has anyone had to cut out alcohol when they want to avoid meth on weekends?

Well...pretty much as the title of the thread asks...

I only ever use Meth on weekends (for about 2 years now) and while I never wanted it to become a weekly thing, it has. Not a huge binge but enough for one night and the next day. I always have Sunday clean to rest so I am good for work on Monday.

When Monday comes around, I resolve myself to having a break on the coming weekend...but I find even 3 beers after work on Thursday night starts me thinking about scoring for the weekend.

If I have one or two beers on fri night...it's pretty much a given I will score.

I'm not a heavy drinker...maybe three beers per week. It's just that recently I've noticed that just those three beers lead to things I had resolved to avoid for the weekend.

Anyone else just have to have a 100% clean week to ensure they have a clean weekend from meth?

yep been there before.
Regular use of a drug like (meth)amphetamine quickly becomes I habit (in my experiences anyway... and moreso with ice than with Dexies). You only realise you've got a habit when you try and stop using and find it takes much more willpower than you'd expect. Drinking is bad news whenh trying yto curb drug use for a few noteworthy reasons:

1. cues (eg. nightclub environment, paycheque paid Thurs/Fri/Sat night) remind the brain of previous pleasurable experiences and thereby triggers "craving" for drug
2. alcohol breaks down inhibitions (anyone trying to drop weight knows this I bet)
3. Alcohol triggers the "reward system" (dopamine release from a region of the brain called he Nucleus Accumbens) in the brain thru which habits/addictions/pleasureable experiences are all linked

In my experience if you want to break the habit before it gets much worse (and I might say it seems like you may have noticed your habit before it became full-blown) the best way is to avoid alcohol, nightclubs, and other possible "cues" (like afterwork Thursday night beers).

Each to their own though... whatever works for you.
I hope this helps. I'm sure there are more people who can relate here and can give you some input.

Yep, happens to me all the time.

Normally I'd say that I'm just like you but in this current point in time its the opposite for me, I'm actually trying to cut out meth because I want to avoid alcohol

From my observations the lowering of inhibitions with alcohol is what leads to people craving drugs most, and not just meth but any drug. With a lot of my friends I notice it's ecstasy they really crave after a few drinks.

I don't drink (not socially anyway and pretty much not at all) so I tend to find when I do take drugs it's something I've planned in advance. I'm rarely spontaneous when it comes to drug use!

I get cravings to go on ten-combo drug binges when I'm on G, but when I'm coming down off it, withdrawaling or sober I don't really want any drugs at all, including speed or pills or any psychedelics as I remember I've done too much of them and I barely enjoy drugs anymore, besides G.. which is my mortal enemy that I "quit".

Had 2 beers tonight at home and already thinking about sending out texts.

Thinking about it but absolutely won't. I have work tomorrow.

But man...if this were Friday night there's no way I'd have this control.

Alcohol is always a good way to turn a 'quiet night' into a mass bender. I always come up with great ideas of ways to fuck myself up after a few drinks, cause when you are drunk I always get the 'she'll be right' attitude...... then I wake up 2 days later, late for work, and resolving never to do it again.....

hoptis said:

From my observations the lowering of inhibitions with alcohol is what leads to people craving drugs most, and not just meth but any drug. With a lot of my friends I notice it's ecstasy they really crave after a few drinks.

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If I'm drinking, there CANNOT be pills in the house. No matter what I tell myself before I start drinking, they will disappear down my gob around the 4 beer mark.

I can really relate to this. I do have the will power to just get drunk and not get on it, this is made easier when i have work/uni commitiments to soon to have a bender of a evening/day.

Although if me and some friends all have a day or 2 free from commitments and start drinkin there will be calls and texts until there is some speed/pills/crystal action happening. Yeah i would say it starts at the 4 - 6 beer mark. But sometimes it can be defeated by more beer, weed and lots of food.

so i do have some control over it but not alot.

its all in the mind matey , smoking cones , smoking ice what ever gets you off is going to sit on your mind its all about self control.

Its better to have and not want than want and not have ;D

as you get older you will realise this ....

