Drugs

[Hall]

/When was it implied that all drugs are like LSD

It wasn't, but one of the most common misconceptions about drugs is that they all effect you in the same way that LSD does.

By the way, to everyone here who's talking about how absolutely horrible any kind of drug, or alcohol is, you should really do your homework.

One!
A common misconception about drug use is that people first try it because they want to 'look cool around their friends'. Which, is quite honestly not the case. Of all the accounts of drug use that I have ever heard, curiosity was the biggist driving factor. People just wanting to know what feeling high felt like. Aside from that, the reasons vary. I'm sure that there are plenty of cases of peer pressure, but they're hardly the only ones.
It's the same way with drinking, by the way. There are actually people out there that start drinking because they decide that they want to try ×alcoholic beverage.

Two!
That all drugs leave people completely useless and zombie-like when high. The number of musicians who've made music whilst high is ridiculous. Slightly less so, however, than the fact that a fair number them got big hits out of it. The Beatles were most probably Not very sober when writing/recording about half their music. xD
The Beatles, ftw!

Three!
Despite what a fair amount of people believe, having a little bit of alcohol, for example, here and there isn't going to turn you into a raging alcoholic. In much the same way, one cigarette won't blacken your lungs, and one occasion of drugs won't turn you brain dead. Most of the problem in these things is not the thing itself, it's overuse of it! Too much of anything is bad for you, that's why they call it 'Too much'!
Let's put it this way. Carrots are good, right? They taste good (IMLTHO). They're really good for your eyesight! However... did you know that eating too many carrots will turn your skin orange, amoung other things? (Lol)

And I could just go on, and on.

I'm not saying that everybody has to smoke, drink, shoot up, or whatever, but you should at least understand what you're considering 'against your morals.'
Do you actually know a fair amount about drugs/alcohol/etc? About their risks, AND benefits? Still don't want to drink/smoke/etc? Well, that is perfectly fine! It's your choice.

- - - -​

As for me, I'm completely serious when I say that I have never smoked, done drugs, or drank, in my life. It's not because I want to live straight-edged, mind you. I've just never done any of them. The alcohol is mainly because I'm being indecisive about which I want to try first. A good Tennessee Whiskey? Guinness? Vodka? Scotch? (yes, I know that Scotch is technically Whiskey)

Now just watch, I'm gonna end up in a leaving flight from Amsterdam someday and not remember anything that happened after the first night of getting there. xD

Daaamn ittt, I was trying to not write a mile long post. :I

 

[Juno]

I'm not against people that do use recreational drugs, but I just personally don't see the point of it. When my friends smoke pot it looks like they're really happy and they can't stop laughing, which I find entertaining because it looks pretty funny, but it still doesn't make me want to try it. I do know there are very few negative effects of it, but I've never had any problems having fun, feeling happy or just living a good life in general while being sober, so, as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. That's not to say everyone that does drugs is unhappy with their sober life, I just don't need to or want to use drugs.

The only time I've gotten drunk was at a house party, and because I had never been drunk before I just really wanted to know what my limit was, so I knocked back as much vodka as I could with the intent of getting drunk (yes, it was stupid but I was in high school). It made me happy and giggly, but honestly, the cons outweighed the pros, so I'll never drink to the point of not being able to think straight again. I don't even like the taste of alcohol, unless it's some sweet cocktail or light and fruity wine. I'll never understand the appeal of hard liquors.

The one thing I really, really don't get is tobacco/nicotine addiction. Maybe I'm just biased because I'm incredibly put off by the smell of cigarettes, but I just can't think of a single valid reason to start smoking. I know some people say it reduces stress and all, but still, ugh.

 

[Plumpyfoof]

So I made a list in another thread about all the drugs I've taken, it was quite long so I'm not going to list it again.

I feel like the main reason for me at least to do drugs was because of my intelligence. That might sound counterintuitive but I'm dead serious. I'm a very creative person as well have always been into making music, going to art galleries and all that posh crap that people automatically assume you're being pretentious for. And some of my friends were starting to smoke weed and drink and things and I was seriously just, anything to take my mind away from the idiots. I also had a genuine curiosity for how relatable tripping is to the arts.
The more drugs I'd do and try the more I connected the dots of the universe (especially when I started getting into hallucinogens). It was mind opening and immersive and it was like my world, seen from a totally new perspective. It was wonderful. I really can't describe it any other way.

