It’s been 11 months since I stopped drinking soda. People mock soda addiction the same way they mock weed addiction, but both are very very real. I’ve been drinking more water, I’ve lost weight, I’m more active than ever, and my body doesn’t feel so heavy like it used to.
congratulations, soda addiction is very real and very hard to overcome. I quit drinking soda back during highschool, it's probably been like 5 years. I haven't looked back, my life is much better now tbh
jesus christ brad. everything you just said is exactly what i’m living. I honestly want to thank you for posting this. i have to go off to college soon and i don’t want to bring this life with me. so again thank you, i’ll be looking back at this when i need some support. love u bro
I'm 33. I've been using weed since I was 17. I have a wife and a kid and a great job, and weed doesn't get in the way of any of that. Having said that, it isn't for everyone. Especially neurodivergent people, such as those with ADHD. I can also tell a huge difference in the way it affected me at 20 and the way it did at 30. Young brains still in development shouldn't be high every day.
Yeah addictive personality is a real thing. Honestly I think it should be talked about a lot more, especially when it's so easy to just go "chemically addictive = addictive, not chemically addictive = not addictive"
Funny enough, I disagree with the ADHD part. I have innatentive ADHD and weed is what usually helps with my anxiety and insomnia, but I use it only to sleep at night, I wouldn't be able to go through my day high, specially because the effect is almost opposite to my Adderall, so it would just be me sabotaging my own day. Moderation and proper medical use are the key in my opinion.
@@RollinsFN this is exactly what I came to comment. ADHD doesn’t always magically make you not react to weed well, it actually significantly helps me day to day. This is more of a general brain chemistry thing, specifically how your CB(1) receptors respond to THC. Some people literally trip like brad, others like me just feel really chill and things look brighter and spacey
bro i teared up when i saw the look on his face when he closed his eyes. Thank you for the courage and honesty you show. It makes me think i can do this too.
ive never done weed or alcohol or anything, but i recently hit 6 months free of self harm so i know how difficult and painful addiction can be to get over. congratulations!
I've been through a lot of the same things, the only advice I can give is to not let that feeling of invincibility turn into a relapse. Sometimes you get the thought of, "I overcame this I can do it once and be fine" and that is just bad news. Congrats on a year bro
As a person who struggles with gender identity and weed at the same time. Quitting smoking every day (i do it some weekends) has made me way more confident. I can actually go outside using the clothes i actually wanna use without it tearing my mind apart. Weed just made me second guess every single little thing about myself, others and how others saw me and vice versa
Me personally I smoked weed once and then it triggered a months long brain fog where it felt like my perception was skipping frames and wasn’t continuous. It was just like you described except I felt it months after I even smoked. Id turn a corner quick or walk into another room and I almost felt like it didn’t happen. It just really fucks with your perception which affects every aspect of your life. Luckily It Went away. So I didn’t smoke again for 3 years. But then my jackass brother convinced me to try it again because “it was just a bad strain.” I took one hit and immediately started skipping frames. It felt like my existence was crashing in around me. It was the worst experience of my life. Had a panic attack because I instantly regretted it and knew I fucked up. Now I’ve had on and off brain fog, derealization syndrome, and what feels like an visual overload on my senses when I look at things sometimes. I feel dissociation everyday. But I gotta just push through it. It takes a lot of strength. fucking hate weed. People can talk all the bullshit they want cuz they don’t experience it but just remember this, drugs are drugs. They affect people in different ways. Weed might be chill for you but there’s the small chance that it doesn’t cooperate with your brain like me and one hit can fuck you up potentially for an extended period of time. Hopefully it goes away soon. I honestly think I have to heal my brain.
It's anxiety, you can't "heal" anything because nothing has been damaged. What you are experiencing is a natural human instinct (the freeze response) when it has gone through a certain level of trauma/stress. The best thing you can do for this to go away is to embrace the symptoms and continue living normally, as a consequence they will eventually go away. Oh and weed was never the issue, its only a trigger of anxiety when you're not prepared to deal with a high.
I like that you're actually taking weed addiction seriously. Weed and alcohol tend to get passed off as "mild drugs", and for a lot of people, including myself, they are. But even as someone who has never had even close to an addictive personality, I still prefer to be completely straight edge. Drugs are drugs.
im just over 1 year alcohol sober, not entirely but largely helped by smoking weed and having that to fall back on, and im working on cutting that out but alcohol is so much worse. Huge props to you for doing this and making the video!
Just updated my count, 234 days no alcohol/84 no nicotine/66 no cannabis. I'm lucky in that I have a great friend to help keep me honest and who expressed genuine concern after my smoking had been a years long habit, with that concern being what helped me see how bad I was. It's easier, but not over yet. Best of luck in your continued journey, my dude!
I had to quit for my job about two and a half years ago. Honestly I didn't really feel any negative effects from smoking. Typically I never smoked in the morning so I was "sober" most of the day. The part I miss the most is getting off work putting my headphones on and smoking out listening to music and unwinding for an hour or so. But good for you if you feel that this has improved your life.
congrats man. i'm 2.5 years clean from alcohol and 10 years clean from heroin. i quit weed somewhere in there too, but it wasn't really a conscious decision like the other two. it only gets better from here as well. good work and keep it up man!
I've experienced depersonalisation and derealization on an extreme level where I thought I was in Purgatory and the only one that saw it. I felt like I realized everyone was reading a script but they were unable to see that. Shit was messed up and you really nailed describing how terrifying it can be. I also ran off an inner drive and I'm alive due to wanting to spite whatever power wanted to torture me in such a way. I'm also so much better today and I continue on my journey, I'm thankful you're here with me on this journey and it gave me a lot of perspective and appreciation I'm happy I get to have now. Legend
damn. i know this comment was made a month ago and i know im just a stranger but im genuinely proud of you man. that shit sounds like absolute hell and i can only imagine how horrifying it must've been. glad to still have you here, you're an incredibly strong person.
Is it too late to reply? This sounds absolutely horrifying and as anxious as I get I don't think I can begin to relate. Proud of you for pulling through and getting to the point you are now ♥️♥️
proud of you brad, sobriety is underrated. weed doesn't work for everyone and it has too much of a reputation for being harmless and nonaddictive. speaking as a stoner myself lmao
To those who say weed is not addictive, I will say this: people get addicted to playing games. People get addicted to gambling. People get addicted to eating, to not eating, to physically harming themselves, to having sex, to jumping off buildings. If you can get addicted to cutting your skin open, you can get addicted to smoking an herb.
Congratulations man! I’m a rehab nurse and it’s so great to see someone making positive changes. The no side effects/ no addiction stuff is a total lie. Some people can smoke and be totally fine and avoid becoming dependent on it, but that’s not the case for many many people, especially if you have a personal or family history of mental health issues. Nothing is side effect free, even food, let alone weed. Smoking triggered months long dissociation for me freshman year of college and I haven’t smoked since then. I’ve also seen family members brains rot over the course of decades. Not saying smoking is inherently bad, but go into it educated. And be skeptical of anyone pushing the “harmless” narrative.
Wow Brad, thank you so much for opening up about this. I know there are a lot of people who are likely having similar experiences, and for you to use your platform to be vulnerable and make people not feel alone shows your remarkable integrity. And as both a therapist-in-training and longtime fan of yours, I am just truly stoked to hear someone like yourself speak so highly of therapy and challenge the "therapy isn't for men" stigma that is still very very present in predominantly male online communities. Mental health is a lifelong process but I hope you're able to feel some pride and excitement in what you've already achieved. You rock dude.
congrats Brad! one year of sobriety is always worth celebration. as someone who has been finding a healthy balance between weed and sobriety, I can definitely relate to what you've been through, especially with the ADHD. I hope that you maintain the balance you've made, and that things continue to go up from here!
I’m 17 currently on Prozac and I have a nicotine addiction. I put weed into the equation because I thought it would be healthier than using vapes to nullify my depression and anxiety. It’s become so much of a problem where I’d be high in places I shouldn’t. I feel like I forget things way easier and I can’t begin to describe the shit I felt because I don’t even remember it. I’ve been sober for 4 weeks now and I feel better. I don’t know if I’ll stay sober once I get back to America (there’s no weed in the country that I’m staying in). I don’t see a problem with smoking weed but since March of this year I’ve had trouble controlling myself. I appreciate that the guy I watch every day had trouble with the same thing. I love you Brad, thank you for sharing your story, as well as everybody else here
Thank you brad. I needed this. I also have addiction problems and because of this video I am going to quit. I am going to try my hardest to actually quit. I really appreciate you and all the entertainment you have done for me and how open you are. Thank you brad. We love you!
hey! i hope your recovery is going well. I'm just chiming in to remind you that recovery isnt linear and relapse arent steps back but chances for you to step even more forward! stay strong and believe in yourself... sending you good vibes and strength
I have a degree of guilt knowing that ive been smoking, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol for the last ten years since I was fourteen. I live a relatively normal and successful life, but there has been a great deal of pain and suffering tied in. I worry about the permanent damage ive done. Smoking and drinking is so ingrained into my lifestyle and culture that i didnt even realize how abnormal it was to want to be intoxicated 24/7. I respect you and your journey
I've never tried weed or alcohol, but this still really hit me with how scary something as nonchalant as weed can be. This is unfortunately the reality for a lot of people including young teens who have been tricked into using weed/nicotine and alcohol as an escape and it's terrifying to see just how common this issue is. More people need to know the horrible effects of abusing weed and I'm glad you've built up the courage to detail your own experiences so that others can feel less alone. Congrats on being one year clean and I hope anyone that reads this can build up the strength to quit.
