Drugs, alcohol, etc. - Can you get by fine without them?

[Speedbump]

It's amazing how different everyone's personalities are out there. I smoke weed and drink pretty regularly, and I used to not do either until about four years ago. I went from being a depressed, useless piece of crap before weed, and now I find I'm much more productive and will go farther out of my way to do chores, errands, work, hang out with friends and generally enjoy life more than I was. I constantly wonder to myself how I ever got by without it.

It's especially bad at night, and I think way too much about everything, often over-thinking situations and making them out to be worse in my head than they actually were, I'm constantly worrying family members' health, my health, getting myself worked up making myself think my heart could stop at any second while I'm trying to sleep, and of course whatever social issues there might be at the time, etc., etc.

I still worry about things, but when I'm high, it's like that all takes a back seat and I can just focus on whatever needs to be done, whether it's work or sleep, or whatever.

So does anyone around here get along fine without any sort of substance? I honestly have no idea how you do it, but I commend you for it if you do. If you don't do anything, is it more an issue of morality for you? religion? Just a general lack of need for it?

Just kinda openly thinking about stuff here. And yes, I know it's an escape, some people might think I'm a pussy for having to rely on outside influences to get by, and a lot of the problems stem from me being unhappy with my life and need to figure things out and change things up and yada yada.

 

[Bothersome]

I don't think anyone really relies on substances like that. In your case it helps. It takes the stress off, and makes your life more manageable, but I'd like to think that anyone can do just fine without them.

I've never smoked weed, I've tried cigarettes a few times- never took to them, I've drank alcohol twice and loved every second of both occasions... but I would never say that I'd rely on alcohol. I've told people in the past that my 21st birthday is going to be the happiest day of my life... but I know that isn't true. Alcohol was a temporary reprieve from a shitty world that just keeps getting shittier. I'll probably make it a ritual to have drinks a couple times a week, but I will never allow myself to become dependent on something like that. Depression sucks, and everyone goes through it... but it's manageable. I don't know that I'll always keep myself from over-indulging on alcohol... after all, I'm on the threshold of some of the most troublesome years of my life in the middle of this shitty economy. I have to worry about somehow moving 2,500 miles away to a state where taxes aren't so high that jobs actually exist, while simultaneously trying to get into college despite the fact that I had to drop out of high school because our fucking house foreclosed. But I sure as fuck am not going to let alcohol- or any substance for that matter- run my life.

 

[Gothika]

im in meds for my anxiety and depression they help me get by its not 100 percent but good enough i do enjoy alcohol sometimes as well to relax i have not clue how i would feel with out the meds its been that long my doc wants to slowly wing me off them so we shall see how that works out for me im hoping i dont need them afterword but if i do then i do

 

[Leo tickles]

I smoke cigarettes daily and drink every once in a while. Like, every couple of weeks. And it's only two drinks at most.

Don't do weed or any illegal drugs. My general approach to people who do is not a positive one because I don't feel that anybody should use drugs to sustain a healthy life. Then again I understand that I shouldn't judge, and so I choose to not interact with people who use drugs outside of the 'net, which doesn't matter.

I could never respect a person if they are only a person because they chose to use a drug. You can't keep yourself going? Get some actual help or fix it. Weed is a thin patch that will never solve the core issue. The core issue will keep bringing shit that weed won't be able to solve. Next thing you know, you're in prison for smuggling drugs on the street trying to find one to fix the life that you threw away in hopes of getting by with weed.

And for the recreational users? Get a hobby.

Welp, now that the other half of the forum hates me, g'night.

 

[milagros317]

Drugs, alcohol, etc. - Can you get by fine without them?

Yes. I enjoy a shot of whiskey at dinner but I can do without it.

 

[Speedbump]

I don't think anyone really relies on substances like that. In your case it helps. It takes the stress off, and makes your life more manageable, but I'd like to think that anyone can do just fine without them.

