From Bad to Worse

A person saying no to a joint

Written By Christine L.

Cannabis—at first harmless. A little flower lifted my mood, made me feel alive. My ex-husband and I partied, laughed, lived freely in the US. Later, alone, I used it spiritually, searching for God, the Goddess within me. I thought I’d found my true nature. I felt guided by spirit. Wrong.

My favourite plant revealed another side. When I smoked, my mood shifted. I did “irrsinnig” things—like undressing in public, thinking no one saw. I became paranoid, irrational. I hallucinated justifications: giving up my home without finding another, living on the streets for years, losing custody of my daughter, and still smoking despite the consequences.

In 2016, after my son was placed in foster care, I surrendered. Therapy in Germany confirmed it: cannabis-induced psychosis. I couldn’t nurse my son anymore. I was put on medication.

From that moment, I had to face the truth: I was addicted. Now, eight months clean, I accept every bit of help. I’m in a self-help group, have a sponsor from marijuana anonymous, private counselling, and an addiction therapist.

I’m proud to say: I never want to touch cannabis again.
My motto is: Clean until the end of my life.

“This piece was developed with the support of digital research tools to ensure accuracy and clarity.”

Published By A New Leaf – December 2025

More Articles

  • Thoughts from the Field 

    Written by, John H. I believe in myselfI believe that every action for myselfgives value to myselfand if you are willing to actin love of youI believe in you The story of my recovery is the story of desire. What I desired was life, for I was living without desire. I did not know who…

    Thoughts from the Field 
  • The Sandbar

    Written by, Anonymous She woke up and found herself alone in a rowboat, stranded on a sandbar with only food and water by her side. She wasn’t quite sure how she ended up there. She thought once the tide came in, “I can make my way to shore. I don’t need help or assistance.” As…

    The Sandbar
  • A New Leaf on Life

    Written by, Anonymous My journey into recovery starts as a pre-teen. I was a survivor of childhood cancer– a kidney cancer– and my parents were superstitious so they did not tell me about my cancer until my pediatrician shamed them about this when I turned 10, 6 years after my treatment. I did not know…

    A New Leaf on Life
  • Recovery

    Written by, Jennifer W. Yesterday is goneToday has just begunTomorrow is not yet hereThe clouds are shiftingThe fog is liftingAnd everything is made clear We can’t go back or forwardWe only have todaySo let us bow our heads and prayThat we stay in the momentNow and foreverBecause We only have today One was never enoughI…

    Recovery
  • Summer Days

    Written by, Michael M. For me, sunny summer days were made for using. At the pool. Before work. After work. For BBQ’s. For hikes in the woods. My friend used to say that weed was a “guaranteed good time.” And for addicted me, summer was prime “party” time. My mind wants to reminisce about how…

    Summer Days
  • Shared Steps

    Written by, Cheryl B. You didn’t flinch.I noticed.Even when I unraveledlike thread pulled too far. You didn’t rush to fixor offer polished truths.You just stood—still,present. That mattered morethan you’ll ever know. I spilled stories,pixelated and flickering,sent across flat screensand silent hours. You received themwithout question,without recoil.Patient as a treein soft wind. I expected judgment—maybe even…

    Shared Steps