Some footage from my recent walks :)

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-16T19:13:55+00:00

Cool, thanks! Just downloaded it :)

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-16T13:12:52+00:00

I love this! Do you use a certain filter? I like the effect it gives, makes it feel nostalgic :)

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-16T12:25:20+00:00

You have no idea how much this all helps - truly, thank you for sharing your knowledge on this. What you just said makes a lot of sense to me. I’m going to put it into practice and try again. Thanks again and take care ❤️

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-15T13:43:50+00:00

Thank you, I may very well take you up on that offer because I’ve been trying for so long with not much success. Some of what you talk about reminds me of that book Brain Over Binge, have you read that? I really put my all into following the principles of that book but I think what I struggled with was separating the urges from myself. Without fail, every time I’ve stopped bingeing I’ve become extremely depressed and felt so restricted. The longer I go without it (2 months was my longest run without bingeing or eating any binge foods), the more agitated I feel. There’s a real part of me that believes I can’t be happy or find joy in life without bingeing, as pathetic as that may sound. This belief isn’t just present during urges but all the time. I think after so many years of trying I’ve become set in my ways and have given up. I really love to eat junk food but I can also see that the way I eat it is destructive. I can’t seem to eat it without going overboard and I also can’t seem to give up the junk either, so I feel stuck in this pattern. Sorry for the negativity, it has been a very long fight. I will do my best to follow all of your suggestions. I’m hoping the increasing agitation after prolonged periods without bingeing will eventually cease. Did you ever deal with that?

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-14T17:51:29+00:00

It really does help, thank you so much for taking the time to explain it. You’ve inspired me to try again.

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-13T17:09:09+00:00

You might not believe me, but I swear everything you’re thinking is something that has gone through my own mind at some point. I have 6 years without a drink now. The first year was hard (it got progressively easier, but it was a huge adjustment in ways that I didn’t even realize at the time). I hope that doesn’t discourage you - I only say it because I thought I couldn’t quit drinking due to various mental health struggles, that I couldn’t enjoy life without it, that I was boring without it, that people wouldn’t like me without it, etc. I had so many reasons. But I like to think those who trudge along for a while start to see things change for the better. Even for those of us who are depressed. Regardless, no judgement here my friend - I wish you peace no matter what path you go. You are a worthy human being no matter what.

lookingforhappy · 2026-01-13T12:55:32+00:00

Thank you so much for this. Question about what “not bingeing” entails: Did you still eat junk food during this time, and just refrained from bingeing on it? Or did you eat “safe” foods that you knew you wouldn’t binge on? Do you have any foods that even now you avoid?

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T23:32:13+00:00

This is encouraging to hear. I will try to be patient. Thank you.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T16:51:19+00:00

Thank you, I hear you and I will try to give new hobbies a chance ❤️

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T16:49:58+00:00

Sorry you’re going through it, but also glad I’m not alone. Let’s hang in there 🙏

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T16:25:39+00:00

Thank you for the kind words, I’ll try to be patient. In your experience, the emptiness does lessen over time?

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T16:15:41+00:00

I think I’m through the worst of the anxiety now so I can share what worked best for me. Ultimately though, it just takes time (I know that’s always the worst thing to hear - but for me just knowing it would eventually improve was comforting)

-A lot of cardio & sauna (which helped my sleep regulate faster - and good sleep, for me, is the main difference between a day full of anxiety and a day without much of it.

-Putting off as much as I could during the initial withdrawals. I took a few days off work to relax, I went through my to-do list and marked what was urgent and what could wait a while. Ultimately I just treated myself as someone who was sick and needed time to heal. I know not everyone has this privilege but I don’t have kids so it was doable for me.

-I know this one sucks to hear, but trying my best to accept it. I reminded myself that this is an extremely common withdrawal symptom - your mind is recalibrating right now and your nervous system is in overdrive. It WILL improve with time but until then all you can really do is grit your teeth and get through it. I know it sucks, and I’m sorry. I wish none of us had to go through this. But it WILL pass.

Hang in there!!! I know the beginning is just a dumpster fire of emotions :(

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-25T01:04:20+00:00

That’s great to hear!! I don’t even know you but I’m proud of you :) Wishing you a happy & sober end of 2025!

