Are drugs fun or do you turn to them in despair?

[Ismene2]

..fun, fun
till her daddy takes the T-bird away

 

[somnilicious]

..fun, fun
till her daddy takes the T-bird away

That's when she got a wicked smack habit. The 70's were rough. She was in and out of rehab but then she found Jesus and drives Doge Caravan now.

I think I use drugs for both. Not really sure anymore I just do drugs out of boredom more than anything. The cure and cause for all my problems.

 

[somnilicious]

I kinda have the problem where drugs don't really work anymore. I have pretty much have seen every drug through to the addiction phase and over abuse before cept meth but meth is whack imo.

 

[Bleaney]

Not really sure anymore I just do drugs out of boredom more than anything.

Sorry but I think that's really the worst and most lame of all reasons to do drugs. It's really not a good reason at all.

Whenever there's stories about people's life stories and hard luck stories or w/e and they end up addicted to drugs I usually have some sort of empathy for their situation, but those that used or got into it due to boredom, that really doesn't cut it.

Although I have to say that I can't pretend that I've never used drugs myself for those reasons. There's been many a time when I've gone on huge marathon MDPV binges, and I guess some of the underlying reasons included escapism and boredom. But I haven't thought well of myself after those sessions.

 

[Ismene2]

Not so fast Bleaney - life is boring and drugs relieve boredom. A good match!

 

[somnilicious]

Sorry but I think that's really the worst and most lame of all reasons to do drugs. It's really not a good reason at all.

Whenever there's stories about people's life stories and hard luck stories or w/e and they end up addicted to drugs I usually have some sort of empathy for their situation, but those that used or got into it due to boredom, that really doesn't cut it.

Although I have to say that I can't pretend that I've never used drugs myself for those reasons. There's been many a time when I've gone on huge marathon MDPV binges, and I guess some of the underlying reasons included escapism and boredom. But I haven't thought well of myself after those sessions.

Believe me I had all that shit when I was younger. Now I just have the daunting prospect of trying to rebuild my life while suffering a severely fried CNS. I've come to terms with all the bullshit I've been through in life so it's not a huge problem anymore but the damage is done.

I'm 42 and have been physically addicted to opiates since 17. I don't done cry about what happened in the past anymore cause it won't keep me sobor... Nor do I care.

I laugh at all the horrible shit life dumped on me after the hellscapeI I created for myself with drugs. Makes you forget why you came.

Is that a better answer for you?

Turns out there's no problem heroin can't make worse. Who would have thought.

 

[Dead Machination]

The big danger with psychedelics is that rather than allowing an escape from harsh realities, for some users they can greatly intensify whatever they currently going through. And if that's grief or depression that could get horrific...

I absolutely love psychedelics, but can't take them when I'm feeling anxious or depressed. It doesn't always cause a bad trip, but every bad trip that I've had has been under those circumstances.

 

[Ismene2]

I've never had a bad trip - I've taken so many psychedelics I can always tell myself to stop thinking about that shit and think about something nice. It's as simple as that.

 

[Bleaney]

I've never had a bad trip - I've taken so many psychedelics I can always tell myself to stop thinking about that shit and think about something nice. It's as simple as that.

It might be as easy that for some people. But it's definitely not as easy as that for everyone.

 

[swilow]

The Catch 22 that took me 25 years to understand- the root cause of basically all the shitty things that have happened to me is drug use. Of course, getting high would relieve the shittiness but its would always return slightly worse as a result. Once i fully understood that, it wasnt possible to get the same relief from my DoC. I came to both cognitively and emotionally understand that drugs were unable to do the thing I wanted them too and so...

These days, I stick to prescribed bupe and psychedelics, and having mainly quit problematic drugs, my life is like a zillion times better. It feels like a totally different life.

 

[jasperkent]

Ten Reasons People Get High
1. Reality escapism
2. Self-medication for mental health
3. Self-medication for physical pain
4. Spiritual journey
5. Psychonautical experimenting
6. Cognitive performance enhancement
7. Physical performance enhancement
8. Reflection and meditation
9. Recreational use – social or private
10. Sex / Recreational enhancement of intimate activity

I think that list is pretty accurate. I've used and/or abused various drugs for all of those reasons at one time or another.

I first tried drugs purely out of curiosity.
My thinking was So what's all this hoopla (both + & —) about ______? One way to find out...
I guess that qualifies as #5.

My first cigarette, my first drink, my first joint, and my first hit of acid were all consumed when I was alone. I didn't want any distractions. For me the above "firsts" were at ages 7, 10, 12, and 14 respectively.

 

[jasperkent]

My first cigarette, my first drink, my first joint, and my first hit of acid were all consumed when I was alone. I didn't want any distractions. For me the above "firsts" were at ages 7, 10, 12, and 14 respectively.

I find it interesting that the two I tried earliest have caused me the most damage.

