Addiction to marijuana is a condition that is a very true reality for many cannabis users. While it is more common among daily users, marijuana addiction treatment can help those having trouble controlling their habits gain new insights into their cravings and develop a healthier lifestyle.
What is Marijuana Addiction Treatment?
Marijuana addiction treatment is a set of treatments designed to control urges and establish a healthier relationship with cannabis. The goal of therapy is to provide people with the ability to avoid or cope with marijuana triggers so they won’t relapse when they find themselves in tempting situations.
Rather than focusing on what is good about life without drugs, addiction can cause people to rely on marijuana to feel good and to desperately require the serotonin fix that comes with the simple act of using the drug. As soon as people agree to get help for marijuana addiction, they can begin to see some drastic changes in their perspective.
Is Marijuana Actually Addictive?
While it is popularly believed that marijuana is not at all addictive, this is actually not true. Like any drug, marijuana too can be very addictive and cause an addiction to not just the feeling of the pleasurable high, but also the act of smoking itself.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that about 30% percent of people who use marijuana may have some experience of addiction to the drug. More importantly, the risk of addiction rises to 17 percent if users start a marijuana habit during their teen years, a stat which continues an upward trend to 25-50 percent in those who use the drug every day. While marijuana has been shown to have some positive benefits, it, just like any other drug, can still leave users prone to addiction.
How To Tell If Marijuana Addiction Treatment is Necessary
Addiction can have many different faces.
Users may claim that there is nothing wrong, but the signs of addiction can be telling. Some of the most common symptoms can include:
- Daily cravings
- Higher tolerance than normal
- Troubled sleep
- Retreating from social activity
- Lack of motivation
- Overspending on marijuana
An important note is that those suffering from addiction are not bad people or wrong in any capacity – they simply are suffering from a chemical addiction that is happening in their brain. This chemical imbalance requires special attention to solve.
Methods of Treatment
Therapeutic techniques are the cornerstone of proper marijuana addiction therapy. The main goal of these techniques is to teach people the ability to cope with drug use triggers and to learn how to adjust their lifestyle for the better.
One of the main forms of treatment that is used is cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was developed as a method to prevent relapse when treating problem drinking, and later it was adapted to those who are addicted to marijuana. Cognitive-behavioral strategies are based on the theory that in the development of maladaptive behavioral patterns like substance abuse, learning processes play a critical role. Individuals in CBT learn to identify and correct problematic behaviors by applying a range of different skills that can be used to stop drug abuse and to address a range of other problems that often are happening simultaneously to encourage negative patterns.
Along with exercise sessions, massage sessions, art-therapy sessions, and other alternative therapies, CBT has great effectiveness and is able to help individuals relearn how to live a fulfilling life without any dependence.
Mutual 12 Step Support Groups are also beneficial in the treatment of addiction. Engaging with like minded individuals creates “social inclusion” supporting attitudes, beliefs of “I am not alone” with establishing new behaviors like going to meetings or calling someone prior to continued use. There are meetings daily, at all times and have no cost associated with attendance.
Contact Heartland House today to learn more about Marijuana Addiction and the treatment options that are available.
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