From the age of 14, I smoked a lot of weed, ranging from once to 3 times per week until I was 17, and then more sporadically until I was 19 (all in heavy amounts per sitting). I’m now 23, and while I’m completely sober, I can barely function because my cognition is so horrible. I’m always fatigued, never motivated, always confused, have poor verbal fluency, barely able to hold onto any memory for more than 3 seconds – the list goes on. Given how potent marijuana is now, I can’t help but think that these are indicators of permanent damage I’ve inflicted upon myself.
At work, I’m treated like a liability because I make so many errors in my thinking, and people get frustrated with me and sometimes make fun of me. I can barely trust myself because my judgment and thinking are so bad, and I feel utterly useless. I’ve tried so many psychiatric meds, therapies, supplements, diets, and exercise – nothing helps. I’m always slow or confused, or behind.
At this point, I often debate how much longer I can keep going. I feel damaged and unwanted because I feel so irreparably broken. My self-esteem just erodes every day, and so much of it is my fault. The thought that I ruined my brain and robbed myself of a potentially bright future because I blasted my brain with drugs as a teenager carries the most crushing regret and shame and I don’t know how to move forward.
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I did every drug aside from crack, meth and heroin, in ridiculous amounts from the age of 13 (just weed at that age) to age 25, I got sober this year (im 26 now) and im basically fine, give yourself a year to recover
I don’t know if a few years of smoking weed can do that. Maybe you actually have a cognitive disorder, or maybe even just depression or something, and should consult with a professional.
Dude you are over reacting, I did the same and still adddictes to smoking and yes I’m a bit dumb for it but I’m still a critical thinker capable of doing stuff. Don’t let this get you down and stay away from coffee
I’ve been trying to tell this to my brother. This weed now days are actively making people slow. Like almost re***ded.
I smoked a ton back in the day back when the only legal state was Colorado, then joined the military. I’ve since separated and I tried to smoke but it’s different. I don’t get that giggly feeling with a side of munchies, I legitimately just feel stupid and sleepy. It’s not good.
OP, read more books..it’s been proven to help with cognitive issues, it’s been helping me while I deal with PTSD. I feel sharper. You can also go to the gym, which also helps with cognitive issues and fatigue/motivation.
There’s ways out of the way you feel currently, it’ll just take some work. Also, congrats on the continued sobriety!
I’m with you bro! I smoked a lot of weed, drank, did a ton of Molly and coke in my 20’s, and I definitely make mistakes/have a bad memory… that said, if you can find some sort of work that you enjoy, with people you enjoy, you might find things get better.
Try to exercise if you aren’t, be around people, get a dog
These symptoms you are describing sound more like the effects of an underlying depression. Give yourself time and talk to a professional. Life is likely to improve.
Good job on getting sober though. This is an important step in this journey you’ve done all by yourself.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cognitive-effects-of-long-term-cannabis-use-in-midlife-202206142760
Here’s a study from Harvard on the long term effects of weed. Education is important, you’re not alone and you’re not crazy.
Weed didn’t go that to you. At least not clean weed.
I think the problem lays diffrent.
Maybe the weed gave you the joy you sought in the moment and now you dont have that. So maybe you need to change your way of thinking.
Seek joy and the interesting in the boring things. Ingite your spark of joy.
You are not useless you just need more positive thinking and enduce some serotonin in your brain.
I know it sounds cheecky but i really think it could helo
This is why I get so annoyed when people say weed is harmless. It absolutely is NOT harmless. Downvote all you want, but I’ve seen loved ones ruin their lives because of weed.
lol my sister (7 years older) gave me booze and hot knives when I was 9.
I became a complete alcoholic by 13. Done most drugs you can think of. I definitely messed my brain up.
Think your over reacting. I smoked weed from age of 15 till I was 39. Every day. And believe I was in better shape mentally and physically doing so. Meth ruined my mental state and takes a long time to bounce back from that as it does affect your brain function but you soldier on. Now nearly 45 and sober of everything including alcohol. Stop over thinking today by reflecting on the past. Just get her done. Moderation is the answer to life. And recreational use not abuse
Maybe you were just dumb and lazy to begin with? I don’t think weed is the issue here.
Have you ever considered that you were self medicating with cannabis?
Are you positive the weed is entirely responsible for your current condition? You may be neurodivergent with symptoms similar to severe ADHD or be on the Autism spectrum?
Talk to your doctor about it…thats my advice. Sorry I don’t have anything else but good job on not being dependent on it anymore. It can be quite costly also so good for you on that note also
I have a friend who is exactly like you for exactly the same reasons, he always complains about it, I just tell him to be grateful he stopped when he did otherwise his brain would have been fully cooked. His solution was to keep a close circle around him to verify his decisions he makes in life so he doesn’t screw up really bad because it takes soo long for his brain to process basic stuff, it’s quite scary and sad but such is life I guess.