I've been a daily cig smoker for 50 years. I assume that I'll die of some kind of lung disease. Over the years, alcohol addiction has caused me more problems (in every way) than all my other addictions combined.

 

[unodelacosa]

Sorry but I think that's really the worst and most lame of all reasons to do drugs. It's really not a good reason at all.

Maybe to you. Others see it like—to borrow a quip from comedian Doug Stanhope—“All illegal narcotics are medicinal. Boredom is a disease worse than cancer. Drugs cure it, with little or no side effects if used as directed. Life's temporary for a reason, it gets boring after awhile.”

Whenever there's stories about people's life stories and hard luck stories or w/e and they end up addicted to drugs I usually have some sort of empathy for their situation, but those that used or got into it due to boredom, that really doesn't cut it.

Doesn’t cut it for whom? It’s easy to project a set of my own rules on the world, but I have to remember those are just my own thoughts; others may not see it the same way. “Boredom” ties into recreational drug use, which has been stigmatized for the last ~100 yrs. There is nothing immoral about trying to alleviate boredom—even with drugs—so as long as said alleviation does not infringe on the rights of others. That’s responsible use. It’s better than avoiding problems or being high when it’s time to be productive. That’s irresponsible.

Responsible recreational use = less risk + promotes healthier lifestyle. Living in abject fear of recreational drug use is miserable, and so is drug abuse, as distinct from drug use. Remember: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” was Thomas Jefferson’s spin on Locke’s “life, liberty, and property”.

Now let’s remove courts from the equation after decriminalizing, take the money saved on vice squads and drug enforcement police groups, state and federal, and put that into treatment centers and comprehensive, honest public service announcements dedicated to being truthful about drugs. Like BL.

Although I have to say that I can't pretend that I've never used drugs myself for those reasons. There's been many a time when I've gone on huge marathon MDPV binges, and I guess some of the underlying reasons included escapism and boredom. But I haven't thought well of myself after those sessions.

Well there you go. You made a negative connection in your mind previously between that feeling and what you think of as irresponsible escapism. Rethink this pattern. It’s normal to desire escape from routine. We all do it, some to lesser or greater extents, bc we all seem to need certain things like affection, acceptance, feeling like you’re working on something bigger than you, routine, breaks from said routine, consistency and spontaneity mixed in a little… ya feel me?

I absolutely love psychedelics, but can't take them when I'm feeling anxious or depressed. It doesn't always cause a bad trip, but every bad trip that I've had has been under those circumstances.

Yeah it’s probably important to remember that psychedelics themselves can be classified as anxiogenic, or in other words, they themselves generate feelings of anxiety in us. For me, it’s helpful to remind myself of this fact while I’m tripping so as not to internalize that anxiety into fear, self-doubt, uncertainty and dread. Also, I feel like tripping can be divided into thirds, with the first one being the anxiety-riddled come up, the second one being the thrill of bursting into the peak experience where the anxiety takes a backseat to hypnotic awe and wonderment, and the final third being the calming comedown phase of reflection and meditative revelation.

 

[Forever Changes]

I find it interesting that the two I tried earliest have caused me the most damage.

I've been a daily cig smoker for 50 years. I assume that I'll die of some kind of lung disease. Over the years, alcohol addiction has caused me more problems (in every way) than all my other addictions combined.

and are the only two that are legal! Go figure

 

[Zopiclone bandit]

The big danger with psychedelics is that rather than allowing an escape from harsh realities, for some users they can greatly intensify whatever they currently going through. And if that's grief or depression that could get horrific

This 100%

The most Honest thing I've seen on here in ages.
The "Voice" of experience direct from personal experience.

An excellent post IMHO, BL needs more stuff like this.

 

[unodelacosa]

the two I tried earliest have caused me the most damage.

The combined damage of alcohol + tobacco dwarfs the damage dealt by all other drugs each year when you factor in drunk driving and associated accidents, alcohol poisoning, cirrhosis, liver cancer, hepatic disease, fetal alcohol syndrome, and accidental injuries… plus: emphysema, COPD, and cancers of the lungs, throat, larynx, and mouth, &c.

I used to smoke and drink daily. I never said the words “I quit [smoking/drinking]” because it’s too final, too much of a commitment, and I don’t like feeling trapped or compelled by words and expectations. Plus sometimes when I’m rolling my face off on MDMA I like to smoke a menthol or two, just while I’m high. Or I don’t drink often, but it makes me crave menthol cigs. In certain work places and environments, being a smoker is useful for networking. Information flows through smoke breaks like gang busters. And I figure half-ass smoking a couple dozen cigs a year probably won’t be the end of me.

I assume that I'll die of some kind of lung disease.

Yeah I hear you. I fear the same fate for myself. One of my grandfathers died of a heart attack at 59, though he had lung + throat cancer and smoked Paul Malls through a tracheotomy. My other grandfather died from COPD after 60+ yrs smoking. He had an O₂ tank but still had shallow, troubled breathing in the summer humidity. It was tough to witness.

