You want to try to stop smoking weed. You’ve even made it your new year’s resolution, yet you always come up short. You’re enthusiastic for a moment, and then the excuses start flooding inside your head, which ultimately squashes your attempt to stop smoking marijuana.
As time passes, you end up circling back to the same question- Why can’t I stop smoking weed? And then the same excuses re-appear again, creating a vicious cycle.
How do you stop the madness and get serious about eliminating weed out of your life?
My intention for this article is for you to see and read the biggest excuses you may say to yourself when you’re thinking about quitting marijuana. Seeing these excuses in black and white might make you re-evaluate the validity of these thoughts. And perhaps reading about the real reasons behind these excuses may make you think twice about taking another step in this never-ending cycle of doom.
The Biggest Excuses That Stops You From Quitting
I’ve heard the same excuses repeatedly shared by people in our Better Yourself Discord community. A cohort of supportive people committing to ending their weed dependency and other addictive habits to pursue a life free of substances and behaviors that are no longer needed or wanted in their lives.
I share the most common excuses to let you know you aren’t the only one with these thoughts and if there’s one (or two), you can relate with.
I’ve been smoking for so long.
What will I do with my time?
I don’t know what to do when I get bored.
I’m afraid of facing something else.
It helps me.
Do these look or sound familiar to you?
Let’s start with a most common reason why someone can’t quit - they’ve been smoking weed for way too long
1. I’ve Been Smoking For So Long
I hear this excuse all the time.
“But I’ve been smoking for so long, and I’m not sure if I can quit.”
Unfortunately, many people, especially males, were introduced to weed around 15 years old. So by the time they are young adults, they’ve already been smoking close to or over ten years. That’s a long time to maintain this habit, but it shouldn’t be an excuse not to stop.
Bad habits are meant to be broken, not for keeps.
Try changing your perspective about smoking weed. It’s more than just a habit but an unhealthy relationship you’ve been stuck with for almost a decade.
I’m going to take a wild guess and assume your relationship has not been productive and more on the toxic side. Weed may have gotten in your way to proactively pursue your dreams, stood in between getting closer to another person, and most definitely impacted your financial funds.
You never stay in a relationship because of how long you’ve been together; you stay because it makes you a better person. It’s time to break up your relationship with weed, no matter how long it’s been in your life.
2. What Will I Do Instead of Smoking Weed?
For many people, smoking marijuana fills up their free time, giving them something to do. So, the thought of not having this activity a part of your weekly or daily life could make a person panic.
Sure, I get it. But I think you are looking at this the wrong way.
You’re focused on letting go of something you did to fill time rather than repurposing your time on something that will add value, joy, or fulfillment to your life.
Have you ever asked yourself on a Monday morning, “What did I do this weekend?” To only come up empty-handed because your time was spent getting high and not being productive.
And before you start to stare at this article angrily, I’m not saying your free time should always be productive. But I think it’s vital to spend time on experiences that expand who you are and tap into different parts of your personality. Invest time into your creativity, physical well-being, knowledge, or just pure child-like fun.
3. I Don’t Know What To If I’m Bored
Let’s be honest. You aren’t necessarily doing much when you’re smoking weed.
So, the fear of boredom really stems from a fear of not feeling the sensations of getting high. Also known as your brain’s reaction to the release of dopamine, chemical-induced neurotransmitters that THC stimulates, the primary psychoactive ingredient in weed. The neurotransmitter sends signals to your brain when it thinks there’s a reward, making you feel euphoric and relaxed.
Your brain is used to these moments of pleasure from getting high but unleashing dopamine doesn’t only come from smoking weed.
There are natural ways to get the same feeling of elation and relaxation:
Exercise or being active
Sleep more
Meditation
Improved gut health
These holistic approaches don’t provide that instantaneous dopamine reaction to the brain, but they’re healthier alternatives to give what the body and mind truly want, a feel-good moment (marijuana not required).
4. I’m Afraid of Facing Something Else
A big part of why you don’t want to stop smoking weed could be the possibility of facing something you’ve been trying to avoid.
But the truth is, the challenge or problem you’re avoiding won’t magically disappear or go away. In fact, avoiding a person or a situation can make things more complicated or cause further damage in a relationship.
Instead of facing the issue head-on, you could be damaging your reputation by coming off as immature or lacking integrity. Getting high only lasts for a moment, but an unfavorable image of who you are could be long-lasting.
5. Weed Helps Me
The last reason leans more into the justification side than as an excuse.
“Weed helps me.”
People typically use this reason to justify their use of weed for their anxiety, over-active thinking, or even for their creativity. In which I always reply with- but at what cost?
You may think smoking weed helps shield you from stress, anxiety, and overthinking, but what it’s really pushing your feelings down and creating a fog around your thoughts- making it impossible for you to get the best type of help, which is talking to someone.
One of the best solutions to address stress or overthinking is talking through your thoughts with a clear and lucid mind and releasing negative feelings by expressing how you feel to another person.
And when it comes to getting high for creative purposes, you should question why you need an external substance to release your inner creativity.
What is the mental roadblock or insecurity that is stifling your creative expression without having to smoke weed?
I would suggest unpacking these questions first before assuming it is helping you with your creativity.
Final Takeaway: Why Can’t You Stop Smoking Weed
I hope that reading these commonly used excuses will give you some comfort knowing that you aren’t alone with these types of thoughts. But I want you to challenge yourself to not give in to these fallacies made up in your mind. Weed addiction is real, and these excuses support the addiction. You have what it takes to gain control back of your life. You deserve a life free of addiction and weed.
Thanks for reading this article. If it’s your first time reading our blog, you should know that addiction to weed is an issue I have experienced and what people in our TikTok and Discord community talk about. If you found this article helpful, please share this with a friend or connect with me here to let me know what got out of this article.
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