Help to Stop Smoking Weed

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most commonly abused drug in America is marijuana, more commonly known as weed. Marijuana comes from the budding flower of the Cannabis sativa plant, and can be smoked like tobacco to release delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC. The psychotropic effects of THC make it a popular recreational drug among millions of Americans. Although marijuana is not chemically addicting, the feelings and altered perceptions it creates can be psychologically addicting. If you feel that it's time to end your dependence on marijuana, here are some tips to help you kick the habit.

Weed's Negative Effects

• Although many find smoking weed to be a pleasurable experience, there are plenty of negatives. The THC and other cannabinoids released from marijuana affect in your brain receptors that are in charge of concentration and perception. This is why someone who has just smoked weed may have a delayed response reaction or experience feelings of paranoia. When an individual has just smoked, short-term memory is greatly limited, making learning difficult. Weed use has been linked to short-term memory loss.

  Men who smoke marijuana are at greater risk of developing problems with erectile dysfunction and decreased sperm count. Pregnant women who smoke are putting their unborn child at risk of exposure to THC, which can retard brain development and result in a lowered educational achievement. Marijuana smoke also contains a number of chemicals that can be harmful when inhaled and can leave behind four times the amount of tar in your lungs that tobacco cigarettes does.

Why Do You Do It?

• Marijuana use is not something upon which the human body becomes chemically dependent. However, the mental, physical and sensual high that it produces offers a quick way to greatly alter your current reality. One of the most common reasons for marijuana use is the need to escape from problems in daily life.

  Before trying to quit marijuana use, take the time to understand properly why you've used the drug in the past and why you want to quit. Keeping a journal detailing your marijuana use can help you analyze your smoking habits and possibly tell you risk factors or habitual motivators about which you weren't previously aware. Keep a list of reasons why you're making the decision to stop smoking weed. Take this list with you wherever you think you may feel the urge to smoke. If you need help motivating yourself to not smoke weed, reference that list.

Repetition

• As a psychological addiction, indulging in marijuana is best avoided through discipline and conditioning exercises. Repetition is a conditioning principle that can change your normal response to nearly anything, including weed use. If and when you feel the urge to smoke, sequester yourself in a room that is without any marijuana paraphernalia and get into a comfortable position. Begin to enter a relaxed, meditative state and repeat to yourself any phrase that explains what you want to think about weed. For instance, it may give you more control to say, "I am stronger than the marijuana, and I don't need to use it to escape." Repeat this a few times until your urge to smoke passes. You may need to complete this exercise multiple times per day when you first quit smoking. The more you are able to believe the words you say, the easier it will be to rid yourself of the craving.

Elastic-Band Therapy

• Another conditioning exercise that can create a negative response to a stimulus is known as elastic-band therapy. Although it may cause mild pain, elastic-band therapy is a stronger conditioner than meditative repetition. Wrap a rubber band or similar elastic strap around your wrist, and keep it there throughout the day. When you feel any urge or craving to smoke marijuana, pull back the rubber band covering the underside of your wrist an inch or so, and let it go, letting the rubber band snap against your wrist. The goal is to get your mind to associate marijuana smoke with pain, thereby decreasing the urge to smoke.

Counseling

• Because of the psychological motivation behind smoking marijuana, counseling and therapy can help support you through the issues associated with quitting. One-on-one therapy with a counselor can help you address the reasons why you smoke weed during the quitting process. Some patients may even want to seek advanced procedures, such as hypnosis therapy. Contact your local hospital or medical facility to learn about area outpatient rehabilitation programs or support groups for marijuana users.