Despite common thinking, marijuana can be a very psychologically addictive drug that leaves someone mentally and physically dull compared to who they were before profuse usage. Marijuana has a chemical in it known as THC, which is what works in getting high. Once someone gets high, everything slows down, and sensory experiences become heightened. Music, visual stimuli such as art and movies, eating, sexual feelings, and many other external forces become more acute and intense. Concentration and focus also increase, making things more intricate and interesting. This also gives rise to the perception that time has slowed down, making things seem to take much longer than they actually are.
Over time, normal interaction with these things without the presence of marijuana seems less interesting and duller compared to what they were when high. As a result of this, a psychological dependence upon marijuana can form, and it will lead to the need for sub-acute detox.
After long, heavy usage of marijuana in any form, be it smoked or ingested, certain obvious side effects begin to become more and more apparent. The user begins to lose their reaction time in things like conversation or when driving. They can forget what they were talking about halfway through a sentence or get easily confused by the basic conversation. Stuttering can also begin to happen as well.
Since marijuana also acts upon the brain’s functions that regulate diet, users typically become very hungry after usage and so eat a lot (otherwise known as getting “the munchies”) which can lead to drastic weight gain.
There are a number of other effects that marijuana has on the body, especially when it comes to young people who are still developing physically, but they won’t be gone into here. It is recommended that this article be read to seek further information.
Once someone quits report using marijuana, there are a series of mental and sometimes physical withdrawals that can occur. First off, marijuana is often used to stem feelings of depression or anxiety, so such feelings will return when someone quits using marijuana. Sometimes someone can get acute headaches and abdominal cramps that were not present beforehand. Sleep can be disrupted, leading to insomnia and even more anxiety and/or depression. Just like any other substance being gotten off of, like smoking cigarettes or drinking, severe craving for marijuana not but a few days after quitting can arise. And finally, marijuana withdrawal can also include acute mood swings.
The withdrawal symptoms are serious enough in that they drive someone to simply go back to using marijuana in order to get rid of all the discomfort from coming off of marijuana. This is why marijuana was included in this article: it is serious enough to be considered a substance that requires recovery after detox and withdrawals.
Marijuana has its own 12-step recovery, simply: Marijuana Anonymous, or MA. MA meetings are becoming more and more common in today’s world, and one could find one rather easily, especially in a metropolitan area.
Marijuana causes problems in one’s life. Drug testing is becoming more common at places of employment, and THC is very easy to find. The personal effects of using too much marijuana are also apparent. If someone’s livelihood and quality of life are becoming affected by the overuse of marijuana, then recovery is necessary. It is also readily available.