I've never smoked weed, I've tried cigarettes a few times- never took to them, I've drank alcohol twice and loved every second of both occasions... but I would never say that I'd rely on alcohol. I've told people in the past that my 21st birthday is going to be the happiest day of my life... but I know that isn't true. Alcohol was a temporary reprieve from a shitty world that just keeps getting shittier. I'll probably make it a ritual to have drinks a couple times a week, but I will never allow myself to become dependent on something like that. Depression sucks, and everyone goes through it... but it's manageable. I don't know that I'll always keep myself from over-indulging on alcohol... after all, I'm on the threshold of some of the most troublesome years of my life in the middle of this shitty economy. I have to worry about somehow moving 2,500 miles away to a state where taxes aren't so high that jobs actually exist, while simultaneously trying to get into college despite the fact that I had to drop out of high school because our fucking house foreclosed. But I sure as fuck am not going to let alcohol- or any substance for that matter- run my life.

Well, I respect your resolve, and it seems to be of a higher calibre than my own. In the end, that doesn't really count for a whole lot, but at least you'll save that money you would have used on it and put it to better use than I will.

im in meds for my anxiety and depression they help me get by its not 100 percent but good enough i do enjoy alcohol sometimes as well to relax i have not clue how i would feel with out the meds its been that long my doc wants to slowly wing me off them so we shall see how that works out for me im hoping i dont need them afterword but if i do then i do

Good luck to you, man. Sounds like it'll be rough, but you should hopefully pull through it fine. Like you said, if you do need something afterwards, then ya might as well do it, but hopefully you can not need it as often or something... you'll have to reply to this thread later and let us know how it's going!

I smoke cigarettes daily and drink every once in a while. Like, every couple of weeks. And it's only two drinks at most.

Don't do weed or any illegal drugs. My general approach to people who do is not a positive one because I don't feel that anybody should use drugs to sustain a healthy life. Then again I understand that I shouldn't judge, and so I choose to not interact with people who use drugs outside of the 'net, which doesn't matter.

I could never respect a person if they are only a person because they chose to use a drug. You can't keep yourself going? Get some actual help or fix it. Weed is a thin patch that will never solve the core issue. The core issue will keep bringing shit that weed won't be able to solve. Next thing you know, you're in prison for smuggling drugs on the street trying to find one to fix the life that you threw away in hopes of getting by with weed.

And for the recreational users? Get a hobby.

Welp, now that the other half of the forum hates me, g'night.

Don't worry, Leo, I expected the peanut gallery to chime in. I feel more bad for you than anything because you're blocking a lot of good people from your life because of a very minor thing (well, sure, for the harder drugs maybe I could see that, and it wouldn't be so minor, I suppose). Weed makes a person calm and happier, but it doesn't change who that person is in any radical way. When I hadn't done it before, I always thought the same thing about my pothead friends; that they were all just acting as they were because they were stoned and such, but it turned out they acted the same either way, they were just happier doing it.

But anyway, good stuff, I didn't really start the thread to try and change anyone's opinion, so thanks for stopping by.

 

[Korastus]

And for the recreational users? Get a hobby.

Awesome stereotyping. Clearly, you're an expert. For the record, recreational smokers make up a large percentage of the most productive people I know. I, personally, work 60 hours a week, I'm learning to play an instrument, learning a second language, and writing a novel. In my free time, I might go out with friends, stay in and enjoy a movie or video game, or build and paint models. I think I'm set on hobbies, thanks.
You smoke cigarettes, and drink alcohol. There's nothing wrong with that, and I'd never make that claim. But, just looking at facts, the long and short term effects of alcohol and cigarettes are far worse than marijuana. Marijuana works because of THC, a chemical that bonds with enzymes in your brain (enzymes that are naturally produced and serve no other purpose,) while alcohol works because it is a toxin that your liver has to filter out of your body. Does that mean you shouldn't drink? Hell no, knock yourself out. But it DOES mean that the moral highground is only in your imagination. Nobody is giving you shit for what you enjoy, so please keep the stereotypes and rude "advice" to yourself.

On topic, I do fine without anything. I don't smoke cigarettes, and only rarely drink alcohol anymore. I just kind of got out of the habit, and I don't always like how it makes me feel. I'm a fan of weed, but I go without that just fine too. I might get lethargic for a day or so, but it always fades before long.

