How do you stop smoking hash?

Question

I am a habitual hash smoker. I have been smoking pot for the last 22 years. I have a life, and I work hard, but I just cant seem to knock it off. Im not a scruffy junkie or anything. But everytime I think I'll stop, even for a week, I just end up frantic. My wife ends up telling me to go and get some and chill out a bit!
Im not anti drugs, and feel its anybodys right to do whatever they want, but has anyone got any good advice, maybe backed up with experience?
I havent been clean and straight for over 20 years now and I feel there is more to me than this.
I have lots of good memories, all of them with an under current of being a bit stoned and a bit dull because of it.
I have used pretty much all other drugs at some time or another, recreationally, but I always smoke pot every day.
So? Any good ideas? I dont want to have to hate it, so no exteme hypno, and all of my freinds smoke and I dont want to have to ditch them, so no big enviroment change therapies either.

Oh, and dont just judge me either. I am a good guy and I dont abuse or misuse other humans.

Just a bit fed up with it all, is all.

If I sound like someone who doesnt really want to quit its because I cant be bothered to quit.... which is kinda my point. Ive lost a lot of my ambition and will power. (lol) and it just seems easier to get stoned, although I dont even really get stoned anymore.....

Answer 1

Sorrt dude, just stop. I smoked pretty much every day for 15 years, my friends are pot heads too. I stayed in for a week, when I stopped to give me a chance to get used to it and then started my social life again without the pot.

There were no withdrawal symptoms, I don't even particularly feel like I'm missing out on anything either.

Answer 2

I smoked hash from the age of 15 right up to 42 years old. Both my sons are hash smokers but I hate the stuff now, absolutely detest it and the culture it engenders. I have aso tried everything else, so hopefully I know what I am talking about.

Your big problem will be with your friends. As soon as you stop smoking hash your "druggie status" will have changed in their eyes and their main reason for socialising with you, i.e., to have a smoke- has gone. So don't kid yourself, once you turn your back on this secretive culture they will quickly turn their back on YOU. You will find out who your real frineds are, and who the "hash smoker" friends are.

Actually you will be surprised how little you miss it, but you have to WANT to stop. You may find that listening to music isn't so good either. As you get older it's a natural thing to want to stop smoking hash- it makes people boring. You can always start again in old age, you always have that option.

Look on cannabis as a medication, not a recreational drug. After all you wouldn't take aspirin if you didn't have a headache now would you?

Just tell your friends casually you are thinking about stoping and watch their reactions.

Answer 3

I stopped smoking cigs 7 years ago (after 22 years of smoking), and laid of the weed (15 years continuous) at the same time for 6 months (Thank you Allen Carr). During this time I took up cycling again to help me take my mind of the withdrawal and show me some quick benefits of not smoking. After 6 months, I went to a festival and had a few spliffs, and have continued smoking the odd spliff here and there since, but haven't gone back to the cigs. After a few months off I do like a nice smoke, and I can feel myself sometimes being sucked back, but I know I'd take up cigs full-time again if I smoked a lot of weed, so that helps me keep it under control. Plus, I've kept up with the cycling, and as this is best done when not stoned, it's also helped keep me from going back to the weed full-time

Good luck.

Answer 4

Hello. The best thing to do is change the area you live in. Get a new Job and set up a new net work of friends for a while. Get a Hobby too one that is going to take up a lot of time, and ask a question on Answers that will find you X pot smokers on here. You can then chat with them to help you through the moments when you could do with a smoke. Good Luck,

Answer 5

After 22 years of smoking hash i think it will be hard for you to give up. But i smoked for 32 years (normal tobacco) and packed in stariaght away all it takes is will power. You end up frantic because of the withdrawl sypmtoms, as you do with any drug. You could seek advice from this link. Good luck.

http://www.givingupsmoking.co.uk/

Answer 6

If you smoke hash with tobacco its the tobacco that really makes it addictive - if you really want to stop talk to your doctor and he can give you drugs that stop the craving for nicotine and that will help you stop the psychological dependence on pot - Alcoholics anonymous can put you on to ways of controlling addictions and if you really want to stop you will contact your doctor and alcoholics anonymous. If you do not contact your doctor or alcoholics anonymous then you do not really want to quit then stop worrying and just be a stoned geezer and a stoned old age pensioner its one way of getting through this crazy life not the best but one way.

Answer 7

Part 1.
Sounds like you want to quit. And you are sensing you could be enjoying life more if you didn't get so stoned ... logical answer would be to treat your pot with respect and mystery; use it to reward yourself for doing something else; or for taking a break from it. You are not addicted to it, you are addicted to the habit. Time to reevaluate it all. I know that for a lot of women, the older they get, the less they want to use it. Could be the same, but more subtle, for men.
Find another way to relax. Revel in a clear mind for a change.
Perhaps it is time to move on?

Part 2.
Many years ago I was addicted to heroin. Now, I know this is irrelevant to your case, except for one line you wrote : "My friends all smoke and I don't want to have to ditch them ..."
Now this is my personal experience. When I decided to come off heroin, I promised myself I wouldn't ditch my friends who were all on it too. Felt like it would be betraying them. But I told them it was something I had to do for myself and wouldn't change how I felt about them.
It was awfully hard for me because my two best friends and I shared a house together, and one of them was dealing, so people always came over to buy and temptation was always there.
The first night I decided to go clean, I took some acid and spring-cleaned my mind. Let everything flow out. After that I relied on my will-power. But I told myself that it needn't be for ever ... I said I might use it recreationally once in a while later. Funny thing was, I never did. I was so happy living with my new found clarity. People were complimenting me all the time about how alert and alive I looked. It boosted me.
I stayed with my junkie friends for another year. Then moved on, with no hard feelings.
One of my friends followed my example, she had been motivated by my decision.
The other, the dealer, never came off. Sadly.
But we are all still friends, 25 years later.
Heroin is highly addictive; pot is not. It is all in your will-power. You can do anything if you really want to do it.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
P.S. I was advised to attend group therapies etc. and went to see what they were all about. A load of rubbish really. Knew they wouldn't work for me. Who in their right minds wants to be surrounded by other junkies when they are trying to get away from it? No, don't join any of those things! You make the first step for yourself, and when people see what you are trying to do, the support and encouragement will flow from those you most need it from - and not from strangers united by a habit.
O.K. Maybe I am selfish. I had cancer 4 years ago and kicked that habit my way too; no interest in support groups. So I understand why you you say that!
Pot or whatnot, if you have had enough then you can change.
Just let it come, when you're ready you'll know it!
Best wishes!

Answer 8

Ever thought about finding a support group? There should be some somewhere,even if it's only through the internet.Maybe seeing a doc might be in order(one who specializes in withdrawl). Physical activity helps(sounds dumb but it does). Always remember there's as bunch more people in the same boat as you. You will survive this. It won't be fun but you can do it.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

do you smoke it in joints , with tobacco ?

if so , give up the tobacco first , get a small pipe & smoke the hash/weed in that . after you'v kicked the tobacco habit & your body isnt craving nicotine you will probably find it alot easier to quit the pot too.

Answer 10

Is it the hash that makes you so "chatty"????? You don't really sound like someone who really wants to quit. You just want to sit at your computer and justify why you smoke hash, and how your wife tells you to chill out, so you smoke.... blah, blah, blah!!!

You want to smoke, so you're going to smoke. If you had planned on quitting, you'd have done it 22 years ago.