Quitting drug addiction is not an easy process. After being exposed to addictive cannabis for so long, the brain undergoes significant changes, leading to an inability to control urges –despite of the harmful consequences. The increase of supply of dopamine, the chemicals released when taking marijuana, over stimulates the brain to experience that “high” feeling, creating a reward circuit that leads people to take drugs again and again.
When the user is in this condition, he needs strength to stop and counter that brain circuit that has strengthened because of the habitual activity that runs for a long period of time.
There are strategies that could be helpful for a quitter to change his state. He could prepare his place by throwing all his paraphernalia, cleaning his home, or taking a vacation just to have a new experience of the world to break the self contained system of meaningless pleasure the he’s unavoidably experiencing.
He could provide a strong support system composed of his family members and friends to help on what he wants to accomplish and to remind him especially when he feels weak to counter the urges. He could join a club who has the same goal with him. The community and the shared experiences can provide more strength to stop drug use.
He could also try new activities, such as working out, new sports, video game, reading, hiking, or swimming. They can make life more enjoyable, and they can divert the attention and energy of the quitter, more importantly when the idea of using the substance again comes back.
Or, if the user still finds it difficult to quit addictive cannabis, he might need to seek professional help – such as from a counsel a psychological adviser. He might need to take some medications to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms, such as anxieties, insomnia, appetite loss, nausea, and other negative feelings. Medicines can relieve the stress from the person so that he can focus more on achieving his goal.
If the situation worsens, the person might want to put himself in rehabilitation center. The place has all the support that needed to counter drug use. The new place, system of support, new activities, and professional help are all available in its facilities.
But more than anything, these strategies are nothing without the personal and sincere decision of the user that he needs and wants to stop. It starts with the self-knowledge to understand what kind of person he has become and what kind of person he should not only for himself but for his family and friends and for his community. He must realize what kind of happiness he s experiencing and what it is that he wants
What he wants and what he should are achievable if he wills it. Human beings have the capacity to destroy and to create. A drug user must realize that he has created his own addiction – and with that, achieving success in the quest to quit addictive cannabis is also within his capacity.
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