Marijuana Addiction Treatment

The passionate debate between the beneficial and harmful effects of marijuana rages on. There is a fine line that determines when someone may need marijuana, or weed, addiction treatment. Many who have chronic illness cannot imagine the pain they would be in or the overwhelming anxiety they would feel without it. There is an acceptable reason for it to be used and in healthy quantities. On the other hand, there is a difference between someone who uses marijuana to be able to live a fully functional life with less pain and someone who eats edibles and dabs all day just to feel high. When it is affecting someone’s life to the point that they are neglecting their responsibilities, relationships, and finances, it is time to regain control of your life and invest in your future by calling a marijuana/weed addiction treatment facility.

Do I really have an addiction to marijuana?

Each body has a different reaction to everything that is put into it, from ibuprofen to something as minor as chocolate. Many people have food and medicine allergies, but we never stop to consider that even if we do not have an adverse reaction, there is definitely a unique way that each chemical interacts in the body.

Pain and anxiety are problems that nearly every person alive wants to avoid or get rid of as quickly as possible when they or someone they love is experiencing it. Pain is one of the most common reasons that people start using drugs, leading to the realization that it helps their emotional pain as well. Individuals who have used marijuana before they are 18 years old are four to seven times more likely to abuse drugs as an adult. Research also shows that approximately four million Americans have been found to have marijuana use disorder. Only 138,000 of those sought treatment. Genetics play a strong predictor in who develops an addiction, and there are many other factors regarding marijuana addiction:

• A sense of community and connection to others have less risk of addiction.
• Having jobs, families, and social networks decreases the addiction rate of marijuana.
• A substance abuse disorder is often found in individuals with a mental health issue, requiring the treatment for a dual diagnosis. Marijuana has been proven to help some people relieve depressions and anxiety but they may have crossed the line in how much and how often they use it.

What is the best treatment for marijuana and weed addiction?

Perhaps you or someone you love is believed to be either physically or psychologically addicted to marijuana. Maybe they don’t realize they need help and you are intervening, there is always hope in a marijuana and weed addiction treatment program. Research has shown that the incidence of teenagers in treatment for marijuana dependence and abuse have seen an increase of 142% over the past eight years. Users who do seek therapy feel that they are being pressured from family, job, school, friends, and/or the legal system to find assistance in getting sober.

Many types of marijuana treatment centers exist and each one features different amenities. Choosing the one that best fits your lifestyle and finances is crucial to becoming sober and staying that way. Three fundamental steps are followed in almost every treatment center due to decades of scientific evidence and practice showing their high level of effectiveness:

• Detox – Ridding the body of marijuana
• Rehab – Group and individual counseling sessions that teach coping skills and help users fight the demons that may have led them to use drugs in the first place.
• Aftercare and maintenance – Non-judgmental, peer support in 12-step self-help programs. Sober living homes and halfway houses allow those in recovery to ease their way back into society.

There are factors to consider when a customized plan is created for you regarding as to whether an inpatient and outpatient drug rehab programs will bring you the greatest success:

• Duration of marijuana use
• Frequency of use
• How much of it was used at one time
• The level of mental health component involvement
• The quality of your support system

Outpatient programs offer freedom and flexibility so that a patient can continue their routine activities from which they may not be able to escape, such as a job or family responsibilities. It does not, however, take them out of environments that may constantly trigger them. Anyone who is considering an inpatient program will benefit from intensive therapy and access to medical care whenever necessary. Living full-time at a facility will also remove the patient from the triggers that may cause them to use, eliminate access to marijuana, and provide a structured schedule with therapy and activities so that they can focus solely on their recovery. Those who are struggling in their detox and willpower will also have instant support any time they need it.

What therapies are used in marijuana and weed addiction treatment?

