Stories & experiences

Hi Adzy - just been through the same thing myself. However I didn't try and do weed and cigarettes at the same time. I did the weed first - and then waited for a few weeks and now am tackling the cigs. Some need to give up both at the same time - and the evidence is that if you do you have a higher chance of success. However for me I knew that I needed something to reward myself for not smoking weed - which was a cigarette. The number of cigarettes I smoked increased - but it kept me away from the weed - almost two months now without any weed relapse - can't think of anything I'd lees rather do. You need to stop the weed because one cone is still one cone - and the pleasure centres of your brain are still getting their weed hit.

Once the weed was conquered, the cigarettes have been the next on the hit list. Tapered down first and now I've been seven days quitting and had two cigarettes - started with nicotine patches but soon realised that I didn't need them. The desire for morning and daytime cigs totally gone - its the one with a drink that is going to be my challenge.

The anxiety is definately the weed - and it's not nice but let me tell you after about a week (that sounds a long time I know!) you'll wake up and the anxiety will be significantly less - and then the next day less again - until you wake up and go what was all that about. This last time I stopped were the worst withdrawals ever - over the top anxiety etc. I tried to distract myself - exercised, video games were a good distraction, - but at night its hard I understand. But as I said they come to an end - and the clarity of thinking is amazing when get to the other end.

Hi Adz, Thanks for reading my Story-s look up my last 95 Days of going thru EXACTLEY what your going thru only my Journey started about 35 years ago when I first battled (Alcohol and Heavy Drugs :) Speed, Real Speed, Acid, Coke and even had a go at Smack. BRrrr I just Slapped myself. Lol, It has been a long rough story for me, Rehab, Jail, Rehab, Jail, lol I can laugh about it now and I didn't ever think about what Smoking was doing to me and I thought it was the least of my worries. Like you I was smoking Pot and Cigarette's and thought the Cops was my only worry, I was 30 before I got my Lic and the grog was to blame for that I'm 53 now and Hated how it held me back in life then they brought out RDT a couple of years ago, I used to love getting a little high and Driving my car around with a smoke in my gob I never had an accident I thought I was on top of my Habits and only Drove when I new I wasn't a Danger to myself or others a bit Like being under the limit on pot, ah the good old days when NSW wasn't such a Nanny State and people seemed to be a lot more responsible , Anyway I hated the Idea of Losing my precious Licence and it began to make me paranoid so much I become a recluse and didn't go any where, that's when I really give the weed a nudge and hand in hand with using spin with my pot and smoking 90 grams of Tobacco a week and half an oz. Something was going to give as a pensioner I had to sell a bit on the side to make it work and was always chasing my tale until about 4 months ago and when my nerves were shot and I wasn't feeling very well any more I was never a big bloke but I began to notice how skinny I was getting and my skin was starting to act up not to mention the Chest pains and weird sensations that was going on with my liver and abdomen. I suffer with skin cancer and have had 6 or more operations to keep it from spreading thru the rest of my body, my Doctor was always on my back about smoking as it wasn't helping the situation and he was starting to lose interest in helping me if I wasn't prepared to help myself. He is an ex-smoker himself too and new it wasn't easy for me to turn over a new leaf and offered me a prescription for 3months worth of some Patches and so it began. I new I couldn't keep smoking pot and not smoke cigs after all you cant mix it with patches and smoke it. It would be a bit rough, lol. I thought hey if you can use them to stop smoking cigarettes why cant you use them to stop the weed?, so I came up with a plan for the first 4 weeks I will use them to ween myself down to quit, so I started wearing the patches every day and they really helped me I stopped smoking pot altogether and began weening myself off the smokes, Funny thing I didn't even want a cone I was watching the clock but waiting at first 1 hour before lighting up I did this for a week then the following week every 2 hours then the third week I could go 3 Hours before lighting up then on the Fourth week one every 4 hours I was only smoking 3 a day there's only 24 hours in a day and we sleep for 8 of them, like you I had to have one as soon as I woke so I forced myself to start going to bed before 12 and get up at 8 over that next week I was able to go from 3 a day to 0 in 5 weeks I bought myself a Quick mist spray from Nicorette there not cheap 30 bucks a go but well worth it and when I got up in the Morning I had an extra hit of nicotine to get me going in the morning and wasn't a bit Snappy with my wife and I wasn't beating myself up and smoking any more, I understand what you mean by getting anxious about being anxious this is part withdrawal and part what Cannabis does to your mind especially Hydro as it has extra THC in it and when you come down you can get quite toey and anxious which is confusing and depressing. Anyway bro find what works for you self help books never really appealed to me although some do find it helpful but this is how I kicked the habit I hope it gives you something to think about, Dual Addiction is serious stuff mate as one think will lead you to the other especially when it comes to smoking get all the help you need and good advice flows freely around here, Thanks for Joining me on this exciting new journey and I look forward to liaising with you in the future and look up the rest of my stories here you might be surprised at how much we have in common keep in touch by leaving comments on this page or on one of mine I get an email notifying me of Comments on my stories as yo will have too good luck and be proud of what you have achieved so far you can do this and I will be following you along the way Buddy. Ron

