Do you struggle with a dependency on marijuana to enjoy life? Do you think about getting high and find yourself sort of going out of your mind when you can’t? Can you function without it?

Do you have to use marijuana to feel normal?

Many people have problems with marijuana. Often touted as something that is perhaps very lightly physically addictive, but perhaps psychologically addictive, either way, when it’s someone you know, or perhaps you yourself, has an issue abusing or using marijuana, the problem becomes very real, and it doesn’t matter if its technically psychological or physical. It’s there, and it’s a problem, and it needs to be dealt with.

In this article, we will take a look at a few ways to get help when it comes to using and quitting marijuana use.

1. Establish a firm commitment to quit.
This is very important. Having a strong psychological commitment towards quitting is the first step. Think of all the reasons you should quit – including very dramatic ones, such as not wanting your kids to find out you smoke, for instance – and latch on to them. Hold on to them for strength. You will need these reasons close by your heart when you are struggling and breaking free of your habits and patterns.

2. Garner the support of friends and family.
Let your friends and family know have think you have a problem with using marijuana and that you are addressing this problem. They hopefully will be right on your side.

If your friends and family indulge in marijuana themselves, or find it otherwise threatening to learn you are quiting, you will have to simply find other friends and family who will support you, and focus on them for now. This could mean dropping friends or even family members while you change your life.

3. Accept that you will have relapses.
No one is perfect. Accept that any mistakes you make in the future are just – mistakes. They don’t define you, and they don’t stop you from waking up the next and not using.

4. Accept that you might need professional help and be ready for it when the time comes.
Understand that you dependency on marijuana might be incredibly strong, and in order to effectively break it and move beyond this dependency, professional help could be needed. This might mean one on one therapy or it could mean staying at a drug addiction treatment facility for a number of days, or just out patient visits.

Either way, it’s OK to accept professional help. Allow yourself to get the help you need, when and if it comes down to it.

5. Finally, start an exercise program.
This is a funny sounding suggestion, but when quitting one habit, it’s great to replace it with another. For people with substance abuse issues, establishing an exercise program can be an effective way to excerpt control over the body, making it obey you, rather than the usual act of falling victim to the bodies craving for a drug. Of course, exercise has about a million other benefits, all of which carry weight in helping you live a happy, healthy, drug free life.

The concept of real addiction problems when it comes to marijuana is hard for some to swallow. For those who think it’s silly, at least don’t make it harder for someone who believes they have a problem. Drug addiction – and addiction in general – comes in many guises, and while marijuana has valid medical use and, also, I will readily admit, recreational value for many that is both safe and enjoyable – it is a real problem for some, and for that group of people, I wish them the best in the journey of breaking free of the chains that hold them down.

This article we will discuss some of the treatment options available for people seeking marijuana addiction help. This information is aimed at individuals who recognize they have a problem with addiction and it has manifested in their lives in the form of a marijuana habit that has taken control of their lives and is having a dramatic negative effect on them personally, as well as their job, family, and social life.

Marijuana addicts, and drug addicts in general, have options for dealing with their treatment and addiction issues, although these options are somewhat limited, and often shrouded in red tape. This is not meant to be discouraging, just realistic. That being said, let’s review some of the means people often seek treatment for marijuana addiction.

Those with health insurance are in the best position to seek full time rehab. Many if not most health insurance plans provided through your employer will offer some form of in person rehabilitation for drug addiction. There are no hard and fast rules on how this works however; acquiring those details will require calling the insurance company for more information or speaking with your company’s HR representative who deals with such questions. Often though, it works something like this: the insurance company first requires a visit to a drug addiction specialist, who will then essentially approve or confirm that there is a legitimate need for marijuana addiction treatment. At this point, the insurance company will pre-approve the rehab treatment and the patient can seek treatment. The details as to what specific drug treatment programs are covered, the length of their stay, and the specific treatments available that are covered are going to be specific to each insurance plan and is not something we can specify broadly.

Live-in drug treatment rehab is not necessarily an appropriate or necessary option for everyone.Outside of attending a full time or live-in marijuana addiction treatment program, which is an unrealistic option for many due to either lack of insurance coverage, an inability to leave the job for extended time, or the need to keep the problem a secret for fear of the social/career/political consequences, what other resources our at their disposal for seeking help?

Some people find much success in simply going cold turkey with the support of their family, friends, and loved ones, as well as professional counseling for a drug addiction specialist. Often this means getting emotional support from other people who have also suffered from an addiction problem at some point in their lives. To this end, it can mean seeking out a support group, such as Marijuana Anonymous, a kind of philosophical sister organization to the more well known group Alcoholics Anonymous. The internet provides a virtual support system for many addicts seeking help, although ideally in person meetings will be the best route to go, but this option is few and far between for many outside of major cities in the United States and Canada. Attending such meetings can help an addict deal with their addiction in ways not possible when trying to deal with it alone. Additionally, a drug counselor can provide a perspective and a personal game plan that will often prove to be a critical component of an addicts drive to quit smoking marijuana.

So in summary, here are some of the options available for professional marijuana addiction treatment:

• Marijuana Addiction Treatment – Attending an in person, live-in drug rehabiliation center.

• Drug Addiction Counseling – Similar to rehab, but doesn’t involve overnight stays.

• Support Groups – Support groups such as Marijuana Anonymous, either in physical meetings in person or seeking kinship and support through online emotional groups.

If you have any experience with marijuana addiction treatment, such as those items listed above, please leave a comment with your experience. What  type of marijuana treatment did you do? What was it like? Were the results successful in quitting marijuana?