Wow. Some of these symptoms mirror mine. In my case it usually started when I had done too much over a few weeks period without a break. (Usually kept it to Fri and Sat nights). Everything would be fine and then bam. Physical symptoms of anxiety and the insomnia.
For me the insomnia has been on and off the past 3 months. The anxiety of not sleeping fuels the anxiety and then fuels the insomnia. I‘ve been having help for sleep which has helped. But sometimes out of nowhere the anxiety hits and I feel like I’m back to square one with the insomnia. Last year when this happened it took almost a year to get over.
Do you do anything to jog your brain? Like reading, writing, creative problem solving and such. Detoxing is good but you need to start engaging the brain and challenge it since its been in 'neutral' so long. It can be a few minutes every day, it doesnt have to be anything tiring.
fwiw i think links get removed by automod for the most part here, MA stands for 'marijuana anonymous' and with that you should be able to find it on google
personally, i really like the guide on weedless, it walks you through the first month day-by-day
writing it all down and walking outside or exercising. the emotions have been the hardest part bc i was avoiding them by smoking weed so i feel waves of shame sometimes for not dealing with things for so long. reading this sub at night when i’m really struggling helps to not relapse but the emotions just get easier to deal with over time.
You can actually do Cognitive remediation it proven scientific therapy. Find a therapist who have this qualification
For me ( I smoked 8 years every day ) it helped a lot .
How old were you when you quit ? I quit at 29. Have not smoked in a year. I do feel a lot more clearer, my memory doesn't slip as much. Its definitely not completely better. Honestly I don't know if it will get better. There are consequences to smoking daily for long periods. I hope it gets better though.
You need to put your brain to work again.
First do exercice, like jogging or yoga, and meditate.
Then, play some strategic games or logical games. sudoku, games of memory (find it on google play), and train your brain to do new connections (our brain creates new eletrics brain cells when we are learning new things.) And try to read books, they are a good exercice for brain too!
Eat good food too.
Try it.
Worst of it will be over after a couple weeks.
After about two months I felt much sharper and had my short term memory back to a level that I was comfortable with.
Ngl I still suffer from it almost 6 months into sobriety. But it has definitely improved, so I’m not that worried. I smoked on and off for 23 years, so I can’t expect a full recovery in the first year I think.
It’s been a solid year of not smoking, then about 6 weeks of relapse but not to the extent as before which was all day everyday.
Since the 6 weeks relapse it’s been another 3 months of no smoking and I’ve just started noticing that my brain is getting better. My memory is better and I’m a little more articulate.
This is after a lifetime of smoking so your results will probably be different.
All I’m saying is it’s taken longer than I hoped but it’s definitely improved.
Bruh 8 months of smoking won’t affect ur iq all like that esp if you’ve quit for 2 months. Sounds like the anxiety is what’s giving you brain fog - Examine the other habits in your life
It takes longer than you’d hope. A few months, I noticed immediately after I quit I was so stupid. Couldn’t remember people’s names well at all or what I’d done even the night before for dinner. It slowly gets better after a while, which personally improves my mood and confidence
Might just be different for everyone, when I stop I can immediately feel the difference. I’m more focused and Motivated to do stuff the next day. I’ve been smoking for 8 years with only 2 real 20-30 day breaks.
It’s been a little over 2 months for me after daily smoking for 6 years and around the 3 week mark I felt a noticeable improvement in memory and sleep but haven’t noticed any major changes since then. I still feel kinda dumb and forgetful of random words/not as quick in conversation. Though, I am now able to read books without having to reread sentences all the damn time haha.
I also have anxiety and it feels like I’m learning to walk again operating soberly in the world but overall I’d say it’s getting better. I’ve really struggled with feeling emotions for the first time in a long time without immediately numbing that shit out. I’ve had waves of extreme phone addiction as my sobriety crutch, which gave me more anxiety so I started going to the gym and learning bass guitar and both have helped with focus and leveling out my emotions but its not a miracle cure. Overall I know I’m making some strides even though I still kinda feel empty inside.
I think improvements can happen so gradually it’s hard to notice until you reflect on the minor changes. I just read something about how long the half life of THC is compared to other drugs, it takes at least 3 months to leave your system after regular use. I make sure to eat brain healthy foods like blueberries and greens and walnuts. I have a smoothie that’s just a blueberries, greens, flax seed and water first thing in the morning and call it my brain blast probably placebo but it makes me feel good like I’m supercharging my brain healing and honestly keeps my from wanting to smoke.
