Does it have to be cold turkey?

[rforre]

I've been smoking weed for over 30 years, not large quantities but high frequency, less these last few years, but still at least a couple of hits of very strong bud at night, and certainly not uncommon to take a toke during the day. I've tried to quit a million times unsuccessfully. I get all the classic symptoms - anxiety, despair, anger, cravings, headaches, flu symptoms - starting about day 3. In this recent attempt, after a few days, I've broken down and gone to the dispensary and purchased just a small amount, just enough to get high that night, and make sure there are no crumbs around for the next day. Doing this a couple times a week has cut down on my smoking by 90%, but still seems to leave me on an emotional roller-coaster. Wondering if some kind of tapering-off method like this has worked for anyone, not worked, or am I just resetting the clock every time and dragging out the discomforts?

[RosePink]

I don't think there is one answer to this. I think many people will say it has to be all or nothing- that for a weed addict we either smoke all the time or not at all. But if you are cutting down to only 10% of what you used to smoke that is pretty amazing. Maybe you can just try to go for a longer period without it, get through the initial scary feelings, and see how you feel?
I have been smoking for about 26 yrs. I am currently at almost a month sober- during which time I had two nights in which I smoked and the rest of the time sober. I feel good about it and don't mind the nights I smoked. I think if you are still smoking every day then that may be too much for you- sounds like?
I am not sure myself if I am fully committed to permanent sobriety! I would say try to go a week or two withut it and see how you feel- and then just trust your own process to see what you need. After smoking so long it can be nice to give yourself some periods even of longer sobriety- even if you plan to go back to it again, just to clear out the body and live with some different perspectives. For me, I am not sure I won't ever smoke again--- and I just think compared to how I used to be- smoking all the time- if I can do as much sober time as possible but still have some weeks or whatever where I use, I would feel okay about that. but as a daily thing I think that feels like you are still fully in it. What about saying to yourself- I will tae 7 days off- and then commit to that. Then smoke for a while again. then try ten days off, etcetera. This has been helpful to me as a long term smoker- just giving myself periods where I commit to m=not smoking but not being too rigid if I go back to it.

[addictionhotline]

Hi there,
Tapering off is not always successful, especially if you had smoked for a long period of time. You are obviously experiencing severe withdrawals symptoms and cravings, and those are hard to overcome on your own. Now, quitting "cold turkey" may even be dangerous. You may not thought of getting a professional help from a Substance Abuse Professional, but this is the best way you can overcome your addiction! A professional cannabis rehab specialists will be able to develop a treatment plan that is based on your personal and individual needs. First, you may have to go through a detox process. During this process, you will have the same withdrawals symptoms and cravings you described, however your health care provider may prescribe some addiction medications and sedatives to help you manage those uncomfortable, and often powerful symptoms. In most cases, the individuals who attempted to quit on their own, even by tapering off, did not find successful results to recover from their specific addiction problem.
Pot may seem to be different then other more powerful drugs, however it is still a habit-forming drug, that can result in addiction. Therefore, it should be treated just like any other addiction problem.
Behavioral therapy and counseling should follow the detox process. Any addiction has both physical and psychological components, so both of these aspects have to addressed. During the therapy process, the counselor will work with you on finding the underlying cause of your addiction, and help you to learn how to cope with life's stress with out using drugs. With out the behavioral therapy and counseling, the treatment can not be effective.
Many people had successfully completed their cannabis rehab treatment, and were able to live a healthy and productive life style.

Tanya Wise

[Cannabis Rehab Admin]

You are safe quitting cold turkey with marijuana, in fact the addiction Dr I saw talk about this on a documentary said you are actually safe from a medical perspective going cold turkey with any drug except sometimes alcohol, he said everything other than that you should be ok with, he said it may be extremely uncomfortable (total hell to you and me) but alcohol is the only one that may need specialized detox treatment as it can even kill if the person if their body goes into shock.

Anyway that's not to say you shouldn't get professional drug detox treatment and rehab for other drugs too, as the chances of success are significantly higher especially when it comes to harder drugs but that's just the situation in regards to whether your body is going to face a danger from a medical perspective according to the documentaries I have watched.

All the best,

[Cannabis Rehab Guest]

Cold turkey is always the best way to detox, very few succeed tapering off as drug addiction takes away the control required to do it in the first place.