Abstaining From THC - Paper Example

Cannabis consists of a chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), that attaches to cannabinoid receptors. Once THC activates the receptors cause an effect to an individual's memory, concentration, coordination, pleasure, and senses. It stimulates the brain cells to produce dopamine which creates euphoria in the human body. Growing up as a teenager in the 21st century, I got to experience the effects of taking cannabis. I started taking the drug in small amounts but as time went by, my marijuana intake increased. The condition worsened to an extent I could not go a day without smoking marijuana. Various functions in my life depended on marijuana such as sleep, mood, and eating. I had to take marijuana to have a proper sleep, appetite and a good mood. Taking a break from marijuana helped me overcome my addiction despite the various challenges that came with withdrawal from THC.

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One of the major effects of abstaining from marijuana is insomnia. During the first weeks of detoxing from THC, I had difficulty sleeping. The condition shifted from no sleep at all to occasional sleeplessness with time. Marijuana dampens the humans' dreaming mechanism. It prevents an individual from remembering the bad dreams and bad experiences during sleep. Detoxing from the drug brings back the dampened dreams leading to nightmares and highly emotional dreams. This effect often occurs within the first month of abstinence. Marijuana intake affects an individual's mood (Haney et al.,2004). From my experience, abstaining from the drug influenced my temper in a negative manner. I developed anger issues which faded after three months. The condition ranged from a slow and burning rage to constant irritability then finally to anger. The anger does not exclude anyone or anything because a marijuana post-addict can feel anger towards oneself, loved ones and the society as a whole. Physically, detoxing from THC causes headaches which last for a couple of months. The intensity of the headaches reduces with time. Temporary Weight loss also exists as a marijuana withdrawal symptom. An individual who recovers from marijuana addiction suffers from eating problems within the first two months. He can either experience cramps after eating, digestion problems or loss of appetite. For my case, I had to suffer from all the three eating problems but became better after a month of abstaining. Since the THC in marijuana messes with the human brain, lack of proper body reception occurs as a withdrawal symptom. Occasionally, I experienced dizziness, shaking and tremors in the first few days. In response to detoxing, the body sweats a lot, especially at night to remove the toxins.

In conclusion, Abstaining from THC cannot occur in a day, especially for the addicts. The several withdrawal symptoms lure individuals into relapsing once in a while. The process of detoxing from marijuana takes gradual steps as an individual move from heavy to medium to low then finally to zero intakes of THC. Having a determined and set mentality facilitates an addict's recovery because it prevents relapse cases. Some home remedies assist in reducing discomfort caused by marijuana withdrawal symptoms. For my case, I used hot soaking baths to manage my emotions and avoid mood swings. Drinking plenty of water and cranberry juice helps in reducing the concentration of the toxin in the body. Taking milk and eliminating caffeine intake enhances an individual's sleep pattern by preventing insomnia.

References

Haney, M., Hart, C. L., Vosburg, S. K., Nasser, J., Bennett, A., Zubaran, C., & Foltin, R. W. (2004). Marijuana withdrawal in humans: effects of oral THC or Divalproex. Neuropsychopharmacology, 29(1), 158.