Hey guys. I'm mostly a lurker aside from one post I made, but I feel like I need to talk. I have been an all day everyday pot smoker pretty much since I got out of the Marine Corp Reserve in 2014 from a pretty debilitating foot injury; with a few unsuccessful attempts to quit. I haven't smoked since Saturday at this point but I really think the long term overuse has messed with my head. Between that and the current state of the world I'm having a hard time believing that we can win the November and while I don't exactly feel suicidal, I am definitely feeling depressed. I'm irritated and everything and everyone. I hate feeling this way constantly and I don't want to try to bury myself in drink or drugs. I'm not looking for sympathy, my problems are of my own making. I am just looking for some words of encouragement and perhaps your prayers....I suppose you could say I'm slowly and shakily rediscovering my spirituality.
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Ironic username haha. It's tough finding people to hang with who aren't leftist loons. I live in upstate NY. I'll keep pushing.
you only feel like we're going to lose because of where you live.... if you lived in 99% of the rest of the country you wouldn't feel that way at all.....
I really hope so. Hoping next year to move out of state. Thinking about SD or somewhere I can go back into ironwork
Both of you are great and I really appreciate it
Just remember, The bad is what makes the news. There are a lot of good people out there. The fact that you care makes you one of them
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The world is better with you in it, and God loves you.
Thanks. I'll call them if I need it. I'll promise you that. It means more than you may think.
Lord, please give Dingman peace and strength for this current struggle, and bless his steps in the future.
Thank you. And Amen.
Quitters never win! Get a puppy they're relaxing
Have 2 and even they are annoying me. Great dogs but I have short fuse right now
Have you thought about trying Marijuana?
Thought a lot about it. Lol
it Satan's cabbage I tell you! Gonna make you go to church naked and beat your kids with a sock fill with liquid soap!
Hang in there dude! I was a regular user myself up until Feb of this year. It took a few weeks but I wouldn’t want to go back to how I felt before. I will say staring into the abyss that is US politics right now can get overwhelming. I take regular breaks from all social media and news. I try to step outside and be in the moment with friends and family who are enjoying the moment.
Thank you. I know you guys are right it is just tough.
Once you quit for three days you have broken the habit. Once you quit for a week your brain will reestablish equilibrium. Once you quit for a month you will feel almost completely normal without it. Once you quit for 6 months you'll wonder why you ever did it.
Then you can have a puff here or there and it will be totally fun and fine. You already won. But you have to finish the fight.
It is tough and the best rewards in life are beating something that is tough. Just get off the web for awhile do a few things with those pups of yours. They are probably being extra needy cause they can feel you need. Just go be in the moment with them and don't think about anything else.
True happiness can only be found through God. Even if we lose here on earth God is still in control.
Even I have been feeling down sometimes, but one thing I find helps me is to just go on walks and just admire God's creation and/or just think. The fresh air and excerise certainly makes me feel better.
Also you could stay off the internet for a while. Turn off the TV. Take a hike, go fishing, read a book. If you don't want to turn the TV off then at least turn off the news. The news isn't there to inform you, it is there to control how you feel. It is the "enemy of the people" after all.
Praying for you :)
Thank you. It means a lot.
so i started using pot at the age of 19. I got a prescription from a "doctor" because I told him my hair hurt when it grew. I quickly went from smoking occasionally at parties, to becoming a regular user. I got to a point where I was smoking all day everyday. I quit going to class, got fired from my job for failing a drug test ( probably because I was slacking at work), and even had my room mate (a long time childhood friend) move out because he was tired of me sitting around smoking weed all day. I lost interest in my hobbies, first golf was replaced with disc golf, soccer was replaced with video games, and surfing became just another place to smoke weed.
The mental effects were not noticed at the time but looking back on it... i had created an alternate reality. Psychosis, paranoia, anxiety, and an extremely short temper were all a major problem.
That lasted for years. Fortunately I never started selling weed or used other drugs like many of my "friends" at the time. One day I woke up and wanted to change. I gave away all my pot and paraphernalia and decided I had the will power to quit. I moved, a bit extreme but I took a last ditch effort to finish my education out of the country. I moved to a place where i didn't speak the language, let alone know anyone to buy drugs from. I studied there for a year and upon returning ..... started smoking weed again.
Then I moved to a different part of the country. I left California where pot was everywhere for a place in middle america. Granted there is still pot but the family and friends I surrounded myself with were not drug users.
