5 Instant Health Benefits of Quitting Marijuana
If you are a heavy marijuana smoker, it may be time to admit that certain things in your life are miserable because of marijuana, things that could change almost instantly if you just quit smoking.
If you’ve lied to yourself long enough about your smoking habit and how it affects you, and you’re finally ready to try quitting, here’s what to expect.
The negative first…
You may have heard that you will experience some side effects after you quit smoking such as depression, irritability, difficulty sleeping, etc., and you probably will, but these symptoms are temporary and manageable. There are even some tricks to avoid most of them. Trust me, you’ll get over it in time. Whatever you do, don’t let some side effects get in the way of your health and well-being.
The 5 Instant Health Benefits of Quitting Marijuana
Breathe. In just a few weeks after quitting marijuana completely, your lung function will begin to improve and you will have more energy and stamina. Not quitting smoking could mean a series of bronchial and respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis, emphysema, and even cancer.
sleeping. Adequate sleep is extremely vital to your overall health, and studies have shown that marijuana use has a negative impact on your sleep cycles and the quality of your sleep. Most marijuana users report dreamlessness and restless sleep when using marijuana, largely because the drug disrupts the REM cycle that is necessary for both dreams and complete rest. However, in just a few days after quitting marijuana, your body will return to its normal patterns and you will finally be able to get the sleep you need.
cheer up. Smoking marijuana affects your mood, whether you’re high or not. When you use it, your mood may be lethargic and listless, and you may feel like you don’t have a care in the world. But when you’re not high, you become irritable and anxious. This type of stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on several different organ systems in the body, including the heart. However, once you stop smoking weed, your mood will eventually settle down and you won’t experience as many ups and downs.
Memory and Learning. Researchers have shown that regular marijuana use affects both memory and learning ability, and long-term use can have a permanent impact on both of these areas. The sooner you kick your marijuana addiction, the sooner your memory and ability to learn will return to normal.
Sex. Thinking of having children? Smoking marijuana not only decreases sexual desire and performance, but it can also cause infertility. In several independent studies, people who smoked marijuana were much less interested in sex than their peers in the same age group. Additionally, THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, has been shown to cause infertility in both men and women, primarily due to the way the chemical affects sperm. Don’t worry though, soon after quitting marijuana, your sex drive will return to normal, and with marijuana completely flushed out of your body, your fertility will dramatically improve.
Despite what legalization advocates would have you believe, marijuana is a drug, and like any other drug, it carries certain dangers. Fortunately, it is not too late. If you quit marijuana today, most of these symptoms will go away and you’ll be on your way to health and happiness.