How To Stop Smoking Joints?
How to stop smoking joints? Are there specific techniques that can help us? Before going into the subject, it should be remembered that an addiction is a disease based on the search for relief (or the search for gratifying sensations) through the consumption or use of substances that are usually toxic.
We can become addicted to practically anything “, although logically there are substances more susceptible than others to generate addiction. In the case of cannabis, it is a nervous system depressant drug, which is made up in part of the molecule of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. This compound constitutes the psychoactive element of the cannabis plant.
How to stop smoking joints?
Quitting joint smoking becomes a difficult task for many, since addictions are complex disorders that are not always easy to get out of. This is explained by the great physical and psychological dependence that people manifest to all kinds of substances, among which we find cannabis.
To accompany you in this process, we propose 5 recommendations proposed by addiction specialists. These ideas can begin to apply when you are ready to start giving up the consumption of joints.
Ask yourself why you want to quit
There are many people who start trying to quit smoking joints, but they do it without much prior reflection, that is, almost impulsively. The result in most cases? A relapse within a few days. For this reason, the phase of preparation for the change in addictions is so important, in which the person has already made the decision to reverse their situation and begins to consider how to do it.
So the first step in quitting joint smoking is to ask yourself this: Am I seriously considering it? Why do I want to quit smoking joints? Once the reasons are identified, it will be convenient to write them down and internalize them; it is a matter, in a way, of gathering sufficient motivations to start this process.
Accompany the decision with other changes
The fact of abandoning the use of cannabis implies a direct consequence in the organism, at a physiological and psychological level : the fearsome withdrawal syndrome. With it, very negative feelings and emotions arrive for the body that we have to deal with: irritability, sleep problems, headaches, excessive sweating, anxiety and depression …
In this way, experts assure that implementing small changes in our life, in addition to stopping consuming, can benefit us when it comes to achieving our goals. These changes will have to do with healthy lifestyle habits : practicing exercise, eating in a varied and balanced way, respecting our schedules and sleep routines … In short, taking care of yourself, since we are in a particularly delicate moment.
Take care of your new environment
People facing the arduous process of quitting joint smoking may be tempted to keep hanging out with their friends (cannabis users). And it is not something that should be avoided in the long term, but at the beginning of the process. Especially if before we met them only to smoke joints.
In these cases, the body and mind will unconsciously and immediately associate these companies with the toxic habit of joints. It is very difficult to continue doing the life of before if we want to implement this important change for us.
Thus, it is advisable to take care of (and select) the environment in which we move right after starting the detoxification process. The fewer stimuli that remind us of that habit, the easier it will be (this in psychotherapy is called stimulus control).
Work on emotional dependency
When a person consumes joints, they do so for a number of reasons. Among the most frequent we find: physical or physiological dependence and emotional or psychological dependence. Physical dependence, although hard, usually disappears within a few weeks of smoking joints; instead, psychological dependence leaves a much deeper imprint on the subject.
Because it is the one that is related to all those facets or problems of our life that we have been “covering” through smoking joints. Thus, many people smoke to escape, to disconnect from their reality. But when they stop consuming, all those things that they wanted to “cover” with consumption come to light, and it is then time to face them, without anesthesia.
Therefore, a key step when quitting smoking joints is to work on this dependency, through: becoming aware of what we were trying to “cover up” (A pending grief? Lacks? Emotional suffering? Fears?) and express what we feel at all times.
Go to therapy
Finally, another of the recommendations when it comes to quitting smoking joints or other toxic substances by addiction specialists is to ask for specialized help. This will be especially important when we feel that “alone we cannot”.
Psychological therapy is an appropriate tool to treat this and other mental health problems that will allow us to move forward more smoothly during this complex process that involves leaving an addiction behind.
A good addiction psychologist will offer us the strategies we need to consolidate the changes and successes that we are gradually achieving. So, if you are considering stopping using joints, in addition to applying the above key ideas, we recommend that you seek professional help.
Stop smoking joints: a brief summary
If you are at a stage where you have already considered (or are beginning to consider) quitting smoking joints, it may be time to get down to work. As we have been indicating , the first thing will be to be clear that we want to leave it (and why), and write down all the reasons that motivate us to do so.
Later, we will have to implement healthy habits that allow us to remain strong and energetic during this stage. Finally, working on emotional dependence will also be a fundamental aspect, as well as asking for the necessary professional help capable of providing adequate support to advance in this new stage.
