Does a use diary help when quitting cannabis?

A use diary can help you see your own use in the first place. In the online program Quit the Shit, it is the core element: you keep it for four weeks and set your goal yourself. Whether it moves you forward depends on how regularly you write and whether you seek support.

How the diary is set up in the program

In the program, you keep the diary for four weeks. You set the goal yourself, and it can be cutting down or stopping altogether. You receive individual support along the way. The program page describes the exact process.

What a diary makes visible

Anyone who notes their use sees how often it happens, what triggers it and in which surroundings. Useful details include time, place, amount and mood beforehand. Decisions made in passing become tangible through notes, and that is often where a change can start.

You do not have to record every detail. What matters is that the entries are true. Anyone who sugarcoats amounts ends up with a picture that is not accurate, and the diary loses its use.

What the diary cannot do

The diary is a tool. It does not replace a medical check if you notice physical or mental complaints after stopping. Questions about health belong with a doctor's practice.

Four weeks is a manageable period. If you do not reach your goal, that is information you can keep working with. The article What to do after a relapse with cannabis? sets out steps for the time afterwards.

Keeping an eye on use and dependence

With ongoing use, psychological dependence can develop. According to the BIÖG, roughly one in eight people who use cannabis becomes dependent. If you keep the diary and miss your goal several times, that is a sign to add counseling.

It helps to look at how dependence can be recognized. The article How do I recognize cannabis dependence? describes the signs in more detail.

Why use should be tracked

According to the BIÖG, the risks of cannabis are especially high for young people, because THC disrupts the maturing processes of the brain. It is therefore worth tracking your own use even when it seems harmless to you. A diary is a simple way to start.

What you can note in the diary

A useful note is short and regular. Helpful details are the date and time, the place, the occasion, the amount, the type of use, and your mood before and after. You do not have to record every small thing. What matters is that the details are complete enough to show patterns.

If you note amounts, always use the same unit, ideally grams. The limits in the law are also given in grams. For people aged 18 and over, possession of a maximum of 25 grams is permitted (section 3(1) KCanG). Looking at your own amount helps you judge your stock realistically.

Recognizing patterns

After about two weeks, it is worth a first look at your entries. Look for situations in which you use more often: after work, at weekends, under stress or with certain people. Such patterns are the real gain from a diary, because they show where a change can start.

Pay attention to days without use as well. What was different on those days can point to the circumstances that help you.

Setting a goal you can measure

A goal such as “use less” is hard to check. It becomes more concrete with details such as “on no more than two evenings a week.” You can compare goals like these with the diary after one or two weeks and adjust them if needed.

The goal belongs to you. You do not have to keep a promise to anyone else, and there is no test to pass. If a goal does not fit, that tells you something you can use, and you can adjust it.

Common misunderstandings about the diary

• “If I write it down, I have it under control.” The diary makes use visible. You have to change it yourself.
• “I only write when I use a lot.” Small, regular amounts belong in the diary too.
• “A relapse means everything was in vain.” A relapse is information about triggers. The article What to do after a relapse with cannabis? explains what helps afterwards.

Taking notes into counseling

Your notes can help you describe your situation in counseling. Bring them when you have an appointment, and ask which offers suit your situation, such as individual sessions or group offers. An overview is in the article Group offers for people who use cannabis.

Weekly review as a supplement to single notes

At the end of each week, sum up on how many days you used, in which situations this happened and what was different from the week before. This review is quick to do and shows more than single notes. It also shows progress that might otherwise get lost in everyday life.

If one week feels worse than the previous one, write down what contributed to it. Often it is lack of sleep, an argument or a fixed evening commitment. These details are the basis for a conversation with a counseling service.

Noting physical and mental changes

Alongside your use, it is worth noting sleep, appetite, mood and concentration. These details matter when you speak with a doctor. According to Sucht Schweiz, memory and concentration are impaired in some people who use heavily over a long period; these impairments largely disappear again once use stops. If you track concentration in the diary, you can notice changes more easily.

Also write down how you feel after a day without use. These observations show whether use plays a role in your mood. The diary does not replace a diagnosis. It does, however, provide material for the conversation.

What you can do now

• Before you start, decide which details you want to note.
• Write on the same day, not later from memory.
• After two weeks, discuss what you see with a counseling service if you want to. An overview is in the article Where do I find an addiction counseling service for cannabis?
• Read the program outline in advance in the article How does the Quit the Shit online program work?