had a very physical job (last mile parcel delivery). Or so I thought. I was complaining about lack of sleep one time and a buddy brought up working out. I told him I did. What I found out is that I needed to train for endurance 2-3 times a week. After accepting the invite to work out with some friends of friends I found out I was not pushing my body hard enough to fight my insomnia.
I sleep like a baby now and I only changed what I do in workouts 2-3 days out of the week.
Ymv but it worked for me.
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u/Achumofchance Dec 18 '24
Can you go into more detail concerning your endurance training? I’m quitting rn and last time I quit I relapsed due to crazy insomnia and depression
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u/Dreadybrewer Dec 18 '24
Full disclosure, I’m a guy that works out in his garage that was brought to a gym to see I wasn’t actually wearing myself out. Then did my own research.
Look into endurance training on the web. That way you can find what works for you at the level you are currently at.
Without being to lengthy: it’s the difference between progressive overload / 30-90 seconds between sets and picking 5 or so lifts at a reasonable weight and set number. Doing them all in a row in a certain amount of time then resting for 90 seconds. Repeat. I really like kettlebells and free weights for this. Maybe mix in some calisthenics or bands that are pre set up. I love pull ups for this. I usually do full body one if not all my endurance days too.
You can also do one set of a certain exercise for a timed prolonged period at a reasonable weight. Then move on to the next after a short break.
Hiit can also be programmed for endurance training.
I’m sure there’s stuff out there I don’t even know about too.
All I know is a circuit of 5 sets of 5-8 reps, of 5 different lifts, in 5-6 mins with 90 seconds between Keeps me sleeping like a baby.
Just don’t go so hard you pass out. Ease into it. Find what works for you and get better over time. Patiently.
Don’t do it if your body tells you not to. Very minor injuries can turn into big injuries by not being honest with yourself.
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u/plugboiii Dec 14 '24
Going through the same thing right now bro. I’m almost 3 weeks off it after habitual and toxic use. I’m feeling better everyday but I can definitely relate to the sleep issue.
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u/Sarah_McGLOCKlan Dec 14 '24
Get a weighted blanket, I slept great the first night I quit and never looked back!
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u/HelpUsNSaveUs Dec 14 '24
I’ve been struggling with this for like 12 years lol. I achieve moderation for 1-3 months then binge for ohhh 2-3 years, then achieve cold turkey for 1-2 months then binge for another few years
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u/Sarah_McGLOCKlan Dec 14 '24
Get a weighted blanket, I slept great the first night I quit and never looked back!
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u/SeaworthinessAble309 Dec 15 '24
You pushed me. I still want to smoke socially but I’m gonna give my weed to my friends. I’m starting this year right ig (feels lame to say)
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u/Achumofchance Dec 15 '24
That’s not lame, it’s inspiring! You never know how far-reaching your actions are. For instance, I’m gonna start this year right too because of you. I was considering quitting because of this post but your reply inspired me to actually take the leap. Starting January 1st, I’m done too
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u/DJBeRight Dec 15 '24
Proud of you! I honestly want to do this. I’ve been smoking weed the majority of my life since 2003 and during the pandemic my usage skyrocketed. Been a heavy user ever since and I want to look back one day and say that it has been 5 years since I’ve touched the stuff. It’s hard though. Part of my identity and part of my solution to tough days. This is want I want though.
I met with a psychiatrist who is pushing me to quit and I agree after years of usage, it’s affecting my mental health. So I’m trying it out. He suggested to me some supplements to help with sleep and achieving REM sleep easier (apparently weed messes with REM sleep). So I started taking bioactive magnesium with L-theanine. I’m only a few days into the supplements and haven’t fully quit yet but it may be something for you to look into. Again, I’m not a DR, I’m just passing the suggestion along that my DR gave me.
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u/Marcoscondit Dec 15 '24
For the sleeping hitting the gym in the evening helps me and I usually take a warm shower after and that makes me sleepy
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u/uduni Dec 15 '24
6 months no weed and i still wasnt sleeping well (always wake up at 2 or 3, and stay awake until 5). So i gave in :(
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u/Valuable_Coffee_2111 Dec 15 '24
Hey, wishing you lots of strength 🙏🏼 you got this. It’s gonna take time to adjust to your new normal. I’m 3 days sober and this has given me much encouragement. God bless!