 

[TickleMyFancy]

I'm an avid pot smoker- at least a few bowls a day. I think too much and get too stressed waaay too easily without it :/

That, and I just love weed.

Don't really do anything else though.

 

[Gothika]

Good luck to you, man. Sounds like it'll be rough, but you should hopefully pull through it fine. Like you said, if you do need something afterwards, then ya might as well do it, but hopefully you can not need it as often or something... you'll have to reply to this thread later and let us know how it's going!

thanks dude

 

[TropicThunder]

I smoke cigarettes daily and drink every once in a while. Like, every couple of weeks. And it's only two drinks at most.

Don't do weed or any illegal drugs. My general approach to people who do is not a positive one because I don't feel that anybody should use drugs to sustain a healthy life. Then again I understand that I shouldn't judge, and so I choose to not interact with people who use drugs outside of the 'net, which doesn't matter.

I could never respect a person if they are only a person because they chose to use a drug. You can't keep yourself going? Get some actual help or fix it. Weed is a thin patch that will never solve the core issue. The core issue will keep bringing shit that weed won't be able to solve. Next thing you know, you're in prison for smuggling drugs on the street trying to find one to fix the life that you threw away in hopes of getting by with weed.

And for the recreational users? Get a hobby.

Welp, now that the other half of the forum hates me, g'night.

I want to ask you something.

If weed were suddenly legalized, and people began to rely on is as much as cigarettes, would you still be as judgemental?

Why do you smoke cigarettes?

I'm just curious.

 

[Filthyweasel]

Weed is something that I will do in my spare time. I have a pretty regular supplier (right now not so much) but I fucking love it, always will. I can get by without easy enough. Last year I couldn't afford it so I stopped for 11 months straight. Every so often I will stop for a while on purpose too...simply to destroy my tolerance so when I do smoke again. I make plans, grab the best munchies I possibly could, a selection of the finest media to occupy myself with, lock myself away for the night and b-l-a-z-e. Good times.

And Leo...if you are a shining example of a lifestyle you are championing...I'll stick to weed simply as the cure for...well...not being you.

 

[Speedbump]

So far, the majority in this thread seem to have a good head on their shoulders.

TickleMyFancy so far has been the closest to me when it comes to weed, what with the overthinking and anxiety and such. Funny thing is, until I was reading this thread and looked up anxiety, I didn't realize I was having an issue with it. lol

The funny thing is, a lot of anxious people get very paranoid when they smoke weed. I find I'll get zoned out and can be easily startled at times, but for the most part, I haven't had any real issues, which I'm thankful for. But ya never know, it could happen. People I know have smoked weed for 10-15 years, and suddenly one day they just go a little nutty, and then are like, "ugh, fuck it, I can't smoke that shit anymore." Suddenly it's back to sober life.

I abuse it like crazy lately, though, and been staying high all day every day if given the opportunity. I dont' have breaks at work because it's one person per shift, and we sit a lot as it is, so I sneak off to the roof for 5 minutes or so and ask someone I know to keep a watch out for customers and to text me if someone walks in. Hah!

I stopped doing that, 'cause I realized how sad it was that I was sneaking off to do this and leaving the business unattended (to a degree) because I wanted to get high. Now I don't smoke anymore during work so that's a milestone for me.

I want to ask you something.

If weed were suddenly legalized, and people began to rely on is as much as cigarettes, would you still be as judgemental?

Why do you smoke cigarettes?

I'm just curious.

The funny thing is, people like Leo actually think that by smoking just cigarettes - simply because it's LEGAL - they're better than those who do illegal drugs.

I wonder if Leo knows... (based on my reading and experiences)

- Weed is a bronchial dilator and actually expands the lungs so you can breathe easier, which also allows you to cough up a lot of the shit you're smoking in with ease. Coughing up some black stuff after a while isn't necessarily a sign that you're gonna die from it... your body is just expelling a large chunk of crap at one time, which you couldn't do with cigarettes as easily. Cigarettes constrict the lungs and make it harder to breathe, and you actually can't cough things up as easily because of it so more stays stuck in your lungs to build up over time.

