Hi everyone. This thread was in the Wine and Cheese section before the Great Crash, but I think it belongs here now, and I hope it helps out a lot of people that need it. If you need advice and don't want to post on EvBoard for all the world to see, please feel free to PM me.

To get started, here are a few definitions that might help you out:

Drug abuse When a drug is being abused, the kind of substance that's being used doesn't really matter, but it's the pattern of use that does. For example, if I have a glass of wine, I wouldn't be considered to be abusing alcohol, but if I get drunk on wine, I would. It's all a matter of the amount of use. Obviously, abuse is pretty common, but can still have a lot of negative impact on someone's life (DUI's STD's, altered brain development, violence, etc.)

Drug dependence Dependence implies that when the drug is stopped, withdrawaql symptoms occur. Some people legitimately take prescription medication that they're dependent upon, e.g. methadone for chronic back pain. If the drug is stopped, the person has physical symptoms of withdrawal for a period of time, and in the case of some drugs can become very sick because of it. Caffeine causes mild dependence and people have mild withdrawal symptoms while heroin tends to casue severe dependence and people have sever withdrawal symptoms.

Drug addiction One is addicted to a drug when the drug abuse has become the center of ther person's life. Most of the person's life revolves around getting the drug, and most addicted people that I've talked to say they have an actual craving or hunger for the drug, even after they're over any withdrawal symptoms. I see this most often with alcohol and nicotine, but it applies to other drugs, too.

So if you have any of these problems, feel free to post or PM me. I can't make diagnoses or prescribe treatment, but I'm happy to offer advice. Being addicted doesn't make anyone a bad person, but it is that person's own responsibility to get help, and help is out there.

GREAT THREAD:

Admitting their is a concern, a much better word than 'problem', is the first step.

Each night I will have a beer or glass of wine. One year, I thought that I had concerns with drinking so I decided to stop for one month. After, one month I made the decision to start again. After another month of having a beer or wine each night, I stopped again. This time for two months. I found myself not wanting to stop again because I enjoyed having the wine and watching the sunset or a beer while on the lake.

What does this sound like to you? I can stop and it doesn't rule my life but when I thought about not stopping because I enjoyed the act itself, then I started to wonder.

I'm not addicted to drugs but recently i'm taking antidepressant because i'm sick! :(

sorry for my bad english! :o

From the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision:

Substance Dependence:
Substance use history which includes all of the following:

(1) substance abuse (see below);
(2) continuation of use despite related problems;
(3) increase in tolerance (more of the drug is needed to achieve the same effect);
and (4) withdrawal symptoms.

Substance Abuse:
A pattern of substance use leading to significant impairment in functioning. One of the following must be present within a 12 month period:

(1) recurrent use resulting in a failure to fulfill major obligations at work, school, or home;
(2) recurrent use in situations which are physically hazardous (e.g., driving while intoxicated);
(3) legal problems resulting from recurrent use;
or (4) continued use despite significant social or interpersonal problems caused by the substance use. The symptoms do not meet the criteria for substance dependence as abuse is a part of this disorder (that is, a client may not be diagnosed with both substance dependence and substance abuse, since there must be substance abuse in order to qualify for a diagnosis of substance dependence).

What does this sound like to you? I can stop and it doesn't rule my life but when I thought about not stopping because I enjoyed the act itself, then I started to wonder.

sounds more like a habit than an "abuse". It is very common for a lot of people to have 1 drink during dinner and such. I would only say you should be concerned if you see it escalating to 2 drinks, then 3 every night. Having a glass of wine/beer to watch a sunset seems like a perfectly heathly relaxation technique at the end of a long day.

You can stop, you just don't want to. it is probably because you see nothing wrong with it. I don't see anything wrong with it either. If a doctor told you it was bad, you would probably be able to stop. it's not like you can't function without this drink, and you are not being hostile to anyone or changing personalities while drinking. It's your thing. Don't be so worried about it.

Id never take drugs. They just end up harming you and they never miracally solve your problems. The only drugs i take is paracetamol when i have a head ache etc

I'm not addicted to drugs, or alcohol, and I've never tried either. Both sides of my family have many alcoholics and many druggies, so I've seen what that does to people first hand, and it's horrible.....

one of my friends died from drugs, so i don't do drugs. and my brother died from getting hit by a car when driving home from work one night(the other driver was drunk) so i dont drink every much ony one or two on holidays.

There isn't anyway really to justify drugs. There just isn't.

Thanks for the medical criteria, Mary! The DSM IV's criteria for "abuse" is simliar to the definition I gave for "addiction.". My definitions come from an American Society of Addiction Medicine course I took a couple of months ago to get a DEA license to prescribe buprenorphine, a drug that's been around a while, but just recently became approved for use in the treatment of opiate (heroin, Oxycontin, etc.) addiction. The concepts are the important thing to remember. I'm glad to see a lot of EvBoard members stay away from all drugs. A lot of brain development happens in your teenage years, and it's important not to impair that development with substances that can cause permanent damage.

Once you're in your adult years, there are levels of alcohol intake that have been shown in studies to be safe: 1 drink (defined as a 12 oz. beer, a 6 oz. glass of wine, or a 2 oz. serving of 80 proof liquor) per day for women, and two for men. Anything more tends to lead to an increased risk of health problems, and someone who's been addicted to alcohol can't ever go back to a "safe" level of drinking - there's a high risk of relapsing. We guys have a higher daily limit because in general we're physically bigger, and also absorb the stuff more slowly and metabolize it more quickly. So you're absolutely fine savoring your favorite brew on the lake, Mark! Hope I can share one with you in late July!

rich

I dont like smoking, drinking alcohol and any other drugs...
I never use them...

Today is actually a reminder why I don't do drugs or drink often. 3 of my friends where drunk and high, and crashed into a pole killing all 3 of them instantly. Luckly no one else was involved, and its a shame since all 3 of them where under age. It was a very sad Funeral, espcially since it all could have been avoided.

I also believe that many of the Legal drugs have the same effects, which just goes to show that people can get legally high. With all the drugs and Hypochondriacs, and commercialed drugs hopefully individuals, family, friends, mentors will step it up, don't stop the drug problem.

Cary's biological mom is an addict. We have tried to keep this from our children but obviously have miserably failed. The other morning while I was making breakfast my older two were talking about drugs. Here is the jist of the conversation.
Kendall: I know someone who is on drugs
Kitana: yeah me too
Kendall: Lemme guess, does it start with a P?
Kitana: and ends with a M?*raises eyebrow
Kamryn: and has an A in the middle.
Kendall: yep its her, our grandma who loves drugs more than us.
I cried when she said this. How heartbreaking. My husband was already damaged enough from her lack of care as a child.Now these kids are aware of her addiction.They see she has chosen her drugs over them.
She lives in the same town we do, but these kids are lucky if they see her
twice a year. We wont let them alone with her because we are afraid she might be high.
If this is not a reason to never do drugs than I don't know what is. Something tells me none of my daughters will ever go there.

