Oh Madisgram how I know what you are speaking of- I remember the first few months of stopping drugs in December of 2008- it was very hard but I said I can do this! It was a final straw for me with things that were going on, Acid trip with talking with a crack head and a fall out with a sibling, and me seeing and saying look at what the drugs do to him, then saying crap they are doing that to me and I am doing this to me... along as I am sure many other things helped with the final straw but yet the first few months there were many times that I wanted to go back (i can still get that way today but... keep reading ), but I was a blessed one in way to have some one with me to remind me that things will pass at the time and even today..
I just, even today, get very stressed out and want to get f-ed up, but don't... I do occasionally drink but in 2010 and early 2011 that really got into perspective to me on I was just substituting the hard stuff for the alcohol and sadly was more depressed and realized it-- with this just realization I made special rules--which One is not emotional drinking (i have goofed on this and I tell myself see this is the reminder maybe you needed, don't forget it but goof up happens), another is I can not drink the next day (habit starting if doing so) and a third is I can not get plastered which i have been good with the last past year or so with (remind myself that it just is not a good feeling and buzzed can be ok )- I know that does not work for all but it does work for me..I know that alcoholism runs in my family- my father was a fetal alcohol syndrome baby from his mom, his dad was a drinker as well and could not stop from stories i heared, as my father was as well until he had kidney failure and went blind due to not managing his diabetes (which the alcohol never helped with and contributed to a lot to)... but even with "my rules" I do many times remind myself that it is so much reward with "handling as best as i can with what i got with out the escape" is also a good thing and helps with the rules to even apply due to I wont drink-- Sort of a thing of I can do this with out an escape. It shall pass what ever it is and some thing will be learned from it.

With the smoking it- it is similar rules to alcohol for me, in exception of a lot less... The last geez 2+yrs only twice, and only a puff or two no more- i can't take more these days to be honest! I remember i used to smoke bowl after bowl and now, a puff is like ok-feeling funny... In honesty with the smoking pot, the last time I at first got very paranoid which was not fun, and then I over thunk (however which was good due to this last time I made a break through with myself of - Maybe It is NOT all my fault, i.e. not all about me when trouble comes as well as some other things that I wrote down at the times that was constructive), but none the less some times it is not enjoyable as it was before when I was younger due to the paranoia-- I am not a freak out stage with it as I know some "x"smokers that if they smoke after 10 yrs they freak out and it is horrible... which I guess is a good thing in retrospect.

I also always remember, I have probably done enough damage to my brain due to the massive load of drugs that I did when i was younger, and all this stuff now is no good for the now or later-

The best thing that I can remind myself is keep trying, Sometimes I wish I had actual vacations (like to go some where instead of having to constantly work and just stay at home on the weekends) I some times wonder if I took a trip some where else if it would help with lessening stress and the escape would be real in the sense of going some where instead of "resting my mind".

And I have found painting and other arts and crafts VERY Helpful for an escape these days-- Painting for me-- I spend 3 or so hours on one, and after I am done I realize I had not been thinking of stressful things and feel so much better

I know the things that I mention on alcohol and pot are not totally kosher with people, and is frowned upon, but it is also something that the therapist that I was seeing, saw that it was ok for me as in the sense that I was able to in ways to "manage"-- I don't fully agree with how she addressed it, though It is not like I wanted to be hammered on how bad it was, but when i was doing hard drugs like every day- I was what my father called a "functional drug addict" due to I could hold down a job and do my fun... which these days, I don't fully agree with, and see what damage it did back then when I was doing it.... As I always used to say- I was addicted with getting high and escaping- it did not matter what just as long as I had a good time and escaped... which is the underlining of addiction as I understand for anyone with anything... and to find other things to cope with is a key of breaking free-- So I have tried best these days to find those...

The cigs are so hard though for me, and I do feel week- I have went a week with out smoking since I started, that is the longest i have went and then started back up due to anxiety and stress... they are my friend, and I hate them and love them ..... but maybe some day... maybe some day I will be fed up with them as I was/am with the hard drugs