[SpasticBliss]

OK, so, I've been smoking weed pretty casually since I was 15 years old. I have a great job, with issues but good pay and a few nice people. Who knows what's going on.

Anyway, I gotta get off the weed. It makes me paranoid, but it's worth it because like every 3rd or 4th time I smoke it, I feel fantastic and forget everything in the world.

I've quit for years before. I am just under so much stress, I've turned to it more this time than ever in my life. I'm weaning way down. But I want to quit tomorrow.

I bought an online program months ago and now it doesn't recognize me!!! I'm' so upset and see, I'm treating it as an emergency as I do every little thing, every little thought. I wrote to them, I'm going to breath deep.

Who cares, I'll smoke a little more weed today if I want to, then hopefully by tomorrow after work I'll have a login. But I've just quit on my own several times before. Like I said, for years.

Any and ALL thoughts and/or stories are more than welcome. In fact, pleeeeeeease respond whether you smoke or you're anti-drugs or you used to do it or you love it or hate it. Just say something.

[Unrigged64072835]

Best of luck with quitting. Do you have other things to do to relieve the stress? (Exercise, meditation, etc. Even walking around the mall or something.)

My advice would be to wean off of it instead of going off completely. I think that quitting anything abruptly will put any bipolar person into a tailspin.
For instance, if you usually start smoking at noon, start smoking at one pm, then the next few days try to wait until two, etc.
I myself am pretty dependent on it, and am considering giving it up. But I will definitely do the taper method. I've gone through every kind of physical withdrawal (alcohol, opiate, benzo) so I know I can do it, its just hard to give up my safety blanket.

For example, read this article- he said that he quit weed abruptly and it put him into a manic episode.
http://nypost.com/2016/08/06/a-manic...-times-square/

Poor guy. I'm grateful he spoke out.

[Christopher1990]

i can assure you there is no weed withdrawl lol and I think its easiest to just stop at once. I gave it up cus I couldnt handle it anymore it has wrecked havoc on my moods and been the cause of some episodes. almost every episode threre was smoking involved. some people can do it but for me I cant. Im waiting for it to be legal and am interested in smoking cbd strains which have low thc and non psycoactive good luck. i do miss it

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[SpasticBliss]

Originally Posted by jupiter3

For example, read this article- he said that he quit weed abruptly and it put him into a manic episode.
A manic episode led me to strip naked in Times Square | New York Post

Poor guy. I'm grateful he spoke out.

That is fascinating! I just kept thinking, oh gosh, what if I quit and get manic... again. The last time I quit cold turkey after trying an online program (that I now can't log into) I went into full hypomania. Nearly manic.

Even though I attributed it to giving up smokin up, I did not connect it to quitting so suddenly. You know my progression of events was:

1) Tried this online quit-smoking program and it suggested this cleansing fast for the first 3 days. Well, I became a nervous wreck and shaking and irritable. I said screw this, and smoked a bowl and ate a big mac.

2) I said oh, whatever, I'm just done. So I flushed a whole bag. Another bad idea. So I went cold turkey and kept picturing all that weed going down the toilet and I would panic and I was getting more manic and more obsessed.

3) Some really intense boredom/depression started to surface after a week and I went a little wild. Drinking, staying up all night, other embarrassing but legal things.

4) I said oh gosh, whatever. I started smoking again even more than before!! Like I said, I'm weaning down. I hate to say it, but maybe for now a few glasses of wine or a little extra xanax might help. I never over-drink. Alcohol is just not my thing.

So, I'll keep weaning. Maybe even go a few days, if I feel manic I'll take one tiny puff and see if that takes the edge off. Then wait as many days as I can. Today I'm just making a conscious effort to not smoke as much. I'm staying busy. By the looks of this apartment I should be much busier. What a mess!!

Originally Posted by SpasticBliss

You know my progression of events was:

1) Tried this online quit-smoking program and it suggested this cleansing fast for the first 3 days. Well, I became a nervous wreck and shaking and irritable. I said screw this, and smoked a bowl and ate a big mac.

This part jumped out at me. I'm no expert, but have known people who've done fasts/cleanses what-have-you, and it, in and of itself shakes things up quite a bit. Which is a sort of destabilization, yes? (Staus quo>shake up>"cleansed" state.) I don't know why that program says to do that (and don't actually care) but ... why precede the endeavor with something destabilizing?? That makes no sense to me. Maybe it's not so problematic for people w/o BP, but we tend not to handle sudden big change ups as well.

Long/short, I think the fast itself may have set things on a negative course.

Plus, lifestyle changes tend to be more successful when they're tackled one at a time. (So... to fast OR quit. If you want to do both, put a nice block of time between them.)

(Where I am coming from... partake pretty regularly, nothing excessive, never been a problem -- I'm lucky in that way, I know. I neither overstate benefits nor fear monger. Totally support your doing what you feel is best for you. )

I smoke everynight before bed. ONLY before bed.

I have quit abruptly many times. I was in Hawaii on vacation and tried to buy some, but the guy was weird. No mania. Cut down and then quit. See if you can do it on your own. I am honest with my therapist. I tell her all about it.

[vjdragonfly]

I have it for when I really need an extra way to calm myself down. Used to help me sleep but it doesn't anymore. I just recently (in the last week) started telling my healthcare providers that I smoke. I don't want to give it up, but I don't smoke a whole lot to begin with. Don't take much to achieve satisfaction. As a matter of fact, smoking some weed now is a better alternative then the thoughts I have been having. Day has been too much for me.