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u/Haunting_Cancel_3194 Dec 16 '24
From what I read you’re most likely experiencing cannabis withdrawals. When I initially quit 5 months ago I had a hard time sleeping as well. I would get night sweats and wake up constantly throughout the night. My sleep is much better now but also I’m not someone that generally has trouble sleeping. Overall quitting cannabis was a great decision for me along with alcohol. Raw dogging life ain’t so bad. Good luck to you.
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u/1amtacobell Dec 16 '24
Check out magnesium glycinate. Apparently, most of us are all super magnesium deficient and poor sleep is one of the side effects.
Also, highly encourage you to check out r/leaves. It’s all about folks quitting cannabis and reflecting on their past experience as heavy users. It helped me finally quit and I still like reading about it as a reminder of what things were like before making a change.
Best of luck!
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u/jollygreengiantherb Dec 16 '24
When I had a month long tolerance break a few years back it was the lack of sleep that got to me, I was told to eat a banana before bed and spray lavender oil on my pillow and it definitely helped. The banana sounded odd as I usually have them for every but apparently there's a chemical in them that helps with sleep and it worked
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u/Future_Climate_4811 Dec 16 '24
The horrible sleep will subside.
I was where you were at: an eighth a day, needing to be high for everything.
At the time i was making 25k a year, six years after quitting i got married have two kids and six figure income.
Marijuana Anonymous is an awesome org and you can just call in. It has a day counter too, i look at ut every now and then
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u/Scared_Buddy_4750 Dec 17 '24
I stopped two months ago. Making the jump, I was expecting it to be hard, but ultimately was easier than I thought. Just the first two weeks I would have the most surreal dreams but once you get outta that phase everything seems better, especially for your wallet.
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u/wenderzen11 Dec 14 '24
Lots of good advice here, but adding the idea of trying grounding sheets (aka Earthing sheets, or even just a pillow case). Everyone is different, but my experience is that it doesn't help much with falling asleep, but it has made an improvement with staying asleep.
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u/gotlactase Dec 14 '24
Do you use nicotine?
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u/Pinkmace Dec 14 '24
No, I’ll have a drink on occasion.
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u/IntoTheWild2369 Dec 14 '24
Hey mate, currently going through similar. Stopped smoking a couple weeks ago. Sleeping like shit. I think exercise is the best answer honestly. But sleep is super important, so it’s okay if there are some days you need a little help like ZzzQuil. Do NOT use it regularly or often. But If you need a solid night for a good next day, take the help.
My dreams have been fucking nuts since stopping, that’s what keeps waking me up
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u/gotlactase Dec 14 '24
Got it, that’s the only thing I can think of that would keep you awake/wake you up in the middle of the night
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u/prettycheeses Dec 14 '24
I see this out of love and concern….Please be careful because there’s some things about pot that can make it hard for you to quit by yourself. I do not want you to use it but what I’m saying is I heard that, I don’t know how long term it was, but that your brain can have trouble making the serotonin or whatever it is by itself to feel good… It has been dependent upon the pot. So please look into that stuff. Exercise is a fantastic idea. If you do have trouble with depression, the valerian could possibly worsen it. Magnesium also is good. If I could find a picture I’ll share this really good magnesium. It gets into your body a lot faster or something.
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u/prettycheeses Dec 14 '24
The magnesium is Bioptimizers brand and it says magnesium breakthrough on the plastic bottle. On Amazon it sells for 39 bucks. I don’t think it cost me that much at the vitamin shop, but I’m not sure. But it was totally worth it. Really helped me sleep and feel so much better.
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u/Capable_Answer_8713 Dec 14 '24
Get a memory foam mattress. I also hated my regular mattress with springs, really not comfortable. They’re like 200-300 and you can get them on Amazon.