- Tobacco is filled with so many more harmful agents than weed, and a lot of stuff that is just filler it seems to make it worse on ya! You're simply just gonna end up dead faster. But I've got nothing against smokers, 'cause many times weed/cigs go hand in hand with many.

- Weed may have a chance that it'll give you cancer and such, much like Tobacco. The difference is that it's been scientifically proven to actually slow down the spread of cancer, so while you might still get it at some point (which could also happen for so many other reasons), you'll still live longer!

- Cigarettes really only give a buzz when first starting, then afterwards you don't get much off it, except killing your nicotine craving and such. After a while, many people just absolutely hate smoking for a reason, yet someone who's been into weed never says they "hate it", there's always something keeping them from doing it, not a choice made out of want, but just because it doesn't work like it used to. Once a pothead, I firmly believe you'll always love it, even if you're forced to stop. My friend stopped cold turkey 2 years and a bit ago... to this day he loves rolling joints, smelling the weed, etc., but he doesn't smoke it, and just watches us while he gets drunk. Weed just makes you feel great.

- If worried about health, you can actually buy a Vaporizer, which I have, that is fairly expensive (mine cost $207 CAD total), and instead of smoke, you breathe in vapor as it heats the weed. The actual high isn't as intense because your body doesn't have to fight back against all the carcinogens and shit entering your body, and doesn't seem to last as long, but it feels like a cleaner high, and it's nice on occasion. I still prefer just smoking it, but I try to use the vaporizer to conserve weed when low. You use maybe a quarter of the amount of weed you'd roll into a joint per bowl here, so...

- Weed was made illegal for political reason and had nothing to do with being a health risk. Look it up. It's all about the hemp, babeh.

- Basically, you smoke weed, you're happier and less likely to wanna start problems or conflict because you're not worried about everything so much, and you're less likely to pissy with someone, and all that good stuff.

- Negative: However, it does amplify whatever emotions you are feeling to a degree. If I'm annoyed or sad about something, I'll still think about it when high if it's bad enough, and sometimes it can completely fuck me up. I've had times where I'd get high, zone out and think of something terrible, and as soon as I came back to reality it was like I was just instantly sobered up. Not fun.

- Negative: Obviously it's still somewhat harmful to the body to be smoking anything, but there are worse things out there than this.

You guys can feel free to argue any of these. Like I said, it's from my experience personally and such.

 

[theteam]

I go through times when I stop drinking, not sure why exactly. Sometimes I just don't feel like I enjoy it.

 

[stroker]

This is a tricky one for me. I dont do drugs ,not for any moral reasons but because they just dont agree with me .As for alcohol .well thats a different matter .Gradually over a long period of time I upped my consumtion untill one day I realised that I couldnt live without it and then things got ugly . Eventually I was forced to literally make a life or death decision and I stopped drinking completly for 7 years .I coped but it was borrring,Scotland is not conducive to a drink free existence if you want any kind of social life.Recently I have started drinking again but I have to be carefull, and thats not easy when your mates in the pub most days. So, can I cope drink free ? Yes. Do I like it ? No. Is it worth me taking the risk ? Only time will tell.

 

[Speedbump]

This is a tricky one for me. I dont do drugs ,not for any moral reasons but because they just dont agree with me .As for alcohol .well thats a different matter .Gradually over a long period of time I upped my consumtion untill one day I realised that I couldnt live without it and then things got ugly . Eventually I was forced to literally make a life or death decision and I stopped drinking completly for 7 years .I coped but it was borrring,Scotland is not conducive to a drink free existence if you want any kind of social life.Recently I have started drinking again but I have to be carefull, and thats not easy when your mates in the pub most days. So, can I cope drink free ? Yes. Do I like it ? No. Is it worth me taking the risk ? Only time will tell.

It sucks when your body tells you you need to stop, man... I mean, really, how do you fight that?

Can you do like one night weekly at least? Just have a beer to relax now and then? Or are you like the "one beer might as well be 10 once I get started" crowd?

