You are doing amazing and it will get better eventually. I quit cold turkey myself three weeks ago and I would say the first week was the worst. Whatever you do, every single day you do not smoke is a success and makes a difference.

What helps me is spending time with others. But they should not be smoking.

I’ve heard that after day 7 it gets much easier, most of the chemicals and by-products are gone by then. But that most people also smoke again at day 7

regardless, you are already doing good. You identified the issue and decided to tackle it instead of avoiding it, and you’ve already made it half way through the worst of it

Now, we must remember that material conditions matter. E.g., my need to smoke is gone since I started treating my adhd properly. Idk what you’ve got going, but there may be something outside the chemical/psicological dependence that may hinder you

It’s quite a big step to identify, acknowledge and accept that an activity has turned from leisure into addiction. Just remember that there is a huge difference between “lol i gotta stop smoking” and “I want to make changes for the better”. It may not seem huge but you haven’t smoked in four days. Even if you light up tomorrow you could say that you actively chose to not smoke for 96 hours and you should be proud of that, brain bees be damned.

What’s so special about 120 hours? 96 hours wasn’t easy but you did it. What happens at 144 hours? 168?

There’s no right or wrong way to tackle addiction but in my life I’ve learned that finding new perspectives on a problem can be a force multiplier for willpower.

That being said I’m proud of you. Good job.

I’m going through the same struggle, as well as with some other habits too I’m trying to kick. I’ll second people said here too. This may be a long ramble, but I want you to know that you aren’t alone in this (as cliche as that sounds).

For me, getting over weed has come in waves and cycles. And each cycle sorta builds on the last. (There’s something about dialectics and spiral developmemt in there.)

At first there was just this recognition that I use it to much. And this recognition lasted years but didn’t amount to anything and I still wasn’t quitting. Then with time (a long ass time) it eventually got to the point that I would smoke, and then immediately regret it. I would feel like I actually didn’t want to be stoned. But despite that, I’d still smoke (brain silly).

Weed was, and is, one thing that puts me in a good mood and gives me the emotional energy to want to do the things I like. But still, I’d get high and never would do any of those things, I would be satisfied just thinking about doing them. When high I would get a mood boost and remember that I do want to read, study, paint, play music, socialize, work on personal projects and the like.

But ironically while it gave me that mood boost it also compromised my ability to do any of the things I wanted to do. And it took a long time for me to accept that was so. I had developed a emotional dependency on it and it also felt (and still do to some extent) like it was part of my identity. And I denied how comprimised my ability to focus was. I have a high tolerance, so I thought it wasnt really impacting me. But when high, I can’t read for shit or at least cant remember what I read. I can’t code for shit. I can’t do my job well. I could still play instruments, but I was mostly “doodling” and not really accumulating skills. It took years, and I mean years of doing this over and over again until I couldn’t deny that all these outlets were being hampered by weed.

But despite seeing this more clearly, I would still smoke. Sometimes I would quit, but then I’d get back on it. And sometimes I’d smoke even more upon going back to it. Maybe it was because of a feeling of futility, or fuck it. I’d cycle between quitting and using over and over, but each time that recognition would grow and feel more acute of how weed was “blocking” me from developing the way I wanted to. I don’t mean productivity bullshit. I just mean that were things i really wanted to get done, to experience, to try and be good at. There was a person I wanted to be. A way I wanted to engage in the world and with others. Despite knowing this, It was still hard to quit because I had, and likely still have, this emotional need. Like I said, it gives me a dopamine boost.

Weed also hampered by ability to live a type of ethical or (dare I say) “spiritual” life I wanted. Weed use compounded with other stupid habits. It made me less willing or able to go out and do challenging things that leftists need to do (participate in activism or just talk to people). Also, it dulled my awareness. I couldn’t be mindful, I couldn’t practice awareness of my mind and body, I couldnt meditate. Again, I wanted to develop a certain way, and be a certain person, but weed blocked it. And I didn’t really like admitting it. Somehow admitting that felt like defeat - which makes no sense but the mind reasons in weird ways I guess. Eventually I got to the point where I would wake up and immediately get stoned, but also immediately regret it because I didn’t actually want the brain fog anymore. But I still wanted the emotional boost I thought weed was giving me. And it did give me emotional support, but everything else about it started to outweigh it.