I'ver never commented on a youtube video before, but your youtube video has given me a lot of confirmation for why I do a lot of things/react to things. I think whats hardest is when your brain looks like that cube your perspective almost becomes an infinite mirror, only reflecting yourself in the current circumstance under the same circumstances. You can't self reflect effectively on the cause or effects combined with memory loss and fuzzy problem skills. I've smoked weed for the better part of 3 years, with the last year being excessive use. I started because of the way people said it made music sound and food taste ect.., But also largely due to the "safety" of it. However, from July - Jan 2021-22, I smoked everyday roughly and was suffering from a lot of identifiable mental health problems (that i didn't often attribute weed). Moreover, my physical health also went into extreme risk on a skiing trip I went on. At this point it is my only break from smoking weed since September and I go away for a week. Already on the first night I can't sleep or eat correctly. I continue to sleep only about two hours a night and snowboard all day for a few days. Finally on the 4th day I wipe out due to carelessness (fatigue). I go to hospital on a stretcher and finally slept a full night's rest (on medication). Luckily I was wearing a helmet (which I nearly didn't pick up in the morning), but if i hadn't been wearing it, I'm convinced I would have died. Anyway, I'm not trying to sound dramatic but it annoys me when people call it safe. It may be fairly physically safe (even if it can indirectly cause an almost fatal error), but I think almost anyone who's smoked daily will tell you the mental strain alone isn't worth risking. P.S This is probably the best translation of the risks that I have ever seen from anyone who has spoken about this topic, its good to know you have brad taste in helping people.
Being a true psychedelic, it's endlessly fascinating to me how cannabis can affect individuals so differently. Especially when previous mental conditions are thrown in the mix. I've been smoking weed regularly for about 5 years now with a year break thrown in there (24-29). I have generalized anxiety as a byproduct of my adhd and, for me, it dulls the sharper edges of my anxiety and allows me to self-reflect without having full blown panic attacks. I do recognize I'll most likely die of lung cancer though. We'll see how I feel after 30 I guess
Pretty much my same experience. I think starting it at an older age, or initially for medical purposes, helps a lot with its benefit and effectiveness.
finally sold all my weed paraphernalia after 5 years of smoking and 3 years of doing it daily. its only been a few weeks sober but I am so beyond proud of myself. however nobody in my life really views weed as something that's addictive so its not really as big of a deal to anyone except for me. its so refreshing to see someone talk about exactly what I've experienced and also actually classifying it as an addiction. Thanks a million for sharing your story. It means more than you'll ever know.
The thought of going through horrifying experiences like that, alongside of my phobia of death has made me scared of ever trying any type of drug or alcohol. I have anxiety, high functioning autism, possible ADHD, and trauma, which is asking for a disaster to happen. Congratulations on 1 year of sobriety! Stay strong and look forward to good things to come!
I’ve been smoking weed with my girlfriend for almost a year now, I had smoked before but never regularly. Since starting this with her we both have been living complete stoner lives for longer than we should be, I’m starting to think. It’s started to give her a great deal of anxiety nearly every time we smoke, and I feel fine mostly, but everything you are saying in this video feels like the ending to the foreshadowing that is what I’m experiencing and thinking now. Your words in this video are really brave to share and I wanna thank you sincerely for showing the *actual* bad side of smoking\consuming weed. A video like this needs to be seen worldwide
at the start weed feels amazing, you feel a feeling that feels exciting until over time you realise it isn’t what me and my friends called it a “treat” it becomes an addiction and an obsession and i started to notice not only my own downfall but my friends also, one of my friends went from being healthy, fit and an athletic swimmer to needing to smoke everyday, lost his fitness lost his career and started his downfall and has still continued but like you said you had your epiphany with the good place mine was a time where i smoked in my bedroom in university and i was ok but noticed my heart racing a lot faster and felt a weird anxiety of hearing the other flat mates voices around my room, it was until i started hearing banging on my door and i didn’t know what to do, opening my door seemed terrifying to me, the banging and laughter and talk outside of my door has permanently destroyed my confidence and the part of me that enjoyed the feeling, it made me shy away from people and made me keep to myself where i was never like this. i smoked since then and i noticed i had that de-realisation feeling when i was with friends or alone i would constantly feel the anxiety and stress building and one time my heart hit 155bpm and thought i’d die and it put me off, however i’m very vulnerable and scared of letting people down so whenever i was with friends who smoked they’d put the pressure on me and it would make me feel guilty to not have some but my advice would be to say no. i’m honest nowadays i say no it makes me unhappy, stressed out and anxious and just not a fun person to be around. This video is ultimately a good message for people who are in the “good phase” to stop while your ahead, you may think how could it get worse but trust me it does, if i could tell my younger self anything i’d say “don’t confide in the pressure of your friends, don’t treat it as a good thing, just because they say it’s “just weed” doesn’t mean it can’t affect you”
Plenty of people have only had positive experiences, but enough people have gone through something like this that it needs to be talked about. Thank you for sharing and congratulations, dude.
I never was a weed addict , but almost all your talking points apply to my experiences as someone who was hooked for a bit on gambling and cigarettes. Mind you, both these activities were illegal, because I started when I was 12. I'm glad it didn't last for long and when I got out of an abusive relationship with a person who got me on these things, I've quitted. God, life for a marginalised Eastern European teenager can be harsh.
I've never smoked weed, but my friend used to, and it definitely seemed like she was smoking a lot at the time as well (I've always separated myself from those types of things so whenever she smoked I was never around, my knowledge about drugs and that scene has always been rudimentary). You mentioned you were having panic about death and how it was really freaking you out, and in retrospect my friend was experiencing a similar thing. She started mentioning how she had just these severe feelings that she was gonna die. There was never anything that triggered it, just maybe her walking on a sidewalk, but it scared me that my friend was having bad anxiety over something like that. We couldn't figure out what it was, but she has since stopped smoking as much after she got out of a relationship, and she hasn't mention that odd paranoia since. She was definitely more depressed during those times too. It never really clicked it was probably the weed until this video, but it's comforting to know now. I wish I maybe tried to educate myself about weed sooner, maybe could have saved her some grief, but nevertheless I think it's great you've been able to get clean, I hope you're proud!
Thanks for sharing your story, Brad. I know that I disagree with your opinions on Tally Hall and DemonDice, but you have reminded me that we're all humans living on this rock; each with our own unique struggles. I've had similar experiences with my weed journey. Started smoking at 19, became a daily user by 21, when I could legally acquire it myself. The weed I was smoking made me feel extremely lethargic and lazy; I wasn't getting shit done in my personal life. I would just work my 9-5, come home, flip on UA-cam, and smoke several bowls of indica until I went to bed. At the same time, the psychedelic properties of the weed made me self reflect that I was a lazy piece of shit, and kind of an asshole to my friends and family. I didn't have any scary experiences while I was under the influence of weed, but I had similar psychiatric problems to what you were describing AFTER I tried to quit cold turkey. I found myself constantly craving pot for up to a whole year after I stopped. I tried it again, and it just wasn't the same enjoyment to me as it was before. Eventually, I found myself to be happy without it. Nowadays, I still smoke occasionally (as I have regained my enjoyment for it), but I have strong moderation, only smoking 2-4 nights out of the month, and only on weekends. I do believe that it is a completely healthy substance if discipline can be maintained, but just like anything else too much of it can be really bad.
congrats brad, i myself is going thru a drug addiction, been taking kratom which has helped my anxiety a bit. it's difficult to quit something you've been doing for a long time,huge respect for people that fought that battle, and won.
Please be careful switching to kratom, or try to ease off and not rely on it. It's an addiction in its own that crippled me and my growth for years. People can say that I'm weak-willed, that's fine, I know that's not it, but I needed rehab twice for it. It being legal made it so dangerously easy for me to keep coming back to, and the side effects really catch up. It's not far off from an opiate at all. Not telling you what to do, but please know this from my experience. I feel obligated to use my own experiences to spread the word that that stuff isn't as harmless as it seems.
I’m also currently having a pretty hard time quitting kratom (after 4 years of daily use) Tried cold turkey, failed. I started tapering about 2 weeks ago and I have to say the withdraws are much more manageable. You can do this man!
Congrats on your journey so far. I am straight edge for 3 years now. Now cigarettes, no weed, no alcohol. No matter how much you think it would be ok sometimes, just keep your head straight.