I feel like those who don't know, are holding themselves back from being genuinely enlightened. I'm not condoning drug use by any means, but you shouldn't dismiss it totally because your mother said no.


Now getting drunk is a social event and it really makes for the best stories. My nostalgia of my teen years I can guarantee will be better than those who didn't experience as much as they could have.

 

[Nihilego]

Drugs and I have an interesting relationship. This is probably gonna be quite a long post since I'll be explaining my past experiences with them, family experiences, why I use them and what I think of each one individually, etc. so the tl;dr of it all I'll give to you right now since that's all I imagine most of you will bother reading - I fairly regularly use various drugs and I really enjoy using them. Judge away, PC!

Spoiler:

So anyway, my past experiences with drugs are not good at all. I used to tell myself that I was never going to touch them because I'd seen the negative side of what they did and all that, kinda like what some people here are saying (and good on you if you actually do stay away from them) since their bad side is, speaking from first-hand experience, really bad. My mum, dad and later stepdad were all very heavily into their drugs and it was a really bad environment to be growing up in - partly due to, well, the adults in the house being constantly intoxicated so unable to look after my sister and I properly (in fact, we probably spent more time looking after them) but also because of the whole money side of it and all that. Drug use is a very expensive habit to be in and whatnot so yeah, they were a pretty huge issue for me as a kid and I thought I was never gonna touch them but I guess given the environment it was a sort of sure eventuality that I was going to. And honestly, I'm glad that I did.

So moving onto the drugs themselves! I'm going to count every drug that I've ever used here - that'd be caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis (technically THC but whatever), ketamine, psilocybin and psilocin (i.e. shrooms) and MDMA. I consume them all pretty regularly now and I'm talking about all of them (even caffeine) because they've all got pretty clear mood-changing or otherwise effects on me. I'm definitely addicted to nicotine and I'll just admit that one hands down; I've been smoking since I was 12 and I've not managed to stop yet. Truthfully, I've not really tried to stop to the point where I've actually had a good chance. It's the only drug I consume that I absolutely dislike because of what a nightmare cigarettes are for reasons which everyone knows. I should really switch to an e-cig or something like that which is much less harmful, cheaper, etc but I've just not got round to it. I might have to make a point of doing it at some stage though! I'm not too sure what exactly it is that nicotine does to me to make me want it. I kinda don't know if it's because I feel better when I smoke or worse when I don't smoke. In any case it's really irritating and one that I should really knock on the head. I'm also not a big fan of cannabis at all despite how much people seem to love it. I guess it makes me feel kinda light-headed and chilled out but that usually just turns into making me feel sick, especially if I've had alcohol beforehand. If I've not had a drink though then I'm more okay with it. I guess it's nice to chill out with but really I feel like I can be just as chilled not smoking it and that way I don't feel at all sick, so I personally prefer not to take it unless I'm really in the mood for it.

As for the ones that I really like - all of the others except alcohol, which I'll talk about later since it's a bit of a weird one. So that's caffeine, ketamine, shrooms and MD. These are my bbys and i luv them 4evr. Caffeine is probably the one I consume the most of, for obvious reasons of availability. It's pretty cool. Doesn't do too much but picks me up on a slow day, gives me a bit more energy, just generally makes me feel a bit more awake and 'with it'. On an average day I'll probably drink two pints (I have a pint-sized mug! :D) of fairly strong coffee and I'm not sure if that's relatively a lot or not, but it's enough for it to do its job for me, so that's nice! As for the more 'real' drugs, I kinda wish I wasn't into ketamine because it's pretty dirty. For those of you who don't know about it, it's traditionally used as a farm animal tranquilliser (horses primarily I believe) and isn't really up for human consumption. It's also quite often mixed with things you really don't wanna be putting into yourself so ehhh. But for me the risk is worth it - ket messes with my head in crazy ways and makes me feel really spaced out and chilled and light and whatnot. It's a really relaxing experience but it's not one that a lot of people want to try out for understandable reasons. Shrooms too are one that I guess a lot of people are hesitant about, and that sounds reasonable to me too. They're seriously powerful and if you take them you more or less will end up having fairly heavy hallucinations. But for me they've just done so much. The first time I took them changed me in ways that I didn't think I'd ever be able to be changed in - without going into massive detail here, I had a kind of weird experience and it was almost as if I was looking at myself from a totally neutral perspective for a little while and hoooooooly crap did it put a lot of things into perspective. I stopped making a load of judgements about myself that had no foundation in real life and afterwards it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me. That aside though it's fun to just experiment with your trip and see what happens so yeah, I think shrooms are pretty fun and can actually be incredibly revealing and make you think about yourself in new ways. The only thing I don't like are the bad trips - I've had a couple and when they're bad, they're bad. I think it ties into stress in your life, and that's something that I have quite a bit of, so I guess I sometimes get bad trips when I'm not in a great mindset. On those times I usually go for something else or just don't take anything at all (one of my friend groups and I get together occasionally and just screw around with shrooms) and talk to other people about the experiences that they're having.