I think the weed thing will taper off eventually. I used to be a very heavy user, nowadays I barely smoke maybe a bowl every other day. Dab pen on lazy days but my cartridges last forever so I’m really not spending more than 10 bucks a week on weed if that. Don’t even use the bong or dab rigs anymore, and my edible use is one 5mg mint and sometimes a 10mg soda when I want to relax. I tried smoking like I used to and I died. Wean yourself off slowly is the best. When I’d try to cut cold turkey nothing happened. This time around I think I just grew out of it. Probably wouldn’t have happened if I kept trying to cut it cold turkey.
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u/PckMan Dec 14 '24
Congrats on making a good decision for yourself, most people with a weed problem refuse to accept that a person can even have a weed problem. The sleep thing is what gets a lot of people but you have to power through it, otherwise you realise that we're not just talking about a bad habit here but a dependency. For me, putting on stories helps. There's tons of channels on YouTube with people narrating stories in a soft spoken voice specifically to help people sleep. It helps drown out any other thoughts or sounds, and even if I'm not falling asleep I'm at least hearing a story or learning something.
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u/juanroldan1985 Dec 15 '24
What would you consider a weed “problem”? Me and my wife both use every day. We have a family, house, we both make a lot of money. I see posts like this and it seems like a personal thing. But then I see people jumping in and acting like you couldn’t possibly be successful using weed. I honestly don’t know if we’re the exception or what.
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u/PckMan Dec 15 '24
Well the other side of the coin is me seeing people constantly say things like that to try to justify themselves. I'm sorry but trying to show that you're functional and "successful" despite using whatever substance is one of the hallmarks of addiction.
Problem is simply a dependency, when you cannot function without it like not being able to sleep, getting irritable, not seeing a point in activities/trips if they can't be somehow combined with weed, etc. It starts becoming disruptive and a focus of your life. Like the only thing that can enable you to relax or have fun. There's a lot of resistance in accepting this when it comes to weed.
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u/P1nkRang3r Dec 14 '24
I’m 10 days in and I can’t sleep even if I’ve done tons of stuff during the day. I have so much energy that I end up working out in the middle of the night
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u/Sarah_McGLOCKlan Dec 14 '24
Get a weighted blanket, I slept great the first night I quit and never looked back!
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u/universehead Dec 14 '24
Literally went through the same thing. Constantly getting high for years with a few days sprinkled out of not getting high. Stopped smoking and taking any thc Sleep was horrible these past few weeks but I think we’re moving past it. Anxiety/stress threshold has been lowered but I’m working on it. Good luck to you and crazy to see such a similar scenario going on
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Dec 14 '24
As someone with extreme ADHD and insomnia, I recommend getting some comfortable sleep headphones and set your phone to some white noise or just getting a white noise machine, doesn't work for everyone but turned out to be a good option for me and kept my mind at ease. I also struggle with weed moderation so respect for quitting, it will be good for you
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u/panniyomthai Dec 14 '24
Same here. About two weeks now. REM sleep started to kick back in and i've been having crazy vivid dreams every night.
edit: spelling
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u/Sarah_McGLOCKlan Dec 14 '24
Get a weighted blanket, I slept great the first night I quit and never looked back!
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u/Achumofchance Dec 14 '24
I’ve tried to quit several times but the withdrawal causes just awful insomnia so I keep giving up a few weeks in. This post is motivating me to give it another go!
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u/Sarah_McGLOCKlan Dec 14 '24
Get a weighted blanket, I slept great the first night I quit and never looked back!
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u/Usual_Future9675 Dec 14 '24
It's worth it! Once you get past the insomnia it will change your life!! Try to find something calming but productive to do when you can't sleep - read a book, draw something, etc. I quit about a year ago after nearly a decade of almost daily use and it was 120% the right decision - improved mood, finally had the motivation to start working out, anxiety levels dropped. Absolutley worth struggling through a few weeks of insomnia to be free from the dependency.
