Thanks for submitting a question to the Sussed Team.
Cannabis is a popular drug among young people so starting to smoke at 13, although very young, is not uncommon. Many people think that smoking cannabis is harmless but this is not true as there can be various side effects from smoking cannabis: including; physical and mental health problems; legal problems; financial and social problems.
So it's great to hear that you are looking to stop using cannabis. For some people, it might be possible to stop smoking cannabis on their own without any professional help but this depends on how long they have been smoking, how often they smoke and the strength of the cannabis they use. For those wishing to stop using cannabis, the following tips are really useful:
Set a date to quit and write down your reasons for wanting to stop. Get rid of any remaining drugs that you may have. Telling your friends that you intend to stop is a good way of making sure you stick to it.
Get rid of anything related to smoking cannabis e.g. pipes, lighters, etc.
Think about how you are going to deal with cravings.
When you start to see improvements in your energy, concentration and motivation levels, make a note of them.
Your sleep may be disrupted by vivid dreams initially, this is normal. Learn techniques for relaxing and helping you to get to sleep e.g. music, reading, etc.
Make a plan of things that you want to get done each day.
If you would like to talk to someone, you may find the following services useful:
A good first port of call is your local GP. If you are not registered with a GP visit the getting help section of this website and click on GP.
You might like to contact the Youth Advice Centre (YAC) as they run a substance misuse drop in service and do see clients up to the age of 25. They are based at 65 Blatchington Road, Hove, telephone 01273 889292. You can check out YAC by visitng the getting help section of this website.
If you would like to talk to someone about stopping your cannabis use you may like to call FRANK, the free, 24 hour national helpline on 0800 77 66 00.
If you would like to attend a local self help group you may also find Narcotics Anonymous useful. Their helpline is staffed by people who are recovering from drug addiction, including cannabis. If you call the helpline on 0207 730 0009 you can have a chat a get details of attending a local group.
You may also find your local stop smoking service a useful service if you are smoking cannabis with tobacco. Although not specifically set up for cannabis users, the techniques for stopping smoking are very similar for both cigarettes and cannabis and the group support can help with motivation. Find out about local stop smoking services by calling free on 0800 169 0 169.
Best wishes and good luck!
The Sussed Team
05 Jun 2006 by gavintbryce
5 Top Drug Myths
Banana skins get you high and cannabis cleans the lungs.These are just two of the more commonly believed myths that exist about drugs, released by FRANK.The drugs misuse helpline is challenging young people and their parents in Brighton to trade in myths for facts, and learn three new things about drugs this week.
