Seeking Honest Advice: I Gotta Cut Out..

[jfrey]

^ 100% agree.

[Eric!]

You're one of my new favorite people, SousieBrucie <3

[Deltaphoenix]

I am at 3+ years without a drink or a drug. Shit was super hard at first, I was hanging on by the minute, with a little time it became easier. I too will always be an addict. My addiction takes different forms, any thing that is an escape from reality that causes problems and consequences, that I do even after I know it causes said problems is probably something I should look at. I did Rehab, I am active in NA (I like it 'cause it's crazy JWAR!!!) I have a sponsor, I work steps, I have a sponsee. But that is my path.
At 2 1/2 years clean, my lady and I bought a house. I have traveled 1000s of miles and been new places.
With some time, Weed looks Fucking Boring! I just don't want to get dulled by weed. I used to worry that weed made me a better musician and that I wouldn't be able to play as good...Uh that is Bullshit because I practice more and am really into the music when I am playing. Life on life's terms is rough sometimes because nothing dulls the pain, but it is also better because nothing dulls the joy. What is funny is that I got clean because of opiates and needles, but when I got clean, weed is what I feared giving up for awhile. I could easily see that shooting-up was going to kill me. It took some time to realize how subtle weed was. I also know that I can't just smoke weed. If I did, I would be like let's get a beer. After some beers I would be like LET'S GET FUCKED UP!!!!!!!! and I would rob a pharmacy or something.

[Waterpilot]

Sorry but he isn't wrong, low willpower =/= addiction. Also, it has been proven that pot is not physically addictive.
You'll be more addicted to coffee and cigarettes than to pot.

I don't think you can totally equate willpower to all types of addictions as there are many more factors that can go into it, even the "nonphysical" ones. I also think you have to be careful when comparing or making determinations with the word "addiction". It may or may not be less addictive the nicotine and caffeine but there is a far greater chance in becoming addicted to pot then by not doing it at all. Everyone worries about being "addicted". Unfortunately, it becomes the focus and can take away attention from the problem, which is doing drugs resulting in negative consequenses.

You're one of my new favorite people, SousieBrucie <3

I also know that I can't just smoke weed. If I did, I would be like let's get a beer. After some beers I would be like LET'S GET FUCKED UP!!!!!!!! and I would rob a pharmacy or something.

I agree with everything you said Delta and am in the same boat as you. This last sentence hits home with me. I choose not to use anything and am very happy in doing so.

[alexa.]

Sorry but he isn't wrong, low willpower =/= addiction. Also, it has been proven that pot is not physically addictive.
You'll be more addicted to coffee and cigarettes than to pot.

I don't think you can totally equate willpower to all types of addictions as there are many more factors that can go into it, even the "nonphysical" ones. I also think you have to be careful when comparing or making determinations with the word "addiction". It may or may not be less addictive the nicotine and caffeine but there is a far greater chance in becoming addicted to pot then by not doing it at all. Everyone worries about being "addicted". Unfortunately, it becomes the focus and can take away attention from the problem, which is doing drugs resulting in negative consequenses.

Well, bigchiefbc explained what I wanted to say in a better way; and I didn't intend to say that they should totally equate, so it's a kinda clumsy formulation on my part. Just wanted to portray my (sort of harsh) view on the matter, that sometimes people are spoiled and switch the blame of their low willpower to "addiction". It's not the general rule, but from my experience, pot users that 'can't quit cuz they are addicted' tend to act that way. Grow some balls, like Audie Murphy!

After the war, he came down with Shell-Shock, and was prescribed the antidepressant placidyl. When he became addicted to the drug, rather than enter a program like some kind of sissy, he went cold-turkey, locked himself in a motel room for a week and got over it.

Read more: 5 Real Life Soldiers Who Make Rambo Look Like a Pussy | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_17019_5- ... z1yNaGtWoj

Now that's a way to handle an addiction.

[Jwar]

I am at 3+ years without a drink or a drug. Shit was super hard at first, I was hanging on by the minute, with a little time it became easier. I too will always be an addict. My addiction takes different forms, any thing that is an escape from reality that causes problems and consequences, that I do even after I know it causes said problems is probably something I should look at. I did Rehab, I am active in NA (I like it 'cause it's crazy JWAR!!!) I have a sponsor, I work steps, I have a sponsee. But that is my path.
At 2 1/2 years clean, my lady and I bought a house. I have traveled 1000s of miles and been new places.
With some time, Weed looks Fucking Boring! I just don't want to get dulled by weed. I used to worry that weed made me a better musician and that I wouldn't be able to play as good...Uh that is Bullshit because I practice more and am really into the music when I am playing. Life on life's terms is rough sometimes because nothing dulls the pain, but it is also better because nothing dulls the joy. What is funny is that I got clean because of opiates and needles, but when I got clean, weed is what I feared giving up for awhile. I could easily see that shooting-up was going to kill me. It took some time to realize how subtle weed was. I also know that I can't just smoke weed. If I did, I would be like let's get a beer. After some beers I would be like LET'S GET FUCKED UP!!!!!!!! and I would rob a pharmacy or something.

