How addicting are the "addictive drugs" really for people like us?

Like most of you, I enjoy experiencing new substances but hate drug culture. I can't truly see myself getting addicted to anything, but I've also never done things like meth and heroin.

But adderall, coke, xanax, various pills, etc I've done and never looked back. People who are hooked on dope I think are already addicts beforehand mostly, or live a depressing life and seek an outlet. Meth heads I don't know about, I can't see how I would love an upper so much I'd be hooked from one try.

Is this a dangerous game, experimenting with the more controversial drugs, if you're not really seeking an outlet but just wanna try things? I mean it just seems impossible that, knowing what they'll do to me long term, I'd still do it again.

Anyone who knows what I'm trying to ask want to help me out? Should I just stick to psychedelics and shit?


Comments


[112 Points] Tired8281:

You sound kinda like you think you are better than "those" people, the ones who get addicted. You're not.


[49 Points] None:

[deleted]


[45 Points] Flabarm:

I had a great childhood and adulthood. Loved by my family and have many great friends. Graduated cum laude from a highly respected private institution and am currently an electrical engineer. I only ever smoked marijuana(which I did and still do frequently) up until I turned 28. When I turned 28 I tried a lortab one night going out and thought man this is great so I starting using them when I'd go out every so often.

One day my buddy offered me a blue roxycodone because our guy was out of lortabs and said hey this is like three lortabs so I thought no big deal. Well this blue caught my attention like nothing ever had. I was in love. Starting snorting a 1/4 of one, then 1/2, then 1, then 2, etc. this was over a couple of months and started as only a weekend thing then became an every day thing. Next thing I knew I was hooked and didn't care about anything except my berries(as I called them). I became addicted without even knowing it and was spending $1k+ a month to feed my addiction.

Needless to say I blew through my savings and was living paycheck to paycheck as a highly paid engineer. I tried quitting but never could because I knew how bad is feel if I did and how easy it would be to feel good. I ended up telling my parents at the age of 30 because I thought that their disappointment would be the only feeling strong enough to keep me away. That was 15 months ago and I've had a couple of slips but for the most part I've stayed away. With these things 1 is too many and 1000 is not enough.

I always thought I didn't have an addictive personality, but you have no control over a physical addiction. It controls you. My advice is never start opiates if you have the choice.

I just want to reiterate that my life was great before the pills. I only used for extra fun but it spiraled out of control quickly. 15 months later I'm finally starting to feel like myself again(mentally) but unfortunately many of my friends have moved on because I was never around so I'm working on gaining their trust again as well.


[15 Points] None:

Smoke crack or your a pussy.


[8 Points] drugfreekid:

Your post reeks of simplification. For one, there is no one reason for addiction. In fact, in nearly all cases, there are multiple factors at play. So seldom is it one factor that causes one to become addicted that monitoring for one or two factors that can cause addiction and assessing your situation based on that is likely to cause problems such as overlooking other factors that in a given situation might hold more weight than the ones you're looking at.

Experimenting with addictive drugs is ALWAYS a dangerous game. I believe that it is especially dangerous when you only try addictive drugs to try them because it means that your usage is not linked to any outcome. This is usually good since you then have few associations with a drug's experience. However, this is also problematic because it leaves the door open to unintended associations. For example, you try cocaine. No harm done, once the session is over (hehe), you forget about it. Nothing is associated with cocaine usage and the only source of reminder of the experience is in your thoughts. You then use again, same intention, but on Monday of that week (assuming you used on the weekends). Monday was a terrible day, you over heated your reaction vessel and caused an unintended side reaction that puts you back three weeks and causes an array of problems. You use, find relief in usage and make the unintended association between work problems and cocaine (Negative reenforcement). Next time something bad at work happens, you tumble upon the thought of using some cocaine. Sure, why not? You're only doing it for fun. Association becomes stronger. A stronger association leads to more frequent use, more frequent use increases possibility of more associations, more associations leads to more potential triggers. This all happens without you noticing because you are the easiest person to fool.

Now let's contrast this to having a more specific outcome, such as the very frequent one between opiates and physical pain relief. Your intention for using is specific and clear. When you experience pain, you used an opioid. Yes, for someone with some serious pain, this causes, sometimes, a debilitating addiction. However, since the outcome is so specific, it is clear that if you remove the negative stimulus caused by pain, you will also remove most of the desire to use an opioid. This however ONLY hold true if you intended to, from the beginning, use the opioid to treat pain. If you end up in the same situation however because of the scenario above, then you probably have multiple other associations that trigger you usage. This makes coming off considerably harder because removing pain only removes one factor, and your addiction is not a prime number.

