| T: um I'm gonna do it | |
| C: okay i guess i guess something happened over this past week i I've been looking for a new job since i left my last one and I found I found this really good job on the internet but the problem is that the job is working with kids and they they have to do a drug test in order for me to get the job and it kind of like it made me think is made me think a little bit more about something that I've been considered for a while which is kind of just giving up giving up we'd forget like I've been thinking about it for a while but a guy also kind of think about the way the way we'd really helps me in like if I'm ever feeling like really really anxious about something um I mean we'd kind of as he chill out hub sort of relax and I just don't know if I'm ready to give that up yet | |
| T: so the marijuana has real value for you but you don't want to see going | |
| C: yeah yeah it does it's a it's like a way to self-medicate in the way and | |
| T: at the same time you would like this job | |
| C: yeah so I could see how this would be a you know pincher | |
| C: right yet I'm just kind of like it's put me in a difficult spot like I definitely I definitely want to get that job but you know if I cut it if I cut out smoking like I don't know what else I would do like if I if I started to have a panic attack or if if I was really like anxious about like anything that I'm worrying about I got all I don't when I did Cubs | |
| T: have you been treated for anxiety before | |
| C: um I I did therapy for a little bit but it was like I don't know back then it was kind of like when anxiety was just starting so it wasn't too big of a problem so I like I click there because it was really doing that much yeah | |
| T: you take the marijuana for any other reason other than to help with the anxiety | |
| C: I mean like if i'm bored or maybe if i'm like hanging out with buddies like I don't really have a reason not to do it like until now but it wasn't like like I really use it whenever I like feeling really anxious about something | |
| T: so and you may not be able to answer this question but if you didn't have any anxiety would that change your motivation to use marijuana | |
| C: if I didn't have like any kind of anxiety um like it would simply kind of tough to give up because like if I'm hanging out my buddies they offer it to me like that's that's all that's pretty chill but um I don't like I really I'm really looking forward to this job and like the benefits of having that job without weighing the benefits of just like smoking smoking my money's so | |
| T: so you're excited with the job | |
| C: I am yeah it's it's almost kind of a dream job | |
| T: tell me about it | |
| C: well it's working with its working with kids with autism and the school so look I would be kind of like a almost like a personal ta in a way so like it's a part of an inclusion program so when the kids are going into the class like I would either sit with them or like maybe back behind the class and kind of like help them out in case something comes up and it's like since my brother as autism that's like it's that's something that I've always really kind of wanted to work with | |
| T: so sounds like a real passion for this type of work and and really the big obstacle here is this marijuana | |
| C: it is it's like a catch- too because it's like I know the job would be great but it's like it's a it's a big step for me to take that job and it's it's going to be super it's gonna make you super anxious you know it's going to be like it's going to be a lot of anxiety taking a new job so it's like if I have to give up the marijuana and then like not have another way to cope with anxiety like to get the job it's that's a good like a catch- | |
| T: yeah it's a predicament yeah you're kind of weighing both sides of this right now I'm wondering do you have you think you have like a physical craving for the marijuana | |
| C: yeah I mean no not really | |
| T: so you're really using it recreationally and as an anti-anxiety agents | |
| C: yeah pretty much | |
| T: so if you were I know you didn't have great success before in therapy we want to combat anxiety but if you were being treated for anxiety and working that job which seems like you would really like do you think you would be able to stay away from marijuana | |
| C: I think if the therapy really worked I would be able to UM like it's just so easy now just to kind of light up like that's an easy fix and like I don't think therapy is gonna be that instead so like you know it it would be tough I think if I had real confidence that the therapy would work I could do it but I mean it would have to it would definitely have to work like I just as well as as smoking you would need to see results yeah yeah definitely | |
| T: would having the job that you're passionate about reduce your anxiety | |
| C: after a while like after I got use of the job but like just starting the new job would make me kind of anxious and then like it would be tough not to not to smoke while doing that like I don't I I don't even get why they drug test anymore because like it's it's been decriminalized being legalized in so many places and there's so much research saying it's not that bad it's kind of like it's really upsetting that the place that I really want to work as that policy I think it's really silly | |
| T: you're frustrated marijuana is illegal yeah it's yeah at the same time it's the reality you're living it right yeah it's I think it will be legalized and like in the state in a couple years but until the end like I mean I can't wait that long to start start working so | |
| T: until then you still need to address this dilemma | |
| C: right yeah these soil problem | |
| T: so you have choices here right you can continue to use marijuana and take the job right and that seems like something that has some advantages for you but some some disadvantages right because you would really like that job | |
| C: yeah and i was it's it sound sympathetic to be like no I don't want to take my dream job because I need weed like such it was stupid | |
| T: so what do you think you are in terms of making this change you feel motivated to take some steps toward it | |
| C: I don't like I'm I'm so kind of on the fence because like if I if I have to give it up for the job I could do that but I would definitely need like some other way to get rid of all this anxiety like whether it's therapy or whether it's like something else I yeah i would i would definitely need like a substitute if I got rid of it for good | |
| T: so you definitely say you definitely need it so you can't give up the marijuana unless you have some other available alternative that would help with that anxiety right that's that's key to you to make this change yeah but at the same time that would be ideal because then you could take the job | |
| C: right yeah I mean I mean if I really thought that I could like it's some kind of treatment that was as good as weed yeah I mean I could i get them maybe quit and especially the house to get this job especially | |
| T: so with anxiety reduction your chances of stopping marijuana increase and then you could take the child that you want yeah yeah I've been notably the best best outcome is that the outcome you would most want | |
| C: yeah i think so i think i could give up wrecker like doing it my buddies recreationally I could yeah I'm just light up a cigarette | |
| T: so here's what I'm thinking and let me know what you think about this when you come back next week right what if we start looking at this anxiety if we start you know I start treating this anxiety you know I see if we can get it reduced and kind of work from there because maybe when you start to feel if that works and that anxiety starts to abate it sounds like it'll just be easier for you to stop the marijuana usage yeah what kind of time frame are you on terms of taking this job | |
| C: I mean the job it has a high turnover rate so like even if I like I need to apply this week but if I don't get in more likely another position like it will open up like within a month or two | |
| T: and when would they drug test you | |
| C: um it would be like a right after I apply so if I applied and then did the interview that's when they will give him the paperwork and I have to give you a drug test when was the last time you spend more on | |
| C: just a couple days ago to | |
| T: see what I'm getting at | |
| C: yeah yeah it's a yeah so I like I wouldn't be able to do I wouldn't be able to make it this application but I would like to be off it by the next one | |
| T: so you're fortunate in the sense that the turnover is high right because it gives you opportunity to apply later on so do you feel like you could invest in that plan let's work on the anxiety see what happens with marijuana see if we can reduce your usage of it or have you stopped that all together and then kind of move toward this job | |
| C: yeah yeah I could deal with that | |
| T: alright so the next time you come in we'll start talking about the anxiety and let's see what we can do about that move from there all right yeah it sounds good that's good thanks Scott thank you |