No stamina for drugs anymore

[Foreigner]

I'm not sure what this is, maybe it's me just getting older I dunno, but getting high exhausts me now. I can't even smoke a joint without feeling like I need to do nothing for the rest of my day just a few hours later. I used to love smoking and going for walks, but now I just get tired. It's the same with psychedelics. I'll get high and the high will feel great, but then, after some time, something just "cuts out" neurochemically and I have no more mental/cognitive energy to deal with it anymore. It's almost as if my brain can't handle the stimulation. Then I just feel tired and impaired, almost unable to function. Doesn't really matter what drug it is. Even caffeine does it.

What is this? I'm not even 40 so I don't get it. I did do a lot of psychedelics at very high doses in my mid 20s but that was over 10 years ago. My physical health was also really rough for a lot of the past 10 years, but right now I'm in the best shape I've ever been (knock on wood). Good diet, take lots of nutrients, I'm on top of things. So I don't get what's going on.

Has anyone either experienced this or have any idea what it might mean? I want to drop acid this summer but not if I'm going to have cognitive exhaustion after 1 hour and then have to suffer through feeling brain-dead for the next 7 hours.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

I'm in my mid 30s and also experience something like this, although I might describe it differently. Pretty much all drugs effect me differently now, I get less enjoyment and also have more side effects.

I'm not sure how much is physical and how much is psychological, but I believe it's some of both. I blame heroin and alcoholism mostly for fucking my shit the fuck up, but I guess getting older and other things are a factor.

Another thing is when the novelty of drug use fades, we can more clearly and objectively see the negatives of drug use. Even with drugs like weed and acid.

Although LSD in particular has always givien me cognitive exhaustion at some point during the trip, usually after 6-8 hours, though.

These days if I smoke too much weed I can't relax and enjoy it like I used to, I feel like I should be doing something else and become somewhat restless.

 

[Juniper Bruhmomentius]

Yes indeed. Most drugs are starting to feel like chore.

 

[Foreigner]

Yes indeed. Most drugs are starting to feel like chore.

What do you think it's the cause? Just aging? Or...?

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Maybe you’ve just “had your fill”?

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Maybe you’ve just “had your fill”?

One of the many ways people ultimately "give up drugs" and live a sober life is that they simply mature out of it. It's not that complicated. Like some gangbangers sometimes just mature out of it and try to live a normal life. Similar psychological processes I think.

Some people change with age. Some don't.

 

[xtcgrrrl]

I get this, too. I still enjoy drugs, but my willingness to endure the sides and the day-after crappiness is a LOT less. I just want to be comfortable in my own body, which is something that is a rarity, to be honest (when I’m not in pain, it’s a HUGE DEAL!)

When you’re in your 20s you can stay out all night, get totally blitzed, come back and crash on someone’s uncomfortable couch that they salvaged from the curb, and feel fine the next day. When you get older, that’s not gonna fly. Comfort is king.

 

[JackARoe]

I totally get this. Although things like cannabis are easier to use. I sort of need that daily now, as well as kratom for now. But I can not trip like I use to. I have to plan and sometimes the willingness to trip is not there. I try and get a few in a year as that is sort of a meditation. But 40 years ago I could slam things.

I think it is age. Our bodies start hurting. I felt different at 40 than I did 30. And now 60 feels different than 40. The odd thing is I've been told I do not look my age. Grey hairs say different but I do think every time I trip my face gets softer and younger. So I am going with that. But I do feel much different now that I am older. I could take acid on a whim at work when I was younger. Now I have to plan weeks ahead of time. Mushrooms much easier. I wonder if we all become older and crankier? I get it now.

Plus this world is exhausting. Sleep seems more desirable. Trip 3 days in a row these days? Pffft. I've done that in my day. I'd rather sleep now.

Edit: I saw VT's post. Forgot to mention have not drank alcohol in 20 years.

 

[VerbalTruist]

I'm in my mid 30s and also experience something like this, although I might describe it differently. Pretty much all drugs effect me differently now, I get less enjoyment and also have more side effects.

I'm not sure how much is physical and how much is psychological, but I believe it's some of both. I blame heroin and alcoholism mostly for fucking my shit the fuck up, but I guess getting older and other things are a factor.

