Using drugs to escape?

I know most people on this forum use their drugs carefully and safely etc which is how everyone should use them. Alot of us use drugs to go to raves, parties, whatever and have a good time. But have or do any of you use drugs as an escape. Not regularly but have you. Say you just broke up with a partner, alot of drinkers would go down the pub and get oblivously blind drunk, wake up with a hangover and go "shit why did i do that", have any of you used drugs cause you were down about something and if so did u regret it etc....?

I have used drugs to escape quite a bit, and will probably do it again in the future. The worst example was, as a 16 year old, drinking over 3 bottles of vodka a week for several weeks whilst getting over a bad ending relationship.
I don't always see using drugs to escape as a bad thing. For example, my life can sometimes feel like it's mounting up and I can't take it anymore, so I say to myself "fuck it, tonite, I'm gonna get wasted and forget about my life". Wake up the next day and I feel like I've had a holiday, and that everything isn't as bad as it seems. Wouldn't recommend it to everyone, as I believe I have a good knack at keeping things in perspective, and realising what problems I have, and addressing them properly. Sometimes I just need a rest first to do it.

Yeah, i went through a stage last year where i was kinda craving to get fucked up. Before i got to this stage, my life was a not going the best, i was a bit all over the place... my social life was the only thing i was really living for. Chuck in some bad relationships and there u see a user become an abuser. The quantity of my drug taking sky-rocketed. i remember 5 out of 7 nights i was fucked up. This is at work. I work in hospitality, so it's not too bad...
I think i just liked feeling different. Drugs didn't (and still don't) always make me feel good. They just made me feel different to normal. This is escaping. For a time, i obviously enjoyed it. I think i overkilled it all though. Cause i'm really not turned on by drugs at all now. i like being sober and having a clear head, being in (relative) control of my life.
Thats it...

Sometimes ill have a cone or 2 or 3 or 4. To ecscape from stress, usally just study related stress.
But yer a good friend of mine watched his best friend die, and that was the begining of his downwaard spiral. He started using heroin, and then the drug took over his life. But he has managed to pick his life up again.
Sorry the point to that story was, ull find alot of people turn to heroin, cause no matter whats going on in their life, they think all is sweet.

one of my theories related to why i take drugs is that its my form of escape. i take them to let go and to lose control.
i believe that every single person has something they like doing which is a form of escape from their everyday worries or duties. and that form of escapism can exist in lying in a warm bath relaxing, or dropping a pill and dancing all night.
i have no problem with admitting that everytime i use drugs, part of the reason behind it is escapism. and i dont think this is a problem unless it becomes the only way you can escape, or if you become dependent on escaping.

Great topic!!!
Totally agree with everyone in this thread...
I think that there are different types of escapism...
* Escape from the "everyday grind"
* Escape from external problems such as family issues, friend issues, etc
* Escape from internal problems, ie, self image issues, etc.
The problem arises, like it has been stated, when the person feels that drugs are the only way to face these problems...which isn't helping, only stalling the inevitable, so to speak. There are certain situations where MDMA is used in a therapeutic capacity, which can be an invaluable tool...but lets face it, how many people use MDMA in a "theraupeutic" way? Most people take drugs at a rave or party, and aren't really aware of the essential reason drugs like E were designed...
I think that's it's ok "escape" from reality to a certain degree, but when the drug is being used to numb onesself, that's when it becomes a problem
Personally, i, like many people have used drugs to escape reality, both on an acceptable level, and to a degree, to not face problems I was having...but like it's been said before, i don't beat myself up about it...it all been one big learning curve and i fully feel that i'm a better person for experiencing it.
Now, i'm very lucky, cos everything is fantastic in my life and when i dabble in stuff, i'm doing it because it's something i want to do, not to escape reality, but to take reality to a different level, if only for a night! My main opinion of drug taking is in my sig...check it out...
[ 23 February 2002: Message edited by: samadhi ]

IMO Using drugs to escape something (especially if you do it often) can lead to addictiion..
"Recreational drug use" should be just that... Using drugs to have fun...
Chem.

Thanks for the replies peeps... glad 2 know i'm not the only one who has done this. Sometimes when i've had a relationship problem etc all i've wanted to do is make the hurt go away and just get completely drug fucked to escape it all.... it worked in theory but the comedown was a bitch!!! But have i learnt? No it still kinda needs to be done from time to time.... There are alot of times when u do it though that you're not aware you're doing it and i find those are the times you end up getting too bent... Thanks 4 the stories....

I used pot as a stress-olla for school, dealing with loco parents, relationships and pretty much everything else that triggered stress--> good way to become an addict, although i can't see myself using heroin because i'd had a bad day at work. I think you can only use drugs to escape if your're completely comfortable with them, in my case weed and alcohol. Even so it is precisely this problem that using these drugs as an escape can make you addict you don't realise that your addicted until it's too late and you have no idea how fucked these drugs are making you until to stop taking them. Anyway I've quit weed now, i'd like to say the same with alcohol but it'll never happen
[ 25 February 2002: Message edited by: Tabernacle ]
[ 25 February 2002: Message edited by: Tabernacle ]

fuck, i thought the whole concept of using drugs was to escape from the 'real world'.
thats the way i have always used them anyway..
i know sometimes more than other times, like when some shit happens at home i'd go out, forget about the shit by getting fucked up on booze and ganja, or egging some cars just so ppl would call cops and we could run away (i know, i was a bastard)
crikey you've gotta be on your toes for that shit though, no drugs in ya... cept for maybe something to keep you going