These lessons make us who we are and motivate us not to let anyone else go through the same struggle we did, I mean I think you’d be more loud about not smoking weed at a young age that me because you’ve felt the first hand effects… Always look at the positives my friend
Sounds like you were self medicating (with or without your own knowledge) weed tends to mask all the symptoms you’ve stated. Once you take the weed out, you still have underlying issues that need to be dealt with. I don’t think the weed did that. Sounds more like depression to me
This is literally me but I never smoked anything 😢
Persevere. Things can and will get better as long as you keep taking positive steps forward. That’s life.
Make sure you don’t have other health issues. Like sleep apnea, diabetes etc.
As far as work, social life etc.
Under the best of circumstances people can struggle.
You’ll find your path.
You are young, which is good because you will heal. Just give it time. Life is hard, keep at it. I am not going to sit hear and list my substance abuse but it was substantial for 20 years and very lucky to be alive considering. I haven’t given everything up either, just the real bad stuff, and found moderation in the others to ease the pain of life.
Drink lots of water, eat healthy, workout, and feed your brain with puzzles, memory games, and read books. If you do those things, you will get better. Also, maybe a job that you actually are really interested in will help give you some focus because you will actually want to be doing it.
Maybe it had an effect on you. Personally speaking, 3 times a week (which is what I smoked from 15 until 32 y/o) isn’t that bad compared to many ppl I knew who smoked for everyday.
Now that doesn’t mean you’re lying about your symptoms or difficulties, but maybe there’s other factors. For myself the pandemic really wrecked my focus abilities and have struggled to be able to read books or write scripts like I used to. Some of the symptoms you speak of could also be long covid symptoms. On top of that they are also symptoms of depression, ADHD, PTSD, etc. Those 3 conditions might be a reason why you searched out weed at 14 and used it to regulate as often as you did (I can see in retrospective my mental health issues were why I did).
I’m not a doctor so I won’t diagnose you but maybe you could seek out medical support that could help address these issues.
I don’t think that’s how weed works. To me, it sounds more like you have ADHD and were using cannabis to self medicated. Not an expert.
A lot of times you g people with ADHD gravitate towards marijuana use. You could have ADHD and never learned to cope with it because you were constantly high. Talk to your doctor and see if they can refer you to a psychologist that can test you. If you’re positive theyll refer you to either types of therapy or a psychiatrist or both. Thats just what comes to mind from your description of what’s going on. Sounds like it’s provocated by an inability to focus.
Kids diagnosed at a young age have help in school and at the doctor learning to cope with the lack of focus, impulsivity, and emotional instability. If you also find yourself spiraling emotionally after you expirence a consequence, that can also be a symptom of ADHD.
I think you have something else going on
For someone who’s so cognitively declined you sure are eloquent with superb writing skills :/
ur fine dude, this is definitely in some small portion a result of overuse of weed, but as someone who has had similar issues to yours and now happily works at a smoke shop where I take dabs and smoke flower with over %45 THC, it is depression making you feel the way you feel. Give yourself more time to recouperate and work on your personal happiness aside from weed. and this doesnt mean major lifestyle changes, this means making small, incremental decisions on a daily basis, with no goal in mind other than personal happiness and fulfillment. Everyone in our age group has trouble with memory and cognition. It is mainly a result of our humanity and nature being eroded by the internet. Please stay strong OP, you can absolutely handle this, and it will only get easier with time.
actions have consequences
positive thing would be to warn others of the risks, maybe make youtube videos
Definitely not the weed
The blame game is everything, and everyone did this to you. Truth is that nothing did anything, and this is your life.
I don’t think it’s from the weed. I started at 14 and ended at about 18 as well and I smoked more than you did. It certainly effected me somehow but I don’t have any of issues that you do other than my short term memory isn’t great. I kind of think it has always been like that though. I have a couple of good friends who didn’t stop smoking pot until they were much older and they seem fine to me still to this day and we’re in our 60’s. We also did a lot of coke and sometimes other drugs. Eat right and get enough sleep and go to the DR for a check up and full blood work up. I think something else is going on
Once to 3 times per week and then sporadically?
The reason for your condition is not weed. Not even remotely. Plenty of people were blazing all day every day from that age on, and are completely fine. I dont think its possible that weed in the quantities you describe can be responsible for what you are describing
There are some popular peptides that will probably clear up your brain fog and fatigue
Look into ss-31 and or Nad +