I’ve smoked cigs, weed, dabs, hash, DMT, changa, meth, jungle spice, crack, α-PVP, Sherm/PCP dippers, and Salvia (15X oil on leaves)… plus after freebasing with soda ash: 2C-B, 2C-B-FLY, DPT, 5-MeO-DiPT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 4-AcO-MET, 4-AcO-EPT, prolly some others I’m forgetting as well. Who knows the damage I’ve dealt to my lungs by now in middle age? I shudder to consider it, and hope I don’t die of lung disease. Genetic indicators point to a likelihood though if I’m keeping it real with myself.

We all have vices and so what – life should be more about quality than quantity, I believe. If you enjoy something, find it and let it kill you, like Charles Bukowski advised. After all, like Jim Morrison sang: “five in one, baby, one in five… no one here gets… out alive.”

 

[Bleaney]

@unodelacosa

OK I take your point. My post was just my immediate thoughts that popped into my head, nothing more.

I accept that boredom is a common reason for doing drugs and I admitted that I have done drugs myself for that reason though. And I probably will do again.

All I meant was, for example, when I saw one of Louis Theroux's better documentaries of him interviewing a number of drug addicts in America who had ended up homeless and asked them how they ended up like that, I can't deny that I could empathise and feel a whole lot more for those that ended up that way either due to serious and painful physical injuries, and they could no longer afford the pain relief from Drs and so had turned to heroin. Or those that were self medicating to help them deal with mental conditions. These reasons rang true for me because they fit in with my own experience and with that of many others that have posted on this forum and in private messages to me.

In comparison to that, those that had ended up that way and got into drugs because they were bored, or because everyone else was doing it, those reasons did seem lame in comparison to the first two broad sets of reasons. I am aware that it's nothing very unusual though, and that many people do drugs for those reasons, including myself. These are bad reasons to end up getting addicted though - in my opinion.

That is all. Just my opinion as you say.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Mostly for fun, barring ones used for treating phantom limb pain (fun include psychedelics, for how cope with life's shitty episodes, like my wife' death).
Escapist drug use is going daft with opiates or in my case, with ketamine. Cocaine use seems to fall into that category, as well; benzos less so, as they help with a shitload of conditions, as well as knock you out

 

[fastandbulbous]

The combined damage of alcohol + tobacco dwarfs the damage dealt by all other drugs each year when you factor in drunk driving and associated accidents, alcohol poisoning, cirrhosis, liver cancer, hepatic disease, fetal alcohol syndrome, and accidental injuries… plus: emphysema, COPD, and cancers of the lungs, throat, larynx, and mouth, &c.

I used to smoke and drink daily. I never said the words “I quit [smoking/drinking]” because it’s too final, too much of a commitment, and I don’t like feeling trapped or compelled by words and expectations. Plus sometimes when I’m rolling my face off on MDMA I like to smoke a menthol or two, just while I’m high. Or I don’t drink often, but it makes me crave menthol cigs. In certain work places and environments, being a smoker is useful for networking. Information flows through smoke breaks like gang busters. And I figure half-ass smoking a couple dozen cigs a year probably won’t be the end of me.


Yeah I hear you. I fear the same fate for myself. One of my grandfathers died of a heart attack at 59, though he had lung + throat cancer and smoked Paul Malls through a tracheotomy. My other grandfather died from COPD after 60+ yrs smoking. He had an O₂ tank but still had shallow, troubled breathing in the summer humidity. It was tough to witness.

I’ve smoked cigs, weed, dabs, hash, DMT, changa, meth, jungle spice, crack, α-PVP, Sherm/PCP dippers, and Salvia (15X oil on leaves)… plus after freebasing with soda ash: 2C-B, 2C-B-FLY, DPT, 5-MeO-DiPT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 4-AcO-MET, 4-AcO-EPT, prolly some others I’m forgetting as well. Who knows the damage I’ve dealt to my lungs by now in middle age? I shudder to consider it, and hope I don’t die of lung disease. Genetic indicators point to a likelihood though if I’m keeping it real with myself.

We all have vices and so what – life should be more about quality than quantity, I believe. If you enjoy something, find it and let it kill you, like Charles Bukowski advised. After all, like Jim Morrison sang: “five in one, baby, one in five… no one here gets… out alive.”

Vaporized drugs are better for you, as they don't produce the carcinogens produced by smoking. I gave up smoking spliffs years ago, in favour of a Volcano vapourizer and I recommend it. Vaping drugs, in favour of smoking is great. It doesn't fuck your taste buds, so food tastes delicious!

 

[fastandbulbous]

Finally, I must admit that I'm a clinical addict, due to being prescribed dihydrocodeine, pregabalin and lorazepam on a regular basis, but there's absolutely no shame in that...