Am I addicted to marijuana? - Addiction test

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

Drug addiction test

The following 7 questions are based and established upon the American Psychological Association’s clinical diagnosis test for addiction, and if you truthfully answer Yes to 3 or more of the following questions regarding your behaviour for over the last year, then according to their test which is looking for the same pattern of addiction no matter what the drug you are addicted.

1. Has your drug or alcohol use led to an increase in tolerance? Does it take more of the drug to achieve the same effect?
2. Do you experience any detox symptoms from a discontinuation of use, or do you use any substance that minimizes the effects of withdrawal.
3. Do you ever use more of the drug, or use the drug more frequently than you had intended to?
4. Have you tried and failed to cut down on your drug use?
5. Do you spend a lot of time using, thinking about using, or recovering from your use? This is considered to be a preoccupation with the drug.
6. Has your substance use caused you to stop doing worthwhile or enjoyable activities?
7. Have you continued to use even in the face of adverse health or social consequences?

So, what’s your real score, no really? Did you score 3 or more? Remember this is just a basic but reliable way of diagnosing if your drug use has become a problem, this test is just checking for the basic classic pattern of addiction regardless of the drug, but there may also be other reasons for why you feel it has become a problem, all of which can be perfectly valid, including the fact that you feel it has, if you are not happy with your drug use then perhaps that is enough of a problem in its self. Anyway seven questions anybody who uses marijuana should probably ask themselves, it’s sometimes good to get an objective outsiders opinion based on that of qualified experts on patterns of addiction, that is outside your sub cultures typical doctrine or views and that applies to any type of drug use. Remember this is the test they use for all types of drug use and not prone to any kind of bias depending on the drug, it doesn’t matter how socially accepted it is within the circles you mix or subculture, the test is the same for all drugs. If you are an addict you are an addict it doesn’t matter what the drug is, the pattern of behaviour is always the same.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Other considerations

i have just finished reading a book unrelated to this subject that coincidentaly made I a good point a good point about addicts.
I have used for 40 years quit cold turkey 33 days ago.I found it hit home with me.

The author was refering to people who get stuck in a habit, opinion, or way of life and suggested that these stuck or locked states were similar to those of a drug addict and he made the following observations.

He said there are three types of addicts.
1) the wanton addict. this is the person who craves the drug at all costs and will do everything and anything they need to do to get their high.
2) the willing addict. These are people who are aware of their addiction and it's consequenses but are willing to forsake their doubts in order to continue their use of the drug.
3) the unwilling addict. these are the people who are addicted but feel a certain guilt, shame and loss about their habit. the author concludes that this third group are the people who are most likely to be successful in their attempt to quit.

I have to agree with this from personal exerience as I am one who has moved from the willing addict to the unwilling addict and finally made the decision to detox and so far so good.

Therefore I think it is important in as we move ahead in our rehabilitation to ask ourselves the question "what kind of addict am I ?'

this kind of questioning may indicate to us why we continue to smoke and help us decide the best method or reasons for giving it up.

The book by the way is "U-turn: what if you woke up one moning and realized you were living the wrong life?" by Bruce Grierson.

stay clear

rob.

[Mel]

marijuana addiction test

In my opinion addiction is when you lose control over the drug. And it controls you. You crave the drug, and you center your thoughts on getting the drug, using the drug and getting more of the drug.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

marijuana addiction test

To me addiction is when you feel that you have to take something.

[Luke]

I think if you have to do something every day then you are addicted.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Would you say that someone who smokes everyday but only in the evenings has a problem. I mean u dont call someone who enjoys a few beers after wrk everynight an alcoholic

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

Am I addicted to marijuana

That is a good question and to a certain extent a bit of a subjective thing. There aren’t really set amounts of consumption, that determine you have a problem with most drugs, other than alcohol there are no recommended limits, although if you are a heavy user of any drug, that can be an indication that you have a problem. I think it’s more of the case of rather than you control it, it controls you, if you feel you have to do it and can’t go without doing so, then you probably have an addiction, especially if you have to do it every day.

