is it possible to use heroin recreationally/infrequently?

[psytaco]

Some of the threads (such as the Smackie thread) have got me thinking about this question. I have never tried heroin as I have always had the perception of it as a very addictive and seductive substance. I do have some experience with opiates, having used codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone extensively. However, they have always had certain pull to me, particularly oxy, which I felt compelled to use daily. I was luckily able to stop use of it altogether before I experienced withdrawal. As a result of this, I have steered clear of smack. I reason, if I like the weaker opiates alot, then I will surely LOVE heroin.

Many of the threads on here that talk about heroin also have posters talk about their struggles with addiction. Heroin certainly has a reputation as being one of the most addictive drugs. Have many on here been able to keep their use minimal? Or for most heroin users, did the use quickly get out of control? I am sure that there are people who use recreationally and have never been addicted, but I would be interested to hear all peoples stories.

I would be particularly interested to hear if those who IV have been able to keep their use minimal.

 

[SpiritFolk]

Yes you can.

It is possible but damn fuckin hard, and once you slip
In so quick from getting a mad score, and shooting daily even for a short period of time, your back on the heroin train and the consequences are dire.

I had to maintenace for four years and rehab for 4 months to get clean. I got robbed and bashed, earnt a crim record, and ripped off strangers without a second thought, and from family with fuck all guilt.

I have been clean now for five years and would say I have had bout 5-7 shots of gear. All the times were while drunk and spur of the moment things. I hope I never go back to full time use as it is such a waste of life, and physical desperation once your deep hooked is devilish to get off.

So yeh it is possible, but takes extreme discipline to never have 2 shots 2 days in a row, as it's such a sneaky high after a few goes your subconscious is already thinking bout how u going to get enough money for a week, just a holiday, then pretty much it's got ya!!!!!!

 

[Jakeperson]

I am an opiate addict but I haven't used heroin since the first time I used it. It's just not really in my circles though.

 

[SpiritFolk]

I am an opiate addict but I haven't used heroin since the first time I used it. It's just not really in my circles though.

Yeh I have been fortunate to not have to have any circles or sources as I hate mixing with real junkie scum I usually need to associate with to get some decent #4. Too dangerous and a lot of them are so hot and watched by D's that it's not owrht meeting them.

Glad my friends have access to psychedelics, weed, occaisional meth (or though i'm a bit borderline with that and coke) get a bit fiendish got keep disciplined.

If they were holding mad H then I might have some more issues, or at least my relapse chance increases like to like the power of a 1000 suns duder.

Definitley going to attempt some MXE if I get around to it.

 

[spacejunk]

there are so many variables.
availability, individual circumstances and experiences, discipline, compulsion.
i'd have to say "anything is possible" - of course it is possible to use heroin without developing a habit.
it takes more than a few days of usage to develop a habit for the first time. a lot of people try heroin without ever becoming junkies.

my personal experience and a lot of anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that opiate addictions are very insidious.
people tend to believe they are in control, that they know better or are somehow immune from becoming addicted, but once you flirt regularly with opiates they are pretty unforgiving.
if you fuck up once, you've either got a habit to maintain or a habit to kick - there are no other options.
of course, there are plenty of alluring charms that draw you in to start with, relax you and comfort you into thinking it's ok.

there is a huge cultural association between heroin and addiction, a series of stereotypes and assumptions.
these are spread and exaggerated by prohibition's various propaganda machines (heroin as public folk devil, heroin as "death", the hardest/heaviest drug) but there is some kind of truth in the link as well.
not every heroin user is addicted to opiates, but it seems like more people who use smack get addicted than people who use alcohol, benzodiazepines or amphetamines and get seriously addicted.

whether this is a social or cultural phenomenon or more to do with people's response to the substance itself is another matter for debate...

yes, i think it is possible to use recreationally/infrequently.

i am, like jake, an opiate addict who doesn't use heroin very often...but we are both probably bad (or good?) examples because we are hooked on opiates regardless. for similar reasons to those mentioned above, i just don't come across smack very often in my social network. seeking it out is problematic because of the people you need to associate with in order to do so as well as the social stigma that can go along with using or buying (or attempting to buy) it.
so it depends whether you are specifically referring to heroin or opiates more generally.

