This is some of the best advice you will ever hear in you're life...
I agree, although who am I to say that would be the pot calling the kettle black. I don't regret things, regret is a useless feeling and a waste of time, if I am going to regret things I will just dedicate that time to inventing a time machine. That being said, I am very remorseful for ever having used, abused, misused and became horribly physically and mentally addicted to opiates and pharmaceuticals of several types. Especially anxiolytics though, benzo use, after years has left me in a really funky place where I don't really get any benefit from taking them but at the same time I am deathly afraid of going without, have tried several tapers and 12 step programs and all that, but just haven't found the willingness to totally leave 'em alone. And opiates, my goodness, what a great saying "chasing the dragon..." Dragons seem interesting right? I mean cool mythological creature, the IDEA of a dragon is interesting, but I spent so many years of my life chasing something that doesn't even exist and if it does is so dangerous, far fetched, and demoralizing that if I ever find it I would probably be devoid of all morality and self preservation. Let's just say that I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I hadn't started down the opiate / benzo road but now that I'm 3,000 miles into it, I see that the best advice I can give somebody about these drugs is this - DON'T START - I used to be just like you, thought I could dabble, thought that others were just stupid and couldn't do it right, that they LET it get out of control. Well now I find myself battling with the same problems that I used to sneer at people who had, used to think they were stupid or they just didn't know how to get high, "couldn't handle their shit." In my experience there is no "handling" opiates and benzos, at least not when they are used with any regularity whatsoever.
Not to mention there is wayyyy more fun to be had with other less addictive, sinister, and dangerous drugs. Any drug can be misused or abused, but opiates and benzos are nearly impossible to use recreationally.
Harm Reduction = Steer Clear of Opiates and Pharmaceuticals, you will miss out on sooo much more if you get involved with these drugs than if you just choose to not touch them period.
*steps off his soapbox
But what do I know, I'm just a junkie (an eloquent one perhaps but none the less, still a slave to my drugs of choice.)%)