The part when you said Weed felt like it gave you the cheat code to life, and you didn;t feel like you had to try anymore, hit me way too hard. 15 year Marijuana smoker. Here is my experience and my opinion. When I was 18, I was a heavy smoker. That's all me and my friends did after school. And we always thought were were morally better because we didn't drink like most of the people we knew. We felt more responsible. Which is the beginning of the trap. I won't deny, I had many great nights with friends that were fueled by marijuana and the occasional mushrooms. I get why people like it, and envy those who can use it responsibly, without having to give up something. Then, I am in my mid 20's. At this point I am over a year sober because I am trying get this job, so I had to stay clean. I was actually fine. And looking back all my experience with the drug was in a social setting. Not once had a smoked weed by myself. So, with my of my friends at college, starting families, etc, it never really crossed my mind. Fast forward a few months and I get the job. Never thought about picking smoking back up, again, to me it was a social drug. Well I get my first pay check, and the person I work with also sells weed. Not only sells it, but it's cheaper than I had ever seen. So, I was thinking why not? I get a bag, get home and smoke my first joing by myself. Instantly my world changed. That became my routine, my crutch, the reason I was able to avoid people and live in my little world. Music, TV, games, none of those were fun to me unless I was high. And as someone who uses music as therapy, it really wasn't the best move. I would go down these crazy rabbit holes, for that dopamine rush. I start looking into space, and all of that and panic sets in. All I can think about is how fragile the universe is, in which everything has to be 100% perfect or we couldn't exist. Add that with surrendering the idea that none of it is in our control and impending doom set in. I became so unproductive, lazy, uninspired, paranoid and isolated. Fast forward to now. I am in therapy, and working on my addiction. I won't lie and say I quit, but I ingest maybe 10% of what I used to. I am decent at distracting myself during the day, its the night time and when I need to sleep that I have to microdose a hit or two so I gain the ability to maybe sleep. lol I have been and still currently looking for alternatives, so far none have worked. I really thought weed was helping my anxiety and now looking back at it, all it was doing was masking the anxiety while he progressively got worse in the background. But I am still working at it, and staying hopeful. Thank you for this. Found your channel last weekend and this happened to pop up for me this morning. I would like to think that wasn't an acident . Thank you for the honesty, compassion and the hope your message delivers. I wish nothing but continued peace and sobriety for you. Have a lovely week!
I have innatentive ADHD and weed is what helps me sleep at night, but I never get high during the day as it would just mess up the effects of my medication. It's been a good solution for me, and I've thankfully haven't had issues with it, but I'm really glad you stopped if you were feeling bad or addicted to it, I was addicted to Soda for most of my life and it fucked up my weight for years, my ADHD medication and cannabis have helped me lose 60lbs, but I understand what it's like to be doing something that is slowly messing with you whether physically or mentally. I'm proud of you Brad, and you should be extremely proud of yourself for this achievement, I'm glad you share these type of things with us, it really is a powerful message for people who need it, and your bravery for talking about these personal things is inspiring. Much love Brad, keep it up!
Congratulations Brad, so proud of you man. I relate to your story a lot, thank you so so much for sharing. The traumatic dissociation is sort of an escape for me from my reality. Weed is also controlling my appetite and I cannot eat without smoking, it is so scary to rely on this drug just to live day to day. I have tried to stop taking my anti depressants, and that withdrawal is truly horrifying. The fear of weed withdrawal is keeping me from quitting. Weed is giving me chronic nightmares alongside the addiction... I wish that I knew the risks before trying it haha. It is truly admirable that you are doing so much better and feel more connected to others without it. Thank you again for sharing, you give me hope that I can stop relying on it. Here's to another sober year for you!
ween off! make a schedule where you slowly lower your dose until eventually you have none. you’re going to be okay. i quit cold turkey since my cart ran out and i have no way of getting more. gave me terrible anxiety among other symptoms, so its definitely scary, but it is bearable. you got this!
While I never had any episode based on that Good Place scene, that specific moment has also stuck with me even years after watching the show. Genuinely haunting
im not going to get into any crazy philosophical debates rn, but i can definitely say i do not believe in hell, and even if it does exist, there is no way it can be a permanent thing. think about it, what bad thing could you do to warrant infinite punishment? its def just a made up concept to fear monger and control people.
Amazing Work Brad! I'm a daily smoker of 5 years and don't feel many negative effects now, but a few years ago I was a lot worse, I've found a happy moderation now. That said, it's great to see how you made that decision and actively changed your life, and clearly you did the right thing, well done!
I've had similar experiences with weed and while I don't think I've given it up entirely (it was never addictive for me but I do feel it has been a mixed bag for my mental health as of late) I'm taking a break from it for a while. Its nice to hear a more nuanced take on weed, even I still glorify it at times because it can make coping much easier, but like with all substances there is a level of variance regarding mental or physical health risk person to person. More people talking openly about the negatives of their experiences helps to create a full understanding of what you could be getting into, thank you for sharing.
you have no idea how much this is helping me quit, everything you’re saying is so accurate, been supporting for a minute and you’re a great inspiration man, all the best for you
damn i really felt this heavy...ive been smoking weed pretty much everyday all day for 15 years since i was 12 and my memory is absolutely 100% fucked..I cant hardly remember a single thing from childhood and preteen years..and then 16-26 has been an absolute blur of time and it feels like it just all happened at once. I crave the smoke in my lungs so badly i really wish i could stop..im gonna try using this video as my first stepping stone, thanks.
Hey there Brad, thank you for sharing this. My father passed away this year and I still struggle to understand why he decided death was a preferable option to getting help. While his and your experience are most likely different in many ways, a large part of the 6-7 years leading up to that point he was smoking weed all day every day. The way in which you describe the way you were feeling and thinking during your time using weed has helped me understand where he might have been mentally and the mindset behind the thoughts he may have been having. Thank you so much for putting your experience and perspective out there, and congratulations on 1 year of sobriety.
i think a lot of kids nowadays learn about this kind of dissociation the hard way. its so easy to just drop your worries smoke some weed and neglect yourself. from personal experience a panic attack made me drop the stuff quick as shit but a few years later and i found myself excuses to smoke up again. its that spacey empty high that is viciously addicting and so different for everybody but im tired of it. thanks brad man for being real about this topic. its one that people rarely take seriously
a month clean after 7 years of using frequently and im only 21. it got to the point where i needed to smoke so much just to feel something, and not feeling anything would make me go insane, being stuck in my head with thoughts of guilt, regret, shame. I knew i needed a change for a while but wasnt brave enough to do it until i got to the point where i couldnt afford to buy it anymore, as much as it sucks to be broke i am grateful for it forcing me to quit. I totally agree you only view the world from the perspective of "with weed" instead of living for me, totally warped my mind and made me unrecognizable to the kid i was 7 years ago, socially and mentally. we need purpose to live and if you drown your life with weed you avoid finding it. im glad i found this video, congrats and stay strong brother
I smoked weed every day for probably 4 years. At some point it just started changing how it affected me. I started getting super anxious practically every time I got high, but for some reason I kept smoking and eat edibles. I would just tell myself “well, this time you’re gonna get a good high.” I eventually stopped smoking as much as I used to, and then last year I had two severe panic attacks where I ended up in the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t. In fact they said I was perfectly healthy. I started to feel like a crazy person. After that I just kinda…stopped smoking. It was weird because there was no grand moment where I decided to quit and threw away everything. In fact, I still have weed and my paraphernalia in my drawer. I just haven’t used it for over a year. I just know I’ll feel anxious and uncomfortable if I smoke so, what’s the point? That made it a lot easier to quit I think. Although there definitely is a void that you notice that you’re trying to fill. I’ve just gotten better at the coping mechanisms to ignore or fill that void. Weed is so weird. I have friends who smoke regularly, and have for years, who hold done jobs, do well in school, and seem perfectly fine from the outside. It really just depends person to person
Thank you so much for sharing this, brad. I too felt like I did permanent damage to my brain because of all the weed i smoked and that was the scariest shit ever. Ive been addicted to weed for the past 4 years, mostly as a way to justify my procrastination and lack of motivation to pursue any of my passions. Being too high was always an excuse. Ive been sober for about a month now, and I owe that to the fact that i had to start med school and get up from my lazy ass. Moving to another state also really helped. I was always so ashamed of my condition that i couldn't even trust my long time partner to help me with my addiction. Here's to our recovery and everyone else in this comment section that has similar issues, we're gonna make it and everything will be fine ❤️
I feel like I'm just coming out of that "worst moment of my life" period you mentioned. My first half of 2022 was just one long and confusing dissociative episode. The first two months after quitting weed were the hardest shit I've gone through. I have smoked a few times after reconsidering my toxic relationship with weed, but it's completely lost its appeal by now. I don't wanna go through that again. I'm still putting in the work to get better and to deal with the issues that led me to my dependence in the first place, but it's getting better. I feel like I'm growing up. Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm happy that you're happier now. I never comment but you seem like a really nice guy and I enjoy your content. Stay well :)
So proud of you, you seem genuinely happier skimming through older videos and to quit any addiction takes a massive amount of resilience. I've had several addictions and I can say weed was one of the last I quit in part because of how "harmless" its portrayed. I am recovering but often get temptations, and your videos definitely help calm my mind on some bad days even though I just found you a month ago. Keep going man, we love you!
everyone’s fucked up a bit, brad. the fact that you’re brave enough to lay this all out and be open with you’re problems really inspires me and is way more significant then you might think. you’re voicing things that i think most young people struggle with.