i've seen a number of threads on this same topic on Other Drugs - it's a conversation piece with certain inevitabilities and contradictions - interesting, but ultimately impossible to answer.
you could have dozens or thousands of documented examples of heroin users that have never been addicted and use 'recreationally' - but there is nothing to say that they won't all cave in sooner or later and get strung out. there may be people who have done so for their whole lives and never fallen into addiction, but perhaps there are other drugs that are more suitable for 'recreational use'.
it might be a heroin cliche to quote william burroughs, but as he wrote,
"I have learned the junk equation. Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life."

on the other hand, it makes little sense to argue that it is impossible to use smack without becoming an addict.
there are too many things to take into consideration, though perhaps the chips are stacked against you.

 

[Smoko]

Yes.....I'm far to drunk to ...um...cohesively? answer your q,but6 imo....yes,but I will come back to it.Anyway,I'm 33 and have used on and off from about 98/99.Tis rare for H use not to at least manifest itself in Methadone/benzo/pill(oxy,morph) abuse even after the H.It does happen tho

 

[The Rock Monster]

Some of the threads (such as the Smackie thread) have got me thinking about this question. I have never tried heroin as I have always had the perception of it as a very addictive and seductive substance. I do have some experience with opiates, having used codeine, hydrocodone and oxycodone extensively. However, they have always had certain pull to me, particularly oxy, which I felt compelled to use daily. I was luckily able to stop use of it altogether before I experienced withdrawal. As a result of this, I have steered clear of smack. I reason, if I like the weaker opiates alot, then I will surely LOVE heroin.

Many of the threads on here that talk about heroin also have posters talk about their struggles with addiction. Heroin certainly has a reputation as being one of the most addictive drugs. Have many on here been able to keep their use minimal? Or for most heroin users, did the use quickly get out of control? I am sure that there are people who use recreationally and have never been addicted, but I would be interested to hear all peoples stories.

I would be particularly interested to hear if those who IV have been able to keep their use minimal.

there are def people out there that have used heroin recreationally, but i am not one of them.

tbh, i was hooked AFTER THE FIRST FUCKING TIME...

 

[SpiritFolk]

there are so many variables.
availability, individual circumstances and experiences, discipline, compulsion.
i'd have to say "anything is possible" - of course it is possible to use heroin without developing a habit.
it takes more than a few days of usage to develop a habit for the first time. a lot of people try heroin without ever becoming junkies.

my personal experience and a lot of anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that opiate addictions are very insidious.
people tend to believe they are in control, that they know better or are somehow immune from becoming addicted, but once you flirt regularly with opiates they are pretty unforgiving.
if you fuck up once, you've either got a habit to maintain or a habit to kick - there are no other options.
of course, there are plenty of alluring charms that draw you in to start with, relax you and comfort you into thinking it's ok.

there is a huge cultural association between heroin and addiction, a series of stereotypes and assumptions.
these are spread and exaggerated by prohibition's various propaganda machines (heroin as public folk devil, heroin as "death", the hardest/heaviest drug) but there is some kind of truth in the link as well.
not every heroin user is addicted to opiates, but it seems like more people who use smack get addicted than people who use alcohol, benzodiazepines or amphetamines and get seriously addicted.

whether this is a social or cultural phenomenon or more to do with people's response to the substance itself is another matter for debate...

yes, i think it is possible to use recreationally/infrequently.

i am, like jake, an opiate addict who doesn't use heroin very often...but we are both probably bad (or good?) examples because we are hooked on opiates regardless. for similar reasons to those mentioned above, i just don't come across smack very often in my social network. seeking it out is problematic because of the people you need to associate with in order to do so as well as the social stigma that can go along with using or buying (or attempting to buy) it.
so it depends whether you are specifically referring to heroin or opiates more generally.

i've seen a number of threads on this same topic on Other Drugs - it's a conversation piece with certain inevitabilities and contradictions - interesting, but ultimately impossible to answer.
you could have dozens or thousands of documented examples of heroin users that have never been addicted and use 'recreationally' - but there is nothing to say that they won't all cave in sooner or later and get strung out. there may be people who have done so for their whole lives and never fallen into addiction, but perhaps there are other drugs that are more suitable for 'recreational use'.
it might be a heroin cliche to quote william burroughs, but as he wrote,
"I have learned the junk equation. Junk is not, like alcohol or weed, a means to increased enjoyment of life. Junk is not a kick. It is a way of life."

on the other hand, it makes little sense to argue that it is impossible to use smack without becoming an addict.
there are too many things to take into consideration, though perhaps the chips are stacked against you.

nice post Spacejunk.

put what I was thinking into more precise words. Def agree with william burroughs that it's not a kick but a way of life. (I still think untimatley even if u have untold gear it's a shit way of life in the end).

and yes those chips are not stacked but towered against you.

