Love In Vein
Bluelighter
When I was using, absolutely noticed a lack in cognitive functioning... AFTER A WHILE. when my life became consumed with getting high and I just loss all interest in a social or intellectual life.
When I got clean, it took a while, but I went right back to the old me.
Here are some reasons as to why you might feel differently after you've stopped:
Your brain needs to reestablish old pathways and create new ones. This happens with the long term use of ANY psychoactive substance. Your brain needs a long time to adjust.
Most junkies don't spend their time reading, engaging in higher level discussions, et cetera. You're spending your time focusing on simply one thing and hanging out with people on that one tracked mind.
It's a lame cliche, but it really is to an extent, true. Your brain is a muscle. If you don't use it, you lose it. But you can always build it back.
As well, most junkies don't do things like exercise, eat well and have a good and regular sleep cycle.
If you have overdosed or really reduced your oxygen flow to the brain one too many times, of course that injury is related to the use of heroin. But heroin and/or painkillers themselves are not in themselves going to make you "stupid".
This is my personal experience as well as my experience with people who abuse opiates of all kinds.
The only drug that I believe has had any real long time consequences on my cognitive functioning was MDMA. When I began using it, I was usually using it 2-3 times a week, no less than once a week for the better part of 3 years.
