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**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-10-2010, 10:39 PM

Ok, first of all don’t panic or do anything stupid, what you are thinking and feeling right now is significantly affected by the discontinuation of the drug, this won’t last forever, some people do feel like this for a few months but others like your uncle don’t seem to have much of a problem, others feel like it for a few days, some weeks and the worst case scenario maybe even months, we don’t know why it is like this with marijuana, but it does seem to be what people are reporting, maybe it’s to do with the way in which it interacts with your body’s own personal chemistry and your potential to get hooked to it, the biological make up of our bodies can be extremely different, this is something that a lot of people don’t seem to be aware of, we can all react extremely differently to different chemicals, anyway I won’t digress into that right now. The point is you don’t know how long this is going to last, you could be a three to four week type person and in the next week you could feel a hell of a lot better, this may only last for a few more days, like I say the time periods people are reporting are all extremely different, anyway even if it was for another month or two, it’s still not worth seeking an permanent solution to what is more than likely still a fairly temporary problem, death is forever you can’t undo it and at the very least those you leave behind will have to live with it at least for the rest of their lives, that’s a hell of a lot of pain to inflict on someone just to avoid another shitty few weeks, I know where you are coming from I have felt the same myself, I have been on suicide watch, in mental hospital, ect, but it does get better and when you do you will be really glad you didn’t do anything so drastically permanent.

If you are feeling this bad then you need to take it very seriously indeed and do something about it, if it’s a choice between killing yourself and smoking a spliff then smoke a spliff, perhaps you may need to cut down gradually before you quit completely so you hit the ground with less of thud, there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you absolutely are not prepared to smoke any more then get some professional help that will help you get through this, if you tell your doctor you are planning on killing yourself take it from me, they will take it seriously and give you some help, I am not trying to push psychiatric medicine on you but if again it’s a choice between taking that for a couple of months or killing yourself I think that’s the better option. It sounds like you are someone who is suffering from the change of chemistry that is going on in your brain particularly hard at the moment, so one of those two options may be necessary whether you like it or not, talk type therapy may be helpful too, but the main nature of the problem you are facing at this particular stage is most probably chemical although talk therapy may be a helpful addition.

Anyway I am really sorry if what I am saying sounds a bit blunt, I am writing this in a bit of a panic trying to get it out to you as soon as possible. I know what it’s like to be there and in need of serious help. But you can be helped, I am sure this problem is fixable, your body has a very good chance of recovering significantly in time, it’s very unlikely that your life is over not if you don’t want it to be, I am sure you can come back from this but you may have to take it one step at a time and do something about it.

Anyway I personally will commit to doing whatever I can through the interaction of this particular site, I will check back extra regularly to be here for you as much as possible, I know what it’s like, it got me in a terrible mess too, but even if it takes time dramatic improvement is possible, you can do it and we will be with you every step of the way.

Here is another post you should read that relates to your situation, you are not alone.

http://www.forummatters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256

We will try to support you as much as we can, but I think you also need to confide in someone who is close to you exactly what is going on and how you are feeling if you have not done so already, don’t try to deal with this alone, if you can’t temporally start smoking again and fix how you are feeling that way and then work towards quitting by slowly tapering off then you need some proper professional help, I think it has to be one or the other.

If you are feeling suicidal and need to talk to someone in confidence and feel there is no one else you can turn to, then you can always call these people http://www.befrienders.org/ they have phone lines in almost every country.

Anyway please let me know what you think and if anybody else has some advice please help out, all help in these kind of situations is truly appreciated.

Please take care.