Alcoholism and drug addicts run very strongly on both sides of my family. I used to be a drug addict. I wasted 7 years of my life on pot, painkillers, and E. I didn't realize the extent of the damage and didn't think anyone would ever catch on to what I was doing. My grandma questioned me about it and I made the stupid decision of tripping out while my younger brother was in the room with me. I admit back then I was a horrible role model. Then one day, my brother told me everyone knew I was on drugs, everyone in the family did at least. SO that was the turning point. I had screwed up my life to the point where I didn't want to live anymore. I've been sober for a year, gone through extensive therapy for my depression and to get over self-mutilation. I don't drink either, even though I have tried it. I've seen what alcohol can do and I don't want that happening to me. I was raised around drugs and alcohol and that's what made it so easy for me to get the stuff.

I am not taking any drugs and I never would I say the way they hurt and still hurt a family member of mine. It doesn't even hurt just themselves but everyone involved. That's why I would never do it. :(

when my dad drinks, he can loose control and has anger problems sometimes, well he used to, so I really dont want to drink. Occasionally i'll have a sip or two of something, but like i alwyas wait a long time, 3 or so months, before i have another sip of something. normally mixed drinks not beer. and both parents smoke. even afte rhtey said they quit. so I dont plan on ever smoking.

The best way to describe alcoholism or drug addiction to me is quite simply: An allergy of the body (physical craving) and a mental obsession to drink or use.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I spent about 8 bad years of my life as a "problem drinker" - it was fun at first, then fun with problems and eventually just problems. Thankfully, no matter how hopeless your state of mind and body is, there is a solution.

I just recently celebrated 3 years without a drink and I spend a lot of my time now helping others who have a desire to stop (if you think you're in that category feel free to contact me and I will tell you more of my story). As bad as my life was prior to being sober, I now have a way of life that is better than anything I could've ever asked for. :)

I just recently celebrated 3 years without a drink and I spend a lot of my time now helping others who have a desire to stop (if you think you're in that category feel free to contact me and I will tell you more of my story).
I used to be a drug addict.
Thanks to both of you for posting. I'm glad you've been able to stay sober, and I know that it's a struggle. I hope your success make you great role models for others out there. You know more than I ever will about how to make it back since you've lived through it, and helping others back is one of the most important things you can do in life.

Prince Charming - you seem to know a lot about this kind of thing so I was wondering if you could clarify something for me. Someone told me that one of the reasons men can generally drink more than women is because they have a bigger liver. Is that true?

I would never take drugs. The school I spent two of my impressionable teenager years at was full of addicts. I saw some stuff there that I would never want to experience ever again. People passed out at breaktimes, numerous people OD'ed, one girl got stabbed with a used needle during a fight, people got bashed and assaulted for drugs and one guy got high and jumped out of a fourth floor window cause he thought he could fly.

Also, one of my friends does drugs. His best mate encouraged him and now whenever I see him he's high. The outcome of this was that it ruined the relationship he had with his girlfriend (another of my friends), destroyed their house and during one of their many fights he threw a glass at her head - missing her by about an inch.

So after those experiences it's totally turned me off drugs completely. I say this but then again it seems a little hypocritical.

The doctor prescribed me some medication which I've been taking consistantly (as I was supposed to) up until today. I stopped taking it because of the side effects - nothing really major, just nausea and stomach cramps but I don't like continually feeling sick all day every day. Anyway, the doctor had told me to cut down the dosage to try to alleviate the side effects so most recently I've only been taking 1/4 of a tablet. The side effects still existed and yesterday I was just sick of them and decided to stop taking the tablets. However, today I think I have minor withdrawls - I feel sicker than I ever did while I was taking the tablets, listless and tired and have stomach aches/cramps. It was an effort to get up off my bedroom floor to come in here on the computer.

It's really scary when you think about it seriously - that your body can become so dependant on a foreign, often destructive substance, that it craves it when it's taken away. I like being in control of myself and my life, body, mind etc. It's really freaky that something else had control of me, even if it was only mildly and for a little while!

Supposedly the tablets were not addictive - that's what the information sheet I got from the doctor told me. I guess this can be a lesson to everyone - any drug, in any shape or form, can be addictive in one way or another with prolongued or heavy use.

If this is not a reason to never do drugs than I don't know what is. Something tells me none of my daughters will ever go there.
I know every person is different, but I have to agree with you here. One of my best friend's mom smokes very heavily. I know this is the reason that my friend is sworn against smoking. She hates it, and she's told me that she will never ever smoke. Now I know she hasn't dealt with the peer pressure of smoking, and being cool, but still, it should help her say "No."

The same thing goes with me and drugs. My brother has been missing from my life for the past 4 and a half years. Why? Because he's addicted to drugs, which causes tension and fights between him and my dad. My brother eventually became too angry with my father to deal with it, left the house, and hasn't bothered to contact us again. I know he's still on drugs, usually without a job, possibly without a home. It's put a hole in my family, and one that's not very mendable. I love my brother, and I'd give anything to see him again. But because of this, my sister and I have both promised ourselves that we won't do drugs or drink. So I guess, as unfortunate as it is that my brother is on drugs, it's saved my sister and I.

So Deinna, you're right. Hopefully it will be the same with your daughters. Because if they're anything like you, they shouldn't be wasting their beautiful life and personality on drugs.

I have lost a lot of friends to drug addiction. My mother is a cocaine addict, and my dad is a huge alcoholic. I can't even remember the last time I saw or talked to my dad when he was not at least slightly drunk. He's pretty much wasted everytime I talk to him though. My parents are presently in the middle of a divorce partially because of these problems.

I've talked a lot of EvBoard about my family, and about the horribly abusive relationship that I used to be in, but I've never really talked about the issues I've had with drugs.

I had a bad eating disorder for a long time. I was severly bulimic and it almost killed me. I used drugs to try and cure this, or slow it, at least. I was getting quite heavily into cocaine at one point and just to mask the pain I was really into ecstacy as well. You're so numb with cocaine. You're just there. Nothing matters except for how you feel right then. Which is nothing.

With ecstacy it's just an undescribible bliss. Everything makes sense when you're on ecstacy. You fear nothing, because you believe you know the reason for everything. I believe that that's why it's addicting. Because you long to have that understanding again. When you're high is the only time you feel that way.


And I still recall those feelings, though I no longer use drugs to hide from myself or from life. No matter what, there is always something in the back of your mind that knows the reality of things. When your on drugs, you can't grasp the problems, even though you know they're there. It's almost tormenting in a way.

I won't even begin to get into the severe withdrawl from ecstacy. If you're already depressed, it's quite probably the worst feeling known to man. Paranoia about everything. EVERYTHING. It's horrible.

The scary part about drug addictions is that in time, the person often realizes that whatever substance they are using is not going to help them, but by then they don't know where else to turn so they continue to use until it kills them.

