Do you ever wonder if you’re a little too dependent on cannabis and want to take a step back? That can be pretty difficult for someone who’s been smoking or ingesting the plant for a while, which may fall into the category of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD).

Worry not, because CUD is a lot more common than you think, and most of the time, all it takes to beat it is someone to talk to and some willpower. Find out everything about CUD below.

According to Very Well Mind, cannabis use disorder is a common diagnostic given to individuals with problematic cannabis use, showing clear signs of dependence and/or addiction. Some reports say that only 10% of the 193 million cannabis users worldwide suffer from cannabis use disorder, but considering the list of symptoms below, it might be a bit more common than that.

It’s worth noting that CUD does not cause any physical symptoms like coughs, fatigue, that sort of thing; it’s more so looking at your dependency on the plant and examining when regular use becomes problematic. According to Very Well Mind, you could have CUD if you have two or more symptoms below.

• Craving cannabis
• Continuing to use the plant despite physical or psychological problems
• Continuing to use cannabis despite social or relationship problems
• Difficulty controlling or cutting down cannabis use
• Giving up or reducing other activities in favor of cannabis
• Problems at work, school, or home as a result of cannabis use
• Spending a lot of time on cannabis use
• Taking cannabis in high-risk situations
• Taking more cannabis than was intended
• Tolerance to cannabis
• Withdrawal when discontinuing cannabis

It’s a little tricky to pinpoint the cause of CUD, considering it’s a more personal condition that can get worse with stress, anxiety, emotional distress, depression, etc. Some experts believe that this disorder can be hereditary or genetic, so it might be of use to track your family history and notice if there are clear signs of addiction and substance abuse.

The best way to treat your cannabis use disorder is to open up and talk to someone about it. This is because chances are very high that you’re using cannabis to help combat the stress or depression that’s pushing you to use it, meaning some counseling or therapy will definitely be of use to rid yourself of life’s internal burdens.

This can be in the form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that looks at destructive thought patterns, Motivational Enhancement Therapy that’s short-term and designed to motivate the client, or even Contingency Management where the client establishes goals and sets rewards and penalities on their progress.