Not knowing what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment is why many addicts don’t sign up for rehab. Being an addict to marijuana is not a very pleasurable experience. While the first use of the substance may seem like heaven. The addiction that follows years of severe abuse is more like hell.

Marijuana addiction topples the life of the user, in all aspects. From worsening relationships with friends to losing hold of your finances, the list of side effects that come with a marijuana habit is endless.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably taken the first step of admitting to yourself that you are an addict. This is great news, an achievement even. For many addicts, getting over the denial stage can be quite an accomplishment.

Now, you need help. But you are having some unresolved doubts. You are unsure of what happens during marijuana addiction treatment. The fear of uncertainty is real.

This is why we’ve come up with this guide. It will help you understand what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment. Through it, we will provide a comprehensive explanation of the different treatment exercises that form a part of marijuana rehab. Let’s get into it.

What is Marijuana Addiction?

Marijuana may not be instantly addictive as opioids, but when it does hook a fellow, it takes time to recover. This is not to scare you but to prepare your mind for the fact that the journey of marijuana addiction recovery is a long one.

As of 2018, Canada became the second country in the world to make marijuana use legal. This has caused the country to see a spike in cannabis usage. According to the CCSA, marijuana is now the second most abused substance in the country.

The cannabis plant is the source of marijuana. When this plant is harvested, it gets dried and ground. This is then made available for you to smoke. Though, smoking is not the only consumption process for marijuana. There are edibles you can chew, and they can also be injected into the body.

How Marijuana Addiction Happens

Marijuana is very psychoactive because it triggers the release of a substance called dopamine. However, marijuana doesn’t stop at this, it can also alter perception. This is why you and others turn to it when you have issues or feel stress. And since the world we live in can’t be devoid of stress and issues, you turn to the substance more frequently.

In the long run, the brain begins to get used to the substance. Then, your body begins to build a resistance. Such that, to reach the level of high you want, you need to consume more marijuana. In the long run, dependence will lead to addiction.

For the most part, overdosing doesn’t normally occur with marijuana. However, there is an increasing number of people that end up in the ER because of a weed habit. Most times, this is due to accidents that occur when they are high.

Signs of Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana can be very addictive. Since most users equate it as a cure for stress, it’s tempting to keep indulging.

Other causes of marijuana trace back to peer pressure. The company you keep can also be the reason you are addicted. Whatever the cause is, once marijuana addiction occurs, the stories are similar.

At first, you won’t accept you are addicted as most people do. You’ll believe you can stop using the substance whenever you want. Most times, this is a wrong affirmation.

So, before finding answers to what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment, how do you know you or a loved one needs rehab? Some symptoms are a key indicator of a worsening marijuana habit.

Just like other disorders, you may not experience all the symptoms mentioned below. However, if you experience at least two of the following within 12 months, the chances are high that you have an addiction problem.

• You continue to use marijuana even when it’s causing a strain on your social and romantic relationships. You even continue to use it despite physical harm.

• You strongly crave the substance frequently

• You start needing more of the substance to get high

• When you don’t use the substance for a while, you experience withdrawal symptoms. These include; mood swings, sleep disruption, severe headache, appetite disruption abs irregularities in weight.

• You stop doing the things you used to enjoy

• You just feel like using the substance all-day

• You ignore health conditions and keep smoking or eating it

• You are always getting high

• You go out of your way to get marijuana. This may involve you having to use money meant for other things.

So if you are curious about what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment, here is a little prelude to the main answer — it’s not going to be easy. But when you are with the right marijuana addiction rehab service, you can be sure they’ll make the process as easy as possible.

But first, we’ll explore the short and long-term negative effects of marijuana addiction on a person.

Effects of Marijuana Addiction

Understanding how marijuana addiction affects your life will help you become resolute in your decision to get help. Marijuana addiction is robbing you of life, your life.

Short Term Effects of Marijuana Addiction

As stated earlier, the effects of the substance on you may differ from that of your friend. Also, you may not experience all of these. But certainly, you’ll have noticed some.

• There is the risk of short-term memory loss

• You may also suffer from severe anxiety. In some cases, you may suffer paranoia.

• You may also start experiencing strange behaviours like seeing and smelling things that aren’t real. This is a situation known as psychosis.

• Panic is also a common situation that can occur

• You may also suffer from hallucinations

• You may lose your sense of personal identity

• There is also a reduction in your reaction time to situations and events

• There is the possibility of an increased heart rate

• You also have an increased risk of suffering from stroke

• Males also suffer sexual problems

• You suffer a loss of coordination

Long Term Effects of Marijuana Addiction

The answer to what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment should spur you to get professional rehab. Without it, you risk the following long-term marijuana addiction issues.

