my experience
I think having a break is a good thing. let me eloborate. I'm nearly 30, and have been into / out of drugs and parties since back in the very early 90's (like 1992 onwards). I have two little sisters (mid 20's) who after my parents broke up, hit drugs very, very hard until a couple of years ago.
I smoked pot once, and hated it - why would you want to slow yourself down? I've loved, used and abused LSD, MDMA, MDEA, Ice, Cocaine, Speed and 2cb. My sisters did all the above and herion - once was enough to turn them off for good (thank goodness!)
For a while there (around 3 years...) until 1997, i was taking maybe 10-14 pills per fortnight (back in day when $50 was the club price, $45 for a 10-pack) and yeah, it fucked me up.
I slowly weened myself off them, taking little breaks of 3-5 weeks, got back into martial arts and then moved to Sydney after roaming the world and Australia (san fran rocks!)
When i moved up here, i met my fiance, and although she was just getting into the scene (had only had two pills ever when i first met her!) we went hard for a while... then... life dawned on us. We'd both just finished uni (i managed, somehow to get straight D's and HD's in uni, she was a credit grade average student) and needed to work, get a house and all that shit.
Anyway, last year (2002) i took a grand total of 23 pills accross the entire year. This year, my total is just 3.5! i'm much better for it, and a much nicer person to boot. My littlest sister went cold turkey back in 2000, and is in her final year of vetinary science, and will be paid to work with a tiger-breeding program in the USA early next year, because of her grades.
I'm invovled in exercise science research, and the funny thing (bit of a side note) is that all three of us did the same basic biochemistry of cells at uni... groovy huh?
anway other sister (older of the two)... who has more expeirence with drugs than the rest of my family put together, is now studying neuropsychology, focusing on chemical causes realted to schiporehina. She spent some time in and out of mental instituations, and although she's been fine for around 3 years now, will allways be agrophobic and have a few other issues as a direct result of her drug experiences.
Having got and lost the magic several times with several different substance, and seen the three most precious people in the world to me (my sisters and my finace) do the same my advice is:
1. Learn to love the real world, real people and real things. Indulge in winery tours through the hunter valley, mountain climbing in Tasmania, sking in remote finland, set financial goals realted to positive expeirences and soak up real life... sports, arts, freinds, wine - have fun.
2. Take a break from drugs whilst working towards these things. Makes the more enjoyable, both real life, and the drugs when you go back too them.
3. Get some non-drug taking buddies (keep life in perspective) for me, that was my youngest sister.
4. Change substances (substitute booze for pills is a good one, just get into wine collecting - lots of fun!!!)
5. When you do go back, be carefull.
I knew the time for me to stop was when i was needing 3-4 GOOD, STRONG pills to get me through a night, rather than 1 or two. Now i get happy of a half, and wrecked off a whole! makes my night cheeper, and heaps fun.
I'd recommend 6 month break from your chosen substance, during which do lots of positive brain and body things, exercise, take up art, take 5-htp once per day, eat organic food and really enjoy life outside of the techno-chem world (what i call it).
Anyway, don't want to sound preachy or anything, i just really related to your post. I'm having shit loads of fun now i've slowed down, and enjoy my less frequent experiences more than the frequent ones put together. Haven't popped since march, but will be this long weekend (can't wait!) so yeah, take a break man, enjoy life and get back into it, if you want too. My fiance hasn't done anything this year, but will in october (her break has been longer than mine)
You don't loose the magic, it just wanders to a different part of your life and waits patiently there for you to find it.
You don't loose the magic, it just wanders to a different part of your life and waits patiently there for you to find it!
and am now starting a break of about a 1-1.5 months.
