any long term junkies that have never used a needle?

[ech0s85]

so ive been addicted to opiates for going on six years, no breaks, and have never touched a needle. this shocks EVERYBODY that i tell. i started snorting oxy for about a year then switched to smoking tar. then to smoking a LOT of tar. anyways i just hate needles i always have, i still to this day cant watch a needle go into the skin, or the blood shoot up to register. it just turns my stomach even after seeing it a million times. Im curious about it sometimes but after doing every other drug heavily and having no problems, the pull of opiates scares me too much cuz im already strung out enough from smoking.

im gonna guess that nobody else is like this because ive met tons of junkies and the closest ive seen was a guy who was on a 4 year run and switched from shooting to smoking a year before i met him. a lot of the junkies i meet assume ive only been using for a few months and a few even just think im lying about how long ive been on.

anybody else in the same boat? of have friends that are?

 

[Blind Melon]

I've been a full blown junky for going on 10 years now, and I've shot up less than 50 times. If you use the right needle you won't even feel it pierce your skin. For me I didn't like the needle for my OC because the high didn't last nearly as long, and I liked to feel the warmth spread from my gut out to the rest of my body when I ate them. The placebo affect was enough for me I guess, I knew I'd be on cloud 9 shortly, so I didn't need that instant bang.

With heroin and dilaudid shooting up is a much better experience, the only problem is shooting up for long periods of time just isn't practical.

IMO the needle is best saved as an occasional treat.

 

[95Land]

I know one long, long time user who has never touched a rig. He won't even discuss them, so I can't give you much background on the hows/whys.
I started out smoking and snorting. I think the only thing that would have kept me from picking up the needle habit would have been to adopt a similar stance to my acquaintance. Basically, not take in a word of the constant nagging of the junkies I bought from at the time or my friends that were already familiar with the needle.
It's a weird thing... I felt like they were trying to pull me down with them and I still do. I also think there was a genuine desire to convince me and show me what I'd been missing.
I finally succumbed and was overwhelmed by how different it was. It went from a more measured, gradual drug to a all encompassing, beautifully intense drug.
I wish I hadn't done it, I've been clean for a while now, but I also wouldn't trade some of those shots for anything in the world.
Keep your needle phobia. Hold onto it tight. Cause once you close your eyes and allow someone else to hit you, that whole phobia thing goes out the window. At least it did for the people that I watched descend.
Much better off snorting and managing things. There are others out there that are doing the same thing and are functional that way.

 

[ech0s85]

yeah im grateful i was disgusted by needles long enough to realize how big of a problem opiates are for me before getting curious about it. i agree with the feeling like everybody is kinda trying to bring you down with them. when ive gotten high with homeless street junkies sometimes i can tell the way they feel about me changes when they see i smoke. like i can see they dont trust me or see me as an outsider all of a sudden. its weird. My one friend that ive been getting high with everyday for years shoots and i think he feels the same way about needles as i do about my dope habit. i hate it but its so good at the same time. Somedays hell try to get me to bang it and then other times hell tell me to keep on never touching needles.

 

[95Land]

^I completely understand what you're saying.
It really is both. I always wondered if it was just a evil, "Heh, come down here with us" type thing. And it is, to a degree.
At the same time there's this element of almost a fraternity of needle users. Like you're saying with the homeless folks. They've crossed that line, gone past the barrier of the most taboo element of drug use. Even though you might be a full-on junkie, smoking the foils, you're not THEIR brand of junkie.
You don't carry a kit with your rigs and cookers and cottons, blah, blah. You don't sit in the bathroom and dig around in your arms looking for a good vein, etc, etc.
We know that we're ruined to varying degrees, but we still want you to be there with us.
Sounds like your buddy's bouncing back and forth with that. He'd love to sit around and fix with you some days. Others, he's more aware of where he's leading you. It's a plain old fucked up thing.

 

[ados]

I saw this video awhile ago about how only about 10% of heroin addicts in the Netherlands are IV users. I found it pretty surprising. When I was into heroin, most of the other users I knew only smoked it, but they also weren't long term addicts so I don't know where they would be with it now.

http://youtu.be/yoxNDQRwkc4

 

[Tryptamine*Dreamer]

I am not sure if I would fit the definition for long-term junkie or not. I have been high on hydrocodone or poppies almost every day for maybe 7 or 8 years and typically there are one or more other drugs taken with those.
I have never injected an opiate. I have injected a wide variety of other drugs, most of them research chemicals. Mostly it has been IM injections but a number of IV injections as well. I have injected ketamine more times than any others.

Anyway, I started injecting long before I ever used drugs. I did not start using drugs until I after I was 18. I started injecting water into my body when I was a kid. Not sure when the first time was, maybe when I was around 11 or 12 years old - I only injected that into muscles though. I started sticking needles in myself just for the hell of it when I was 7 or 8 years old. Not sure why, but I would freak the fuck out if a doctor tried to give me an injection until after I was 13.

I obviously have no problem injecting drugs and I will inject any drug that can be injected at least once. If I ever get a strong injectable opiate, it is going right into my veins. I have wanted to shoot smack for a hell of a long time. I almost got the chance once, but the deal went through and haven't had another chance since.

Maybe someday, if I am not pushing up daisies before I get the chance.

 

[aussie101]

I can think of one person I know out of about 25-30 that got into heroin that did not progress to using syringes.