Knowing all this helped give me some perspective as to why I wanted to stop weed. And it is good to reflect on what one wants out of weed, what one wants out of life, and really feel out any contradictions the two may have. Earlier in my life that contradiction wasn’t strong, but with age it had increased to the point that I knew something had to change. I could look back to years of my life and painfully see i hadnt made any “progress” in my art, or my intellectual pursuits or my social life. Most of the free time I had which I could have used for these was spent getting stoned. So if you’re also at that point, and it sounds like you are, maybe try what I did and keep the why in the forefront of your mind. Hell, make a ritual or artwork or anything that embodies this why.

But for me, and probably for you, knowing the why may not be enough. I knew why I wanted to quit, but I couldn’t go a day without. I tried hiding the weed, putting friction between me and it, but that didn’t work well. I eventually had to throw it all out, everything. I realized I couldn’t rely on my will power as long as I had it. So far I am a couple months sober. That’s an accomplishment for me.

But I know I may backslide. I have in the past. And if I do, I’ll just try again. Doesn’t do any good to shame myself. When I backslide I try to be aware of my triggers.

Where was I

What thoughts were I having

What was my mood

Etc,. Like, when I am alone and feeling bored and stressed about work or just life. Or when I am feeling sad and that dull dry feeling comes over me, then the urge comes back. And these triggers are very strong so I had to just get rid of weed instead of relying on will power. I try to be conscious of the environment (inside my head and outside) that creates the potential for relapse and I try to change it. Go for a walk, rearrange my room, change my schedule. Etc. If I can change it for a couple minutes I can ride out the wave.

Within a week or so urges have gotten much less powerful. You may find it to be true yourself. The first week or so is hard. But each day after thay gets easier and easier.

Still, I have some urges to smoke and fall into that happy relaxing feeling.

Something that helps me is the following. I don’t have to determine whether or not I will smoke again for the rest of my life. I just have to focus on whether or not I will smoke for the next five minutes. Much less heavy of a feeling. Can I make it past the next five minutes? Then usually the urge passes and I don’t feel it again for a while.

To help with the bad feelings that weed would help subdue, I’ve done the following. I start “cultivating”. Part of what made me want to quit weed was that it blocked me from cultivating the interests, hobbies, and qualities that I wanted. So when the urge comes over me, I recall this intention and I try to set out and do one of these things. “God I want to smoke, well I’m sober so let’s paint” or “let’s code” or “let’s work on that project thay actually requires focus”, etc. It returns me to my intention and also gives my hand and mind something to do.

Now it sucks at first. I can’t lie. Our dopamine or endorphins receptors or whatever are all fucked from years getting quick blasts of pleasure. So painting, or playing music, or working on a coding project or whatever it is I do will not have the same immediate “hit”. But it also gets easier with time and you return to a healthier baseline.

And this is where a bit of faith comes into play. I mean belief that there is something in sobriety that is worth having. Worth the effort. Belief that while, yes it sucks massively at first, there is something even greater on the other side. An appreciation of the subtle but real beauties in life, an appreciation of clear mindedness, a knowing that there is version of you that is waiting on the other side, a knowing that there is a way of living which is better than all the years of weed could

That can be really hard to feel in the moment. Especially when your legs are shaking, and you are wanting to panic. Or you are feeling the dull dry emptiness (for me things manifest as sadness or bleakness and poitnlessness). But it is there. There’s this great potential in all of us and it ain’t easy to get to from where we are. But I believe it is worth it. And if I relapse, which may happen, I’ll just get back up and keep walking the path.

Now I have more clear mindedness to do the things that are important to me. And with time I am starting to appreciate having them again.

