When do drugs become a problem?

I am asking for some advice here, I have recently had to start to deal with the fact that my 17 year old sister has a speed problem.
What I want to know is how can you tell that drugs are going to cause problems for people and how do you know when it is a problem?
I know attitude plays a big part - mine is for recreational use approximately once a month. If it starts to become more often that this on a regular basis then I make myself cut back. My sister however seems to have been taking it for other reasons. She started off using e and wizz as something fun and found she enjoyed the "escape" so much that it was better than her reality.
I am asking myself - I want to know what others think about this too - is it her age, did she start to young? or is it that she is more vulnerable? she certainly has had a lot more problems during her teenage years than I did. What has caused her to have a problem with this.
It scares me to think that she has been shooting up speed and e and she doesn't see anything wrong with it. At the same time though I know that people do shoot up and do not necessarily have a problem with their drugs.
What concerns me the most is something which I think is relevant to a lot of people who use this website. She is wanting to get help with her problem however I know that her attitude is that it will still be OK to use wizz on a recreational basis despite her addiction to it. I look at the opinions we all have and we all think it is OK to use drugs on a recreational basis as long as you take appropriate precautions. She sees her friends doing it an it reinforces to her that it is still OK. For her it probably won't be OK - she'll get off it, have some wizz for fun with friends, remember why she liked it so much and start up again.
My parents have been battling with this as they can't understand that people can think that recreational drug use is acceptable. The risks to them are just too huge and what has recently happened with my sister has reinforced it to them. It leaves me in a difficult situation also - through my own occassional drug use am I too reinforcing the belief in her that she can still take wizz from time to time?
I am after some information on how my parents can try and help her out. They are trying to get a referral to a drug counsellor to get advice on how to react about this. Can anyone offer advice either from personal experience or otherwise that could help us to help my sister.
Sorry if this is a tad longwinded, I think I got the right forum for it. I'd appreciate any advice people can give as what seems to be out there in terms of services just doesn't seem like enough at the moment.

when ya start seeing a negative change in character in the people around you and when they start noticing the same.
drugs don't give you any time to find your feet when your off balance.

Agreed with NiQ, u can tell a lot cos they start to develop a very aggitated personality, can often be pissed off at things....
Maybe it would be an idea to talk to her and point out how much money she's blowing on it(assuming she is spending a fair bit)... Also , remind her that what goes up DOES come down...even if it takes 6 months or a year - hold your tongues you smart arse lot - but she will eventually find out that it is doing her damage, maybe in her brain by not remembering things or not functioning properly...and also physically..
It has been said many times but say it again MODERATION IS THE KEY
Treat drugs with respect - she may be thinking that in the short term she's fine, and can have a line anytime just to pick her up a bit, but she will start losing weight, looking scragier(is that a word??) , and as happens too often , she will lose her friends : Not due to them not being friends , but bcos they will not want to be around her as her transition from a "normal" girl they knew to a backstabbing(this does happen all to often - ppl need $ to feed the drug) , bullshitting and generally un nice teen starts to happen..
As for you taking drugs, well ,that's a little sticky...how long have you(and her) been taking them for? If you've been taking them for ages and she hasn't, maybe you'd better not come down to hard on her... Or , if you know someone who has been thru this type of thing, try and get them to speak to her about it, but not someone like your parents, i think any teenager would resent that the most...
At any rate, hope all goes well , and keep us posted on the form she's in!
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fly high , but watch your head
[This message has been edited by sweet leaf (edited 18 March 2001).]

personally i think the drugs become a problem when you cant just turn your back and walk away.. some people will say they are "addicted to the scene" but when forced with a choice between the scene/drugs and leading a "normal" life im sure most will choose have a semi normal life.. the ones who choose the drugs are the ones that imo have the problem..
moderation and control are the two main points.. if you cant control how much your taking (be it a lot or none) then youve got yourself a problem..

