• Welcome Guest

    Forum Guidelines Bluelight Rules
    Fun 💃 Threads Overdosed? Click
    D R U G   C U L T U R E

So Your Friend Starts Injecting...

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

Frumious Bandersnatch
Joined
Nov 3, 1999
Messages
1,297
Location
Looking-Glass Land
Alright, here's a situation I've found myself in at the moment and previously. I've been injecting drugs a few years now and along the way a few of my friends have picked up the habit and eventually learning the process themselves. A common factor amongst these stories is I've always regularly booted them up, I've been the doctor:\

This grows greatly on my conscience for two reasons. One being that I don't want them to go the next step and actually learn for themselves. Even though I'd be totally comfortable after a while with them knowing the process I always have the guilt of being the "enabler" on so many ocassions before which is brings me to reason two. I would feel somewhat the cause for them getting into IVing in the first place.

Has this situation ever popped up with anyone else? How did you handle it? Are you still friends with these people or did they slip under the radar like so many do? I'm interested in hearing other peoples stories about this. I'll definitely have something more constructed to add later on.
 
You can't really blame your friends' actions on your own, but I do feel like there are certain innate or societally-implanted barriers to IV drug use which must be broken down before a person starts using drugs intravenously.

First...there is a very real social stigma attached to IV drugs. When someone sees a close friend or knows someone who IVs who continues to mantain an (at least outwardly) functional lifestyle, the individual may start to question why they previously held an aversion to IV drugs. "After all, if X shoots up, and has a job and goes to school, it must not be that bad," would be the rationale here.

Second...the individual outwardly expresses curiosity in using IV drugs. After step 1, they have probably formed the belief that one can be an occasional IV drug user, or at least a constant and functional one. Due to either tolerance or curiosity, they start to consider the act of IVing themselves. However, as we are not born with the knowledge of how to hit a vein, etc., they seek out the drug user from stage one, bringing us to...

Three...the individual experiences IV drug use. This would involve another person prepping the shot for them, setting up the set and setting, etc. They may decide they don't enjoy the experience and stop here, or they may enjoy it, there is no telling. They may lay in this stage for hours or years. In my case, I figured out what the other person was doing within several minutes, and was able to IV after that point. Other people have gone years without figuring out how to prep drugs for injection, and finding a vein, and all that, which brings us to...

Four...individual knows how to IV drugs and does it as often as they wish. I have probably IVed a total of 15-20 times since I figured out how to. With others, it is much more often. I simply don't feel the urge to inject all of the time, and when I do, I inject. However, I can see where other people enjoy the feeling enough to inject every day, and take the habit to dangerous or lethal levels.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while people like you and I may provide some of the knowledge needed to IV drugs, who is to say these people couldn't have found this knowledge somewhere else? Its hard to mantain a clear conscience if you've shot someone up, but if you know they won't attempt it elsewhere, don't offer to give them IV drugs. If you suspect they might try on their own or have another (worse) source of information, help them out but teach them as many techniques as you can to reduce harm. Its a fine line, and I see your moral dilemma, for sure.
 
I used to have to IV my one friend all the time and she was so impatient, it became such a hassle and a chore at one point, especially because she always had dope and i rarely had any, so I'd have to boot her up and she'd feel guilty and give me like half a bag or a bag but we all know that's not enough, and it kinda sucked on both ends. Then I just kinda showed her how simple it is to do it, I mean she already knew but just sitting down and having someone give her tips helped a lot I think, and now she can hit herself and I don't have to worry about it, and things have been gravy since.
 
I booted a friend up whose never done it before one time ... i kinda feel guilty about it be he said hes thought it over many times and has good will power. We didn't do to much just gave him a little taste and i don't think he got a great rush and he got good will power so hopefully he never does it again or once a year or somethin ... or i would have to step in and say i told u when we were doin this to not start doing it aall the time and i dont really wanna be responsible for u becomin an addict. I kinda feel bad about it still ... wasn't to long ago maybe a week but yeah feel a little guilty.

But isn't that how everyone gets strapped up there first time usually? Other friends who strap up?
 
^i wouldn't think of the guys who first done me up as friends, they were more acquaintances at the time. nice reply palli, ill have to reply to that tomorrow.
 