Hey Brad. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come! Happy to see you happy and I hope life gets better for you. Honestly, your videos have helped me through tough times and your effort in posting quality videos means a lot… not only to me but everyone else. Love you Brad ♥️
Congratulations, Brad! I can't imagine how hard this shit is to cut off. You should be proud of yourself. Seeing you close your eyes and being calm after that story of yours made me put on a big smile. It reminded me of how I was looking at myself in the mirror being finally in shape after an eating addiction I had. I wish you an easy full recovery going forward from this drug, my dude!
Congrats brad! 🎊🎉 You are incredibly strong as I doubt I could ever fall that far into addiction and still come back on top. Your experiences have made me rethink my opinions on weed and made me reconsider whether I'll ever try it.
Thank you Brad! This was really relatable and it has given me enlightened and support for my own journey to sobriety. I'm almost two months sober and have been happier than I was in years of smoking every chance I got. I was completely a slave to my own chemical imbalances and now it feels like I'm really doing something for ME.
Man, this is nice to see. A few years back, my brother was definitely how you were a year ago. He was totally despondent, barely spent time with the family (neither of us have familial trauma), barely hung out with most of his friends, and even stopped showing up to work. Around the same time, a friend of mine admitted that he was addicted and dialed WAY back from what he was doing. Hearing him say that made me feel better about how I felt about my brother, and when my dad and I eventually talked to him, he started going to therapy and now he still smokes but has cut way back and is honestly a better guy for it. In a roundabout way, I'm trying to say that I'm happy to see yah making that change too and really happy that its making a positive difference
I’m so happy for you man, I think so many people are experiencing this and it’s awesome that your sharing your story, keep it up man, so glad yo finally happy again
I'm so proud of you dude. You're doing a great job. I've never had an addiction, but I do understand what it's like to slowly get pieces of your mental health back after hitting rock bottom. It can feel so fucking slow, like you're trying to climb a mountain but all the gravel's coming loose under your feet, but recovery is worth it. I'm so relieved to see you're happier now. Congratulations on one year!
bro i had a moment in january of 2021 where i completely dissociated and after that it completely changed how i viewed my life, i was super depressed for months and my anxiety ramped up to 100, those episodes are fucking terrifying and life altering
the way you talk about your experiences with weed is so damn close to what i’ve experienced, i love hearing you talk about this because i can relate to so much of it, i’m glad you’re in a better place now!
So glad you are still here man. You really helped me and so many people to discover music, and its great that you're enjoying music more again after being sober
very happy for you brad, ive been watching you for a while and seeing you happy and healthy genuinely makes me happier too. love you and your videos, stay safe
Congrats Brad! So proud of you and happy for you. I was at the point where I was just smoking to smoke, it wasn't even doing anything for me. I just wanted to feel something, and thought it was helping my mental illness (therapy is much much better). I quit cold turkey one day because it was completely messing with my body. I thought it wasn't addictive but boy howdy was I wrong.
hey brad, i quit 23 days ago, and the withdrawal symptoms have been some of the most difficult and traumatizing things for me. paranoia, anxiety, depression, anhedonia… thank you so much for making this video, and i feel like continuing my journey. i am never touching weed again. the timeline u presented gives me so much hope. love you bro.
Very proud of you for doing what you gotta do to take care of yourself, even when it's hard. Thanks for sharing your story as well. I'm sure you know this, but you're hardly alone in this fight. Keep doing right by yourself, and keep the fire content coming. Best of luck on your journey Brad.
Great and honest video Brad. Personally I’ve struggled (and currently do still) with alcoholism and smoking weed to just escape and numb myself. I completely understand when you vocalize how it made things for your partner very difficult and having those bad experiences that stick with you. I’ve had major panic attacks with weed and I’ve had a mushroom trip so bad I legitimately thought I was dying in my girlfriends arms. Proud of you man. Helps to hear honest discussion on addiction. Though I still struggle with it and bipolar disorder, it helps to hear that things can improve and get much better. Keep up the awesome work man.
Thanks for this video brad. Been a long time fan of your videos and it makes me happy to know that you’ve made so much progress on what I consider to be a difficult journey both on an internal and external level. I’ve struggled to cope with my addiction to cannabis for a while now, for some reason I have yet to reach my “breaking point” as it were, but this video makes me want to get on the wagon before that time comes as I’ve felt my mental health deteriorating over time as a result of my addiction.
Congrats on that! That’s honestly huge, Ironically tomorrow is my one month day after relapsing after a month lol but I feel more strengthened than ever to be sober. Everything you explained in this video I related to heavy. I used to be happy when I was high but now I’m way happier sober even if emotions can be a roller coaster sometimes. I would fr be seeing shit in the dark when I was high as hell and I would drive myself insane. Weed addiction definitely isn’t as physically addictive as other drugs but it’s a psychological addiction that people don’t take as seriously. You can be addicted to anything.
hey you really helped me with this. 2 months sober from molly etc. (still working on the smoking cigarettes habit) but being sober and seeing the world as it is without any warps is truly a blessing. love to everyone going thru the same or similar :)
Dude I’m so glad you decided to share your story. Personally I dont have the problem with weed but I have acouple friends who do and sometimes it’s hard to say like hey guys let’s lay off the weed and try to just keep encouraging them. I don’t want them to go through the troubles you mentioned and whatever else they may face or have already faced. Thanks brad for being an inspiration to many and keep working hard man.
that's really awesome brad, like, genuinely. i only did weed once and it gave me a panic attack, but i have been struggling with depression and certain bad thoughts for about six years now. the past few days have maybe been the worst in my whole life. i almost admitted myself to a hospital. i feel like a shaking mess, every small task feels daunting and impossible. i feel like my head and my chest are going to fold into themselves and shrivel up and I'll never feel right again. but hearing about someone making it out of their own box brings a sense of comfort that no other encouraging words can. i hope you feel better and better in the future.
i really needed to hear something like this right now. i'm experiencing something different but with the same feelings. constant anxiety and fear that i'm going to die soon and nothing seemed to help me, besides just letting it pass with time. i'm glad you're feeling better after quitting, good on you for stopping an addiction.
Im so freakin proud of you Brad. I've been telling people around me I wanted to quit for 3 maybe 4 years now, and yet I'm still in it. I wouldn't say my experience has been as negative as yours sounds like, but hearing you talk about this so openly I think is a very positive and helpful thing, especially coming from the music community where weed is normalized so much. I'll get there. I know I will. Thank you for all your videos Brad, but this one especially. I think it is going to help a lot of people, myself included.
Congratulations Brad! Massive achievement and your growth in confidence is so lovely to experience. I’ve struggled with prescription opiate addiction in the past although have been off it for 3 years now. What always amazes me is how supportive my husband and mum have been, without them, I’m not sure I’d have made it - especially when they were the ones hurting most by my behaviour! Weed is still illegal in Scotland thankfully - I know it has great benefits for some people, but I would’ve ended up in a much worse place - replacing one addiction for another! Super proud of you!
It’s been 11 months since I stopped drinking soda. People mock soda addiction the same way they mock weed addiction, but both are very very real. I’ve been drinking more water, I’ve lost weight, I’m more active than ever, and my body doesn’t feel so heavy like it used to.
Congrats, I can't stand soda.
congratulations, soda addiction is very real and very hard to overcome.
I quit drinking soda back during highschool, it's probably been like 5 years. I haven't looked back, my life is much better now tbh
imma be real chief i don't think i'll EVER cut my addiction lmao
Soda is hella addictive. Ik first hand. I had to wean myself off that shit.
@@filmneuro I've been off of it for like 2 years and i still crave it like crazy
jesus christ brad. everything you just said is exactly what i’m living. I honestly want to thank you for posting this. i have to go off to college soon and i don’t want to bring this life with me. so again thank you, i’ll be looking back at this when i need some support. love u bro
You can do this bro! 💪🏻
It’s good to stop now than later
Been addicted to pot for two years. I leave for college in 20 days. Been clean for a week now. I’m gonna keep it that way. Thank you everyone
@@dearthunderstorm4062 same here!
@@dearthunderstorm4062 absolute W, keep it up!!
Congrats dude, Sobriety is something you SHOULD be proud of. It's a great thing.
I'm 33. I've been using weed since I was 17. I have a wife and a kid and a great job, and weed doesn't get in the way of any of that. Having said that, it isn't for everyone. Especially neurodivergent people, such as those with ADHD. I can also tell a huge difference in the way it affected me at 20 and the way it did at 30. Young brains still in development shouldn't be high every day.
you shouldnt do anything before the age of 25, thats when the brain it technically fully developed
@@polar4701 Agreed, that's why I mentioned the last line
Yeah addictive personality is a real thing. Honestly I think it should be talked about a lot more, especially when it's so easy to just go "chemically addictive = addictive, not chemically addictive = not addictive"
Funny enough, I disagree with the ADHD part. I have innatentive ADHD and weed is what usually helps with my anxiety and insomnia, but I use it only to sleep at night, I wouldn't be able to go through my day high, specially because the effect is almost opposite to my Adderall, so it would just be me sabotaging my own day. Moderation and proper medical use are the key in my opinion.