Hey buggy...
May i start by saying that i feel for anybody who cant get off drugs.As everybody knows USE not ABUSE is what its all about.Id say drugs become a problem when you CANT_SAY_NO and you start doing it SOLO.
Unfortunately you say she wants to get help but the harsh reality is she has to help herself.Friends and family can only do so much.If worst comes to worst and all else fails off to rehab.17 is a bit young but then again i myself started at 17 (e-ing.)
A friend of mine was on the harry,and once came to me 4 help...But the harsh shakings from withdraw syndrome were too much 4 him to handle it was just soooo much easier 4 him to shoot up and as he said go back to normal.There was nothing i could really do because you can only hold their hand for so long...This friend did indeed die from an O.D.
So once again i say know your limits...And keep it social.
goodluck
Bitch aka Just_Say_No

aqua: With your recreational use you could perhaps offer more of a "i know what you're going through" approach to her. That'd be a lot easier for her to handle than parents generally speaking shit, like they are so prone to doing. What most of us have to accept is that these problems weren't around when our parents were our age - we're the 1st generation to have to deal with these kind of drugs, on this scale, so nearly anything our parents say will be from an illogical & irrational viewpoint (not their fault). If anything, she needs your experience & advice, she just doesn't know it (yet).
You could also try talking to her friends and try and get them doing other things - i'm on my first "break" in over 3 months (tsk tsk), I've found that by making big changes in my routine & lifestyle, it's heaps easier to forget about going out and partying for a while, our group is all taking a break actually and we've found that doing other things is a really good way to get out of the cycle.

I think your sister needs an understanding ear and a shoulder to cry on when required. You can be that person... reasure her that everyone wants to help her, and if there's anything you can do you'll be there for her. You are in a great position to sympathise, so let her know that you're always around to talk. If and when she does talk to you, sit down and share stories and stuff - but the main point is not to judge her, and remind her that while everyone around her can be good support it is still up to her to help herself... and then tell her that you believe that she is strong enough to do that...
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"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay...
Love isn't love, till you give it away."

Seeing as though I know quite a few people with bad drug problems, I've learn't that you can't make that vital decision to give up drugs for them, they have to have the will power to do it for themselves, not for anyone else (including family).
You can always talk to her about it and tell her how you feel about it, whether or not she wants to listen to you however could be a different story. Oh yeah and if you do decide to talk to her, don't beat around the bush, it never works.

when they mug one of their real good buddies at knifepoint at the neck for $270 and 5 pills.

psst - aqua-buggy, check your email for some heartfelt dribble

Thanks for the support guys.
Today things got a bit better. She is going to see a counsellor at a rehab clinic tomorrow and I talked to a friend at work who used to work as a drug counsellor who told me where my parents can get some good assistance.
I also had a big chat with my sister and she has forgiven me for telling my parents and said she could understand why I did. This I am glad about as I felt horrible for breaking her trust. I also told her of my concerns and she told me that she didn't plan on using it recreationally anymore. It may not last but at least she is trying to do the right thing at the moment. She is also talking to my parents about what options are out there for rehab for her which is good. I cahtted with some friends of hers too and they are as concerned as I am but have been too scared to say anything.
I have to say I am so proud of my parents. They haven't ranted and raved. They got upset a few times but have tried really hard to listen and help out.
Thanks to everyone who sent me emails. I really appreciate your advice and it has been really nice to have the support. This has come at a horrible time as I am leaving the country in two weeks and I won't be around to help out my sister. It's really scared me as I won't be able to look out for her but I think now both she and I have got the ball rolling things will hopefully improve I am keeping all my fingers crossed!!!

I had a drug problem about 7 years ago when I was 19. I used various drugs most days of the week. I now have a recreational controlled drug use with a set of critieria's for determining if its gone to far (This has worked for the last 7 years).
1. If you have to forgoe something or sell something (Or Steel) for your drugs then 'its gone to far'.
2. If your physical health has deteriated as a result 'its gone to far'.
3. If your personality has allowed aggressive, depressive or oppressive thoughts to be focussed at friends or relatives 'its gone to far'.
These rules have meant that my life is stable, I enjoy drugs more when I use them and my friends like me being around.
The key to making this work though is that you tell your friends both those who use and don't that way they can keep an eye on you.
"Be safe, be happy"
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