Gibberings CLXXI: No Twattery Allowed - Waiting on Raas's Call

[Chatative]

Harm Reduction is just a legal cloak used to keep the police at bay.

I don't think that is true necessarily... a large part of BL is about asking how to use drugs, which itself is really a sort of harm reduction whether or not it is sensible to be using them in the first place. I'm sure it is a guise to some aspects of BL but I don't think that diminishes that aspect of this forum.

I simply disagree with the board wide directive that all drugs are equal and there is a safe way to use them all.

I don't think harm reduction necessarily means using drugs safely, rather using drugs as safely as is possible. I'm not sure if anything to this effect is said on BL.

 

[One Thousand Words]

It is very rare for any one to say, "Listen, this drug may get you high, but it isn't really worth it. There are far better options out there and you are better off flushing that shit and buying something else"


I have a friend who is constantly in and out of the mental hospital yet continues to smoke weed daily. Her mental health has caused suicide attempts for many years yet she insists that her therapists condones her heavy weed habit. I just don't buy it personally. I accept that her brain chemistry is far more complex than simply eliminating cannabis from her life but surely it can't actually help her cause. Her constant tinkering of meds would benefit from a clean mental slate I would have thought but mental illness really isn't my specialty so I keep my thoughts to myself.

I have given up trying to convince her and simply make sure I look after her husband every time she commits herself. I'll probably drop off a casserole or something this weekend and share a spliff in front of the rugby.

Not really related as such but I just wanted to vent.

 

[Sammy G]

You are right Raas this place is rotten to the core. I have observed so much denial lurking this past few years it's madness. This is a place where peoples addictions are often made worse. I think this place keeps people's addictions alive . It also normalises unnormal behaviour. It promotes denial when a reality check is what is needed. It's an escape from facing problems for many including myself which include sadness loneliness anger growing up etc. I don't believe it to be exactly the same for everyone but I think there are many people here who need a serious reality check and to put the drugs down and take a break from this site and drugs. Surely this isn't all their is to life to be like a mouse chasing the spiked cheese in a circle forever . Selfish druggies(including myself in the past) Drugs make you numb full stop that's all they really do. The only thing to be learned from taking drugs is to learn to stop taking them.

Don't you think the last bit (in bold) is pretty telling? You've basically decided 'drugs are bad', so you're viewing the site with a ridiculous bias rather than an informed, objective opinion.

Yes, I've seen people's drug use becoming more chaotic as they become members of this site, but surely the fact that they've signed up to a drug-related forum shows that they have a keen interest (bordering on obsession, in some cases) in the subject matter already?

As for promoting denial, that's simply not true. Alright, there are a lot of vocal people who seem to advocate the use of (x) compound for whichever of life's ill's they might encounter, but there are also a lot of people who advise putting the drugs down and seeking professional help where necessary. I was lucky enough to encounter some of the latter group of people on this site, and it had a bigger influence on my decision to get my medical issues sorted than a hundred 'concerned' chats from well-meaning real-life friends who just didn't get it, for all their (sometimes considerable) efforts.

I also recall that upon first mention of me injecting heroin, there was practically uproar, even from people who don't usually like my brand of bullshit and 'humour'. Hardly encouragement, is it?

 

[blondin]

...validating BL is pointless it is what it is.
Other news I went to glastonbury in 79, and the early 80's and a few other times up to 2003/4 it was a very different place at the early ones - with the P Convoy and hell angels no police hot knife stalls ahhhhh the good ol days.

 

[Chatative]

I've said it before but drug use & mental health is inexorably linked... it frightens me how many people here post comments that suggest they have reasonably bad anxiety or depression & use drugs as a coping mechanism... more often than not, they make things worse as you say. Fuck, I can't talk... I shouldn't be touching drugs with a barge pole but I still do. 8)

I think cannabis used in moderation is ok for some people... but I don't think a chronic weed habit (see what I did there :D) does anyone any good.

hot knife stalls.

They actually had stalls for that, amazing!

 

[One Thousand Words]

The mud looks atrocious almost every year. I love doofing, but I have a strict Winter only policy because it is our dry season and nothing beats a campfire to stomp away the early morning frost.

I agree Chatative. I don't get the whole self medicating band wagon that people are happy to jump on. Sometimes people can be too cynical when it comes to the medical fraternity but reality is if weed was a great option to treat mental illness you would see more medicines based on its pharmacology.

 

[Sammy G]

I've said it before but drug use & mental health is inexorably linked... it frightens me how many people here post comments that suggest they have reasonably bad anxiety or depression & use drugs as a coping mechanism...

