Is Marijuana Impacting Your Relationship?
Cannabis, or marijuana, is considered a “natural herb” by many who smoke it. However, research shows that marijuana has many negative consequences. Consequences may include legal problems, financial problems, physical health issues, and mood instability. Like with alcohol or any other drug, marijuana can create a variety of marital issues.
People who smoke marijuana more than three times per week are at risk for experiencing cannabis withdrawal. Although this won’t technically be a diagnosable condition until the next diagnostic and statistical manual comes out in 2013, emerging research has shown the negative effects. People who smoke marijuana regularly often report it helps them to regulate their mood. However, studies are showing that it actually has the opposite effect.
Smoking marijuana more than three times a week causes people to experience mood irregularities due to marijuana withdrawal. As people start to come down from their high, they begin to withdraw from marijuana. Withdrawal causes symptoms such as irritability, anger, aggression, nervousness, and anxiety. It can also lead to sleep difficulties, restlessness, and decreased appetite. Some people experience a depressed mood. Physical symptoms such as stomach pain, sweating, headache, fever, or chills may also be present. People often then smoke marijuana again to relieve these symptoms which causes a constant cycle of experiencing euphoria followed by withdrawal.
For people who quit smoking marijuana altogether, symptoms will eventually clear. It may take 5 weeks to a year for people to return to normal. The mood instability associated with marijuana causes a variety of issues for couples.
If you or your partner has a problem with marijuana, consider therapy to learn how to regulate your mood and stop using marijuana. If your partner smokes marijuana, talk about your concerns. If he or she refuses treatment, consider getting some treatment for yourself to learn how to respond to your partner’s addiction.