@@RollinsFN this is exactly what I came to comment. ADHD doesn’t always magically make you not react to weed well, it actually significantly helps me day to day. This is more of a general brain chemistry thing, specifically how your CB(1) receptors respond to THC. Some people literally trip like brad, others like me just feel really chill and things look brighter and spacey
bro i teared up when i saw the look on his face when he closed his eyes. Thank you for the courage and honesty you show. It makes me think i can do this too.
Wow that cheat code allegory was way too real
ive never done weed or alcohol or anything, but i recently hit 6 months free of self harm so i know how difficult and painful addiction can be to get over. congratulations!
I've been through a lot of the same things, the only advice I can give is to not let that feeling of invincibility turn into a relapse. Sometimes you get the thought of, "I overcame this I can do it once and be fine" and that is just bad news. Congrats on a year bro
Yeah well said
That's how I relapsed with weed, yeah brad don't do that!
especially with the kindling effect. gets harder each time u quit.
As a person who struggles with gender identity and weed at the same time. Quitting smoking every day (i do it some weekends) has made me way more confident. I can actually go outside using the clothes i actually wanna use without it tearing my mind apart. Weed just made me second guess every single little thing about myself, others and how others saw me and vice versa
Me personally I smoked weed once and then it triggered a months long brain fog where it felt like my perception was skipping frames and wasn’t continuous. It was just like you described except I felt it months after I even smoked. Id turn a corner quick or walk into another room and I almost felt like it didn’t happen. It just really fucks with your perception which affects every aspect of your life. Luckily It Went away. So I didn’t smoke again for 3 years. But then my jackass brother convinced me to try it again because “it was just a bad strain.” I took one hit and immediately started skipping frames. It felt like my existence was crashing in around me. It was the worst experience of my life. Had a panic attack because I instantly regretted it and knew I fucked up. Now I’ve had on and off brain fog, derealization syndrome, and what feels like an visual overload on my senses when I look at things sometimes. I feel dissociation everyday. But I gotta just push through it. It takes a lot of strength. fucking hate weed. People can talk all the bullshit they want cuz they don’t experience it but just remember this, drugs are drugs. They affect people in different ways. Weed might be chill for you but there’s the small chance that it doesn’t cooperate with your brain like me and one hit can fuck you up potentially for an extended period of time. Hopefully it goes away soon. I honestly think I have to heal my brain.
It's anxiety, you can't "heal" anything because nothing has been damaged. What you are experiencing is a natural human instinct (the freeze response) when it has gone through a certain level of trauma/stress. The best thing you can do for this to go away is to embrace the symptoms and continue living normally, as a consequence they will eventually go away. Oh and weed was never the issue, its only a trigger of anxiety when you're not prepared to deal with a high.
If weed is the trigger for their anxiety, and the anxiety otherwise doesn't cause them noticeable issues like this... then weed is the issue.
I like that you're actually taking weed addiction seriously. Weed and alcohol tend to get passed off as "mild drugs", and for a lot of people, including myself, they are. But even as someone who has never had even close to an addictive personality, I still prefer to be completely straight edge. Drugs are drugs.
Alcohol mild? You can die off withdrawals from this shite
im just over 1 year alcohol sober, not entirely but largely helped by smoking weed and having that to fall back on, and im working on cutting that out but alcohol is so much worse. Huge props to you for doing this and making the video!
Just updated my count, 234 days no alcohol/84 no nicotine/66 no cannabis. I'm lucky in that I have a great friend to help keep me honest and who expressed genuine concern after my smoking had been a years long habit, with that concern being what helped me see how bad I was. It's easier, but not over yet. Best of luck in your continued journey, my dude!
3 more days then your 69 days free lmao
Jokes aside, great job man. Addiction is a bitch.
congrats man keep it up
I had to quit for my job about two and a half years ago. Honestly I didn't really feel any negative effects from smoking. Typically I never smoked in the morning so I was "sober" most of the day. The part I miss the most is getting off work putting my headphones on and smoking out listening to music and unwinding for an hour or so. But good for you if you feel that this has improved your life.
congrats man. i'm 2.5 years clean from alcohol and 10 years clean from heroin. i quit weed somewhere in there too, but it wasn't really a conscious decision like the other two. it only gets better from here as well. good work and keep it up man!
congratulations on your jorney!
I've experienced depersonalisation and derealization on an extreme level where I thought I was in Purgatory and the only one that saw it. I felt like I realized everyone was reading a script but they were unable to see that. Shit was messed up and you really nailed describing how terrifying it can be. I also ran off an inner drive and I'm alive due to wanting to spite whatever power wanted to torture me in such a way. I'm also so much better today and I continue on my journey, I'm thankful you're here with me on this journey and it gave me a lot of perspective and appreciation I'm happy I get to have now. Legend
damn. i know this comment was made a month ago and i know im just a stranger but im genuinely proud of you man. that shit sounds like absolute hell and i can only imagine how horrifying it must've been. glad to still have you here, you're an incredibly strong person.
time really is healing all our minds. thank you for sharing your story, ur giving me a lot of hope ❤️
Is it too late to reply? This sounds absolutely horrifying and as anxious as I get I don't think I can begin to relate. Proud of you for pulling through and getting to the point you are now ♥️♥️
7:53? glitch thing scared me paired with what was described
proud of you brad, sobriety is underrated. weed doesn't work for everyone and it has too much of a reputation for being harmless and nonaddictive. speaking as a stoner myself lmao
To those who say weed is not addictive, I will say this:
people get addicted to playing games. People get addicted to gambling. People get addicted to eating, to not eating, to physically harming themselves, to having sex, to jumping off buildings.
If you can get addicted to cutting your skin open, you can get addicted to smoking an herb.
Congratulations man! I’m a rehab nurse and it’s so great to see someone making positive changes. The no side effects/ no addiction stuff is a total lie. Some people can smoke and be totally fine and avoid becoming dependent on it, but that’s not the case for many many people, especially if you have a personal or family history of mental health issues. Nothing is side effect free, even food, let alone weed. Smoking triggered months long dissociation for me freshman year of college and I haven’t smoked since then. I’ve also seen family members brains rot over the course of decades. Not saying smoking is inherently bad, but go into it educated. And be skeptical of anyone pushing the “harmless” narrative.
Wow Brad, thank you so much for opening up about this. I know there are a lot of people who are likely having similar experiences, and for you to use your platform to be vulnerable and make people not feel alone shows your remarkable integrity. And as both a therapist-in-training and longtime fan of yours, I am just truly stoked to hear someone like yourself speak so highly of therapy and challenge the "therapy isn't for men" stigma that is still very very present in predominantly male online communities. Mental health is a lifelong process but I hope you're able to feel some pride and excitement in what you've already achieved. You rock dude.
congrats Brad! one year of sobriety is always worth celebration. as someone who has been finding a healthy balance between weed and sobriety, I can definitely relate to what you've been through, especially with the ADHD. I hope that you maintain the balance you've made, and that things continue to go up from here!
Sorry if its odd in this comment section but pfp buddies
I’m 17 currently on Prozac and I have a nicotine addiction. I put weed into the equation because I thought it would be healthier than using vapes to nullify my depression and anxiety. It’s become so much of a problem where I’d be high in places I shouldn’t. I feel like I forget things way easier and I can’t begin to describe the shit I felt because I don’t even remember it. I’ve been sober for 4 weeks now and I feel better. I don’t know if I’ll stay sober once I get back to America (there’s no weed in the country that I’m staying in). I don’t see a problem with smoking weed but since March of this year I’ve had trouble controlling myself. I appreciate that the guy I watch every day had trouble with the same thing. I love you Brad, thank you for sharing your story, as well as everybody else here
Thank you brad. I needed this. I also have addiction problems and because of this video I am going to quit. I am going to try my hardest to actually quit. I really appreciate you and all the entertainment you have done for me and how open you are. Thank you brad. We love you!
hey! i hope your recovery is going well. I'm just chiming in to remind you that recovery isnt linear and relapse arent steps back but chances for you to step even more forward! stay strong and believe in yourself... sending you good vibes and strength
@@emmi8899 Thank you! means a lot
I have a degree of guilt knowing that ive been smoking, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol for the last ten years since I was fourteen. I live a relatively normal and successful life, but there has been a great deal of pain and suffering tied in. I worry about the permanent damage ive done. Smoking and drinking is so ingrained into my lifestyle and culture that i didnt even realize how abnormal it was to want to be intoxicated 24/7. I respect you and your journey
I've never tried weed or alcohol, but this still really hit me with how scary something as nonchalant as weed can be. This is unfortunately the reality for a lot of people including young teens who have been tricked into using weed/nicotine and alcohol as an escape and it's terrifying to see just how common this issue is. More people need to know the horrible effects of abusing weed and I'm glad you've built up the courage to detail your own experiences so that others can feel less alone.
Congrats on being one year clean and I hope anyone that reads this can build up the strength to quit.