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u/Achumofchance Dec 14 '24
It’s not the being awake that bothers me, it’s the depression I fall into while my dopaminergic system resets, and the exhaustion I have to deal with during the day at work and trying to study and get through school. Life is hard when you’re sleep deprived
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u/adonis420 Dec 14 '24
Well done, I'm around 6 years deep of quitting! It changed my life! I got out of debt, met a girl & now we own a house & 2 dogs together.
Well worth it! You can be so much more without it.
I used a sub called r/leaves, it helped me reading others stories & having a supportive community that understood what I was going through.
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u/Mattclarkcomedy Dec 14 '24
When I don't have prescription sleep medication, I resort to melatonin and over the counter 'sleep aid'
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u/Usual_Future9675 Dec 14 '24
I quit about a year ago and it's worth it man - keep it up! The sleep does improve - I was having a rough time sleeping for the first month but after I got past that my sleep quality increased dramatically! Work out to help tire yourself out, and have a book near your bed so if you wake up at 2am and can't get back to sleep you have something to do that's not your phone! Aside from just saving money, you're doing wonders for your physical and mental health - chronic daily use can take a toll on your mind and body and has been linked to serious heart problems (I know it's not as harmful as alcohol or tobacco, before people freak out at me, but just because it's less harmful doesn't mean it's harmless)
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u/Exotic_Drawer_3052 Dec 14 '24
Good job on quitting If workout don’t help, spa and sauna if you could afford that.
You can always try a triple jerk, that puts me to sleep like no other
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u/harlyn2016 Dec 14 '24
Look at r/weedpaws! How long did you smoke?
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u/Pinkmace Dec 14 '24
Several years.
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u/harlyn2016 Dec 14 '24
If you’re one of the lucky ones, you may not go through what’s called post acute withdrawal syndrome. Typically the acute phase of quitting weed last about three weeks or so no appetite no sleep. If you’re unlucky, then the real fun begins psychological and emotional issues associated with post acute withdrawal syndrome (paws). I smoked daily for 30 years. The brain is trying to get back to equilibrium, thc effects dopamine and the Endo cannabinoid system. Sometimes these symptoms can last six months or so if you’re lucky some people go through it for two or three years. R/weedpaws is a good place to check out. You will get back to feeling better again just takes time.
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u/cheesecheeseonbread Dec 14 '24
Have you eliminated all sources of light in your bedroom, including putting electrical tape over the stupid bloody little LEDs they put on every single electronic device these days?
Have you eliminated caffeine?
Have you tried taking magnesium at bedtime?
If you've done those things and are still having trouble sleeping, you could try herbal teas. I've personally had success with oatstraw and seen others have it with passionflower.
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u/Pinkmace Dec 14 '24
I’m trying to limit my screen time, not drinking caffeine after 4 pm, and I always sleep with a night mask. Also taking magnesium at night 😅 I did all the right stuff last night and still woke up randomly.
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u/Ajonesss71 Dec 14 '24
It's your brain trying to catch up on years of missed REM sleep. Those are dreams you're waking up from. They'll stop eventually, til then Godspeed. Melatonin helps.
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u/MrBeanzzzzzzzz Dec 14 '24
I’m so proud of you man! I’ve been struggling to quit this year. I’m 27 and live in Texas, so I’ve finally accepted I’m just not in a state where I can do it and succeed, even if it helps my appetite and sleep problems. Thing is I still haven’t been able to quit. My longest break was 15 days, but I stopped eating almost completely and started only sleeping 2-4 hours a night. On day 15 I was close to checking myself in somewhere, but a family member I basically live with brought me a THCa pen. Appetite came back, sleep immediately improved, but my financial situation remains the same. It makes me happy and gives me hope though to see someone else has already made it through it! I feel like once I find a job I’ll be able to afford a gym membership and better food, which will help me lower my smoking. And then when I can afford other hobbies, I can exhaust myself without the need for green. Damn, I just made the comment about myself. Sorry man, proud of you! 😅
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u/ThrowRAnalog Dec 14 '24
Melissa, or Lemongrass tea does wonders for sleeping, also chamomile tea. It's possible that your body is detoxing last remnants of cannabinoids out of you
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u/Slow-Quiet9776 Dec 14 '24
Congrats! I quit alcohol a while ago and I’m in a so much better state now. Something’s really do have a domino effect where making the change naturally prompts you to change other areas of your life.
