I figure that, in the interest of full disclosure, I should update everyone on my adventures with pot.

You probably recall that I got some pot in Washington, where it's legal. I live near the border, so it's a pretty short road trip to hop up there and get some nicely packaged, totally legal weed.

At first I smoked only occasionally, but over the course of a few months I gradually started smoking it every night, and I noticed a few things. One was that I was much happier, and another was that I slept well. With my psychiatric nurse's blessing, I ditched (other) antidepressants and sedatives in favor of pot.

I worried a little because I saw the shadows of old habits, such as wanting pot when frustrated and making sure not to run out. Things didn't seem to be getting worse, though, so I just let it run its course and smoked pot nightly.

I realized a couple of days ago that I no longer smoked as much or as often. I didn't realize this until I grumpily wondered why the insomnia was back and noticed that, oh yeah, I was forgetting to smoke pot on some nights. I didn't decide to cut back. I just naturally smoked less, and less often, because I didn't want it all that much.

Soooo I think I'm not addicted. It does leave me with a bit of an issue, though, in that normal functionality requires me to smoke rather more pot than I truly want. Maybe I'll try to acquire some concentrate and ingest the concentrate right before bed or something.

Following TSM made some good changes in me. I've been smoking rather a lot of pot, yet I'm clearly not addicted. One doesn't just "drift away" from a substance to which one is addicted. That brain rewiring stuff . . . it's really true.

Hi melissa - thanks for the post and candor. I too like the weed. I live in CA and have a medical card so it's all good, and I mean all good. I have been extremely conscious of my habit lately since I am too old for this and I have two kids, am an older dad, etc etc, so I have basically used it to enhance exercise and sneak it after the family goes night night. But the most important thing I have used it for pre and early TSM is to put the brakes on my drinking. That is no longer an issue so I started questioning my pot use. Again, I love it, but after a few months of daily use it does start to wear me down. I have been in this cycle for years.

Recently, I decided to quit all together at the advice of my hired team of addiction help because, go figure, I have been having a problem with motivation. No question pot is a-motivational, and for me that just doesn't work with the way I have been feeling with alcohol under control and all the other things I have been doing to improve my health, outlook and energy. Plus, I always get paranoid in my line of work this time of year that I may need to take a whiz quiz to remain gainfully employed or to get a new job.

Not sure if I made any points, but weed is a different animal to me than alcohol, and Nal does not do much to curb it for me - in fact it might even enhance it a bit. All in all, I am not looking to just manage all my issues, I want an extended experience with peak performance, a term I have never related to, but I feel I am finally starting to get. Pot is cool, and I am not done with the magic herb. But for now, I had to put it on the bench.

Cheers!