Replacing the cannabis

Changing your cannabis use can be hard work, especially if you have been smoking for a long time or smoking large amounts. It can be tempting to try and make up for the time you have spent stoned by turning into some kind of "Super Citizen" – doing household chores, working hard, being responsible, and generally boring yourself silly with other very sensible activities.

While these things have their place, it's essential that you try and replace the cannabis, which is still usually enjoyable in some way, with other things. It's part of being a balanced, healthy human bean.

While you are adjusting to a life without cannabis, or with less, it helps to keep busy. If you have nothing else to do, but are trying not to smoke, it's almost guaranteed you'll start thinking about smoking. Plan something ahead of time – the day or week before - so that when you would normally smoke, you are doing something else to take your mind off cannabis.

So go back to the list of things you like about smoking cannabis in the section "Where does smoking fit into your life?" This list will give you a good idea of what needs cannabis helps you to meet. Chances are, those needs won't go away just because the cannabis does. If you don't find some other way of meeting those needs, it's all too easy to just go back to cannabis.

So what needs do you need to meet in another way?

Get to sleep at night
Relax or unwind
Deal with conflict or stress
Deal with boredom
Deal with unpleasant emotions like guilt, anxiety, grief or anger
Chill with friends
Feel part of a group
Get some excitement or take a break from routine.

Anything else you may need to do differently?

 

Finding longer term goals

If smoking cannabis has been a big part of your life it can be hard at first to know what else is important to you or what you want from life. Consider the following:

What are your strengths?

What do you enjoy?

What values or beliefs are important to you?

What can you picture yourself doing in the future?

What can other people see you doing? You don't have to agree with them!

 

Relaxing

If smoking cannabis has been your main way to relax, it's no wonder it became so important to you - we all need to unwind. Relaxation soothes painful emotions, refreshes our bodies and helps us to think more clearly.

So how else can you relax if you're not smoking?

Massage Cannabis is a very physical drug – so chances are, you'll enjoy a physical form of relaxation and it doesn't get much better than a good massage. (Think it's too expensive? Just how much were you spending on cannabis again?).
Bath, shower or spa Heat is relaxing, especially if you can float around in it. Perfect time to stick the "Do not disturb" sign on the bathroom door.

Exercise Sound strange? A good work-out gets your body and mind working better, releases natural endorphins and chances are you'll sleep much better afterwards.
Laugh Another free dose of endorphins. Check out stand-up comedians, funny films and seek out people who make you laugh – if you're laughing, it's impossible to see your world as being 100% bad.
Yoga Stretching, meditation and relaxation all rolled into one. Trust the hippies on this one.
Veging out Give yourself permission to do nothing sometimes, or zone out watching telly, playing computer games or cards. If you feel guilty about not getting other stuff done, remind yourself you'll get more done if you take time out to get your energy back.
Breathing Deep, slow breathing (about three seconds in and three seconds out) helps our bodies to get the oxygen we need and get rid of the old air. A lot of the symptoms of anxiety are caused by fast and shallow breathing. Try breathing from the bottom of your ribs so your stomach rises up and down rather than your chest.
Muscle relaxation We can relax more quickly when we tense our muscles first. How?
  • Lie or sit somewhere comfortable and breathe deeply.
  • Tense your arm muscles as if you were showing off your biceps. Hold for seven seconds then release gently for around ten seconds.
  • Now tense up your face, like you've just sucked a lemon. Then relax.
  • Continue with your shoulders and neck.
  • Now your stomach, your bum, your thighs and finally your calves and feet.
  • Tense the muscles hard enough to feel it, but not so hard you do damage. Relax the muscles gently.
  • For a deeper relaxation, tense and relax each part twice before moving on to the next bit.
Fun stuff Do something you enjoy. Pleasure and satisfaction can also help us to feel relaxed and positive.

Ask other people how they relax or unwind. They could have some ideas that work for you too.

 

Finding other ways to spend time

Boredom and uncertainty about what else to do with your time is a common reason for people to smoke. It may be you do other things, but have fallen into the habit of doing them stoned or just not finding other things very satisfying.

Think back to the first few times you tried cannabis. Did you have any fears about whether it might be dangerous? Did you have any doubts about how to use a bong? Were you uncertain about what the unspoken rules of smoking were – like how many tokes to have or how to score? Is it any different now – easier, more familiar, more automatic?

Just as it takes a while to develop a smoking habit, it takes a while to develop new habits, interests and passions.