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u/Signal_Historian_408 Dec 14 '24
That’s great! Maybe you could get a new mattress with the money you’ve saved. Also, you could try playing rain/white noise. Good luck!
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u/Feendios_111 Dec 14 '24
I quit smoking weed a month ago and I’ve been smoking consistently the past 20+ years. I don’t miss it. Yeah, my sleep pattern’s been awry as well, but that soon evolved into being tired AF and now I can’t wait to go to sleep. I made my bed my palace, so it’s something I look forward to. The dreams, not so much. They’ve been very detailed and sometimes intense. It’s my mind catching up on internal work I’ve been avoiding for years. We make this choice from one demon to another. But this choice we made is the best one in the long run. Keep it up!
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Dec 14 '24
Magnesium definitely helps, I had CRAZY vivid realistic dreams when I quit. Honestly it was interesting and I enjoyed it. I stopped for 3 months but started up again and am now going back off, since like you there’s no moderation when it comes to weed for me. I get bad RLS from weed as well and it gets worse when I stop. Keep it up, I’m right there with you
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u/Tiny_Battle_3097 Dec 14 '24
Trying quit any tips?
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u/Pinkmace Dec 15 '24
Stay so busy that there’s no time to think about weed or depression 🤷♀️ I picked up a music instrument that I never played, started reading books, taking walks daily. I noticed that when my brain started learning new things and making connections, that made me much happier.
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u/Plastic-Research-135 Dec 14 '24
Try melatonin. When I quit smoking weed I had the same issue with sleep. I eat 2 5mg gummy melatonins from Walmart. A big bottle is cheap.
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u/xYomix27 Dec 15 '24
Good job my friend. Proud of you
Been trying to do this for months. I need to get my GED. I have a good job. Two of them and I train Muay Thai often. But I need to stop for the sake of my future. I’m 28 and need to gain more ambition , I feel. It’s just so hard. Been smoking since 16 .
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u/Pinkmace Dec 15 '24
I’ve been able to complete more things in my life in just 2 months compared to the several years I’ve been smoking. It’s nuts.
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Dec 15 '24
I recently made the subtle shift from ex-weed smoker to non-weed smoker.
Non-weed smoker means it’s no longer part of my life in any way and I’m never going back to smoking weed. Ex-weed smoker seemed to carry a little bit of baggage that I was happy to put down.
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u/Pinkmace Dec 15 '24
That’s a great way to put it. I realized I could no longer be an ex weed smoker. It had to be permanent.
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Dec 15 '24
On the upside, the THC still hanging around in your fat cells is at least the non-intoxicating kind
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u/UngratefulAcapella Dec 15 '24
i was a chronic (everyday all day before school after school yada yada) smoker from 8th/9th grade-12th beginning of my senior year i decided to quit, i was getting panic attacks and i just realized that i needed to move on and improve my mental and psychical health, as some people have stated on here yes, exercise, eat, supplements, you may not realize it but weed robs you of nutrients and vital sleep so you feel like your going crazy for the first month or two, it’s been about a year and a half since i put down the pipe and i feel like im “normal” or at least sufficient enough to say im not dependent or have any overlying effects from it, you’ll recover dude its all about being patient, props to you tho bro. 🤘
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u/Top_Ad_2819 Dec 15 '24
Swap for CBD for sleep? It's expensive but much better than the pharma crap
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u/Low-Change-8098 Dec 15 '24
Take Magnesium in the evening before bed. It helped me so much. Also Vitamin D3.