Now this is the part where my post gets deleted for condoning the use of illegal substances! Horray! MDMA is, for me, thoroughly incredible. Most of the most amazing, energetic, beautiful, carefree and vivid nights I've had have been down to me, a few good friends, and half a gram of MD. It's really hard to describe how exactly it makes me feel. I don't feel out of control or spaced out or anything while on MD (although I'm sure that in reality I'm a total mess, haha). I just feel... fine, really. But the best kind of fine. The kind of fine where everything in the world at that moment is perfect and everyone's your friend and you're just impossibly happy to be alive - and damn do you do a lot of living on MD. It's impossible for me to explain how it feels to be more alive than, well, alive, but it's possible and it feels amazing. Anyone else who's used it will hopefully get it, presuming their experiences are as good as mine have been. The only little thing I don't like about MD is the comedown (the period after using a drug where its effects are wearing off and you feel very slow and depressed) although mine don't tend to be too bad, the hallucinations - few and far between as they are, they can be kinda unnerving when you don't expect them - and... idk, honestly. That's about it. I don't really like condoning drug use but if you're ever going to consume one drug - from caffeine through to cocaine (not that I've tried it), make sure it's this one. Everyone should just once feel like that. But don't read too much into that - I'm not telling you to do it, but if you have a chance and you're interested in trying it out, go for it. Just make sure, as with all new things, that you're with someone more experienced than you who can take care of you if something goes wrong. I think that's key with all drugs, honestly (mods: I hope you guys don't have a problem with this part of my post, but if you think I'm going to far, edit at will. Just don't delete it please - I've spent quite a lot of time writing this, haha).

As for alcohol, which I said I'd come back to iirc. I love alcohol and I hate it at the same time. It makes me feel pretty good - I care less about everything, I feel like I can just talk about anything, and yeah. It's quite nice. But at the same time I hate it; alcohol is absurdly addictive and, as much as I'd like to deny it, I do feel considerably worse when I go a day without drinking it. Also when consumed in high quantities it's probably outright the worst drug. You lose all control over yourself and what you're saying and doing and you're a total slave to your extremely messed up brain which is basically deciding for itself what the hell you get up to. It's a really bad situation to be in and it can get very dangerous on its own. Indeed, I feel like alcohol's probably worse on the whole than a lot of illegal drugs, so... eeh. But I just love the escape it gives me from real life and the sorts of issues I have / have had in it. Am I reliant on it sometimes to get away from my problems? Yeah, probably. It's not a good place to be in but... meh. It's up to me to stop it some time and that time just hasn't come yet. So, as little sense as it makes, I love how alcohol makes me feel. I just hate that I feel like I need it and I hate what it does as it sets in more and more. It's also one of the few heavily mood-altering drugs that I'm comfortable with consuming alone, which means that I probably drink a lot more often than I should. Eep. Typing this up is making me realise that I'm probably not in a great place with it, haha. Oh god that's awkward.

So... yeah, that's about it! That went on for much longer than I thought it would haha but it's something I'm quite happy to talk about. If you actually read it then well done and fire away if there are any questions or anything I didn't cover properly or whatever and if you didn't read it, well, tl;dr is at the top of the post. I'm gonna go make a coffee. Wahey!

 

[LoudSilence]

You're acting like everyone who drinks is automatically going to get ****faced after their first sip and lose control of their bodily functions lol. You can drink in moderation you know, you can over indulge in pretty much anything. Food, coffee, soft drinks.