I'ver never commented on a youtube video before, but your youtube video has given me a lot of confirmation for why I do a lot of things/react to things. I think whats hardest is when your brain looks like that cube your perspective almost becomes an infinite mirror, only reflecting yourself in the current circumstance under the same circumstances. You can't self reflect effectively on the cause or effects combined with memory loss and fuzzy problem skills. I've smoked weed for the better part of 3 years, with the last year being excessive use. I started because of the way people said it made music sound and food taste ect.., But also largely due to the "safety" of it. However, from July - Jan 2021-22, I smoked everyday roughly and was suffering from a lot of identifiable mental health problems (that i didn't often attribute weed). Moreover, my physical health also went into extreme risk on a skiing trip I went on. At this point it is my only break from smoking weed since September and I go away for a week. Already on the first night I can't sleep or eat correctly. I continue to sleep only about two hours a night and snowboard all day for a few days. Finally on the 4th day I wipe out due to carelessness (fatigue). I go to hospital on a stretcher and finally slept a full night's rest (on medication). Luckily I was wearing a helmet (which I nearly didn't pick up in the morning), but if i hadn't been wearing it, I'm convinced I would have died. Anyway, I'm not trying to sound dramatic but it annoys me when people call it safe. It may be fairly physically safe (even if it can indirectly cause an almost fatal error), but I think almost anyone who's smoked daily will tell you the mental strain alone isn't worth risking.
P.S This is probably the best translation of the risks that I have ever seen from anyone who has spoken about this topic, its good to know you have brad taste in helping people.
This makes my eyes teary and those who experienced this, always remember that you are not alone
Being a true psychedelic, it's endlessly fascinating to me how cannabis can affect individuals so differently. Especially when previous mental conditions are thrown in the mix. I've been smoking weed regularly for about 5 years now with a year break thrown in there (24-29). I have generalized anxiety as a byproduct of my adhd and, for me, it dulls the sharper edges of my anxiety and allows me to self-reflect without having full blown panic attacks. I do recognize I'll most likely die of lung cancer though. We'll see how I feel after 30 I guess
you know you can buy dry herb vaporiser right? they are wayyy healthier and still tasty like dynavap.
Pretty much my same experience. I think starting it at an older age, or initially for medical purposes, helps a lot with its benefit and effectiveness.
finally sold all my weed paraphernalia after 5 years of smoking and 3 years of doing it daily. its only been a few weeks sober but I am so beyond proud of myself. however nobody in my life really views weed as something that's addictive so its not really as big of a deal to anyone except for me. its so refreshing to see someone talk about exactly what I've experienced and also actually classifying it as an addiction. Thanks a million for sharing your story. It means more than you'll ever know.
Major props, Brad. Glad you were able to overcome addiction.
The thought of going through horrifying experiences like that, alongside of my phobia of death has made me scared of ever trying any type of drug or alcohol. I have anxiety, high functioning autism, possible ADHD, and trauma, which is asking for a disaster to happen.
Congratulations on 1 year of sobriety! Stay strong and look forward to good things to come!
I’ve been smoking weed with my girlfriend for almost a year now, I had smoked before but never regularly. Since starting this with her we both have been living complete stoner lives for longer than we should be, I’m starting to think. It’s started to give her a great deal of anxiety nearly every time we smoke, and I feel fine mostly, but everything you are saying in this video feels like the ending to the foreshadowing that is what I’m experiencing and thinking now. Your words in this video are really brave to share and I wanna thank you sincerely for showing the *actual* bad side of smoking\consuming weed. A video like this needs to be seen worldwide
So proud of you, Brad. You're an amazing person.
at the start weed feels amazing, you feel a feeling that feels exciting until over time you realise it isn’t what me and my friends called it a “treat” it becomes an addiction and an obsession and i started to notice not only my own downfall but my friends also, one of my friends went from being healthy, fit and an athletic swimmer to needing to smoke everyday, lost his fitness lost his career and started his downfall and has still continued but like you said you had your epiphany with the good place mine was a time where i smoked in my bedroom in university and i was ok but noticed my heart racing a lot faster and felt a weird anxiety of hearing the other flat mates voices around my room, it was until i started hearing banging on my door and i didn’t know what to do, opening my door seemed terrifying to me, the banging and laughter and talk outside of my door has permanently destroyed my confidence and the part of me that enjoyed the feeling, it made me shy away from people and made me keep to myself where i was never like this.
i smoked since then and i noticed i had that de-realisation feeling when i was with friends or alone i would constantly feel the anxiety and stress building and one time my heart hit 155bpm and thought i’d die and it put me off, however i’m very vulnerable and scared of letting people down so whenever i was with friends who smoked they’d put the pressure on me and it would make me feel guilty to not have some but my advice would be to say no.
i’m honest nowadays i say no it makes me unhappy, stressed out and anxious and just not a fun person to be around.
This video is ultimately a good message for people who are in the “good phase” to stop while your ahead, you may think how could it get worse but trust me it does, if i could tell my younger self anything i’d say “don’t confide in the pressure of your friends, don’t treat it as a good thing, just because they say it’s “just weed” doesn’t mean it can’t affect you”
Plenty of people have only had positive experiences, but enough people have gone through something like this that it needs to be talked about. Thank you for sharing and congratulations, dude.
It's so refreshing to see this comment section be full of positivity and support. Much better than some channels. Well done Brad
I never was a weed addict , but almost all your talking points apply to my experiences as someone who was hooked for a bit on gambling and cigarettes. Mind you, both these activities were illegal, because I started when I was 12. I'm glad it didn't last for long and when I got out of an abusive relationship with a person who got me on these things, I've quitted. God, life for a marginalised Eastern European teenager can be harsh.
I've never smoked weed, but my friend used to, and it definitely seemed like she was smoking a lot at the time as well (I've always separated myself from those types of things so whenever she smoked I was never around, my knowledge about drugs and that scene has always been rudimentary). You mentioned you were having panic about death and how it was really freaking you out, and in retrospect my friend was experiencing a similar thing. She started mentioning how she had just these severe feelings that she was gonna die. There was never anything that triggered it, just maybe her walking on a sidewalk, but it scared me that my friend was having bad anxiety over something like that. We couldn't figure out what it was, but she has since stopped smoking as much after she got out of a relationship, and she hasn't mention that odd paranoia since. She was definitely more depressed during those times too. It never really clicked it was probably the weed until this video, but it's comforting to know now. I wish I maybe tried to educate myself about weed sooner, maybe could have saved her some grief, but nevertheless I think it's great you've been able to get clean, I hope you're proud!
Thanks for sharing your story, Brad. I know that I disagree with your opinions on Tally Hall and DemonDice, but you have reminded me that we're all humans living on this rock; each with our own unique struggles.
I've had similar experiences with my weed journey. Started smoking at 19, became a daily user by 21, when I could legally acquire it myself. The weed I was smoking made me feel extremely lethargic and lazy; I wasn't getting shit done in my personal life. I would just work my 9-5, come home, flip on UA-cam, and smoke several bowls of indica until I went to bed. At the same time, the psychedelic properties of the weed made me self reflect that I was a lazy piece of shit, and kind of an asshole to my friends and family. I didn't have any scary experiences while I was under the influence of weed, but I had similar psychiatric problems to what you were describing AFTER I tried to quit cold turkey.
I found myself constantly craving pot for up to a whole year after I stopped. I tried it again, and it just wasn't the same enjoyment to me as it was before. Eventually, I found myself to be happy without it. Nowadays, I still smoke occasionally (as I have regained my enjoyment for it), but I have strong moderation, only smoking 2-4 nights out of the month, and only on weekends. I do believe that it is a completely healthy substance if discipline can be maintained, but just like anything else too much of it can be really bad.
I haven’t drank alcohol in 7 months. So grateful for the people who supported me. We’re here for you Brad.
congrats brad, i myself is going thru a drug addiction, been taking kratom which has helped my anxiety a bit. it's difficult to quit something you've been doing for a long time,huge respect for people that fought that battle, and won.
Please be careful switching to kratom, or try to ease off and not rely on it. It's an addiction in its own that crippled me and my growth for years. People can say that I'm weak-willed, that's fine, I know that's not it, but I needed rehab twice for it. It being legal made it so dangerously easy for me to keep coming back to, and the side effects really catch up.
It's not far off from an opiate at all. Not telling you what to do, but please know this from my experience. I feel obligated to use my own experiences to spread the word that that stuff isn't as harmless as it seems.
I’m also currently having a pretty hard time quitting kratom (after 4 years of daily use) Tried cold turkey, failed. I started tapering about 2 weeks ago and I have to say the withdraws are much more manageable. You can do this man!
@@treefingers1183 its definitaly mentally addicting when you've been taking it since 2017 like i have. only side effects ive had is peeing alot.
@@colonelfrost8 trust me, the long term implications of that side effect alone are not good. I'm just making sure you know friend, it's all love.
@@treefingers1183 no problem man.
Congrats on your journey so far. I am straight edge for 3 years now. Now cigarettes, no weed, no alcohol. No matter how much you think it would be ok sometimes, just keep your head straight.
The part when you said Weed felt like it gave you the cheat code to life, and you didn;t feel like you had to try anymore, hit me way too hard.
15 year Marijuana smoker. Here is my experience and my opinion. When I was 18, I was a heavy smoker. That's all me and my friends did after school. And we always thought were were morally better because we didn't drink like most of the people we knew. We felt more responsible. Which is the beginning of the trap. I won't deny, I had many great nights with friends that were fueled by marijuana and the occasional mushrooms. I get why people like it, and envy those who can use it responsibly, without having to give up something.
