TDS Opiates and Prostitution?

[lonewolf05]

So I recently went through a bad situation with my ex and I know a few other girls who "sell themselves" for opiates. Oxys, dilaudids, heroin.. doesn't matter. Many of these girls/women are from upper middle class households and have great families. It's very hard for someone like myself who has never tried opiates to understand what would make a person sink to that level. Is the high that good? Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them? Also, if you have personally prostituted for opiates or any drugs, does it haunt you or even bother you afterward?

I would prefer female responses to these questions, but will appreciate any and all responses.

 

[cj]

Its not the high is that good its that withdrawals are that bad. Plus those good familoes probably cut them off emotionally and financialy. I would have prostituted myself for heroin but there is just not much of a market for ugly male prostitutes

 

[ad lib]

So I recently went through a bad situation with my ex and I know a few other girls who "sell themselves" for opiates. Oxys, dilaudids, heroin.. doesn't matter. Many of these girls/women are from upper middle class households and have great families. It's very hard for someone like myself who has never tried opiates to understand what would make a person sink to that level. Is the high that good? Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them? Also, if you have personally prostituted for opiates or any drugs, does it haunt you or even bother you afterward?

I would prefer female responses to these questions, but will appreciate any and all responses.

1) Is the high that good?

Opiates make me feel...amazing to put it mildly. I don't want to glorify or write anything that may trigger anyone. In short: yes. For me, anyway.

2) Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them?

The act of being under the influence of them? It depends on the dosage. If someone is opiate addicted, then they may take just enough to get well, or enough to reach a high. It honestly depends on the dosage for how much the conscience is altered.

For me, the I'm 90% of the time aware of my surroundings and situation/what's going on. I still feel the effects of the drug but I'm still alert and able to respond. However, there have been times where I've taken doses where I was completely out of it and just don't give a fuck.

3) Also, if you have personally prostituted for opiates or any drugs, does it haunt you or even bother you afterward?

I'm a female.

I never have prostituted myself and I never will simply because it would haunt me forever and probably lead to suicide. It would make me feel more worthless than I normally do.

 

[dirtyfrenchman83]

if you do end up prosto'ing yourself, its so far down the line for you. Don't worry your pretty little head, unless your planning an opiate escapade, in that case always i mean ALWAYS carry condoms(he ain't). You ask for the highest rate possible for blow job ect. If men think there payin more, there getting a better women(yeah its fucked up) but your not the girl who gives @0 dollors bjs you charge 80 a bj 200 to fuck.....but if you don't intend on being a hooker then...don't get involved in the shitty opiate scene

 

[dirtyfrenchman83]

p.s. yes it can really fuck you up. prostituting yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!be CAREFUL! and don't for your sake prostitute yourself, unless its just handjobs in public washrooms and still remember your handjob is worth considerably more thank that other ho who does for a 1/4 of your price ahhaha for real tho

 

[neversickanymore]

its not the high is that good its that withdrawals are that bad.

bingo

 

[neversickanymore]

Or who ever has found or is thinking of prostituting themselves for oxys or H, should get on a methadone or sabox maintenance program and start dealing with the nightmare their lives have become, or maybe the like the lifestyle, idk.. to each their own i'm not judging.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Prostitution for drugs leaves a stain on a person. I've seen it myself. I've done my stint in prostitution and escorting and some of the people I've met are just dead inside. Far beyond realizing they need help and to quit (drugs and the job).

As rx said, the high is that good, if that's your thing. But the withdrawals are what keep people doing things they'd never dreamed of when they were sober.

 

[Ligaturd]

I know somebody who is going down this road, they didn't admit to it but I knew and I just unloaded my worries and the mental effects that it is likely to bring. I said that there are woman out there who want to have sex for money and do it because they enjoy it or accept sex as something that doesn't have to be personal whatsoever, people with truly different views of morality and value the act of sex much differently. I can accept this and I wouldn't think badly of somebody who does this completely of their own free will. What is sad is the woman who start doing this because of drugs, their habit has gotten so bad that this is the only viable option of making money to sustain their habit. These woman probably enjoyed sex as a very personal affair, even if they had sex with strangers and were very promiscuous...they made the decision to have sex with these people because they were attracted to them and actually wanted sex at that particular moment in time.

