Harm Reduction Peoples thoughts on injecting less experienced users

[SmashingWretzky]

I am curious as to the thoughts of the group doctoring less experienced users..

I have a moral issue with it and have never done it. I believe its wrong to introduce them to it or condone it. Yes i do it myself yes someone doctored me early on until i learnt...

I have helped friends who i know are long term experienced users and are running out of veins

I have a friend who is unable to hit himself and has huge healthy veins. He was introduced by his girlfriend and has limited knowledge of how to do it. I feel like im enabling him if i shoot him up where as with other mates they were seasoned users. Am i alone in thinking this way... if he asks i dont know what to say he has already been ived but it doesn't sit right with me. I also dont want him to injure himself trying to do it alone.. help guys

 

[SmashingWretzky]

I am curious as to the thoughts of the group doctoring less experienced users..

I have a moral issue with it and have never done it. I believe its wrong to introduce them to it or condone it. Yes i do it myself yes someone doctored me early on until i learnt...

I have helped friends who i know are long term experienced users and are running out of veins

I have a friend who is unable to hit himself and has huge healthy veins. He was introduced by his girlfriend and has limited knowledge of how to do it. I feel like im enabling him if i shoot him up where as with other mates they were seasoned users. Am i alone in thinking this way... if he asks i dont know what to say he has already been ived but it doesn't sit right with me. I also dont want him to injure himself trying to do it alone.. help guys

Just some further info when i enquired about doseages he said she just made it up and did me. He speaks of how good the feeling is and has visible tracks

This worries me though because if he cant even give a idea of dose then where do you begin. Obviously low but it's a bit worrying

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would never introduce someone to IV, encourage it in any way, or personally facilitate a newbie trying it for the first time. However, I would provide theoretical harm reduction advice to whoever wanted it based on my experiences with IV.

I think once people commit to the idea of giving it a go nothing can dissuade them but I have a moral issue with 'turning someone on' to something that has caused me so much grief.

I would probably help a seasoned user though as per the OP.

 

[Bonch]

I used to be doctor for my friends. When I found out they did not care or were not aware of HR I opened my office doors. I had/have access to clean supplies and extra beds for friends to crash on. I never felt bad about shooting my friends up (with fresh supplies every-time) cause before I was doing it for them they were sharing needles with randos on the streets!

 

[Zonxx]

idunno, i was always able to ask for assistance from more experienced users of the route, but, you know, when you slam 10-20 times in a night, your arms alittle sore the next day(non recreational use, pain management in the case where didn't have enough meds to suffice taking them orally so i crushed up my morphine and hydromorphones to make a good solution) i think you should always assist if asked. ALOT CAN EASILY GO WRONG if you don't do it right. attaching a picture of goodies to make you guys crave.



craving yet? sorry, not sorry, love you all


Stay Safe
~Zonxx

 

[JessFR]

I don't think it's inherently wrong to help someone shoot up. And I have in fact done just that.

However, what I do think is wrong is introducing someone to shooting up. If they've already done it before, fine, I consider helping in that situation harm reduction.

But for the first time? No. I had a friend who actually stopped someone he was with who was about to shoot up with because he suspected that they hadn't actually ever done it before then. And didn't want to be the reason he did it the first time.

So, helping someone who's already an IV user? I think that's OK, and in fact I think you SHOULD do that.

But, I don't believe, and most people I've known have felt the same, that you should ever help someone shoot up for the first time.

 

[axe battler]

I agree

 

[Crackedout420]

If someone wants to shoot up they'll find someone to do it for them. I would probably feel guilty as fuck doing it but they will just find someone else, on the other hand. And perhaps not be as safe with the other person.

 

[KS78]

I didn't have any friends who were IV drug users and I didn't want to put anybody in such a position so I did it by myself after making sure of a few basics like the location to shoot/ not to shoot, amount to use, needle size, cleanliness.

I can't say that I would never help a needle naive person to shoot because many first time users are stupid, careless, ignorant, trying to prove that they're so brave. If I saw a person trying to shoot a dangerous amount/ in their neck or groin because that's what they saw in a druggy movie or putting themselves in a dangerous situation some other way, I would probably help them shoot because they will do it one way or another. I could at least try to reduce the harm that they will cause.

I have helped people shoot but they were already heavy users with prior IV experience. Even at those times, I tried to give them not the (usually quite high) amount that they asked me but usually a lower amount depending on a dose they took via other routes.

 

[CfZrx]

My first time was in a hot, shadowy room in a jungle motel in Ecuador. I had gone into a Pharmacia earlier and asked for syringes and morphine. They gave me the needles, and some ampules of something that didn't do anything when I shot it. So anyways, there I was in the hot room, probably pushing god knows what bacteria into my heart valves,lol, with my DIY injection technique. I recall that first time I pulled the plunger back and got an atomic blast of dark red blood in the clear substance that I then injected.
It did nothing, and the loneliness of being stuck in South America by myself in the jungle was thick. There was a white guy down the hall knocking on my door inviting me to charter a small plane to go deeper into the forest toward Brazil. I was experiencing paranoia about this guy, so I passed. Later I drowned my sorrows in cerveza and valium from the farmacia.