Good job on your 2 months! Sometimes change is gradual as hell but keep on it and start incorporating some easy healthy things in your life to help stay present keep from over thinking.
It took a little over 3 months for me. Getting into a routine of improving your diet and staying active really does help everyone saying that is 100% correct
I was legitimately afraid I killed brain cells I felt like a complete dumbass that could barely form a sentence lmao and now I'm completely back to normal (aside from insomnia ngl that's still bad but way less bad)
Get some healthy food in you and exercise as well. Helps a ton. Healthy fats, high protein, and cut the processed food. I go for so many walks these days too, helps clear your mind. Leave the phone at home and focus on your breathing while walking, feels good.
My test was fine tho
I have that too yayyy lol
Although I was in a horrible relationship 8 months ago that caused me a lot of stress and I even got TE cuz of it
I’m told that high levels of our stress hormone, cortisol, can have the net effect of down regulating production.
Getting past the stressful season, or getting hormone replacement, can return the mental acuity your post mentioned being without.
Try looking into the Wim Hof method, or something similar. So, breath work and cold water.
Taking cold showers help regrow the hippocampus, which can be damaged from cannabis use. The hippocampus is one of the parts of the brain that can be restored. I also read that fasting helps as well. Some people have contentious feelings about the Wim Hof thing, but look into it.
Getting enough sleep is critical for brain function. If you're getting a good 8 hours in, you might have sleep apnea. That causes less oxygen to get to the brain.
You should go talk to a doctor on this one. I smoked daily for about a decade, probably half of that was concentrates. Not carts, fat ass dabs. I also had these three symptoms. Two weeks into quitting and they have all but disappeared from my life. Everyone is different but if you weren’t even smoking on the daily for a year and these symptoms still persist months after quitting, go see a doctor.
Maybe have a chat with your dr if you can, as it may be symptoms of other stuff the weed was only masking. Memory and brain fog only improved for me once kicking the weed.
I had been smoking daily (just under 1g a day) for almost 2 years and it took around a week for my brain speed to return back to normal. I’ve recently started programming and the difference in how fast I can grasp new concepts and remember them is huge. If you only smoked for 8 months and only a few times a week it won’t take long at all. I’d expect only a few days for the majority of your intellect to resume and then just improve gradually from there.
Anxiety however will take a bit longer to return to normal, likely in the months range. It’s likely that you’re tripping up your words due to anxiety rather than brain fog/brain speed.
Insomnia will improve drastically within a week then after that you may wake up a few times in the night. That will take a few months to return back to normal.
In your case probably a couple of months more like 6 months before you feel good again. Sorry i didnt read that youve smoked for 8 months. Ive been smoking for 19 years now and evrryday i think about quiting but the first 3 days are so hard...
You can do it guy. I smoked it daily for 10 years and had to give up as my job drug tests. You just need to find something to fill that void. TV, gaming and food weren't as good without it but now Im much better and like being able to think without the dog. Also don't reward yourself after having a few days off. Stay strong !! You can do this
Thx man. 42 years old now and my son is living with me since september last year because of abuse with his mother.
But still i feel like a deadbeat father because i smoke man, feel guilty all the time even though i am doing well as a father.
Have my own house, no financial problems, single though and thats one of the reasons i keep smoking to get rid of the loneliness.
You're doing your best and if you want to give up you've got it within you to do it. Give up for your son the feeling of guilt isn't worth the mental anguish. Find some hobbies you like and see if there's any social groups out there you can join even if it's something like gaming. I know in your head you'll be anxious about it but it's do able. Small steps to get back to feeling normal. Also give yourself credit for what you do right and how much more you could do without the herrbbb.
Thx man, i appreciate the feedback. Ive been tampering down the last week because its been too much. Ive been on sick leave for almost a year after back surgery now and i also use weed to cope with the pain. I dont use any pain meds you see...but the last months ive been consuming like 2 a 3 grams a day and thats just too much. I used to smoke 25 grams per months but now its doubled or almost tripled since ive been at home. Weed is controlling my life for a long time now and i am stuck in a vicious circle that is really hard to break through..