When you start charging for it to random men, you aren't likely to be having sex with men that are attractive to you and most likely not in line with your own sexual desires or when you really wanting to have sex. This is completely counter intuitive to the sexual identity and habits that we have started forging for ourselves when sexual urges started to surface as we grew from children into adults. This can truly break most woman, it assigns a dollar value to their bodies and the functions that used to be reserved for personal satisfaction and sharing with a loved one. This can no doubt bring about a lot of shame and sadness and it is a desperate act born from desperation, and in the cases that I am talking about, it is not about survival, it's not about sustaining ones own life, it is about ensuring the survival of the parasite that is drug addiction. Once the deed is done and that shame sets in, then it can be killed by getting high and this can be the start of a cycle.

There are some men who pray on woman who are prostituting to act out their sick, domineering sadomasochistic fantasies. Prostitutes can easily be the target of abuse, and rape which can further push a human being into an even more miserable addiction to forget the trauma. I know that this doesn't describe the life of all prostitutes and perhaps it's even a bit sensational but these things do happen and there are a lot of men and woman who just aren't ok with selling themselves in this manner and they only got there because of their addiction and it can further cement their place in that addiction. I don't look down on these people for what they are doing, I feel for them and would love to be able to help them and create an environment where they can change the path that they are on and I sincerely hope that I can help this one specific person and keep them from going down this road at all or from going further down this road.

I would also like to acknowledge once again that there are men and woman out there who prostitute for a living and not because of drugs but because they are ok with it and there are probably drug addicts that do the same and in safe environments and are also ok with it and I respect their choices and their right to do what they want with their bodies.

 

[Ego Death]

Didn't you ever see Requiem for a Dream? "Butt to butt, butt to butt!"

 

[Swimmingdancer]

So I recently went through a bad situation with my ex and I know a few other girls who "sell themselves" for opiates. Oxys, dilaudids, heroin.. doesn't matter. Many of these girls/women are from upper middle class households and have great families. It's very hard for someone like myself who has never tried opiates to understand what would make a person sink to that level. Is the high that good? Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them? Also, if you have personally prostituted for opiates or any drugs, does it haunt you or even bother you afterward?

I would prefer female responses to these questions, but will appreciate any and all responses.

Obviously you have a prejudiced attitude towards sex work and need to learn more about it. "Selling themselves" is an offensive term - one is providing a service that involves sex. "Selling themselves" sounds like they are a piece of meat or entering into slavery. Secondly "sink to that level" is offensive as well. As though selling sexual services is somehow sub-human. You are also making an assumption that these women have "great families". I doubt if their families were so great they would be addicted to opiates in the first place. You can't make assumptions about their lives or what they have been through based on outward appearances.

Becoming a prostitute was one of the best decisions I ever made to be honest. It absolutely doesn't haunt or bother me. Of course, it depends on the person and situation. Someone who has "conventional" beliefs about sex and sex work, is doing it solely out of desperation and really feels awful about it, experiences constant judgement about it from others (*which is the worst aspect of doing it), works in a bad or unsafe situation (on the street, or just to dealers who are jerks, for example), is poorly paid, sees clients they'd really rather not, does things they're not comfortable with solely to get money, and so on, is going to have a different experience from me and different feelings about it.

If you'd like to know more about my experience I will share it but I won't bother typing a bunch about it if your real motivation for being here is primarily just to confirm your own judgments. Sorry if I sound harsh, I just see that a lot with these kinds of threads.

As to your other questions:

Is the high that good?
The high is not "that good", it's just like feeling happy and warm and loved, a pretty subtle and natural feeling, which is a very powerful feeling to people who are depressed, anxious, lacking love in their lives, etc. But it is not really about the high at that point. Once you are physically dependent the withdrawals can feel unbearable and like you would do almost anything to make that feeling stop, to many people.

Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them?
Opiate addiction rewires the reward system in your brain. Your brain places the drug above all else. It can become rated as more important than basic needs like food or shelter - this is not a conscious decision. It is due to real processes in the brain. So it feels as though you need the drug in order to live. That feeling can be a powerful motivator. If you were starving to death would you do almost anything to get food?

