I have a lot on my mind and I need to share. There is a lot of reading ahead if you wanna get the full story but here’s a TL;DR if you just want that:

I’m 23 and started smoking weed in 2021 to cope with social anxiety and isolation during college. Initially, it helped me build confidence and make friends, but since 2022, daily use (1-2g) has negatively impacted my life. My memory is poor, I’ve lost interest in activities, and I feel lonely and stuck in my head. I regret wasting time in college and avoiding relationships. I want to quit, rebuild my passions, and improve my life in 2025, but I struggle with cravings and negative thoughts. How do others overcome this and make lasting changes?

Now for the actual story, it’s long sorry lol:

I'm only 23 and I know there are people on here who are much older or have been smoking from a lot longer, but my journey started with weed in 2021.

l used to be a chubby, self conscious, shy guy. When I was in my first couple years of college, I became crippled under the social anxiety and holed up in my room like a hermit. I didn't talk to anyone, didn't join any clubs, didn't make any friends, didn't go to any parties...just sat in my room with constant stomach pains and bad thoughts. Till this point in time I had never even touched alcohol, drugs, or nicotine.

Anyways, my friend gave me a portion of a wonka bar and I didn't know doses yet so I took the whole thing and I got super messed up. I was panicking, on the verge of puking every second...it was the worse night in a while. I didn't touch weed again until maybe 10 months later or so. In my junior year all my roommates smoked weed, so what did I do? I started smoking weed. as we all know, when we start out smoking, it's a treat. It's amazing. I felt like I could do anything and be anyone. I began talking to people, making friends, and learning how to like talk to people... all because I started smoking weed.

Now let's fast forward to today. Since like fall 2022, I have been smoking weed every single day, at LEAST 1g a day (which is now more like 2g ). That may not seem like a lot, but now, I no longer enjoy weed. I'm high so often. My memory is terrible, I never want to leave the house. I'm still a shy person, but I know how to talk to people. But whenever I actually want to go out to a bar or something, I just regress back into my mind. I worry no one will want to talk to me, be friends with me, and more. I've never been in a romantic relationship either and it kills me which is a reason why I smoke. I also get EXTREMELY bored VERY quickly. All the things I used to enjoy, I don't anymore. They feel like chores to me. I honestly find myself just sitting, staring, and thinking in my fogged up, mushy head. I'm just so lonely. I have a small group of friends and family and I have a job, but I just can't seem to find the energy to go out and talk to people, meet them. My quality of life has deteriorated since I started using every day.

I've tried to quit before but every time the seduction of weed always pulls me back in. I've done shameful things, and I regret wasting my time in college and wasting my time in the pursuit of a romantic relationship.

I want to quit because I want to be social. I want to be happy. I want to pursue my passions without abandoning them 20 minutes later. People of this subreddit, how did you get over the hump? How did you get past the withdrawal, the negative thoughts, the cravings? I want to change my life and I don't want 2025 to be a blur like this one. How did you guys find success?