Actually, another thing I've noticed about smoking weed is it cut down on my alcohol consumption. I very rarely ever want to drink anymore, and when I do, I usually don't drink too much, 'cause once you get a buzz and smoke a J, it makes the drunk more intense anyway. So for people who want to cut down on drinking, that COULD be a route... or you'll end up like my friends and just drink all the time anyway. I guess it really depends on the person.

 

[Leo tickles]

Well then.

I smoke cigarettes because I enjoy them. As in, I like the feeling of the rough smoke going down my throat. They don't really have any kind of affect on me at all. I'm not addicted as most would believe. It in no way alters my life other than the occasional "fuck, can't smoke in here". Obviously they do something to my body, speed it up, probably give me cancer, etc etc.. but my enjoyment from them is 95% mental.

I also understand that my moral superiority comes from my own head more than actual fact about the dangers of pot and cigarettes, so it's not like I honestly and truly believe I'm better than pot heads. At the same time though, I can smoke a pack of cigarettes and then drive myself to get more while smoking that pack. I don't think it's a good idea to do drive to some alley, or a friends house, to get more pot, when you're stoned.

I can also work and be secure in my job, at least in the respect of "oh look, random drug test, oh well". I can also smoke nearly anywhere, where pot has to be a secret because it's illegal.

Should they legalize it? Yup. Think of how many idiotic people would get into car accidents or go to jail though. So what, there is such a thing as a respectable illegal drug abuser, like Kro, for example who has a job, a life, etc etc.. and then there is the stupid kid who shoots up a bank because he see's pink elephants due to his high?

Perhaps I should be more open to allowing drug abusers into my life because I probably am missing out on some interesting people. But that's a theory for me. The reality is that I am A-ok with missing out on people who willingly choose to use an illegal drug. And I suppose anything I miss because of that will be on me.

 

[Speedbump]

New topic; Leo has impressed me with a reasonable response and might not be so bad. What up widdat?

 

[Flatfoot]

I used to smoke cigarettes casually. I was never able to smoke more than a pack every 2-3 days, because it made my lungs feel crowded, thick, and dry. It was more a reason to bond with friends and get away from my boss. Eventually, I realized I could still hang out with my friends during smoke breaks without partaking.

I find pot to be overrated. Do I want it to be legal? Perhaps, but my feelings regarding that are reflected in this article. People should be free to choose their poison.

Speaking of poison, the older I get, alcohol doesn't seem as fun as it used to be. The occasional beer at a friend's BBQ (SMALL social event!) is fine, but I don't enjoy alcohol in public, too much. The other night, we met some friends at a bar in Newport, and I had one bottle of beer, which almost cost as much as a 6-pack from the store! Not to mention, the music was so blaringly loud that I couldn't hear what anyone was saying. Then, there's putting up with drunk people, which was funny to me about 10 years ago. Now, thinking about 'OMG I'm SOOOO drunk LOL wine cooler-girl', or 'Overly-affectionate get in your face and whisper empty secrets with whiskey breath drunk guy' irritate the shit outta me. Don't even get me started on people who can't control it enough to be able to make it to the toilet before throwing up!

Okay, now that I'm done ranting about drugs and alcohol, I'll admit to a dependency: caffeine. When I was younger, I never thought much about caffeine's effects. Drinking coffee late at night out at a coffee shop or diner didn't keep me from sleeping, and I loathed (and still do!) people who act overly enthused about getting wired from coffee, soda, or energy drinks, making stupid maniacal laughs and feigning hyperactivity (Something that was funny to me about 15 years ago, when Cornholio was a new episode of Beavis and Butthead, and they were relevant.). Now, my body requires coffee, and in a very specific amount. Too much makes me nervous and very hungry, two things I don't like to be when I need to be alert BUT COOL at work, and too little makes me sluggish and gives me intense, unforgiving headaches, and forces me to constantly crack my jaw all day from tension.

I despise the dependency, because I can no longer enjoy coffee past a certain time of day, and the thought of having Starbucks, or going to a book-store coffee shop for a treat is simply out of the question, because it doesn't factor in with my 32-oz, four-serving coffee pot at home. I can't enjoy a cup of coffee just for the sake of enjoying it. I have to have it, kinda like a dose of medicine.

 

[TropicThunder]

I've never met a single person who hallucinated from smoking weed.