See we have a similar story I believe. I started using when I was 16. Started with pot then moved to booze. After booze I started taking acid, meth, coke, crank, I did pcp a few times, huffed gas, smoke opiates, took all kind of pills I didn't even know what half of them were. The waking up part for me with hard drug abuse was a few incidents that happened to me. 1. I had a gun stuck in my face and was told I was going to be shot in the head. 2. I was watching meth addicts shoot up and smoke meth around their younger siblings, some as young as 4 or 5. 3. I was contact by the Drug Task force, investigated and interrogated for being involved with a local drug dealer.

At that point in my life I was selling a little weed here and there as well as acid.

I stopped abusing hard drugs when I was 19. I however continued to smoke pot and drink heavily until I was 26, almost 27.

The only way I was able to stop was to go to a treatment center. No one asked me to go, or pressured me to go. In fact my wife was against me going. My issues was I could not have just 1 drink. I could not smoke just 1 joint. I had to get fucked up every single time. So fucked up that I would black out and end up in places I didn't know how I got there.

I spent 21 days in a treatment center. Started going to NA and AA weekly. I tried to do 90 meetings in 90 days but it didn't quite work out. AA is not the reason I believe I'm sober today though. I have very strong spiritual beliefs, and I think God had a LOT to do with. That and the support of my loved ones. It wasn't until I admitted my problem, gave up my will and turned it over to God saying "your will be done, not mine", that things started to change.

Believe me, I have changed a lot.


People say weeds not addictive, that's fine. There is concrete evidence on both sides of the spectrum. I have done research in this and am not ignorant in the slightest about the dangers of smoking pot. It is in fact a gateway drug for most people. Not everyone. But you can't make blanket statements saying "pots not addictive" or "pots not a drug". Marijuana has a chemical compound in it that that causes your mind state to be altered. People do in fact become addicted to being in this state of mind, which is cause by the marijuana. Chances are if they weren't smoking pot, they'd be doing something else to get out of their head.

I don't really feel like debating this. It's my opinion and like I stated, I have done a lot of research. I have also been clean and sober for the last 3 years. Best thing I ever did in my life. I grew the fuck up, buckled down and started caring about the things that matter in life. You know, like family, jobs, school...etc.

Ok. Enough is enough though. This is about Eric and if he feels he has a problem or an addiction to marijuana, then who the fuck are any of you to say differently? You don't know how his brain is mapped out and how his body reacts to marijuana. So you can't say "dude you're not addicted". That's just ridiculous.

[snipelfritz]

Eric, I'll take all your weed and smoking accessories and keep them from you. Just so I can help you out, buddy.

[Waterpilot]

Well, bigchiefbc explained what I wanted to say in a better way; and I didn't intend to say that they should totally equate, so it's a kinda clumsy formulation on my part. Just wanted to portray my (sort of harsh) view on the matter, that sometimes people are spoiled and switch the blame of their low willpower to "addiction". It's not the general rule, but from my experience, pot users that 'can't quit cuz they are addicted' tend to act that way. Grow some balls, like Audie Murphy!

Yeah you had some good things to say it's just sometimes... It gets me frustrated when peeps are asking for advice or help and people's agendas (I'm NOT directing this at you Alexa, just generally) get thrown into the mix. I mean if you (again, not directed at you specifically, just generally) saw a man or woman beaten, bloodied, and staggering around on the street are you going to help them or lecture them on the pros and cons of late night walks with the surrounding crowd?

[Waterpilot]

Ok. Enough is enough though. This is about Eric and if he feels he has a problem or an addiction to marijuana, then who the fuck are any of you to say differently? You don't know how his brain is mapped out and how his body reacts to marijuana. So you can't say "dude you're not addicted". That's just ridiculous.

Got there before I did. This is what I was getting at. We too have similar stories and beliefs.

[gunslinger_burrito]

I have been going through a distantly similar situation with trying to quit drinking. It gets hard when life becomes stressful, and so one thing to think about is this:

When you stop for even a day and then have the urge to do it, ask yourself why you want to. I found out that I tend to drink when I'm bored or bummed out about something and want to get my mind off of something. I read a quote by Marilyn Manson somewhere (no matter what you may think of him) where he said something like "You should only do drugs when you're happy, and you want to be happier. Not as an escape or substitute for entertainment or happiness." And I've read/heard similar things elsewhere. While I have nothing against smoking pot and do still occasionally do it, I think that for some people (maybe a lot? ) it becomes a sedative.

Knowing that it's a problem is step 1, and figuring out why you do it I think is another step. Once you know why, you can fix those issues, and you won't "need" it anymore.

Try to taper off, maybe? Star off with limitations if you can't do it cold turkey. Maybe only allow yourself so much per week or month. My rule with it, my entire life, was not to spend money on it. I still haven't. It's one of those things that so many people do that it seemed pointless to me to spend my cash on it. They always offer. I second/third/fourth/whatever the notion of exercise. Start running or something. And good luck!