Ex cocaine addict here

[ChaiTeaChai]

Boring Friday night for me, ask me anything!

Is the urge/craving physical or psychological?

What made you stop?

*Do you think there was anything in you life that influenced your drug use?

Could you give any advice to parents of teens on how to veer them away from drugs or do you think it depends on the individual.*

If I didn't have friends that were taking drugs, it would've never crossed my mind. I felt cool to start off with.

I don't think so. Maybe let them speak to a previous addict. I believe if they're going to do it, they're going to do it. My parents were both very anti drugs and I had a fair idea of the dangers. I think if maybe I'd have known the dangers of each drug, in more detail, then maybe I would've been more careful. But I also didn't value my life much at that point.

What I would say to parents, is show your teens the different side effects of different drugs and maybe some stories of ex-addicts. All you can do is hope that they listen. All of my friends were from good families who would've been horrified if they knew what their kids were up to.

No questions, but wanted to say well done for stopping. "Well done" isn't really strong enough for what I mean, but I hope you're very proud of yourself, you should be. Awful, life ruining drug.

It is awful. Thank you, "well done" is more than enough.

Thanks for your honesty. I wish you & your LO all the best.

Sorry if this is a bit personal... but is sex better/different if you take coke before?
Well done on your progress btw x

Is the urge/craving physical or psychological?

Both. But more psychological. I would have nightmares (when I could actually get to sleep. be anxious and extremely depressed (suicidal). I was so tired. I would shake too, I was known amongst our friends for my constant shaking. This would start about a day or so after stopping.

An hour or so after my last line I would crave it awfully, to the point of tears. It was just an intense urge to feel it again, as well as a huge fear of coming back down and feeling 'normal' again.

What made you stop?

It was ruining my life and I knew that I had to. Enough was enough, I wanted to better myself. I stopped at the beginning of January and found out that I was pregnant at the end of February. If I wouldn't have got pregnant then I'm certain I would've relapsed.

Sorry if this is a bit personal... but is sex better/different if you take coke before?

It's awful. First of all, my partners were doing coke too. If they'd not done too much then it would just last much longer than usual, and if I'd not done too much then it was ok. Sometimes enjoyable. But when we'd both taken a lot, he would struggle to get an erection and I would just be numb down there.

Thank you.

I dabbled when I was in a certain scene years ago. Did pills, amphetamines, weed etc. Only ever did those on a night out, maybe a bit of weed in the week. But cocaine is different and awful and very fucking moreish.

I don't do anything these days, apart from alcohol and haven't done for years. I don't miss it now, but for a few years I did and it would have been easy to slip back into it all. You are doing amazing, but my advice would be to completely avoid the crowd and people who would share with you. It only takes a few lines on a night out to start that addictive behaviour again. Keep on keeping off.

Well done, OP.

I did coke occasionally about 30-odd years ago. I never really got hung up on it but the great thing was I was having acupuncture for a medical situation and once after a session the next time I saw a line of coke after that I just couldn't take it. It seemed like I would be sniffing salt or something.
I haven't touched it since.

I'm so glad that happened cos the people I knew then taking it continuously almost had a personality transplant, became very arrogant etc.

I still smoke weed sometimes but it's legal where I live.

How did you stop?

How can you tell if someone is taking cocaine? Are there any tell-tale symptoms?

How did you stop?

I had to delete all of the numbers from my phone and confine myself to my room for a good ten days. Getting pregnant not long after definitely meant that I stopped for good.

How can you tell if someone is taking cocaine? Are there any tell-tale symptoms?

Deffo the large pupils. Talking fast/loud. Jaw clenching. Sometimes being aggressive/acting invincible. These were definitely how I'd notice my friends were coked up.

Do you miss it?

Thank you for your insights and honesty. What was most helpful to you as you stopped using drugs? Was there anything people did to support you that really made a difference? Thank you; asking as trying to help a friend. It’s unfamiliar territory to me.

I've taken speed once (horrible comedown craving orange juice), weed quite a bit and ecstasy about 10 times while in my late teens/ early 20s. I never took cocaine as I'm extremely impulsive and just knew it would end badly! I haven't done any drugs in the last 15 years after a bad pill which messed me up.

Were you ever tempted to smoke crack in a pipe?

In the 10 days you were off the coke, what side effects did you have during withdrawal? Was it Trainspotting-esque?

I've always thought it to be a drug of the wealthy. Is that true.
Well done on turning your life around.

How do you feel about legalisation plans?

How old were you when you started / stopped.

And you said ‘very common in my circle’. Classic middle class ‘post dinner party cheeky line anyone’ or something different?

Do you notice a change in your friends voices when they have been on it? My sister and ex were both addicts and I could tell just by speaking to them when they have been on it.

OP, other than being blessed with your lovely baby I could have written your posts.

I'm so proud of getting clean, as you know when the spiral downwards starts you stop giving a shit and live in the moment all the time.

I didn't try until I was mid twenties and I was hooked immediately it just seemed to be irresistible for me (hilariously I've still never smoked a cigarette or had a one night stand) and was addicted for five years.

I had a very tough childhood and teen years, to start with it was escapism, finally earning a lot of money and also being one of the cool kids to be honest.

It stopped being fun and started being scary. I am so ashamed now of how much I was taking all day every day. Tried to wean myself off gradually but couldn't muster the willpower and god knows how but I just decided one day enough was enough. Stopped it that day and haven't had any since.

Well done for getting clean it's fucking hard and I'm so pleased you have a positive future to embrace

Oh and don't know if it was the same for you, but I lost almost all my friends when I stopped. Didn't realise how much they were using me to bankroll what we were doing. I found that really embarrassing after.

This is a wonderful thread. Thank you. It's a little old now, but I find I'm doing much more during this Covid nightmare, it's definitely an anxiety crutch for me.

Anything you read or listening to that helped?

Thank you @AFairlyHardAvocado for your insights too