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As a psychotherapist, I've recently spoken with a few students that seem to be regularly smoke pot each day. They've admitted it in therapy and one had a run-in with the school counselor about it. When I asked them what a day would be like without smoking pot, they replied that they feel antsy, get easily irritable and just don't feel good. The three high school students I asked each remarked that they just smoke a little and it's not a big deal. Yet, the relief from daily stressors seemed enormous. Is it ok to take the edge off things with pot? Doesn't it make each day better? Does it mean you are becoming a pot head if you can control it?
The dependency emotionally is that without marijuana the worries about school, anxiety about home life, frustrations with a present or past partner and difficulties with friends seems overwhelming. There is a growing inability to deal with stressors through one's own resources. This is what makes it weakening to many people. It helps create a sense of detachment to situations without really offering any problem solving steps.
For instance, one client told me that by smoking marijuana he can get relief about his brother taking his things without asking. He said things seemed funnier and when he is high he won't take things so dramatically. What gets skipped over is that he doesn't have to confront his brother or really resolve the issue. If he truly had let go of the reaction he had, he would be able to sustain this state without smoking an illegal drug.
In this case, a healthier way to deal with the tension he feels with his brother would be to face it. He would need to ask himself why he keeps overlooking the situation. What would be more effective ways to deal with his brother's behavior? By facing the underlying stressors that the marijuana relieves, long term solutions rather than a temporary detachment can occur. This takes some self-inquiry and delving into oneself. Identify the stress that pot helps with. Then other solutions can be available.
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