It cannot be stressed enough that more than one type of therapy be used to bring someone out of the grips of addiction. Which combination of therapies will be most beneficial? Some options include:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) helps patients recognize that they have a difficult time coping with outside stimuli. Patients learn skills on how to change unhealthy thoughts and better handle any future issues that arise. These skills help them long after they leave rehab and are beneficial in dual diagnosis treatments.
• DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) helps the patient recognize and handle their triggers in a healthier manner than by using drugs to cover it. They learn how to avoid triggers, as well as applying the coping mechanisms needed to overcome them when they present themselves. Additionally, they will be taught how to transform their harmful behaviors into healthy ones. These skills are beneficial in dual diagnosis treatments.
• REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) helps people change how they react to issues while confronting common self-defeating emotions that include guilt, anger, and anxiety.
• MM (Matrix Model) is when the therapist forms an encouraging relationship with the patient that is positive and non-confrontational. It helps to increase self-esteem and self-worth.
• MI (Motivational Interviewing) is perfect for individuals who did not want to be admitted to rehab in the first place, which is about 60% of the patients. This technique helps encourage them to embrace their treatment. Many of them end up forming their own goals of recovery.
• CM (Contingency Management) is the use of incentives that reward positive behaviors and help patients maintain sobriety and remain in weed addiction rehab.
• MAT (medication-assisted treatment) uses specific drugs that were created or discovered to reduce uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings.
• Alternate therapies that can be used also include equine, art, music, massage, pet-friendly, acupuncture, and others that help to heal the person as a whole and remind them that they used to find happiness in events and things besides drugs.

What is the best way to choose a marijuana rehab?

You are interviewing the facility as much as they are seeing if you are a good fit for them. You both want the same outcome, success in achieving and maintaining sobriety. Some questions to ask to determine if that weed addiction treatment program will help you are:

• Do they treat marijuana addiction?

• What kinds of therapies do they use?
• Do they offer dual diagnosis treatment for those with mental health condition?
• Do they help form a customized aftercare plan?
• Can my plan change with my progress and relapses?
• Do I want a luxury drug treatment, holistic,  or standard program?
• Do I prefer drug treatment that reflects my personality or a universal one?
  • Catholic drug treatment
  • Jewish drug program
  • Couples drug rehab
  • Men only drug rehab
  • Women only drug treatment
• How much does it cost? Does health insurance pay for it and, if not, what are my payment options?

What is a day in the life like when you are in a marijuana/weed addiction treatment center?

Learning how to live without using marijuana is not just the act of ridding the system of the harmful substance. It also entails group and individual counseling so that the previous user can learn healthier coping skills to deal with life’s issues. This will help them make radical changes to their behaviors and thought processes. They will need healthy habits to carry into their new normal. What is a day in the life like of someone in rehab for abusing marijuana?

• Healthy breakfast after a good night’s sleep
• Maybe a morning yoga class or meditation to start the day
• Group sessions led by a therapist that can help you recognize triggers, as well as how to use 12-step programs to your advantage after you have left this stage of recovery.
• Healthy lunch
• Individual counseling that helps you learn coping skills to face issues that may arise, triggers, and emotional reactions to past traumas.
• Afternoons may consist of a combination of the following:
  • Sessions that focus on individual issues, such as mental health issues, anger management, grief counseling, etc. These are the emotions that possibly led to the initial need to escape with drugs. 
  • Group therapy to support and learn from others’ experiences in addiction and recovery.
  • Family therapy to help reestablish relationships with parents, partners, children, and others with whom there were issues.
  • There may also be guest speakers for educational purposes.  
• Activities during free time are there to remind people in recovery  of what they used to love to do before focusing only on drugs — including basketball, reading, journaling, prayer, swimming, yoga, meditation, massages, and more. It can also include acupuncture, horseback riding, art, music, and dance therapies, in addition to so much more.

Those who may have never been in the situation of needing marijuana/weed addiction treatment may only think that an addict knows that they need the help but cannot seem to bring themselves to want it. This is not always true. Someone abusing weed may not even realize that they have a drug addiction problem until it will take a great deal of pain and suffering to overcome it. This easily happens when someone uses marijuana on a regular basis as it is becoming increasing legal across the country. If you take a good, hard, honest look at your life and your weed usage and you see that much of your time is finding, using, and recovering from getting high or that an uncomfortable amount of people have recently been bringing the subject up to you, it may be time to research the best marijuana/weed addiction treatment center that will ensure your success in finding sobriety. It is never too late to take the reins of your life back and admit yourself into treatment.