So in answer to your question if somebody has to have a “few” drinks a day, then they may well be addicted, just like if they have to have a few joints a day, they may well be addicted too. So maybe there are lots of people in society that are also addicted to various things, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, gambling, etc. But that does not make you any less addicted to what your addicted to.

The above test is probably a pretty good measure to go by, as if you leave it up to your own subjective judgement, it’s a well known fact that people who are addicted to something, whatever the addiction are often in denial and able to convince themselves that they are not.

Allot of people smoke marijuana every day and don’t even consider that they could be addicted, because they don’t think it’s even possible to be addicted to marijuana in the first place . But if you behaved that way with anything else, whether it was with a drug or a behaviour like gambling, it’s still recognised that you can have an addiction. Why is marijuana any different? Whether you believe it’s physical, psychological or whatever, an addiction is still an addiction.

The other thing to remember is whether you are addicted or not to any drug, doesn’t mean that your taking of that drug does you any less harm.

If you are certain you are not addicted to marijuana, try going without it for a couple of months and see how you do, if you are not addicted then you will not find it a problem.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Regardless of whether you pass or fail whoever’s test, if you can’t go a couple of months without it then you are addicted.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

am i addicted to weed

i got 7 out of 7

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Would you say that someone who smokes everyday but only in the evenings has a problem. I mean u dont call someone who enjoys a few beers after wrk everynight an alcoholic

actualy yea, they would be an alcoholic.

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Here's my take on the drug and dependence/addiction.

I was a almost everyday smoker for about 6 years. It all started when I got my own place. Plenty of opportunities to see time go up in plumes of smoke. I didn't really like other drugs. Mostly pot.

Eventually, it caught up with me, most notably in the last year and a half or so. The "magic" left, and I was smoking by myself about 90% of the time. I never really smoked copious amounts-- I wasn't a 1oz/week type guy. I could stretch an 8th through a week or so, sometimes a couple weeks. But it was good stuff, and I could maintain a high almost every day from when I got off work till when I went to sleep. But it just wasn't fun anymore. But I still kept chasing the "magic" high. I would only hang with friends who smoked weed, and would only hang at places where I could duck out and smoke a bowl. Otherwise, it just wasn't "worth" hanging out.

My GF of 2 years was completely sober, a recovering alcoholic. I pissed that relationship down the drain because I isolated and got high all the time, and lied about it. So she left.

I masked a lot of emotion and tried desperately to create my own defined utopia with pot. Didn't work.

Now I am in a dilemma...

So I quit the drug about 4 months ago after the breakup because I knew what it did to a relationship, and I was severely depressed in general. I started going to some support groups for addicts. I felt (and feel) kind of stupid for being there sometimes, especially sitting amongst the recovering heroin junkies and meth addicts, etc. I don't know why, maybe it's because I see so many people/friends who act like pot is no big deal. Maybe also because I care too much what other people think. Who knows. And- even though I seem to have had the classic symptoms of dependence, the cravings have subsided now a lot of the time. Sometimes they pop up, like if I romanticize it or get around people who are smoking the weed.

I think the bitter end of that relationship "shocked" me into stopping the pot smoking. Kind of "look what I've done!!" type stuff. But I still wonder if I am an idiot for attending meetings still. Even though we don't really share what drugs we did. It seems I can still relate to a lot of life circumstances some of these people have had aside from just the using. And I am enjoying supporting people now.

Kind of a weird spot right now. Insecurities. Should I keep going, I tell myself.

