Today two people complimented me on how healthy and happy I look so I took a picture to see if I could see a difference. I’m shocked, I didn’t even recognize myself in the first photo (before).

I’m making this post to hold myself accountable. For the past year, I’ve been struggling with a serious THC addiction.

It started when I was 17. Before then, I had no interest in smoking at all—I actually wanted to stay away from it completely. But I got into a relationship with a girl whose habits rubbed off on me. We were together for about 10 months, and by 5 months in, I found myself smoking THC every single day. What started as me just going along with her “normal” became my own destructive routine.

Even after turning 18, I kept it up. But lately, I’ve been having health scares—tightness, dizziness, and panic attacks that made me think I was about to collapse. Today, I finally snapped. I couldn’t keep living like this.

I just threw all my carts in the trash (pic attached). I didn’t want to walk outside and make my family suspicious after nearly having a panic attack, so the trash can by my door became the final resting place. This is the end of it.

I’m not carrying this into 19. I want to live clean, take care of my health, and not waste my life chained to a cartridge. This is my line in the sand.

“Ever fed never satisfied, never fed ever satisfied”

It's of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, when he's doing his commercial for some liquor. All I said was Happy Friday Fellas! Have a good weekend! No drinky no druggy! w/ said gif. I wasn't even thinking of him holding the glass of liquor, just his funny little finger guns pose he does. Silly me. I probably look a little bit like a jackass now huh? I sent a follow up saying I hope it didn't trigger anybody. Fml

Hey,

so I wanted to ask for advice because I really don't know what to do.

My brother has a screen/ video games addiction, and it's making everything tense, strained and frankly worrying. he barely sleeps anymore, he failed the same school year three times now, so much so that he can no longer attend the normal curriculum, neglects himself, neglects everything else really, in favor of his video games/ screens.
we really tried to get to the bottom of this, and yeah, some of it is caused by our father being an abusive asshole and thus, leading him to retreat into video games for safety and comfort.
and he tried to get out of that bad habit, but as soon as he encounters the slightest inconvenience, he just dives right back in.
dad used to play on it and encourage him to play more, downplay it, or simply leave out game consoles "by accident".

but the dad's away, and despite admitting that it's a huge relief, my brother remains the same.

and I've tried talking to him, working on it with him, finding solutions, (he's not bad at school work, he just doesn't do it) but to no avail.
whenever we try to take his games away, he sneaks god knows where and finds them again, or steals our devices, like a work phone (causing him to gaslight our mom about it??? which is insane? she literally thought she was going crazy, since we have a history of Alzheimer in the family...
I swear he never used to be so manipulative)

he has them hidden all around his room, even 20 year old stuff, under his mattress, in an old gutted plush, in a damn crawlspace near the ceiling, in the toilets, kitchen, EVERYWHERE and his room seems normal at first, but if you dig a little it's like a hardware store.

if we somehow manage to confiscate his last device, he gets borderline violent. when he can't use them, he just stares at the ceiling all day or just sleeps. he can't think of doing anything else.

what's worse is that he's not even trying anymore.
we're worried, frankly.

what aggravates this is that we're going through hard times, with a family member being violently ill, perhaps terminally, which puts a huge strain on my mom, as well as financial struggles, etc etc
and all we ask of him is to not lock himself in some room to secretly play video games making everyone late, or making himself sleep at 5am, or just spend a reasonable amount of time on it.

he doesn't change anything. he doesn't do anything. he says that he promises he'll do better with a huge smile, but never does.
and it's making things really tense at home, since it adds significant strain on my already weakened and strained mother.

How do I approach this? what do I do? any tips? so far, I've been approaching with the idea that it was just a bad habit that could be solved through talking and general help, but now, I'm starting to realize that maybe I should approach it like an addiction...

TLDR: my brother has a screen addiction, causing him to fail so hard at school he can't attend the normal curriculum anymore, goes as far as to steal personal effects and gaslight us about it. it strains our relationships and now that a family member is terminally ill and that he is asked to dial it back to relieve us a little, he couldn't care less.

how can I get him out of this? I love him to bits and usually he's lovely, but I never expected to see him be so manipulative and violent just for more screentime...

I’ve been reading about how nicotine can cause erectile dysfunction by reducing blood flow and messing with circulation. Supposedly, smokers are about twice as likely to experience ED compared to non-smokers.

I’m curious if anyone here has personally noticed this.

-Did you experience ED while smoking or vaping? -If you quit, did things improve (and how long did it take)? -Any advice for someone who’s worried about this side effect?

I think this is one of those “silent” effects of smoking that doesn’t get talked about much, but it could be a big motivator for people to quit. Would love to hear your experiences.