Another thing is when the novelty of drug use fades, we can more clearly and objectively see the negatives of drug use. Even with drugs like weed and acid.

Although LSD in particular has always givien me cognitive exhaustion at some point during the trip, usually after 6-8 hours, though.

These days if I smoke too much weed I can't relax and enjoy it like I used to, I feel like I should be doing something else and become somewhat restless.

Quite the title you’ve got there Snaffy.

To the topic… No shit we can’t party like we used to. I have discovered that if I abstain from alcohol for a few days I start to *gasp* feel better. Shocker, I know. Ketamine has to be a rare thing. LSD is fine.

All the other drugs I used to enjoy and love (looking at you various uppers and entactogens) they are fun for a bit but the recovery time is so long… Like, ugh. I would like to be able to do a line and chill or take some molly or whatever, but it would make me feel like shit. Perhaps our bodies are trying to tell us a thing.

 

[G_Chem]

I’m actually doing pretty well. The one drug that’s really changed is alcohol but I’ve got some theories as to why. (Chemo and benzo use.). I also kindle like a MF if I take opiates or benzos and can withdraw hard after just a couple uses.

I still roll like I’ve always been doing, still trip. I roll harder than the “kids” aka 18-24yr olds. I have also perfected the art of rolling through various combos, healthy living, antioxidants, etc. Ita such an important experience to me that I’ve taken the magic loss seriously from Day 1. Doesn’t mean I haven’t had stupid sessions but never too large of a dose, more just days of use.

Cocaine also does me good but my tolerance rises really fast unlike when I was 16 and could get a decent high multiple days a week.

Idk overall thinking on it, isn’t as magical as when I was younger but very much worth the effort still.

-GC

 

[Foreigner]

I’m actually doing pretty well. The one drug that’s really changed is alcohol but I’ve got some theories as to why. (Chemo and benzo use.). I also kindle like a MF if I take opiates or benzos and can withdraw hard after just a couple uses.

I still roll like I’ve always been doing, still trip. I roll harder than the “kids” aka 18-24yr olds. I have also perfected the art of rolling through various combos, healthy living, antioxidants, etc. Ita such an important experience to me that I’ve taken the magic loss seriously from Day 1. Doesn’t mean I haven’t had stupid sessions but never too large of a dose, more just days of use.

Cocaine also does me good but my tolerance rises really fast unlike when I was 16 and could get a decent high multiple days a week.

Idk overall thinking on it, isn’t as magical as when I was younger but very much worth the effort still.

-GC

Appreciate these insights. I'm curious what your combos, healthy living and antioxidant factors look like for perfecting the art of rolling. I have a complex health stack myself that varies from day to day, so I know all about self-management. I just don't have my "rolling" legs these days... have to start over from scratch.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Wait till your 60's. Everything has a hangover now. I can take a couple pain pills and feel it the next day. It's not huge, but a couple Vicodin used to be complely unnoticable the next day.

 

[deficiT]

Not much more I can add, but probably has to do with some of the novelty of it wearing off, especially if you went hard on drugs in your earlier life. At this point in my life, I prefer peace and maybe a private sesh with a close friend, over constant benders and misadventures, and I'm only 30.

Once you see and experience enough crazy shit, other crazy shit doesn't necessarily phase you as much.

Take care of yourself like you are, and hopefully drugs can just become the occasional treat for yourself and you'll handle them alright.

Or, in the words of My Morning Jacket,

"They told me not to take drugs, but I wouldn't listen, guess I just had to get it out of my system".

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Not much more I can add, but probably has to do with some of the novelty of it wearing off, especially if you went hard on drugs in your earlier life. At this point in my life, I prefer peace and maybe a private sesh with a close friend, over constant benders and misadventures, and I'm only 30.

Once you see and experience enough crazy shit, other crazy shit doesn't necessarily phase you as much.

Take care of yourself like you are, and hopefully drugs can just become the occasional treat for yourself and you'll handle them alright.

Or, in the words of My Morning Jacket,

"They told me not to take drugs, but I wouldn't listen, guess I just had to get it out of my system".

I said no to drugs in the 70's, but they didn't listen.

