Cannabis where to get help

Patients at Priory will have access to a wide variety of treatments, including both individual and group therapy. Individual therapy provides a private space to process your challenges throughout treatment, explore past issues that may have contributed to your addiction, and to develop coping skills for continued success after treatment.

Group therapy is an excellent means of combating the sense of isolation that many people struggling with an addiction can experience. In groups, patients can share their stories and learn from others who have gone through similar experiences. While at Priory, patients will have the option to attend many types of therapy groups including the following:. There are many myths surrounding the use of cannabis, including the idea it is not addictive, and that it is safe to use without any lasting harm to your body.

As with many drugs, even legalised substances such as alcohol and prescription medication, increased use can lead to your body developing a psychological tolerance of cannabis, meaning that you have to take higher doses in order to achieve the same pleasurable effects.

If you regularly use cannabis and experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings for the drug when you are not using it, this could be a sign that you have developed a cannabis addiction. If you have used cannabis before the age of 18, you up to 10 times more likely to develop problem cannabis use, placing you at risk of dependence, characterised by withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, varying mood problems, problems sleeping and cravings, which can last up to two weeks after trying to stop taking the drug.

Dependence means that your brain has adapted to the chemicals within cannabis to the point where greater amounts of the drug are required in order to achieve the same high, which makes it increasingly difficult to avoid addiction. The impact on your everyday life, including problems focusing and completing tasks at work and school, means that professional medical support and treatment is required in order to safely remove the substance from your body, so that you can regain control of your life and stop the drug from limiting your functioning, relationships and career potential.

While the effects of cannabis can vary from person-to-person, problem use of cannabis turns into dependency and ultimately, addiction, when you find it near impossible to stop using the drug, even though you may be aware that it is negatively impacting your life.

While some people can use cannabis regularly without developing a dependence or addiction to the drug, short and long-term use can put you at risk of mental and physical harm, and you may never know until it is too late, whether you are capable of becoming addicted to cannabis.

Similar to other forms of substance misuses and addiction, if you or someone that you know has developed a cannabis addiction, common signs and symptoms displayed include:. Using cannabis regularly over a long period of time can result in a variety of physical and mental health risks, particularly if you are a young person and smoke strong strains of the drug.

If you become addicted to cannabis, it means that your body has adapted to the presence of the drug in your system, meaning that if you stop taking the drug, you may experience symptoms of withdrawal including sleep problems , agitation and strong cravings for cannabis for up to two weeks or more. This vicious cycle of addiction and attempted withdrawal means that relapse is likely unless you seek professional help and support such as the comprehensive treatment programmes that are available at Priory.

The calming, relaxed state that cannabis produces can be enticing if you struggle with certain untreated mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression, or if you struggle in social or professional situations. If you find yourself requiring cannabis to function or to avoid discomfort, it is likely that you have developed an unhealthy dependence on the drug that will require professional help to overcome.

While the chances of developing an addiction varies from person-to-person and some people can use the drug without developing dependence, certain factors such as the amount of THC consumed when taking cannabis can determine the intensity of the high. Different strains of cannabis contain higher amounts of THC in others, with particularly strong types of cannabis believed to contribute towards a greater likelihood of you developing an addiction. Priory understands that taking the first steps towards recovery for cannabis addiction can be daunting.

This why we offer you a free and confidential addiction assessment with an understanding environment, which helps you understand the extent of your addiction and the options available to you in order to help you regain control of your life free from cannabis. For professionals looking to make a referral, please click here. For more information about the addiction services that Priory offer, download our brochure.

Cannabis Addiction. Additional Information. Home Addiction Treatment Cannabis Addiction. Book Now. Types of treatment for cannabis addiction. Treatment options available at Priory include: Detoxification - a closely monitored environment in which you can rid your body of cannabis while receiving support from our medical staff. While at Priory, patients will have the option to attend many types of therapy groups including the following: Assertiveness therapy Body image therapy Educational and vocational programmes Exercise and activity classes Psychodynamic therapy Psycho-educational workshops Creative and experiential groups.

The effects of cannabis can be pleasant or unpleasant. Most symptoms will usually last for a few hours. But there can be unpleasant long term symptoms. Especially if you used cannabis regularly over a long period of time.

The risks can also be worse if are young and smoke strong cannabis, like skunk. Cannabis can make you feel happy, relaxed, talkative or laugh more than usual.