Just saying.

 

[Bothersome]

Well, I respect your resolve, and it seems to be of a higher calibre than my own. In the end, that doesn't really count for a whole lot, but at least you'll save that money you would have used on it and put it to better use than I will.

I'm sorry if it seemed like I came off as a judgmental ass, or that I was patronizing you. I don't think you have any less resolve for indulging in something that I would not. It's only a matter of preference- not ability.

 

[Flatfoot]

New topic; Leo has impressed me with a reasonable response and might not be so bad. What up widdat?

Yes! Very reasonable! Also,

At the same time though, I can smoke a pack of cigarettes and then drive myself to get more while smoking that pack. I don't think it's a good idea to do drive to some alley, or a friends house, to get more pot, when you're stoned.

I can also work and be secure in my job, at least in the respect of "oh look, random drug test, oh well". I can also smoke nearly anywhere, where pot has to be a secret because it's illegal.

^This made me LOL. *Like*, or *+1'd* for Google+ people (Are there any, yet?).

 

[stroker]

It sucks when your body tells you you need to stop, man... I mean, really, how do you fight that?

Can you do like one night weekly at least? Just have a beer to relax now and then? Or are you like the "one beer might as well be 10 once I get started" crowd?

Actually, another thing I've noticed about smoking weed is it cut down on my alcohol consumption. I very rarely ever want to drink anymore, and when I do, I usually don't drink too much, 'cause once you get a buzz and smoke a J, it makes the drunk more intense anyway. So for people who want to cut down on drinking, that COULD be a route... or you'll end up like my friends and just drink all the time anyway. I guess it really depends on the person.

Well the weird thing is that despite what medics would tell you, I seem to have a much lower tolerance to beer than spirits, so I dont actually have to nearly as much if i stick to beer. For instance when I first started back on the drink after a long period of abstinence I had 3 Stella Artios which I had never drank before and was staggering. The next time I went back to my usual vodka and coke ,drank about a bottle and a half in one long session and walked away with only a slight buzz. The knock on effect is that because Im actually drinking a lot less alcohol ( If I stick to beer only) I dont seem to have the physical cravings next day that once a constant part of my life.Its almost like my dependancy was specific to vodka only. But Im aware Im playing with fire, so what I have to do is keep to beer, not drink on more than a couple of consecutive days , and allow several days between drinking periods . As regards your second question .No, one drink wont do it and this was true even before I became dependant, I have to achieve a certain "glow" before I will stop. Fortunately I dont actually like being drunk at least not to the staggering level, its more like a slow constant topping up and then reach a point where I feel ill and stop , and at the moment I can get to the point of having to stop a lot quicker if I keep off the vodka.

 

[Simon Mills]

I had a drinking problem, once, a few years back. Fortunately, now I'm okay with it

Currently, I'm oddly addicted to Pepsi Max. I'm not kidding; I'll drink soda while at work (I work at a restaurant) and when I leave to go home, courtesy a coworker giving me a ride, I'll give them gas money or buy them their own preferred substance in exchange for a stop at the nearest convenience store. 2-4 liters of PM a night for me; I'm extremely anxious, irritable and restless without it. Other sodas "take the edge off" but don't have quite the same effect. It's taking a definite toll on my health.

IMO, it's the stress of our modern lifestyle that compels people to find a psychological outlet somewhere. I should still probably stop.

 

[Flatfoot]

IMO, it's the stress of our modern lifestyle that compels people to find a psychological outlet somewhere. I should still probably stop.

I'm inclined to agree. Everyone needs some form of coping mechanism, whether legal, illegal, tangible, or intangible.

 

[Speedbump]

I can't seem to quote anyone on my phone, but in response to TropicThunder, yeah, I've never known anyone to hallucinate, but people have told me in the past they have somehow. I've been driving and one time I wss coming to a flashing stop crosswalk where people push the button and cross, and I was paranoid about someone hitting the button and running out as I went by and kinda psyched myself. Into seeing shadows of people that weren't there and slowed down for a second to make sure.

That's probably as good as it gets.

Will reply to the rest when I get home! Takes too damn long on my phone.