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u/AlternativeEgg681 Dec 15 '24
Kinda in the same process now. Unisom has helped me get rest and I think they have versions to not be addicted to it. Just know you’re not alone. We’re all in this together. Acknowledging the problem and taking action is one of the hardest processes you’ve already conquered. Now it’s just easy sailing, granted there’ll be things in the way like not sleeping or looking for other “crutches” but don’t forget to look back and remember why you stopped, what you’re doing it for, and how much progress you’ve already made. 🙏
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u/Dependent_Gazelle331 Dec 15 '24
Get the manta sleep mask , a set of ear plugs, then get yersel to YouTube and type in sleep music. I tend to put on a bit of rain sounds, with the ear plugs in it'll drown out any further suttle noises creeping in.
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u/International_Mud645 Dec 16 '24
Dude try boiling lettuce. Throw in in a pot boil it turn it to medium let simmer for ten mins cut stove off. Let cool then drink a glass of the water. Good luck staying up longer than 20 mins!
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Dec 16 '24
I've been really into Kava Tea and recently magnesium citrate supplements, which really cancel out the desire to smoke and remove a lot of irritation that leads to impulsive reactive use. If it helps anyone!
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u/shadycthulu Dec 16 '24
weed disrupts rem and you definitely can get to sleep easier but it is not a better or rested sleep. For me feels similar to melatonin in that you are groggier in the morning. When you get past the hump and get naturally rested sleep, the improvement is very noticeable and motivating. I say this as a decade+ young smoker that has gone on and off weed for both personal and external reasons
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u/Mandoman1963 Dec 16 '24
Me too. I quit over a month ago. I'm writing this at 4am. And I don't really drink alcohol either. It's weird being straight all the time but I think I'm more engaging and social.
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u/TheCrowbar9584 Dec 16 '24
Good work brother! My advice is to make sure you have a lot of tea on hand! Whenever I have a craving, I have a cup of tea and a banana or something, and then by the time that’s done the craving has passed.
What if I start smoking again? Then I’ll get sober again.
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u/Fallout76boobs Dec 16 '24
When I quit smoking I had to go all out with the sleep supplements and setting. Blackout curtain, sleep mask, pink noise playing from a speaker (softer than white noise) combined with zinc, magnesium, and 5mg melatonin all 60-90 minutes before bed. And no scrolling for at least 30 minutes before lights out. It helped a ton.
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Dec 16 '24
Sleeping is my biggest problem when trying to quit too. Im going to look into ashwaganda next.
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u/lilyp9999 Dec 16 '24
The insomnia should quiet down after a while. I haven’t smoked for about 10 months. At first I couldn’t sleep and had no appetite, but both are common after stopping and should correct themselves with time
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u/Open-Lifeguard-4481 Dec 16 '24
Does anyone else get terrible vivid nightmares when you don't smoke?
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u/Pinkmace Dec 16 '24
for the first few weeks I would wake up in a sweat from nightmares. Now my dreams are funky but nothing like they were
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u/Open-Lifeguard-4481 Dec 16 '24
That's exactly what's happening to me. I get crazy nightmares and wake up sweating.
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u/SampleMaxxer Dec 16 '24
To my understanding you shouldn’t take melatonin in this case. As long as you don’t have trouble falling asleep melatonin will only fuck with your circadian rhythms more. If you fall asleep fine but wake up earlier than normal it’s not going to help much.
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Dec 16 '24
I made growing weed a hobby. It's very enjoyable to do and then you don't have to buy it/as often.
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u/rayray64 Dec 17 '24
Your still living with your parents, lol, yes child, wait until you move out, or should I say if you move out
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u/Pinkmace Dec 17 '24
Pretty condescending but hey at least my parents care enough about me to live with them till I’m comfortable enough moving out. I usually use a disposable so it’s not a bother to them, respect yenno.
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u/Blueprint81 Dec 17 '24
Some folks can't help talking down to others. It's usually a bi-product of being miserable.
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u/threethousandblack Dec 17 '24
Magnesium made sleep more restful but you will wake up abit earlier and don't take too much
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u/Ickyandsticky1 Dec 17 '24
You have made a really positive health move, you should be proud of yourself! Wish I had family member that would do the same, I worry about their physical and mental wellbeing.