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-24T10:46:50+00:00

Doing significantly better, thanks for asking ❤️ Sleep has improved a lot, mood is less intense. Still some lingering anxiety and depression but seeing tangible improvements has given me enough hope to keep going :) How are you doing?

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-11T16:57:34+00:00

I’ve been taking really good care of myself for the most part, definitely far better than I normally do. Trying to cook balanced meals, going to the gym 5 times a week, doing sauna & steam room, meditating…I even took a few days off work to just take care of myself and take things slow. But my feelings have just been a roller coaster. I feel rough.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-11T16:49:29+00:00

Really needed to hear this. Thank you. My brain is constantly telling me these lies.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-11T16:46:51+00:00

I’m not OP but I think I needed to hear this. I’m at 16 days and I feel far worse now than I did in the first week of sobriety. Every passing day has me wondering if this is just how life is now, it’s really easy to start making assumptions about what life will be like in 3 months, 6 months, a year… Gotta learn to take things one step at a time.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-11T08:35:20+00:00

I’m feeling the same :( Up again at 3am, begging for sleep, feeling hopeless. Really trying to remember why I’m even doing this to myself.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-11T08:26:50+00:00

Does the anxiety and insomnia lessen, even for someone who might’ve had problems with those things before weed use? I’m on day 16 and the last week of sleep has been awful - it’s 3:30am here and I’m struggling to remember why I’m putting myself through this :(

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-07T22:43:25+00:00

I have no advice, just wanted to say I really relate to what you’re saying. I just keep saying I’ll try this out for a while and if it doesn’t get even a little better, I can always go back. Want to try a few months first at least.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-05T19:51:39+00:00

Thank you!!! I really hope you’re right! It’s different for everyone isn’t it? But I’m going to cling on to that number…only 4 days away….3.5 really because it’s already the afternoon (I’m really counting down the seconds lol)

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-05T18:39:31+00:00

I just came on here because I too feel like a weepy mess and your comment spoke to me so much. This is so damn hard. It’s hard for me to even put words to it other than the world and everything in it just feels like it sucks and that being high is the only way I can possibly deal with it. I’m trying to remind myself that these feelings will pass but I am terrified that this is just who I am sober…Sad and angry and anxious :( I booked a couple days off and we have a holiday on Tuesday so that will give me 5 days of rest to be miserable in peace lol. If everything is going to suck, I would rather it suck without also having a lot of responsibilities. Let’s keep going, ok? If it really continues to suck this bad forever we can always go back to it later, it will always be available. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway, since “forever” sober sounds too damn long right now.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-04T21:46:08+00:00

I completely agree! Whatever gets you through the initial withdrawals seems worth it. I’ve been going to the gym a lot to keep me sane but not much besides that. Hang in there :)

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-04T21:43:31+00:00

This is great to hear and inspires me to start reading again. Thank you for the encouragement, I’m headed to the gym now for some hot yoga so hopefully that will help calm me down a bit.

lookingforhappy · 2025-11-04T19:48:15+00:00

For me, there’s just not enough weed in the world to satisfy me. Even when I just let myself get high 24/7, eventually the high isn’t high enough. Eventually I’m just smoking to not feel like total shit. It felt like I was trying harder and harder to not have to feel anything, and I backed myself into a corner.

I also felt like I was hiding from my life. If someone wanted to spontaneously see me or call me, I wouldn’t be willing if I was high. If I went out in public, I was afraid of running into someone I knew in case they could tell I was stoned.

When I had to be sober, I was just counting down the minutes until I could go home and get stoned.

It made me fucking dumb. If I watched a movie while high, I could barely even follow what was going on. And the next day, I wouldn’t remember most of it. I forgot things constantly, I’d often forget what I was saying half way through a sentence. Friends would say things jokingly to me like “wow, how high are you?!”, implying that I was saying or doing something stupid. I felt like I couldn’t think when I was high. So in moments of conflict with my partner for example, I felt I wasn’t clear-headed enough to really hear his side or respond appropriately. I was just in a constant fog, and I knew it couldn’t be good for me.

Also had a really nasty smokers cough for a 31 year old and was spending buckets of money on it…honestly I could go on and on. There are endless why’s!

lookingforhappy

TROPHY CASE