I dont think so. It all depends on how long and how much you smoked before. Ive tried quiting 3 times and at month 8 i always relapse due to depression and boredom. But i got autisme so i got alot of underlying unresolved anxiety issues.
First time I quit I was back to speed in a few months, exercise and hydrate and it’ll come back. You e almost got to batter the fog with exercise and flood your brain with endorphins outside of smoking, eventually your brain over rides the fog
i second this even though i haven’t quit yet, ive had times in the last 6 years where ive gone around 36 hours, sometimes less than 24 and sometimes almost 48, and my mind felt so clear it was scary, it’s part of what motivated me to keep smoking cos i didn’t like that sober high
but i also workout and sweat and drink water hella hella
For sure, the first time was pretty rough as I had smoked all my feeling away for 10 years and had to face into them. I got a journal (which I still use today) and I’ve got no shame in admitting I’d cry pretty regularly that first month while my brain was making me deal with what I’d ignored.
I know it’s a prison and I’m a much better human being without it.
Also, username checks out for the exercise
haha that’s funny i guess it does, and you’re so right about it being a prison no matter how much it’s glorified or how much it “can help” and change your life for the better, cos at the end of the day, that while “for the better” is from the weed… so you’re trapped to using weed “for the better” until you become “for the better
i also completely relate with the whole crying thing, no need to think ab feeling shame, i still use all day avidly and while i have been able to improve my dynamic with the substance and be the one in control (not getting depressed, getting lost in thought, but actually having fun in the moment off of weed)
even though i been getting better at doing that, i still cry allll the fucking time high and sober, usually because of something my habit with weed either directly or indirectly opened the path to causing/creating and am now facing those realities
i also just feel like this crippling loneliness and just utter lost ness, like i’m stranded in the haze of marijuana, and i don’t know what to do (i mean this literally) i feel like i have 0 idea how to exist of live life, like my neurons just don’t fire and work, then i smoke weed and before i know it i’ll be doing something and it’s very confusing how literally nothing will come to mind, you feel so stuck, like your mind body and spirit are stuck in mud, then like you smoke, and then figure it out
not to turn this into a rant lol 😭 but sometimes i wonder if that happens for me because i’m just overthinking or trying to hard and so i get this like “stuck” thing going on, whereas when i smoke, i literally don’t care ‼️ i’m completely unbothered, i hate fast food, yet i’ll happily eat taco bell stoned if i want to for example, like i just do things and don’t make it a big deal to myself, and while that’s awesome, it’s also like with the taco bell example in specific, it’s completely allowed me to not care about giving up on my disciplines or goals or big passions and allow them to be harder to attain or take longer because “ehhhh fuggit, idc, im literally unbothered” and like yeah i will be, i won’t care, i feel like weed enables me to be a person who stands for nothing when it comes to their actions, because i’ll rationalize being okay with actions id never do sober just cos now i’m high on weed and vibing and don’t care, which i think is both good and bad, just needs hella more balancing in my case, but like yeah idek what my point with all this was but thanks for anyone listening i guess, good luck to everybody on their leaves journeys lol
Wow. Some of these symptoms mirror mine. In my case it usually started when I had done too much over a few weeks period without a break. (Usually kept it to Fri and Sat nights). Everything would be fine and then bam. Physical symptoms of anxiety and the insomnia. For me the insomnia has been on and off the past 3 months. The anxiety of not sleeping fuels the anxiety and then fuels the insomnia. I‘ve been having help for sleep which has helped. But sometimes out of nowhere the anxiety hits and I feel like I’m back to square one with the insomnia. Last year when this happened it took almost a year to get over.
Interesting that's what I've been reading. It'll be a year before recovery
Do you do anything to jog your brain? Like reading, writing, creative problem solving and such. Detoxing is good but you need to start engaging the brain and challenge it since its been in 'neutral' so long. It can be a few minutes every day, it doesnt have to be anything tiring.
Check out MA online’s guide to detox. Good info
what’s that?
Sorry for the abbreviation. It’s Marijuana Anonymous Online.
You got a link?
fwiw i think links get removed by automod for the most part here, MA stands for 'marijuana anonymous' and with that you should be able to find it on google personally, i really like the guide on weedless, it walks you through the first month day-by-day
That’s a great guide and helped me.