I never blamed the 2 people that showed me how to boot up, because if I'd told them no, they wouldn't have forced the issue. Still, I felt really hesitant to do it for others because I saw how all ready way the fuck out of control their lives were just smokin or snortin it right? Just like I was all ready WAY out of control snorting. Once I blatantly avoided one girl who wanted me to in the worst way cause I thought I was doing her a favor. Another time, I gave another chick a dose way too low to get off, so her attitude was "what was the big deal about that? I'll keep smoking it." Again I thought I was perhaps slowly down the inevitable crash not far ahead...I guess I was right cause 4 yrs later she aint got no job, no home, just a habit. The final chick that kept after me had been an ex coworker--another one way out of control snorting. She told me if I didn't teach her, she'd continue to fuck up and experiment on herself...her arms looked like somethin out of gorilla war fare, so I said fuck it. Did it for her a couple times, so her arms wouldn't continue to look like black and blue pin cushions. She was very insistent upon playing with fire, just like I had been, so best to teach harm reduction then, IMO.
 
leftwing said:
^i wouldn't think of the guys who first done me up as friends, they were more acquaintances at the time. nice reply palli, ill have to reply to that tomorrow.
Click to expand...

well the ppl who did me up the first time were my best friends .. i was kinda kept out of the opiate loop for quite sometime but when that 8 mg of dilaudid entered my arm god damn that feel good..... i almost remember having this thought run through my mind "im going to be addicted to heroin someday, everyday' i was ... still kinda am. What would you consider weekend warrior status/suboxone during the week? Still a heroin addict?
 
TJ5 - im a male and i personally draw the line at ever injecting a female. an ex-gf has been curious about it but i couldn't tell her no in enough ways, there's no way i could bring myself to do that. in the end it's no differently to shooting up one of my best mates but it rests on a total different level in my consciouscness.

i'm not saying it's wrong but i couldn't do that myself.
 
DubCity23 said:
well the ppl who did me up the first time were my best friends .. i was kinda kept out of the opiate loop for quite sometime but when that 8 mg of dilaudid entered my arm god damn that feel good..... i almost remember having this thought run through my mind "im going to be addicted to heroin someday, everyday' i was ... still kinda am. What would you consider weekend warrior status/suboxone during the week? Still a heroin addict?
Click to expand...

i shoot meth the most out of every drug and it was the first drug i ever injected. it was about 1 1/2 - 2 years before i got into IV opiates, around that long anyway. i do go through my phases where it will be meth and then i will switch to morphine when it becomes available to me again. i would exclusively be using opiates if i had a constant hook to the stuff i enjoy the most but i've always enjoyed meth and look forward to it a bit.

at the moment im a weekend warrior with maybe a minor slip up here or there but very rarely. im on pain managment as well (fentanyl) so i can really drown out my cravings without going to the needle and chasing what i want. i just found a new hook to morphine pills today though so i can see myself buying a sheet or two for time's i feel like a few lulz like tonight.
 
leftwing said:
i shoot meth the most out of every drug and it was the first drug i ever injected. it was about 1 1/2 - 2 years before i got into IV opiates, around that long anyway. i do go through my phases where it will be meth and then i will switch to morphine when it becomes available to me again. i would exclusively be using opiates if i had a constant hook to the stuff i enjoy the most but i've always enjoyed meth and look forward to it a bit.

at the moment im a weekend warrior with maybe a minor slip up here or there but very rarely. im on pain managment as well (fentanyl) so i can really drown out my cravings without going to the needle and chasing what i want. i just found a new hook to morphine pills today though so i can see myself buying a sheet or two for time's i feel like a few lulz like tonight.
Click to expand...

i cant some on this site with out wantin to bang dat diesel it suckss suboxone blockageee i wish you could just remove the naxalone
 
^bluelight can be a huge trigger for me. i find when it comes over bearing that it's usually time for me to stay away from BL for a period of time. i have a lot of good support around me at the moment as well, i've always got someone to turn to in time of need or i can utilise BL as a positive outlet.

