Getting Over Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana is not as tough as other drugs…this how others believed it, that’s why they resulted in marijuana addiction. This is a misperception that needs to be corrected…if it’s not that stronger, then why do we get addicted of it?

Humans are creatures of pleasure that’s why people smoke marijuana…because it feels good. It’s just sad to think that there are still so many marijuana addicted out there who had not realized how it will ruin their life. I was once like them, but I finally decided to be on the right side, no longer blinded by the pleasure I get from my marijuana addiction.

Marijuana is both emotionally and mentally addictive. Marijuana addiction has the same characteristics as any other addiction to other drugs including alcohol, tobacco or even caffeine. But many marijuana users aren’t serious cases, and usually smoke only once or twice a month. While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent on the drug or addicted to it. The short-term effects of marijuana addiction can include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination and increased heart rate. Research findings for long-term marijuana use indicate some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse.

There is more to marijuana addiction treatment than just ending marijuana use. Addiction isn’t something that readily can be ended. Marijuana addiction treatment is a vital step in marijuana addiction recovery. Marijuana addiction rehabilitation program helps the recovering marijuana user make lifestyle changes, manage their feelings, develop coping tools, and learn marijuana refusal skills. Drug rehabilitation is a long term process. Detoxification is only the first step on the road of addiction treatment. Physical detoxification alone is not sufficient to change the patterns of a drug addict. Recovery from addiction involves an extended process which usually requires the help of drug addiction professionals.

To make a successful recovery, the addict needs new tools in order to deal with situations and problems which arise. Use your resources. Overcoming marijuana addiction is difficult, but you are not alone. If you are tempted to use or experience troublesome withdrawal symptoms, speak to your sponsor, your therapist or seek medical attention. Your chances for success are much higher if you maintain strong ties with your treatment team.

Marijuana Addiction Hypnosis For Quitting

Marijuana is popularly called cannabis, pot, weed, dope, hash, grass, draw etc, it has many different names. After continued use over a long period of time marijuana can lead to addiction. Marijuana addiction often creeps up on people, it’s something that people often fall into and don’t even realise that they are addicted, because they don’t realise it’s possible to be addicted to cannabis. Some people who are addicted to marijuana even need professional rehabilitation, in fact over 500,000 Americans go to rehab for marijuana addiction every year.

Hypnosis has become extremely popular lately as a complimentary option for those undergoing treatment for marijuana addiction. Hypnosis can be tried in two ways. You can go to a hypnotherapist practitioner, or you can buy a CD or mp3 that help you with self-hypnosis in your own home. They both work in the same way but seeing a therapist will cost you a lot more money.

The technique of hypnotherapy effects major changes in your habits by routing messages straight to the subconscious. Therefore, you develop a liking for certain habits and dislike for others. This helps you follow a certain pattern of behaviour without as much effort. Hypnosis cannot however, interfere with your ethical ideas. It’s recognised to be safe and cannot make you do something that you do not want to. It’s not a forum of magic Jedi mind control.

Trying a hypnosis session is actually quite easy. It may include four major steps and last for about an hour. You don’t have to do anything but go into a trance as led by the hypnotherapist in the clinic. A similar trance is induced by listening to a CD. In the case of the CD, messages are woven into music of certain frequencies. You may sometimes fall asleep during a hypnosis session, but you will always wake up naturally fully refreshed.

If you visit a hypnotherapist your sessions may be scheduled thrice a week. A CD for self-hypnosis can be used thrice in a day if you wish. Either way, to actually benefit from hypnosis to treat marijuana addiction you must remain regular with your sessions. Most hypnosis treatments last for a couple of months. A minimum of 60-day usage is recommended with CDs for self-hypnosis.

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms can range from physical tension and irritability to mood swings, depression and complete loss of appetite. Hypnosis can compliment any treatment for de-addiction and is helpful in most cases.

Marijuana addiction can be got rid of by a combination of exercise, will power, the right support network and hypnosis. No approach should be used in isolation. But, all the effort is worth it for improving your life and becoming addiction free.

Success with hypnosis will vary depending on your susceptibility, some will go deeper into trance than others and are more susceptible to suggestion, but many do experience a significant effect. Obviously will power will still be required.

Marijuana Addiction Symptoms and Signs

Perhaps no drug has invited as much heated debate and ferocious argument as marijuana. Marijuana has been a source of fierce pro and against positions mainly because it is considered by many to be the least harmful of drugs; and whether or not marijuana addiction is an actual threat is debated as often.

Effects of marijuana: Marijuana is harmful because it is a drug like any other, even if it is the least harmful. More importantly, it is considered a “gateway drug”, in that this is the stepping stone to higher drugs. The cream of marijuana addicts are the youth, in the 18-25 age group.

