Why it is important to recognize the symptoms and effects of cannabis withdrawal
Why do people choose to stop using cannabis? Does withdrawal involve any side effects or symptoms? Recognizing the signs of cannabis withdrawal is important when trying to avoid those symptoms, and it is important to remember that only a relatively small proportion of people quitting experience severe withdrawal symptoms requiring medication.
Withdrawal can make you feel depressed, irritable and anxious, but after approximately two to three weeks these symptoms should become less noticeable and less severe. It can also make you want to stay in bed all day or eat too much because of a lack of appetite, which passes after about two weeks on average. The most common withdrawal symptom is insomnia, which makes sense because the body's natural response when it no longer contains cannabinoids is a "fight or flight" response that raises adrenaline and cortisol levels.
Why does cannabis withdrawal activate a "fight" mechanism in body and mind?
If you think about it, cannabis withdrawal puts a person in an unfamiliar situation, something new. You are essentially stopping the supply of a very familiar substance to body and mind, making both anxious. Body and mind will try to work out how to deal with this new situation, which is so unfamiliar to them.
Following cannabis withdrawal, the body will enter "FIGHT OR FLIGHT" mode and choose FIGHT. This supposed state of "fighting" means the body is trying to understand how to cope with the new living conditions you have imposed: cannabis withdrawal. As a result, people find themselves getting little substantial sleep at night, sometimes falling asleep only toward dawn.
What exactly is cannabis withdrawal?
Ultimately, cannabis withdrawal is a physical and psychological disturbance that can occur when someone stops using cannabis for an extended period or abruptly. When these difficulties appear, it helps to have the warm emotional support you need. If obtaining that support in your usual surroundings (which probably include friends who use cannabis) is difficult, you can receive it at a cannabis rehabilitation center.
Worth reading: Drug rehabilitation: what should you know?
Help from a cannabis rehabilitation center
If you need help from a cannabis rehabilitation center, we recommend an introductory meeting with its treatment team. You can obtain more information, meet people with a similar background, hear about different treatment methods and more. This can give you a clearer idea of the processes people go through at these centers. Ultimately, many people like you have already completed this journey successfully.
