Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. In 2006, nearly 15 million Americans 12 and older used the drug in the month prior to the survey, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Meanwhile, nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population over 12 has tried marijuana in their lifetime.
While some believe that marijuana is not an addictive drug, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction. And according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a 2002 survey found that over 4 million people were classified with dependence on or abuse of marijuana.
You may also be surprised to learn that more teens enter treatment centers because of marijuana dependence than they do for all other illegal drugs combined, according to ONDCP. In all, 62 percent of teens in drug treatment centers are dependent on marijuana.
There is also a misconception that marijuana is a relatively harmless drug that just makes you “mellow.” In reality, those who use the drug have:
Increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia
- Impaired immune systems
- Increased risk of lung cancer (marijuana smoke actually contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke)
- Respiratory problems similar to those of tobacco smokers
Heavy marijuana use has also been proven to hinder life achievement in areas such as physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life and career status, NIDA states.
How to Overcome a Marijuana Addiction
Every addiction has a strong emotional component that drives you to continue the behavior. What makes it an addiction is that you continue to use marijuana even though it is interfering with your family, school, work or social life. Often, getting to the bottom of the emotional drive will allow you to break free from the physical dependence.
“All addictions have an emotional content,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. “If you are willing to face and let go of the feeling that you need a substance in order to be comfortable with who or what you are, you can break any addiction.”
Letting go is easy once you get the hang of it, but many people find using The Sedona Method helps them get a hold on the principle of releasing.
“As you let go of the feelings of incompleteness or whatever other feeling is motivating you to feel like you must do the addictive behavior, you will find it easier and easier to simply let it go and not be bound by the addiction anymore,” Dwoskin says.
Keep in mind that people trying to quit marijuana often report feeling irritable and anxious, and having trouble sleeping. You can use The Sedona Method to release on these feelings and symptoms as well, and it will help you get through the transition.
Sources
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana
Office of National Drug Control Policy
MayoClinic.com
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