If you think that abusing substances to mask mental health problems is exclusive to Bluelight, try going down the pub, or loitering around your local offy!

But yeah, self-medication is more or less a given with certain mental health conditions. Which is why OTW's friend's therapist perhaps accepts her weed use.

 

[Chatative]

Never said it was exclusive! :D

Very true though... I think part of my drug-seeking behaviour can be put down to pre-existing mental health problems. I don't think it is a coincidence that I started using drugs after an 8 month break & posting on BL again just as I was starting to have issues with anxiety.

 

[spacejunk]

It is very rare for any one to say, "Listen, this drug may get you high, but it isn't really worth it."

Personally I do actually say that fairly often - because I do think some drugs just aren't worth it, and don't feel any reason not to say so.
Even if nobody learns from my mistakes or errors of judgement, at least it's out there - and I'm not just saying this to disagree with you.
The forum's what you make it I suppose.

 

[lurching]

Sometimes people can be too cynical when it comes to the medical fraternity but reality is if weed was a great option to treat mental illness you would see more medicines based on its pharmacology.

I'm currently rationalizing my weed use as "maintenance therapy", methadone style. I'm getting over some grim drug addictions and weed is simply the lesser evil. Going weedless would be great but I slip into worse drug use whenever I attempt to. My therapist recognizes this and prescribes me the cannabis for this reason--although not indefinitely, of course.

For me BL is about maximizing the relief I'm getting from my escapist drugs and minimizing the downsides.
That includes learning from the both the trainwrecks and the succes stories here.

 

[spacejunk]

Interesting article in the latest issue of The Economist (of all places) that states (among other things) -

But there is simply no compelling evidence to support the claim that marijuana is a causal risk factor for developing a psychiatric disorder in otherwise healthy individuals. Most tellingly, population-level rates of schizophrenia or other psychiatric illnesses have remained flat even when marijuana use rates have increased. Emerging evidence indicates that patients who have tried marijuana may show significant improvements in symptoms and clinical outcomes (such as lower mortality rates and better cognitive functioning) compared with those who have not. In fact, some of the unique chemicals in marijuana, such as cannabidiol (CBD), seem to have anti-psychotic properties. Researchers are investigating marijuana as a possible source of future schizophrenia treatments; until it is legalised, however, this research is significantly impeded.

It is a complicated issue that deserves to be investigated without prejudice or tired stereotypes, I reckon.
Which is not to say cannabis is for everybody - clearly it's not.

 

[Sammy G]

I've spoken to four psychs about my cannabis use in the past twelve months, and none of them have expressed any concern with the fact I use it daily, because it's clearly not the root cause of my problems, so eliminating its use would accomplish nothing whatsoever in terms of improving my mental health.

What it might do (and has done when I've given up for longer periods) is create the illusion that life is somehow 'better' as a result of my abstinence, and lead me to try and attenuate the same underlying symptoms through other avenues (physical activity, etc.) while still ultimately gaining nothing other than temporary smugness at the glory of my own willpower. Before the juggernaut of self-satisfaction inevitably crashes, and I'm off trying to find smack in the streets.

Like spacejunk says, it's a complex one.

 

[Chatative]

I've no idea how anyone can use weed daily... I guess you must build up a tolerance or it just affects you differently.

I get lazy as fuck on weed & can't be bothered doing anything; usually lasts for the day after too.

 

[Sammy G]

Tolerance plays a part, although you have to remember that up until nine months ago, for me life was a case of running at 500mph or being at the bottom of the ocean, with very little time spent inbetween. So either you have zero motivation to begin with (and I find it helps in this scenario) or you need something to slow you down anyhow.

With meds, this is no longer really the case, so skinning up isn't the first thing I do when I get home. Still feel the benefits though.

 

[swampdragon]

Daily use is easy as long as you limit yourself to sativas or don't smoke *that* much.

Not sure if I can still manage it in time but if my pay covers it I'm hoping to go Boomtown this year myself. :D Never been but seeing that line up has me drooling, only issue is I left it a bit late and won't have a whole lot of money to spare, but fingers crossed I can get something figured out with transport so I only have to buy the ticket.

Ooo, do it, you won't regret it! Get a ticket soon though as I think it's about to sell out. I wouldn't miss it for anything.. A few of us lot are hoping to meet up at some point.

Even if nobody learns from my mistakes or errors of judgement, at least it's out there - and I'm not just saying this to disagree with you. The forum's what you make it I suppose.

