Just wondering:
In your guys' opinion, is taking a depressant (booze, benzos, opiates, whatever) after coke to stave off the comedown, consistent with harm reduction?
I'm putting this to the forum because I'm increasingly thinking that it IS, but I'm apprehensive about getting overly confident in this thesis. So here's basically the pros and cons for this strategy as far as I can see:
PROS:
1. Depressants soften the coke comedown; the coke comedown can be a dangerous condition in extreme cases.
The coke comedown is often bad enough to make people feel suicidal, taking depressants afterward softens the blow.
2. You don't really need to re-dose on the depressant you take afterward, at least not to the extent you need to re-dose on coke with the "take more coke" strategy.
When you try to cope with a coke comedown by just taking more coke, you end up re-dosing compulsively all night long. While this CAN happen if you follow coke with a depressant, it is much, much less likely.
3. Depressants can help you get to sleep.
Well I guess this is self-explanatory but if you're asleep you are less likely to do something stupid in some kind of crazed 5am search for more cocaine.
CONS:
These points are less self-explanatory and more where I'm seeking scientific-type feedback. I personally feel from experience that chasing coke with depressants is an OK harm reduction strategy, but I also know that the biology of the matter can paint a different picture, so I hope I can get some clarity here.
1. Stimulant AND depressant stress on the heart.
Isn't it worse to have these two competing heart stresses affecting you at the same time, than to have just one? I heard that somewhere but I'm not sure.
2. Risk of a "cycle."
I've heard of the "amphetamine cycle" being a condition where you get addicted to a depressant because you need it to get to sleep when you're taking amphetamines. Even though coke generally lets you get to sleep eventually, could a similar thing happen by using a depressant to deal with the stresses of the coke comedown?
3. Making coke harder to quit.
Generally, you don't want to just keep doing coke your whole life. Maybe just having to face the full force of a coke comedown without an easy depressant cure be key to motivating you to quit sometime?
....................
Anyway, this is just the topic as I see it. Feel free to agree, disagree, provide input, etc.
In your guys' opinion, is taking a depressant (booze, benzos, opiates, whatever) after coke to stave off the comedown, consistent with harm reduction?
I'm putting this to the forum because I'm increasingly thinking that it IS, but I'm apprehensive about getting overly confident in this thesis. So here's basically the pros and cons for this strategy as far as I can see:
PROS:
1. Depressants soften the coke comedown; the coke comedown can be a dangerous condition in extreme cases.
The coke comedown is often bad enough to make people feel suicidal, taking depressants afterward softens the blow.
2. You don't really need to re-dose on the depressant you take afterward, at least not to the extent you need to re-dose on coke with the "take more coke" strategy.
When you try to cope with a coke comedown by just taking more coke, you end up re-dosing compulsively all night long. While this CAN happen if you follow coke with a depressant, it is much, much less likely.
3. Depressants can help you get to sleep.
Well I guess this is self-explanatory but if you're asleep you are less likely to do something stupid in some kind of crazed 5am search for more cocaine.
CONS:
These points are less self-explanatory and more where I'm seeking scientific-type feedback. I personally feel from experience that chasing coke with depressants is an OK harm reduction strategy, but I also know that the biology of the matter can paint a different picture, so I hope I can get some clarity here.
1. Stimulant AND depressant stress on the heart.
Isn't it worse to have these two competing heart stresses affecting you at the same time, than to have just one? I heard that somewhere but I'm not sure.
2. Risk of a "cycle."
I've heard of the "amphetamine cycle" being a condition where you get addicted to a depressant because you need it to get to sleep when you're taking amphetamines. Even though coke generally lets you get to sleep eventually, could a similar thing happen by using a depressant to deal with the stresses of the coke comedown?
3. Making coke harder to quit.
Generally, you don't want to just keep doing coke your whole life. Maybe just having to face the full force of a coke comedown without an easy depressant cure be key to motivating you to quit sometime?
....................
Anyway, this is just the topic as I see it. Feel free to agree, disagree, provide input, etc.
