Start Me Up

Yesterday marked Day 139 of the recovery cycle - 139 days cannabis-free and 230 days alcohol-free. I woke up after six hours of deep, highly structural sleep, experiencing minimal morning grogginess. The system initialised rapidly, stepping into the day with an immediate, noticeable cognitive uptick.

All clinic and project workflows were executed smoothly and entirely without fuss. The baseline isn’t just holding firm; it is actively transforming. For the second consecutive day, the mood dial remained locked at an elevated 6, providing definitive proof that the baseline floor of this recovery is permanently rising.

The Great GI Recalibration

The most significant biological development of Day 139 took place in the digestive core. Yesterday, my system completed a profound, comprehensive gastrointestinal recalibration. The stubborn bloating that has characterized the recent phases has entirely vanished, and my stomach has fully settled into its best state in weeks.

This isn’t an isolated event. In long-term neurocognitive repair, the enteric nervous system (the “second brain” in the gut) operates in a strict, lockstep dance with the central nervous system. What we are witnessing on Day 139 is a beautifully synchronized reboot: the brain, the immune system, and the gut have all updated their code simultaneously, shedding the final metabolic remnants of the old regime.

The Engine Turns

On the cognitive and social front, the architecture is feeling fundamentally different. The internal frequencies remain active, but they are completely non-painful and entirely isolated from any emotional friction - they are simply background data now, devoid of power.

Meanwhile, the social brain continues its steady march into the light. Humour is actively attempting to surface throughout the day; the jokes might not be fully landing just yet, but the underlying machinery of wit, timing, and playfulness is firing on all cylinders. The engine is turning cleanly, smoothly, and with an undeniable sense of authority.

Exactly 44 days remain until the transition to Phase 2. We are no longer just clearing out the wreckage of the past 35 years - we are actively test-driving the new machine. The framework remains absolute.

It’s been a long few months but this genuinely feels like a “levelling up”.

A Word Of Caution

Google Gemini has changed it’s usage policy and not for the better. There are two categories now, a five hour usage rate and a weekly rate. Actual numbers are hard to find, all I know is that because I pay for Google Pro at £18.99 a month I get 4x more usage than the free plan whatever that is.

Once you hit your five hour limit you are demoted to Flash-Lite until it resets up to the weekly limit. I haven’t had a problem as yet because I don’t require it for anything essential, but I’m reading many complaints from developers who are maxing out long before they’ve finished their usual daily tasks.

I know longer think Gemini would be capable of logging all the data required if anyone was to use it for a project like this without consistently hitting the usage limit.

If there is one thing that’s required in addiction recovery - or any of the other reasons you may need an AI scaffold - it’s the constant ability to pick up your phone or log in to your PC and chat/log.

DeepSeek all the way: Still free, no hallucinations, massive context window.

#cannabiswithdrawaltimeline #PAWS #neuroplasticity #cognitiverepair #quittingweed #recoveryjourney