The interesting thing is that EVERY SINGLE person I know who has become depedent on opioids began with other drugs. So saying drug X is fine while drug Y is BAD, is entirely based around their subjective opinion i.e. 'if I use it, it MUST be fine'.
Nicotine is the most common gateway drug with alcohol a close second. But it's been my experience that eventually heavy psychedelic users begin to need bendodiazepines to come down with. The fact that benzodiazepines are every bit as dependence forming as opioids appears lost on them.
ON guy I knew was a big LSD fan but eventually ended up taking the odd diazepam for the come down. One week the dealer had no benzos but did have a handful of Physeptone (methadone) tablets. And the rest is history.
Cigarettes & alcohol were my gateway drugs.
Hell even caffeine was somewhat of a gateway drug. Especially being a 12 year old & drinking 2 pots of coffee before going to school.
Shit, I had already done meth, MDMA, shrooms, cocaine & cannabis long before I even got into opioids.
I like opioids because you can get a nice strong buzz from them while also still being able to function & go about your daily routine. In fact it increases my motivation in some cases & makes doing physical things easier (since I can't feel all the aches & pains I normally feel in my body).
Nothing helps my depression or makes me feel "normal" better than a good dose of tramadol or heroin. All the psychiatric drugs given out for depression feel like straight up poison & have never helped me.
Shit, I wish opium dens were still a thing. I'd love to go sit in an opium den, get high & converse with like-minded people. Drunks have their bars, so why can't the rest of us have places to socialize & use?
The US is fucking gross, hypocritical, predatory country that has no qualms murdering & enslaving their own citizens.
My heart goes out to everyone whose ever been affected by the drug war, whether it's been through jail/prison sentences or dealing with withdrawals every month or whatever issue it may be.... Some of you guy's on here are clearly VERY educated & intelligent folks too. Bluelight has taught me so much about medicine, biology & pharmacology. So many wonderful minds here. I love you all!