 

[Disraeli_Beers]

Or do opiates change your consciousness so much that you just don't care what you have to do to get them?
Opiate addiction rewires the reward system in your brain. Your brain places the drug above all else. It can become rated as more important than basic needs like food or shelter - this is not a conscious decision. It is due to real processes in the brain. So it feels as though you need the drug in order to live. That feeling can be a powerful motivator. If you were starving to death would you do almost anything to get food?

Yep. There is no need for the opioid to affect the frontal cortex (area responsible for conscious thought) because it simply goes a few layers down to the medulla oblongata and brain stem, essentially 'hotwiring' your brain at the ground level.

So basically an opioid addict doesn't think "Oh jeez, I'm running out of dope and the only logical and sensible option is to get more", it's more along the lines of an instinctual urge, like hunger, thirst or sex drive. Suddenly you are COMPELLED to go do whatever you need to do to get more.

I believe that part of overcoming opioid addiction is this realization. Feelings are simply feelings, nothing more. Drug addicts happen to rely on feelings more than reason in active use, and it is a hard habit to break. You can FEEL like you're going to die without a fix (due to acute withdrawal or PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome)) but in all actuality there's a 99% chance you'll be ok.

 

[tackyspiral]

i am clean now (thank god!)

but let me make a confession on this subject - I used to be a heroin junkie and while i never did cross the line i thought about it and not out of desperation either.... i think that opiate use brought out an underlying sex addiction (this is just me not most people) for me it was like a sexy fantasy and while i did do a lot of freaky stuff while high i never took money for it

 

[Ligaturd]

Becoming a prostitute was one of the best decisions I ever made to be honest. It absolutely doesn't haunt or bother me. Of course, it depends on the person and situation. Someone who has "conventional" beliefs about sex and sex work, is doing it solely out of desperation and really feels awful about it, experiences constant judgement about it from others (*which is the worst aspect of doing it), works in a bad or unsafe situation (on the street, or just to dealers who are jerks, for example), is poorly paid, sees clients they'd really rather not, does things they're not comfortable with solely to get money, and so on, is going to have a different experience from me and different feelings about it.

If you'd like to know more about my experience I will share it but I won't bother typing a bunch about it if your real motivation for being here is primarily just to confirm your own judgments. Sorry if I sound harsh, I just see that a lot with these kinds of threads.

You said said most of what I was trying to say a lot more objectively and effectively than I ever could. And that is because you are speaking from experience, I tried to cover both sides of the issue and my bias comes from caring for the person who is going to or has already started prostituting. I worry for her mental health because of the reasons that have lead her into this situation, the way in which she is seeing this as something to do which I believe makes her more vulnerable to the perceivable negative aspects of utilizing this means to make money. It is comforting to know that prostituting doesn't always have horribly negative consequences like most of us are lead to believe not really having much exposure to it.

Are you working out of a brothel? I think that may make your situation a bit different than the one that I am speaking of. I would like to talk to you more about this to attain a more balanced understanding of prostitution,instead of always assuming the worst.

but let me make a confession on this subject - I used to be a heroin junkie and while i never did cross the line i thought about it and not out of desperation either.... i think that opiate use brought out an underlying sex addiction (this is just me not most people) for me it was like a sexy fantasy and while i did do a lot of freaky stuff while high i never took money for it

Really? I found that opiate usage made sex more dull and boring and it really took away my motivation to want to even have sex, sensation was dulled and also I was never really horny at all. I am a male but I know a couple females who also expressed that they felt the same. Opioids killed my anxiety and allowed me to talk to woman much more easily, which allowed for many more sexual encounters than I am used to but they also killed sex for me.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

... It is comforting to know that prostituting doesn't always have horribly negative consequences like most of us are lead to believe not really having much exposure to it.

Are you working out of a brothel? I think that may make your situation a bit different than the one that I am speaking of. I would like to talk to you more about this to attain a more balanced understanding of prostitution,instead of always assuming the worst.

Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I am not currently working in that industry at all, but I hope to again someday soon-ish. I took a break to work on my health: I was in a bad accident and then I decided to get off methadone (it wasn't helping my pain anyway), and I just wasn't able to physically handle working.