You need to be able to think to be a wise and intelligent person. Drug addiction will take that from you. You don't realize how much it hurts thosoe around you. I've had so many problems who have problems much, much worse than I ever did who are unable to realize that they've changed in any other way. It's heartbreaking.

If you feel like you need drugs, then see a doctor. They can give you what you need to control your feelings. And just think it through. Life is a lot more interesting when your intoxicated and wasting brain is not falsely showing you the key to life.

If anybody needs help getting help or anything, please PM me...I'd love to help you.

<3

Hmmm... I am glad this thread was started.... I have a concern...

I don't do any illegal drugs, but for a while now, I have been unable to fall asleep unless I take an allergy pill.... sudafed or what have you.... I am not really too sure whether I "make up" the syptoms (sniffles, runny nose), or if its in my head... all i know is that I am miserable at night unless I take one. But, I am fine untill I lay down to go to sleep...the rest of the evening passes by with no syptoms or anything. And if I am out and about, or with somebody, or whatever during the night, I am fine. Its only when i lay down to sleep for the night... wierd... any suggestions? does it sound like an addiction or a valid need?

Hmmm... I am glad this thread was started.... I have a concern...

I don't do any illegal drugs, but for a while now, I have been unable to fall asleep unless I take an allergy pill.... sudafed or what have you.... I am not really too sure whether I "make up" the syptoms (sniffles, runny nose), or if its in my head... all i know is that I am miserable at night unless I take one. But, I am fine untill I lay down to go to sleep...the rest of the evening passes by with no syptoms or anything. And if I am out and about, or with somebody, or whatever during the night, I am fine. Its only when i lay down to sleep for the night... wierd... any suggestions? does it sound like an addiction or a valid need?
I have no idea if it's a valid need, or an addiction, but it seems like you're concerned about this. And the best thing to do would be to check with a doctor, and see if it's ok. If they say this is normal, or you actually need it, then it will be a weight off your chest. And if they say you're possibly addicted, then they might have some ways to help you get off the pill. Besides, it's better to be safe than sorry. And while you may not be addicted, constantly using medication may not be good for you.

...I was wondering if you could clarify something for me. Someone told me that one of the reasons men can generally drink more than women is because they have a bigger liver. Is that true?

It's not really the size of a guy's liver that makes the difference, heartstringz, but an enzyme in it and in the stomach called alcohol dehydrogenase. It breaks down alcohol into byproducts that the body uses for fuel, and it works more efficiently in men than in women, so it takes more alcohol for a 70 kg. man to get the same amount of alcohol into the bloodstream than a 70 kg. woman.

From your description of the medicine your doctor gave you, it sounds like you not only had side effects from it (the stomach cramps), but you also had withdrawal symptoms when you stopped the medicine. It doesn't mean you were addicted, (repeatedly using the drug to get high despite serious consequences), but you were physically dependent. That happens a lot with prescriptions like Xanax, which can both cause physical dependence AND trigger addiction. Your doctor can work with you to decide if non-drug treatment would work well for you, or if another medication might help without giving you side effects.

I have lost a lot of friends to drug addiction. My mother is a cocaine addict, and my dad is a huge alcoholic.

Thanks for sharing things that are so personal, April. I'm glad you're still talking to your father. When he's ready to be sober, there are medicines that can halp him stay that way. I just read an article from a newsletter publsihed by Harvard University that a seizure medication called Topamax seems to help people with alcohol addiction stay sober, as do naltrexone and acamprosate. Your mom can also control her cocaine addiction, but so far there's no medication that's proven to help that addiction, though Penn University has published a small study using a drug called Provigil that seems to help. In the case of anyone addicted to drugs, counseling definitely helps keep people sober. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are the best programs for that out there right now. Thanks for offering your help. <3

...for a while now, I have been unable to fall asleep unless I take an allergy pill....

I can't really make diagnoses online, Sara, but it sounds like you might be psychologically dependent on the pill to help you sleep, though antihistamines do amke most people drowsy. The trouble is, though, that most medications for sleep actually decrease the quality of the sleep (less REM and deep stages). Getting into a bedtime routine, going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each moring, making sure the room is dark and quiet, avoiding stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, decongestants, etc.) and alcohol, and avoiding reading and watching TV in bed can all help. In most cases, good sleep hygiene helps cure most insomnia.


I truly appreciate everyone that's posting about friends and family that have had drug problems. Don't give up hope for them. Sometimes it takes someone that cares about them to be persistent and keep reminding them that help is out there and that their lives are worth it. Next time I post I'll talk about the stages of change that all of us have to make whenever we change something major in out lives. To be successful, we need to help addicted people through those stages.

Stay well, everyone.

rich

Hi everyone. I know I'm not supposed to post twice in a row, but I promised to tell everyone about the stages of behavioral change that might help put into perspective how we can help people with addictions get over them. These stages are true for ANY major change, whether it's stopping smoking, giving up heroin, or starting to exercise. It's a rare person that can just suddenly do it. Most everybody has to ease into the change gradually. The stages are:

1. Precontemplation In this stage, you're perfectly happy about whatever it is you're doing and have no plans to change it. Maybe it's doing crack, or overeating, or playing video games constantly, or whatever else it might be. You haven't yet decided it's worth your time to change.

2. Comtemplation Now you're starting to at least think about changing behavior. "Gee, maybe it would be a good idea to get training for a better job," you might think. Whatever the major change is, you're starting to come to the realization that the change is something positive that will make life better.

3. Planning In this stage, you map out a way that you're going to achieve your change in bahavior. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't ever make specific plans, and I know that most doctors aren't real good at coaching their patients in this stage. It's one of the most important stages, though, since you have to have a plan for how you're going to succeed. Without it, the chances for failure are a lot greater.

4. Action Here's where you put your plan into motion and actually start behaving differently. You quit alcohol, or start the diet, or start exercising, or put down the needle for good. It feels funny at first because you're not used to the new behavior, but with a little willpower, help from friends and family, and successful results, the new way starts feeling more and more natural and becomes part of the way you see yourself. Personally I didn't exercise nearly enough until I started playing tennis again. Now I really look forward to exercising 'casue I like to play so much. Just wish I didn't suck so bad at it. :p

5. Maintenance The new behavior is now part of your natural way of living. You're now eating right or exercising or not shooting anymore, and you feel like that's the way it should be. Usually you have to be in the "action" stage for about six months before you reach the "maintenance" stage.

Of course, anywhere along the way you can relapse back to a previous stage where you've picked back up the old habit. Stress seems to cause that a lot, or sometimes being back with "friends" that use drugs or play video games too much or whatever. That doesn't mean all is lost. It's just a matter of getting back on track through the stages again.

I hope that helps some of the people reading this thread. I tried to enrol my first heroin addict into a Suboxone maintenance program, but unfortunately she didn't come to any of her appointments after her first one. The rules are pretty strict for prescribing it, which maybe she wasn't ready for yet. I'm still hoping she'll get back into a planning stage.

