Did you know that health officials recognize the existence of a marijuana use disorder? It doesn’t affect everyone who uses the drug. That said, it may be affecting you. Is weed addictive, and if so, what are the symptoms?
Understanding What’s Behind a Marijuana Use Disorder
Is weed addictive in the same way that other drugs create a dependency? The answer is yes. You might develop withdrawal symptoms when you can’t or won’t use the substance. Examples include an inability to sleep, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and anger management problems.
If you start smoking weed as a teenager, you’re more likely to develop the disorder. Adults who start smoking it have a lower risk; however, it’s still an apparent danger even for them. What creates the problem for users is the set of changes that take place in the brain. Because the potency of the active substance is ever increasing, the risk of dependency steadily rises, too.
Is Weed Addictive When You Use It Intermittently?
There isn’t a specified quantity of marijuana you have to use before dependence occurs. Typically, addiction sets in when your brain no longer produces sufficient endocannabinoid neurotransmitters. Certainly, this process occurs quickly when you use large quantities of the drug. Because everyone’s different, this can happen faster for one person than the next.
Do You Need Treatment?
Addiction isn’t something that goes away by itself. Although a dependency on marijuana isn’t the same as an addiction to heroin, both conditions qualify as disorders. Besides that, it’s easy to swap one addiction for another. There’s little to gain for replacing a marijuana habit with a drinking problem.
The marijuana addiction treatment Utah residents rely on gets to the bottom of the dependency. Why did you reach for the substance in the first place? Are you using it with other substances concurrently? Most importantly, what need did it meet?
Modalities include:
Evidence-based behavioral treatments that focus on dysfunctional pattern recognition and change
Psychotherapy, which benefits residents who’re struggling with a co-occurring psychiatric disorder
Individual therapy for people who’ve relapsed before and need a fresh start
Medical detox as a way to withdraw from marijuana and manage undesirable symptoms through medical and holistic interventions
Outdoor therapy that incorporates group sessions with experiential treatments
Do You Need to Stay at the Facility?
An addiction’s rarely about the substance. If it wasn’t marijuana, it’d be something else. Most residents agree that there are underlying issues that call for exploration. A residential treatment setting is an ideal backdrop for this process.
Take a break from stressors and trigger situations. Similarly, remove yourself from a peer group that might support drug abuse. By surrounding yourself with peers in recovery, you ensure that you’re with people who want to heal. In this setting, healing happens more rapidly than you might imagine.
So, is weed addictive? The short answer is yes. However, it doesn’t have to be a snare for you any longer. Rise up and contact Ardu Recovery Center experts today at 801-810-1234.