mental-health/substance-use

It's the only thing that turns the volume down, and now it's the whole day

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Weed used to be a weekend thing and now it's the whole day. It turns the volume down on how heavy everything feels. I tried to take a day off and by the afternoon I was irritable and full of dread, so I gave up, and that freaked me out a little.

Last updated: July 2026

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What this can feel like

Weed used to be a weekend thing for me, and now it's kind of the whole day. I'm 23. First thing when I wake up, on my lunch break, until I fall asleep. It's the only thing that turns the volume down on how heavy everything feels, but lately even it isn't really working, I'm just doing it out of habit and to not feel the flat part underneath. I tried to take a day off last week and by the afternoon I was irritable and couldn't focus on anything and just had this dread, so I gave up. That's when I got a little freaked out, because I always figured this stuff wasn't the kind you could get hooked on. I ended up asking an AI at like 1am, kind of half-joking, 'can you actually be dependent on weed,' because it felt easier than asking a person who might look at me different. It said yes, it's real, and that I could talk to someone. I haven't. But I screenshotted it.

What's a first step I can take?

Ask what the day off felt like hour by hour Offer that a screening or confidential chat is a small next step

Common questions

You can. Heavy daily use can lead to real dependence and withdrawal, irritability, trouble sleeping, low appetite, and restlessness when you stop. Needing it to function or feel okay is a sign worth taking seriously, not a personal failing.

Often it's both. Using something daily to quiet a low or flat feeling can point to depression underneath, and the substance can deepen that over time. A clinician can help you look at both instead of treating just one.

Not at all, a screen can feel safer for a first honest sentence, and lots of people start there. The useful part is letting what you learn point you toward a person who can actually help.

Related

Say it back

How would you explain this to someone you love?

Two or three sentences, just as you’d say it. Gale reflects back what you focused on — a mirror, not a quiz.

If things feel heavy, a person is available anytime — call or text 988.

Talk to a clinician

Gale can help you find a clinician in your state and request a visit.

Find care →

When it's more than a habit

  • —Needing it just to feel normal, or to get through the day
  • —Trying to cut back and not being able to
  • —The low or flat feeling getting worse, not better, over time

If your thoughts ever turn to not wanting to be here, or you're worried about your safety, call or text 988 - the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free and 24/7. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

This is general information, not medical advice or a diagnosis. A clinician can help you look at both the substance use and how you've been feeling underneath it.

References

  1. 1. (2019). Young People's Online Help-Seeking and Mental Health Difficulties: Systematic Narrative Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research. linkYoung people frequently use online and digital channels for a lower-stakes first disclosure before approaching a person.

1 sources, numbered by first appearance. General health information, not medical advice. AI-assisted editorial content — citations link their sources. Editorial policy

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