Another thing. I mentioned mindfulness and meditation. This ain’t everyone’s thing so its okay if it doesn’t speak to you. But now that I am not smoking I have a clearer mind. And so when the urges come I can now meditate on them in the moment. I now try to be mindful of the urges without immediately indulging in them. I watch them arise without identifying my self with them. I can create just enoigh of a pause between the feeling and the action that i can sorta realize oh, there is the sad feeling again. There is urging and i can watch it. I can feel it in my body it is a tightness in my torso, a shaking in my leg. I can watch it and ask questions about it where in the body is the feeling, how intense is it, what shape is it. And eventually I can see it pass.

It isnt easy though and I have some practice with it before regularly smoking weed. So it isnt something I’d suggest is easy to just start doing as a beginner in the middle of an urge to smoke. But it helps with not attaching to the urge, seeing it as a passing phenomenon, noting how it impacts my body, and seeing it pass away on its own.

It is what helps with that can I make it the next 5 minutes without smoking I talked about earlier.

Sorry for the long ramble. Its just something I have also been dealing with. So maybe most of this was for me to get off my chest too. Sorry for taking up so much space.

Best of luck. Have compassion for yourself. I have much compassion for all of us dealing with it. And I hope we all can keep it up. If you relapse (I have countless times) dont shame yourself. Just keep going.

Exercise… easier said than done I know. When I quit tobacco it was one day at a time. For me it helped saying ok I’ve gone this far , might as well try another day , rinse and repeat

Hey recent quitter here too, keep it up! Its been nice having a working brain again, after 2-3 months I feel pretty good! Keep in mind it might take a while to return to baseline, but you’ll get there. I was a daily, almost constant smoker from before covid until several years after, with a few remissions or whatever. I’m really hoping it sticks this time!

Working out can help, flood your system with some natural dopamine and work out excess frustrations. But honestly, you might just need to rest, if possible. The first few days can be very unpleasant. You’ll get your appetite back and start having crazy ass dreams. Get plenty of sleep if you can! Try some brain teaser puzzles or read, working out your brain will help it find a new baseline, and maybe distract you.

Try to limit booze or other substances, IMO a hangover can like lower my willpower to where I decide I have to run to the dispensary. At least until you’re through the woods. Maybe try to schedule a therapy sesh if possible, or hang out with a sober friend, go see a movie.

If you wanna talk, feel free to DM me

proud of you comrade. day 3 is the hardest hump imo. it will get easier. plus as another commenter said, “setbacks” are part of the process and if you end up smoking more that doesn’t devalue the achievement of taking a relatively huge break like this. it’s all about exerting control over the drug in ways that you can

Glp-1 drugs are crazy helpful for managing addiction.

I’ve picked it up and put it down a few times over the years. Magnesium is a very important supplement for it.

Just stop… I traveled to europe… I just stopped for a month. Quit being a baby and promoting this idea that weed is addictive. Addictive… like rowing my own boat, filling my own sails or the little death. It is just nonsense. You might have other issues you are projecting on duh weed on. Deal with those. The dose is the poision. The issues never go away until they are addressed. 🍼

finding motivation to do much besides sit around and play video games.

Dr. Kurptingduhyouth - perscribes walking long distances with a audiobook. Find a creek and throw a stone.

Listen to this twice a day

• Vape and that goop these kids do these days turns a good thing into a bad thing.
• Stick to flower.
• A pinch is just fine.
• You can only get so high.

Do you also drink a lot of caffeine or use nicotine? Personally, I’ve found that those things can also make you feel like shit if you’re just pulling weed out of the rotation entirely.

I’m still very much in it. Experimenting with pre-portioning my reef into pre-rolls (by that I mean I have some packs of the Willie Nelson THC cigs) that are inconvenient to smoke anywhere but outside. I’ve been smoking slightly less each day, but am still smoking every day.

CBD helped me a lot getting through that initial sucky period when I wasn’t used to functioning without weed. I got some CBD tincture and vapes which really seemed to help with the physical discomfort. Probably the anxiety too. Then after after a week or two I found I didn’t need it anymore and I felt great being off everything! It sounds like I wasn’t as heavy a user or for as long as you so idk if this will work as well or with the same timeline but it’s probably worth a shot.

Taper off, don’t go cold turkey

Proud of u!

Exercise helps ime, but my brain is naturally buzzy so ymmv