It might be helpful for others if you've been through something like this to post your experiences, if it isn't too personal. Would anyone share how they were able to kick a drug habit?

rich

I unfortunately have done drugs and alcohol in my life. Weed, whiskey, and vodka is a huge part in my sibilings lives and I've been dragged into that circle several times. My brother is 17 and he smokes so much it's unbelievable. He got pulled over by a police officer with weed in the car and got arrested two years ago for getting drunk and ripping down a fence. My sister drinks and smokes cause it makes her cool. My mom does do drugs and all my family members on my dads side drink heavily. My dad, after my parents splitting up, got drunk every night but he is out of that. I guess I kind of feel out of place by not having an addiction to things. I admit to getting really drunk at parties and smoking outside in a parking lot and on my porch at my dads house as well as washing down pills with alcohol but I do not in anyway have an addiction...at least I think. For kids my age, I've done pretty stupid things but compared to my family, I'm the innocent one. I'm just scared that because I live in this environment that I'll get sucked in.

Don't say that. Please be strong, don't let yourself get sucked in. Please don't. It depresses me so much to hear things like that. You'll regret it later, I swear. Please just stay away. The first time will breed a thousand more,

I'm just scared that because I live in this environment that I'll get sucked in.

It's hard being around other people that do drugs, Tox, because even if you don't really want to do them, it's natural to want to fit in with everyone and use them because of that. That happens to a lot of people, and like April says, be strong and don't give in. Maybe you could be a role model for your family - show them how to NOT use drugs and still be able to have fun. I'm not sure how old you are, but if you're still in school, counselors there might be able to help you out. They've probably helped others in the same situation.

Also, I don't know if you've noticed this as well, but it's like whenever you're really fucked up on certain drugs (mainly E, and coke, I've noticed...Anything more hallucinogenic you actually believe that you will be that way forever, and that's the scar part) it actually makes perfect sense to stay on them forever. Like "who cares about life....I'll just keep doing this and keep this feeling until I die...nothing else needs to matter."


Sounds so fucked up to a sober person, but is quite possibly the most logical thing ever while you're on drugs. It seems like the answer to everything..until you come down and realize what ou were thinking. It's terrifying.

Hi again everyone. Thought I'd bring this thread back from the dead tonight to talk about a story that my friend Sam, the founder of the Epilepsy Education Association of Arkansas, told me a couple of weeks ago. It seems that there was this perfectly healthy youngster who decided that he would start huffing air freshener. And pretty soon he started to have seizures because of it. And though he didn't die because of it, some of his friends did die suddenly while huffing. Other youngsters heard about what had happened, but instead of staying away from huffing, more and more of them started doing it to get high, and more and more of them were hurt because of it. The End.

That story really scares the hell out of me. I thought huffing had gone out of style years ago when the information about brain damage from sniffing glue and paint thinner got through to most people. Unfortunately, the practice seems to be on the rise again in some parts of the US among a generation that hasn't seen enough of the horrible stuff that these volatile chemicals cause. Here's a rundown:

1. Sudden Sniffing Death I'm not joking about the name. The use of certain substances like propane and the chemicals in aerosols are more likely to cause this. It only takes one use for it to happen, and even if it didn't happen the first time, the user is at equal risk for it each and every time he/she uses. The chemical causes the heart to go into an abnormal rhythm, and then it stops.

2. Hearing loss It doesn't happen suddenly like SSD, but continued use causes nerve damage that leads to PERMANENT hearing loss. Which would really make it hard to enjoy Ev music.

3. Peripheral nerve damage and muscle spasms This kind of nerve damage is also permanent even if the user stops. The damage may cause permanent anesthesia (complete loss of sensation) or paresthesia (abnormal tingling or other senation such as pain, burning, etc.) in the area of nerve damage. The muscle spasms also occur because of the nerve damage.

4. Brain damage This can lead to permanaent short-term memory loss and intellectual decline like people with Alzheimer's Disease, and the symptoms get worse as the person continues to huff. Epilepsy can develop as a result of the brain damage.

The liver and bone marrow can also be damaged, though this is usually reversible of the person stops. People can also suffocate while huffing, and of course may do dangerous stuff while they're high. Huffing is just really bad news all the way around, on the same level as using meth or coke.

So I ask everyone out there on Amy's favorite holiday, please talk to your friends about huffing and tell them about how bad it is for them and to stay away from it. They probably won't listen to someone like me say it, but they might listen to you.

It's not just on it's way back in America. Over here chroming (paint sniffing) is a huge problem, especially among young people. They have put in measures such as putting certain paints behind the counter or out of sight and only selling to over 18's. However, almost every day that I walk around the city I will come across a discarded chroming bottle or I will see a young person engaging in the practice. It is a huge issue and one that is not easily solved.

I was getting quite heavily into cocaine at one point and just to mask the pain I was really into ecstacy as well.


I'm on the same road, unfortunately I'm not off that road either.

Sometimes what sucks you in is depression, and drugs are the only thing you can do to make you happy and you want to just be happy sometimes when reality can't give it to you.

This is my case.

I smoke cigarettes and drink (not as heavily as I used to) but the two mentioned before were the worse ones I do.

You can't let yourself do that. I totally and completely understand. I still have the occasional ..run in with both of those and everytime after it's all I want to do. But you just have to tell yourself that you CANNOT do that forever. It isn't an option. And you'll just end up worse off than you started. Scare yourself away from it. I know you know what's it's doing to you. I know by the way you're talking you don't want to be there.

Be strong. Talk to me in this thread, or in PM's or whereever you want. I want to help you.

I come from the midwest, and here there is a HUGE meth problem. I have done meth once, and will never, ever do it again.
Personally, I ocassionally use drugs, only certain ones and for certain reasons. I follow a very personal spiritual path, and occasionaly and ritualistically I will use Marijuana to aid in my trances and meditations, and I will use selective hallucinogens (such as Mushrooms and Iboga Root) for self reflection and inner exploration. I do not feel as if I am being abused by these drugs at all.
Hallucinogens have been used since the beginning of time for spiritual purposes, and it wasn't until recently, in this world today that they have been shunned and looked badly upon. I wouldn't even consider hallucinogens a drug if they were used for the right reasons and not recreationally abused.

I agree Moe. I've never tried Meth, and the last time I used Ecstasy I almost had a heart attack and it was the worst feeling ever, bad enough where I'll never do it again. E and Coke aren't easy to give up but when money is low you have no other choice. That's where marijuana and shrooms have an advantage. Shrooms are cheap and their high lasts alot longer. Coke is expensive and just causes more depression, but marijuana is the main thing I can't give up and I'm not too worried about it as long as I can stay away from the harder stuff.

So i am having a really tough time right now. i've been caught up with drugs for several years now. all kinds of drugs. and 2 weeks ago i finally was completely fed up with myself. With trying to quit, the people i was hanging out with, missing school/work, the depression, i was just ruining my life. So i made the decision to get help. My life has changed dramatically in the last 2 weeks. I have moved back home, I have a new job, im taking the semester off and starting classes in may at a new university, ect. I have been clean now for 16 days. But for some reason I am still regreting my decision. I think i regret it becuase im embarrased. I am extremely ashamed of myself and the stress i have put on my family. It sucks, but i guess things can only really get better from here.

