What is Your Relationship with Marijuana?

marijuana leaf marijuana relationship substance use If you are struggling with your relationship with marijuana, now may be a good time to re-evaluate your options and make a lifestyle change.

Celebrities who smoke weed give us a glimpse into their relationships with the substance and how this has changed over time. Public figures such as Snoop Dogg join the list of celebrities with a long-standing history of marijuana use who have recently decided to quit. Are you able to recognize when a relationship becomes unhealthy?

Ending a long-standing relationship with substances is often a significant identity shift since substance use serves many purposes in one’s life. It can be a social outlet, with recreational use in social settings with friends. Some believe that marijuana use enhances aspects of self, including desirability and creativity. It may serve as a substitute to fill voids in life such as general dissatisfaction with life, an escape from distressing thoughts and feelings, and a way to cope with stressors. Marijuana has been used to help manage chronic pain, provide relief for patients with medical diagnoses such as cancer, and provide health benefits including improved sleep and appetite. There is evidence to support that cannabis is both good and bad for your health.

Side effects of frequent, heavy use may include disorientation, increased anxiety, and paranoia. Temporary psychosis and struggles with mental health are also possibilities. Marijuana use has been linked to depression, social anxiety, and schizophrenia. Some people go on to develop an unhealthy relationship that begins to impair important aspects of daily living.

Did you know that approximately 3 in 10 people who use, go on to develop a marijuana use disorder? The risk is greater for those who begin using marijuana at an early age and those with frequent use to develop an addiction.

According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), the following are listed as signs of a marijuana use disorder:

  • Using marijuana in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended
  • Trying to quit using marijuana but not having success in efforts
  • Spending a lot of time using or recovering from use
  • Cravings to use marijuana
  • Using marijuana despite it causing problems at home, school/ work, or relationships
  • Giving up important activities in favor of using marijuana
  • Use of marijuana in high-risk situations such as on the job or while driving
  • Developing tolerance—needing to use more to get the same “high”
  • Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when stopping use

Some clients who have expressed concern about their relationship with marijuana use have implemented the use of tolerance “t-breaks” to help reduce tolerance levels after a temporary period of abstinence. One of the concerns is withdrawal without medical monitoring as if one decided to stop taking a prescribed medication on their own. There is the risk of stronger cravings and the potential to increase use. In the case of medication, clients will gradually taper off medication and this may be a safer alternative for marijuana use.

It is important to be transparent with your healthcare provider about substance use and reach out for help at early signs of concern. Your provider can assist with connecting to resources to further screen and assess for a substance use disorder, which may include a referral to a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LADC). Your therapist can also help explore your relationship with marijuana and discuss the symptoms you are experiencing. Talking to a mental health therapist is a great support to process concerns and develop alternative skills and strategies to aid in coping. They can also assist in connecting to additional referrals if needed.

Resources:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Recovery.org is provided by American Addiction Centers

https://recovery.org/

888-499-0024

https://minnesotarecovery.org/resource/marijuana-anonymous/

Written By: Charlotte Johnson, MA, LPCC

SCHEDULE
MEET CLINICIANS
NEW TO THERAPY?
RESOURCES

Customized Meditations for You

What comes to mind when you hear the word meditation? Stereotypes hold some people back from mindfulness practice. That is unfortunate. It is important to dispel the myths and understand the things people get wrong about mindfulness.

Going from Good to Great When You Are Not OK

How often do you get asked, “How are you?” and the polite go-to response is “I’m fine” or “good” thank you. How are you? These phrases are common greetings in the United States but seem to lack much depth.

The Client-Therapist Relationship: Transactional or Relational?

There is a transactional element that is present in receiving therapeutic services; however, a strong therapeutic relationship is vital to the success of therapy.
Summer health tips- blue sky with hands in yoga pose

6 Summer Health Tips to Feel Amazing This Summer

Making lifestyle changes has a significant impact on mental health and well-being. When you take care of your body and engage in safe and enjoyable activities, it has a direct impact on how you think and feel about yourself.

Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Meditation helps one become more present, utilizing the practice of being mindful. Perhaps you already have a basic understanding of meditation

Emotional Intelligence for Families

Self-awareness is a key skill of emotional intelligence. One way to build self-awareness early within a child’s life is to build their feelings vocabulary.

CARE COUNSELING IS A 2024 TOP WORKPLACE

CARE Counseling has been recognized in the Star Tribune's Top Workplaces for the third year in a row!  In 2024, CARE was named on the National Standard Setters list.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Intersectionality of PRIDE and Juneteenth

In honor of Juneteenth in the middle of PRIDE month, intersectionality is a reminder that we hold multiple identities such as our race/ ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, religion, disability, and age that create unique lived experiences for each person, resulting in different advantages and disadvantages.

Relationship Violence

Partner abuse, domestic abuse, and intimate partner violence can happen to anyone. Unfortunately, abuse and violence in relationships are all too common.

Three Reasons Why It Can Be Difficult For Men to Seek Out Therapy

Men, it is OK to reach out for help. Asking for help is not easy, especially when topics are sensitive, and you may feel vulnerable.

Support for Emergency Responders and Professionals at Risk

Did you know that approximately 70% of the world’s population has been exposed to a traumatic life event?

Learn More About Acute Stress Disorder

The National Center for PTSD describes acute stress disorder as a mental health problem that can occur in the first month after a traumatic event.

Build Resilience: Re-evaluating Your Mental Health Toolkit

Now that school is over, it is the perfect time to look at what is in your mental health toolkit.

Recharging Your Self-Care Battery: Support for Caregivers

Each person has their limits as a caregiver. The work can be emotionally and physically exhausting, especially as you expend energy. If you do not have opportunities to “recharge”, you will become depleted.

Summer De-Stressing with a Therapist

Teachers, professors, school administrators, student support… those who directly interact with children in an educational setting know the joys and challenges that are present at the end of the school year.

7 Reasons Summer

School is out and summer is right around the corner. The responsibilities and pressures of many young people look very different this time of year. Students may seem happier and more relaxed, as stress lessens, and emotions appear regulated. However, adolescents and young adults may struggle to adjust and engage in maladaptive coping strategies.
broken plate

Broken, Yet Whole

If your life can be best described as “a mess” and you feel like your sense of self is shattered, there is hope.

The Power of Explanatory Styles

Often the everyday moments in the present do not get much attention, while regrets of the past and worries of the future take center stage. You may miss out on a big chunk of life when it is hard to move forward.

10th Anniversary: Announcing our 10th Location

2024 is an extra special year. CARE Counseling is celebrating our 10th anniversary as a clinic and we are opening our 10th location in the Woodbury area!
Mental Health Factors Impacting Celebrations

Mental Health Factors Impacting Celebrations

Celebrations often come up in therapy due to having a mixed range of emotional experiences on celebratory dates depending on the person.
Understanding CARE Coordination

Understanding CARE Coordination

Care coordination is an important aspect of your treatment; understanding this service can help ensure you receive the best care possible.
gaining independence

Gaining Independence and Finding Yourself After Being in an Unhealthy Relationship

It can be hard to adjust to a new norm after relationships end. It can also be tough to cope with the thoughts and feelings that come up after no longer being in a relationship you didn’t think would ever end.
Death Anxiety (Thanatophobia)

Death Anxiety (Thanatophobia)

While fear of death is a common existential fear, some people have intense fears of themselves or a loved one dying. An extreme fear of death or the dying process, known as thanatophobia is considered as a specific fear, or phobia that is under the broader category of anxiety disorders.