I started smoking weed around age 19 and was a pothead for a good decade. It "helped" me deal with anxiety by making me forget to care about anything, which was ultimately a waste of time and youth Back then weed and whiskey were my go to to forget my problems. I tapered off the weed and liquor over time and I now don't miss it at all. The very rare occasion that I try it again just makes me feel acutely intoxicated. Being drunk or stoned now feels like I fucked up and don't enjoy it. The addiction is not gone however, just replaced with light beer and tobacco For what it's worth, I've never missed a payment on anything and only skip about 1 or 2 days of work a year, even during the covid masking bullshit that lasted almost 2 years where I'm at. I know I'm not fixed yet but also not nearly as broken as so many of the younger generations seem to be.