Written By, Emily A.

Why I Can’t Use THC Anymore – Even Though It Helped Me Feel Better

Personal Reminder for Myself in Recovery

THC used to feel like a lifesaver. It helped me relax when nothing else would. It slowed my thoughts, softened the pain, and made the world feel bearable. I turned to it when I was emotionally flooded, panicked, or physically tense—because in those moments, nothing else worked.

But here’s the truth I have to keep remembering:

• Once I start, I can’t stop. I may begin with a tiny dose “just to get by,” but it always builds into daily dependence—morning, noon, and night. I lose control.
• It makes my emotional regulation worse in the long run. While it helps for a few hours, the rebound effect is brutal. The depression, anxiety, and dysregulation afterward are worse than before I used.
•  It blocks my healing. THC numbs the pain, but it also numbs my nervous system’s ability to learn how to cope without it. Real healing takes presence, not escape.
•  It’s cost me too much. I’ve lost jobs, damaged relationships, hurt people I love—and hurt myself—while in THC withdrawal or heavy use. This isn’t just about “relaxing.” It’s about survival.
• Even people who love me can’t stay in it with me. My partners, even the most loyal ones, have said: “I can’t go through another withdrawal with you.” And I don’t blame them.

The truth is, THC does help—temporarily. But for me, the cost is too high. Every time I go back to it, I spiral. It’s not my medicine. It’s my poison.

I’m learning other ways to soothe my body:
Movement, prayer, music, breath, connection, meetings.
Even when they feel weak or slow or not enough… they are part of healing.

One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.
I can feel better without going back.

Published by – ANL November 2025