 

[Busty St Clare]

I have known a few people who have travelled to the Golden triangle for a month or three and were able to come back home without any noticable troubles but at the same time I know many people who have personal drug collections for recreational use and no one seems to be able to keep H in their possession for very long. It appears to be one of the more morish drugs available. Don't kid yourself that you don't have a problem if you simply feed your cravings with codiene or some other opiate.

 

[Tronica]

For some academic literature on the topic, check out this report from the UK [pdf].

Warburton, H., Turnbull, P. J., & Hough, M. (2005). Occasional and controlled heroin use. Not a problem? London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

(Short answer is: yes, it is possible. Using heroin does not necessarily equal addiction - but just like any substance, context of use is all important in how successful someone is at controlling use or maintaining an occasional pattern of use.)

 

[opi8]

As soon as I stuck H in my arm, there was no turning back. I had smoked and snorted it before, but I felt like I was wasting money when my friends would shoot a quarter or less of what I was using AND getting twice as high, so I decided to IV it. I have now lost my business, am in the process of losing my home and am in a shitload of debt (well over 100k, what's been through my veins could have paid off my mortgage) on top of a very painful cycle of depression, trying to get clean and failing, relapse and withdrawal.

Prior to that fateful decision to shoot gear, I had managed to keep my oxy (previous DOC), morph and codeine use at a manageable level. I would say from experience deciding to shoot heroin is a very dangerous thing to consider, if I had my time again I certainly wouldn't and I can't with good conscience ever recommend it. Everyone's different though.

 

[the_ketaman]

^^Mate I really hope you get where your trying to go in life, its hard but its possible, keep trying, thats all you can do, its better than sitting around waiting for things to change. You have it in you man

I believe its possible to use heroin recreationally but its very rare to find someone who can actually maintain use at a recreational level for more than a few months, I personally dont know anyone who uses it recreationally, I know people who try to but mostly theyre kidding themselves and I can see they are going down the path of habituation. I started off snorting oxy's and before long I was shooting them and other opiates. Back then I didnt use a lot of heroin because(back then) heroin was more expensive than oxy's, eventually I got on methadone and now im on bupe but in the last month or so I have started using fairly frequently and seem to be losing control quickly. If you have had previous problems with any opiate I would definitely re-think any decision to use H, yes injecting it has a much higher rate of addiction and problems compared to other methods of using but in my eyes heroin is heroin and the only difference in effects between MOA's is that you get a rush when you inject. Yes the rush is amazing and much of the reason I choose to inject but you still get much the same high if you snort it and the feeling is what we get addicted to right? So just because your not injecting doesnt mean you can be a little less careful of getting yourself a habit, if you think you can use recreationally you need to be on top of the situation at all times because its that first time you fuck up that will affect the rest of your life. I wouldnt say to anyone thats just about to try h for the first time that its quite possible to use recreationally, I would tell them all the negatives well before I even start on any positives. Funnily enough I have only ever IV'd heroin, never used it in any other way, I was dumb and injected for the first time at age 16, I was WAY too young to realize what I was doing but even if I tryed IV H for the first time today I still dont think id fully understand what I was getting myself into, you just dont know until you know first hand.