But for any of you that might need advice on this... Deciding to get help was the best thing i have ever done for myself!! you only have one life, dont screw it up. I wasted 7 years of my life, just so i could "party". But nothing has ever come out good from that!

It is really good that you're sharing this with everyone, Erin. Please don't be embarassed by what you've done in the past. The important thing is that you're planning for a better future, and you've done a lot of positive things to get there. Your family will be proud of you for doing it, and so will we on the EvBoard. Staying clean might be tough for the next few months, but the longer you go, the more natural it will be to you. And best of all, there's a lot of other fun stuff to do out there in the world! :)

I have done Coke, but that was quickly stopped when I moved in with my aunt. Right now I am in yet another family... and I have 4 brothers. 2 are younger and 2 are older, who are 20 and 28. Anyways... both of them smoke Marijuana and both of them still live with us. A friend of theirs is always over... and she is heavy on the drugs... all kinds. I used to smoke with them all of the time. I would stay up all night... get stoned... and then at 5 in the morning get ready for school and go. It was the hardest thing... because my grades dropped... my friends were so worried... and I felt weak that I couldn't stop. I did gather up the will to stop eventually. I did it for my friends... who have cared for me more than family. It was sooo difficult. I had to avoid my brothers constantly... because I wasn't sure how to say no. Denise... their friend... always asked why I wouldn't smoke with them... and I eventually got the courage to say I quit. After that it became easier... though I still crave it. I still cannot be around them when they smoke... I cannot resist... but I am getting there. I have built up self esteem and I feel that I have become a stronger person. To be able to say no is the best thing. I am really happy, but sometimes I still wonder if it would hurt to take a drag to calm my nerves when times get stressful. I know that I would get hooked again though... which pushes me away. It has been so long now... and I cannot believe I have stayed drug free... and alcohol free too. It was so hard because it was my family who I had to say no to. And they are the ones that always pressured me to smoke, but I was able to stand strong... and so a very well saying comes into play... "If I can do it... anyone can."

Im going to be open here... Ive tried/used/abused many, many drugs in my time. It all started with smoking cigarettes then I started smoking pot, then I got into shrooms, ketamine, e, coke, lsd... I've tried just about everything...

LSD had most effect on my life, it completely changed the way I think and look at things. Sometimes I cant control myself it seems and I constantly hallusinate. Nothing will fix this, no medications, theropy or operations can fix what has happened to me.

Now I feel aweful. To see how Ive affected not only myself but many of the people around me because of my drug habbits and addictions. I've lost many friendships to people I used to care for and now feel like doing nothing else but dying or doing more drugs.

and thats just about it in retrospect.

I use to be addicted to painkillers but I went to rehab and got clean. That was about 4 years ago.

My brother is the one with the problem now, he does the hard stuff like coke and heroin and he's only 15 yrs old. He's been in and out of rehab since he was 12. He hasn't been to school in 2 years. And his drug addiction has led to other problems.
If he doesn't get the drugs he wants he goes onto SERVER selfharming. He's tried counsoling, but it doesn't work.
He's been kicked out the house more then 5 times. He stays with his friends who do drugs and recently he's stolen a car, though luckily they dropped the charges for car theift.

He has a criminal record, he went to juvy for a year. No one can look after him. Like I said before in the post I did in the Advice section called ¨Problems With My Brother, Have No Idea How To Deal With It¨
My perants have given up on my brother, leaving me to be the one in charge of him and his fuck ups (Am I allowed to swear?, Don't know, anyway...)

It's very hard on me to look after a drug addicted brother, esspecially when he starts pushing my buttons whenever I try to help him.

He doesn't listen a word I say, I usually just get called a fag or queer by him when I offer any advice and be supportive (seeing how I am the only one who is supportive towards him)

I don't want to have to leave him to defend by himself because a lot of people have already abandoned him for differen't reasons. I don't want to have to send him away either, cause again that would be abandoning him and I don't want to have to do that.

So um... Any advice would be great on how to help my brother.

Thanks,

Matt

I think you should put him in a hospital for an extended period of time. It sounds like if he doesn't get under some sort of forced confinement for a whiel he might hurt himself or someone else.

Those drugs can really, really fuck with your brain and usually you barely realize it, or are too fucked up to care.


Get him into a hospital... He's young enough to not have a choice.
He'll thank you one day.

It is really good that you're sharing this with everyone, Erin. Please don't be embarassed by what you've done in the past. The important thing is that you're planning for a better future, and you've done a lot of positive things to get there. Your family will be proud of you for doing it, and so will we on the EvBoard. Staying clean might be tough for the next few months, but the longer you go, the more natural it will be to you. And best of all, there's a lot of other fun stuff to do out there in the world! :)

thank you, so much. :) it has now been a month and a half!!! :) and things are going awsome!! i dont regret anything i have done anymore. im happy now, and i now know that things, no matter how bad they get, can turn out for the better. and i know that my family is proud, but even more im proud of myself now. lol kinna cheesy but its true :cool:

Your so cool Erin. That your so strong. Willing to give this a chance. Plus actually work at it! I know from my brother that drugs are not easy to get off of. He now has brain damage related to drugs. So I am so happy you are stopping them now Before any damage occurs. You wont do anything stupid any more that will embarrass you or your family. So don’t give up now your just beginning. It will be rough but from what you wrote it sounds like you have allot of will power.

My 15 yr old brother's currently suffering from withdrawal symptoms from the drugs he's been taking which includes coke, herion and who knows what else. He's throwing up a lot, has a fever, feels hot one second and cold the next and etc, the symptoms go on. I'd be greatful if anyone has any advice they could give me on how to handle this.
Obviously rehab would be the best place for him to be, but the family thinks he can overcome the symtoms on his own if he really wants to quit doing drugs, if the symtoms continue THEN he'll be put into rehab. Meanwhile, some advice would be great, thanks.

Matt

wow yeah my friend has gone through the same thing...its hard seeing someone go through that but the best thing you can do is put him in rehab...IF he is strong to make it through without rehab thats great but it doesnt sound like it....hospital or rehab is the best thing you can do for him at this point ...im studying to be a doctor ...and with those symptoms...he needs to go to the hospital or rehab dont keep him at home cause its hard getting over drugs like that!

Your so cool Erin. That your so strong. Willing to give this a chance. Plus actually work at it! I know from my brother that drugs are not easy to get off of. He now has brain damage related to drugs. So I am so happy you are stopping them now Before any damage occurs. You wont do anything stupid any more that will embarrass you or your family. So don’t give up now your just beginning. It will be rough but from what you wrote it sounds like you have allot of will power.

lol well yeah i pretty much think im the coolest person i know. hehe, j/k. but yeah, thanks you so much for the support! it has now beena bout 2 months i guess, im not really counting the days anymore :p :cool: but all in all, its soo nice to have people that care, including you and everyone else here! Thanks guys

I've just gotten out today after a month of rehab for painkiller addiction. I've detoxed and everything so on that note i'm pleased. The problem is that I don't think the group therapy worked, i don't think the one to one sessons helped either.

