Whether it’s alcohol abuse treatment, heroin, or any other substance the drug rehab process can be extremely difficult. One of the lesser talked about drugs that can put you into substance abuse treatment centers is marijuana. Although many now tout the medicinal benefits it can have weed addiction treatment is a very real and serious thing.

This problem can be exasperated, especially in people with a mental illness. At least 20% of people with a mental illness have a co-occurring substance use problem. In general, people with a mental illness are twice as likely to have a substance use problem compared to the general population. While men have higher rates of addiction than women, women have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders.

Regardless, anyone can become addicted at virtually anytime. Weed addiction treatment typically doesn’t involve much more than quitting, but there are things to watch out for when attempting to get clean that could stand in your way. Here are three of the biggest factors.

1. Dependency: As most people know, you can’t technically be addicted to cannabis in the way the human body becomes addicted to things like nicotine in cigarettes or crack cocaine. Instead, you become what’s known as dependent. The difference is there are usually no withdrawal-like symptoms that come with weed addiction treatment, but there are still negative consequences.
   
   You might not get the headaches, sickness, or other conditions other stopping harder drugs cold turkey can induce, but you will find it hard to get through a regular day without it. Even little things like going to the store or talking to a friend can seem hard if you’re used to always being high while doing it.
2. Vivid Dreams: One of the most shocking aspects of weed addiction treatment for many is the onset of vivid dreams after you stop smoking. There is a scientific explanation behind this as weed suppresses your bodies ability to achieve REM sleep. This is the deep sleep where dreaming occurs. If you suppress something in your body long enough it will come back with a ‘rebound effect’ when you finally quit smoking.
   
   Essentially, your body is trying to catch-up on all the lost REM/dream sleep. These dreams can be intense and uncomfortable to wake up from, which leads many people right back to the green substance that got them there to avoid it altogether.
3. Loss of Appetite: Along the same lines of dependency, it can be hard for a seasoned stoner to eat after quitting weed. It’s common knowledge that weed typically builds an appetite so it only makes sense that stopping can make it hard for your body to know when it’s hungry.

Finding and dealing with weed addiction treatment is especially important in adolescents. People between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to experience mental illness and/or substance use disorders than any other age group. The sooner you can identify a substance problem the sooner you can begin weed addiction treatment.