There are many things that seem keep you from quitting pot: Social reasons, stress, lack of a plan and so forth but hiding behind these excuses hides a nasty little devil that we either do not recognize or we do but try to hide him all the same; it is a dirty 4 letter word starting with ‘F’
That’s right … it isFEAR(what did you think I was talking about?)
We all like to think we can do what we want but there are obstacles in our way that stop us when the reality is that fear plays a much larger part in it that we will care to admit and if you have a been a long time smoker of marijuana it only intensifies because the alternative seems to much further away.
Most fear is quite subconscious however and usually shows its influences in the form of procrastination“I will quit: next week … after my birthday … when I finish this last bag of weed”etc or more overtly as an imagined obstacle“I can’t quit yet I will: lose my friends … suffer terrible withdrawals … lose my creativity.”etc. In the end though we realize what must be done it just seems to hard right?
This is not isolated to quitting marijuana addiction though or even any other addiction but can be applied to so many things in life whenever we need to embark on something new, a change of lifestyle or a new project or anything that we can not control the outcome.
The key is to not let it stop you from doing the things you know you have to do!
Here are a few main ways fear infects you and stops you quitting the bad habits that are holding you back and remember that courage is facing fear and doing what needs to be done despite of it, it is not the absence of fear itself!
Fear of Failure
Innumerable psychological studies have shown that the fear of failure is the main obstacle to personal success. This is linked closely to self-esteem in that we so closely link any task to our own self worth and so rather than risk possible humiliation we never even try … and if we do try and we do fail it negatively reinforces it all over again.
So how do we get over this fear of failure and all the negative self worth baggage that comes along with it?
- Admit to yourself that you are afraid of failure to quit smoking pot.
- Understand that if you stumble and fail, give in for just one smoke etc that it is not the end .. just something to learn from.
- Relish the learning experience, and reject the illusion of humiliation, this can seem hard but once it becomes an ingrained habit it is a tool you can use for everything in life.
Fear of Success
Why the heck should anyone fear success?? If you want to quit smoking marijuana then why would we be afraid of being able to do it? This can be a tricky concept and is one of the hardest to puzzle out but basically it is because we are afraid of change and the new challenges that come with change that drive this, instead of thinking about positives we subconsciously associate success with all the problems that might come with it rather than the positives it will bring.
Success can also inject a few things into life that seem scary and can be overwhelming: Will your friends be hateful of your choice? Will you no longer be able to feel a high? How will you combat stress now? Any of these feel familiar?
Here are some tips to fight back against this type of fear:
- Change comes no matter what happens, quit or keep smoking change will come so why not quit and face the change with a clear head and a fuller wallet?
- Babe Ruth held the home run record and the strikeout record simultaneously. Keep swinging for the fences.
- The positives that you get from quitting pot are not just the fact you will not be smoking and all that comes with that but it is the drive and determination and life lessons you will gain from the journey too.
Fear of Social Rejection
This can be a part of a fear of success but seems to have a special place for many people looking to quit smoking weed. Often your entire circle of friends may be smokers and the fear of them rejecting your choices can lead to you feeling like they are rejecting you as a person not just your life decision.
So, how do we avoid our fear of social rejection? Some do not do anything and do not even try but this is going to leave you unfulfilled and scared to do anything for yourself, so instead these tips may help you get over this fear.
- Remember, you’ll never please everyone. Some people may be supportive and some will never be … who do you want to be your friends anyway?
- Your life choices are your own, not theirs and it does not reflect on their choices either, if you let them know that and do not judge them then they have no right to judge you.
Fear of Risk
Like a fear of success this is a fear of the unknown, it is however more focused on being ’safe’. No one ever got anywhere in life by not taking some risks and the same is true of stopping marijuana use because safety is about the status quo and not moving out of your comfort zone where everything seems controllable compared to the alternative.
Our brains actually are geared this way too which makes it doubly hard to beat this fear as we are hard wired to embrace consistency and familiarity. However better things are only there for those who seek the unfamiliar. Try to remember these things in your goals.
- What is the worst that could happen? Will quitting pot really be that hard or difficult?
- Risk-taking breeds self-confidence. Each step you take, each day you abstain from smoking will give you the energy to take the next step, face the next day until you conquer the fear completely
- Do not over think it! Just do it!
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