I'm not one to sit in a room with people or even one person and talk about my personal problems. I got pissed off in some of the one to one sessons and the group sessons because one of my problems just led to another problem and that problem led onto another problem and i didn't feel ready to comfront all those problems that led to me being in rehab and overcomming a drug addiction.

I know that there might be a chance of me going back to my old habbits if I don't comfront my problems head on. and I don't want to have to do that in a room filled with people or talking to some counsoler again cause that never worked for me before so I don't see why it would work now.

Does anyone have any thoughts at all on what I could do to overcome my problems?

Matt

I have very mixed feelings on drugs, smoking, and alcohol. Basically, I don't want someone I'm living with to indulge in any of these things. A lot of my family have been/are drug/alcohol addicts and it's very painful to watch at times. Luckily I live with my grandparents who don't drink or do drugs, but my mom smokes.

I'll just break my opinions down here:

Drugs - I really don't like them. I couldn't live with someone who did drugs just because of how dangerous they are. I also don't like being around people who are messed up on drugs because it's just an annoying and sad sight to see.

Alcohol - I don't mind if someone who is living with me wants to get tipsy once in a while, but I really don't like being around drunk people. They really, really annoy me to no end for some reason. Frequent drinking? I couldn't put up with that. Some of my family members drink everyday or every weekend and I hate to be around them when they are. *shrug* Alcohol abuse scares me, so really ideally I'd like people I live with not to drink at all.

Smoking - Bad, icky habit. I don't mind being around people who smoke, but I couldn't have like a boyfriend who smoked. It's just not something I'm attracted to. =\

I've just gotten out today after a month of rehab for painkiller addiction. I've detoxed and everything so on that note i'm pleased. The problem is that I don't think the group therapy worked, i don't think the one to one sessons helped either.

I'm not one to sit in a room with people or even one person and talk about my personal problems. I got pissed off in some of the one to one sessons and the group sessons because one of my problems just led to another problem and that problem led onto another problem and i didn't feel ready to comfront all those problems that led to me being in rehab and overcomming a drug addiction.

I know that there might be a chance of me going back to my old habbits if I don't comfront my problems head on. and I don't want to have to do that in a room filled with people or talking to some counsoler again cause that never worked for me before so I don't see why it would work now.

Does anyone have any thoughts at all on what I could do to overcome my problems?

Matt

the fact that you can see that you are in danger of slipping back into your old habits again is great. but i think you should give the counselling a go again. not all councellors are the same, sometimes you can find one who helps you so much when others couldn't. plus you've changed as a person since the last time and that can affect results too. there are many different councellors you just have to find the right one. and i hope you do!

Originally posted by Dark Star
the fact that you can see that you are in danger of slipping back into your old habits again is great. but i think you should give the counselling a go again. not all councellors are the same, sometimes you can find one who helps you so much when others couldn't. plus you've changed as a person since the last time and that can affect results too. there are many different councellors you just have to find the right one. and i hope you do!

I agree. If you don't like/get on with one counsellor, be upfront and tell them how you are feeling. They should be open to that and be willing to refer you on to someone else (if they are not, then they are not doing their job properly so you shouldn't be talking to them anyway). Also, group therapy doesn't work for everyone, so don't worry too much about the fact that you don't feel like it helped you. Counsellors can use a huge variety of methods, so find one that suits you. Give it time with the counsellor - just like meeting anyone else, you can't expect to feel like telling them everything right away, and they shouldn't push you to do this (again, if they do then they are not doing their job properly!) Their main focus at first should be on building some form of rapport with you (ie - a trusting relationship etc). Give it a few sessions before you decide whether you can talk to them or not.

Best of luck :)

I'm not addicted to illicit drugs, but I am addicted to the most common substance people are addicted to: caffeine.

I've been trying over the past 2 weeks to break that addiction. I've been plagued by headaches, a weird stomach, and fatigue. The withdrawal symptoms from caffeine are just like any other substance your body has become dependent on.

I realized that having 2 cups of tea in the morning, a 20 oz diet coke with lunch, and 2 more cans of diet coke during the day is simply not healthy. And, quite simply, I was becoming dependent on it. I would be falling asleep at my desk by 1:00 if I skipped my soda with lunch.

But, it is getting better. I have my cup of tea in the morning, water with lunch, and usually go for sprite with dinner. I've been yawning my way through work for the past 2 weeks, but I simply made a promise to myself to get more sleep.

Caffeine is good (mmm coffee) but not too much or u get all quezzy and uncomfortable

BTW, I heard all this on a "regenesis" (its a TV series) --- www.regenesistv.com



When you are born, you can be born with addictive traits (Typo?).

There is 38? of them in your system,,, and a usual person has 5--8 "Addictive" traits, say in red, the other are whatever color, Those 5-8 represent the addictive part of you -- to whatever you are. They could make u born addicted to pretty much anything,,, making it hard to quit something because of it. (I'm probably wrong, but it's about that,,). But, some people who's parents say drink, and do drugs, etc, ccould be born with more than just 5-8 of those addictive traits singled out. They could have upwards to 20+. That's when you know that whatever they do is not there fault for the most part, since you were pretty much born with it, and it's VERY hard to control,,,,




For all I know, this could be all make belief for the show =P or it could be true -- I haven't taken the time to actualy go find out,,, but it makes sense,,,

One of my friends seems to be using pain killers a lot. I looked at the different classifications that were put on the thread, and I can't really say whether or not she seems to fit one of them. Like, she'll use Advil *a lot*, but if she doesn't then she doesn't suffer from withdrawal or anything. But she definitely takes pain killers more than she needs to. Are there any other classifications?

I'm not. Some friend of mine use it sometimes... I always tell them to stop doing that before it's too late and all... but they think this makes them more 'man'. I know a guy who was in a treatment clinic, but didn't recovered. He died like 5 years ago. It sucks. I just think this is a dead ending. It's killing yourself.

I used to be addicted to drugs but not anymore I first started out using Weed and then it was alcohol then pills and ya know but they really do screw your life up I dont even talk to alot of my family because as some of you know my Mom died from an overdose, anyway I wont talk to them cuz they keep taking the same stuff my mom died over and like 2 weeks after my mom died my aunt had an overdose but she just laughed and said oh well, so I try my hardest to stay away from them, though I do drink occasionally but I dont think I am an alcoholic LOL

If you haven't heard already, there have been areas in the country where a mixture of Tylenol PM and heroin called "cheese" has been catching on. The antihistamine in the Tylenol PM causes most of the high, while the heroin gets you addicted. The Tylenol PM in itself is dangerous in high doses (can lead to liver failure, heart rhythm disturbances, etc.) and of course the heroin is meant to keep you coming back and escalate into more expensive and more addcitive drugs. If you've been thinking about trying this stuff because it seems to be a safe high, please stay away.


