Today is day 1 with no weed of any kind. Im nervous to see how things will play out but Im hopeful ill be able to stick to this.
If anyone has any advice on how to get through it easier please let me know. Ive been smoking daily since i was 22 and ill be 30 this year. So 8 years up in smoke, heres to adventuring out of the cloud .
Welcome and well done taking that first step, keep posting here for help and support
Welcome! And congratulations on day 1!!! One thing that really helped me in the beginning (and still does at times) is writing down my reasons for why i quit. Bcuz i usually found that 2 or 3 days in, my addict mind starts to forget how bad it really was. So writing down my reasons and reading them over when i had the urge to use drugs, helped alot. Also distraction is a useful tool also 
and of course coming on here before u pick up
Thank you! I think ill start a journal and do just that. Iāve tried and failed before but this time im really determined. Thank you for your help
That is a hard one especially since for the past 8 years youāve been doing the same thing to deal with anything that comes up in life. Whether itās a movie/ tv show, sex, hiking, video games or anything. What I do is I like to focus on what I want in life. Whether itās I want to think more or pursue a hobby thatās a little more difficult so even though im interested I wonāt do it if Iām regularly smoking or something extroverted. Think of those things that youāve told yourself that you want to do and spend some time pursuing them a bit. What I have found when I donāt smoke is that my brain works way better and that my days are clearer and im a better employee. The truth of the matter is that people who dont use weed generally make at a lot more money than those who do. They also accomplish more. Sure there are the Joe Rogans of the world, but heās the rare exception, not the norm. That axiousness you feel is an oporuntity to grow and use that energy to do what your heart really wants. If your craving, check yourself; are you hungry, tired, emotional? Address those situations. No crutches. The discomfort will clear as will your mind. Once through that week or so, stay strong. Your mind will try to reward you with thc. Dont fall for it, know why you started and give yourself a fair chance. Then you can see even more what you really want and being present, mindful will help you appreciate your minutes more than you have in the past 8 years.
This book and the book The Power of Now are really great for helping someone appreciate their life sober.
You can do this.
Thank you. Its been a really hard day today. I started off strong, cleaned every inch of my house, did some journaling and answered a few emails. Then I hit a wall. I got mad at myself, thought for a moment that maybe i was overreacting but then i remembered that some toxic family members used to tell me that when i tried to quit. That way Iād keep smoking with them. Ive since cut them out of my life but it was a very hard moment. I keep wanting to dip back in and i know i cant. Thank you for your kind words and advice.
Yeah itās a weird thing that often happens when people living One Way see somebody trying to improve themselves. I think they feel bad about their own life situation (probably because they are in fact living suboptimally for their potential) so in a response to their negative feelings they share those feelings (i like to assume unknowingly) with the person trying to better themselves and itās almost always in a way that is critical and tries to limit the achieverās activity. What I say to this common occurrence is that we have the potential to become an example of what is possible and even what is expected in life and the Beautiful Thing is we donāt have to say a word. I truly believe that if you abstain from pop for even a month or two you will see the positive effects to your life situation and in a year or less people are going to notice and wonder how you became this new person. A lot of times in the past I have used other peopleās negative feelings as fuel and I think thatās okay but I hope for everybody that over time we will look at everyone, even those trying to hold us back, with equanimity, because we have evolved.
But enough heavy psychobabble from me lol.
how is your day? how are you feeling?
Youāre right, their lack of progress shouldnt have held me back as much as it did. Iām doing ok. Sleep was kind of hard and I still donāt have much of an appetite but im okay. Im going to try to keep my day busy again to make things easier. Might even go out on an adventure
Ive only ever been successful with tolerance breaks but during those times id walk whenever i wanted to smoke. Id find some nature and just try and absorb some peace and tranquility. If that wasnāt possible id use brain FM guided meditation to bring me to a relaxed state wherever I was. I totally relate to cleaning everything while trying to stay busy. I hope you are feeling a little better the first week is always the worse and then i feel like its easier to not NEED it and just want it.
Ill definitely look into that meditation and going on a walk sound nice, i think ill try both today to see how it goes. Thank you for your kind words and advice
Maybe you ran out of things to keep you ābusyā. This is one of the biggest challenges of being newly sober. Our DOC featured so prominently in our lives, when we choose to quit, we donāt quite know what to do with ourselves. We miss the ritual of using, just as much as the altered mental state of using.
My DOC was alcohol. Wine and beer mostly, but vodka and bourbon if I needed a ākickerā. As soon as the workday ended Iād pour my first drink, and cook dinner. Iād have a couple more with dinner and another during clean up. Then off to my easy chair to drink until I passed out. Weekends consisted of mundane activities and chores, with frequent drinking breaks, and evenings ended with me passed out in my chair.
When I quit, Iād get anxious. Iād pace. Even when doing things other than work, something was off. Then I realized I was missing the ritual. For lack of other ideas, I walked every evening and most mornings. I listened to podcasts. I read a ton of books. I lived on this forum. Actions became habits and habits became new rituals. After about three months, I signed up for martial arts classes. Soon I was going 4 nights a week, plus Saturday mornings. I built a dojo in my garage, and practiced every morning. Pretty quickly this turned from āactivityā to ālifestyleā.
5 years and a bit since my last drink, and I am a completely different person. Iām now a sober 56 year-old martial arts instructor. All it took was to quit my DOC, and then search for new activities, which became rituals, which created a sustainable lifestyle, and now a profession.
You can too.
Try reading Allen Carrās Easy way to stop smoking.
It worked for me!
It can be a good thing.
How did Day 1 turn out? You are making a great decision?
@Honeybeeflowers
Hi there. Iām not sure if my reply will help but Iāve smoked weed for 40 years sporadically. In my younger days in college I smoked every weekend and sometimes during the week. I continued to smoke during my 32 year careerā¦never having a problem with it. Whatās on the market today, I want nothing to do with. You donāt know where it comes from, what itās laced with, or the strain. When I got sober last December, my doctor (in IOP) suggested that I use Delta 8 for my anxiety and PTSD.
I vape every night after dinner. It doesnāt get me high, it only relaxes me. I havenāt had the desire to drink in almost 14 months, so I will continue to do what the doctor has advised.
I wish you the best to get through your anxiety.