 

[Crackedout420]

In my personal opinion when you're shooting or smoking crack from a bong like u do, you need a scale nearby. Its smart to weigh out your hits and know your tolerance level.

 

[negrogesic]

I've had people ask for help.

I've also have some people give me shit years later, in a sense sort of blaming me in a round about fashion. Fuck that, they asked for my help and would have done it anyway. Ive noticed that some addicts seem to like to blame others for their actions...

 

[JessFR]

I've had people ask for help.

I've also have some people give me shit years later, in a sense sort of blaming me in a round about fashion. Fuck that, they asked for my help and would have done it anyway. Ive noticed that some addicts seem to like to blame others for their actions...

That's nothing to do with addiction, that's just people.

Some people just can't take responsibility for their actions.

Likewise, some people take ALL the responsibility, even when it absolutely isn't entirely on them.

 

[Crackedout420]

If you let someone inject you or ask for help or just allow them to shoot you up... well it was your decision imo. Dont blame anyone else.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Helping someone is also manslaughter in many jurisdictions if they OD

 

[thetech]

I dont understand how people get tempted, or want to inject straight into the bloodstream. I can understand IM steroid use or IV use in the hospital. Other then that i dont understand how people begin in the first place, when there already are multiple efficient roas with much better safety profile. Everone knows the stereotype, and theres a reason for it. If you at all care about your health and struggle with addiction, avoiding needles will do you good.

 

[Zonxx]

I dont understand how people get tempted, or want to inject straight into the bloodstream. I can understand IM steroid use or IV use in the hospital. Other then that i dont understand how people begin in the first place, when there already are multiple efficient roas with much better safety profile. Everone knows the stereotype, and theres a reason for it. If you at all care about your health and struggle with addiction, avoiding needles will do you good.

well then you shouldn't ever want to find out, and it also doesn't come down to just using ____ drug broski. it can double, triple or more the potency vs other routes, so when low on meds...
PS. IV doesn't hurt as much as any IM ever will.

 

[JessFR]

I dont understand how people get tempted, or want to inject straight into the bloodstream. I can understand IM steroid use or IV use in the hospital. Other then that i dont understand how people begin in the first place, when there already are multiple efficient roas with much better safety profile. Everone knows the stereotype, and theres a reason for it. If you at all care about your health and struggle with addiction, avoiding needles will do you good.

Well, that's the thing. A lot of people by the time they're likely to start using the needle... They don't care about their health.

Also, a lot of people who've experienced opioid withdrawal so many.... many times. And made sacrifices or compromises to get well over and over. Start to become conditioned to wanna get well as fast as humanly possible. Especially when you've already spend hours sick already trying to get your next dose. Getting enough money. Waiting for your fucking dealer who's late again! Etc.

And once addiction starts to get out of control, you become more and more obsessed with squeezing ever last bit of value out of your drugs.

Desperation and addiction have a profound ability to fuck with your priorities in ways you might once never have expected.

There is also the earlier stages of addiction where you're more focusing on getting high than getting just.. Not sick. And shooting is definitely more euphoric. And some people's lives are so fucked they really just aren't caring that much about the long term.

Finally, the mind has an amazing ability to find justifications to do what it on some level wants to be doing. And addiction has an amazing ability of making that part of your mind your dominant way of thinking.

 

[Crackedout420]

I cant decide on this topic. As a person ehos never injected and is truly curious, I think I'd prefer someone do it for me than learn on my own. That being said, I wouldnt blame them for whatever happens afterwards. If I become a regular injector, I'd take it as my fault. But a lot of people arent as accepting of shit as I am. I mean the person probably should refuse. But if they dont, I wouldnt blame them. I think... it's so iffy.

 

[JessFR]

I cant decide on this topic. As a person ehos never injected and is truly curious, I think I'd prefer someone do it for me than learn on my own. That being said, I wouldnt blame them for whatever happens afterwards. If I become a regular injector, I'd take it as my fault. But a lot of people arent as accepting of shit as I am. I mean the person probably should refuse. But if they dont, I wouldnt blame them. I think... it's so iffy.

You don't have to blame them for them to blame themselves.

Don't get me wrong here, I get your point and I think it has merit.

Ughhh. Honestly a part of me thinks you have a point I can't rationally argue against. But personally I still wouldn't feel comfortable shooting someone up for their first time. It's not so much about blame. But that I just wouldn't wanna be involved in someone starting along a path that's so likely to end in all the mayhem and destruction I've seen.

I'm having trouble deciding now too.