Legalizing marijuana use, most for medicinal purposes, has been gaining ground in several countries in the past years. However, there are still many weed users who are using it for recreational purposes, and that makes them prone to developing dependency. According to surveys, many cannabis users are mostly between the ages of 18 and 25. Despite the drop in the numbers of users from this age group, many are concerned as there is still a higher number of those at risk to be dependent on marijuana.
While the U. S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention have yet to recommend a specific therapy, different nations and organizations have adopted ways to combat the spread of weed abuse. From support groups to pharmaceutical interventions treating underlying problems causing weed dependency and seeking help from a psychiatrist or any medical professional, several techniques have been tried to find the best method to quit smoking weed permanently.
The Student Well-being MacDonald Center of the University of Notre Dame released a 30-day self-help plan to permanently get rid of weed smoking. The paper discussed how burying all myths associated with the use of marijuana, as well as the methods in helping people dealing with challenges to quit smoking weed, helps in supporting those who are dependent on it to reclaim their lives back. While a self-help route could prove to be a challenging course to recover from marijuana dependency, it could be possible and could even be more successful with a great will to recover plus the help of a support group, and/or reinforcements and guidance from family and friends.
Treating underlying factors that could contribute to a person’s success to quit smoking weed is one of the many treatment strategies used to help people quit their weed dependency. In the study “Marijuana Dependence and Its Treatment,” the research authors concluded that treating underlying physiological aspects of withdrawal, particularly the dopamine activity in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, and tending to cure comorbid disorders like depression and anxiety could help improve chances of being less dependent on weeds.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been proven to deliver greater chance of success to quit smoking weed. In that study by Magill and Ray published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, it was found that CBT achieved the largest effect among adults with alcohol- or illicit drug addiction. The researchers found that the combination of CBT and additional psychosocial treatment compared to other strategies that were combined with CBT. The American Addiction Centers listed several benefits brought by CBT, which includes the ability to trace factors that prompted the individual to be dependent to marijuana, identification of destructive though patterns, and training patients to come up with their own strategies to handle future stressors after treatment.
Yes, it is possible to quit smoking weed permanently. With positive reinforcements, support from family, friends and medical professionals and the will to overcome the dependency, turning back on smoking weed promises a life changing moment in an instant.
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