TJ5 said:
Did it for her a couple times, so her arms wouldn't continue to look like black and blue pin cushions. She was very insistent upon playing with fire, just like I had been, so best to teach harm reduction then, IMO.
Click to expand...

see this is where a lot of confusion comes in for me. i am about to go through this part of the process again i think and it's scaring me. my friend has just successfully IV'd himself so it's on his back now if he misses shot's and does damage to his arms. i'm not saying i'm perfect at IVing as i fuck up too but i do admit i have an extremely good track run on other people.

it's just not sitting well with me right at this moment in time that he's learnt.
 
I hear you leftwing. That's pretty much why I turned away 2 of the women. Still, they asked another female, myself, knowing what I did. I flat out said no to one, the other gave a too low dose shot so she wouldn't want to do it that way again (she wouldn't let up) and the 3rd was wrecking her arms to the point I was afraid she was gonna give herself abscesses or something. Telling them I didn't feel right shooting another woman felt kinda lame since I am one myself, but I get your point. The guy that taught me told me, "You're too nice a person 2 get caught up in all this," but finally relented I guess because I wouldn't quit bugging him. Personally, I recommend that all new would be shooters think twice because once you drive a Ferrari, no one wants to go back to driving a Honda.
 
If someone asks me to help them boot up I show them. No reason to have someone make a bad choice with injecting and hurt themselves.

Doesn't matter what their sex is guys... come on.
 
euphoricnod said:
If someone asks me to help them boot up I show them. No reason to have someone make a bad choice with injecting and hurt themselves.

Doesn't matter what their sex is guys... come on.
Click to expand...
I dont inject / know how to inject someone but i agree its probably best to show them / tell them from a trusted friend even if you dont like that they are doing it. Cause more than likely they've got it set in their mind they are going to do it and if you say no will try it anways and fuck something up. Like my friend jacked a needle from a doctors office and tried to teach himself just cause he decided he was gonna shoot up
 
euphoricnod said:
If someone asks me to help them boot up I show them. No reason to have someone make a bad choice with injecting and hurt themselves.

Doesn't matter what their sex is guys... come on.
Click to expand...

it comes down to morals for me not doing a girl up.

i've had more than my ex gf ask me and there's just no way i could bring myself to it and especially if theyve never shot before and probably wouldn't again.
 
If I had great experience with IV, somebody would ask me to teach them or boot them, I would never do it

Except if I knew they'd find another way to do it but without good safety procedures or advices.
 
Zzyzx said:
If I had great experience with IV, somebody would ask me to teach them or boot them, I would never do it

Except if I knew they'd find another way to do it but without good safety procedures or advices.
Click to expand...

I feel like that in many cases, if a friend or significant other is asking you to shoot them up, they already have decided mentally that they are ready to do so, and will probably take an opportunity to do it whether or not you are the one assisting them. And for me that's where the harm reduction aspect comes into play. It's difficult for them to watch you prepare a shot and not at least have SOME idea how to do it, so you may as well show them all the extra tips and techniques involved in shooting as safely as possible. Because if you don't show them how to do it properly, there's a good chance they'll end up trying it themselves and could end up really botching it, and putting themselves in danger.

If you're an IV drug user and don't want to boot your friends up because you are afraid it might turn them on to IV use, you can always try to not IV in front of them, even if they're aware that you do it. Simply going into another room can remove or at least minimize that trigger within them that increases their curiosity, and given time, they may lose interest in wanting to mainline a drug.
 
I don't IV or really know how so I am not really in the position. I can see how you could feel guilty about it and shit especially if their use gets out of control.
I guess one reasonable question to ask yourself is, do you blame the person/people who taught you how or started doing it for you for your current or past usage?
I mean when it comes down to it people are going to do what they are going to do anyway, its better off that they are taught to do shit correctly and safely, especially a behaviour as risky as IV drug use.
If it was me in the position (and obviously I only have the outside looking in perspective here) I would feel alot worse if said person ended up giving themselves an infection or learned from a less educated IV user who disregarded sterility and filtering correctly, more than giving someone the tools to perform a risky behaviour as safely as possible and them fucking up on their own back.
 
I guess my morals are a bit askew then.

One might say when I'm shooting that I'm the guy with the needle going, "So who wants to try it? Eh?"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top