**Cannabis Rehab Guest** · 04-11-2010, 03:47 PM

hey, im back again, thanks for your words and concern, no u didnt offend me by being blunt, its what i need to be honest after tommorow ive been off it a week, i cant go back to smoking it... not yet anyway, if i dont get better over a few months im just going to go back to smoking it, the panic attacks are too much to cope with, there litterally every second of every day, i cant get any sleep, i sweat i shake, cant hold food down this is a really miserable existance and i cant belive how long the withdrawals go on for. i genuinley would of rather had a 3 month heroin habbit to withdraw from, instead of this, theres alot now heroin addicts that i went to skool with, i saw somone i reconized and asked them how longs a heroin detox take, he said 5 days, i couldnt belive my ears, 5 days?? 5 days of illness then your bodys working again??? are you taking the piss?? then i said so u dont sweat, shake or have eating problems, he said the eating is still a bit funny, but no, only sweating and shaking when the actual detox is happening. obviously he did tell me theres a hughe mental challenge afterwards, but i cant see that being hard to overcome if your bodys working relatively fine again. i have come to the conclusion cannabis is one of the worst drugs out there. i promise i will go see a doctor before i even attempt anything on myself. i did mean it yesterday but looking back at it today, it was a bit pathetic and im sorry for trying to make it you responsabillity to help me, im just very desperate, ive lost so many girlfriends over this shit, i cant even play my playstaion because the loud noises giv me panic attacks and its like its too much for my brain to take in at once, especially when playing online, im kinda just sitting here now, with the lights off, no t.v on, having panic attacks. oh the joys of life eh. lol

**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-11-2010, 05:38 PM

Hi again, sorry I forgot to welcome you to the forum, welcome to the forum.

I don’t think you are pathetic at all, what you are going through is a serious problem, serious enough to make you feel how you are feeling, you are totally right about the effects that quitting cannabis can have been totally underestimated, even if many don’t experience the kind of things many of the people here have, you only have to read some of the experiences here to realise it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, it really can be a wolf in sheep’s clothing for many. Don’t feel bad for making me concerned, I am glad you did come and post what you did, I would rather anybody do that than have to go through it alone, like I say I have been there and know what it’s like, I know how bad it can feel. Don’t get me wrong I am not trying to encourage you to smoke again, I just thought considering how desperate you sounded if it was a choice between that or suicide at least for now it would have to be the better option, but if you can handle it then not smoking any more will get you better again the quickest, although if you really can’t handle it there is still the option of starting smoking again but gradually reducing the amount you smoke over a number of weeks until you quit completely, it does take some discipline but if you can stick to it like I say you will hit the ground with less of a thud, it is another option to consider if things get really desperate, it’s probably at the very least a better option than deciding to go back to it indefinitely, you can read more about the cold turkey v slowly tapering off thing here:

http://www.forummatters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222

I was wondering have you tried exercising? Many people who are really struggling with withdrawing from cannabis find it a god send, even if it’s just having long walks, I found that helped a fair bit, perhaps try giving walking it off a go, or even running if you feel energetic enough. Also trying to fill your mind with the right outlook and philosophy can be really important as like you say beating any addiction can be a real mental battle, the right kind of positive thinking is really important, some people find that some kind of faith or religion helps them, personally I found Buddhism to be an absolute life saver when I was in that situation, I know that religious type inspiration isn’t for everybody, although even if you choose to completely ignore any paranormal type of mysticism associated with it, I think everybody can benefit from the general philosophy of it, perhaps it might be a good idea to take a look at something like that to help fill your mind with a positive outlook, things like Buddhism are more of a philosophy than a religion. Anyway it really helped me so I just thought I would mention it, but I am not trying to push it on to you, LOL I am not singing come and join us or hare Krishna as I type, for the record I don’t necessarily buy into all of the mysticism, just the positive aspects of the overall philosophy.

Anyway you sound like you may be feeling at least a little bit better than yesterday, which is something, bit by bit I am sure you will get there one way or another and we will be here every step of the way to help, it’s a responsibility that I personally consider more of a privilege than a chore, I for one am really happy to be here and help out in any way I can.

Feel free to lean on us as much as you need to, if writing whenever you feel bad and posting it here helps which some find it does then do so as often as you feel the need to, we will always be happy to read and advise.

Anyway thanks for getting back to me, hang in there (well not literally, bad choice of words, but you know what I mean), hopefully it shouldn’t be too much longer and please keep us posted.

All the best and take care.

**ajh151h** · 04-11-2010, 07:06 PM

The society you live in has given you lots of bad information about drug use. You have now realized that this information is bad, although I am sure you knew this long ago but would not admit it. It may take a long time to rehabilitate yourself, this is just the way it works. I know a man who took lsd every day for a long period of time. It took him a very long time to get better, because he was almost completely insane by the time he stopped. He could not string a sentence together. It was very sad to see him, and everyone around him was horrified, but none of them even stopped using drugs when they saw what had happened to him.