[Drug Rehab Chick]

Hi mate....just thought I'd share my take on things...a drug is a drug is a drug and an addiction is an addiction is an addiction....although different drugs might manifest in different ways, and pot is considered a 'soft drug', the repercussions of becoming addicted are no different than any other substance.....it just completely messes u up! The drug programs I know about all seem to involve the same sort of 12 step process..and it seems very important to long term recovery, so I wouldn't be feeling stupid for attending meetings....I'd be giving myself a pat on the back for continuing on a course that is obviously a positive, nurturing experience for you, which you enjoy attending and u can encourage and support others at...I admire that very much...and 4 months...wow! thats so incredible...well done for your effort and for your success. I've talked to alcoholics that still attend aa meetings 10 or more years after they'r sober...I suppose, like this site, those groups, like yours, are there for people whenever they need them, no matter how long you'v been staight or sober (whatever ur drug of choice happens to be). You never stop being an addict....u can choose to stop using though and stay stopped...and if the meetings help with that, then more power to them and to you! Grab onto it with both hands...some part of u probably still needs that support otherwise leaving wouldn't be a problem....and I bet the others in your group don't see you as stupid...they'r probably full of admiration for the commitment you've made, the support you give to others and how far you'v come.Good luck mate...well done...

[needabreak]

do i win a prize?!

aye-i passed the test wi flying colours-i been postin on this sight a while and i didnt look at this thread cause i knew i was addicted to pot-
well.........i knew i'd a problem-and smoked too much but didnt really think too hard about the addicted bit-

dont disrespecrt ur addiction dude-if u do then it will get u again-this might sound mad-imagine u wer addicted to apples-all day every day apple apple apple-who ate my apples-do i have enough apples-wat if they have none at my local suppliers-if u spend ur life letting something u have no control of consume u then u are well and truly addicted-denial might try to change ur mind but deep down u will know about that chemical change ur substance creates in u-its not enjoyment any more wen ur addicted-its fear of going without-

unregisterded guest-if u have a problem then u know it-irrespective of the substance u know its ther-its as real as every other addiction-keep at ur meetings-ur life being consumed by pot is as real as the heroin addict's life being consumed by heroin or the alcoholic's life being consumed by alcohol-
the only answer to an addiction is to stop-i'm trying to get my head round that-

[TheDude]

Needabreak and hippychick,

I posted the above message about insecurities before I joined. Thanks for your all's input. I appreciate the support.

Doing better today. When I crawl out of my own head, I see things alot clearer, for what they are.

[Charlie 108]

Do you call someone who goes to church every day a true Christian or a fanatic? If I called myself a healer and then called myself thief would it matter on-line in cyber space? Is there any problem with the way I look to you now on line? These may seem like irrelevant questions?
In 12 step groups, such as NA, coming to terms with your identity as an addict or an alcoholic is the most important step in recovery. I wonder if the exercise of asking has more to do with the initiation into 12 steps than it has to do with some universal first understanding necessary to recovery. Another way to look at this process of healing is to ask, "how is your relationship with herbs, why are you here on CannabisRehab.org at all?" Are you happy?

The the drug stopped working for me years ago. I want to detox permanently but have a lot of trouble after 3 months abstinence. I've been trying to detox seriously since 2005. So far I am off and on again. I'm probably an addict huh? Do I need to know if I am a really real addict or do I need to know that I am capable of quitting and staying quit. If I am an addict so what? Mostly it means I can never have just one again. I can not take one toke and enjoy it and then forget it. Maybe I'm not a really real addict (like my junkie buddies in NA) but I can say this about my own experience with pot addiction; I don't know how to have one toke and stop. I am very experienced here in this matter. I have crossed some line, years ago, that I can not deny and either I am on the bus or off of it. Each time I quit I can not imagine why I thought I needed it at least 5 times a day. Yet each time I think that I can smoke without losing control after some days of abstinence I last about a two days after the first toke. If my quit lasted less than a week I survive 2 hours before becoming an hourly smoker again who can't imagine half a day without it. I have heard depression discussed this way. I may or may not have caught a "depression" but when I was a teenager and had that spell where I did not want to live or get out of bed or eat well it sucked and I would have enjoyed a change.

The diagnosis of addiction may not be important but I think honesty really is crucial. I am crazy for the drug and can't control myself with it despite my desire to have it easy and save a nug for the morning. Today my life only eases a little when I make a clean and total break. If it's a bad relationship break up. If your are addicted to the bad relationship get help breaking up. Are you an addict? Only you know. Why ask the question? Are you happy with your buzz, are you worried about a thing?