This is why a mindset thinking you are not prone to addiction can cause addiction. If you posit, from past experience that you do not have any addictive tendencies, not only is the classic problem of induction of concern, you will also be setting yourself up for problems down the line. Just because when you previously used these drugs you did not become addicted does not mean that you won't in the future. Your life will change, and it is not certain that given this change your potential for addiction will not change for the worse.

You can use addictive drugs without becoming addicted but you have to consider that when using hard drugs, the odds for addiction are constantly changing and are never in your favor.

Edit: I was procrastinating really hard.


[9 Points] BotchedBenzos:

Addiction is mostly situational in my opinion. People "like us" are generally well off, well off enough to have computers and internet and bitcoins and drugs at least. I also assume people who do drugs in such a calculated way generally have their shit together in life. Plus most people here are very objective and logical, which people with addictive personalities lack in. So I think this might explain why a lot of people here feel there are above addiction.

Dont let yourself get too confident though. I do the same thing too, but remember no matter how strong willed you think you are you are playing with fire constantly and some of us are just better at juggling.


[4 Points] None:

Meth as with any drug can be & is abused, I've abused several different drugs in my life. I do not consider myself an addict, sometimes I go 2 or more months between using. Not gonna lie, i love my stims, but there is no play book you can go to to see how meth or heroin will affect you. If you do decided to try meth, snort, bomb or smoke, never IV, that is how it kicked my ass, be safe & do it with another person, you never know how it will affect you my friend :-)

https://www.salon.com/2016/03/09/5_things_about_speed_partner/


[4 Points] Cizuz:

You know what? Fuck you.

I say this sincerely and also warn you.

People who are hooked on dope I think are already addicts beforehand mostly, or live a depressing life and seek an outlet.

Fuck you. Seriously.

I say this as a warning. Everyone tries to pretend they are "different" from others, better then others, the fucking hero of their own story.

You aren't. From studies that show you are wrong in your so called "opinion" to just basic logical reasoning. Fuck you.

Get the fuck over yourself. You are no better, treading down the path you are now may get you addicted. In fact most studies show people like you end up as addicts. "It won't happen to me! Only X become addicts!" is a perfect example of why most addicts are addicts.

No one is denying depression or life circumstances can't influence decisions. However it's the people with your exact attitude that are more likely to become addicts. You're invincible. We get it.

Wake up and Fuck. You.

I've never been addicted to a substance though I could have been and have my own problems. However seriously if you go in with this mind set you will get fucked.


[3 Points] None:

I like to think I'm an educated and wise person. I've always had my shit together, hold two master's degrees and even played PAC 10 (I know it's PAC 12 now, I'm old) football on scholarship. I've never had any trauma, be it psychological or physical in my life. And a charmed life it was been...

...outside of my 22 year opiate addiction. So I'm the diametric opposition to the user archetype of your stated:

People who are hooked on dope I think are already addicts beforehand mostly

I would do anything to turn back the clock. This shit can truly happen to anyone. I encourage the use of certain types of drugs to certain types of people. I would not recommend opiate use to my enemies.

If you believe you could theoretically try H and leave it alone, you may be able to. But why would you take the risk? It's not like you'll get anything profound out of it like you may on a psychedelic. There's no sensible reason to partake.


[3 Points] Pelican_Vendor:

about 4


[2 Points] CynicalElephant:

Depends on the substance, your body chemistry, your psychological state, and your environment. Anyone have any other factors?


[2 Points] Mind_If_I_Roll_Need:

It's your choice. Only you know you. In my case I've done meth, coke, and heroin recently. Still have some coke and meth but haven't used any in a couple weeks. I won't order more heroin, I just wanted to see what it's like. I have family and live with my girlfriend and they don't know I've used anything other than weed, so it's easy to not go on benders because I don't want to use anything around them. If I lived alone I think it would be easier to get in a habit of daily use...


[2 Points] DankFecalMatter:

I'd say I'm very similar to you, but I have tried heroin and

meth. I rarely use those things. Just know your limits

and don't push em too far. That simple


[2 Points] MuhammadTheProfit:

The cost of drugs always kept me out of addiction. That or self control, probably more so the money though.


