twicebaked in washington Healthier Medicine, Happier Times

I was initially kind of nervous to write about this subject for some reason. I actually got a pit in my stomach as I was writing, so you know it must be a little bit of a sensitive subject for me.

Over the past couple of weeks I seem to be having the same the conversation with other MMJ patients about finding balance within taking their cannabis medicine. It would seem that many of us may have developed habits around our medicine. We will medicate when we need to but sometimes we also medicate just because we can.

I think this is one of the toughest things that I have had to work on since becoming a cannabis patient.  I was using cannabis for entertainment and  escape long before I ever used it for physical ailments. Now, while I am using it for my physical ailments, I find that sometimes the habits of using it for fun can creep into my daily lifestyle. Is that a bad thing? I somehow feel guilty that I would use cannabis just for fun. Actually its more like that I feel guilty for having fun several times a day. It happens, ok? I try to flow with the occasional challenges of daily habitual use and be grateful to use a medicine that  helps me in every way deal with the heaviness of my condition and not make me sick.

I have felt stuck in a pattern more than once as a MMJ patient where I am taking medicine out of habit and pleasure not because I might need extra pain relief. If you are a long-term cannabis user, you likely know what I’m talking about. It’s certainly not a bad thing to utilize all of the ways to use cannabis or to be using it daily.  I find that when I pay attention to my body’s true needs, and forgive myself if I happen to use cannabis for fun I am able to create the balance that seems to get lost once in a while. Here are a few things that have helped me to work on balancing my cannabis medicating:

1) I keep a journal of when, where, why, what, and how often I am medicating. This immediately brings into perspective how much I am using and gives me a better idea of what I might want to change.

2) I set goals. I create a plan for what I would like my ideal cannabis use to look like and then strive for it.

3) I ask for support from the friends and family who can lift me up if I’m ever I’m struggling. This is key. Seek out people who won’t judge you and tell them what you are trying to accomplish. Then, actually rely and call on them for support.

4) I diversify the people I spend time with. If all your friends also use cannabis the odds are that you will be using it more too. If you are trying to use it less you might want to pepper in a few more friends who don’t use cannabis. 

5) If you are trying to change a sticky habit, sometimes you might also have to change a few other things too. Take an honest look at what else in your life might also be needing more balance.

Try having compassion for yourself. You should never have to feel bad for medicating with cannabis to relieve your ailments or negative mental states. If possible though, create space to also compassionately give your body a rest from regular medicating patterns.

Back to the pit in my stomach of being this honest. I’ve been working on changing my own cannabis usage patterns over the past couple of weeks. Since  starting raw cannabis over a month ago I haven’t needed to use as much of my other medicine. However, my habitual use patterns that were based on how I was feeling a month ago were staying strong in my daily life. It’s taken a little adjusting but I am feeling the positive effects from even just the first small changes. I’ve been able to break away from a few of my patterns that were no longer serving me or my health and create a more positive relationship with my cannabis medicine. How awesome is that?

Until Next Time…Stay Compassionate.