Have you had Covid recently?
Nope
Start to read or improve your concentration with sudoku and brain activities. It took me a few months to get back to my original reading pace
i’m one month sober after 4 years and noticed improvements since i started reading again and watching jeopardy lolol
any tips for surviving the initial return of emitions
writing it all down and walking outside or exercising. the emotions have been the hardest part bc i was avoiding them by smoking weed so i feel waves of shame sometimes for not dealing with things for so long. reading this sub at night when i’m really struggling helps to not relapse but the emotions just get easier to deal with over time.
About 2 months for my brain to stop feeling tingles
You can actually do Cognitive remediation it proven scientific therapy. Find a therapist who have this qualification For me ( I smoked 8 years every day ) it helped a lot .
Interesting
It went away after 2-3 years for me
How old were you when you quit ? I quit at 29. Have not smoked in a year. I do feel a lot more clearer, my memory doesn't slip as much. Its definitely not completely better. Honestly I don't know if it will get better. There are consequences to smoking daily for long periods. I hope it gets better though.
I quit in around age 20 but then relapsed again in at 30 and quit again for good at 35 or so.
Still not back after 15 years 😞
Took me about 90 days. Feeling much better now (210ish days sober)
You need to put your brain to work again. First do exercice, like jogging or yoga, and meditate. Then, play some strategic games or logical games. sudoku, games of memory (find it on google play), and train your brain to do new connections (our brain creates new eletrics brain cells when we are learning new things.) And try to read books, they are a good exercice for brain too! Eat good food too. Try it.
Emphasis on the cardio early in the day, breakfast with more protein and fat than carbs, post exercise stay hydrated and build those new neurons. <3
Evil genius right here
This is the way.
im thinking that a bunch of the brain fog is also from anxiety - being distracted and unable to focus is a product of anxiety
I would agree the brain fog can often times come from the mind which is a full cup that must be emptied before clarity will be achieved.
It took me many months and a fuckton of rem filled sleep. The more more rem, the clearer my head got.
U sure its About weed ?
Worst of it will be over after a couple weeks. After about two months I felt much sharper and had my short term memory back to a level that I was comfortable with.
You might be using weed as a scapegoat.
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8 months in and i’ve felt so much smarter maybe by a factor of like 50%
Ngl I still suffer from it almost 6 months into sobriety. But it has definitely improved, so I’m not that worried. I smoked on and off for 23 years, so I can’t expect a full recovery in the first year I think.
It’s been a solid year of not smoking, then about 6 weeks of relapse but not to the extent as before which was all day everyday. Since the 6 weeks relapse it’s been another 3 months of no smoking and I’ve just started noticing that my brain is getting better. My memory is better and I’m a little more articulate. This is after a lifetime of smoking so your results will probably be different. All I’m saying is it’s taken longer than I hoped but it’s definitely improved.
Bruh 8 months of smoking won’t affect ur iq all like that esp if you’ve quit for 2 months. Sounds like the anxiety is what’s giving you brain fog - Examine the other habits in your life
Came here for this comment. 8 months wouldn't have really done much. I'm almost 10 years deep 😔
It takes longer than you’d hope. A few months, I noticed immediately after I quit I was so stupid. Couldn’t remember people’s names well at all or what I’d done even the night before for dinner. It slowly gets better after a while, which personally improves my mood and confidence
Might just be different for everyone, when I stop I can immediately feel the difference. I’m more focused and Motivated to do stuff the next day. I’ve been smoking for 8 years with only 2 real 20-30 day breaks.
Yeah definitely different for different people I'm like the guy above but I've seen quite a few like you here, lucky
It’s been a little over 2 months for me after daily smoking for 6 years and around the 3 week mark I felt a noticeable improvement in memory and sleep but haven’t noticed any major changes since then. I still feel kinda dumb and forgetful of random words/not as quick in conversation. Though, I am now able to read books without having to reread sentences all the damn time haha. I also have anxiety and it feels like I’m learning to walk again operating soberly in the world but overall I’d say it’s getting better. I’ve really struggled with feeling emotions for the first time in a long time without immediately numbing that shit out. I’ve had waves of extreme phone addiction as my sobriety crutch, which gave me more anxiety so I started going to the gym and learning bass guitar and both have helped with focus and leveling out my emotions but its not a miracle cure. Overall I know I’m making some strides even though I still kinda feel empty inside. I think improvements can happen so gradually it’s hard to notice until you reflect on the minor changes. I just read something about how long the half life of THC is compared to other drugs, it takes at least 3 months to leave your system after regular use. I make sure to eat brain healthy foods like blueberries and greens and walnuts. I have a smoothie that’s just a blueberries, greens, flax seed and water first thing in the morning and call it my brain blast probably placebo but it makes me feel good like I’m supercharging my brain healing and honestly keeps my from wanting to smoke. Good job on your 2 months! Sometimes change is gradual as hell but keep on it and start incorporating some easy healthy things in your life to help stay present keep from over thinking.