I know often the aim of drinking IS to get completely ****faced, especially with younger people. But that's not the case for everyone, for every single time they drink. You made another generalization just like the people who dismiss you as some uptight prude for not drinking.

I didn't generalise, I meant specifically getting drunk is stupid.

Anyone I know who has touched alcohol told me it was more a social experience rather than actually enjoying the drink. It has gotten a friend of mine killed and countless others injured stupidly. One guy I knew was blacked out and we had to watch over him to stop him from choking on his own vomit. It was pathetic. This is why I will never drink.

Obviously to each his own, though; I don't go around shaming people for it or anything. Your body, your business.

 

[Outlier]

I didn't generalise, I meant specifically getting drunk is stupid.

Anyone I know who has touched alcohol told me it was more a social experience rather than actually enjoying the drink. It has gotten a friend of mine killed and countless others injured stupidly. One guy I knew was blacked out and we had to watch over him to stop him from choking on his own vomit. It was pathetic. This is why I will never drink.

Obviously to each his own, though; I don't go around shaming people for it or anything. Your body, your business.

My apologies buddy. In your first post you said inhibiting your faculties in any way is stupid so I assumed you were just talking about drinking in general.

If I may ask, how did your friend die? Was he drink driving? As for your other friend who was blacking out and vomiting, it's called moderation. I'm not saying you have to drink at all I just want to make sure people in this thread differentiate drinking from from getting drunk to the point where you're puking your brains out. The two don't always go hand in hand.

 

[zakisrage]

I think drugs are evil and cause too many problems. One of my friends lost his older cousin to an overdose earlier this year.

 

[Hikamaru]

^ What the dude above me said.

I hate drugs, they are bad for you and can cause you to have a short life when you have the addiction. In fact, I always feel sad for those who die of an overdose, going by several celebrities I've heard of dying young because of drugs.

 

[Sopheria]

Experimented, didn't like it. Complete and conscious control over my mind and body is something that is very important to me. I'm not a fan of things that would compromise it. I do occasionally drink, but that's only on very special occasions (birthdays, New Years Day, graduation) and I never drink enough to feel the effects.

 

[derozio]

I always used to wonder why people did drugs or smoked even though most of them knew that, yes, if they're an addict, things are not going to end well for them. But today I found my answer.

I'm addicted to samosas. They're a spicy Indian delicacy with an irresistible taste. I have been having some bad stomachaches every 2-3 months for a while now. And I know for a fact now that me eating 3 of these daily actually contributes a lot to those horrible aches. They're so bad that I can't sleep or do anything properly for two days and pain so unbearable that sometimes I wish I'd rather cut my whole stomach open or do something drastic.

But I still eat them. Everyday. Without fail. I understand addicts now. Because I'm one of them. But that doesn't change my views on drugs and alchohol in general. I dislike them and wouldn't ever try them. I'm someone who probably won't be able to restrain myself once hooked so I'm not taking any chances.

 

[Outlier]

I think drugs are evil and cause too many problems. One of my friends lost his older cousin to an overdose earlier this year.

Prohibition causes far more problems than drugs do on their own. Drugs and drug use aren't inherently evil. There is however a whole black market surrounding drugs run by drug lords and gangs all over the world. If our Governments would legalize drugs and regulate them it would take away pretty much all the power and profit away from those who sell it illegally on the streets. Honestly I'm surprised with all the drug education and information out there today that there's still such a huge stigma about recreational drug use. In my opinion under the right circumstances and with the right substances, drugs can be a beautiful thing. You just have to know what you're doing and what you're taking.

Look at me, I said in my op that I didn't wanna talk about prohibition or glorify drugs and now I'm doing both haha.

 

[Pumpkaboo]

I'm incredibly anti drug. Even recreational ones like weed, I've seen people pawn away their belongings and get into huge amounts of debt just to get a fix. It doesn't just ruin their lives, it ruins the lives of their family and friends. I've never met someone who has a "healthy" relationship with drugs or uses legal ones. So my experience with them has been entirely negative and I have little empathy for those who use them because of that. I have literally seen people kill themselves because they couldn't handle their addiction.

