When it comes to quitting marijuana after regular heavy use, it can lead to a difficult withdrawal period, complete with physical and psychological symptoms. However, understanding the typical marijuana withdrawal timeline and getting proper support can help you push through the discomfort. Withdrawal symptoms tend to peak in severity around 2-6 days after quitting and last for up to 2 weeks, though some effects like cravings and sleep problems may persist longer. Education and compassionate support are critical for understanding what to expect and successfully moving through withdrawal on the path to recovery from marijuana addiction.
Cannabis Dependence
Psychosocial determinants like regular cannabis use independent of social context and early onset of use (11-15 years) correlate with cannabis dependence. Stress factors and critical life events, as well as comorbid mental disorders, have also been linked to the development of cannabis dependence.
- Prevalence: In 2019, over 43 million Americans used marijuana, with 35% exhibiting signs of problematic use like unsuccessful attempts to quit or impairment in daily activities1.
- Risk factors: Frequent or heavy use, underlying mental health conditions, and initiation of regular use before age 18 can increase susceptibility to marijuana dependence and a more severe withdrawal timeline when quitting.
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Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
The timeline of symptoms follows a rough pattern, generally starting within 1-3 days after the last cannabis use. Anxiety, cravings, and mood instability kick in first followed by flu-like symptoms like fever and headaches over the next few days. Sleep disruption, appetite changes, and some psychological symptoms may persist for weeks or longer. Overall intensity peaks around 2-6 days in and improves within 1-2 weeks.
Symptoms of withdrawal can look like:
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Vivid dreams and nightmares
- Loss of appetite, weight loss
- Nausea, fever, chills
- Sweating, especially at night
- Restlessness
- Mood swings, irritability
- Anxiety
- Drug cravings and urges to use marijuana
- Sleep problems during withdrawal from cannabis use are extremely commonplace, with the details of how abstinence impacts sleep being not well described, highlighting the need for a systematic review on this topic 2.
How To Deal With Cannabis Withdrawal
When battling through marijuana withdrawal can be extremely difficult for some, but with the right support, it can be beaten! Medical detox, lifestyle changes, counseling, peer support groups, targeted meds for symptoms like insomnia, and leaning on loved ones can help you push through the discomfort on your timeline to sobriety.
Getting through marijuana withdrawal discomfort can often require a multi-pronged approach:
- Medical detox in an inpatient rehab center or even at home can provide supervision and symptom management. Seeking counseling and peer support also helps normalize the experience.
- Making lifestyle changes like adhering to a clean diet, exercising, and finding new hobbies helps fill time and distract from cravings.
- Certain medications may help alleviate withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, headaches, and nausea during the weed detox phase. According to a review on managing insomnia during cannabis withdrawal, drugs like gabapentin, mirtazapine, and zolpidem show some benefits 3.
- Having a strong support system is key – lean on caring friends, family, or a
recovery coach when the marijuana withdrawal symptoms get tough.
Please remember that withdrawal is temporary, and these positive coping strategies will help you push through on the timeline to quitting marijuana for good. Reaching out for help takes courage, and you should feel proud for taking the first steps!
Cornerstone Offers Holistic Treatment for Marijuana Use Disorder in Arizona
Effective Ways to Treat Marijuana Addiction & Withdrawal
Behavioral Therapy
Unfortunately, there aren’t medications that have been approved to alleviate often month-long marijuana withdrawal struggles; research shows targeted talk therapy empowers many to build motivation and healthy coping strategies that lead to success in quitting long-term cannabis dependence4.
Though evidence-based talk therapies build mental muscle and motivation, providing customizable symptom relief, lifestyle recalibration, and social support so quitters can write their own success stories in breaking free from dependence for good. More than grit, behavioral treatment gifts self-efficacy – the commitment and confidence that rehab from weed is possible on your timeline.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
For those who are struggling through marijuana withdrawal, CBT restructures thought patterns to provide custom relief from agitation to insomnia while building skills for lifelong tranquility without substances.