[2 Points] ogsupersaiyen420:

As somebody who used to be hooked on H, I can say that it's the drug itself and how good it is. If you do good enough dope for the first time you'll be in love. I was never an addict before that. My mindset was that there was just something wrong with junkies, like they were more weak minded than that of the average person. How wrong I was, it was the worst decision I've ever made. I wouldn't wish that upon anybody. Never try it, you'll regret it a couple months down the line when you don't have any for a couple days and finally get to experience withdrawals. Stick to anything besides meth and heroin. Even strong opiate pain killers are bad because they tend to remove the stigma around doing heroin.


[1 Points] None:

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[1 Points] fishandchips88:

Heroin is on a whole different level from anything else. Meth doesn't even come close. Avoid opiates. Trust me.


[1 Points] steue2u:

My thoughts - educate yourself thoroughly with all substances regarding routes of administration, and cautiously police your dosing and frequency of use.

ANY substance is safe in a small enough dose, and any substance is dangerous with a large enough dose or stupid use habits. Dependencies can develop quickly and become quite significant.

Start small, keep it relatively infrequent, and avoid ROAs that yield short term bliss if you don't have an iron will to prevent yourself from getting sucked into a bad spot.

Handled properly, even the most addictive substance on earth can be used safely - but depending on your specifics, that line can blur and be lost very very quickly. Education, moderation, and stick to your safe use guns, otherwise you can land in a very bad spot.


[1 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] WarOnConsciousness:

Its on you if you become addicted the drug isn't forcing you. Plenty of people have done meth and heroin and never got addicted myself included.


[1 Points] Vendor_BBMC:

They're about THIS addicting.

(I'm holding my hands THIS far apart)

Meth? Addicting from one try? I think you're getting it confused with crack. But that's an old wives tale.


[1 Points] loveisrealnfa:

People like us? People who use reddit? Dnm?

In any case, the answer is going to vary from person to person


[1 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] TheLizardKing89:

Drug aren't nearly as addictive as the media portrays them to be. Every one thinks of you do heroin once, you'll be a junkie in a few weeks. It's not true. That being said, I'm not going to risk it.


[1 Points] naked_boar_hunter:

From my limited experience, the addicts I know have had an underlying issue from which they were trying to find relief. Pain, depression, anxiety... Drugs being the escape they need to get away from their hurt. Later, more, harder drugs to escape their regrets and failures.

Addiction isn't strictly chemical. Anyone can ween off drugs, even the roughest. It's yourself you have to live with sober.


[1 Points] None:

Everyone's coping with something


[1 Points] None:

you can avoid addiction if your life doesn't suck complete ass.

But i dont go a day without craving heroin


[1 Points] Zairo45:

I don't why but I have witnessed my whole family do a shit ton of drugs. For fuck sack my own dad smoked cocain laced marijuana joints. But I've also witnessed them just stop all together and never go back.


[1 Points] None:

youre only 20. i did pretty much everything before dope and meth when i was 20, but i sporadically did them on the weekends[soft drugs] and mostly drank. one day when i was 23, i did some heroin, didnt do it again for a month or two, but i found that whenever anyone had any vicodin or percs, id run to it.

fast forward a couple years later, i have gone thru dope withdrawals more times than i can count on both hands and feet. when youre young, you dont think you can get addicted to anything. it happens. i used to be able to make 10 vicodin last weeks. now its about 6 hours at the most. a brick of dope would be a weekend.

tl dr..dont touch hard drugs. they make fun drug use not so fun anymore and its hard to go back.


[1 Points] legalize-drugs:

OP, in my opinion, you should stick with "psychedelics and shit." That's where you get the most benefit, and there's a wide world of exploration with them, especially when you get into DMT and the powerful tryptamines.


[1 Points] madrigalelectra:

Stims can be addictive sure, but you won't get sick for not having them like you do with opioids and H. My advice, don't even get into opioids, they make you feel good, but after a couple weeks of use, it's impossible to stop using them really. Then you get a lifelong addiction that ends up costing more than just all your money. Very difficult to manage an opioid addiction without getting physically addicted. It's a very slippery slope. Everything else, I have no problem stopping.


[1 Points] 666fun:

The thing is, with meth, it triggers such an release of happy chemicals in your brain, you really can't guess whether or not you'll feel a compulsion. That, plus the crash afterward is severe, and the easiest way out of that crash is... just another hit.

As for opiates. Again, if you haven't done them, you have no idea if you'll enjoy them or not.

or live a depressing life and seek an outlet.