If certain drugs were legalized and controlled, instead of being through dealers then I'm sure these people could have managed their lives better. But the way it is now I'm sick of watching people destroy everything for drugs. So I just can't bring myself to have respect for those who do them unfortunately.

 

[LoudSilence]

My apologies buddy. In your first post you said inhibiting your faculties in any way is stupid so I assumed you were just talking about drinking in general.

If I may ask, how did your friend die? Was he drink driving? As for your other friend who was blacking out and vomiting, it's called moderation. I'm not saying you have to drink at all I just want to make sure people in this thread differentiate drinking from from getting drunk to the point where you're puking your brains out. The two don't always go hand in hand.

No no, it's ok man. I wasn't saying it to guilt you or anything, just expressing why I dislike it.

It was drunk driving yeah, and he wasn't the one drinking. I did mention inhibition and I do think drinking in general leads to that. At what point can someone say "enough"? Do people really know how to do that? With the amount of alcohol related deaths and liver failures and all that, I'd think not.

But again, I'm not out to tell other people don't drink. I just know why I never would.

 

[pompayyy]

Call it stupid but I always felt listening to psychedelic music was close enough to getting high, with out messing up your brain. Outside of a few sips of alcohol I had (that my parents let me try), I've never had drugs in my entire life.

I have classmates that smoke weed, and it really shows. This one kid (let's call him "Nick") does drugs. Specifically marijuana. "Nick" has no care for anybody in the world other than his "pals" and himself. He's been expelled and arrested multiple times. He shaves his head in to all sorts of stupid haircuts (he's currently bald right now). He listens to scream-core and Lil Wayne. Say what you will, but that alone makes me not want to do drugs. Not to mention, my step-dad is a police officer and my mom used to work in a rehab center. Finally, the biggest thing that makes me stay away from drugs is one of the effects. If I get into drugs, chances are I'll get a wife who is into them as well. And I do want children. Sometimes when babies are born from mothers who took drugs, they get addicted as well. The end result is the most heart-wrenching thing I have ever seen. Look it up on youtube or something if you really want to see.

Unlike some, I don't think they should be pulled from medical usage. Just they shouldn't be abused. About every drug has some terrible side-effect or catch. Call me a square, but I simply refuse to use them. And it's not like I can't get any. I live in Colorado, where it's legal to grow marijuana (you do need licenses to sell/grow it, however. But some stores are actually starting to sell some) and I'm in a world where any information is an internet search away. And because I live in Colorado and listen to psychedelic rock, I'm often called a druggie or a hippie. Which brings me to my next point. Stereotyping. Not everybody who does drugs is like "Nick". Just (at least in my area) for every Bob who smokes weed and has a healthy relationship with it, there are about 10 "Nicks". In fact, one of my friends has never smoked weed, but says he wants to start a healthy relationship with it when he becomes an adult (because I think when you're a kid, it could slow the growing of your brain). Now, this sounds easier said than done. I don't know about you, but I'd rather listen to this instead of doing drugs :)

Spoiler:

 

[Controversial?]

Warning: this post may be kind of long.

If there was one thing I didn't understand, it's why some people (no offense) are so dismissive about all drugs, thinking basically every drug out there is heroin and saying that all drugs are "evil" and "cause too many problems". Of course, there are definitely drugs out there that have a negative effect, but at the same time that doesn't mean everything is purely negative (and I know many people who believe this also drink coffee, which makes them hypocrites :P ) I completely understand if someone doesn't want to do drugs themselves as it's their choice, what I don't understand is how people judge, criticise or attack others for just having a puff on a joint or something.

I'm the type of person who believes in everything in moderation - hell, it's been proven by science that taking cocaine once will leave no lasting physical impact on the body - rather than prohibition. It's usually when people let habits form which turn into addictions that it becomes a problem.

uhhhh okay rant over. So apparentrly I'm supposed to talk about my experiences with drugs, um....... I drink quite a lot, mainly in social situations. The thing about being drunk for me is that it gives me more confidence to go out, be social and kind of loosen up about my anxieties. Nothing I make a habit of - not at all - but I'm the type who wouldn't mind a pint or 2 when I'm with friends. I've also done weed quite a bit before (although I haven't in a while), which I've found is a good stress reliever, as well as MDMA a couple times. MD is kind of interesting for me; as Razor Leaf said, MD has given me some of the most amazing and vivid nights I've ever had; however, when I've taken MD I've always suffered some pretty intense comedowns - not really physically, just feeling depressed for quite a while and all of that.

umm skip this post tbh. move along.

