Why would someone get high every single night?

[Kaiten]

I'm wondering this out of complete curiosity. I hope that someone will be able to explain it to me. I actually intend to ask them myself, but I want to phrase the question sensitively because I really want the answer.

 

My roommates smoke weed to get high literally every single day (I'm being completely literal). It's the only thing they do consistently besides going to work. When you get high, according to everyone I know, you get lazy and just sit around, watching TV or something of that nature.

 

It's just a really odd situation to me because right now, we're all financially dependent upon each other to stay where we are in order to be able to pay rent and eat, so I wonder why would anyone spend 100% of their free time high if they're not saving money and financially stable. I'd expect that they'd get a second job (I'm the only one with 2 jobs, actually).

 

I'm interested to know why someone would do this to themselves (and their girlfriends) because in a way I find it fascinating.

[Nowty V]

There is a myriad of reasons, mainly psychological.

 

You've been doing it so long you form a psychological addiction.

 

Insecurity = when you're stoned you're stoned, not insecure.

 

Introvert/HSP = When you're stoned you're the same as everyone else who's stoned. Drugs are a great leveller.

 

You think it gives you a personality, before you felt lacking, but now you're a stoner; you're a character.

 

You had no mates, now you buy drugs you're part of a whole network; people befriend you and include you in a society; they get to sell you drugs and fund their own habit.

 

Drugs are an escape from a reality where you felt unfulfilled.

 

You wrongly believe drugs help you de stress, soon you find yourself flipping out over menial stuff.

 

People who have a poor self image wrongly assume drug use brings the required improvement, and gravitate toward them, they believe it brings them 'cool'.

 

The reality is

 

You waste your money on crap

 

You become unhealthy, personal hygiene slips, mental instability creeps up on you.

 

When you lose your job you can't buy drugs and lose the 'friends' that went with it.

 

You fail at university.

 

You become disillusioned with life.

[Kaiten]

Hm. Put that way it's actually not very far from reasonable. Things like character, security, and depth of personality are all things that I want and aspire to. Thanks for your answer.

[Nowty V]

You're welcome.

 

Authenticity is about being true to yourself in each and every moment.

 

Our lives often turn on what seem to be the most trivial of occurrences: a chance meeting, or a single sentence that was or wasn’t said.

 

To navigate life successfully, and make the best decisions for yourself at any given moment, you need to be authentic – to be able to counter external influences pulling you to go against the grain of your gut feelings.

 

In a typical day, most of us will have at least some time when we can be truly ourselves; but for many parts of the day we are putting on a performance.

 

For good reason we do not say or show what we truly think or feel.

 

Aim at being authentic. The rest will come naturally.

[Nikki Sahagin]

Escapism.

 

 

Perhaps a way to cope with boredom, depression or anxiety.

 

 

A way to avoid reality and responsibility.

[mrs rubble]

I don't actually think smoking weed is that bad, I'd rather be around stoned people than drunk people. I've never encountered a violent or aggressive person on weed.

My ex husband used it as a form of self medication, he has epilepsy and would smoke weed when he felt like he was going to have a seizure. I've personally witnessed him have pre-seizure symptoms, flicking of the eyes, disappear after a smoke.

I know many people who have smoked it for years and held down a job. Some are very creative on it and produce great art.

I'd be more worried about heavy drinking or other drug use, these are the substances that turn people into monsters.

[GunslingerRoland]

I think it all depends, if he's high every minute he's not working it's definitely an issue. But is smoking a joint after work, that much different than having 2 glasses of wine or beer as many people do?

 

And I haven't smoked pot in a long time, but you don't have to just around watching TV, you are a little more laid back, but it doesn't stop you from doing other things...

 

As for the financial aspect, if there is one thing I've learned about lower income people, it's that they know how to waste money much worse than higher income people. (not talking about the actual poor). It's funny how people I've known with low incomes are more likely to shop at 7-11 and people with higher incomes are more likely to shop at Costco, Walmart or Superstore and buy items at a fraction of the price.

 

People always find money to buy liquor, smokes and drugs.

