Many drugs carry the potential to cause addiction. Though some may dispute such claims, marijuana is amonsgt such substances.
Marijuana Overview
Marijuana, which is also known more commonly by nicknames like weed or pot, is comprised of the leaf extracts from various cannabis plants.
Bodily Impact
Typically, users smoke marijuana to feel its effects. The drug contains in excess of 500 chemicals including THC. THC and other materials possess mind-altering properties.
Therefore, individuals ingesting the smoke of marijuana cigarettes, which are less formally referred to as joints or blunts, often feel its impact immediately. The chemicals contained within are absorbed through the lungs and into the bloodstream. Once in the user’s blood, it travels to all reaches of the body, especially the brain.
Upon arriving inside the brain, the drug reacts with cells called receptors. These nervous system components influence feelings and emotions governing:
- Pleasure
- Calmness
- Cognitive functions like memory and focus
- Mental clarity
- The senses
- Perception of time
Users often report experiencing a high in which the aforementioned feelings are positively heightened. That said, as with any other drug, the brain eventually grows accustomed to the drug’s influences and the user must ingest increasingly greater quantities of the substance to produce the perceived beneficial effects.
Signs Of Addiction
As use becomes more frequent and prodigious, addiction could ultimately develop. Individuals with loved ones they think may have a problem with weed are implored to be alerted to specific physical manifestations including:
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Red, bloodshot eyes
- Dry mouth
- Increased tiredness or sleeping
- An increased pulse rate
- A consistent, mucous-laden cough
Additionally, said subjects stand at an increased risk of experiencing pronounced mental health issues, such as paranoia, memory impairment, cognitive dysfunction, extreme mood swings and disorders like nervousness, anxiety, and depression.
Long-Term Impacts
Those who prodigiously abuse pot over extended periods carry a heightened risk of experiencing potentially serious occurrences including lung infections and full-blown anxiety and panic disorders.
Additionally, teenagers and young adults who ingest the drug repeatedly are thought to be candidates for slowed mental and cognitive development. Studies have been conducted examining weed’s impact on teenagers. One investigation conducted by scientists at the renowned Duke University discovered that said subjects witnessed an average decline of an astounding eight intelligence quotient points.
Impact Of Addiction
In addition to the physical and mental manifestations of dependency, users are also more likely to engage in behaviors, such as lying to and stealing from family members and other close associations to support their habit, experience significant difficulties in professional or scholastic settings, witness appreciable financial problems, and find completing everyday tasks increasingly challenging.
Withdrawal
Marijuana dependency does produce withdrawal symptoms. That said, chemical researchers maintain that, unlike those seen with other illicit substances, pot precipitates impacts the mind more than the body and leads to potentially serious psychological manifestations.
Long-standing users who stop abruptly often experience an undying urge to smoke or ingest again quickly, which might result in occurrences including:
- Insomnia
- irritability
- Intense anxiety
- Depression
- The inability to remain still
Said subject might also witness wild fluctuations in appetite.
Typically, these events commence anywhere from one to three days after the subject last took the drug and linger for a period ranging from one to two weeks. However, some recovering dependents might encounter a phenomenon called Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, which is often abbreviated as PAWS. PAWS causes prototypical marijuana withdrawal manifestations and could remain in place for as long as two years.
Treatment For Dependency
Fortunately, marijuana dependents might benefit from drug treatment in a manner akin to those addicted to other illicit substances.
There are numerous type of treatment avenues available, such as in and outpatient treatment programs offered at locations like clinics and treatment centers, 12-step programs, cognitive therapy, motivational therapy, and psychological counseling.
That said, the ultimate decision to seek help rests with the dependent subject. Said individual must reach the conclusion that they possess a problem that has spiraled beyond their control and requires help to corral.
Furthermore, choosing the most appropriate type of health will depend upon several factors, such as the dependent’s general, physical, and mental health, professional and personal responsibilities, health insurance coverage, and financial status.
Contacting Us
If you, a relative, or some other close association has a marijuana addiction and expresses the desire to overcome said problem, please reach out to us.
The highly trained and patient-minded staffers employed at our Wilmington, Delaware facility possess a dearth of experience with the complexities associated with weed dependency and yearn to help afflicted subjects beat these problems and return to their previous, happy, and productive lives. Call us 302-842-2390.
