Creating a new routine can also be helpful when you are quitting a substance such as marijuana. Keeping a routine during stressful times can be important for your mental well-being, but sticking to old habits (those that featured regular drug use) can make recovery much more difficult. Once you are more aware of the things that trigger your drug use, you can plan to deal with those triggers. Sometimes this might involve avoiding or eliminating things that create pressure on you to smoke marijuana. In other cases, you’ll need to explore healthy coping mechanisms to help you manage your urges. When someone regularly is marijuana addictive uses cannabis to the point that it is having negative consequences, they may have developed a loss of control over their use and be addicted.
Medicinal Use of Marijuana
Recovering from marijuana addiction is a process that takes time, effort and willingness to change. Marijuana addiction can affect anyone but certain groups are more vulnerable due to specific risk factors. Knowing these special populations can help in targeting prevention and treatment.
Yes, weed can be addictive — how to recognize the signs of cannabis use disorder
For example, if someone uses cannabis to relieve anxiety, a doctor may recommend anxiety medication, and taking this may make it easier to avoid the drug. Treatment for CUD and addiction is similar to treatment for other substance use disorders. The right strategy depends on the person’s lifestyle and the severity of CUD. Many addictive substances affect how the brain responds to dopamine.
Reducing Risk for Psychosis From Marijuana
I also knew that my success rate for stopping on my own had been a joke. The day after I arrived, I attended my first drug program meeting. While I found that group only minimally similar to me, going there kept me clean.
Someone who is addicted may lack the drive to engage in activities, pursue goals, or keep up with responsibilities, including school and work. He gives me strength in ways I never knew before, and grants me serenity at times when it doesn’t even seem possible. I thank God daily for the gift of recovery and ask that He show me His will in a way that I can understand. He helps me solve my problems by leading the way to the right person, who gives me direction, or just grants me enough patience to figure it out for myself.
- Long-term effects can be more severe and include mental health issues and cognitive impairments.
- Even though you may not be able to prevent marijuana abuse and addiction, there are things you can do to reduce the risk.
- My relationship with my Higher Power continues to grow now that I have found the honesty that was missing from my life for 20 years.
- Consuming super potent cannabis with a higher percent of THC — the chemical responsible for the “high” feeling — can also lead to increased severity of dependence, according to a 2015 study in the UK.
- Regular use of marijuana can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression and may even increase the risk of developing more severe mental health disorders.
We’ll go over the signs and symptoms, the effects on your mind and body and most importantly the road to recovery. While marijuana is considered a “safe” drug, the truth is cannabis can be habit-forming and has consequences for your health and well-being. In fact, 3 in 10 people who use cannabis have a cannabis use disorder. You’re more likely to get CUD if you misuse other drugs, like alcohol. Your chances also go up if you use marijuana a lot and by yourself. Mental health issues, like an anxiety or a mood disorder, can raise your chances, too.