to wonder how good heroin must feel

[complexnumber]

I've tried lots of recreational drugs over the years, but never heroin
But what is it about the 'hit' heroin gives you that makes you want it again... and again...

No there was no excess thirst, she freaked out and drank litres and litres of water thinking that it was what you had to do when on e's and her mother then also gave her a further 2 litres of water (all in the space of an hour or so)

She drank so much water that she drowned herself, horrible.

But it could have been prevented with proper education. The only time you would need to drink loads on e's is when dancing loads, like you would with any exercise. E's don't make you need to drink, they make you want to dance.

She got hot and freaked out and sadly there was nobody there who had the education about the drug to help her. Tragic

There used to be a Mushoom Shop in Dublin (when they were legal). The owner would ask how many people and portion it correctly, along with telling you about what each mushroom was like, how long it would last, what would bring you up & down etc.

The owners of Head shops are not allowed to do this, so people end up taking too much/not knowing what to expect.

People have died from taking too much e. Heart attack from too much or a chemical reaction but very few. I think around 10 to date.

Leah betts was an example of the damage of scare mongering and the number of deaths from drugs pretending to be MDMA has far, far exceeded the issues caused by the drug itself.

My xh was/is an addict, I detest heroin, I feel edgy when I see tin foil in the house too as I used to spend my days scouring the house for evidence of xh using.

Ive tried it a few times, never became addicted and felt sick

Thanks Gecko that's really interesting to know. Very sad too. I've always thought through long and hard and researched any drug I've tried and have told my nephews that if they are going to take drugs then they must educate themselves as much as possible before doing it.

If you are going to experiment it's useful to know what to do if something goes wrong and even just to know how it is likely to make you feel so you understand what's happening if you start to panic.

Although the ecstasy education scared me away from it as a teen, I think education about drugs should be realistic. People will take them if they want to, knowing what to do if something doesn't go to plan is so, so important IMO.

diary that's sad. I'm very sorry you've been through that.

I agree wholeheartedly with those who say certain drugs (particularly dissociatives in my experience) take away a layer of pain that you likely won't appreciate if you aren't in pain to begin with.

Its like the difference between giving nurofen to someone who's happy and healthy, or giving it to someone who has a banging headache, or crampy period pains. The former won't notice much of anything at all, and the latter will experience very welcome relief.

Its just that with mental health, especially when caused by long-term abuse, its chronic... it doesn't go away. I do wonder if in the future we might not look back on these times as barbaric, when we denied people simple pharmaceutical treatments that could literally take their mental pain away. There are many high-functioning addicts who are lucky enough to have access to the medicine that helps them, and live a full and fulfilling life as a result. The rest... despair and dirty street drugs drive them to being the kind of drug addict you see on the street.

And the chain of supply? It's hideous. But it doesn't have to be. Hospitals source all these same drugs (from cannabis to ketamine to heroin) without any of the same issues associated with illegally sourced drugs.

I find reading about the effects of drugs on different people really interesting. I had morphine given intravenously and orally after my appendix ruptured.

I remember relief at the pain having stopped, but also as the nurse injected it; I could feel the heaviness of it moving up the inside of my arm, up the right side of my neck, past my ear and then BAM! The pain was gone and it felt like I'd been hit with a wooly sledgehammer. I was SO happy the pain had stopped, but it did make me feel very far away, like there was a disconnect between me and reality. I was worried no one could hear me I also felt quite sick (I think I was sick) and I was happier when it was out of my system tbh.

I have never taken any illegal drug in my life, fwiw.

autumn, that is a really interesting thought regarding mental illness. I had never thought of it that way before. Thank you for that insight.

I took various recreational drugs for about a year when I was in my late teens, mainly speed (awful stuff), the occasional acid tab and the odd E pill, as well as smoking too mich hash.

I have never taken heroin. I did once take methodone, and it was horrific. I couldn't even keep water down for about 18 hours, and felt like death. If that's what heroin is like, I'll pass!

I gave up drugs completely in 1997, apart from the occasional spliff during my uni years. I doubt my poor brain could take it these days!

As for why I took all that shite, at the time it was partly curiosity and partly circumstance. I'd been anti-drugs for years before I started.

I later worked out that I was self-medicating to deal with some pretty serious problems from my childhood. Once I figured that out, I quit.

Thanks ziggie. And TRIGGER WARNING

I'm coming at it from the perspective of someone who is 'one of the lucky ones'.

Post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and a constant level of high anxiety in my case from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse including forced home abortion at 14 years old.

I've been through the system. Have had countless counselling sessions, and cycled through various anti-depressants and anxiolytics. Suicide attempts and inpatient time. I had reached despair and was resigned to a short life.

