Switching or Cycling Between Addictions
Have you ever quit one addiction, only to switch to another one?
I've been cycling through a couple of addictions at a time...
Right now, I want to quit the following things:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Marijuana
- Porn
- Vaping
I was able to quit alcohol and vaping easily since I physically don't feel like doing this things anymore, but haven't been able to permanently quit caffeine...I've been able to detox from marijuana for at least a month or two before I go back to it and with porn... I don't really know what to say? It just comes and goes. I don't really think about it much. I'll be good for a while and not watch, then suddenly if I see a racy picture or maybe a movie scene, it makes me want to watch, especially when I'm feeling lonely... But I also don't want to watch out of respect for my partner (who doesn't mind me watching, but I don't want to watch porn, I rather just look only at my partner and nobody else, so no porn for me)
I tried quitting ALL of my vices cold turkey and my body felt like breaking. Without caffeine, I get major headaches and body aches... Without marijuana, my pain from past trauma comes back. (Not trying to use these as excuses, just saying that quitting all at once just plainly sucks).
I'm hoping to replace these vices with good habits...
Maybe I'll go back to the gym again or make my own home gym, idk yet... I used to be addicted to working out, and it felt amazing. I used to cook all the time and meal prep. I was still severely depressed during those times, but at least those small things made me feel OK at least and helped give a nice dopamine hit.
Can anyone else relate?
Also, anyone have experience with permanently quitting marijuana?... I feel mixed feelings about it... It's a comfort, but I don't believe weed is necessarily good long-term...
I have memory/brain issues from a past incident where my ex-fiancé nearly made me unalive, and weed isn't helping with my memory, so I'm thinking of quitting for that reason too. Plus, it's been messing with my sleep...
Thanks for reading! I hope everyone is doing OK.
To distract from uncomfortable & painful feelings, I swapped through various things @ImpudentIncognito
It's only when I stopped running from the pain, that things got easier.
@ImpudentIncognito
Hey Incog. Good to see you. Funny, I'm about to write about an addiction issue now myself.
I think finding other things to keep you busy and motivated is helpful. Writing a lot about your feelings really helps me.
Also I think quitting ALL your vices in one go cold turkey might be a bit too much. How about quitting one a month?
All the best.
@RyBoisse40 Hi Ry, it's good seeing you too! 👋
That's honestly a really good idea Ry. I probably should do one vice per month until I get the hang of it. At one point, I quit weed, but to make up for it, I drank SO much coffee/caffeine and was drinking alcohol here and there. I think for the body pain, I need to go to the hospital instead of relying on my vices to make me feel better.
I'm just sick of spiraling back into my old vices, like it controls me more than I control my life. I know caffeine will probably be the hardest one to quit, considering the side-effects of not taking any...plus it's more socially acceptable than the other vices and prominent in my culture. In my mother's home country, we drank coffee after almost every meal, even at night...and kids as young as 12 would get started on coffee (I think that's how old I was when I started).
As for the porn thing... My partner is long distance and we see each other in person every once in a while. I miss him a lot and wish I could spend every waking moment with him. Porn fills in the void of me being unable to see him as often, but I'm trying to quit for a couple of reasons... I started watching as young as grade school and was addicted for that long, so I want to break free from the spell. I've used this website to kind of help me ween off by reading facts: https://fightthenewdrug.org/
Whenever I have a hard time weening off, I purposely look at (biased) articles that explain why caffeine is detrimental or how people feel after quitting weed to get inspired.
I hope I'm stronger willed this time. Tbh, I'm at a weird point in my life, where I feel no joy anymore for most of my addictions... I just feel worse and seem to do them out of habit more than anything, even though I feel neutral or negative thoughts towards it... I'm just used to being high most of the time (after work) or overloaded with caffeine or anytime I feel a sudden "urge" I watch adult material... Though none of them really make me happy..
Lol sorry this was a long response, I'm just rambling. 😅
I'm definitely going to try the one-month get rid of a vice, and I'll try journalling more, as well as find healthier replacements. Your suggestions are really good! 🌟