Prior to that, I worked at a brothel for a long time and then I went independent, rented a seperate apartment to work out of and did all my own bookings for a long time. The latter was the best situation because I got to be totally in control of when I worked, who I saw, how much I charged, etc. I wouldn't generally recommend independent work for someone just starting out though since there is a lot to learn about the industry (how to be successful at it, keep yourself safe, get clients, etc). I never worked on the street but before I started at the brothel I did the "give the drug dealer a blow job for dope" thing and that wasn't too bad because they were nice and clean and such but I just didn't feel great about it, especially at that time, and felt like I didn't have much power in the situation, (wasn't really paid fairly, etc).

Someone's experience in the sex industry is going to vary HUGELY depending on the individual, their mindset and particular situation. But there are A LOT of people like me. You just don't see that aspect of it. It was really great for my self-esteem, I met interesting people, had great conversations with clients, had regular clients who would take me out to dinner or on vacation at full rates, etc. The media does not portray this side of the trade (or when it does it's laughably inaccurate) and it's not visible like street prostitution. You could easily know someone who works as an escort and not even realize it because they are afraid to tell people for fear of judgment. Which is a very reasonable fear, sadly.

I really think that working as an escort helped me get off heroin (which I did while I was working as one). That may sound weird, but it really improved my life and financial situation which made it a lot easier to work on my addiction and mental health and not have stresses like not being able to pay my rent, getting treated like crap at minimum wage jobs etc. It allowed me to be independent and improved my self-confidence. I feel like whoever said money doesn't bring happiness has never been poor, lol, because although money obviously can't make you happy it can certainly reduce a lot of stress and suffering.

Now, perhaps the girls the OP was mentioning are in very different situations than my own, but I just think it's impossible for him to make assumptions about them.

Feel free to ask me any questions

 

[herbavore]

I doubt if their families were so great they would be addicted to opiates in the first place.

as long as we are myth and stereotype busting in this thread, may I just say that making the assumption that someone would not get addicted to opiates (or any other drug) unless they came from a dysfunctional or non-supportive family is a hurtful stereotype as well.

Sex work can be a very empowering way to make a living for some men and women but I do think that the point made about choosing it as opposed to being driven to it due to the desperation of addiction is a worthy distinction.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

as long as we are myth and stereotype busting in this thread, may I just say that making the assumption that someone would not get addicted to opiates (or any other drug) unless they came from a dysfunctional or non-supportive family is a hurtful stereotype as well.

Sorry herbavore, I certainly didn't mean to imply that. What I suppose I should have said is that it is impossible for the OP to tell from outward appearances what these girls he is referring to have been through in their lives or whether or not their families are/were "great". My belief (and the belief of some groundbreaking authorities on the subject) is that opiate addiction stems primarily from things like trauma, hurt or perception of not being loved, etc, but this is complex and can be due to various factors, it does not mean opiate addicts had "bad" parents; it's definitely not that simple and it is also useless to blame anyone. But I feel even more strongly that it is wrong to blame the addict. I guess that is sort of what I was trying to convey; I should have explained better and not made a hasty statement based on my own sensitivities . Maybe I'm still not explaining it well, lol.

asSex work can be a very empowering way to make a living for some men and women but I do think that the point made about choosing it as opposed to being driven to it due to the desperation of addiction is a worthy distinction.

It's interesting though, as I think that's a blurry distinction. And definitely not something that one can tell simply based on the fact that a person has a drug habit and also does sex work. Why I say it is blurry is which category would you put me into? I initially started out of poverty and needing to support an addiction, but I stayed by choice. And I know quite a few people in similar situations who do not regret getting into it. Of course being coerced into the business against one's will is a completely different story, but I think that is not what you were referring to (and it's also something that doesn't happen nearly as often as is claimed by much of the media and governments). I have also had "normal" socially acceptable jobs in the past that made me miserable and that I did solely out of desperation and have haunted me but no one ever seems to think there is a problem with that or questions whether it would harm someone's psyche. I think the main thing that makes sex work different and inherrently hard on sex workers is societal judgement about it. And there have been some good studies that came to that conclusion. I would post an excerpt but I'm just typing from my phone right now (maybe I'll do it later). So also excuse me if my post is not very well-written, just doing a kind of stream of consciouness thing .

 

[Captain.Heroin]

as long as we are myth and stereotype busting in this thread, may I just say that making the assumption that someone would not get addicted to opiates (or any other drug) unless they came from a dysfunctional or non-supportive family is a hurtful stereotype as well.

Thanks for stating this herby.