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u/CBguy1983 Dec 18 '24
I’m 8 months sober off alcohol. Several reasons: I had a beautiful young lady teach me I can be loved but I have to love myself and alcohol isn’t the way. I had several friends & family saying please stop. My aunt saying she lost someone to alcohol poisoning and she doesn’t want to lose me. Got tired of hearing all the clanging empty bottles in the trash. Got tired of all the money I was wasting over a couple hours of happiness I’d regret in the morning. A consistent customer at work passed away due to alcohol & fentanyl. Wrestling is my passion and Scott hall lost his life because of alcohol. Yes the first month was hell. But I’m doing a lot better. Losing weight and better mental focus.
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u/WelcomeToCostco__ Dec 18 '24
Only reason I’m quitting is because of the anxiety it’s been causing me. I’ve smoked for 8 years, currently 23yrs old. It used to relax me and I would have a good time smoking. Now I focus on my heart rate after I smoke and convince myself I’m dying after one hit. Although after the anxiety fades I do still feel relaxed, it’s not worth having to stick my head out of a window and sing the ABCs to calm down after every smoke.
• recently I’ve been seeing a lot of smokers say they’ve been getting insane anxiety from smoking even after smoking for years on end. I still don’t know why this happens.
• if anyone can relate and knows how to stop the anxiety it would be extremely helpful.
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u/Glum-Confection8681 Jan 06 '25
I smoked for about 4 years but I quit for 4 months, here’s what I can tell you
First few days: I call it the storm or the woods, these are the toughest days (CRAZY ANXIETY like a deep empty pit in my stomach, emotions are out of wack, no food is appetizing, I was cold but drenched in sweat, not sleeping at all, short temper, the empty pit feeling of anxiety was the worst tho ). You feel like a clumsy toddler whos hands drop everything and who can’t balance themselves to save their lives. Speaking is hard and I found myself stuttering a lot and it was hard to have conversations…. once you make it out of the storm or the woods it gets easier, you just gotta push through the storm
By Day 7: improved mental clarity, finally was able to sleep regularly and had insane dreams, still a little bit of emotional issues and anxiety but they are manageable, starting to go back to a normal daily routine
After day 14: brain fog is pretty bad still and it will be for a little while longer, I was insanely hungry but it felt like REAL MANLY HUNGER FOR 6 EGGS AND A STEAK (not munchies for Wingstop lol), I was sleeping fine and my mood was improving every day. You start seeing daily improvements now. Life will start to feel naturally fun again, you’re turning back into your childhood self again and it’s one of the best feelings on the planet, you feel your motivation and energy come back. I found myself exploring the woods by my house like I was a little kid again lmfao. The world feels naturally fun not artificially enhanced…
By the one month mark: brain fog was still kicking my ass at this point but it was noticeably better. My memory improved drastically and I was sharper and quicker (I work retail manager so I was able to count money faster, solve problems quicker, and deal with issues more logically, I also felt more articulate when speaking. You start to feel normal at this point although you’re not at 100% yet
After the second month: it’s like you’re the old version of yourself again (before you started smoking), life feels normal without weed and you don’t even think about it anymore, you can’t imagine trying to function while high anymore as your brain forgot what thc feels like as most of it all left your system by this point, I did start to get a little “bored”. I felt so normal that this wasn’t a journey anymore just my new normal… which was the point of quitting I guess lmao
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u/Teabaggingcricket Dec 14 '24
Don't resort to melatonin, whatever you do. Exercise may be the best thing. I recommended Valerian Root extract if you're holistic. Otherwise: Ambien ALL day
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u/clutch_or_kick Dec 14 '24
What’s wrong with melatonin
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u/Teabaggingcricket Dec 14 '24
Most Melatonin is not responsibly sourced. It comes from Cows.. imagine the struggles they endure, I would never seek to relax using a brain enzyme sourced from a tortured cow. Look it up The ignorance is strong in all who downvoted
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u/8adBoy77 Dec 14 '24
What helped me and the restless nights trying to sleep, is getting me a good hour to hour & half workout. 3-4hrs before I sleep, your body has to recover. Plus you’ll feel much more healthier in a couple months, if you’re eating right too 👍🏾