It took about two weeks, but I started to regain focus and the fog in my mind began to clear. I got a new job and week after week i noticed my brain function was increasing, I could remember long complex numbers like phone numbers, I could quickly do mental math, and I was much more productive.
Months went by, then years, and I smoked again at a party. This time it was different though. I didn't really enjoy it. In fact it was the opposite. It caused me to get really paranoid and anxious, almost like a panic attack. I tried it once or twice more over the next year or two with the same results.
My suggestion to you would be to stop smoking. Don't replace with another drug like alcohol or tobacco. I'm not saying go straight edge forever, but give your boday a month, or three months to reset itself.
Focus on your physical and mental wellness. Maybe consider talking to a psychologist if you are really struggling with your mental health.
What's going on right now isn't normal and everyone is dealing with the stress and fear of covid in different ways.
Get into the routine of living a healthy lifestyle. Start off with the small things. Make your bed, shower, brush your teeth, eat breakfast and start your day. Get to bed at a regular time. If you don't have a "normal sleep schedule try to adjust it an hour a day until you get there. Then pick up some hobbies man. If you can't find a hobby get yourself some books. Start reading about something you are passionate about. Build some skills that can advance you in your career, or if you re not able to work, start a project that you are passionate about.
Build upon all of these small goals until you start to accomplish bigger goals.
I'd definitely also suggest getting involved with a local religious group. There are always projects and activities going on that you can get involved in.
I could keep going on man but that's a start.
What are you passionate about?
A++++++
I guess I am passionate about making things. And I was incredibly fortunate to have a co-worker give me his dad's entire woodshop recently. Although I don't really have a place to put most of it. My younger sister is having a baby soon. Maybe I will make my newest niece a toy or two.
What kind of things? I recently had my first kid. Man what I would give to be able to work with wood. Glider chair, crib, changing table, dressers etc.
The best thing I've ever bought my kid was a wooden rattle he loves the thing. https://www.littlespruceorganics.com/handmade-maple-rattle/
I always wanted to build a table myself. These things cost thousands but one day I want to make one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmMTpWmoQeA
One of the hobbies I picked up was beekeeping. I'm the only beekeeper I know who doesn't build their own equipment. Woodworking and beekeeping go hand in hand. I even work with a local vet group that keeps bees as a form of therapy. I do it because I like to make mead and I like to bbq and my sauce is heavily honey based.
Well, I am somewhere between a novice and intermediate woodworker. Thinking of starting small. Something like the stacking disks if you know what I mean. I am not sure of technical terms for baby toys lol. Maybe I could even make a basic rocking horse. Beekeeping seems very interesting. I see a lot of new aviaries around me. Seems to be a growing trend.
Keep your head up. When I find things in life getting tough or little things are annoying me, I try and get away for a few days. Nothing big or expensive, just a tent and the pup. Find a little water to beat the heat and connect with nature. People are always willing to lend an ear if you need it. Take care.
I think this is exactly what I'll do. I feel bad for feeling bad in front of my old lady. Feel like I'm making her life harder. Mayhaps a couple days alone fishing in the woods nearby will help.
I just got back from a 2 days away trip. Feel amazing. My wife is going on a girls trip to a lake house for the weekend so she can hit the reset button also. We do this every 6 months or so. Little time away from each other is a great reminder of why you want to be together also.
That is a really good point. My dad invited me to shoot trap tonight too. Guess I know what I am doing after work.
There you go. I just got a UTS 15 that I want to trap shoot with.....just to do it. Go blow off some stress, bud.
Have you ever smoked yourself sober? That's how you know you've smoked too much pot. Even then there isn't any evidence of long term mental side effects. It takes a couple weeks to detox.
If you mean am I not myself when I don't smoke, then yea. I know it's going to pass eventually. It's just the combination of adjusting and the fact that I feel disheartened with our potential to win. Sometimes I'm not so sure about the silent majority.
Smoking yourself sober means you're smoking, you get high, continue smoking and your high disappears. Happens to people that smoke like an ounce a day.
Maybe instead of going cold Turkey, weaning yourself off might be better. Eventually you'll be at a point where you literally don't care whether you have it or not.
As for the silent majority: relax man. There's no point in having anxiety over things outside your control (maybe weed is actually helping you with that). IMO virtually 100% of former Trump voters are returning to vote again & he's gained support, Democrats over played their hands & people are seeing what they want and most people don't want it.