(Warning, details of psychosis/paranoia) i need help and advice. Me and my younger brother live with my father (an ex meth user). He recently (two weeks ago) admitted to relapsing. The next day he started mentioning very lightly that his phone may be hacked and to be careful. Now two weeks later it has gotten so much worse. He has stayed up nights, saying his phone and all our computers are hacked, he wont speak about it out loud because “they have mics and cameras in the house”. The reason i almost believe him is because he is sooo computer savy, he has a degree in computer science and has never been wrong about his computer. But he has shown me his “proof” of this hacker stuff and it is never correct. I believe it has gotten dangerous so i have removed myself and my brother from his home. What do i do!? I am now homeless and constantly getting calls from my paranoid dad saying they are trying to open the door and tapping on windows at 3 am. Please help! I don’t want him arrested i just want him to be safe. Is it real or a psychosis??

tell me your worst stories with MDMA. I know it's not 'super addictive' compared to other drugs but every time my friend offers me some my resistance weakens.

I know it won't do good for me, I'm in a very hard time in my life, got groomed, 6 months clean from self harm (started when I was 11) but struggling everyday, it's my exam year at school, and I'm gay and fat. I'm so ugly. but It just sounds so appealing to me, to feel fine for a moment.

scare me out of doing it, please.

Hello all! I (22F) am officially 92 days sober from alcohol. Very happy with my decision and wouldn’t trade my sobriety for the world. About 3 days ago I decided to switch from naltrexone pill to the shot (vivitrol) to combat cravings bc the pill was making me super drowsy.

However, I went to the obgyn yesterday and we discussed birth control. I decided on the Kyleena IUD, as it helps with periods a lot. However I know it’s super painful and im really anxious. The doctor offered me laughing gas, to which I told her im on the naltrexone injection. She said she’d check into it to make sure it’s safe and won’t interact, and would let me know when I got the call back to schedule my procedure. When I looked into it - most research said the naltrexone makes it less effective.

Does anyone have experience with this? I’m scared shitless ! Should I wait until my injection has worn off, get the procedure and then get my next injection? Thank you.

I’ve been reading about how nicotine can cause erectile dysfunction by reducing blood flow and messing with circulation. Supposedly, smokers are about twice as likely to experience ED compared to non-smokers.

I’m curious if anyone here has personally noticed this.

-Did you experience ED while smoking or vaping? -If you quit, did things improve (and how long did it take)? -Any advice for someone who’s worried about this side effect?

I think this is one of those “silent” effects of smoking that doesn’t get talked about much, but it could be a big motivator for people to quit. Would love to hear your experiences.

When searching how to quit other substance or behavioral addictions, there are many established sources that explain everything and suggest how to get out of it. The three most common: gambling, alcohol, and cigarettes. And sexualization in films and daily life has been normalized for at least 40 years, adding pornography makes it a relevant social factor. Why, if I search how to stop masturbating, do I only find TikTok gurus who want to sell you courses and no academic PDFs? The maximum you can expect specifically is to come across the NoFap phenomenon, but there is no scientific research and time-tested therapies. Why? Is masturbation addiction really a taboo?

My husband is an alcoholic and drug addict. He recently relapsed and has been on a serious bender. Whenever he goes on these benders he goes completely MIA. Won’t answer any of my calls or texts and refuses to come home. During these times he will couch surf at the same people’s houses. My husband gets so obnoxiously drunk and high that literally even those people (who are addicts themselves) don’t want him there. We have 2 small children together and I’m always just pleading with him to come home and get back on track. I remind him I love him and how much I wanna see him succeed. Of course he ignores all my efforts regardless. So I made the decision to shut his phone off. I figured maybe this way it will inadvertently make him struggle a little harder to get drugs when he can’t contact those people in his life. I figured he knows where I live and he knows my phone number, if he truly wants to get it together he will find a way to contact me. Not only that but maybe it will create some sanity for me so I don’t feel obligated to call and call and call. I do pay for the phone. But am I the asshole for turning it off? In just 3 short days of relapse he has lost his car, his job and missed his kids first day of school. Please any advice too would be helpful.

My parents are going to do a drug test and I'm screwed if I get caught. I smoke weed every day and the last time I smoked was this morning and three days ago I did MDMA. How can I make it so that the drug test shows nothing? Please help me with something, I’m desperate.

Can’t believe it’s been 7 days smoke-free! 🚭 I’ve tried quitting so many times before and always failed. I used to be a heavy smoker for 5 years — a pack a day, sometimes more. So yeah, making it a whole week feels like a big win for me 🎉 Sharing this to keep myself motivated and maybe inspire someone else who’s trying to quit too 💪✨ (App I’m using is called Quit Tracker)

I'm considering finding a new NA group or just stopping period. Now I don't judge based on people's appearance or look down on anyone. In fact im on the receiving end

2 nasty bitches approached me after the group when they were serving us a small meal. Both of them were criminal types and boasted about breaking into cars as if it was something to smile about instead of something regretful that came along with their addiction

They basically said youre not a addict, you look soft and couldn't play with a dealer. I was addicted to meth and they knew this. They were right, even during my addiction ive always been shy outside of times i was actually using. I never have been a big trouble maker but this was just disrespectful and also drew attention from everyone else bc they said it so loud

I didnt know addiction was a personality! So fucking dumb people think addiction means you look or act the same way

