Heroin usage and normal lives

[Mr Blonde]

^ Anyone have any idea on what the figures are on alcoholism?

 

[Tchort]

In the end, the people who get hooked on drugs are the ones who were driven to drugs because of some other problem(s) in their life. The people who experience chronic physical or emotional pain are the ones who will perpetually try to remain in a drug induced numbness because being lucid is unbearable to them.

I disagree. There are plenty of people who come from supportive families and the comforts of wealth and prestige, who still pursue a drug or drugs to excess and addiction.

The 'escape from reality' rationale for addiction is bunk. This is true for some people, but by no means all.

 

['medicine cabinet']

Maybe try some more opiates first, you know, get a taste for them then think about trying some smack.

 

[centro]

I tried heroin about 5 or 6 times, maybe 8 years or so ago. I had friends who were really getting into it so whenever I saw them, I would generally use it.

I havent tried it since but what made me stop was seeing how much their personalities and lives had warped since they had started to get addicted. As a drug it seems to take over peoples entire body and soul pretty rapidly.

I would honestly say that it is not worth trying.

 

[Snowbear]

If your family is important to you, imagine this situation:

You are at an Extended Family Dinner (aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.). You tell your family you have been experimenting with Herion. How will they react? Thats your answer.

IMO if you have doubts about doing something, its your own mind trying to protect you. Don't try heroin.

 

[change-jug]

I think that all of the folks here have valid thoughts on this matter. I myself started on codeine then moved up the pill ladder and on to H. It was (for me) a kinda " lets see what all the fuss is about" mindset when I did it. But I ended up having a 4 year H habit. But no one knew about it until I told them. I was VERY functional, I worked 8 to 12 hours a day,played in a band and had close friends who knew I did other drugs but never thought I did that or would do that. I ended up stopping( by use of suboxone) because I couldn't do all that and start a new relationship with my (now over 3 years) girlfriend. We knew each other from work and she had no idea that I would shoot up in the mens room during work(to keep the WD at bay). So it is possible to be on H and have a life.....you just have to be the worlds greatest multitasker. But don`t let pills fool you either. they can be just as bad as dope. Its your life,you know what you can and can`t do. So it`s up to you in the end. Good luck!

 

[GbizzleMcGrizzle]

heh I think you can lead a normal life, but i don't know how. I've been shooting dope for 5 years, all that time i was in school or had a really good job or both, when i had money and it wasn't dry I was doing pretty good. But after a while shit caught up with me, I would skip work or class to go to some other town to copp. my close friends found out and weren't too happy, my girl dumped me for it, lost my job.. but i had other friends, we got high together it was great. then i moved to the land of cheap bags, so instead of doing 6 bags a day i spent the same amount of money on 12 then 24 and more, then i was sleeping on the sidewalk, spangeing for dope money. and it was awesome. then i got straight and realized most of the people i hung out with were idiots and we only got along because we were using each other, and i was eating out of the dumpster more nights than i'd have liked. Even though now i'm clean i still think i could live an addict if i just got what i needed when i needed it, even though i also know i can't. because you can keep using more and more, and there is never enough, to keep life from you.

 

[Tryptamite]

Thanks for the input guys, I guess at the end of the day it is up to me. I'm not sure what Ill do, I'll have to give it a lot of thought. If I were to try it i should work on my willpower and self determination, as I guess thats what it all boils down to in the end.

Some of the comments here have been reassuring, others have been the opposite: ie trying heroin in college a few times and not have it become a big deal, only later in life to become addicted to the stuff.

 

[Lady Codone]

It's possible, but the question is, is it really worth the risk?

You say you've done codeine and tramadol...why not experiment with hydrocodone or some other opiate to satisfy that need? Not that pills or other opiates are ANY less risky than heroin, but heroin is to opiates what meth is to stimulants--the most potent and potentially addictive of the group. Then there's the methods of administration popular with heroin--shooting, snorting, smoking...all of which provide a direct hit to the brain, causing a euphoric rush that's hard-to-impossible to forget, even after one time. Swallowing some pod tea, popping a few pills or using a Fentanyl patch as directed all carry risks, but are less addictive by nature than shooting/snorting/smoking. Can you shoot/smoke/snort pills and abuse pods? Absolutely. But it's when you cross that line from recommended administration methods that you up the ante and increase your risk of problems. Heroin is not known for being a "swallow it" kind of drug, so the risk is twofold: extremely addictive substance + direct route of administration.

