Many, many people took recreational drugs in the 90s. Where are they now?

[perhapsiwill]

I'm not a drug addict and none of my friends were at the time, we just took Es at the weekend, sometimes other drugs. We all went to work or college, seemed like everyone else did this too. We had a great time, weekends were for dancing and hugging, I didn't get on with drunk people and one night stands and it suited me much better.
I moved away from where I grew up, nice area to another nice area.
When I mention partying in my youth to other mums where I live now, they look at me as if I'm an addict who needs help .
Are they all pretending? There were thousands of us doing this so where are they now? And why do people who never took drugs appear to feel so morally superior? One of the women where I live openly talks about cheating the system financially yet looks at me like I'm scum because I went out and had fun 20 years ago. (And probably once a year now!) I feel that because I mentioned this one evening in a pub I have alienated myself from the local mums.

I understood that Speed and Coke are depressants.

Do you mean later lead to depression? Because they're certainly not depressants!

As a caveat to the above though by mid twenties I think there were very few still indulging on a regular basis. If some of them moved onto the coke/ pills lifestyle that passed me by. I get a certain nostalgia for a spliff every now and then but I don't know where to get it now [ grin] I'd go and sit at the stone circle at Glastonbury but I'd probably bump into a blooming student

TheLambShankRedemption

most E/speed and trips were made in the NL

agree about coke though and I don't have it anymore (mainly cos no one offers me) but I don't think I would - given what I know now ethically

It's very easy to test drugs nowadays

www.safetest4.co.uk/

I mean the come down from both causes feelings of depression

Professionals don't really use the term addict though. It's termed a substance misuse problem.

I was in my late teens / early twenties in the 90s. I didn't know anyone who took anything 'harder' than cannabis back then. I was into hard rock and alcohol seemed to be the drug of choice amongst my friends.

I wouldn't consider a come down to be feelings of depression. Depression has a specific meaning.

How does anyone know they're snorting coke and not baby talc? Just not worth it.

You wouldn't get high if it was baby powder, for starters.

I used to indulge and also have suffered from anxiety and depression. The feelings of futility are very similar and I am positive that my indulgences have not helped my MH.

"I mean the come down from both causes feelings of depression"

They might look the same (lethargy, tiredness, unwillingness to do anything) but come down is due mostly to tiredness and lack of sleep and resolves itself within a day or so. It is not at all the same thing as depression.

"How does anyone know they're snorting coke and not baby talc? "

The same way you know you're drinking wine and not apple juice.

Strong - "I understood that Speed and Coke are depressants"

You "understood" wrong.

Speed and coke are the opposite of depressants.

Ahh the rave scene.

OP you need to get yourself some new friends

The same way you know you're drinking wine and not apple juice. Thanks Cote... I couldn't think of a cogent answer to that judgemental gem!

And yes, come down and depression are 2 very distinct beasts!

Cocaine use can compound feelings of depression and depression can cause the need to self medicate with coke. They are really not mutually exclusive.

Mistakenly buying a gram of baby talc would be slightly depressing.

Cote, I am not quite sure why you're being so aggressive ?

Is this what happens when people don't use drugs any more? Instead of working they become patronizing arseholes to strangers on t'internet?

How attractive

I'm here

Living a boring suburban life now. You'd never know I was a party animal in a previous life.

DH once carried a tab of cocaine in his backpack through three US airport on his way to Sydney. Didn't get caught.

Back into the day, eh

The same way you know you're drinking wine and not apple juice.

That's the kind of reply I was looking for!

DH once carried a tab of cocaine in his backpack through three US airport on his way to Sydney. Didn't get caught

Wow that is all kinds of craziness, I thought we were talking abut the rave scene, popping a few pills in a field or smoking a doob, not international drug smuggling

I didn't touch anything until I was 26, so can 100% say the anxiety and depression I have had as long as I can remember has nothing to do with any drugs I've taken. If anything, mdma helped a great deal in helping me open up and really talk to close friends about things. This is all many years ago now, I'm a happily boring mum of two now (very rarely even drink these days). I agree that they should be legalised and taxed - I wonder how much revenue that would bring in?!

Cocaine use can compound feelings of depression and depression can cause the need to self medicate with coke. They are really not mutually exclusive.

Strong you're concatenating 2 ideas. OP asked about drug use.

Drug use with MH issues is an entirely different matter. It helps to distinguish between the 2. There is a lot 'out there' about the link, possible causality and effets of drug abuse causing/being caused by MH issues. It isn't clear cut and, as ever, an individual's innate propensity ofr a behaviour is the key factor.

I don't think Cote is being aggressive, just pointing out that depression and drug use/feelings of come down, are not necessarily interrelated!

Yep, I was hugely into the rave scene, early 90s. Fantasia,perception and many great illegal raves too. Now professional (rather frumpy) mum of three. Loved those times and often can't believe I used to be that person who would dance till the early hours in a field! Oh to have a time machine to have one more night!