It took a little over 3 months for me. Getting into a routine of improving your diet and staying active really does help everyone saying that is 100% correct I was legitimately afraid I killed brain cells I felt like a complete dumbass that could barely form a sentence lmao and now I'm completely back to normal (aside from insomnia ngl that's still bad but way less bad)
Thank you
Exercise/sports man Out of everything (sleep, water, caffeine) exercise , specifically cardio will get you feeling brand new
Get some healthy food in you and exercise as well. Helps a ton. Healthy fats, high protein, and cut the processed food. I go for so many walks these days too, helps clear your mind. Leave the phone at home and focus on your breathing while walking, feels good.
When was the last time you had bloodwork done to look at your hormone levels?
A week ago and before that like 3monrhe ago
Cool, so no answers there? (I only asked because you’re describing symptoms that mirror low sex based hormones).
My test was fine tho I have that too yayyy lol Although I was in a horrible relationship 8 months ago that caused me a lot of stress and I even got TE cuz of it
Tiddy electrification?
I’m told that high levels of our stress hormone, cortisol, can have the net effect of down regulating production. Getting past the stressful season, or getting hormone replacement, can return the mental acuity your post mentioned being without.
Try looking into the Wim Hof method, or something similar. So, breath work and cold water. Taking cold showers help regrow the hippocampus, which can be damaged from cannabis use. The hippocampus is one of the parts of the brain that can be restored. I also read that fasting helps as well. Some people have contentious feelings about the Wim Hof thing, but look into it.
fasting is incredible for leaving this behind slowly
Bet
Honestly same, but I’ve just come to realize that I be a lil dumb
Getting enough sleep is critical for brain function. If you're getting a good 8 hours in, you might have sleep apnea. That causes less oxygen to get to the brain.
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Oh I don't do weed anymore Weed wasnt my main addiction so it was relatively easier to leave
You should go talk to a doctor on this one. I smoked daily for about a decade, probably half of that was concentrates. Not carts, fat ass dabs. I also had these three symptoms. Two weeks into quitting and they have all but disappeared from my life. Everyone is different but if you weren’t even smoking on the daily for a year and these symptoms still persist months after quitting, go see a doctor.
Fuck
Bro I only just noticed your username. How dare you call yourself low IQ with such a big brain username.
I stole it
Maybe have a chat with your dr if you can, as it may be symptoms of other stuff the weed was only masking. Memory and brain fog only improved for me once kicking the weed.
Took me about 2 mths w regular exercise (brain fog, low IQ was inborn for me)
Okay that I haven't been doing but I think I'll be much sharper once I start
I had been smoking daily (just under 1g a day) for almost 2 years and it took around a week for my brain speed to return back to normal. I’ve recently started programming and the difference in how fast I can grasp new concepts and remember them is huge. If you only smoked for 8 months and only a few times a week it won’t take long at all. I’d expect only a few days for the majority of your intellect to resume and then just improve gradually from there. Anxiety however will take a bit longer to return to normal, likely in the months range. It’s likely that you’re tripping up your words due to anxiety rather than brain fog/brain speed. Insomnia will improve drastically within a week then after that you may wake up a few times in the night. That will take a few months to return back to normal.
In your case probably a couple of months more like 6 months before you feel good again. Sorry i didnt read that youve smoked for 8 months. Ive been smoking for 19 years now and evrryday i think about quiting but the first 3 days are so hard...