It might help you to get away from the news for a while, it's just so negative. Whatever it is that you enjoy (music, outdoors, friends, w/e) just put yourself there. If all else fails you can sleep it off.
Cheers man, and thank you for your service
Thank you. I know you're right.
Ok, here’s the deal.
The effects on your physiology from smoking regularly will go away in another few days or so. Dreams especially can be very aggressive when you stop regular use. This will absolutely give you “withdrawal” like symptoms. Don’t worry, that goes away and will not be an issue going forward.
The other issue is the fact that pot masks when things are not going well. It can literally make things seem ok when they aren’t. Your mental state, now, is one of clarity and acceptance that things are fucked up. You’re not alone as we are all feeling the pressure of fabricated peril. The best thing you can do is boil down your anger and frustration to the things that are causing it. Focusing on those things and standing up against them is a sure fire way to keep a level head while still facing the problem.
In the grand scheme, you may find smoking a little bud a couple hours before bed is a great way to get sleep without the lucidity of your dreams waking you up too early. Sleep is the best thing you can do as it will give your mind the rest it needs to be sharp in the waking hours. Eat well, too. It will ground your thinking.
Just to recap, you have two separate issues at hand. Physiological and spiritual. You can handle this. You’re not alone, per se, as we all are feeling the crunch. The weed issue is temporary and not worrisome. Mentally, however, we need you to remain true to yourself while keeping the willingness to point out injustice and violence perpetrated by a select few. Once you’ve grounded your feet by choosing to live a specific life style regardless of the influence of others, your mind will not shift with the wings of emotion.
Find your balance and get back in the game.
Thanks for your advice. I'll keep moving forward.
I have been trying to listen to more books anyway! Listening to a bio on Hamilton right now. Last two were a bio on George Washington and Franklin's autobiography. Thanks for your help (I always feel like saying that via text sounds sarcastic but I mean it)
Watched Crowder's videos too! Great series! I will check out their site.
Born too late to explore Earth
Born too early to explore the galaxy
Born just in time to have Donald J. Trump as your prez.
Keep your head up, man. You're living in some good times.
Hey man. Good job quitting since saturday. One step at a time. Suggestions- pick up a new hobby, fishing, gardening, anything but the internet. Go camping. Take some time to chill. It happens to all of us. You arent alone.
You are not alone.
Trust in Jesus; win or lose, his path will guide you through this hard time and all those to come. Praying for you man, you will pull out of this!
First off, thanks for your service! :)
I think it's AWESOME that you are putting in some work to make yourself stronger. It's the journey, NOT the finish. So, take pride in even the SMALL successes! You ROCK!
Here's the biggest thing. Laugh it off. Shrug it off. Give it to God. However YOU need to unload that stress- ditch it. Remember, you are living in a 24/7 libtard psy-op. All of it is just NOISE. Let it go.
The Rona, Wu-Flu, Shanghai Shivers, is just a flu. Those Black Panthers pictured running around last week with guns were exposed as actors. Antifa are spoiled losers on drugs following agitators paid by Soros. The fake news stations are reading propaganda written by skinny weaklings in Chy-na. It's all monkeys banging on pots and pans. Turn it off.
What is REAL is you, your friends, your fam, your faith, the silent majority, Donald Trump, a nice steak dinner, a good book... Be good to yourself. Do something nice for someone else. Walk your dog. Clear your head of all the noise.
And when you feel alone.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Trump+rally+crowd&t=brave&ia=images&iax=images
Top notch link
Pot messes with your thought processes and it takes some time to start thinking clearly again. That said, you've likely been self medicating to treat underlying problems. Make an appointment with your doctor and tell him what's going on with you. He may be able to help or to refer you to someone else. Just don't pin your hopes on him having a magic cure - you don't want to set yourself up for a big disappointment. Personally, I found Pristiq helpful to get me through a short patch of depression.
I have a physical coming up. I'll give them a chat. Aside from Jordan Peterson I worry most people in psych are quacks. 12 rules is how I'm trying to move forward
That's why I suggested your doctor. Same with a shrink: make sure it's an MD (psychiatrist) and not some touchy-feely who's going to fuck with your head (psychologist).
That said, a 12-step program might help too. Gets you out of your head and associating with others. No leftist filter there though.
You are all amazing I really feel blessed to be a part of your community.
How's it been man? You doin ok? Still smokin or nah?
I'm doing ok right now. Was a rough weekend but I am ok. I am not smoking right now. Not to say I haven't at all but it has been way down. Thank you for following up!