How to avoid cannabis dependency
Like any other drug, cannabis can lead to dependency. Compared to many different substances, cannabis addiction is less of a physical problem for most.
Like any other drug, cannabis can lead to dependency. Compared to many different substances, cannabis addiction is less of a physical problem for most.
Cannabis withdrawal doesn't cause body shaking, sweating, vomiting, or similar withdrawal symptoms atleast in very rare cases. Withdrawal can make it harder to fall asleep and make you more restless at night. Under certain circumstances, such a phase can also affect some people's ability to concentrate. For others, it can affect their appetite. However these symptoms usually disappear after a few days to two weeks.
According to the International Classification of Medical Diagnosis, cannabis addiction is present when at least three of the following symptoms are present:
- Strong desire or compulsion to consume cannabis
- Loss of control over the time and amount of consumption
- At least one physical withdrawal symptom when reducing consumption
- Development of tolerance (more and more cannabis is needed to achieve the desired effect)
- Neglecting other interests in favour of cannabis consumption
- Continued consumption despite clear consequences
Preventing addiction from occurring in the first place makes life easier. Therefore, you should avoid excessive consumption and take tolerance breaks. You should use your time and fill it with other hobbies, interests and distractions, like sports, or socialising This alone can significantly reduce the craving for cannabis.
If you have trouble saying "no," you should take a close look at your environment. Your consumption will likely be much higher if you're among people for whom cannabis use is the norm. Those susceptible to this should consider rethinking their social environment.
However, not all users will develop a dependency, even if they use it daily. Estimates suggest that 40-50 per cent of daily users develop an addiction. Others can quit without difficulty, depending on their motivation.
Various other factors like genetics play a role in whether you are likely to develop a dependency, as does environment and pre-existing medical conditions, etc. If you don't use cannabis for medical reasons and want to avoid addiction, you should never use it out of boredom as that's one of the surest paths to dependency.
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Liz Filmer
