P04detoxingfrommarijuana.p65

How can I reduce discomfort?
From “HOW IT WORKS”
in the meeting format of
For some of the milder detoxing symptoms, MARIJUANA ANONYMOUS
Detoxing from
a few home remedies have proven to be useful: Marijuana
• Hot soaking baths can help the emotions none of us are saints.
Our program is not easy, • Drink plenty of water and clear liquids, just We strive for progress,not perfection.
• Cranberry juice has been used effectively • Really excessive sweating can deplete the body of potassium, a necessary mineral. Afew foods high in potassium are melons,b a n a n a s , c i t ru s f ru i t s , g re e n l e a f y Marijuana Anonymous
• Eliminate fat from the diet until digestion 12 Step Program For Marijuana Addicts
• Greatly reduce or eliminate caffeine until Marijuana Anonymous
World Services
P.O. Box 2912
• The old fashioned remedy for insomnia, a Van Nuys, CA 91404
Toll Free: 1-800-766-6779
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org
• Exercise not only helps depression and other unpleasant emotions, it helps thebody speed up the healing process.
Conference Approved Literature 1992 Marijuana Anonymous What is Detoxing?
diet at the same time. Fasting, or a crash diet, can re- What about physical symptoms?
lease the THC into the bloodstream very rapidly and can give a positive reading. This has happened to sev- gets rid of the toxins accumulated from years eral of our members, but each time only with crash of using. It happens the first few days or weeks headaches. For those who have them, they can diets and major weight loss, not with just eating less after getting clean and/or sober. It is also the last for a few weeks up to a couple of months, very beginning of getting used to dealing with with the first few days being very intense. The reality and real feelings with no numbing agent.
next most common physical symptom is nightsweats, sometimes to the point of having to What are some of the more common symptoms?
change night clothes. They can last from a few Can there be physical effects from
nights to a month or so. Sweating is one of the quitting marijuana?
body’s natural ways of getting rid of toxins.
By far the most common symptom of withdrawal Hand sweats are very common and are often In spite of numerous years of being told that is insomnia. This can last from a few nights of practi- accompanied by an unpleasant smell from the there are no physiological effects from mari- cally no sleep at all, up to a few months of occasional hands. Body odor is enough in many instances juana addiction, many of our recovering mem- sleeplessness. The next most common symptom is de- to require extra showers or baths. Coughing up bers have had definite withdrawal symptoms.
pression (that is, if you’re not euphoric), and next are phlegm is another way the body cleans itself.
Whether the causes are physical or psychologi- nightmares and vivid dreams. Marijuana use tends This can last for a few weeks to well over six cal, the results are physical. Others have just to dampen the dreaming mechanism, so that when had emotional and mental changes as they stop you do get clean the dreams come back with a crash.
One third of the addicts who responded to using their drug of choice. There is no way of They can be vivid color, highly emotional dreams or a questionnaire on detoxing said they had eat- telling before quitting who will be physically nightmares, even waking up then coming back to the ing problems for the first few days and some uncomfortable and who will not. Most mem- same dream. The very vivid, every night dreams usu- for up to six weeks. Their main symptoms were bers have only minor physical discomfort if any ally don’t start for a about a week or so. They last for loss of appetite, sometimes enough to lose at all. This pamphlet is for those who are hav- about a month at most and then taper off. “Using” weight temporarily, digestion problems or ing trouble and wonder what’s happening to dreams (dreams involving the use of marijuana) are cramps after eating, and nausea, occasionally very common, and although they’re not as vivid or enough to vomit (only for a day or two). Most emotional as at first, they last for years and are just of the eating problems were totally gone be- Why do some effects last so long?
considered a normal part of recovery. The fourth most common symptom is anger. This can range from a Unlike most other drugs, including alcohol, slow burning rage to constant irritability to sudden THC (the active chemical in marijuana) is stored experienced were tremors or shaking and diz- bursts of anger when least expected: anger at the in the fat cells and therefore takes longer to fully ziness. Less frequently experienced were kid- world, anger at loved ones, anger at oneself, anger at clear the body than with any other common ney pains, impotency, hormone changes or im- being an addict and having to get clean. Emotional drug. This means that some parts of the body balances, low immunity or chronic fatigue, and jags are very common, with emotions bouncing back still retain THC even after a couple of months, and forth between depression, anger, and euphoria.
rather than just the couple of days or weeks for around two months. There have been cases of Occasionally experienced is a feeling of fear or anxi- addicts having more severe detox symptoms, ety, a loss of the sense of humor, decreased sex drive, however this is rare. For intense discomfort, see or increased sex drive. Most all of these symptoms Can this affect a drug test?
a doctor, preferably one who is experienced fade to normal emotions by three months. Loss of con- centration for the first week or month is also very com- shown that if you quit marijuana and expect to mon and this sometimes affects the ability to learn for take a drug test you should not go on a crash

Source: http://www.marijuanaanonymous.co.za/Detoxing.pdf