Many people go to rehab because of marijuana, and this is often associated with other underlying problems, such as mental or emotional issues. While there is plenty of debate regarding the addictive nature of marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about 17 percent of all rehab admissions are b/c of marijuana.
This is particularly relevant for teens, less than 40 percent of whom view marijuana as being harmful and as a result are increasingly likely to misuse it at a time when it can have a serious impact on their brain (see this infographic for more info: Teen Drug Abuse in the US).
Many people who use marijuana go to rehab, but sometimes their problems are bigger than just their drug use.
For example, some people believe they need pot to cope with a pre-existing mental condition such as:-
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
If you use marijuana to self-medicate for a co-occurring condition, you need a rehab center that offers dual-diagnosis treatment.
This recovery plan combines elements of mental health care and substance abuse treatment to help you.
Marijuana users with co-occurring conditions who don’t get the help they need in rehab often relapse.
The Marijuana Anonymous 12-Step Program
The 12 steps of Marijuana Anonymous are very similar to the 12 steps recovery program used in Alcoholics Anonymous. In the first step of the Marijuana Anonymous program, marijuana addicts must acknowledge that they are powerless to quit using marijuana, and that marijuana consumption is problematic for them.
This is a very difficult step for many marijuana addicts due to the common misbelief that you can’t really be addicted to marijuana. Addiction is generally defined by Marijuana Anonymous as a compulsion to engage in a behavior, such as smoking, that interferes with the function of daily life.
The second step is for an individual to ask God for help in overcoming addiction, and the third step is to turn the individual’s will over to God.
There are total 12 steps.
Why You Should or Should not Participate in a Marijuana Recovery Program?
Although marijuana is addictive, many people do not believe that their usage of marijuana is problematic. Peer support group networks like Marijuana Anonymous focus on psychological addiction in cases where a person’s daily life is negatively affected by the desire to smoke or consume marijuana.
In many cases, members of Marijuana Anonymous have faced legal repercussions for using marijuana, ranging from misdemeanors to felony charges. New members receive the assistance of a group sponsor who has been sober for at least a year, and this accountability is one of the primary reasons why marijuana abusers choose the network.
However, some people do not jibe with 12 step programs.
You might be one of them. This is not to say 12 step programs are wrong, they’re just not right for me.
If you’ve spent any time on this site, you know that I promote the Quit Weed Program because it helped a lot of people to successfully conquer their weed habit. At the same time, I realize that not everyone is going to be able to relate to the same method that helped me, which is why I list other resources to quit weed.
As I come across new resources that I think may be helpful to different readers of this blog, I will let you know about it. This brings me to the newest thing I’ve come across. Who knows, this one just may be the thing you needed. It’s called…
A Brief Guide to Quitting a Bad Habit
It’s by a guy named Leo Babauta who runs a site called Zen Habits. His guide is composed of 10 steps, not 12. What I like about Babauta’s steps is that he really focuses on self awareness (not admission of powerlessness like 12 steps does).
Self awareness is really what it’s all about isn’t it? Knowing what works for us as individuals and having the determination to keep looking for the solution that fits us best until we finally find it.
Maybe a 12 step program is best for you, maybe Babauta’s 10 steps are best for you, maybe the steps in Quit weed program are best for you.
Whatever you do, you know that not taking a step will leave you standing in the same place.
Once you do take that first step, take each successive step one at a time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
Editor’s note:- We recommend Quit weed program as the best comprehensive plan for quitting weed for good.
ugFMLGtaveUbmQDH