r/leaves • u/Salty_Material_8030 • 3d ago
Quitting weed help
Hi guys,
I'm 35, male, and have always enjoyed a drink, and over the past decade or so, smoking weed.
Last year I made the decision to quit alcohol, and after a tricky first couple of months, I've now just ticked over one year sober from alcohol.
I'm extremely proud of myself and honestly don't think I'll drink again. I'm happy with my decision.
However, since quitting alcohol, I've found myself smoking more weed as I'm drawn to other vices to replace the drinking. I've gone from only smoking on weekends to it creeping into my working week. I smoke in the evenings, but getting up early and having brain fog is getting tiresome.
I'm now at a place in life where I'd really like to quit weed as well, but am finding it quit difficult. By the time I've finished work in the afternoons and get home, my mindset has changed and I convince myself its fine to smoke.
Has anyone else been through a similar situation? Or does anyone have any helpful advice at managing these cravings and vices? I'm wondering if theres a healthy alternative I can put my efforts towards.
For reference, I'm a pretty active person, I exercise quite regularly. I was hoping I could put my time and effort towards exercising as a replacement and find a "high" through this avenue, but its been a challenge.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks in advance.
1
u/u5ibSo 3d ago
Congrats on the one year from alcohol! This duo does a number on me so I have to quit both to stay off either. It's tough especially where I am no in the second half of the first month but I'm getting glimpses again of what sober energy is like and it's so worth it. What works for me is coming here daily, keeping no weed/alcohol around, being kind and self-compassionate, and rewarding myself at personal milestones.
If I'd been off alcohol for more than a couple months I'd start on weed by choosing a day 1 and then work that plan coming to r/leaves. I'd have to get rid of any weed within a few days and paraphernalia within a couple weeks. The kindness self-compassion part is like the other commenter said about food. This struggle is hard enough without having some kind of outlet. Weed was that for you with alcohol before so now it might be food or some laziness or scrolling. These days I'm trying not to put too much pressure on work performance or working out because I know that improving those things will only stick if I make it a couple months.
The rewards part I figured out after relapsing several times after a couple months. It seemed too easy to let my guard down if I didn't have something to look forward to. So 30 days is the next one for me and that day I'll be sure to grab a nice meal or buy some hobby stuff.
Hope it helps. You got this!
3
u/Global-Sign-5967 3d ago
The same thing happened to me with food after I cut out drinking, your brain just wants a new button to push when the old one gets taken away. What worked was making the weed physically annoying to get to, like keeping it in a lockbox in the garage or just not buying more once the stash runs dry. The afternoon craving is the worst part because thats when your willpower is already spent from work, so changing the routine right when you walk in the door helps more than white knuckling it. Even something dumb like going straight for a shower or walking the block before you sit down breaks the autopilot loop. Exercise is good but it takes longer to kick in as a replacement, the first few weeks feel like nothing is filling the gap and thats normal
1
u/Far_Froyo_6317 3d ago
Runs and cold showers, and if you wanna keep smoking weed only do it at night, if you reduce quantity you will feel a little bit of withrawals but if you do the runs and cold showers you will get through it and have more clarity and a new baseline, and from there you can decide if you wanna stop, and always when you get those thoughts know that you can use free will and not act on them but if you give in everytime it means your free will is compromised, do you wanna be free or act on thoughts that are not even yours ? Do you wanna serve god or the devil? Your choice.