Ill say one thing to anyone considering giving H a try, Dont IV it! IMO IV'ing H is for addicts, I know some people will roll their eyes at that comment but from what I see personally that seems to be the case. If you can keep heroin use at a rec/inrequent level then more power to ya! But I dont see that happening, sorry to be a party pooper but id rather tell it how it is than lie and say it will all be fine when it would likely not be alright. Also the people you will more than likely need to hang around to get decent gear(buying off the streets usually isnt smart) are not the kind of people you'd take home to Mum and Dad, they often have guns, they usually have one thing on their mind and thats money(not your wellbeing) and they will suck you in without you even realising. Heroin is the best drug and the worst drug, I dont want to live without it but its very hard to live with it, if only drugs were legal

ATM I cant keep my use to rec even on bupe and I have done this a million times(abstained and used) and should know better, when im not high I think of H more than I think of sex(and im a man I should be thinking about sex every 7 seconds or whatever they say ) theres usually not much in life that I want more than heroin, the thought of a few grams of gear makes my brain light up, if they did a neurological test im sure all the receptors in my brain would be lighting up like a christmas tree right now. The reason its so addictive for me is because with money you can maintain an every day habit without getting strung out like I would on meth, theres only so much meth I can take without turning into a nervous/physical wreck, not to mention heart problems run in my family(my dad actually died of a heart attack after having 2 previously). Heroin makes me feel good and normal, theres no comedown or harsh physical side effects like with meth, its the perfect drug but everyone knows perfection does not exist, sooner rather than later im going to have to stop(luckily tafe starts soon) because right now things are going pretty smoothly but that can only last so long. The amount of money being spent is becoming the biggest problem.

I wish all of you the best, please be safe!

 

[footscrazy]

I always wanted to try heroin just because of the stigma and mystique but when I did it was a huge let down, nothing like the amazing 10,000 orgasms at once I'd heard about, granted though it wasn't IV. The high for me was quite subtle, but moreover, just completely different from what I was used to at the time, being mainly stims, mdma and ketamine. I found it boring, and it took a long time for me to appreciate it at all. I was able to use purely recreationally, probably about 20 times in all, for 3 or 4 years, whilst I had a methamphetamine habit.

The thing that really got me appreciating smack was codeine. Not least because at this time I also discovered anti histamines, and I get bad nausea taking any opiate but especially heroin, that was so overwhelming I could never enjoy smack without a travacalm or two beforehand. Codeine was the first opiate I enjoyed though, and that's what made me think about trying heroin again.

When I quit my methamphetamine habit I started substituting with opiates, mainly codeine, but also oxy and smack. I really love heroin now, even though in the years when I used it recreationally I thought I was completely a stim person who would be the least likely to be a smack addict. Still though, opiates are definitely not my DOC and I don't enjoy the heroin high nearly as much as a meth high. I still find it quite boring, and it's hard to hit the sweet spot, but it is very morish. I'm sure if I IV'd I'd prob enjoy it more, but I have a small opiate habit now regardless and I don't want to make it worse.

Most of my friends have tried smack and only a small percentage have ever gone on to use it regularly. Most of those people though, only tried it once or twice when someone offered them some. A few have started to really enjoy it and started to increase their use at varying levels of swiftness (including me). I would say I know more people who are keeping it recreational and keeping their use the same or decreasing than people who are on their way to habits. That being said, both me and another girlfriend of mine kept our smack use recreational for years and years before starting to develop a habit, so maybe it's more a matter of time.

 

[Christ!]

It's possible, but others have said it's rare. Much more likely if you don't like opiates much.

I've known lots of people who've tried heroin, they haven't all become daily heroin users but every single one has developed a nasty opiate addiction. That's 100% for my circle anyway, I'm sure there are a few people who use it occasionally and never get addicted to opiates. Of all these people who've tried herion, all of them are either still using heroin OR opiates (including methadone/bupe maintaince)

 

[infectedmushroom]

I think it is possible to use heroin recreationally and infrequently; i've been using various opiates in this way for a couple of years.

Thinking back on my use though has made me realize the line between recreation and addiction is almost impossible to detect. It seems to like it's not about if you fall under the opiate queens spell, but when.

If you establish strong criterea for when too much is too much, (like I did, forcing myself to stop immediately) you may have a chance. That being said I have never done heroin, and if I had a steadier supply for the other drugs I was using, I might not be opiate-free as I am now.

In my opinion, if you have a steady / consistant supply, don't dabble, because it'll be hard to say no.

 

[TripppAR]

I think its totally possible! I have taken several shots of H and I personally prefer the plugging method of administration.. So i really believe it is completley possible to use H and or strong opiates infrequently..


At the end of last year I was maybe having a nice opie dose once a week of either bake or real heroin.. It was nice and would only set me back a bit more then 3 grams of weed for a good 5 hour sesh ..