By teaching introspective techniques, CBT empowers individuals to counter damaging thinking traps and cravings, stabilize mood despite discomforts, restore control over destructive habits, realign behaviors to personal values, and nurture mental well-being through tangible lifestyle changes that support optimal cannabis abstinence. Over 50% undergoing CBT acquire life-changing cognitive and emotional skill sets for pushing through withdrawal now and managing triggers and stressors positively long after attaining sobriety.
Hot baths, sleep hygiene tactics, exercise earlier in the day, meditation apps, melatonin, and approved sleep aids can help compensate for marijuana's disrupted sleep cycles.
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) builds internal incentives for quitting marijuana without addressing withdrawal symptoms directly. Instead, MET employs compassionate listening to uncover the person’s deepest life values and vision for themselves. This fosters clarity around personalized goals, motivations and substance-free lifestyles aligned with their aspirations. Tangible changes then support sobriety like new hobbies, friends, growth opportunities and spiritual community. Though withdrawal causes discomfort, MET helps many find purpose and joy in sobriety, sustain cannabis abstinence and build the life they truly want.
From there, MET guides people to make tangible lifestyle changes to support sobriety and sustain control over cannabis use. This can mean finding new hobbies, making new friends, improving relationships, pursuing education or career growth, volunteering, or connecting to a spiritual community. The focus is shifting energy towards fulfilling, rewarding activities beyond just getting high.
While withdrawal undoubtedly causes discomfort, MET provides the internal and external tools so people can push through the pain to build the life they want. By finding purpose and joy in sobriety, many are able to sustain control and be freed from marijuana dependence for good.
Drink nutrition shakes/smoothies, eat smaller snacks, avoid heavy foods, stay hydrated, use ginger/mint teas, and engage in light exercise to stimulate hunger signals.
Contingency Management
Relapse Prevention
External Triggers
Internal Triggers
Cope Ahead Tactics
Building Lifelong Resilience
Having an emergency relapse prevention plan, identifying potential trigger situations, preparing coping strategies & support contacts in advance, recognizing lapses quickly and halting progression, daily commitment to growth and sobriety, self-care through healthy routines and lifestyle, pursuing learning, creativity, community contribution, continual personal development keeps focus forward, with self-care and support, freedom after quitting weed is achievable, seek social support and counseling when needed, practice self-compassion despite occasional setbacks, lifelong sobriety is a journey – persistence pays off
🔑Key takeaways
- Can you withdrawal from Marijuana? Yes, and it's really common when quitting after prolonged heavy cannabis use. Typical symptoms like insomnia, headaches, sweating, nausea, mood swings, and cravings peak around 2-6 days in and last around 1-2 weeks.
- On Withdrawal Timelines: Withdrawal symptoms typically start within 1-3 days of last use, peak around 2-6 days in, improve within 1-2 weeks total, though some effects like insomnia or cravings may recur or persist at lower intensity for months.
- Relapse Prevention: Avoiding post-withdrawal relapse requires identifying personal triggers, preparing emergency coping strategies, continually fostering self-growth through support communities, and making ongoing sobriety self-care an anchor of identity.
Consider Treatment for Marijuana Addiction
Overcoming marijuana dependence starts with a challenging withdrawal period lasting around 1-2 weeks, featuring physical and psychological symptoms like headaches, fever, insomnia, irritability, and drug cravings. Professional treatment and social support improve the odds of successfully quitting long-term.
Yet despite withdrawal difficulties, many cannabis users continue to use it for emotional regulation and socialization purposes5. This indicates treatment should promote healthy alternatives to meet those needs. Comprehensive support empowers many to push through withdrawal and sustain sobriety lifelong.
Options include medical detox, motivational counseling, peer groups, skills-building therapies, medication, and relapse prevention plans. While everyone’s path out of addiction differs, freedom from dependence is attainable through science-backed treatment, self-compassion, and communal understanding that we all struggle sometimes. Reaching out for help is the courageous first milestone in the recovery marathon!
At Cornerstone Healing Center, our dual diagnosis treatment center provides evidence-based programs for marijuana use. Through behavioral therapy, clients build skills for managing cravings, high-risk situations, and emotional triggers. Peer support groups provide community and encouragement. Please reach out today so we can help you through this journey!