 

[Hall]

My god, Price, I can't believe you read that whole post, let alone liked it. xS

Something else about drugs though... how many people here have given their cat catnip? xD
Why the hell do you think they act so strange when they get it? It's 'cus they be trippin'.

 

[Thatcher]

I've willingly experimented it, and I personally enjoyed it. But I try to stay away from any sort of drug for obvious reasons.

 

[Nihilego]

Call it stupid but I always felt listening to psychedelic music was close enough to getting high, with out messing up your brain. Outside of a few sips of alcohol I had (that my parents let me try), I've never had drugs in my entire life.

yes. I mean, while you're under the influence then psychedelic music is just something else. But even sober it's awesome. Listening to it - especially when I've got something visual too - really changes how I think and puts me in a state of mind not dissimilar to when I'm on actual drugs. It's a really cool thing to do with your time. 8)

when I've taken MD I've always suffered some pretty intense comedowns - not really physically, just feeling depressed for quite a while and all of that.

Hum. What are they like for you? For me I just feel kinda slow and flat for a day or two but not outright depressed and it's nothing honestly really noticeable. I don't exactly feel bad, just... yeah. Flat. Maybe that's why I like it so much - the negative side effects for me are more or less absent.

 

[Nick]

I always used to wonder why people did drugs or smoked even though most of them knew that, yes, if they're an addict, things are not going to end well for them. But today I found my answer.

I'm addicted to samosas. They're a spicy Indian delicacy with an irresistible taste. I have been having some bad stomachaches every 2-3 months for a while now. And I know for a fact now that me eating 3 of these daily actually contributes a lot to those horrible aches. They're so bad that I can't sleep or do anything properly for two days and pain so unbearable that sometimes I wish I'd rather cut my whole stomach open or do something drastic.

But I still eat them. Everyday. Without fail. I understand addicts now. Because I'm one of them. But that doesn't change my views on drugs and alcohol in general. I dislike them and wouldn't ever try them. I'm someone who probably won't be able to restrain myself once hooked so I'm not taking any chances.

I think it's a little bit different than that. I'm not an addict, but I've known some in my life. They weren't addicted to any of the big ones that you would expect. In fact, I think most drug addicts in the mainstream world are pill poppers and over the counter drug addicts rather than the real hard stuff.

But for me, I tried weed because I was curious. I wanted to see what would happen if I tried it. So I tried it, and I liked it. I think that's the case for most people who try it. I'm not addicted to it, and I don't believe any of the crap that people say that weed isn't addicting. Everything in the world is addictive to someone somewhere out there. I take a hit whenever I'm offered, but I also turn it down at times as well. In most cases these days, people who start smoking weed start smoking because people they know smoke. But I've found, in my situations, that people who already smoke recreationally aren't ones that push others to try it. But I do realize that situations are different for everybody.

What I don't understand are the people who sham others or judge them and put them in a little box and insinuate that their life will be ruined for doing things like this. I told my best friend that I smoked weed, and she overreacted so much. Granted, she lives in a family where she has two brothers and they're both addicted to drugs and steal money and all that for a hook. I get that. But trying it once, or doing it recreationally, that's a completely different thing than being addicted to it. And I don't think people who have never tried it really understand that and I don't really understand the people who sit there and think that they're better than the people who try it just because they "know better" or "have values" either. I find that incredibly offensive and rude, because that just insinuates that people who do try it, for whatever reason, for however many times, don't have values or know better.

I'm not an advocate for doing drugs, but I'm also not an advocate for preaching how great of a person you are for not doing them while making those who did try it or who continue to do so feel bad about themselves for making that decision.

 

[Controversial?]

Hum. What are they like for you? For me I just feel kinda slow and flat for a day or two but not outright depressed and it's nothing honestly really noticeable. I don't exactly feel bad, just... yeah. Flat. Maybe that's why I like it so much - the negative side effects for me are more or less absent.

Basically I'm tired for about half a day and then everything seems to be fine, but over the next week after I start coming down I always get mood swings and bouts of depression and all of that. Takes me about 2 weeks to actually go back to my normal (happy) self. :P