Does anybody have any longterm damages from abusing drugs?

[starting_over]

Ongoing light sensitivity due to leaving a bright flashing LED light by my eyes while on mdma... also got short term brain zaps from mdma abuse.

Lungs are now easily irritated due to cocaine and hydromorphone (microcrystalline cellulose in the crushed beads aren't supposed to be snorted).

GI system is wrecked due to cocaine and aspirin (and alcohol) -- I'm no longer able to drink alcohol or eat spicy food without getting an intense burning in my stomach. I now suffer from acid reflux and have to take proton pump inhibitors... this also led to a bunch of cavities due to dry mouth.

I was depressed for years and too reckless with my body... drugs were my escape. I'm paying for it now and have quit recreational drugs. Please be careful everyone.

 

[Trouble_In_Tha_818]

From Crystal Methamphedamine-
I had Been high on Speed for about 13 days and i was already feeling Dillousional, It was Night time And everyone at my home Was in Bed. you can say that i thought somthing was crawling in-between my ball&socket joint in my shoulder. I started Cracking it and can only do so in a weird painful Possition and when i was Succsesfull cracking it ifd get a Short feeling of joy Until i felt its time to crack again . After this night i always felt i had to crack it to not feel weird and its been about 2.5 to 3 years. Now my shoulder has worn out the bone has worn down to the point where its flat now when it used to be a circle bump if that makes sence
From all the Uncontrolable cracking of my shoulder i experience throbbing pains.They are Horrible.
Here is what physically happened to me from long term use

 

[Moreaux]

Hey Trouble! Consider seeing a doctor about your shoulder and getting a cortisone shot while they figure out a long term solution.

 

[drunkingskunk]

The Damage is Done. Now your only going to have to take legal Happy pills for all your Ills. And don't expect anything good like xanax because of your abusive behavior of drugs.

 

[motiv311]

my lungs are a bit tattered, and i know i probably have scar tissue on my liver and kidneys.... I am a bit overweight and have high blood pressure probably.... I am 30 and started using harder drugs at age 16....

 

[Moreaux]

Do lose hope for a good recovery. Or use drugs beginning at the age of 16 and only recently quit at the age of 34. I was a binge drinker her for 17 of those years and on Xanax daily for 10 years. My memory was shot, my anxiety was debilitating, my blood sugar was in the high range of normal, I was 35 lbs overweight, I appeared to be in my mind 50's, and I had neuropathy in my feet. I am almost 3 years sober and most everything has either corrected itself or dramatically improved. A few years ago I really believed I wasn't going to make it to the age of 40 and that I would die alone, stupid, and ugly. Thought it took time to improve, my blood work is excellent now and the neuropathy has gone away. The severe aging has reversed itself and I now look younger than my age. My anxiety which kept me isolated in my house for a few years has become manageable and I have finally been able to return to work. I can exercise daily again, and my memory continues to improve with each passing day. Yes, I still have highs and lows but it is manageable. Overall I am much healthier than I was in my twenties or late teens and am grateful. I know it's difficult but it is important to keep everything in perspective...sometimes improvements are small and barely noticeable so we get frustrated...as addicts we want everything to happen instantly and that is not realistic. I recommend keeping a health journal which allows you to more accurately measure your progress.

 

[Erikmen]

^ It seems you did quite well Moreaux. What a journey. I could say I've had similar problems in all areas, and to keep myself working and active I had pretty much every chemicals in my body. I kept on going to work and living as if nothing would come after me. I was so wrong. I had just about everything, from memory loss to coma. I now live calmly although I'm still very anxious. I have had a serious implant that now is my 'punishment'. It's possible that in 10 or 20 years I'll need to redo the operation. It's a shitty life I had chosen while I was a teenager and now, even after almost two years, I'm still struggling to find peace.The aging hard part is harder on me if I compare my life with someone who hasn't gone through all these long years of 'self-sedating'. But I'll take that one day at a time. Hoping for the best, but - everyone says, prepared for the worst.