Drugs are that deceptive: people do not accept the reality of them until they have no other choice. In a sense you are very lucky because you are being forced to get out of the drug mindset at a time when you can very easily (relatively speaking) recover. You are young and your brain isn't even fully developed yet. You could have woken up twenty years from now and realized that your youth was gone because of drug use.

The man I was talking about eventually joined a serious martial arts program. By serious I mean that he spent every minute of his life disciplining himself, from the time he woke up to the time he went to bed. One of the things he did, with a group of other people, was wake up before the sun came up and run on a frozen river in his bare feet. Later he worked a construction job for several years and then he went to a community college through a government program, moved to a safe part of Australia (because he did not want his children to be killed or addicted to drugs in America) where he now has a good job and a real and simple happiness.

Marijuana and hallucinogens are very bad addictions but they are not as bad as something like heroine, because once someone starts doing heroine there is a very high chance they will die from it. People that get off of heroine have a very difficult time avoiding a relapse. Right now you are suffering an immense amount but you will get better. Losing hope is irrational. Many people take a much higher quantity of drugs than you have and recover. It is just a matter of bottoming out and recovering.

What you are going through is like a war. Everyone around you glorified it and your were too young to know better so you entered it. Now you know the truth about it. You will not be any weaker when you recover, you will be much, much stronger than you would be otherwise. Any damage you did to your brain at your age is negligible, and you are now on the road to overcoming foolishness.

What you said about stopping one kid from smoking pot is very good. When you start feeling better perhaps you can go do this, and help more than one person from smoking pot. Drug education is horrible in our society because it is mostly run by people who have no experience with drugs. As you said, everything they have supposedly learned is from a university. The higher education systems in our society are despicable because the "teachers" are isolated from what is actually going on. They won't believe you if you tell them because they do not want to understand the truth about it. If they did they would be required to actually work and think, which is not something they wish to do.

Basically I wrote this post so that you might put your experiences in a larger perspective. You are still very young and haven't learned how to understand how much joy as well as sadness life holds. You might not believe this now but eventually this will be a far off memory of something you learned a very valuable lesson from.

**In Treatment** · 04-11-2010, 07:31 PM

theres always a way out besides suicide.

**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-11-2010, 08:37 PM

ajh151h when I saw you were online I knew you would be responding to this post, a psychic premonition perhaps no I don’t think so I just know what sort of guy you are and knew you would try to help, I highly advise you listen to what this guy says he probably provides some of the best advice you will find on the entire web.

In terms of the which drugs are worse type thing, personally I try not to get too caught up in that whole type of thing as I think it can lull people into a false sense of security when you start branding this one as really bad, that one not so bad, ect, they are can all affect different people in very different ways, hallucinogens, marijuana, ect, can affect you in a very different way to pain killers like opiates, although there are certain similarities too. Generally speaking if you have to pin me down yes ok I would probably say that drugs like opiates are usually significantly worse, far more addictive and without a doubt have a higher chance of killing you, but like I say I don’t like to speak in terms that are too general when it comes to this sort of thing as it may lull people into a false sense of security and fail to give some people the warning they deserve when it comes to the drugs that are considered to be “less dangerous”, if you are one of the people who has done so much acid, smoked so much high THC marijuana that it’s triggered psychosis like symptoms which unfortunately can be permanent for some people, then these type of drugs may have done you more damage to your mental health at the very least than opiates ever would have, like I say they can affect you in very different ways, it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges, one is more likely to kill you from something like an overdose the other is more likely to seriously damage your mental health, they can both take away your life but one leaves you still alive after it has done so. Comparing them in this way is like comparing something that damages your body compared to something that damages the mind, but if you have any sense you will value them both equally. Anyway don’t get too freaked out, it doesn’t sound like it has triggered any permanent psychosis in you, if it had you would probably be hallucinating and so deluded you would probably be in a mental hospital by now, what you are going through sounds just like very severe detox symptoms that many people who quit experience to some extent, but do get better from.

