Friday March 23, 2007 SGN.org |
 |
Volume 35 Issue 12 |
 |
|
Monday, Oct 13, 2008
|
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
| |||||||||
|
| Ask Michael - How can I quit smoking pot? |
 |
|
by Michael Raitt, MA, LMHC -
SGN Contributing Writer Michael, I think I am addicted to smoking pot now. I used to only smoke it a couple times a year but now I smoke almost every night during the week and every weekend. This has been going on for just over a year. I want to stop but I don't want to go to AA or any groups like that. What do I do to stop if I think I am addicted? Michael: Thank you for your email. I am glad you've taken the first step by acknowledging that smoking pot as frequently as you do is a problem for you. You have made the right choice by seeking some answers and this is the first step in a series that you will be taking in reaching your goals regarding your pot smoking. Twelve Step programs (NA, AA, OA, SA, etc.) offer their members some very important and valuable tools and structures to manage and overcome their addictions. Many people have been helped greatly by participating in 12 step programs and are healthier today for it. I applaud them and encourage them to continue. However, not everyone is drawn to the concept of 12 step - either from what they've heard from friends/family or due to their own conceptions or experiences. Regardless, just because you don't want to participate in a 12 step program does not mean that you can't get healthy and, if you choose, eliminate your pot smoking. Recovering from addiction can be done on an individual bases. Without the structure of 12 step, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can try to stop on your own. This can be done but I wouldn't recommend it (I'll explain shortly). Second, you can enlist the support of a professional - probably a Therapist - who can engage with you, educate you, and support you through the process of quitting. All good programs - either "individual" (with a therapist) or other (12 step) - have the following in common: insight, education, support. My personal and professional experience has taught me that we engage in addictive behavior because of influencing factors that we may not be aware of. This is why insight is important. A good therapist can help you access these important dynamics. Education and support are important because they provide tools, structure, and strategies to help you reach and maintain your goals. For many of us, goals are gradual and when working with a good therapist, we establish and reach these goals and we are supported when we struggle (and it is very normal to struggle but you will struggle less over time). It is for the reasons that I've explained above, that I don't suggest trying to quit on your own. The points above are important in your success and the longevity of your sobriety from pot. My experience tells me it is not as easy as saying, "just stop" but can be done with professional help. Many of the men and women I've worked with regarding addictions have gone through the hard work of therapy and come out the other side feeling strong and having the skills to maintain their goals. I would encourage you to find a good therapist that you are comfortable with and begin setting goals around decreasing and, possibly, eliminating your pot smoking. Let that therapist educate you, support you, and share in your success. Best of luck! Hello! I found you in the Seattle Gay News. I have been searching for a counselor in my area, (I live in Lakewood), for some time. My last counselor was awesome, but right in the middle of my therapy, he took off, and I was really relating to him. It was quite by accident that he and I hooked up, but he ended up being a Gay man and that was very helpful to me. Now, I find myself still in need of a good counselor, but everyone who deals with anything that I want to talk about is in Seattle. I hate driving to Seattle!!! Please tell me that you have a colleague in my area that will help me. Michael: Thank you for your email. I understand the predicament you are in. Finding and relating to a therapist that you like is very important to your personal work. I am not professionally networked with anyone living in the south. If any of the readers out there can refer the names of therapists who they think are good, please let me know and I will pass the information along. You can email me at askingmichael@comcast.net. Your email also got me thinking about a couple of important issues regarding clients and therapists. As clients, please take the time to interview potential therapists to find a person you feel comfortable with. I encourage all of my new clients to interview me first by asking questions and coming into the office to get a feel of the environment. I also encourage them to interview other therapists before choosing me. As consumers, you are allowed to ask questions of therapists (and any healthcare providers, for that matter). My personal bias is that a good therapist was also (and probably should currently be) in therapy as a client. Therapists need to know what it is like being a client. Clients have the right to inquire. Don't expect a lot of detail, though. We, as therapists, should maintain a certain level of privacy. To therapists and agencies: please, please manage your transitions regarding the ending of therapy more effectively. Barring a life/death or unforeseen emergency, clients bond with their therapists and should be afforded the respect of processing a therapist leaving before the therapist leaves. Suddenly up and leaving and not providing clients with appropriate process around this transition is wrong! The, "deal with it" mentality that I hear from some agencies is unacceptable. If a therapist knows he/she is leaving, they should let clients know in a timely manner. I hear about this all the time. Michael Raitt, MA, LMHC, can be reached at 206-325-4113, by email at askingmichael@comcast.net or by visiting www.michaelraitt.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
International Readers read the SGN in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 post your own information on Seattle Gay Blog |
|
 |
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2006