Short term effects of marijuana: The most important short-term effect of marijuana is that it produces a feeling of well-being in the one who has used it. It is because of this reason that one of its legal uses is as a pain-alleviating drug in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

But being a mind-altering drug, it also produces the effect of temporary distortion of perception, or what addicts term the “buzz”. It acts on the central nervous system in the same way as all other drugs by plugging on some receptors. By doing this, it prepares the mind for the admission of more powerful drugs.

Long term effect: Long term effects of marijuana primarily concern the mind. It makes dependency easy and inevitable. Long Marijuana addicts have a major problem in the use of the drug, because they soon try to use the drug as a cover for their weaknesses and fallacies. Marijuana has a tendency to find easy target in those with escapist behavior.

Marijuana also has another important effect: it speeds heartbeat, which in some cases can be as much as twice the normal rate. Marijuana addicts are susceptible to memory deterioration over time. They are also prone to losing interest in all matters other than the drug, family and social contacts.

Users of marijuana have reported a slowing down of motor responses at the workplace, which means it places workers, whether they do physical or cerebral work, at considerably greater risk. While obviously slowing down productivity, this can translate to being a cause of deaths in the workplace. Marijuana addicts also experience major and sudden changes in weight and appetite.

Withdrawal symptoms: These usually include loss of appetite, headache, depression, a craving for the drug again, irritability, anger and restlessness. Although these are far fewer and less intense than those of other drugs, marijuana withdrawal symptoms are significant in themselves.

Marijuana treatment: Ironically, marijuana’s not being a conventional, “hard” drug makes its treatment difficult. This is because it is difficult to define the exact line of treatment the patient requires. A marijuana treatment center needs to impart individualized assessment and care. In many cases, the marijuana addict is left to give up on his or her own. Just like how strong determination can sometimes help a person overcome drinking or smoking, at times, marijuana addiction can be kicked too, in the same way. Learn more about the symptoms of marijuana addiction here.

In some cases, intervention from marijuana addiction treatment programs is needed. In such cases, the therapist in marijuana rehab centers needs to decide whether inpatient or outpatient care is needed. In many cases, supportive care can go a long way in helping a patient get to the right track. Since most marijuana addicts are those without an independent bent of mind, just avoiding the company of other addicts can be a deterrent.

Likewise, marijuana rehabs advice that spirituality can have a soothing effect on the marijuana addict. Other ways of dealing with it can include pursuit of meaningful and purposeful hobbies, listening to music and being in the company of loved ones.

MARIJUANA ADDICTION FACTS

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol; THC for short.

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana. Since the blunt retains the tobacco leaf used to wrap the cigar, this mode of delivery combines marijuana’s active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish, and as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.

Marijuana and Addiction

Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report marijuana addiction is the #1 drug problem in the US, its effects are very powerful. Also known as pot and weed it can be very addictiveirritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2-3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation.

Is Marijuana Addictive or isn’t It?

Based on all the information available, the answer is yes and no.

For people with dependency tendencies, the answer is YES. There are too many people in the world who smoke marijuana almost every day to say otherwise. Other people argue that they can take or leave it and have quit for long periods of time. And for those people the answer would probably be NO.

The thing about marijuana is it so subtle. There are places in California where it is legal to possess small quantities for private use. So what’s the problem?

The problem with marijuana is, like any other drug, can become the focal point of a person’s life. All of a sudden you want to get high before or during anything and everything. Your life begins to revolve around smoking marijuana. Like alcohol, it can be used responsibly and occasionally, or it can get out of control and cause serious problems.

Some people are “addicted” to marijuana and try to rationalize or justify using it. Like any other drug, marijuana can become the focal point of your life.

Marijuana Use in the U.S.

* In 2007, there were 2.1 million persons who had used marijuana for the first time within the past 12 months; this averages to approximately 6,000 initiates per day. This estimate of past year initiates in 2007 was about the same as the number in 2006 (2.1 million), 2005 (2.1 million), 2004 (2.1 million), 2003 (2.0 million), and 2002 (2.2 million).

More Statisitics About Marijuana Use

Past month marijuana use among male youths aged 12 to 17 declined from 9.1 percent in 2002 to 6.8 percent in 2006. In 2007, the rate was 7.5 percent, which was not significantly different from the rate in 2006, but was lower than the rate in 2002. Among female youths, little change occurred from 2002 to 2004, but the rate in 2007 (5.8 percent) was lower than the rate in 2002 (7.2 percent).

The Effects of Marijuana Use

THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabis receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabis receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.

Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research into Marijuana Use

Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

Marijuana Use and Mental Health

A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders. High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction, and research suggests that in vulnerable individuals, marijuana use may be a factor that increases risk for the disease.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized

Much has been written and several states have considerd changing their laws to decrimiize marijuana. California has the most progressive laws. Some counties allow people to possess small amounts.

