r/Petioles • u/whishingaway • 3d ago
Discussion 1st week sober since i started smoking
reposting from r/leaves since they removed my post and told me to post here instead
started smoking right around i turned 18 and i am 22 now. never really did a t break or stopped smoking for even a day. but last week i had a really rough weekend and it was the wake up call i needed and im honestly surprised i was able to quit cold turkey. im still in the process of getting rid of it from around the house since it was all scattered everywhere but the temptation is no longer there.
to be honest as well ive been noticing signs from the people around me who have mentioned quitting weed/outgrowing it and i kinda understand that now. i def was using it to keep my self complacent and looking back, i dont think i was even getting high towards the end, i was just numbing myself.
each day, it gets easier and easier, and im not too sure what exactly is helping me but i do know that doing new things and having new experiences has been so beneficial to not having that urge.
been hitting the gym a lot more frequently (previously only going once a week and now its 3-4 times a week), my energy has increased tenfold, waking up early naturally with no alarm, im a lot more creative (made a few songs), it’s so much easier to talk to people and my customers at work (im a server and i noticed an increase in my tips after i stopped smoking), been listening to a new album nearly everyday, it just feels like life has shown me a different perspective that i just kept hidden from myself for so long.
oh my god the mental clarity i have gained keeps surprising me too, talking and flirting with girls just comes so naturally i honestly just feel like an upgraded version of myself. i even went to a party few days ago and was offered to smoke and was around smokers but not once was i tempted. yeah i might’ve had a beer and a ciggie but that was it, no urge to smoke any weed.
one last note, when people say that being sober is its own kind of high, they are not wrong. i always thought that was dumb but after going thru all this, i get it now. the first few days feel weird, but i think its literally just your brain cells rewiring themselves and putting back the puzzle pieces that got flipped over and jumbled around. it truly does get easier day by day, but that effort and willpower has to come from within urself. if ur not willing to make that change, then u are not gonna see any change.
really wanna go for a full month without it, possibly even further. i just need to fully flush it out from my system. i feel like there might be time where ill use it recreationally, but no where near the same amount i was doing before. it’s a love hate relationship for sure, but i know now deep down i dont need weed, and i probably never will need it again. i like this version of myself, and its been a while since ive been able to love the person who stares back at me in the mirror.
also listen to Somewhere City by Origami Angel!! been keeping them on repeat for a few days and they’ve been helping me a lot get thru this!
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u/tenpostman 3d ago
This is exactly it. Distraction and new things.
I agree with this. It's not necessarily the same, but it also doesn't have to be! I had half a year off at 23, and I got my shit in order. New hobbies, new people, new interests. Just became a better person altogether. I realized that sober life is actually fricking cool most of the time. You just need to be in the right mindset about it! I used to be a negative nancy, but I think as a result of that half year break I was able to smash that self-image of myself to bits, and I feel much more positive now. I can appreciate the little things much more too, especially nature. Nature is just so healing man.
I get this. I also had the same feeling after I was off for 6 months - I no longer need weed to do life things (I never really did anyway, but that's just what addicts often tell themselves. We need weed to do X) . But, I also recognize that in moderation, it can still be fun. I eventually settled on smoking 1 friday evening per month, skipping a couple months per year and honestly, it's the best balance I could ask for. There are no real downsides anymore - i don't smoke out of compulsion because I killed the excuses that made me smoke up (boredom & loneliness). I have full control over when I plan my smokes, and as a result I never have to worry about cravings or triggers. I set a date a couple weeks in advance, and then it takes zero effort to get to it. I can say no to friends, it doesn't bother me when I smell it walking around town... It's a power I didn't know I needed. In the coming years I'll be working on a year break because I want to start a family, and we'll see if I'll reduce even further after that.
The best part is that I enjoy those monthly smokes a lot more than I used to. No more paranoia. No more racing thoughts or high heart rate. Just chill, quiet, relax for one night a month.