Then, I am in my mid 20's. At this point I am over a year sober because I am trying get this job, so I had to stay clean. I was actually fine. And looking back all my experience with the drug was in a social setting. Not once had a smoked weed by myself. So, with my of my friends at college, starting families, etc, it never really crossed my mind. Fast forward a few months and I get the job. Never thought about picking smoking back up, again, to me it was a social drug. Well I get my first pay check, and the person I work with also sells weed. Not only sells it, but it's cheaper than I had ever seen. So, I was thinking why not? I get a bag, get home and smoke my first joing by myself. Instantly my world changed. That became my routine, my crutch, the reason I was able to avoid people and live in my little world. Music, TV, games, none of those were fun to me unless I was high. And as someone who uses music as therapy, it really wasn't the best move. I would go down these crazy rabbit holes, for that dopamine rush.
I start looking into space, and all of that and panic sets in. All I can think about is how fragile the universe is, in which everything has to be 100% perfect or we couldn't exist. Add that with surrendering the idea that none of it is in our control and impending doom set in. I became so unproductive, lazy, uninspired, paranoid and isolated.
Fast forward to now. I am in therapy, and working on my addiction. I won't lie and say I quit, but I ingest maybe 10% of what I used to. I am decent at distracting myself during the day, its the night time and when I need to sleep that I have to microdose a hit or two so I gain the ability to maybe sleep. lol I have been and still currently looking for alternatives, so far none have worked. I really thought weed was helping my anxiety and now looking back at it, all it was doing was masking the anxiety while he progressively got worse in the background. But I am still working at it, and staying hopeful.
Thank you for this. Found your channel last weekend and this happened to pop up for me this morning. I would like to think that wasn't an acident . Thank you for the honesty, compassion and the hope your message delivers. I wish nothing but continued peace and sobriety for you. Have a lovely week!
I have innatentive ADHD and weed is what helps me sleep at night, but I never get high during the day as it would just mess up the effects of my medication. It's been a good solution for me, and I've thankfully haven't had issues with it, but I'm really glad you stopped if you were feeling bad or addicted to it, I was addicted to Soda for most of my life and it fucked up my weight for years, my ADHD medication and cannabis have helped me lose 60lbs, but I understand what it's like to be doing something that is slowly messing with you whether physically or mentally. I'm proud of you Brad, and you should be extremely proud of yourself for this achievement, I'm glad you share these type of things with us, it really is a powerful message for people who need it, and your bravery for talking about these personal things is inspiring. Much love Brad, keep it up!
Congratulations Brad, so proud of you man. I relate to your story a lot, thank you so so much for sharing. The traumatic dissociation is sort of an escape for me from my reality. Weed is also controlling my appetite and I cannot eat without smoking, it is so scary to rely on this drug just to live day to day.
I have tried to stop taking my anti depressants, and that withdrawal is truly horrifying. The fear of weed withdrawal is keeping me from quitting. Weed is giving me chronic nightmares alongside the addiction... I wish that I knew the risks before trying it haha.
It is truly admirable that you are doing so much better and feel more connected to others without it. Thank you again for sharing, you give me hope that I can stop relying on it. Here's to another sober year for you!
ween off! make a schedule where you slowly lower your dose until eventually you have none. you’re going to be okay. i quit cold turkey since my cart ran out and i have no way of getting more. gave me terrible anxiety among other symptoms, so its definitely scary, but it is bearable. you got this!
Congrats man! Addiction sucks ass, good job on 1 year clean!
While I never had any episode based on that Good Place scene, that specific moment has also stuck with me even years after watching the show. Genuinely haunting
i’m trying to find it on YT i’m curious… what point in the show is it?
@@user-bb5jm9fs3w it can't be past the third episode of the show. I'd guess and maybe say episode 2
It’s in the first episode about half way through
@@BradTasteInMusicOfficial thanks man.
unrelated but i have OCD and had a similar time with weed, you did great👍
im not going to get into any crazy philosophical debates rn, but i can definitely say i do not believe in hell, and even if it does exist, there is no way it can be a permanent thing. think about it, what bad thing could you do to warrant infinite punishment? its def just a made up concept to fear monger and control people.
Amazing Work Brad! I'm a daily smoker of 5 years and don't feel many negative effects now, but a few years ago I was a lot worse, I've found a happy moderation now. That said, it's great to see how you made that decision and actively changed your life, and clearly you did the right thing, well done!
I've had similar experiences with weed and while I don't think I've given it up entirely (it was never addictive for me but I do feel it has been a mixed bag for my mental health as of late) I'm taking a break from it for a while.
Its nice to hear a more nuanced take on weed, even I still glorify it at times because it can make coping much easier, but like with all substances there is a level of variance regarding mental or physical health risk person to person. More people talking openly about the negatives of their experiences helps to create a full understanding of what you could be getting into, thank you for sharing.
you have no idea how much this is helping me quit, everything you’re saying is so accurate, been supporting for a minute and you’re a great inspiration man, all the best for you
Congrats brad! I’ve been struggling with quitting and it’s soooo hard. Thanks for being an inspiration
damn i really felt this heavy...ive been smoking weed pretty much everyday all day for 15 years since i was 12 and my memory is absolutely 100% fucked..I cant hardly remember a single thing from childhood and preteen years..and then 16-26 has been an absolute blur of time and it feels like it just all happened at once. I crave the smoke in my lungs so badly i really wish i could stop..im gonna try using this video as my first stepping stone, thanks.
Everything in moderation. We all still love you:)
good luck, buddy!!
W for taking the first step in the journey :)
Hey man I hoped it worked out for you :)
Hey there Brad, thank you for sharing this. My father passed away this year and I still struggle to understand why he decided death was a preferable option to getting help. While his and your experience are most likely different in many ways, a large part of the 6-7 years leading up to that point he was smoking weed all day every day. The way in which you describe the way you were feeling and thinking during your time using weed has helped me understand where he might have been mentally and the mindset behind the thoughts he may have been having. Thank you so much for putting your experience and perspective out there, and congratulations on 1 year of sobriety.
i think a lot of kids nowadays learn about this kind of dissociation the hard way. its so easy to just drop your worries smoke some weed and neglect yourself.
from personal experience a panic attack made me drop the stuff quick as shit but a few years later and i found myself excuses to smoke up again. its that spacey empty high that is viciously addicting and so different for everybody but im tired of it. thanks brad man for being real about this topic. its one that people rarely take seriously
honestly congrats, man, shit like that is hard to stop once you start, we're all proud of you, also nice idles at the start, respect
a month clean after 7 years of using frequently and im only 21. it got to the point where i needed to smoke so much just to feel something, and not feeling anything would make me go insane, being stuck in my head with thoughts of guilt, regret, shame. I knew i needed a change for a while but wasnt brave enough to do it until i got to the point where i couldnt afford to buy it anymore, as much as it sucks to be broke i am grateful for it forcing me to quit. I totally agree you only view the world from the perspective of "with weed" instead of living for me, totally warped my mind and made me unrecognizable to the kid i was 7 years ago, socially and mentally. we need purpose to live and if you drown your life with weed you avoid finding it. im glad i found this video, congrats and stay strong brother
Damn I was just celebrating 45 seconds clean when I came across this, thank you so much brad!!!
I smoked weed every day for probably 4 years. At some point it just started changing how it affected me. I started getting super anxious practically every time I got high, but for some reason I kept smoking and eat edibles. I would just tell myself “well, this time you’re gonna get a good high.” I eventually stopped smoking as much as I used to, and then last year I had two severe panic attacks where I ended up in the emergency room because I thought I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t. In fact they said I was perfectly healthy. I started to feel like a crazy person. After that I just kinda…stopped smoking. It was weird because there was no grand moment where I decided to quit and threw away everything. In fact, I still have weed and my paraphernalia in my drawer. I just haven’t used it for over a year. I just know I’ll feel anxious and uncomfortable if I smoke so, what’s the point? That made it a lot easier to quit I think. Although there definitely is a void that you notice that you’re trying to fill. I’ve just gotten better at the coping mechanisms to ignore or fill that void. Weed is so weird. I have friends who smoke regularly, and have for years, who hold done jobs, do well in school, and seem perfectly fine from the outside. It really just depends person to person
Thank you so much for sharing this, brad. I too felt like I did permanent damage to my brain because of all the weed i smoked and that was the scariest shit ever. Ive been addicted to weed for the past 4 years, mostly as a way to justify my procrastination and lack of motivation to pursue any of my passions. Being too high was always an excuse. Ive been sober for about a month now, and I owe that to the fact that i had to start med school and get up from my lazy ass. Moving to another state also really helped. I was always so ashamed of my condition that i couldn't even trust my long time partner to help me with my addiction.
Here's to our recovery and everyone else in this comment section that has similar issues, we're gonna make it and everything will be fine ❤️
congrats on being one year clean brad, we’re all very proud of you and we love you so so much 💗
Congrats man. I know it can't have been easy but I'm really proud you pulled through. Thank you for being such an amazing guy!