You may find that colours and music are brighter and sharper. Cannabis can cause hallucinations, changes in mood, amnesia, depersonalisation, paranoia, delusion and disorientation. You might find it harder to concentrate or remember things. You may also feel hungry or like time is slowing down. You might have lower motivation. And cannabis can affect how you sense things. You may see, hear or feel things differently. This is known as hallucinating. Hallucinations can be a sign of psychosis.

Psychosis can be a symptom of mental illness, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. Or call our General Enquries team on and ask them to send you a copy of our factsheet.

Regular cannabis use is linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression. But most research seems to have a focus on the link between psychosis and cannabis. Using cannabis can increase the risk of later developing psychotic illness, including schizophrenia.

There is a lot of reliable evidence to show a link between the use of stronger cannabis and psychotic illnesses, including schizophrenia. But the link is not fully understood. Not everyone who uses cannabis will develop psychosis or schizophrenia.

And not everyone who has psychosis or schizophrenia has used cannabis. But you are more likely to develop a psychotic illness if you smoke cannabis. For example, if people in your family have a mental illness, you may be more likely to develop a mental health problem. Psychosis is the name given to symptoms or experiences, which include hallucinations and delusions.

Hallucinations make someone experience things differently to other people. This might be seeing things or hearing voices. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that affects how someone thinks or feels. Symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations and delusions.

But often it will have other symptoms like feeling flat or emotionless, or withdrawing from other people. Or call our General Enquiries team on and ask them to send you a copy of our factsheet. About 1 in 10 regular cannabis users become dependent on it. Your risk of getting addicted is higher if you start using it in your teens or use it every day. You can develop a tolerance to cannabis if you use it regularly.

This means you need more to get the same effect. For example, you might:. You might smoke cannabis with tobacco. If you do you may become addicted to nicotine.

This means you are at risk of getting diseases such as cancer and heart disease. So, if you stop using nicotine or cut down you could experience nicotine withdrawal too. You can get information on stopping smoking tobacco by clicking the following link: www.

Speak to your GP if cannabis use is affecting your physical or mental health. Be honest with your GP about your cannabis use and symptoms. You can find local drug treatment support by clicking on the following link: www. The service may be provided through the NHS or through charity.

You may be able to self-refer to this type of service. Your GP should refer you to a specialist mental health service if they think you have psychosis. Both psychosis and schizophrenia can be treated using antipsychotic medication and talking treatments. There are lots of different types of therapy. Or call our General Enquiries teams on and ask them to send you a copy of our factsheet. You might be worried about telling your GP or other health professionals that you are using cannabis.

But health professionals must stick to confidentiality laws. Unless you agree. For example, you might tell your doctor that you are planning to hurt yourself. Your doctor could decide to share this information with or healthcare or social care professionals. Telephone helpline: Open 2pm — 6pm everyday. Website : www. It ranges in colour from brown to black, and it is sold in chunks. Oil is made by boiling cannabis flower buds or resin in an organic solvent, which produces a sticky reddish-brown or green substance.

The THC content of each variety of cannabis varies, although hash is generally more potent than the plant, and oil is usually the most potent form of cannabis. Cannabis can be used in many different ways. For instance, it may be rolled into a cigarette called a joint , mixed with and rolled into a joint called a spliff , or packed into a pipe or bong and then smoked.

Cannabis can also be vaped. The extracts such as oil or shatter are often dabbed with an oil rig pipe, called a dab rig. Cannabis may also be used as an ingredient in food. Of that population, 24 per cent said they used cannabis for medical reasons. People can have very different experiences with cannabis. Some may feel relaxed, lively, talkative, giggly and even euphoric, while others feel tense, anxious, fearful and confused. The kind of experience you may have can vary from one drug-taking episode to another, usually because of the amount taken, the method used and the frequency of regular cannabis use.

However, the therapeutic uses of cannabis are associated with its ability to regulate and manage :. When cannabis is smoked or vaped, the effect is almost immediate and may last several hours, depending on how much is taken. When it is swallowed, the effect is felt in about an hour and lasts longer than when it is smoked.

Although the high lasts only a few hours after smoking, THC is stored in fat cells and expelled from the body over a period of days or weeks. This is why drug tests for cannabis use can give a positive result long after the effects have worn off. After regularly using cannabis for a long period of time, people can develop physical dependence. If they stop using, they may experience mild withdrawal. Symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, upset stomach, loss of appetite, sweating and disturbed sleep.

These symptoms generally last for about a week, but sleep problems may continue longer. Those who use cannabis should be aware of the health risks and take measures to avoid them.