This year I just have to settle in and then I will go see my dude probably later this week and get my first dose of the year... I used to take codeine every day for a few months upwards of like 800mg's mixed with other drugs to get a good high going... I was addicted then. Now i simply use opies as another drug like I use meth... every now and then! ITs good.


All drugs in moderation.

 

[ayjay]

I have used heroin about once a year for the last 15 years or so. I don't look for it and just smoke a bit every now and then when it gets offered (not very often as you can see!). It's a lovely stone that I really enjoy ("like pot without the static" is how someone once described it to me) - but for various reasons I'm happy not to chase it and leave it as the occasional thing. In general I avoid opioids as recreational drugs - they are great pain killers and I'd rather save them for times of need.

I am definitely in the minority amongst my friends - nearly everyone else who has used heroin developed a raging habit at some point. Most have stopped, few are dead. Some have the odd dabble every now and then, and some still have raging habits 20 years later (not having much fun either).

One of the seminal texts on this subject is "Drug, Set, Setting - towards an understanding of controlled substance use" by Norman Zinberg. Zinberg was exporing this very subject - non-dependent heroin use. He states that the prohibition framework actually increases the likelihood of becoming dependent - you have to keep your use secret, you have to score from people who are dependent, you end up only hanging out with other people who use....

 

[spacejunk]

One of the seminal texts on this subject is "Drug, Set, Setting - towards an understanding of controlled substance use" by Norman Zinberg. Zinberg was exporing this very subject - non-dependent heroin use. He states that the prohibition framework actually increases the likelihood of becoming dependent - you have to keep your use secret, you have to score from people who are dependent, you end up only hanging out with other people who use....

this is so true. i remember the first time i bought opiates in a black market sense. in trying to determine how much i should have, the girlfriend of the dealer asked me "how big is your habit?" everyone in the room was an addict, and addiction was taken as a given, socially. mixing in those circles normalises it, or at least makes it a sense of belonging to be "in the club".
i think the majority of harms that have become part and parcel of heroin addiction (such as malnutrition and blood diseases) are greatly increased by prohibition. the degredations addicts are forced into in order to stay addicted are caused by the economics and social realities of addiction.
it is sad, and what's sadder is how difficult it is to implement any positive change. how often do you hear conservative politicians march out the old "soft on drugs" chestnut. truly sickening logic.

 

[alexsm]

It never seemed to work for me. Had such a problem staying away from it. Quitting was not the hard part, withdrawals were not the hard part, staying away from it while acclimating to a new lifestyle is the hardest part. Its just TOO GOOD not to touch sometimes. I am currently on methadone and thankful for it because I have tried, twice to use while on the juice and because of its massive binding actions, I didnt even get sweats or itches or small pupils or anything. A waste of a quarter, but at least I know that as long as I am on 'done, I wont be able to abuse opiates. Catch 22 though. No matter how much the methadone helps me, it causes ten times as many side effects. I'm dreading the taper.
Conclusion: Yes, some people can use opiates recreationally and still have the discipline not to use to the point of physical addiction. Sadly, I am not one of those people.

 

[chugs]

it would seem to me there is a biological reason in those who partake in opiates i.e. they lack enough X neurotransmitter in their brains, that leads them to take regularly opiates. I find it upsetting that I have to hide my use. I wish people who want to use could simply obtain a script, which along side medical supervision and support, they could use.

For the thread; The last twelve months has been a bit of an attempt to use recreationally. We have stopped for a month or two, here and there, and stopped of our own free will despite the funds and motivation to get some. however it does feel a bit heavy going when you start hitting withdrawal sickness. we just gone through 3 weeks of use from a break of two months and lo and behold i'm sick as a dog. anyway i've survived the worst. Probably go on another break. back in October we had been hitting it for about 1 and bit straight and the sickness was god awful. I would hazard to argue that most people can use Heroin (maybe we should have a rule that we should call it diacetylmorphine) recreationally up and until the point that you start getting withdrawals.

At that point a pragmatic person would make the sensible decision to alleviate the symptoms.

just to the rest of the posters how do you guys maintain your veins? after three weeks of use our arms are swiss cheese? we don't often miss and tend to be quite good at shooting but despite this we're still getting worn veins.