Although more people are likely to become addicted to alcohol, cocaine, and other highly addictive drugs, people can still get addicted to marijuana. This is known as cannabis use disorder.
Some people can have marijuana cravings, marijuana dependence, cannabis addiction, and marijuana withdrawals. Here’s a guide on cannabis use disorder and the symptoms of withdrawal.
What Is Cannabis Use Disorder?
Cannabis use disorder and marijuana addiction are the same things. Doctors use the DSM-5 to diagnose mental disorders, and cannabis use disorder matches the 11 symptoms associated with other substance use disorders or addictions.
The level of addiction can vary. Many scientists use cannabis use disorder instead of marijuana addiction or dependence. Marijuana dependence usually refers to the physical need to use marijuana.
This can be different from an addiction, as many align an addiction with behaviors that go along with the physical changes. It has a biochemical nature that makes using cannabis your top priority and leads to irrational behaviors to fulfill the addiction.
What Are Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms?
If you use marijuana every day, it can be hard to return to a life without it. Some people can have physical and emotional instability if they stop using marijuana after regular use. Some symptoms of marijuana withdrawal can include:
- Feeling angry, irritable, or aggressive
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Insomnia
- Strange dreams or nightmares
- Decreased appetite with or without weight loss
- Restlessness
- Malaise
- Depressed feeling
- Gastrointestinal pain
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Sweating
- Tremors
These symptoms are not as severe as withdrawal symptoms from drugs like heroin, cocaine, meth, or alcohol, but they’re still extremely uncomfortable. Going to an addiction treatment center can help people get through the detox stage and feel better within a week or two.
Addiction can sometimes lead people to prioritize using the drug over anything else, leading to a destructive life path. Someone suffering from cannabis use disorder should seek help before it becomes an issue.
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