# Giving up dope.



## MarkTwain

Giving up dope.

A friend asked me to write about how I gave up smoking cannabis and nicotine, which I emailed her. I thought TAM may as well have it too...

Many people, especially pot-heads say that cannabis is not addictive. I used to be one of those people who would routinely say that. However I started smoking dope at the tender age of 13 and by the age of 16 I was wondering if I should stop. I went without it for a month, and found that I started to hallucinate! So I went back to smoking the weed, and after my first joint, I felt back to "normal". After a few months went by, I started to get back the nagging thoughts that I really should not need to have this substance in my life. It began to dawn on me that I really was addicted. I decided that I wanted to give my body and mind the gift of health. The cannabis (and the nicotine that went with it in the joints) were at odds with my idea of a healthy life-style.

I tried many times to stop smoking joints but it always went the same way - I would manage a few days or even a few weeks. Then I would be offered a joint and I would just give in and go with the flow. Then afterwards I would feel not so much guilty, but perhaps a failure for not having held out longer. Once I had toked on one joint, I would feel that my giving up had failed so I may as well keep smoking. A few weeks would go by, and I would pick myself up and try again.

This cycle of short-lived successes and failures kept repeating for many years until it dawned on me what was happening. I realised I needed a different strategy. One that did not involve the possibility of failure. So I came up with a new method. I decided I would not attempt to give up drugs. I would simply cut down. So I would try not to smoke... but if I did give in to temptation, that did not matter, as long as my average went down over time. I even had the odd binge without feeling any guilt at all. My main goal became simply this: to increase the time between each episode of smoking. Eventually when I got to four years between joints, I knew I had done it.

Gradually over time, I went form having to make an effort to avoid dope, to actively disliking both the drug and the life-style that went with it. But this process did span many years. For a long time, I only smoked at parties. At other times it was only if I was on holiday. But now I don't even want it, and I feel no desire to have a toke ever again. But if I ever do - it's very unlikely I'll want one the next day, or the day after that. This is because I did not use will power to give up. I simply went about changing what I wanted from life. I wanted to be the best person I could be. Smoking anything is not in alignment with that goal. I wanted to move towards this goal so badly, that looking back, I can honestly say, the smoking stopped by itself. Once I got started it was automatic.

I would like to add that when I first started to give up joints, I found myself smoking cigarettes. A lot of pot-heads who try to stop find this happens. Some say it is because there is an underlying addiction to the nicotine in the joints. Others say it is something to do with the fingers. I'm glad to say, the cigarettes and cigars went the same way as the dope, and I simply could not imagine having a roll-up or a cigar now. Even the thought of putting a lighted one in my mouth and sucking on it makes me wince!


----------



## WantsHappiness

MarkTwain said:


> The cannabis (and the nicotine that went with it in the joints) were at odds with my idea of a healthy life-style.


I don't know if this is the forum for it but I’m curious, where does nicotine come into play with the joints? I can’t speak to giving up dope but I ask because as a former cigarette smoker I can say that the method of weaning oneself off of tobacco/nicotine is usually not a good way of going about it. Even if you succeed at lengthening the time between each smoke you reaffirm the addiction every time you do smoke. The physical addition to nicotine is out of the system within three days of abstaining, anything past three days is purely mental addiction. So that's where I'm wondering about nicotine in joints, is it always present? Will nicotine addiction be a factor for anyone who tries to quit dope?


----------



## Alexandra

For some people the weaning process does really work, mostly because it breaks the habit of smoking. After that's broken, they do still have to deal with the nicotine addiction mind you...

Hang onto to those feelings of totally disliking the whole habit Mr. Twain. Some people give it up (either dope or cigarettes) and ALWAYS struggle with it. They enjoy the sensation, taste, habit, atmosphere, whatever. Be grateful that's not you  

I've even heard of people eating raw carrots as a "finger activity" substitute for cigarettes. Kind of bizarre!


----------



## WantsHappiness

Heh, I ate carrots, chewed gum, chewed straws and eventually took up cooking to keep my hands busy and unable to hold a cigarette. I agree, everyone is different and people should do whatever works best for them. 

It’s a testament to your willpower indeed that you were able to quit through the weaning process. I didn’t mean to diminish that and big kudos to you, Mark  I was just curious about the nicotine part of the cannabis addiction.


----------



## MarkTwain

WantsHappiness said:


> because as a former cigarette smoker I can say that the method of weaning oneself off of tobacco/nicotine is usually not a good way of going about it. Even if you succeed at lengthening the time between each smoke *you reaffirm the addiction every time you do smoke*.


You have almost, but not quite misunderstood my explanation.

What I am saying is that, if you release yourself from the guilt every time you _do _smoke, then you are not re-affirming yourself as a smoker.

It's the guilt that makes it worse.



WantsHappiness said:


> The physical addition to nicotine is out of the system within three days of abstaining, anything past three days is purely mental addiction. So that's where I'm wondering about nicotine in joints, is it always present? Will nicotine addiction be a factor for anyone who tries to quit dope?


A lot of people find they have to give up dope first, and then work on the nicotine unless they are one of the rare types that only smoke dope neat.


WantsHappiness said:


> It’s a testament to your willpower indeed that you were able to quit through the weaning process


*You're giving credit where it's not due! *As I tried to explain, it took no will-power at all. People can blow smoke of any kind in my face. It makes no difference. It's all about choice. I kept making the choice not to smoke, over and over again. In the end I actually did not want it. Ultimately it's all about changing what we want.

I have not smoked dope full time for about 15 years, and have not smoked anything at all for several years. I can't remember the last time I had a cigarette or cigar.


----------



## ozymandias

MarkTwain said:


> A lot of people find they have to give up dope first, and then work on the nicotine unless they are one of the rare types that only smoke dope neat.


MT:

I think the combo is very much an EU thing. Most folks I know in the US take it "neat".

Ozymandias


----------



## MarkTwain

ozymandias said:


> MT:
> 
> I think the combo is very much an EU thing. Most folks I know in the US take it "neat".
> 
> Ozymandias


Well yeah... I am in the UK


----------