Every time I get behind the wheel I feel like something possesses me. Idk what it is I know one day it’s gonna catch up to me, I don’t want to go to jail I don’t want to hurt an innocent person. Also I have gender dysphoria but I have no way to transition rn so I guess I’m taking it out on something else

i have p*** addiction for years now, i feel ashamed of talking about this, im not even sure i will read the answers here, i feel like shit, i just want everyone to hate me so i can go with all my sins, im not gonna do something stupid like that, but i cant even look at myself in the mirror without feeling disgust, i started hitting myself to try and make me feel better, but it doesnt work, i thought i was brave but im not so sure anymore

Was scrolling through some news earlier and it hit me that I honestly don’t even reach for alcohol anymore. Kinda nice, especially since I’ve been trying to turn my life around.

Anyone else here on Mounjaro and noticed a drop in cravings for alcohol (or other stuff)? Curious if it’s just me or a common thing.

The news: A new study suggests that Semaglutide, widely known under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, may curb cocaine-seeking behaviour in rats, raising the possibility of a novel pharmacological approach to treating cocaine dependency in humans.

using it. My highest dose was 4ml which made me really sick. otherwise its 2ml 3/4 days I don’t think i can go cole tukey. Can you guys please give me taper off plan also motivation so that i can get out of this situation. I really your support how to taper off my plan is to take 1.5ml. Then 1ml from 2/3 days.then 0.5 for another 3days.please help me. Also if the pain is unbearable i have plan to take tramadol in controller dosage. Am i going in the right way?

Been taking it for about a moth. It time i should stop using it. My highest dose was 4ml which made me really sick. otherwise its 2ml 3/4 days I don’t think i can go cole tukey. Can you guys please give me taper off plan also motivation so that i can get out of this situation. I really your support how to taper off my plan is to take 1.5ml. Then 1ml from 2/3 days.then 0.5 for another 3days.please help me. Also if the pain is unbearable i have plan to take tramadol in controller dosage

I got lab drug tested about 128 hours(just over 5 days) after I did a gram or less of coke while I was drinking alcohol (a few bumps or lines) first time doing it. I passed 4 home test kits (no faint lines) 80-89 hours(just over 3 days) after doing it. I tried staying hydrated the days before the test, I lift a lot of weights. Also I drank a lot of water and peed a few times before the test. I’m 5’11 195 pounds in good shape. Will I pass?

I’m not even really sure where to start.

I’ve had a bad drinking issue ever sense my daughter was born in 2021. I was in an abusive relationship with her dad leading to drinking to cope.

The drinking to cope turned into drinking to drink. Then drinking to satisfy him intimately so he’d like me. It’s now next to impossible for me to not be so so painfully awkward or just not into it AT ALL no matter what unless I’m intoxicated. The man can be so so attractive and I could wanna bang the brain cells out of him and I just CANT. I feel broken. I have done SO much stupid shit / people (yes i know gross whatever) while drunk just to feel something even more. I’ve lost so many friends. My family is disappointed in me and they don’t even know hardly a sliver of it. the mom guilt takes over my life.

I feel like shit because I drink, then I drink to not feel like shit. I was downing nearly half of one of the giant platinum vodka bottles every night. Not only is it ruining my social life but my health is/was declining. I’m allergic to sulfates and maybe something else making me violently ill whenever I drink a canned drink or anything but vodka. I’ll straight up get the hives. And I just didn’t (and don’t sometimes) I still would and would just laugh it off when people got concerned.

I don’t drink everyday anymore. I was actually doing really good a few months ago. I was happy for the most part. I got lonely and started trying to get any man to love me but I had to be fucked up to hangout knowing all they wanted was sex. have an amazing job which I ACTUALLY love. It gave me some sort of purpose outside of moming, it gave me some AMAZING people, but they have no clue how fucked up I really am outside of work. It’s embarrassing. A couple of them know I have a really messed up home/family life but they all think I’m so strong. I’m not. I’m a substance abusing trash can. I’ve ruined romantic relationships with people who if I was sober would’ve been so good for me.

It got bad again for a bit and I’m not even sure why, nothing happened I just am not happy. I hate my body I hate my inside self I hate everything about me. I stopped drinking as much. I now have a different substance I abuse but I’m tired. This cycle seems never ending.

I don’t have health insurance, I can’t it from the state. I can’t afford breathing hardly. I want help. But I’m afraid they’ll try and take my baby from me. Not to mention I can’t afford any sort of new bill. I know I’m a good mom, I gentle parent and everything, she’s happy and my absolute life. But I also know I am not.

I think it’s hard because I feel guilty for not being sober but when I am I want to fly myself off a bridge and sleep forever.

I’m not even sure if any of this makes sense nor what I need. I’m lost. I’m alone. This is truly the first place I have finally let myself be honest.

I feel I'm going to have major cravings to use porn again soon I have most the shit off my phone no videos but I'm still dealing with what is all still on my phone and a lot of what I can see is surely going to bring me back to using pornography ugh