A new activity may seem strange or unsatisfying at first, but may become more enjoyable after giving it a few goes and getting some practice. Most activities that are really rewarding involve some level of skill or difficulty – think about the first time you tried to ride a bike, drive a car or have sex.

Here is a list of ways to spend your time. There's things that are quick or long-term, free or need money, can be done alone or with others. A variety of things is more likely to keep your interest. It's unlikely one thing alone will be as powerful an experience as smoking cannabis, as cannabis is a drug that directly affects your central nervous system. You stand to gain a whole range of rewarding experiences you would never have had, if you were still at home smoking cannabis.

 

Dealing with stress and other emotions

A lot of people find smoking cannabis becomes a way to deal with painful or distressing feelings. It's useful to think of feelings like cravings – they pass if you can ride them out.

Feelings are kind of like uninvited guests – arriving when they feel like it, not when you ask for them. We can't make them go away just because we don't like them. All painful feelings are there for a reason, and it's usually that something in our lives is no longer working for us… or is even hurting us.

However, we can get overwhelmed by feelings and the message can get lost in how painful it is. These suggestions can help to ride out a feeling until it eases or passes – and they always do.

Know your feelings Work out what you are feeling and remind yourself that emotions are just a normal part of being human. If we ignore feelings they just tend to build up until we explode – and that can get pretty messy.
Hang in there Remind yourself the feeling will ease or pass. We can't get "stuck" in an emotion.

Think straight Be wary of your negative thoughts. Just as you wouldn't believe everything you read in the newspaper, don't believe everything you think. When we are upset, things seem a lot worse than they normally do – but it might not be the most accurate way of thinking about the problem.
Be realistic You will just wear yourself out trying to change the things you have no control over - like other people's behaviour. Put your energy into changing the things that you do have some control over and trying to accept that other parts of life are just plain difficult at the moment.
Distract yourself When we are particularly upset, it's hard to think straight or find good solutions, so it can help to go and do something else relaxing or enjoyable for a while and come back to the problem when you feel less stressed.
Relaxation Do relaxing things as part of your daily routine – we tend to feel less overwhelmed by our emotions when we start off calmer.

You may find you are trying to deal with strong or overwhelming emotions and these strategies aren't enough. It may be a good idea to see a counsellor – your local council or community health centre should be able to tell you what services are available in your area. Otherwise, phone services such as Lifeline have this kind of information (the numbers are in the front of your phone book).

 

Dealing with other smokers

One of the common problems people face is that changing how much you smoke may mean being in a different headspace from your friends if they smoke too.

Who might be hard to hang out with while you are changing your use? You might need to avoid these people for a while or plan how you will deal with them so you don't put yourself at risk of smoking – eg ask them not to smoke around you or at least not offer you a smoke. If they hassle you about cutting down or quitting, you'd have to wonder how good a friend they really are.

Saying no can be hard when it's offered to you or easily available. Most people find it easier to say no when they've thought about their answer beforehand, and practised it to themselves a few times. These are some ways you can say no:

  • No thanks
  • I'm driving
  • No thanks, doctor's orders
  • I have to work tomorrow
  • I quit
  • Sorry, but if I cough up my lungs once more, I won't have any left
  • Not tonight, thanks
  • It's never been the same since I was abducted by aliens
  • I've had enough, but thanks anyway
  • No thanks, I'm not feeling too good
  • I don't enjoy it any more
  • I'd rather have a coffee (or whatever)
  • I'm cutting down

If someone continues to insist:

  • No thanks
  • Tempting, but no thanks
  • No, I really don't feel like it
  • I would have thought you would be more supportive
  • If it is a problem for you, I can leave and catch up with you later
  • I'd rather not go into detail, but I really can't because of my health
  • No, but you go right ahead
  • Hey, I'm still the same person!
  • This is hard enough – please don't make it harder
  • I really would prefer a coffee – I don't mind making it myself
  • Hey, what's the big deal?
  • No, but what about that game of footy last night… (changing the topic).

Whether you need to stay away from friends or not, it can be a good time to try and meet other people who don't smoke cannabis. You may like to catch up with people you used to see.

Maybe you would like to meet new people but aren't sure where to find them. Making small talk with strangers can be hard – how do you know what they're interested in? One of the easiest ways to meet new people is to do some activity, sport, or short course where you have something in common to talk about. By having an activity in common, you already know at least one thing they're interested in and that makes a good starting point for a conversation. You may not meet someone you relate to straight away, but the only way you'll find people you do enjoy talking to is by getting to know a range of different people.