Marijuana is a drug that has great benefits when prescribed for a medical purpose, but it can be dangerous, especially when this substance is abused. When consumed over a long period of time, dependence, tolerance and addiction can develop. Marijuana is usually smoked to produce a relaxing effect and generate euphoria in the person. Although there are others who prefer to eat it to prolong its effects. Regardless of the form of consumption, the person runs the risk of developing an addiction. In this Psychology-Online article we tell you some of the symptoms of marijuana addiction and its treatment.
Long-term marijuana use has addictive potential. In many cases, occasional users or "new" users do not show symptoms of addiction. However, daily and long-term use of marijuana can have addictive effects.
Therefore, suddenly stopping using marijuana involves a series of withdrawal symptoms: irritability, insomnia, poor appetite, anxiety, depression, agitation, craving (desire to consume) and mood swings.
These symptoms usually appear in the third or fourth day consecutive without consuming the substance, to later disappear after 1 or 2 weeks. Although there are some symptoms, mainly of a psychological nature, that take longer to disappear and require some type of treatment to overcome them.
Some psychological effects of marijuana use They are:
- High levels of anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of interest in socializing
- Schizophrenic symptoms
- Acute psychotic reaction
The first step in overcoming marijuana addiction is recognize it and ask for help. Recognizing the symptoms of marijuana addiction can help determine the severity of the case. Usually, marijuana addiction is the result of using the substance in conjunction with other substances such as alcohol or other drugs, but these two criteria are not always met. Currently, cannabis dependence is quite common due to the large number of people who use marijuana.
Some symptoms of marijuana addiction They are:
- Marijuana tolerance: the person needs to smoke more marijuana to achieve the same rewarding effects.
- When there is no use of marijuana appear withdrawal symptoms: the person is physically dependent on marijuana. Some of the symptoms of this physical dependence are: stomach upset, anxiety or depression in the absence of marijuana use.
- Out of control consumption: the person with addiction tries to reduce their use of marijuana, but is not able to do so. It even increases it despite not wanting to do so.
- Do not practice other types of activities: the addicted person begins to dedicate so much time to addiction that they do not have time to do other activities, such as sports, reading ...
- Most of the time the person is drugged: the addicted person begins to be drugged more and more time, which interferes with his life.
- Use marijuana despite knowing the consequences: the person has already suffered some negative consequences of their addiction, but continues to use.
- Consuming marijuana to relax: develop dependence on marijuana to be able to relax.
People addicted to marijuana have probably once thought about stopping using it when addiction is a problem in their life. Here are some reasons to quit smoking marijuana:
- Psychological reasons: reduction of anxiety and depression. In addition, the person is able to be more relaxed and happy without the need for the substance.
- Physical reasons: feeling better, with more energy and reduced risk of lung cancer.
- Establish new relationships: quitting marijuana allows you to spend time meeting people in contexts other than the one you use.
- Financial reasons: the money that was invested in the use of marijuana can be used for other purposes.
- Legal reasons: the addicted person can stay out of trouble with the law.
If you are addicted to marijuana and have decided that the time has come to quit, there are some steps you can take to begin the recovery of your life. Overcoming marijuana addiction can be very difficult because it involves changing your life. You probably have anxiety and depression, and you have changed your group of friends due to substance use. The addiction led you to another path and with the treatment you must change direction.
Here are some options to overcome your addiction:
- Rehabilitation: It is usually the most common method of treatment for addictions. At first, the person must go to the center daily, and then increase the period of time between sessions (weekly, monthly). In these sessions group or individual therapy is done with the aim, among others, of recognizing and avoiding those situations that trigger the addiction of the person.
- Rehabilitation in internal regime: Generally, in marijuana cases it is not usually necessary for the person to be admitted to a center, except in those cases in which the addiction co-occurs with some mental disorder or with another addiction.
- Behavioral therapy: there are people who decide to smoke because they are bored or need a stimulus to cheer up. Behavioral therapy can teach these people how to overcome their addiction through changes in their behavior. These positive changes will be aimed at making the person more productive and perform rewarding activities that stimulate him without the need to resort to drugs.
- Cognitive therapy: This method of treatment will help the addict to think in a way that does not facilitate tobacco use. For example, it would work to change thoughts like “to relax, the only thing I can do is consume marijuana ”.
- Community reinforcementMany people who use marijuana have trouble feeling good or happy without using drugs due to chemical changes in the brain caused by addiction. Community reinforcement programs can help provide the individual with a reward for meeting the recovery goals, such as: not smoking for a month, or making a series of commitments and fulfill them.
- Self-help groups: There are many self-help groups that follow recovery models based on steps or phases that the addict must go through to rebuild his life without addictions.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
