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being an addict effecting your grades?

johanneschimpo said:
That was me in May, referring to benzo use. And in denial.
I'm addicted to suboxone and valium, which I use therapeutically, in relatively small doses. Although I do abuse xanax and other drugs more than I like to admit. And its affecting me. Its fucking me. At least I'm no longer in denial. When Fall quarter starts, in a little over two weeks, I'm going to chill out and see how I do. I'm pissed off about going from a 4.0 to.... shit I don't know what I've had if you only count the past year, maybe a 3.0 if I'm lucky.

So yes, being an addict is affecting my grades. I always tell myself "I'm not using smack anymore, so everything is great," but thats not true. Being addicted to legal drugs prescriptions, is not much better. I WILL IMPROVE MY GRADES IN FALL 2008.

jc, i'm glad you were able to look back and things and compare them to now. it's certainly not an easy thing to do, but at least you're aware of what's going on and aren't in denial. <3 best of luck to you!
 
I think using does affect me academically in some ways. When I started using heavily I actually got my first 4.0 but that was in high school. In my first year in college I got a 3.0, and I think that's because I wasn't motivated to do really well, but drug abuse didn't improve my motivation at all...unless of course we're talking about adderall ;)
 
I appreciate everyones input on this thread.. I'm startin school a year late due to addictions in high school (psychs and opiates) so I know I can't fuck up now. I do think weed fucks with school work and IME if i get high before I study, I WONT study.. Instead I'll surf BL or facebook or some other bullshit.. So I kinda learned to get high after I study (and not rush through it) and it's rewarding instead of just getting high and being pissed off at myself for not studying. Plus, ive already been down the rehab route so I really don't need to revisit that during college- so I plan to stick to just weed an alcohol (but I do know thats subject to change day-to-day :\).
 
I made it through a BS degree in neuroscience with a decent GPA, being addicted to IV opiates for 3 out of the 4 years, and on and off with various stimulants. On the other hand, I didn't smoke weed, didn't take downers, and only got drunk once a month at most; I think those have more of an effect on academics. Since drugs helped my social life, it made me a happier person, and more motivated to study. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this strategy unless you're someone like me who needs drugs to be normal and are miserable when sober.
 
um i got suspended from baylor university for too many mip's and possession charges which were eventually dropped.

they gave me a year to clean up my act. and i did.

it was probably the best thing someone taking 32 grand out of my pocket could have done for me.
 
addiction and staying in school

I kicked heroin a little over a week ago. Physically I feel better, but mentally/emotionally I'm a wreck. I can't think clearly. I'm depressed. I'm unmotivated, uninspired.

I am a student, and because of these symptoms I can hardly bring myself to study. If I can muster up the will to do so, my thoughts are scattered, and I cannot focus long enough to retain much of anything. When I was using I fell behind in school, and now that I've kicked I'm falling faster.

I know It's only been a week, but from what I've read these psychological symptoms linger. I'm thinking of dropping this semester and hoping financial aid will be sympathetic to my situation. The problem with that is the courses I'm in now for my major are offered once a year, so dropping would set me back a year. I just don't think I'm in a proper state of mind for school at the moment.

Any advice as to what actions I should take? Would it be for the best to take time off and deal with the psychological issues?
 
^Ive been in a similar situation (w/ alprazolam tho).

Ive never hardcore withdrawn from opiates but i am familiar with those mental symptoms and I am sure they will go away eventually. I know the mental aspects of opiate withdrawal i have had (only for a few days at a time mind you) seemed like they would never go away and i was fucked. But then afterwards i was so glad i didnt make any rash decisions about my life during that time.

If you dont think youll relaps, fail or screw your GPA completely I would say keep going. I really regret i didnt finish the semester I dropped. Im getting fucked daily because of some changes in the classes i dropped.

Have you considered taking a reduced course load, maybe 1 or 2 classes?

And hey if you do drop the semester remember youre gonna have to do work anyway. Not school work, but working on yourself as a person. If you think that if you drop the sem youll just get high all day and do nothing then I dont think you should drop. But if you can drop the semester, keep reading books, exercise, stay sober, etc then come back in the spring refreshed then I am sure that would be great for you.
 