I'm not addicted to illicit drugs, but I am addicted to the most common substance people are addicted to: caffeine.

But, it is getting better. I have my cup of tea in the morning, water with lunch, and usually go for sprite with dinner. I've been yawning my way through work for the past 2 weeks, but I simply made a promise to myself to get more sleep.

I did the same thing just about the time I joined the EvBoard, LadyJo. Congrats to you! I know after I gave it up, I began to sleep a lot more soundly, but I did need more sleep to stay sharp during the day. Getting good sleep is also something that's important for good physical and mental health, and I didn't realize how much caffeine was affecting my sleep until I gave it up.


I also need some advice from everyone on the EvBoard, too. I started treating people with heroin and opiate addiction with Suboxone last year (or at least have tried to), but I've been having a hard time getting anyone to stay with the program for more than a few weeks. Many come for their first appointment and don't return when they learn about the rules they have to follow. Any ideas or strategies that you might suggest that would help me help my patients be more successful in their treatment? Anything that I should or shouldn't be saying to them when we first meet to talk about treatment? Muchos gracias, amigos.

I also need some advice from everyone on the EvBoard, too. I started treating people with heroin and opiate addiction with Suboxone last year (or at least have tried to), but I've been having a hard time getting anyone to stay with the program for more than a few weeks. Many come for their first appointment and don't return when they learn about the rules they have to follow. Any ideas or strategies that you might suggest that would help me help my patients be more successful in their treatment? Anything that I should or shouldn't be saying to them when we first meet to talk about treatment? Muchos gracias, amigos.
Have you tried getting any loved ones involved? My girlfriend has a heroin addiction and the only thing that keeps her sober for just a week or so is me pleading with her every night. I have a bit of a coke problem. I snort, she snorts. She has professional help but her "professionals" are narrow-minded assholes who are more interested in the money than helping her. I'm on my own and have been able to quit but I just can't stay away. I stop for almost a year and then go back to all of my old habits. My question is how do I keep away from the stuff while helping my girlfriend? I'm tired of running to drugs when times get rough.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for the thoughts about getting families involved, Raskull. That is absolutely the ideal, though many people I take care of either don't give permission or have been into the stuff for so long that they've broken all ties with their family. When I can, though, I will.

Do you think that getting your family and your girlfriend's family involved would help you both? One of the big reasons that people relapse is that they're around other people that continue to use the drug. It's true of cocaine or alcohol or cigarettes. Maybe if you both find a professional who cares and work on getting off cocaine together, both of you would be more successful. And you'd both need to stay away from other people who use it, too, because the temptation to go back might be too much.

Hope that helps, Raskull.

don't tell anyone, but i'm a valium fiend.

a night in with 8 valium and a bottle of rum/vodka and i'm in the happiest place i could ever be.

sadly my stocks are running low :( the thought of going to a doctor and being all moo moo anxiety disorder, gimme gimme pills is a bit harrowing though. I despise doctors. They always give me the wrong stuff.

don't tell anyone, but i'm a valium fiend.
...but you'll tell an Internet forum full of strangers? I might be over-analyzing but it seems like you don't want to expose your problem fearing judgement from your loved ones as you either hold them in high regard or they're part of the reason why you pop pills to begin with.

...but you'll tell an Internet forum full of strangers? I might be over-analyzing but it seems like you don't want to expose your problem fearing judgement from your loved ones as you either hold them in high regard or they're part of the reason why you pop pills to begin with.

I take them when the noise in my head gets to loud to deal with. A thread filled with potential druggies might understand this a bit better than the people who seem to only worry about petrol prices and terrorism. AKA the loved ones :p

No Most definitely not!!! Both sides of my family were heavily into drugs and alcohol and I have seen the affects! I was homeless a lot growing up because my mom had money for speed and beer but not rent!! I choose to live a clean life! However I am addicted, to my family, art, and Evanescence!!! They give me a natural high that can not be matched...

Sorry to bring some old things up. But I happen to know a few bits about alcohol and I feel like sharing ;-)

Each night I will have a beer or glass of wine.

Well. Actually 1 glass a day is even quite healthy. It's not like "a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away". But it has been proven that wine for example can help to prevent cancer and also heart attacks, because it keeps the....uhm....arteries?...clean. You know. The thingy that makes the blood flow in your heart and stuff.
So you don't have to worry at all. In fact, you are doing quite well, keeping it to just this one glass and your body is probably happy about it aswell *g*

Someone told me that one of the reasons men can generally drink more than women is because they have a bigger liver. Is that true?

Ok, so I'm not really sure about this one. I know this question has been answered already. But there is another fact that lets men drink more while girls tend to get drunk much quicker.
As you all know, the human body is mostly made of water. I think it's even somewhere around 70+%.
Now is the part where I have to check again. But I'm pretty sure that women are more composed of fat compared to men. Could be the other way 'round, but this difference is another factor.

I hope I didn't mix things up there, but I'm pretty sure of it - otherwise wouldn't have posted. Also I hope I got the correct words (translating to english).


Well. I'm addicted to alcohol, which is why I try to get a lot of information about it. I know it's bad, I know it harms my body, which is something I really hate. But the thing I hate most about it is the fact that I totally lose control when I drink.
I enter chats or just talk to people I know. I post random stuff on forums/boards...apparently...
And I let everyone know that I'm drunk and keep saying "I'm sorry" like 10x in a row. Also I say things that I would never say when sober, because I tend to think a lot before I say something. And other things being said during my drunk state I really don't mean. This also doesn't occur to me when I'm sober.
I don't feel like talking (so much) about myself. Maybe this is more of a warning, since it either is a messenger, a chat or....a board/forum. I'm glad that all of my posts are being moderated ;-)
Really hurts when you wake up and find out what you've done and start to regret.

This thread is a good reminder.
I'm glad it's "just alcohol". I'm pretty sure that I would easily get into the more serious stuff if I had the chance. But I'll stick to alcohol which in itself is bad enough. Just imagine how many braincells die during a binge. Braincells are the things that make you the person you are. So basically it's not just harming your body but slowly killing yourself and what you are. It frightens me the most. Imagine that you wake up some day - just to notice that you're not the person you used to be at all.

edit: well. I reckon I must've been not that sober while posting, so I corrected all mistakes I could find (in the state of _not_ being sober yet again lol/*sigh*).

I'm not addicted to any type of drugs.

But what I would like to say is well done to everyone who has come on this thread and shared their story and everyone who is getting help for their addictions. Even though I don't actually know any of you. You've probably turned other's lives around including yours by getting help or getting other's help, so I just wanted to say well done. Sorry if that sounds cheesy, didn't mean it to be.

<3
- Nina

I have a question.