Only one thing helped me, and it happens to be illegal. I was 'lucky' enough to find a reliable, clean source. And almost ten years later I have a life, and am something approaching happy. Have worked enough to buy myself an education and then a better job.

I just wish to God that my pain-reliever (and that is exactly what it is), didn't make me technically a criminal. And that's what I am, a law-breaker, an identity I despise.

I want nothing but to live a healthy and productive life, and be a useful member of society. I wish no harm to anyone, but I would take to the streets and lose everything I have worked for in order to remain free of all-encompassing pain and despair, if that was the only option I had.

They're not a miracle cure, by no means. And in the wrong hands can do untold damage. But for many people like me, they are like a gasp of air when you've been drowning.

I have tried it and if you like feeling numb and generally vegetizing you might like it. For me it was unsociable, slightly boring and highly overated.

Strictly speaking autumn you're not a criminal unless you get caught ;)

Cannabis is amazing, it assists opiates to such a level that a heavy user can reduce their amount by up to two thirds.
Which means if the pain gets worse, there is room for more when needed. We need to start using cannabis and heroin properly.

I also think we need to use MDMA and psychedelics properly, but that's a different story.

I think anyone more interested should read 'food of the gods' and 'the cosmic serpent' as a matter of urgency ;)

I became a drugs worker with teenagers and then used go into schools educating secondary age kids about the facts about drugs (inc the good bits - not divulging my own story) so they could make an informed choice.

I now run a project for teenagers which supports them with all issues including drugs related ones and we have a team of volunteer counsellor and sexual health nurses.

I haven't tried heroin - just not interested in a substance that makes people steal from friends & prostitute themselves for the next hit, regardless of how fun it might be.

Anyway, I hated the morphine I was given after my C-section - felt totally zonked out, couldn't sleep, wasn't awake. If that is what heroin is like, I can't imagine that I have missed much. Especially when compared with E, for example, which is the most intense, the happiest, most wonderful kind of fun. It's not addictive, and judging by the handful of people it has reputedly damaged in 30 years of widespread use, very very safe.

Ecstasy isn't harmless there is a lot of evidence that suggests people who used a lot of it in the 80s and 90s now have very low serotonin levels (or the brain is unable to produce a lot of it) which has led to experiences of bouts of depression.

Whatever you borrow from your body you eventually have to give back.

MDMA is very safe when compared with the alternative. No drug use had no side effects.

I find it interesting that this thread stands out for its lack of arguing, bickering and irateness.

Many of the people posting have either used drugs, understand their use and are tolerant of others who do so.

Just saying......

I've always wanted to know what it feels like to be high, but have never dared as I know I have an addictive personality. I don't even let myself buy scratchcards.

Having said that, as I've got older, in all areas I have become more respectful of my body. When I was younger I very much took it for granted. Now, I find myself eating all manner of organic shite and choosing parabrn-free cosmetics etc. Which all mean that I can't now contemplate putting anything synthetic, or impure in my body.

Give me the purest opiate on earth, I might give it a go as a last hurrah, on my way to meet my maker. Lreferably, give it to me straight from source. Until then...nah.

(disclaimer: I know most mainstream organic schmorganic stuff is still dull if crap, I just kid myself it's full of less crap. No room for a vegetable patch in my tenth floor flat.)

Oh man, sorry for typos.

Preferably, full of crap.

Gossip the kind of service you run is absolutely invaluable, priceless.

You do know that unless the rain falling on crops is organic, there is no such thing as clean food? All that organic should be seen to mean is that no additional toxins are added to it. Forgive me if that is indeed what it means.

How about hydroponically grown Opium then?

Gossip - Anything is toxic in high doses.

Take 4 x 1g paracetamol per day for just a week and see what happens to your liver.

Re 'depression' - I don't know how many former E users you know but i know loads. Without exception, they are as happy as they were when we were all partying about 15 years ago. I don't know how much you need to use to mess up your brain but it must be an awfully (impossibly) high amount.

For me personally it's not a place I want to go back to. I never seriously used drugs but I find being around people who habitually or socially use drugs difficult. Yes, some people use drugs (I smoke and drink, so I suppose I can't say too much!) responsibly and have a life around it, and I can't rule out ever using another drug in my life, but not while I'm living with my children.

I find it very hard to see people's lives taken over by it. And often even being on the edge of those social circles, or using something occasionally, is very difficult. It tends to (in my experience) lead you to some not very nice people, and while I know that not-very-nice people exist in all parts of life, even the "naice"est, I just find it a difficult environment to be around. I'm probably not explaining myself very well, and coming across snobby which is not what I mean at all.

I am sorry to hear about your pain Autumn. I also think it's a shame that something which helps you is so taboo and potentially problematic.