I was addicted to cocaine - AMA

[sinuer]

I used heavily for around 7 years, I’ve been clean almost 4 years with one relapse.

What is something you wish people with no experience of addiction understood?

Has it rotted your teeth?

How long does it take to stop looking like an addict, or is it different for everyone depending on usage, time addicted and their natural face?

What’s your view on whether drugs should be legalised in the UK? Do you think that would have made things better or worse for you?

How did it start for you? At what point did you realise you'd become addicted? Were you dependent on it to function normally? How long a gap was there between realising you had a problem and getting clean?

And thanks for your time!

It hasn’t rotted my teeth. I was in my teens and early twenties when using, I’m not sure that I ever looked like an addict but I lost a lot of weight and looking back I was very gaunt in the face.

I was also abusing alcohol, smoked about 30 a day and barely ate which probably didn’t help. I wasn’t an everyday user, probably used about 3 times a week.

I never ‘dry’ used, only alongside alcohol. I’d always have a bender, usually over the weekend, and I’d be up for around 3 days using. During the week I’d use from 6pm-6am ish.

I was introduced to cocaine at 14 by a family member. At 16, I was being groomed by a male family friend who’d give me lifts & lots of cocaine, alcohol and MDMA.

I realised I was addicted when I wasn’t able to have a glass of wine without using cocaine for days, I would keep going until I ran out of cocaine, money, couldn’t get anymore etc. I’d never want to stop.

Wasn't dependent on it to function. It was very situational in that I tended to use in a certain setting, with certain people and only ever when drinking.

I think I was in denial about having a problem. It was very normal in the circles I was in, family all use & friends all used. They were able to call it a night however, whilst I would use alone in the dark for days on end.

I think having it more easily accessible would have made it a lot harder for me to kick. I was never addicted to cannabis so don’t have much of an opinion either way on that one.

Is using cocaine 3 days a week considered an addiction?

What was it that made you finally decide to stop doing it? Was there a final straw?

Well according to MN, drinking 3 nights a week makes you an alcoholic so....

Do you still drink now @sinuer or did you give up alcohol too?

I was asking about medics etc.

Would they consider a 3 times weekly user an addict or a 'social' user.

I was definitely addicted.

I’d say that using for 72 hours straight regularly, with no sleep, no food or water is definitely in problem territory.

I’d borrow money to be able to pick up, I’d tick from all of my dealers and I’d do things with men that I didn’t want to do for cocaine.

Between binges, I’d lay in bed, unable to keep food or water down until I felt well enough to drink off my hangover/comedown and the cycle would continue.

Have you totted up how much you spent in total?

Did you go to AA or something like that?

Well done for coming clean. That's an amazing achievement if all your family are at it.
How did you manage to quit?

How did it feel when you were high

Yes the turning point for me was being so coked up on a Saturday morning at 6am, that I agreed to be picked up by a group of older men to go to a hotel room across London. They were Albanian drug dealers, and spoke very little English.

Id been at a lock in, in the pub, the night before and was so desperate to not call it a night that I went with 3 men I’d never met, to an address I didn’t know to carry on using. Thankfully nothing happened but they were all forcing themselves on me and at one point, they ordered a prostitute.

I stayed until late Monday, returned to work on the Tuesday.

Well done for stopping. I found it quite easy to stop but then again never had a huge habit. I guess it was never really my drug of choice. It just helped me drink more.

Did you need support, like drug service, rehab, NA etc?

Agreed you have to sleep at some point.
I was amphetamine user I also would stay up three days at a time .my longest was five days,psychosis set in because of the heavy usage and sleep deprivation.
Scary AF.

It’s very scary. Wishing you all the best :)

Three days was about right for me. I know people that use daily, but they’ll start as soon as they get up and still sleep that night. I tended to binge then have a rest inbetween.

I moved away. I’d probably benefit from counselling or AA meetings but I just took myself out of the situation. I stopped seeing the friends and family I’d use with. I only ever meet them during the day now, for lunch or a walk.

I know the temptation to use would still be there for me otherwise. I’m able to drink now but I don’t very often. Sometimes I’ll go 3-4 months without drinking but can also just have one glass with dinner without feeling the need to carry on.

Im interested in this post, due to a close family member, who is now clean (with a couple of lapses)
Pretty much lost everything until family intervention. I want to ask, have you sustained any damage to your nose/nasal tubes? Assuming you were snorting, that is

Confident, chatty, very motivated. A lot of my using was with an ex boyfriend and it was the only time we spoke to each other really.

Well done on stopping. It really is an amazing achievement. Please check out NA or AA meetings - they are an amazing support network even for people who have managed to get sober. I wish you all the best.