In my humble opinion what i think you should do is to get a general check up with some doctors to appease the feeling of having done something to your body. 7 years of weed and cigarettes is quite some time but I don’t believe is enough to have done irreparable damage to your body. The freaking out part sounds completely rational and normal as your body was used to getting stuffed with something that is not getting now as much. Like a car stopped by a wall. Everything inside of it shifts and jumps out of place (obviously).

Going cold turkey takes a lot of balls but also some time to adjust as well. You’ve done the first part which is the most important and brave, but I do think you need to be prepared for when you’re rid of the ONE. My case was a bit of an exception as it was either that or playing with the possibility of nuking something else appart from my heart or even finishing it off. Some people can go cold turkey no problem, but others ned a bit more time. I would suggest spacing it out and replacing it over time with perhaps a fruit salad, a bottle of water, a walk, shower or even a bath to help you relax. Once every other day, then every two days, then three and so on (not the shower part). This will help your body get used to something else than it is right now. We’re used to habits, which are hardwired into our brain. Neurons form networks (memories, actions, faces, etc.) constantly but as it is a very plastic muscle we can rewire these networks in our favor. I’m really not a doctor, but have done some reading about it (very interesting stuff).

If you cannot cope with the anxiety perhaps you can take some relaxing teas. There are many types that will help you calm down. If those don’t work, there is also the posibility to recur to anxiolytics to take the edge off. I would try to steer away from these if you don’t REALLY need them. They are a fast solution but will add another problem as some are hard to get off of and also have side effects (been there, done that).

All in all I think your will is powerful enough to cope with it all, given that you have taken the first important leap. Take up some hobbie: read, do some walking, runnning, yoga, mindfulness or breathing exercises, meditation or anything you think will help with the stress.
You mentioned your girlfriend and the desire to have kids in the future. Maybe think of it as “doing it for them” and it should help even more to stay focused and on track :)

You’re going to be just fine. Keep us posted!

I just want to say a very warm, heart felt thank you to everyone that commented!

No Worry's Mate, like I said there's plenty of good listeners here and there are a lot of people that have a lot of good advice Too, its a great way to help your self stay focused and on track the best part about it is, it don't take long to get past the Physiological part, its the Psychological part that's really going to do your head in. You know if you keep your hands busy you keep your mind busy, and reading and writing is the most effective way of Distracting your mind and its free and more fulfilling than Video games. I should talk I conquered Red Dead Redemption in a week lol, Both Versions. It didn't take me long but to relies I was wasting time staying up late an getting nowhere. tonight's an exception the time fly's when your mind stays focused I've written a few stories Tonight and I've gone another Day without a Smoke in fact 97 Days and its don't seem that long but after the first few weeks time seems to fly by and there's never enough hours in a day to do what you would like hang in there mate you can do this, I will follow ya up in a couple of days so chow for now and have a Merry Christmas. Ron

Yep anxiety and depression are 100% a side effect of quitting both weed and cigarettes.. how are u going with it all now that it has been a couple of weeks since u posted?