Marijuana Withdrawal

Marijuana withdrawal is an extremely uncomfortable and difficult process to endure. When a chronic marijuana user abruptly stops using the drug, they will develop an intense craving for the substance, which is the reason that many people fall back into the trap of using it again. For this reason alone, a person that is going through the marijuana withdrawal process should do so under the watchful eye of caring professionals at a quality drug rehabilitation center.

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms occur when a chronic user discontinues the use of the drug. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms may vary from person to person, depending on specific aspects of the addiction; these can include the length of the marijuana addiction and how much of the drug that the individual used.

Marijuana Withdrawal symptoms are often characterized as being the opposite of the intoxicating effects of the drug; instead of hunger, the individual may experience a loss of appetite; instead of drowsiness, the individual that is going through marijuana detox may be unable to go to sleep. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms will endure with some intensity before gradually subsiding; it is during this period that the cravings to use the drug are strongest, and that there is the greatest risk of experiencing a relapse.

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms can make it extremely difficult for a habitual user of marijuana to stop using the drug completely. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal will usually begin to appear in serious habitual users within the first 10 hours and are strongest during the first week. However, withdrawal symptoms have been reported to be able last for as long as several months, in cases of individual's that has struggled with a long term marijuana addiction. Marijuana withdrawal is generally marked by behavioral and emotional distress.

The symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include but are not limited to:

• decrease in appetite
• anxiety and panic attacks
• depression
• insomnia
• anger
• irritability
• physical tension
• emotional tension
• restlessness
• stomach pain
• strange and vivid dreams

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms, although uncomfortable, are generally not medically threatening; however, attending a drug rehab program is definitely recommended, as it will provide a professional support system, which can greatly help to reduce the risk of a relapse. Attempts to stop using marijuana without reaching out for the professional guidance that is available at a quality drug rehab facility will most likely result in failure and relapse.

Research that studied the effects of heavy marijuana use, strongly suggests that marijuana withdrawal is very similar to what is experienced by people when they attempt to quit smoking cigarettes. Abstinence from each of these drugs appears to cause several common symptoms, such as irritability and trouble sleeping. The majority of marijuana withdrawal studies have indicated that after about a month, most former users of the drug, reported feeling normal.

Because the discomfort of some of the most common marijuana withdrawal symptoms will make abstinence from the drug much more difficult to achieve, a person who desires to be free from the drug should make a commitment to a quality drug treatment center.