Is that not what you're doing? Just be careful. No one sets out trying to be an addict. Well, hardly any.


[1 Points] hooptydumpty:

I had a friends who was like you who tried heroin once and didn't touch it again for years till his mom died. Now he is so far gone, he's practically dead himself. You aren't running from anything now, doesn't mean you won't ever. And once you do a drug like heroin, you can't undo it. I've known people who were happy and ended up hooked. There's a lot of factors but there's always the risk.


[1 Points] bobbiggs69:

Opiates are addictive for most people. If you're one of the people that wouldn't become addicted, then you wouldn't want to do them twice.


[1 Points] dustyistwiztid:

"People like us"? I'm as much as a degenerate as anyone else. I LOVE drugs and doesn't take long for me to develop a habit. That being said, I'm very intelligent and driven. It has NOTHING to do with that. The addictive part of me and the intelligent, driven side dont ever talk or communicate. They pass messages through "me" and I'm constantly stuck between the two. Best way I can describe it. Its not all black and white for everyone


[1 Points] VeronicaMonica:

Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that no one can really answer for you.

The popular answer to this question is to not try them but here are my thoughts.

You can experiment with drugs known to be highly addictive and fme still turn out just fine.

I've tried meth and heroin from the DNM. H was nice (not IV, just smoked and snorted), meth was awesome (but messed up my sleeping schedule lol) but they didn't take over my life. I know others who've tried H and meth and still turned out fine, even people who've IV'd H.

It's a case by case scenario. For example I can't do psychedelics, and I've tried them more than enough to come to that conclusion. I'm afraid of them because it fucks with my head too much and makes me feel like I'm in a nightmare.

So is trying meth, H and other drugs good idea for you? I don't know because I don't know you. Addiction is a very complex thing, there's a lot of factors that contribute to full blown addiction.

Out of all of my frieds that tried Heroin, two of them got addictive (but one is clean now thank goodness) and they both had some serious deep seeded personal issues.

If you're a mentally, emotionally and physically healthy person and also have a good social circle (another VERY important factor), from what I've seen from my friends, I think you're going to turn out fine if you just tried them once just to see what it's like.

If you do decide to try H and meth, just expect them to be soooo good that it'll change your life. Hype up the high as much as possible ;)


[1 Points] funwithnopantson:

"of an estimated 246 million people who used an illicit drug in the past year, 27 million (around 11%) experienced problem drug use, which was defined as drug dependence or drug-use disorders."

Link


[1 Points] an_illegal_smile:

People like "us"? People like who? 90,000 random posters on an internet forum?


[1 Points] InTheMeatLocker:

>I know nothing about how addiction works


[1 Points] parapalindrome:

A lot of the opinions you're going to get here are based on anecdotal evidence, stories between friends, and personal experiences that cannot really be generalized to society as a whole. Plus everyone's got a little bias ingrained in them from decades of bullshit antidrug propaganda.

If you want to try to use real evidence to better understand addiction you need to do some reading.

This landmark study shows that a lot fewer people become addicted to drugs than the propaganda would have you believe, as analyzed here.

Quoting that analysis:

The research report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that only 1% of first-time users of inhalants and tranquilizers were dependent a year later. For hallucinogens and sedatives, the figure was 2%; for pain relievers and alcohol, 3%. The drug with the highest number of dependent users a year after first use was heroin (13%), followed by crack cocaine (9%), marijuana (6%), stimulants (5%), and powder cocaine (4%).

That's right, even the drug with the highest addiction rates is only 13%. Meth is lumped under the simulant category, so add up meth and adderall and speed and you're still talking about only 5%.

This study is often cited by Dr. Carl Hart in his crusade to change and deepen our understanding of addiction, as discussed in this New York Times piece and his book High Price (read it!). And it is confirmed by his team's research at Columbia University, which enjoyed the rare prestige of being approved by the DEA to dispense illegal drugs for study purposes.

Another book that gives a lot of good insight into the causes of addiction and the issues with the war on drugs is Johann Hari's Chasing the Scream (read it too!).

It's good to keep in mind that the war on drugs was perpetuated to allow the government to keep down minority groups, as discussed here. Once you've got a felony conviction for drug possession, you can no longer vote, it's hard to get a normal job. You've just been moved to America's underclass. And when life is shitty, drugs are an appealing escape. The best defense against addiction is having a good job where you feel valued and a good support group of family and friends.

