How to deal with pushy friend?

[Onion_Man]

I have a friend that is overwhelmingly pushy with drugs. He mostly takes legal highs with obscure names like "pink panther", I think they're some sort of amphetamine/MDMA type drug. I've decided that I don't want to get into legal highs but he won't stop pushing them on me. I'm currently taking an SSRI for depression and have heard that mixing them with certain drugs can cause serotonin levels to reach dangerous levels which can be fatal. I've tried to warn him, but he's not interested, and just makes statistics up on the spot like "there's only a 1% chance". I also have no idea what these drugs are, and I don't think he knows either. He's always patronising me for choosing to have a couple of drinks with friends instead of taking this stuff, even though he mixes this stuff with alcohol on nights out without even thinking.

I know the simplest answer would be "get new friends" and that's certainly a long-term solution. However, we have a lot of mutual friends which means I have to hang out with him a lot and I'm going to a festival with him in a couple of weeks. He's also taken advantage of me once when I was drunk once and made me take it, so I'm pretty anxious about that happening again. I've showed absolutely no interest since then and yet he still pushes. He even tells me stories about how he hates being an addict and wants to quit, then five minutes later he's telling me I should be taking them, which I don't understand at all.

Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with people like this?

 

[deos68]

Pushy ass friends won't understand until you make it clear you don't wanna try something just because they're doing it.... Grow a pair son

No need to feel like a punk either hell youre lucky many friends I had back in my hay day would never wanna share lol

From 29 yrs of exp friends like that will be the one to leave you when your choking on your own vomit

new friends wouldn't be a bad idea
You never know

 

[zirbeldude2]

I hate such people.
Once in school someone in our class talked a girl into smoking pot....I dont know who it was and she didnt want to tell because her boyfriend would have beaten up that douche.

I still feel a bit bad for giving someone the opportunity to take h.
He was interested and I didnt talk him into taking it.
Im glad he didnt become addicted.

 

[T. Calderone]

No, you don't "have" to hang out with this guy or anybody else if you don't want to. If you cannot be more assertive with saying no, it's time to stop to quit the whole group. This person is not your friend. (Moving to Sex, Love and Relationships)

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

Start hammering him with questions when he wants you to take something. Ask him what drug(s) are in the product, the ld50 of the drug, long/short term side effects, etc. and when he can't answer these questions just strait up tell him he's stupid for taking something he knows nothing about.

 

[Ligaturd]

Absolutely avoid serotonergic drugs, especially stimulants while taking SSRI's. Tell him it's dangerous and just plain stupid. Even plain amphetamine can be bad on SSRI's. You are right to be weary of taking RC stimulants on your medication. Explain this to him clearly, that you can get serotonin syndrome or even just moderately negative effects making it pointless to take for the purposes of getting high and possibly risky. If he doesn't stop after you educate him as to why you shouldn't take them, then he isn't your friend obviously if he has no concern for your wellbeing.

 

[pofacedhoe]

how hard is it to tell him to fuck off.

he doesn't know what he is taking, cant tell you and is trying to get you to take it so he doesn't look like the only one on some random shit drugs

its very simple. tell him to fuck off if he pulls that shit. i'm sorry but forcing drugs on people is aggressive, why do you hang out with him? why?

 

[Onion_Man]

how hard is it to tell him to fuck off.

he doesn't know what he is taking, cant tell you and is trying to get you to take it so he doesn't look like the only one on some random shit drugs

its very simple. tell him to fuck off if he pulls that shit. i'm sorry but forcing drugs on people is aggressive, why do you hang out with him? why?

This guy is like a master of manipulation. He's pressured countless people into taking this shit, mainly inexperienced people who only use alcohol and cannabis. I guess I do lack assertiveness skills, but this guy is like the pushiest guy I've ever met.

I only hang out with him because of mutual friends. I saw him more when we were at uni together, now I see him like 3 times a year or something due to social events. I have a festival coming up in a few weeks which he is going to as well.

The main anxiety I have about this festival is the possibility of drink spiking or something, he's quite prone to playing "pranks". Although I'm often very cautious with drinks, never letting them out of my sight. He "joked" about spiking me with MDMA at a house party once, I think that's where this fear comes from.

 

[Airmid]

If you do not feel assertive enough to deal with this tosspot head on and it's complicated because you have mutual friends. Why not just lie? say you have developed a heart condition of some description and you've already been hospitalized twice and are now not just on SSRIs but beta blockers or some other shit, you can easily look up from the internet. That way, I know means lying to all of them but it's one way out because he cannot argue over that and in addition your other friends will keep a closer eye on you. It may mean watching your alcohol consumption but that sounds wise in the situation anyway.

 

[pofacedhoe]

This guy is like a master of manipulation. He's pressured countless people into taking this shit, mainly inexperienced people who only use alcohol and cannabis. I guess I do lack assertiveness skills, but this guy is like the pushiest guy I've ever met.

I only hang out with him because of mutual friends. I saw him more when we were at uni together, now I see him like 3 times a year or something due to social events. I have a festival coming up in a few weeks which he is going to as well.

The main anxiety I have about this festival is the possibility of drink spiking or something, he's quite prone to playing "pranks". Although I'm often very cautious with drinks, never letting them out of my sight. He "joked" about spiking me with MDMA at a house party once, I think that's where this fear comes from.

yeah again, why are you friends with this group of people when he likes spiking people and they like him? just move on

also you would know if there was mdma in your drink, it tastes foul

 

[Noodle]

I would leave this friend behind.

If the relationship isn't all about drugs, then give this friend some space away from you.

I never do things I have no interest in. Sound thinking on not doing something while on an SSRI.

I'm not a fan of a lot of big pharma solutions to life issues, like depression. Most drugs they push out treat symptoms and do not address root causes.

Putting yourself at risk by mixing unknowns isn't ever a good idea.

Good on you for being informed enough to not take that risk.

 

[Pretty_Diamonds]

This guy is like a master of manipulation. He's pressured countless people into taking this shit, mainly inexperienced people who only use alcohol and cannabis. I guess I do lack assertiveness skills, but this guy is like the pushiest guy I've ever met.

I only hang out with him because of mutual friends. I saw him more when we were at uni together, now I see him like 3 times a year or something due to social events. I have a festival coming up in a few weeks which he is going to as well.

The main anxiety I have about this festival is the possibility of drink spiking or something, he's quite prone to playing "pranks". Although I'm often very cautious with drinks, never letting them out of my sight. He "joked" about spiking me with MDMA at a house party once, I think that's where this fear comes from.

Ok, so I know that you didn't want us to say, don't be friends with him...
But... I really think that's a good option. Lol. Or at least talk to him and tell him that you don't appreciate it and you would rather him not ask you to take anymore drugs because you don't want to be an addict like him. That would probably hurt his feelings but make it more serious and he'll probably think twice about asking you.