”I went through two other centers and never had a clue—but you showed me where to find it and how to fix it. You truly opened my eyes.”
–Pat
Marijuana Addiction
Marijuana addiction is often underestimated as “merely” a drug detox problem. "I just smoke marijuana" is a constantly used statement of denial.
The truth is, any drug used as an escape from reality or from dealing with life on life's terms is a problem. Marijuana is often called a "gateway" drug because it is a precursor to the use of other illegal substances. Not every person who smokes marijuana goes on to addiction with harder drugs, but every person who is addicted to harder drugs smoked marijuana at one time.
People will try marijuana and when they discover its effects are enjoyable and somewhat controllable, they often decide to experiment further with other illegal substances. Sometimes people smoke marijuana regularly for several years, but then discover that its effects have diminished or become negative. We’ve found that many marijuana users develop negative effects from marijuana over years of use. These negative effects may include paranoia, forgetfulness and a general inability to complete normal tasks. When these adverse reactions begin appearing, people may switch to harder drugs, which don't initially cause bad drug reactions.
Marijuana—Is it an addiction?
Marijuana is readily available and is often mixed with other drugs to enhance the effects. The euphoric feeling is combined with camaraderie that users feel when they smoke together and leads to a psychological as well as a physical addiction. Many claim that this drug is non-addictive but they are wrong. Marijuana actually stays in a person's body (stored in fat cells) longer than almost any other drug--up to 3 months. When released by exertion or exercise, the stored THC (marijuana) can trigger relapse.
Until recently marijuana was thought of by the scientific community as having no physical withdrawal requiring drug detox. Recent studies have shown that when long term marijuana users attempt to stop marijuana use abruptly, they go into withdrawal. Marijuana detox symptoms include anxiety, agitation, paranoia, mood swings, restlessness, and some physical discomfort.
At Sovereign Health of California Treatment Center, we’ve put together an effective treatment program specifically aimed at helping you to detox from marijuana and to help ensure that you don’t relapse in the future. For more information about this and other drug rehab programs, contact us by email or by calling 877.633.7764.