I'm always learning more and more about this stuff, but based on what I've read, here's my opinion:

  1. The causes of addiction are exceedingly complex. They have to do with poverty/lack of opportunity, response to abuse and trauma, chronic pain, and a host of other things, plus good old genes.

  2. Some people are predisposed to addiction genetically, but it's probably a lot fewer than you think.

  3. Younger people may be more predisposed to addiction because their brains are still forming, all the way up to the age of 25. This is just a guess on my part though. The fact is, we don't fully understand the effect of a given drug on the developing brain and there are very few studies on the matter.


[1 Points] dcdcd101:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9HMifCoSko

Great Lecture on drug addiction by a good public speaker.


[1 Points] None:

I have alot to say, but: logistics and intelligence has never stopped addiction. In fact, if you are truly "intelligent", "addicted" is interchangable with "medicated", and you will find a way to "be the best".


[1 Points] UncleRays:

ive done meth once unknowingly and it fucked my world up, lol never had a desire to do it again. Heroin ive done a few times, only snorting it. Ive loved it and it makes you feel how only H can. But ive never done it two days in a row. I value my freedom from substance dependancy more than i value any high so i cant really see myself becoming an addict much like you said about yourself. Really i feel its just been stigmatized to be a 'dirty' drug because of its high potential for abuse. Self control and dont be a dingus and you should be able to use these drugs sparingly and have a good time doing so.

EDIT: I did puke the first time i tried it so be cautious of that OP, felt amazing after though. Do a line and wait 30 minutes to do another one if you choose to do so. Feel out how your body reacts before you go balls deep


[1 Points] None:

This sub is r/drugs with better plugs. Scary.


[1 Points] Didymos_Black:

If you really love psychedelics, and especially if you've ever had a breakthrough/ego death type of trip, most other drugs are going to feel dirty to you. None of them affect your mind the same way. Stick with the psychedelics, dude.


[1 Points] Duckmandu:

Addiction takes many paths. You can be fucking around and chipping for years and fall into real addiction almost imperceptibly. Or you might skate out of it and never have any major problems.


[1 Points] Roshan-Zaman:

https://youtu.be/ao8L-0nSYzg

This video really gives a good perspective on addiction.


[1 Points] SA0S1N:

I experience with altered states of mind, not addicting if your happy with yourself.


[1 Points] watertank:

"Should I just stick to psychedelics and shit?"

༼ຈل͜ຈ༽


[1 Points] None:

Say no to kids, drugs


[1 Points] ZummerzetZider:

addiction is about environment. If you have a shit life and nothing to look forward to you take solace in drugs. If you have a nice life and you enjoy experimenting I don't think you have to worry about addiction as long as you enjoy the sober parts of your life as well. It can be a fine line so do be careful. Remember to take some weekends off, enjoy nature and human companionship. Try to have some sober friends as well some crazy ones and you should be fine


[1 Points] MyPupilsAreFineSir:

Man I feel you. Some people, rarely, are blessed with not having an addictive personality. I don't wanna piss off a bunch of addicts because I know it could happen to me too, but if I use a drug more than a couple times in a month, I honestly start to despise the drug and never want to do it again. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE drugs. The idea of drugs is just fantastic and I love learning about all the different effects and trying them, to see if their descriptions hold up and see how I perceive the drug. BUT I have never found a drug that I enjoy enough to be a repeat user. I don't know what it is but I really can't enjoy a drug if I've done it recently. I'm not going to say you have a similar personality, because I don't live inside your mind, but for people like me, as long as you don't get a physical addiction, and don't use drugs to fill a gap in your life, you can experiment. As long as you remember that "experimenting" is all it will ever be. Addiction starts in your head first. Set rules for use of drugs, and the second you find yourself trying to find an excuse around the rule, is when you need to take a step back and think about why you are using a substance.


[1 Points] angerycat:

heroin IS addictive. dont belive me try it. The addiction can be controlled with lots of money but as soon as the cash runs out(or your supply) the shit WILL hit the fan. All that said it is a beautiful high and if you are going to do it never do it for more than a day at a time. Make sure you understand the consequences oF ADDICTION.


[0 Points] Intothekhole:

I've tried more or less everything, including crack, meth and heroin a couple times. Never been addicted to anything but cigarettes and I kicked that pretty quick. It's possible but you have to know your limits before hand and know what you can and can't handle.

Using drugs to cope I think is where real problems begin