[T-16bullseyeWompRat]

Idk I'm a "functioning pothead" in that I'm high nearly always. Even at work, every day. I'll step out to my car to have a cig and take a couple tokes off a bowl. Never been fired from a job. I've been at my current workplace over 6 years, the one before that for over 5 years, the one before that for over 4 years... It's not like I'm lazy. Perfect attendance records, work place rewards and recognition at every job. I've moved up in every job to management with the exception of my current job, but not for lack of offers. I just don't like managing others as I have a hard time delegating and just prefer to do the work myself. I'm also to lenient on others. Basically I realized I'm not really manager type material so I don't go there anymore. Also my pay in sales is greater then a lot of management and I like the independent nature of sales in that if you are hitting your numbers, basically you can just show up and go home and nobody gives you any crap about anything. You are left to do your own thing at work. Which is pretty cool!

 

I don't fit any pothead stereotypes about laziness or couch potato or paranoid or any of that stuff. I work better when I'm high. So I don't think I use it to avoid responsibility. In fact it's quite different, I use it to enjoy my responsibilities. It makes the mundane and boredom of certain situations tolerable for me. Like doing dishes sucks ass, but when I'm high, its not that big a deal. For me I guess it's more about improving my mindset and it truly does help me. Even my wife, who doesn't smoke, makes comments on when I'm being lazy sober like "maybe you should go smoke" or "probably because you're not high" and things like that. She sees a difference in my level of enjoyment of life as well as my initiative to get things done when I'm high is much greater then when I'm sober.

 

Now I've tried to quit before mostly for reasons of money. It can be expensive and I feel guilty at times about the amount of money I spend on weed and that it can go to better things then that. Yet my temper is different, I'm much more short tempered. Things that wouldn't bother me when I'm high suddenly do when I'm sober. Minor annoyances don't roll off my back any longer. I become lazy about house work. I don't actively engage customers to make sales. My initiative takes a huge dive. I've been sober for long enough to test the effects on myself after extended periods of soberness. I don't change, it doesn't get better. My mood and drive and happy go lucky attitude are all but gone. I've told my wife I don't want weed to be a crutch. Quit for six months before. She was encouraging me to go back to it before long, but I stuck it out telling her "look I just need more time I'll come around, be the same ol me at some point" but it just doesn't happen.

 

I truly feel I am a better person a little blazed then not. I'm more patient with my kids, more understanding and tolerable of people. Minor annoyances don't bother me and i might not even notice them really. I work harder both at work and at home. My attitude is way better. My outlook on life in general is way better. My desire to please my wife and kids is much greater. I feel I'm more compassionate towards others. More in tune with others feelings. A better listener. In general, I just care a lot more when I'm high. I don't know what that says about me, negatively or positively. I may be a minority in this regard, but I don't think im unique. There is a place for weed for a lot of people in the world.

 

Now is that how your roommate is using it? Probably not. I see their use more like those who have a drink every night before bed. Maybe just to relax a bit. I watch TV and when drinks are served everybody is stoked and happy and studio audiences are cheering and clapping and hooting and hollering. It is so socially acceptable to have a drink every night that nobody thinks twice about it. As long as it doesn't have a negative impact on the rest of their life or those in their life, people are all for it. Brag about how much they drink and all that and everybody likes that story. So I don't see the difference in doing the same with weed. It's just no the social norm yet, but it will probably get there one day and negative thoughts and connotations about weed will die off. And perhaps one day on a cooking show when they add cannabutter to a cookie recipe the studio audience will be cheering and hooting and hollering just like they do now for alcohol.

 

I certainly don't think weed is for everyone. It can have negative impact on one's life, but so does alcohol, cigarettes, prescription drugs, fast food, gambling, shopping... On and on. The person is the problem, not the substance. When a person loses control of themselves, that is their short comings. Not the product or substance they wish to cast blame on. But that is a different argument about personal responsibility and the ability to have introspection and learn what you need to stay away from and where you lose control and having the self awareness enough to know what you need to stay away from as well as the self control to do so.

 

Anyway, I'm just rambling at this point.... Haha sorry about that