Anyway I just thought I should probably give my view on that particular point which sort of relates to the other excellent point that has just been made, people often go on about how much “misinformation” there is about drugs it’s often people who are defending their use in some way and yes there may well be, but from what I can see there’s just as much misinformation from the people who defend cannabis as any other view point that is expressed, a whole generation has been lulled into the false sense of security that it is “harmless” and are totally dismissive that any reports of these kind of experiences are either absolute bullshit, or so few and far between that they hardly matter. The truth is that the real misinformation out there when it comes to drugs like marijuana is the belief that this definitely will happen or that definitely won’t, from what I have seen especially when it comes to drugs like marijuana you don’t always know how you are going to react, that’s why I always say if it’s something that you are going to do then try to make sure you are monitoring very carefully how you are reacting to it, maybe even listen to somebody else who isn’t using it as to whether they have seen any changes in your behaviour. But yes drugs and especially ones like marijuana can be very deceptive and a lot of the things you hear especially if you only mix in a specific group or culture, that all thinks the same way, whether they are pro marijuana, anti marijuana or whatever, you may not be getting a balanced perspective. That’s why I always try to point out even in this place, that although these type of experiences may be true for many of us, that is the nature of the experiences of the people CannabisRehab.org is for, they are not necessarily true for everybody.

Anyway at least now you know you are not alone and there are others who are going through the same thing and do make it out of the other side.

Take care guys and thanks for that contribution ajh151h, as always it was a great post.

**Cannabis Rehab Guest** · 04-12-2010, 05:10 PM

hey man (unregisterd) i see your having sexual problems aswell coz of cannabis, u sure its not just where ure brains going through so much shit that sex is the least of your prioritys at the moment, im sure it will get better afer a few months, from the sounds of it your having a really ruff time, theres no way your gonna be up for sex at the moment, not mentally anyway, i also see somone else has started a post on this aswell called cannabis impotence. i really dont wana say too much coz i dont know, can anyone share anything? anyone else had this problem? are you just not interested when u go to do it? or do u mean it wont get up? ive had problems making it stay up coz of weed.

**In Treatment** · 04-15-2010, 06:21 PM

To Original Poster,

Please let us know how you are doing. I want to make sure your OK.

**Cannabis Rehab Guest** · 04-19-2010, 04:57 PM

hey, thanks inthegrinder for your concern, im doing quite shit today to be honest, i was feeling pretty good till today, some friends quit smoking last week and today they relapsed so i got really pissed off and fell out with them, i know its not down to me but it would of been nice to know i have 2 good friends that arent pot heads, i just feel really alone, ive been going mental at quite a few people recently over nothing and have lost alot of friends, there still all in that denial stage where they think my behaviour is just me being a *****, when really its because the slightest thing that anoys me combined with my panic attacks, i just go ape shit for no reason, no ones sympathetic because there all in denial pot can do this to people, i feel quite alone, my doctor put me on diazepan today so hopefully things will get better with the panic attacks, i feel trapped in a world of cannabis and cannabis dealers, its everywhere constantly in my face, just wana pick up my stuff and move somwhere else but i cant, no money. shit times people shit times

**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-19-2010, 08:31 PM

I know mate, it can be really shit, unfortunately it can all be part of the process for many, but it does ease in time, it’s not likely that you will feel this way forever, just give it some more time. I would be careful with the diazepam, it’s usually ok if you take it very short term and is it highly effective at relieving anxiety, or so they say I have never tried it myself, but if you take it for too long it does have a reputation for been highly addictive, some say benzodiazepines (the group of drugs diazepam belongs to) are one of the most addictive drugs you can take, which is why a lot of doctors are becoming more and more reluctant to prescribe them these days, you don’t want to be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. From the little I know about anti anxiety medications (I have tried a few in my time and read up on most of them) it probably wouldn’t be my first choice, from what I have heard there are a number of far less addictive alternatives that will both relieve your anxiety and lift your mood, as far as I know benzo’s won’t really do much for your depression, they are a tranquilizer and not an anti depressant, apparently benzodiazepines should not be used alone to treat depression or anxiety associated with depression, modern anti depressants will help to relieve both your anxiety and lift your mood and they have a reputation for been a lot less addictive, although even these can have some detox although it’s not reported to be anywhere near as bad as with diazepam, so if the psychiatric medicine is a route you want to take there may be better alternatives, but your doctor has probably just given you some valium (diazepam) as a very short term stop gap to help you cope with your anxiety hoping that it will shortly pass and as long as it is short term I am not saying he was wrong to do so, like I say it is meant to be highly effective for anxiety, I would just hate to see you hooked on it long term. Anyway my apologises for digressing into all that, I just always feel the need to warn people when it comes to the long term use of mother’s little helper (diazepam), it can become a pretty nasty addiction.