My advice is this: if you like codeine, stick with codeine. Why fix it if it ain't broken? If you care about your life, don't let curiosity get the best of you unless it's worth the risk to you. There certainly are successful opiate users and even addicts who carry on normal lives, but the burden of having to locate the drug, interact with shady dealers to get it, spend money on it, plan your life around avoiding withdrawals, and do all of these things while trying to NOT look like a junkie to employers, family, lovers, etc. is nothing to be scoffed at.

And what about "chippers" who aren't physically addicted? They likely spend a great deal of time thinking about the drug, conjuring willpower to not overdo it, planning their next usage, and bragging about how they're heroin "success" stories. That's still a lot of time and energy to invest in a drug, and one could argue that many of these "chippers" are psychologically addicted or at least unnaturally preoccupied with using. At best it's a gamble, and no statistics, studies or success stories can change that.

 

[Fail Fighter]

I disagree. There are plenty of people who come from supportive families and the comforts of wealth and prestige, who still pursue a drug or drugs to excess and addiction.

No way. Mental anguish is what drives you to recreational drug addiction. Having a "supportive family" or "wealth and prestige" says nothing about a person's mental health.

The 'escape from reality' rationale for addiction is bunk. This is true for some people, but by no means all.

And I say it's true for all. If you are perfectly healthy, happy, and well-adjusted, then you won't get addicted to drugs. It's that simple. They just won't feel that good. People think that drugs feel really good because their lives normally feel really bad by contrast. I consider myself a normal/happy/successful individual, and I've never tried a drug that felt all that great. The OP sounds like a similar personality.

Of course people are going to argue against me; after all, this is a forum full of hopeless drug addict losers. If you agreed with me then you'd be admitting that you have problems, which you'll all undoubtedly deny. Newsflash: most people don't get addicted to drugs. Only a small percentage (est. 10% of the adult US population) get addicted to some form of drug, namely because these people are weak and stupid. Welcome to reality.

 

[Tchort]

No way. Mental anguish is what drives you to recreational drug addiction. Having a "supportive family" or "wealth and prestige" says nothing about a person's mental health.





And I say it's true for all. If you are perfectly healthy, happy, and well-adjusted, then you won't get addicted to drugs. It's that simple. They just won't feel that good. People think that drugs feel really good because their lives normally feel really bad by contrast. I consider myself a normal/happy/successful individual, and I've never tried a drug that felt all that great. The OP sounds like a similar personality.

Of course people are going to argue against me; after all, this is a forum full of hopeless drug addict losers. If you agreed with me then you'd be admitting that you have problems, which you'll all undoubtedly deny. Newsflash: most people don't get addicted to drugs. Only a small percentage (est. 10% of the adult US population) get addicted to some form of drug, namely because these people are weak and stupid. Welcome to reality.

I guess I should've known it's a troll. Only someone without a capacity for creativity or substantive interests could fill their empty life with ridiculously ignorant comments on the internet. I feel sorry for you.

 

[Fail Fighter]

I guess I should've known it's a troll. Only someone without a capacity for creativity or substantive interests could fill their empty life with ridiculously ignorant comments on the internet. I feel sorry for you.

Lol, so anyone who's lucid and sans addiction is a troll? Sounds like denial to me.

 

[NJ2NYC2NJ]

Newsflash: most people don't get addicted to drugs. Only a small percentage (est. 10% of the adult US population) get addicted to some form of drug, namely because these people are weak and stupid. Welcome to reality.

You ought not call people names... It's a terribly ugly personality trait, and in the end it says more about you than it does those "weak and stupid" people upon whom you level such childish attacks.

I'd love for you to bless me with the statistics on people who "experiment" with cigarettes, only to find themselves smoking regularly (functionally addicted) not too long thereafter.

this is something i found during a quick 5-second google search for "cigarettes percentage addiction"
---------------------------
from: http://www.aadac.com/87_451.asp

Quick Facts
Nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
33% to 50% of people who experiment with cigarettes become regular users.
70% to 90% of people who are regular users are addicted to nicotine.
Relapse rates for quitters are high: about 60% relapse in three months, and 75% in six months.
Relapse is the rule, not the exception, and must be viewed as part of the quitting process.
Withdrawal symptoms include depression, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, decreased heart rate, increased appetite, weight gain and craving for nicotine.
---------------------------

Susceptibility to addiction crosses through virtually every social, cultural and class category... It is often a symptom of a more fundamental, underlying psychological issue(s), which very often are precipitated or exacerbated by the conditions of life surrounding the individual.