 

[The Shadow Self]

Yeah. I have found that the "more is better" philosophy that I used to adhere to when I was younger and out of control, is long gone. After putting myself through all manner of ridiculous suffering, I learned that I was just hurting myself, of course. Now, I like to have a reason to engage in something like a 2 or 3 time a year trip, or occasionally use a small amount of something, and I am done. I am far too busy as well and enjoy not being high all the time. So yeah...it takes its toll!

I am 58 years old, btw. And I took so much LSD back then that if I actually told you how much and how often you wouldn't believe me. LOL

 

[VerbalTruist]

Everyone in this thread should state their age. Or age range.

 

[yubacity]

Its age that fucks us for years i would snort crank 5 days without sleep driving truck from northern cali to LA then sleep 30 odd hours then get up start again now one night awake is to much .

 

[JackARoe]

Everyone in this thread should state their age. Or age range.

I think that helps if we do that. 59 here.

I will say that when I was younger, in teens or 20's, if I took a hit of acid and the phone rang I would laugh. (young and less duty). Now if a phone rings if I was tripping I jump out of my skin, only because it could be anything, or I may be needed and I am in no state to be needed. That is where the planning comes in. Phones turned off when I trip these days. Was never a stimulant or benzo person. Opiates and psychedelics the most.

Stress builds up as we get older. The stress over the years has accumulated in my body. If I could sit on a beach for a week with nothing to do the stress levels would go down, but not in the middle of a work day. It is more taxing on the body. Younger I can talk about tripping, closing my eyes, astral planing. Now my back hurts lol. (forget astral planing). The body is way more present as we age. I am ok with that. Everyone ages. But I still want to say I get a trip in now and then. I wonder if Albert Hoffman did more than microdose when he was in his 90's.

Very glad to see others here older than me (brokedownpalace, cheshire-kat) still indulge because I for sure am. Just less.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

Not with weed I’m in my early 40s and it still gets me motivated as hell as long as I don’t abuse it heavily.

Same thing with opioids. Can’t comment on psychedelics as I am retired from them

 

[Foreigner]

Not much more I can add, but probably has to do with some of the novelty of it wearing off, especially if you went hard on drugs in your earlier life. At this point in my life, I prefer peace and maybe a private sesh with a close friend, over constant benders and misadventures, and I'm only 30.

Once you see and experience enough crazy shit, other crazy shit doesn't necessarily phase you as much.

Take care of yourself like you are, and hopefully drugs can just become the occasional treat for yourself and you'll handle them alright.

Relate to this a lot. I did a lot of crazy shit when I was younger because I was seeker who thought that being hardcore meant I was truly discovering something profound. I also just liked being high of course. I also saw a lot of messed up stuff in my short life. I've been through so much trauma (not from drugs but other stuff) that it feels like... why would I add more intensity if I don't have to? Crazy shit doesn't phase me anymore either, I think I've seen some version of everything. If anything, it's been more difficult to accept a simple, normal life (while also craving one). At the same time, I don't go seeking out crazy shit anymore. I've been through enough.

Yeah. I have found that the "more is better" philosophy that I used to adhere to when I was younger and out of control, is long gone. After putting myself through all manner of ridiculous suffering, I learned that I was just hurting myself, of course. Now, I like to have a reason to engage in something like a 2 or 3 time a year trip, or occasionally use a small amount of something, and I am done. I am far too busy as well and enjoy not being high all the time. So yeah...it takes its toll!

LOL Tell me about it. The last time I did a really full on psychedelic trip, I took close to 1mg of LSD (no that's not a typo). I was 10/10 high, and after 4 hours I was able to finally sit up. I was covered in sweat, sitting in my partner's living room while his dog was looking at me with her face morphing a million miles an hour into all different shapes. You just know that when your dog looks concerned about you that you're not right, lol. I thought to myself... "This isn't necessary." That was the last time I ever did acid.

Now that I've written that out, I really wonder if my rapid-onset exhaustion from psychedelics is due to the fact that I blew out my neurons from doing so much a decade ago. I mean 1mg of LSD? What the fuck was I thinking?

I'm considering doing acid again this summer though because I'll graduate from school soon and my mind feels like concrete from all that academia. But even considering doing acid ONE time is giving me some anxiety. Instability has been so common in my life (especially health-wise) and stability so much rarer that I am hesitant to rock the boat at all. I ate 100mg of mushrooms a year ago and thought "This is nice, wouldn't want to do more."

My how times have changed.