**Cannabis Rehab Guest** · 04-19-2010, 11:48 PM

yeah i get what your saying man, bassically we came up with a plan of how many im gonna take this week, then next week, then the week after, the problem is im not particually depressed, i hate weed, im not depressed coz ive quit the drug , its the panic attacks that are making me dpressed, it was wierd tho because when i did take one earlier, panic attacks stopped but i became extremely depressed, wierd.

**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-20-2010, 12:10 AM

I see, if it is anxiety that’s mainly your problem then a bit of diazepam may well be what you need as long as it’s only short term, I am not completely anti benzo like I say they are a highly effective medication and can have their place if used correctly, the problem is when you get people who have been taking them for years and when they try to stop they find they have an addiction which I have heard some people say is more addictive than heroin, but if you are only taking them for a week or two you will probably be ok, I am sure your doctor is aware of all this sort of thing, although it never hurts to do your own research too. I have heard far too many stories of incompetence within the medical community to have %150 blind faith. The only other thing is that ironically enough depression can actually be a side effect of taking diazepam, if the depression you experienced just is a side effect of the diazepam it may be solving the one problem but causing another, which if this is the case for this reason alone you may want to talk to your doctor and reconsider if it is the right medication for you.

Anyway thanks for keeping us posted.

Take care

**sally** · 04-20-2010, 02:35 AM

hi guys

how are you feeling now unregistered? i hope that the valium is giving you some short term relief from the panic attacks, although i have taken valium in the past and found that relatively quickly, anxiety attacks were a side effect of stopping valium, and so i discontinued them forthwith.

I have panic attacks and anxiety alot, even though i smoke the drug still, so i thought i would let you in on some tips that my psychologist gave me for dealing with them. there is one exercise you can do, breathing in for a count of three, holding it for a count of three, and breathing out and counting to three outloud for relieving attacks in the present.

it does work, after a few cycles you will start to feel a bit better, and you can continue for as long as you like to get calmer.

one of the causes of anxiety and panic attacks is over breathing, you take short sharp gasps and it affects your brain chemistry to make you panic.

another technique is to find a smooth stone that is heavy enough to fit in your palm, when you feel anxious, focus on the smooth rock in your hand, and start to label it in you rmind, describing its features, such as colour, and streaks, or weight, or texture, , , after a while of focussing very intently on the rock you will start to feel better.

apart from that i think that exercise is good for both depression and anxiety, so maybe you could start getting a bit of exercise, if you don't already, or increase.

i am so glad you pulled through those suicidal feelings, i get them too, and they are so bad, good on you for keeping yourself above it all.

you will make it

you are doing so well. breathing and eating well and exercise, and i know it isn't easy , even with these assistances, i hate panic attacks, they make me feel so bad, and i hope they start to abate soon. or that you find a better medication and find some relief.

lots of love. s

**Cannabis Rehab Admin** · 04-20-2010, 12:44 PM

Hi Sally and welcome to the forum.

Yes unfortunately anxiety is another side effect of withdrawing from diazepam and I think I have read that your body can start to get reliant on it in a matter of two or three months, so it doesn’t take long. Like I say it all depends on how long you need to take it for, which is sometimes hard to tell with anxiety that is related to cannabis detox as some people experience it for a couple of weeks, where as unfortunately for others it can be months.

I am sure you are probably aware but your own the drug use may be contributing to your own anxiety, it can be a real catch 22 with the drug you can get anxiety if you take it and if you are withdrawing from it, although as I always say if it’s from withdrawing from it that does usually pass, where as if you keep taking it the anxiety usually just gets worse and worse.

Take care

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