You can do it guy. I smoked it daily for 10 years and had to give up as my job drug tests. You just need to find something to fill that void. TV, gaming and food weren't as good without it but now Im much better and like being able to think without the dog. Also don't reward yourself after having a few days off. Stay strong !! You can do this
Thx man. 42 years old now and my son is living with me since september last year because of abuse with his mother. But still i feel like a deadbeat father because i smoke man, feel guilty all the time even though i am doing well as a father. Have my own house, no financial problems, single though and thats one of the reasons i keep smoking to get rid of the loneliness.
Don't beat yourself down man.
You're doing your best and if you want to give up you've got it within you to do it. Give up for your son the feeling of guilt isn't worth the mental anguish. Find some hobbies you like and see if there's any social groups out there you can join even if it's something like gaming. I know in your head you'll be anxious about it but it's do able. Small steps to get back to feeling normal. Also give yourself credit for what you do right and how much more you could do without the herrbbb.
Thx man, i appreciate the feedback. Ive been tampering down the last week because its been too much. Ive been on sick leave for almost a year after back surgery now and i also use weed to cope with the pain. I dont use any pain meds you see...but the last months ive been consuming like 2 a 3 grams a day and thats just too much. I used to smoke 25 grams per months but now its doubled or almost tripled since ive been at home. Weed is controlling my life for a long time now and i am stuck in a vicious circle that is really hard to break through..
I dont think so. It all depends on how long and how much you smoked before. Ive tried quiting 3 times and at month 8 i always relapse due to depression and boredom. But i got autisme so i got alot of underlying unresolved anxiety issues.
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First time I quit I was back to speed in a few months, exercise and hydrate and it’ll come back. You e almost got to batter the fog with exercise and flood your brain with endorphins outside of smoking, eventually your brain over rides the fog
Thanks
i second this even though i haven’t quit yet, ive had times in the last 6 years where ive gone around 36 hours, sometimes less than 24 and sometimes almost 48, and my mind felt so clear it was scary, it’s part of what motivated me to keep smoking cos i didn’t like that sober high but i also workout and sweat and drink water hella hella
For sure, the first time was pretty rough as I had smoked all my feeling away for 10 years and had to face into them. I got a journal (which I still use today) and I’ve got no shame in admitting I’d cry pretty regularly that first month while my brain was making me deal with what I’d ignored. I know it’s a prison and I’m a much better human being without it. Also, username checks out for the exercise
haha that’s funny i guess it does, and you’re so right about it being a prison no matter how much it’s glorified or how much it “can help” and change your life for the better, cos at the end of the day, that while “for the better” is from the weed… so you’re trapped to using weed “for the better” until you become “for the better i also completely relate with the whole crying thing, no need to think ab feeling shame, i still use all day avidly and while i have been able to improve my dynamic with the substance and be the one in control (not getting depressed, getting lost in thought, but actually having fun in the moment off of weed) even though i been getting better at doing that, i still cry allll the fucking time high and sober, usually because of something my habit with weed either directly or indirectly opened the path to causing/creating and am now facing those realities i also just feel like this crippling loneliness and just utter lost ness, like i’m stranded in the haze of marijuana, and i don’t know what to do (i mean this literally) i feel like i have 0 idea how to exist of live life, like my neurons just don’t fire and work, then i smoke weed and before i know it i’ll be doing something and it’s very confusing how literally nothing will come to mind, you feel so stuck, like your mind body and spirit are stuck in mud, then like you smoke, and then figure it out not to turn this into a rant lol 😭 but sometimes i wonder if that happens for me because i’m just overthinking or trying to hard and so i get this like “stuck” thing going on, whereas when i smoke, i literally don’t care ‼️ i’m completely unbothered, i hate fast food, yet i’ll happily eat taco bell stoned if i want to for example, like i just do things and don’t make it a big deal to myself, and while that’s awesome, it’s also like with the taco bell example in specific, it’s completely allowed me to not care about giving up on my disciplines or goals or big passions and allow them to be harder to attain or take longer because “ehhhh fuggit, idc, im literally unbothered” and like yeah i will be, i won’t care, i feel like weed enables me to be a person who stands for nothing when it comes to their actions, because i’ll rationalize being okay with actions id never do sober just cos now i’m high on weed and vibing and don’t care, which i think is both good and bad, just needs hella more balancing in my case, but like yeah idek what my point with all this was but thanks for anyone listening i guess, good luck to everybody on their leaves journeys lol