Although cannabis is considered a non-addictive substance, there is both psychological and physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms include palpitations, sleep problems, depressed mood and sweating. These symptoms appear within a week after you stop smoking the substance. Treatment for cannabis addiction involves the same principles as treatment for other substances.
What is Cannabis Addiction?
Cannabis is the most widely used illegal substance in the world. That is why it is used illegally.
Marijuana addiction is associated with marijuana use in racial and ethnic groups, but this relationship varies by age group.
In the 12-17 age group, the rate of lifetime and past year use is higher in whites than in blacks. In adults aged 7-34 years, whites have higher rates of lifetime use than blacks and Hispanics. However, it has been reported that the rates of cannabis dependence in blacks and whites aged 35 years and older are the same.
When cannabis is smoked like cigarettes, its euphoric effect is seen within minutes, reaches its highest level in 30 minutes, and ends in 2-4 hours.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of cannabis?
Withdrawal symptoms of cannabis appear within a week after you stop smoking the substance and last for at least a few months. Cannabis withdrawal symptoms can be listed as follows;
- Anger, tension or aggression
- Excessive stress or anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Eating disorders
- Restlessness and fatigue
- Depressed mood
- Physical changes such as abdominal pain, fever, chills, sweating
- Focus problem
- Cold sweating
- Stomach problems
- Increased desire to use substances
These symptoms are initially mild. Then they become more severe. This depends on the addict. The symptoms may not be severe or dangerous, but they are unsettling. The longer the duration of cannabis addiction , the more severe the withdrawal symptoms are. Cannabis withdrawal symptoms may not be as severe as withdrawal symptoms from other substances. Nevertheless, many people who stop using cannabis begin to experience physical and psychological symptoms.
How does cannabis addiction affect the body?
Dry mouth, hunger, red eyes, increased blood pressure and palpitations depending on the amount taken are the most common effects of cannabis addiction. Cannabis addiction, chronic use of cannabis can lead to decreased testosterone levels and sperm count, infertility in women and low birth weight of the newborn baby.
The effect of cannabis on a person depends on many factors, such as the strength of the cannabis to be smoked, what the smoker expects from cannabis, the presence of alcohol or other substances, and the way of taking the cannabis. It causes a slowing of attention and reactions. Cannabis addiction has psychological and physiological withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, insomnia, decreased appetite, weight loss and intolerance.
How is cannabis addiction treated?
After the client is evaluated in the psychiatry outpatient clinic, neuropsychiatric and psychological tests are performed to clarify the diagnosis of cannabis addiction. After the diagnosis is clarified, the person is evaluated psychosocially and a family interview is conducted, and the support of the patient's family is very important in the treatment process in cannabis addiction treatments. If an outpatient treatment plan is decided after the evaluations, the patient is admitted to an outpatient treatment program.
Treatment for cannabis addiction (withdrawal and support) involves the same principles as treatment for other substances of abuse. Abstinence is achieved either through a direct approach such as hospitalization or through outpatient follow-up with urine tests that detect cannabis within 4 weeks of use.
