Marijuana Mental Addiction

[fiveleggedrat]

Swim knows most of DF sneers at the concept of marijuana addiction, and Swim did search and found nothing but a 3 year old thread relating to it.

Swim is mentally addicted to marijuana. Hate Swim if you want. Swim has been smoking every day for at least 5-6 months. Swim started over a year ago at about once a month. He quickly picked up it more and more often, having a pothead roomate.

Swim has ZERO physical problems from the marijuana. He coughs a little, but that's it. Swim is just very unhappy knowing he can not stop himself smoking every single night, at least. He has never smoked more than 3 times a day, but finds smoking more than twice a day to be pointless. He smokes average regs, nothing special too. Tastes and smells bad but does the job.

Swim's addiction happened this way: He was VERY big on tramadol for a few months. He was afraid of getting physically addicted to it, or one of the other opiates and benzos he consumes on a weekly basis. He was starting to use opiates every other day and stopped, forcing himself to smoke pot instead of use other things. It has been that way since then, using pot to avoid doing other drugs, which has worked GREAT for that purpose.

Swim knows he has a nonaddictive personality. He could have heroin, crack, cocaine, or most opiate/benzo pills in 15 minutes of wanting them, but has never been even remotely addicted to them. He has stolen drugs from family members (tramadol from his girlfriend who had an accident, and then he lied about it. also, he stole lorazepam and hydromorphone from his family. this was earlier on. he has not stolen again, and plans to never. those both were firsts. he stole the lorazepam and hydro over several visits too.) Swim knows he stole, and that relates to addiction, but Swim would steal them and sit on them for a few days to weeks before using them. Swim just wanted them around, not to maintain any addiction. That was the most addiction related thing he has ever done. Swim has gone months without having any benzos, and same for opiates. Swim has willpower with those and knows when to stop. Right now, he is also cutting back on overall drug consumption. He also feels weak doing benzos and opiates every week at least once, so he is cutting it down to one "Other" drug per week, which is good enough for Swim. Swim does not have access to ANY psychedelics, and Swim hates anything speedy. Swim only likes stimulants while on them. He hates them before and after using them. He will use a stim once every few months just for something new. But all in all, Swim loves a good, hard nod on some strong opiates.

Now, the problem at hand is Swim wants to stop smoking pot, but cannot will himself to. He has willed himself to stop doing anything else, from lines of coke, to eating propyl inhalers, to popping oxycodone or alprazolam. He can always stop when he wants. But he feels like he is powerless with the pot. Like "it can't hurt, what does it matter? No big deal."

Does anyone out there have suggestions to help wean Swim off? He last smoked yesterday, and has not yet today. He wants to smoke no more than once weekly, and he wants his "old" highs back. He wants to smoke less for health too, and to prove his willpower over the pot. He is also stuck on smoking to fall asleep too. He already has severe insomnia issues, and is trying to see a doctor for this right now.

Swim's first idea is to avoid stimulus that reminds or encourages pot, for example, not listening to music he gets stoned to.

Any thoughts anyone? Swim would greatly appreciate any and all thoughts, opinions, and attempts to help.

And yes, Swim feels like this issue requires help from others. His friends are currently trying to help him too.

Edit: Swim has met fellow smokers who feel like him, hopeless to say no. He even has a friend in the same boat he is in.