Effects Of Cannabis Addiction

Cannabis is a plant that we commonly call marijuana, ganja in herbal form or hashish in resinous form. It has been commonly used way back prehistoric times. However, its use became prevalent in the 20th century when cannabis was utilized for religious, spiritual, medicinal and even recreational purposes. It was then that its possession, use or sale was prohibited. To date, the use of cannabis for drug use or cannabis addiction remains illegal all throughout the most parts of the world.

Psychologically, cannabis is already a recognized addictive drug. Cannabis addiction occurs when one’s mental and physical state are prominently altered due to its consumption. Although in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), there is no cannabis withdrawal syndrome, evidences show that cannabis addiction induces similar withdrawal symptoms to other drug addiction.

But unlike tobacco, cannabis addiction has not shown to cause lung cancer, chronic pulmonary disease or emphysema. It does not also cause birth defects to expectant mothers who are hooked to cannabis. Basically, cannabis addiction is less hazardous than addiction to tobacco, prescription drugs or alcohol.

Different users may experience different effects in cannabis addiction. Factors such as the dose, its potency, its chemical composition or its method of consumption are what elicit different levels of high in cannabis addiction. Long-term effects include, a feeling of euphoria, intense relaxation, laughter and giggle fits, increased appreciation for music, and either a feeling of intense pleasure or anxiety.

Forgetfulness, laziness, distorted perception, rambling, troubled concentration, inability of motor coordination, increased heart rate, spiritual talking and paranoia are some of the short-term effects of cannabis addiction. It is also shown to manifest its ill effects on the hippocampus (the part of the brain linked with learning and memory), thereby causing short-term memory impairment. Cannabis addiction has also been associated to other mental illnesses, from psychotic episodes to clinical schizophrenia.

Nevertheless, there is always a way out of cannabis addiction. The steps may be simple yet hard and requires extreme sense of commitment and dedication to move out of this addiction. Be willing to feel whatever painful feelings and take part in being responsible for them. Instead of avoiding them with your addiction, face them. Be conscious that you want to know what it causing your pain. Discover the thoughts and actions causing your pain. It should just come from within. Perseverance, will and devotion is all that it takes.

How to Break an Addiction to Marijuana

Marijuana is addictive and there is a syndrome of withdrawal that will occur whenever a dependent person attempts to quit their habit.

Marijuana is not terribly dangerous over the short run, but the consequences of long term use and addiction are a greater risk for certain cancers, some cognitive and learning deficits, and certain social deficits. People using marijuana heavily are not as able to realize their full potential, and heavy marijuana usage can detract from quality of life ( The problems of marijuana addiction ).

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms of marijuana cessation can include irritability, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, nausea, depression, a loss of appetite and others. The withdrawal is not dangerous, is not as severe as for some other drugs, but is very unpleasant; and during the initial few days the cravings back to marijuana can be very strong.

Too many people trying to quit their habit are unable to resist these cravings back to use of a drug that they know will take away all of these very unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.

Try exercise…really, it works!

Because marijuana detox is not medically dangerous, there is no current pharmacological intervention to ease the pains of withdrawal, and only time will truly better the discomfort. After 3 or 4 days the intensity of withdrawal symptoms should subside considerably; and if you can make it past the first few days, you’ve got a much better chance of making it for the long term.

One very effective, free and completely safe way to reduce the intensity of the symptoms of withdrawal is through long and enjoyable exercise. To lessen the symptoms of withdrawal, and take your mind off of the constant cravings, you need to get off of the couch, and get out and get your heart pumping.

Exercise helps on a number of levels. Through sustained and vigorous activity you release endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are a “natural” way of feeling high, and a bit of exercise and the corresponding release of endorphins can do a lot to lessen feelings of anxiety, lethargy and depressions.

Sustained and vigorous exercise can also fatigue the body, and hopefully lessen characteristic insomnia that can so often trigger a relapse back to use. With exercise and vigorous perspiration, you can also cleanse the body of toxins and drug metabolites; toxins that some maintain have an influence on the continuation of detox symptoms.

Getting past the first few days

Exercise is free, it will make you feel better, it keeps you busy and keeps your mind off of use; and it may even help you to sleep at night. Nothing will eliminate all of the symptoms of withdrawal but time, but by spending a few days engaged in sustained exercise, you should make those days more bearable, and you should have a much better chance at resisting temptation.

Go for a hike in the mountains, ride your bike across town, play basketball…do whatever you enjoy. It can help a lot!

If you find that you are simply unable to resist the temptations and find yourself using again, you may want to consider professional help. Getting some therapy and getting away from access to marijuana for a period may help those people unable to do it on their own.