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This is my best semester so far and I'm perfectly sober. Alcohol makes me a moron and weed just demotivates me. I'd probably be happier than I am right now, but at least I can pull my GPA up some more.
 
i had a benzo and dextroamphetamine problem for my first semester but i did pretty good for the little effort i put into school got a 3.6 gpa. smoking weed doesnt help with academics at all. im off the benzos now (2 years later) but use methamphetamine a few times a week.
 
limestoneman said:
Meth fucked me over. I can't think right. It's hard to explain.
Why don't you try to elaborate a bit? I'm really interested in a subjective description of the after-effects of meth use.

vortex30 said:
My marks haven't fallen much. Bear in mind I'm just finishing up high-school at the moment. But I got into university after smoking weed everyday for 3 years so I think/hope I can continue the trend. I feel that Cannabis has just made it harder to do well. Back in Elementary school I didn't try at all but I still managed an average in the 90% range. In high-school, well, I haven't tried that hard and I'm getting around the 75-80% range, but if I wanted to achieve 90% these days I'd have to quit drugs and I'd have to work really hard. I guess my marks have dropped, but I think that's more a sign of the times and me growing up.

Ketamine and Cannabis have certainly made me dumber though. My short term memory is almost non-existent and if I want to do well on anything, I really have to try hard and focus on it or else it just won't get done. Drugs have made me content to sit here and do nothing when I should be doing something. Before drugs I was the opposite and pretty OCD, so I think I prefer my current mindset, though I could certainly use the motivation sometimes. Well, there's another bonus to using drugs. I now have Amphetamines at my disposal which makes me even sharper than the Koreans.
It may be easy to get into a college, but maintaining your stay there will be much more challenging. If you think it would require you to quit drugs and work really hard to achieve 90% in high school, how much more difficult do you think it would be in the university?

Oh, and take it easy on the amphetamines.

About benzos, I used to abuse them a few years ago. Things did become horrible; sometimes I'd get lost in the middle of sentences and completely forget what I was talking about. In my experience, benzodiazepines (and probably other depressants) are drugs I would only use sparingly while trying to maintain a certain GPA. They really cloud my brain up.
 
I smoke weed all the time and it totally screws with me in class if I smoke before. A lot moreso last year when I wasnt smoking daily. I just like to smoke during class because it makes the painfully dreaded school go by a bit quicker
 
I'm terrified, the more and more I think about drugs the less and less I think about work.

It's got to the point where yes, I'll work in class, but I will not spend any time outside college working. Even when I have no drugs.
It's scaring me because I know I need to. This is definitely going to come back and bite me in the behind when I can't get a job or when I get evicted from a flat.
 
hey man,

last year i was in your position.

I checked myself into a rehab; it was the best decision i ever made in my life.

I got a lot of time to figure things out about myself, and going to meetings everyday really got me to come out of my a social shell and talk about my problems/addictions.

Maybe you should too...

At least check out a Narcotics Anonymous meeting.

cheers bro
 
Now I'm alright with the drug use, its not a problem, but I'm so fucking lazy I don't know what to do.... ahhh the pitfalls of _______ (fill in the blank).
 
I smoke weed daily, which is the only drug I do more than once a month, but I would say it effects my school work. I'm supposed to be doing calculus homework right now but instead i'm smoking a bowl screwing around on bluelight. After a long day of class, what's better than getting blazed out and chillin?
 
I was fucking up in school BIG TIME while addicted to opiates. I either wouldnt attend due to getting high, or when i did attend, i was to busy in class enjoying my buzz rather than paying any attention.

I got on suboxone and did MUCH better, but still felt it kinda... dumb'd me down a little? i dunno how to explain it. i did not feel sharp.

Now im completely sober and im doing stellar and will be on my way to law school.


I think the hard part about being an ADDICT and actually succeeding in school is every time i do well on a test, or when i get my grades and there is not a C in sight. i think to myself. REWARD YOURSELF! GET HIGH!

That devil still lives in my head, im just doing a better job of shutting it the fuck up :)
 
^ That's very true, and something that becomes even worse when you're trying to quit.

"Wow, I made it the whole week without getting trashed, and I did all my homework; I best spend the next two weeks drunk as a reward! Good thinkin'!"

:(
 
I got addicted to weed and suddenly my grades rose. :D

Then i got addicted to opiates and my grades dropped. :(

I just recently quit opiates and now my grades are average. :|
 
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