I feel like I'm just coming out of that "worst moment of my life" period you mentioned. My first half of 2022 was just one long and confusing dissociative episode. The first two months after quitting weed were the hardest shit I've gone through. I have smoked a few times after reconsidering my toxic relationship with weed, but it's completely lost its appeal by now. I don't wanna go through that again. I'm still putting in the work to get better and to deal with the issues that led me to my dependence in the first place, but it's getting better. I feel like I'm growing up.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm happy that you're happier now. I never comment but you seem like a really nice guy and I enjoy your content. Stay well :)
So proud of you, you seem genuinely happier skimming through older videos and to quit any addiction takes a massive amount of resilience. I've had several addictions and I can say weed was one of the last I quit in part because of how "harmless" its portrayed. I am recovering but often get temptations, and your videos definitely help calm my mind on some bad days even though I just found you a month ago. Keep going man, we love you!
everyone’s fucked up a bit, brad. the fact that you’re brave enough to lay this all out and be open with you’re problems really inspires me and is way more significant then you might think. you’re voicing things that i think most young people struggle with.
Hey Brad. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come! Happy to see you happy and I hope life gets better for you. Honestly, your videos have helped me through tough times and your effort in posting quality videos means a lot… not only to me but everyone else. Love you Brad ♥️
Congratulations, Brad! I can't imagine how hard this shit is to cut off. You should be proud of yourself. Seeing you close your eyes and being calm after that story of yours made me put on a big smile. It reminded me of how I was looking at myself in the mirror being finally in shape after an eating addiction I had. I wish you an easy full recovery going forward from this drug, my dude!
Congratulations dude, very happy for you getting better! Hopefully it keeps going that way
Congrats Bradley, It's amazing to see someone be happier overtime, and I hope everything keeps going well. Keep it up!
Congrats brad! 🎊🎉 You are incredibly strong as I doubt I could ever fall that far into addiction and still come back on top. Your experiences have made me rethink my opinions on weed and made me reconsider whether I'll ever try it.
Thank you Brad! This was really relatable and it has given me enlightened and support for my own journey to sobriety. I'm almost two months sober and have been happier than I was in years of smoking every chance I got. I was completely a slave to my own chemical imbalances and now it feels like I'm really doing something for ME.
Man, this is nice to see. A few years back, my brother was definitely how you were a year ago. He was totally despondent, barely spent time with the family (neither of us have familial trauma), barely hung out with most of his friends, and even stopped showing up to work. Around the same time, a friend of mine admitted that he was addicted and dialed WAY back from what he was doing. Hearing him say that made me feel better about how I felt about my brother, and when my dad and I eventually talked to him, he started going to therapy and now he still smokes but has cut way back and is honestly a better guy for it. In a roundabout way, I'm trying to say that I'm happy to see yah making that change too and really happy that its making a positive difference
I’m so happy for you man, I think so many people are experiencing this and it’s awesome that your sharing your story, keep it up man, so glad yo finally happy again
I'm so proud of you dude. You're doing a great job.
I've never had an addiction, but I do understand what it's like to slowly get pieces of your mental health back after hitting rock bottom. It can feel so fucking slow, like you're trying to climb a mountain but all the gravel's coming loose under your feet, but recovery is worth it. I'm so relieved to see you're happier now.
Congratulations on one year!
Good job Brad I'm genuinely happy for you, my dad suffers with weed (pains me to watch) so to hear your journey out of it makes me smile.
bro i had a moment in january of 2021 where i completely dissociated and after that it completely changed how i viewed my life, i was super depressed for months and my anxiety ramped up to 100, those episodes are fucking terrifying and life altering
Congratulations my man, you're a fantastic content creator and an inspiration
the way you talk about your experiences with weed is so damn close to what i’ve experienced, i love hearing you talk about this because i can relate to so much of it, i’m glad you’re in a better place now!
So glad you are still here man. You really helped me and so many people to discover music, and its great that you're enjoying music more again after being sober
Congrats, Brad. Absolutely huge.
very happy for you brad, ive been watching you for a while and seeing you happy and healthy genuinely makes me happier too. love you and your videos, stay safe
Congrats Brad! So proud of you and happy for you. I was at the point where I was just smoking to smoke, it wasn't even doing anything for me. I just wanted to feel something, and thought it was helping my mental illness (therapy is much much better). I quit cold turkey one day because it was completely messing with my body. I thought it wasn't addictive but boy howdy was I wrong.
this is so wholly honest, real, and brave. thank you for being so open to sharing your experience and i’m so, so happy you feel better :)
hey brad, i quit 23 days ago, and the withdrawal symptoms have been some of the most difficult and traumatizing things for me. paranoia, anxiety, depression, anhedonia… thank you so much for making this video, and i feel like continuing my journey. i am never touching weed again. the timeline u presented gives me so much hope. love you bro.
I just relapsed after a week of no smoking. This video is comforting. I know I can quit this time and I’m going to make it happen.
your explanation is so relatable! thanks and congrats on the 2 years, brad!
Very proud of you for doing what you gotta do to take care of yourself, even when it's hard. Thanks for sharing your story as well. I'm sure you know this, but you're hardly alone in this fight. Keep doing right by yourself, and keep the fire content coming. Best of luck on your journey Brad.
Great and honest video Brad. Personally I’ve struggled (and currently do still) with alcoholism and smoking weed to just escape and numb myself. I completely understand when you vocalize how it made things for your partner very difficult and having those bad experiences that stick with you. I’ve had major panic attacks with weed and I’ve had a mushroom trip so bad I legitimately thought I was dying in my girlfriends arms. Proud of you man. Helps to hear honest discussion on addiction. Though I still struggle with it and bipolar disorder, it helps to hear that things can improve and get much better. Keep up the awesome work man.
great job brad! im proud of how far you have come from then :D, hopefully more years to come
I’m so glad that you feel better since you’ve been sober. I wish the best for you, man!
Congrats on hitting that milestone and taking back your life, Brad. You've come a helluva long way.
Thanks for this video brad. Been a long time fan of your videos and it makes me happy to know that you’ve made so much progress on what I consider to be a difficult journey both on an internal and external level. I’ve struggled to cope with my addiction to cannabis for a while now, for some reason I have yet to reach my “breaking point” as it were, but this video makes me want to get on the wagon before that time comes as I’ve felt my mental health deteriorating over time as a result of my addiction.
Congrats on that! That’s honestly huge, Ironically tomorrow is my one month day after relapsing after a month lol but I feel more strengthened than ever to be sober. Everything you explained in this video I related to heavy. I used to be happy when I was high but now I’m way happier sober even if emotions can be a roller coaster sometimes. I would fr be seeing shit in the dark when I was high as hell and I would drive myself insane. Weed addiction definitely isn’t as physically addictive as other drugs but it’s a psychological addiction that people don’t take as seriously. You can be addicted to anything.
hey you really helped me with this. 2 months sober from molly etc. (still working on the smoking cigarettes habit) but being sober and seeing the world as it is without any warps is truly a blessing. love to everyone going thru the same or similar :)
Dude I’m so glad you decided to share your story. Personally I dont have the problem with weed but I have acouple friends who do and sometimes it’s hard to say like hey guys let’s lay off the weed and try to just keep encouraging them. I don’t want them to go through the troubles you mentioned and whatever else they may face or have already faced. Thanks brad for being an inspiration to many and keep working hard man.
sending love to you brad. so proud of you for reaching the 1 year milestone
that's really awesome brad, like, genuinely. i only did weed once and it gave me a panic attack, but i have been struggling with depression and certain bad thoughts for about six years now. the past few days have maybe been the worst in my whole life. i almost admitted myself to a hospital. i feel like a shaking mess, every small task feels daunting and impossible. i feel like my head and my chest are going to fold into themselves and shrivel up and I'll never feel right again. but hearing about someone making it out of their own box brings a sense of comfort that no other encouraging words can. i hope you feel better and better in the future.
Congrats Brad! Your progress and commitment are to be admired, and i can’t wait for the first studio-released Big Baller LP
i really needed to hear something like this right now. i'm experiencing something different but with the same feelings. constant anxiety and fear that i'm going to die soon and nothing seemed to help me, besides just letting it pass with time. i'm glad you're feeling better after quitting, good on you for stopping an addiction.
Im so freakin proud of you Brad. I've been telling people around me I wanted to quit for 3 maybe 4 years now, and yet I'm still in it. I wouldn't say my experience has been as negative as yours sounds like, but hearing you talk about this so openly I think is a very positive and helpful thing, especially coming from the music community where weed is normalized so much. I'll get there. I know I will.
Thank you for all your videos Brad, but this one especially. I think it is going to help a lot of people, myself included.
Congratulations Brad! Massive achievement and your growth in confidence is so lovely to experience.
I’ve struggled with prescription opiate addiction in the past although have been off it for 3 years now.
What always amazes me is how supportive my husband and mum have been, without them, I’m not sure I’d have made it - especially when they were the ones hurting most by my behaviour!
Weed is still illegal in Scotland thankfully - I know it has great benefits for some people, but I would’ve ended up in a much worse place - replacing one addiction for another!
Super proud of you!
So proud of you Brad!!! It's been so great seeing how far you've come and how much happier you are nowadays!