• The decline in your IQ. This is a situation that gets worse if your addiction started as an adolescent

• You can also suffer from an impairment of your thinking.

• You experience a reduction in how much you are satisfied with life

• The possibility of getting addicted to opioids.

• You may experience financial difficulties

• You experience increased antisocial behaviour.

Marijuana addiction, like any other, is as deadly as they come. The effects in the long term and short term aren’t just worth the investment you make into the drug with your hard-earned money. This is why the various marijuana addiction treatment methods are a lifesaver.

Related Article: Treatment for Marijuana Addiction: Why You Need to Stop Smoking

What Happens During Marijuana Addiction Treatment

Here’s a breakdown of the aggregate journey to marijuana addiction recovery and sobriety.

Acceptance

Accepting that you are addicted to marijuana is the first step towards recovery. However, you shouldn’t just accept that fact by yourself. You need to inform your friends and family. There is just one reason for this.

Taking the remaining steps towards marijuana addiction recovery requires ample support from friends and family. Your will alone won’t get you through the specialist’s door.

Because marijuana is now legal in Canada, you may wonder why you should bother giving it up. Yours is a personal journey. The need for recovery transcends what the law permits or not.

Consultation Session

Post acknowledgment, the next step is to speak with a marijuana rehab expert. You need to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis. This consultation session can also help you uncover any underlying condition you didn’t know about.

A marijuana addiction treatment expert will be able to gauge the extent of the addiction. Together with medical personnel, they’ll be able to test you for health-related problems.

The results of these tests and consultation sessions will form the bedrock of your marijuana rehab plan. You’ll be able to make critical decisions like whether to go with inpatient or outpatient rehab. Once the diagnosis is over, the first step that begins everyone’s marijuana recovery is detoxification.

Marijuana Detox

This is a treatment process that involves medical experts administering medication to get the physical elements of marijuana out of your body. This process has to be conducted under the strict supervision of a specialist.

During detoxification, you won’t be taking any more marijuana. This is called withdrawal. Withdrawal from rehab causes the body to react, in the following ways:

• Increased irritation
• Increased anxiety
• You won’t be able to sleep
• You’ll have a heightened craving for the substance
• In severe cases, it can lead to depression
• Insomnia can also result from marijuana withdrawal
• You won’t be able to experience pleasure without the substance.

Once detox is complete, the doctor will provide you with medications to combat these symptoms as you proceed into the next stage — therapy.

Marijuana addiction treatment methods

Rehabilitation can take different forms for different persons. It all depends on the peculiarities of the patient involved. Hence, it’s not easy to accurately preempt what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment.

The system of treatment an addiction treatment service recommends depends on how severe your addiction is. For persons with very severe marijuana addiction, an expert will most likely recommend inpatient therapy.

However, if your addiction is mild, you may be subject to outpatient therapy. The major difference between these two directions of therapy is admission into the facility. For inpatient treatment, you’ll remain in the addiction treatment center. You’ll be under the supervision of the healthcare professionals, in a controlled environment.

For the outpatient treatment, you’ll still be able to get to work and do other things. Although, you’ll have to see your designated treatment officer frequently during the week. The frequency of your visit to the marijuana rehab centre is based on the discretion of the expert.

Inpatient treatment is more recommended if you want to see fast results. The environment is controlled there. Hence, you will suffer less exposure to triggers and environmental cues that encourage addiction. However, inpatient treatment always costs more. But the use of this procedure for marijuana addiction treatment has a higher chance of success.

Getting Marijuana Addiction Treatment: What to Prepare For

Preparation is at the center of what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment. If you will be going in for inpatient treatment, there are only a few things you’ll need. The first being your clothing, as light as you can pack them.

You should also make sure your family is catered for in your absence. This is important if you are the breadwinner of the family. Notifying your family also brings about support, which you’ll need loads of, once you are admitted into the facility.

There are different grades of treatment facilities. The luxurious ones have more facilities and equipment that makes ‘life away from normal’ easier. However, even if you go for more affordable marijuana rehab services, you’ll still enjoy positive results.

You should also prepare your mind that inpatient treatment lasts between 30 to 90 days. When you are done with inpatient rehab, sober living homes are the next best thing to help you transition to normal life.

Inpatient treatment centers eliminate triggers during your stay. Hence, suddenly transitioning back into an uncontrolled environment can be overwhelming. Sober living homes serve as that transition center. You rent space in these homes, controlled homes, while you go about normal life activities again. The sober living homes are controlled and with caregivers at your arm’s length.