I was in same boat as you , when you get that feeling say NO im gonna wait to the weekend or next weekend then when you finally do give in its more pleasurable but you slowly can get out of the vicious circle.Atleast you not craving the H which i HATE and never have stuck needle in arm as thats when you know u in trouble.

next time you feel this way say nar Im gonna get a kebab or spoil yurself at maccass or pizza slut ... whatever your fav food is ... just dont put on weight like i did lol

Poor splatt get of the G brother ... Ive had it once and i didnt find it that appealing ... Ketamine was fun for me ... but that shits dirty as ... and i havent had for years,
the only drugs that make me happy are booze and pot ... but they arent the best for me either.

kingpin007 said:

its all in the mind matey , smoking cones , smoking ice what ever gets you off is going to sit on your mind its all about self control.

as you get older you will realise this ....

I was in same boat as you , when you get that feeling say NO im gonna wait to the weekend or next weekend then when you finally do give in its more pleasurable but you slowly can get out of the vicious circle.

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You're not wrong... I think this is something you learn as you get a bit older. Also, what was mentioned above regarding not using because he had study/work committments the next day, that's always good ... you know you're doing OK when your brain is actually rationsilising the decision. It's when your brain says "I want drugs. Nothing more, no matter the cost" that you know you're a lot further down the path of addiction than you'd ever have believed you could come.

I was pretty heavily involved with crystal meth and at the habit started exactly how you described... weekends use with mates, or resolve not to use weakened by a few drinks...

It is really hard though, especially when drugs are only a phonecall/text message away. But it does come down to resolve, and also, ask yourself the question why do you think you need to curb your usage? (eg finanaces, hea;th, etc). It seems you know the stuff is no good for you, and your gut instinct is something you need to trust I think.

kingpin007 said:

Ketamine was fun for me ... but that shits dirty as ...

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can totally relate to this thread. If i drink all i want is pills from about beer 4. will start madly texting and all that shit get all single minded and make a score happen. happened on Sunday at Essendon vs Richmond. Luckily dd was unavailable. didnt come to my senses till after a .05mg Xanax.

Alcohol is the drug that makes me only want benzos, nothing else. The thought of any other drug makes me want to puke.

Splatt said:

Alcohol is the drug that makes me only want benzos, nothing else. The thought of any other drug makes me want to puke.

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I'm on your boat Splatt, I'm over drugs altogether....

Only lack of sleep from stims does that for me with benzos... god I had some great times with benzos. Me and 5-10 mates went thru a bag of pure alprazolam powder (don't ask) in a month... used to do small lines (probably equivalent to ten bars, or 20mg, in each line) We coutered with pills and/or ice/speed and eventually my tolerance got so high (and my memory so poor) that I ended up either throwing away the rest of the bag or losing it (I forget, truly )
Alcohol + ket is a great mixture too. I still remember going out on copious quantities of ket... so much fun. The only psychadelic I've really tried (barring 2IC years back) since I won't touch LSD or phenethylamines or tryptamines (or dope).

But the best combo I'm sure you'll all agree is alcohol, steroids, ice, cocaine (and ego) plus a roomfull of women... a surefire winner for every fight you'll see out in any nightclub, or anywhere else for that matter.

I'll drink to that!

fortunately, if i want alcohol i'll have alcohol.. if i want drugs, i'll have drugs. <snip> most of this i've had for a while. i just haven't been in the mood for much lately.. save for the odd pill here and there.
sounds sad but part of me is getting over drugs, at least for a while. i've only been going 6 months too... i guess i've just seen enough in this time to realise that the people i would love to do drugs with (true/longtime friends) aren't the ones who are into that kind of thing.. which is brilliant in so many ways, but just makes it hard to cut ties with the 'drug' group on account of actually growing to like some of these people, outside of the culture, along the way. ah, well. i'll work it out i guess.. where there's a will there's a way. and if feeling physically better during the week means i need to exercise some restraint on the weekends, so be it.

[EDIT: Be discrete when talking about drugs in your possession. hoptis]

yes, but it always increased my cravings, simply put

Sure.

The inhibitions are lowered.

When theres a will theres a way!

Yeah can be true for me sometimes, specially if I'm home bored and drinking. I don't really have the contacts anymore though so a 2mg Xanax bar is about as hard as I end up going. Don't mind really got lots of stuff IRL to tend to anyway these days.

djsim said:

You only realise you've got a habit when you try and stop using and find it takes much more willpower than you'd expect.

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very true!! the dangerous part is that crystal plays mind games with willpower, massive mind games!