Please leave your judgmental bullshit behind. There are far too many of us here who have spent far too many years learning about and exchanging information relating to the human mind and body to allow you to poison the well of public discourse with that sort of biased, hate-filled, nonsensical invective.

 

[ArtVandalay]

Fail Fighter

We're not all "hopeless drug addict losers." I'm opiate dependent. I'm also responsible, have a great relationship, a loving family, friends, great job, an education, I'm healthy (vegan, I exercise regularly), don't drink, don't smoke.

It's ignorant to label all addicts as "losers." Grow up.

 

[Fail Fighter]

Susceptibility to addiction crosses through virtually every social, cultural and class category... It is often a symptom of a more fundamental, underlying psychological issue(s), which very often are precipitated or exacerbated by the conditions of life surrounding the individual.

Which is exactly the point I'm trying to make.

Please leave your judgmental bullshit behind.

I will, if you promise to leave your bullshit rhetoric behind. You aren't the only one who's been doing years of research on the matter. My statements only seem biased because this entire forum is biased in the opposing direction.

My viewpoint is simple: addiction is based on MENTAL HEALTH, not any particular drug. The OP does not sound like a candidate for addiction. Let's not digress back to the 80s mindset; there is no "epidemic" of highly addictive drugs sweeping over and consuming the nation.

 

[DopaMan]

DO NOT FUCKING TAKE HEROIN! The high is immense, of course, but the draw is not like "any other drug." If you have taken Percocet and enjoyed it immensely your life will be altered forever! No joke. Just a warning, that I wish I had taken...

 

[serotonin-system]

^I completely agree. I really enjoy the work of Bruce K. Alexander (rat park) who breaks down addiction as demonstrated in his and other animal studies to be pharmacologically relieving some form of distress.

And OP- I agree with others that there is no drug that is guaranteed to hook you, as also previously mentioned a very small number of heroin users (around 1 in 50 was mentioned) become physically dependent and habitual users and its less than 1 in 100 for coke. Heroin and other very potent opiates are used in HUGE numbers by individuals in chronic pain and when these people are disabled, its rarely from the drugs. Its the prohibition like rach said and the culture and lifestyle presently associated with these vices.

^ Liking this. Seen this in my own work, and personally didn't start taking benzos and codeine on the daily until i broke up with my GF.

 

[belfort]

fail fighter-every man has a 'vice', be it drugs, gambling, sex, over-exercising, overworking, masturbation etc etc...i have to ask, since you are so well adjusted, what is your vice??then again, im sure you wil come back and say you dont have one which im sure is the absolute truth...

mankind has always had a desire to elevate their mind..not all drugs taken are to escape reality, but to enhance it...you cannot possibly tell me that everyone that does any sort of drug is because they have deep psychological pain that needs to be masked...that is an idiotic thing to say..

if you are so well adjusted then why are you on a pro-drug site making it a point of degrading others that you probably view as being beneath you..??a perfectly well-adjusted person would not do that now would they??

 

[-Guido-]

And what about "chippers" who aren't physically addicted? They likely spend a great deal of time thinking about the drug, conjuring willpower to not overdo it, planning their next usage, and bragging about how they're heroin "success" stories. That's still a lot of time and energy to invest in a drug, and one could argue that many of these "chippers" are psychologically addicted or at least unnaturally preoccupied with using.

Was a successful chipper for years, some tragic events lead me to saying fuck it and picking up a habit. 2 trips to detox later and here I am chipping again. It sucks. You plan your use. A few days out the the week is the only time you feel normal, the rest of your time is spent trying to busy yourself. It drives you mad. It fucking drives you mad. Your body doesn't feel sick but you feel sick in the head.

 

[chicpoena]

An inanimate powder does not ruin anybody's life. What ruins life is Prohibtion. Until the Harrison Act in the US you could buy anything OTC, or from the Sears Catalog, and so on. The average addict was a productive member of society. Once it is illegalised one has to comes up with a huge amount of money daily, and this causes them to ignore responsibilities like family, health, finances, and so on.

QFT. In the 'olden days' alcoholics were encouraged to take up heroin, because heroin addicts were seen as being non-violent and generally functioned well in society.