How do you make people realize their addiction is bad for their health and possiably lethal?

Many, many, many of my friends are addicted to a wide range of drugs and most of them believe "I'll never OD" "This will never kill me, I'm different and smart." Most believe it's acutally good for them. Most of these friends have serious depression and are given legal drugs to "fix" that. That's where the problem is. Some of that makes their feelings numb and emotionless. The drugs counter that and give a feeling of euphoria or whatever. Also alot get high off their doctor recomended happy pills. "The doctor wants me to be happy so I'm doing that." They don't see what's going on.

How do I convince them that their killing themselves? How can I help them? Their dragging me down with them but I can't just leave them.

Raskull, I can relate to you right now.

I have a friend with a mental illness who has been prescribed various medications. When she takes them she says she feels like a shell, and that she completely loses control. So she has started using Ecstacy and Speed and stopped taking her meds. I don't know what to do as I am so worried about her - she is also pushing all her friends away.

I don't want this situation to turn out like the last - the guy I think of as my brother is now a drug addict. He says he is 'just experimenting' but anyone can see it has gone way further than that. He mixed different drugs, and alcohol (which I'm sure we all know is really bad and risky) and every time I have seen him he is stoned/drunk (or both). He has now pushed everyone away because he didn't like what we were all saying to him. I'm so scared cause he is alone, and I worry every day that something is going to happen to him. I feel like it is partially my fault - I knew what he was doing way back at the beginning when I could have tried to step in and stop it, but I didn't. I just stepped back and watched him lose control, destroy the relationship with the love of his life and push all his friends away. Now it's too late cause he has practically disappeared.

This past week my good friend's cousin was found dead on his bathroom floor, from overdosing on heroin. It's some scary shit once something like that happens to someone you know. I had met him a few times, and he was always falling asleep everywhere, even standing up. His family tried to make excuses for it but everyone pretty much knew what was going on. I've never tried any drugs and I'm proud of it. But for people who do, it doesn't seem so scary until you know someone who actually is dead from it.

I come from a family full of drug addicts and unfortunatley i fell into their tracks and got heavily addicted heroin, ice and whatever my family could get for me .....

i eventually moved out of home trying to escape that life and start a new one and it worked to a degree i would maybe touch drugs once every 3 months or so. But of late i have broken up with my partner and am going in for surgery shortly , i have lost all direction of my life and i started spirelling back into my black hole???

I am back on every drug i can get my hands on but i just cant find a reason to stop when i feel i have nothing left?? ( i lost my family when i moved out and now i have lost the last person who stood by me and excepted me into their arms and their family)

i want to let go but i dont know how ?

Nicotine :rolleyes:

only 4 people of my family(including me) are adicted to nicotine.

sometimes i smoke hashishe but it's not like i'm adicted or have lack of it...i only smoke it bc i want to..but not always

I take them when the noise in my head gets to loud to deal with.

There are a lot of reasons people take drugs, Pyro, and one of them is to escape things chemically when you can't escape things physically. Sometimes I take care of women who have been physically or psychologically abused who can't get away, and take drugs to temporarily escape. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by noise in your head, but if that's what you're trying to escape then there are meds that can help without turning you into an addict or a zombie. It sounds like you haven't hooked up with the right doc as yet. Keep trying.

I am back on every drug i can get my hands on but i just cant find a reason to stop when i feel i have nothing left?? ( i lost my family when i moved out and now i have lost the last person who stood by me and excepted me into their arms and their family)

i want to let go but i dont know how ?

I had the privilege of touring the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California a couple of months ago when I was visiting friends. The Betty Ford Center is one of the most well-respected places for people to get addiction treatment, though it's way expensive. The place is gorgeous, the grounds are well kept, and you get a lot of individualized service - your own spiritual counselor, etc. But you know what the basic treatment is at the Center? It's the 12 Step Program, just like they use at Alcoholics Anonymous. And anyone can attend local AA and NA meetings for free.

The medications we docs prescribe for addiction are just meant to prevent withdrawal and craving, but we all know that rehab takes a lot more than taking a pill. AA or NA are good starts and can help you get over or get through a lot of things that you may be trying to escape through drugs. I hope that helps, mysterious. They may be able to help you regain meaning in your life.

It was nice to hear on the radio this morning that Shaun Morgan has decided to go through the door. We should all wish him well.

It was nice to hear on the radio this morning that Shaun Morgan has decided to go through the door. We should all wish him well.

Good luck Shaun. It would kill me to lose another one of these guys to drugs. I know he'll do it, though. He seems way to stubborn not to.

Anyway, it's been nearly 7 months since I've touched any sort of drug (well, except alcohol, of course :rolleyes:). It's still really hard, and I do think about it sometimes, but there are some things that are more important. That's the main thing to remember, I think.

Do you think if someone who is using pot regularly, and is proud of it (like "yo dude, it was a fatty hehe haha har har"), is someone who is happy?
I've met a few burnouts, and they...I don't know...Just don't seem to be that high-functioning. Yet totally oblivious.
If they claim that things are going well in their life, yet they still want to escape it frequently, do you think they're as happy as they claim? Or is it just a way to mellow?
Any thoughts?

Do you think if someone who is using pot regularly, and is proud of it (like "yo dude, it was a fatty hehe haha har har"), is someone who is happy?
I've met a few burnouts, and they...I don't know...Just don't seem to be that high-functioning. Yet totally oblivious.
If they claim that things are going well in their life, yet they still want to escape it frequently, do you think they're as happy as they claim? Or is it just a way to mellow?
Any thoughts?

If they're 'proud of it', so to speak, it sounds like they just might be doing it to be cool. But if they do it enough, then yeah... their brains will pretty much just become fried to the point where they will be happy all the time.

Pot makes you stupid, I swear.

Pot is more of a social drug. By that I mean you tend to congregate with others to share the experience. Also, it's fueled by this sense of the whole affair being a taboo clique and you are either in or out.

Typically marijuana isn't physiologically addictive but it IS addictive in psychotropic terms of interpersonal activity. What I mean is when you hang out with a group of people and the main core of your "friendship" is getting burnt together (again this is very common among pot smokers), eventually you become bereft of things to do except more and more pot! It gets ridiculous and THEN people flake away and become listless loners unable to reconnect with others. They aren't able to do anything with non-users having wrapped up a good part of their existence with pot and they can't go back to a group of users because they are tired of it. It's like you’re in an emotional and psychological limbo and you become totally useless.

However, again since marijuana isn't terribly physiologically addictive it's easy to just stop using and get back into normal life.

The real problem comes when you’re in that limbo loner stage and you think to try some other drug to recapture the "glory days". Things can spiral out of control then. That's the chief reason I saw some people move on to cocaine and heroine.

I have nothing against casual pot smoking. It's no more harmless than having a few glasses of wine every once and awhile. I don't like when people gather for the chief reason of getting lit just to watch some silly movie or play with glow sticks and stuff like that. That just leads to the above situation 100% of the time.