What is the psychological treatment for cannabis addiction like?

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug internationally. This is due, in large part, to the fact that many people consider it a "soft drug" with very few health risks.

However, those same people forget that marijuana or hashish are substances that can cause addiction and a multitude of problems.

Not all people who use marijuana will experience problems or some type of dependence on cannabis. This will depend on many factors, such as the genetics of the person, their frequency and consumption habits, the quantities and varieties of the plant, their emotional state and life context ...

Not all people who smoke joints suffer from problems, but we cannot deny that some people develop serious problems and need the support of professionals.

• Related article: "Marijuana: science reveals its long-term effects on the brain"

Psychological treatment for cannabis addiction

In this article I'm going to talk to you about the main pillars of a psychological treatment for cannabis addiction.

1. Motivation to quit marijuana

Any attempt at psychological treatment is doomed to failure if the person is not motivated for getting results.

Unfortunately, it is very common in the field of addictions to meet people who do not want to change, or do not feel prepared for it. In most cases, it is the family or the couple who contact professionals to ask for advice, to know what to do.

Many people find themselves with the frustration and helplessness of knowing that a loved one (their child, their sister, their husband) is smoking too many joints, which are negatively affecting their lives, and they can no longer continue living like this.

Unfortunately, it is a common reality: the main characteristic of an addiction is that the person is not aware of the problem, and that in this case they do not feel the desire to give up marijuana or to undergo psychological treatment. Many times they go to therapy to leave the joints completely forced by their relatives, or because their partners have threatened to separate.

If this is the case, a psychologist who specializes in marijuana addiction will help the person to realize the relationship between heavy marijuana use and your personal problems, and set short and long-term goals.

Here are just some of the consequences and brain sequelae of excessive marijuana use:

● Concentration problems. ● Memory leaks. ● Irritability and outbursts of anger. ● Anxiety. ● Sleep problems. ● Paranoia and panic attacks. ● Psychosis and symptoms of schizophrenia

2. Analyze joint consumption habits

The psychologist skilled in the treatment of cannabis addiction will use a strategic approach. To help anyone overcome an addiction, it is essential make a mapping of the behaviors and habits of the person.

How much do you smoke? How often do you smoke? How many joints a week? How many joints a day? In what situations? How do you feel before smoking? And then? What are the different reinforcers of cannabis smoking behavior? Do you always smoke alone or also with other people? Have you managed to have periods of marijuana withdrawal lately? Have there been any previous attempts to put down the joints? What were the results, and why didn't they work?

These are just a few of the many questions a professional can ask to pave the way for marijuana addiction treatment. We could say that the maxim of "know your enemy to be able to defeat him" is followed..

After doing the evaluation, conclusions will be drawn, and with the help of the psychologist, objectives will be set and short-term and long-term change goals, and the most appropriate strategies will be proposed for that person.

3. Overcoming marijuana withdrawal syndrome

One of the main reasons cannabis smokers don't want to quit is because fear of withdrawal syndrome.

Cannabis is a very complex plant with a multitude of compounds and active principles, with THC being the most studied, and responsible for the “high” that people seek when they smoke. It is an addictive component, and after frequent consumption, the body develops dependence. This means that, when the person stops consuming or reduces the usual doses of THC, they may experience discomfort or anxiety.

If the withdrawal syndrome is very unpleasant, the person may give up and use again (because it is the fastest way to stop feeling the discomfort). However, it is part of the cannabis detoxification process. The person will have to go several days or even a couple of weeks without consuming to stop feeling the withdrawal syndrome.

It is very important to keep this in mind. Overcoming marijuana addiction is not a matter of "willpower", but to know the nature of the substance and its interaction with the life of the person. An essential part of the psychological treatment for marijuana is to accompany the person while they cope with the withdrawal syndrome.

4. Work on emotional dependence on marijuana

Drug use always appears as an escape route from reality. The person who smokes marijuana excessively is using it to “self-medicate”, to temporarily escape the boredom, anxiety, and sadness of everyday life.

If a person gets used to using marijuana in his daily life for many years, he will be scared at the prospect of giving up joints. I have worked with people in therapy who claimed that they did not remember being happy without using marijuana, because they had smoked almost daily for several years, in most cases since the adolescence.

A very important part of any treatment for cannabis addiction will be working on emotional dependence on marijuana, help the person re-learn how to manage different day-to-day situations, or unpleasant emotions.

Marijuana temporarily covered or camouflaged these problems, but deprived the person of the opportunity to learn to manage emotionally. Each of these situations will be a therapeutic target, and will be worked on throughout the therapy sessions of any addiction treatment.

5. Prevention of relapse in joints

In relation to the previous point, in the therapy sessions to stop cannabis will be done a list of all potential relapse situations for that person. They can be social events, spending time with other people with whom you previously smoked joints, the most stressful situations daily routine (coming home after a bad day at work, an argument with your partner), the rituals of the end of week, etc.

For each of these situations, the person will have to work on different strategies and changes in habits, alternative activities, social skills techniques, relaxation, or even working on certain beliefs irrational.

And above all, prepare the person for when a relapse occurs. Many people run the risk of sinking emotionally and feeling a lot of frustration when they unexpectedly relapse. The psychologist will help the person to get up again, to focus on learning and thinking about how to avoid that relapse in the future, what to do differently next time.

Relapse prevention is the fundamental pillar to which the least attention is paid. This is a phase that lasts a lifetime, as the person will always have to be alert to the temptation or desire to use again. The goal is to maintain the positive results of psychotherapy.

Looking for a psychologist for treatment for marijuana addiction?

I am Luis Miguel Real, and for years I have dedicated myself to helping people with addiction problems. I have helped hundreds of people to stop being slaves to cannabis and to stop deluding themselves. If you are having problems with marijuana and have the firm intention of quitting, contact me and we will get to work on your case as soon as possible.