[so_punk_rock]

I want to stop smoking but its damn near impossible. im a "chronic" smoker, i do it everyday, more than once a day. i feel like i cant stop because i have people smoking around me all the time. either they smoke with me, around me, or they come in here smelling like it......so im sober today and i feel like horse crap. my sister doesnt want me to smoke her pot but she continues to smoke with me. its really annoying. i wish we all would stop then it would be much easier to quit. but i know that wont happen because i think the people im around are bigger potheads than i am, though they would never admit that they have an addiction. i cant just avoid these people either because im around them almost everyday........damn.....this situation is so f**ked.

[salukigirl]

I agree with you that it is addictive. It works the same way as cigarettes. Nicotine mimics the natural chemical acetylcholine in your brain. So when you smoke a lot your body stops making it because you are giving it a mimic. Your brain also produces its own cannabinoids which THC mimics. So, the same thing happens. When you smoke a lot your body quits producing these cannabinoids. And these are chemicals that help people deal with stress and make people feel happy. So when your body quits making its own and you take the mimic out, you don't produce it anymore. It takes a while for your brain to start producing its own again. So you feel stressed out and can't produce the chemicals that make you feel happy. It takes a while but you will start producing those again, promise. Just stick with it!

[RunningEagleRuns]

I think the best way to get out of stuff like that is to radically change your friends. Impossible with us but possible with God. Good luck! I used to smoke pot too, so I guess I know what it's like.

[madisgram]

there's narcotics anonymous and AA for ppl to offer support and wisdom along the way if you really want to try to stop. it saved my life and many other ppl. sadly i've buried a lot of friends who decided to keep on dope...my bgf was one of those unfortunates. i miss her everyday but realize my admitting i had a problem may have saved me from that same terrible death. i wish you well and hope you'll continue to post here.

[peaceplease21]

i went through a similar ordeal, everyone i knew was a pothead, i didnt think it was possible to get away from, and i didnt want to lose all of my friends, i graduated high school and moved away and didnt speak to them anymore, my boyfriend at the time was a dealer and i loved him deeply and miss him to this day, im dealing with loneliness now and i just relapsed into smoking weed again after almost a year sober, its tough,i find that not having it around helped, and i kept telling myself, ill smoke in 5 minutes, then after 5 minutes id say ok ill smoke in an hour, then after that id say ok ill smoke in the morning, instead of saying, i wont smoke, i just kept putting it off, its the only thing that gets me through

keep being brave <3

[Leed]

You know, that addiction isn't any different that alcohol addiction. I'm a recovering alcoholic and I've got almost 18 yrs of sobriety. I have to live in a world where other people around me drink. If I want to belong to the world, I have to be able to say no.

When I first quit drinking, I just didn't go places that had booze. I didn't associate with people who were drinking -- and if they didn't understand that I was trying to quit drinking, then too bad for them!!! It's the same with you -- you're going to have to stay away from your playmates for awhile. You've got to get some sober time under your belt. Your best bet would be either to go to NA or AA. Most people prefer AA. They'll help you all the way. But you've got to want sobriety more than anything else.

Try some meetings - take what you like and leave the rest. If you don't like one meeting, try another. But at least TRY. I wish you the very best. God bless. Hugs, Lee

[trixielou]

thats the same way with me & alcohol kicked every one of em out of my life i dont care if theyre family or what a lot of people around here have overdosed on this & that in the past 10 years & i see more headed in the same direction i had a t appt yesterday & was remembering a cruise ship i went on 8 years ago (party barge) & there were 13 bars & always somebody with booze thankfully it was a lot of senior people & it was a canadian cruise cuz i couldnt handle a full blown young people party til u puke ur brains out cruise had enuff of that **** in my alky years lol one time i was watchin dr phil & there were these girls that thought it was cute to post pics of themselves at their drunkest most strung out moments laying on cold bathroom floors bent over the toilet for my Lords sake i have enuff of those memories in my head without bein stupid enuff to put it on the internet. for you younger people i know they have all their pretty ads everywhere yeah its real pretty when ur layin in detox with shakes sweats dts pukes & that goes with any drug been there done it & it wasnt just a one time hole i my Lord helped me out of it took quite a few relapses then substituting crack for the booze just one long waste of days & years! & one other thing i saw one time on an ER type show where it was the "wild week" at one college & this guy was doin liquor thru a beer bong & he had alky poisoning & seizures so bad they were callin in liquid ativan from other hospitals to stop seizures & keep him alive alot of his college people were there & the look in their faces was total shock which is what they needed cuz at that age u think u dont die. whether or not it stuck i dunno hopefully so but just a lot more nightmares than good times with all of this junk!

[trixielou]

pots never been my thing but i know plenty of people who smoke if it gets dry around here theres a family member i have who gets grouchier & hateful so it must be addictive. yeah i know a lot of people who r quick to point fingers but they never admit they r an addict & a lot of em will do anything they can get their hands on i was around one every day & i made him leave i let my husband back to live over holidays but eventually started in on me about how its now fair he cant drink around me & he gets drunk & starts callin drug dealers kicked him back out dont need it dont want it God has brought me toooo far & dont wanna go back to that hell

[salukigirl]

One more thing I thought of......my main thing is the fact that I have to be doing something with my hands. If I'm concentration on a project that requires a lot of writing or typing...I won't even think about smoking. But if I'm just sitting on the couch watching TV.....yeah. So maybe if you could find something to occupy yourself? I have thought about taking up knitting as a way to busy myself so I don't think about it.

I quit smoking and drinking a long time ago. Quitting smoking was immeasurably harder for me. Do not tell yourself you are going to quit unless you mean it.

Just a suggestion, salukigirl, wear mittens.

[Gus1234U]

well,, some things are addictive to some people, nothing affects everyone the same,, and i only see former, ex-, users posting. it's the same old story,, leave the people who want to smoke and drink alone... worry about your own self... in my humble opinion, meaning no disrespect to anyone... Gus

I want to stop smoking but its damn near impossible.

Hmmm? Okay.