See, that's why I love BL, because I'm happy to learn from everyone else's mistakes rather than making them myself. If someone says something is shite or unsafe, then I'm not going to bother with it.

 

[parttime crackhead]

Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great regret and heartfelt shame that I declare that, last week, I have succumbed to my own inherent nature and fallen for the great snare of spirit, that is Sin.

I have been punished with exclusion from this site. Yet, during this time away... it has given me an opportunity to re-evaluate my own consciousness and bring awareness to it's very nature. By confronting and recognising the beast that lurks from within, is the only way I can admonish it and give way to my true beauty...

My spiritual state has shifted and I now see and hear things in a different way. I will now post less frequently in EADD, but give utterances of wisdom where necessary for the benefit of you all.



Erm... yeah, anywayz, I would also like to reveal that last week I spoke to BRIMZ.... on the... PHONE!

Yes that's right. BRIMZ... ..... Brimz.... ON THE PHONE!!




I spoke to Brimz on the phone last week. The phone call was unprecedented, as i became the first ever member of Bluelight to ring up Brimz and NOT try to score gear off him in the same call*

He was going through very heavy heroin withdrawal and claims to be taking 1 gram a day. I asked if he was injecting it, he was confused and quickly corrected me, "I've been banging it mate". Brimz's use was certainly extreme as the withdrawls were so bad he had difficulty even putting a sentence together. Certainly puts the rest of us to shame with our stupid little rants about the trivial issues in our lives.

Like him or not, and yes sometimes those oldskool rave youtube videos are annoying... Brimz is proper hardcore drug-wise.

Despite his severe addiction problems, in his stuttering words you could still sense a very heartfelt and sincere tone when he described how he felt this site had let him down. He nearly died and may never be the same again, due to drug solicitation through this site. The contemptuous and mocking treatment he received by senior staff as it's attempted to be swept under the carpet, is stomach-churningly atrocious.

Brimz has suffered serious addictions for years and is demonstrably, very vulnerable towards drug problems. So introducing him to a range of new drugs and supplying him with sources to them is MADNESS. In this case, nearly killed him.


I'm not writing this to stir animosity, I'm not naming people publicly or trying to show them up... but to make a very needed point: BL collects many troubled individuals who have varied drug problems. Due to the anonymity of the Internet, you may not be aware of how vulnerable a person is... so PLEASE keep your drug usage to yourself and don't try to get others caught up in it!


I'll probably get infracted again, for speaking out an opinion.... so read up while you can... But whatever happens, it needed to be said.






Erm, other news....I'm a week or 2 out...but Evey has told me that she will never use the site again, thanks to the negative comments she constantly receives! And believe me, if she says she'll never use the site again... she certainly means it! We've lost a great member for good... jus' think about that...



OK, that's enough for tonight



Bless all of you, follow your hearts...



Raas



*This is a lie, I did attempt

Blah, blah, blah. What about that time Brimz supplied heroin to an incredibly vulnerable member of this site, during an incredibly vulnerable time in his life? A member who is now dead. Cunt's a hypocrite of the highest order.

I still can't believe someone who claims to be as much of a hardcore druggy as Brimz is acting the little bitch. Just shows he's the dude who would take too much gear then go grass his heroin dealer up without a second thought - because obviously it would be the dealer's fault, it could never be Brimz' fault for taking the stuff in the first place. Not at all.

 

[lurching]

Daily use is easy as long as you limit yourself to sativas or don't smoke *that* much.

Sativas scramble my head! And although I like that at first it tends to burn me out rapidly. Indicas are more sustainable for me, especially the CBD-rich strains are great to level me out from a 500mph pace (autistic, messed up hormonal system, far too much cortisol at the moment).

 

[Sammy G]

Daily use is easy as long as you limit yourself to sativas or don't smoke *that* much.

I'd love to have the time to smoke *that* much! I suspect it's the same for you (or at least was till recently).

 

[swampdragon]

Aye, I'd rather be doing things than sitting around smoking anyway. I seem to be far busier now I'm unemployed than I ever was when I was thumb-twiddling in an office. 8(

And agreed lurching. But a little amount of sativa is lovely, for me, as long as I don't overdo it. I usually prefer hybrids for that reaon though.

 

[blondin]

^^ what he said......PT Crackhead
Re weed in my day there was hash (red leb, roccy, black) and sensi or thai/african weed and i smoked every day for years then skunk came along and ruined the party - for me anyway its too strong but in a bad way - we use to get high and laugh like drains and get the munchies and be stoners, I just can't do that on skunk and seems to be about 90% of what folk smoke these days.