Cost of Marijuana Addiction Treatment

What a marijuana program looks like is dependent on the center you choose, and your treatment needs. These peculiar details will determine the experience you will enjoy during your treatment program. Similarly, it also influences the cost you’ll incur.

Thankfully, you can mitigate expensive bills with insurance or other government-assisted programs like Medicaid.

The breakdown of the cost for marijuana rehab is simple. The first stage of treatment is detox, and this costs between $1000 and $5000. For inpatient rehab, that already contains detox, the cost is about $6000 for 30 days.

Some facilities may however rise to $20000. If your program is going to run for between 60 to 90 days, the cost is about $12000 and $60000.

Outpatient treatments are cheaper and can cost $5000 for a 3-month’ program. Medications during treatment can rise to about $4700.

What to Expect during Marijuana Addiction Treatment

The process of addiction recovery is long and can seem somewhat impossible. You’ll experience both physical and psychological discomfort. Because you are conscious about quitting marijuana, the craving can somewhat become unbearable.

A lot is going to happen once you walk through that door to see a specialist. However, none of these things are worth being scared of. You may not exactly know what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment.

However, you need to be rest assured that it’s all about your recovery. Whatever happens, will lead to your wholeness and ability to live without drugs. These key points will guide your mental image of what marijuana rehab is:

Duration

This is the first thing you should know about marijuana addiction recovery.  One thing to have at the back of your mind is that recovery is a lifetime journey. While marijuana rehab programs themselves have a time cap, recovery is a never-ending journey.

From studies and observations, marijuana addiction treatment methods get administered for between 30 to 90 days. On rare occasions, however, it may last up to a year. You won’t know how long the treatment will last from the beginning. Your doctor may decide to extend you beyond the maximum point of this average if there is no improvement. If your condition improves, you may end treatment faster.

Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral (CBT) therapy is the most common form of therapy administered for marijuana addiction treatment. This may differ for you, as your therapist may employ other forms of therapy based on your condition. CBT therapy is a form of individual therapy.

Depending on the form of marijuana addiction rehab program, you may be put in discussion groups with other marijuana addicts in recovery.

Discussing in these groups gives patients a sense of community. This helps you better focus on your treatment as you’ll understand that you are not alone.

Visit from family and friends

If you are an inpatient, you’ll not see much of your outside family and friends. Since you need to focus more on your recovery, this distinction is important to control your exposure to marijuana.

However, there are visiting hours, which differ from facility to facility. You should find out about visiting hours before committing to a treatment. Regular visits from friends and family will help you with the confidence to go on with the treatment.

Cost

Technically, you cannot ascertain the cost of treatment from the beginning. Contingencies may occur and you’ll need to spend more. With the support of family and friends, you’ll scale through this.

One thing you should know is the cost of addiction treatment is always lower than the cost of sticking to addiction. If addiction treatment costs you $20000 in a year, a marijuana habit may cost you about double in that period.

Relapse

Relapse is a situation where start using marijuana again while you are in recovery. The percentage of relapse during recovery is between 40 to 60%.

This is more common for outpatients than inpatients. As an outpatient, you are still exposed to triggers even as you get treatment. As such, it’s easier for relapse to happen.

Medications

Medications are mainly administered during the marijuana detox process. Most of these medications won’t be sold to you over the counter. They are only prescribed by a doctor. And even when your medication runs out, you can only get another prescription from the doctor.

Standard practice will also have the doctor conduct a further examination to determine if you still need the substance. This is to prevent you from replacing your marijuana addiction with an addiction to the prescribed medication.

Your will

Beyond knowing what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment, you need to master how you’ll keep your willpower running. The recovery process can be exhausting, especially as you are cut out from society. In these periods, you need to be strong and maintain your focus. If you lose your willpower, the investment in recovery is a waste.

The 12-step program

This program was created by the founders of Alcoholics anonymous. It contains principles to help you overcome the problem of addiction.

The success of this program in its early days is why it’s being recommended across the world. You’ll get introduced to this program during rehab. It’s best if you follow through even after rehab.

Related Article: How Much Does Marijuana Addiction Rehab Cost?

Marijuana Addiction Rehab is Effective

Knowing what to expect during marijuana addiction treatment is one thing, starting and following through is another. No amount of knowledge will suffice without action. Take the first step towards recovery now by reaching out to any of our world-class marijuana rehab facilities.

Here at 1000 Islands Rehab Centre, our treatment experts have the experience, facilities and specialization to help you recover from marijuana addiction. Get started today!