Self-help Articles

by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.

If you stop smoking marijuana and start having disturbing, bad dreams, that suggests to me that the dreams are part of your withdrawal picture. Whenever your brain gets used to having a mild altering substance in it and then you cut it off, you tend to get some physiological "rebound" effects.

Because marijuana is a depressant, part of this rebound is to have more active dreams. I wouldn't worry about the content of the dreams themselves. They'll subside in time the longer you're off the pot.

Also, I would look to know what the desired effects are from smoking (e.g., feeling more at ease meeting and talking with women). If the only way you have to achieve those desired effects is by smoking, then you're at great risk for relapsing.

Ask yourself "What do I need to learn to do, without smoking?" Then find a non-drug alternative. There are many discussions of such good alternatives to be found right here in this zine. There are also online support groups to be found in the Links and Lists section.

This may seem like hard advice, but it's sound. The hardest parts of stopping smoking are the first few steps. I think you'll thank yourself for stopping once you've been away from it for a few months. Good luck kicking the marijuana addiction!

About the Author:

Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 9426 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Phone: (505) 345-6100.

Dr. Hester is has developed an evidence-based, web application called ModerateDrinking.com to help heavy drinkers be successful in changing their drinking. A video demo of the program is available at www.behaviortherapy.com