To ask the truth about your drug use?

[CantStopTheBeat]

This may seem a silly question but since it’s an anonymous forum I’ll ask anyway. I’ve NC.

If you ever experimented or used drugs, what did you use and what made you choose that drug? I want to have an open conversation with my teenage child about why people may use certain drugs and what situations they will come up in but I don’t have a huge amount of experience on it. I know the internet has information but would like some realistic stories from the ladies of MN.

Smoked a bit of 1980s cannabis resin and some grass. So not like skunk. Magic mushrooms. They were really freaky. In my late teens and early 20s only. I had an interesting boyfriend or 2 and every second person at uni smoked dope.

I never took anything chemical. Couldn’t be sure what it was. I guess you could say the same about cannabis but I didn’t realise that. Had some acquaintances who took speed but it never appealed. I’m too old for ecstasy.

"We earn 90k plus a year so we are competent parents."

Hahahahahhahahahahahahhaha! 😂😂

That entire post is odd for a solicitor earning 90k. If that's how they write or argue in court, I doubt they're competent solicitors, let alone parents.

I do alcohol a few times a week, not to excess though

mystar

I do agree that drugs can enhance certain experiences and I know kids are lied to by schools nowadays as to how bad the effects are but;

I'd think it would depend on the age and how responsible a daughter was before I encouraged it though. As enhanced sexual feelings isn't much good for a curious 13 year old girl who ends up pregnant because of some daft night on pills when she'd of been better off studying on her schoolwork. College age then OK they need less guidance but would rarely condone less encourage drug use amongst younger kids. Research shows kids who use drugs usually end up with lower grades, suffer more mental health problems and struggle to form meaningful relationships in later life in general.

Of course, it doesn't mean all kids will fair badly. But it doesn't mean either that just because you took drugs and ended up doing reasonably well in later life that will be the same for them as the evidence shows otherwise.

Prescription drugs don’t really have the same effect on you when you take them for pain management, and when you take them for fun. Not exactly sure why.

I think its very common to see a separation of prescription/non-prescription drugs when really there isn't any difference.

Methamphetamine (aka crystal meth) is available on prescription in the USA, but only for children, not adults (seriously!)

Cocaine is available on prescription in most countries including the UK as is amphetamine and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate)

In the early years even the word Coca from the drink Coca-cola was due to it containing high amounts of cocaine and to this day its the only company in the world with a licence to grow the coca plant for the leaves that give the drink its 'coca' (cocaine) flavouring.

Most of the drugs everyone takes now are only illegal because of widespread abuse in the past when widely available rather than any specific danger and just because they are illegal and controlled, most are still available on prescription. Even diamorphine (heroin) is often given (slightly less than pethidene) to women during childbirth so theres a few more tried heroin on here than would like to admit me thinks.

Weed and hash as a teenager, pretty regularly. Tried acid, mushrooms, ecstasy a few times. Not too many, mostly wanted to experiment. Cocaine for a brief while in late 20’s/ early 30’s. Loved it, knew I had to be careful. Alcohol steady constant for many years but much less now than in the past. My hangovers are too horrific these days.

@mystar why do you feel that what you earn is a reflection of your competence as a parent?

"Should acid be used in a truely safe place with truly good people incase it kills you?... are the truly good people using it too?
If so and I have never taken it but would they be able to do what is needed to stop you dying or am I being dramatic?I am not taking the piss when I ask this, I genuinely don't know... I'm a bit naive to most drugs and what they do to you?"

Because taking drugs alters your state of mind and the way you think and perceive things. In a bad way you could feel paranoid and anxious but with a good, relaxed happy, supportive vibe this altered state can be a great thing - and you can have creative, silly, fun or deep conversations and experiences.

Say you did acid with a group of people you'd only met two or three times and you started to feel bad. Maybe everyone else is laughing and you start to wonder 'are they laughing at me?' Or maybe you have an altered perception and you think the light on the ceiling is spiraling down on you but you're too scared to say anything - and if you do say something, they might tease you. There's all the makings of a bad trip.

Whereas take the same situation but you're with old or trusted, kind and positive friends: they will help you turn that experience around. So if you say 'I can see the light coming down from the ceiling at me, is it just me guys?' Someone else might say 'Oh but the light is beautiful, SkaterGrrrrl, it's just a fairy coming to give you a kiss. Let's put on our favourite song and get up and dance with the fairies!" Suddenly your trippy experience is turned into this awesome, playful, fun experience. Or whatever. You get stoned and wonder if love is real and the human condition is to be truly alone. Your mates listen respectfully but keep you positive and make sure you have some jelly babies so you don't whitey.

It's looking out for each other when you are potentially vulnerable. Some of the best nights of my life have been taking E at festivals with close friends. It's made our friendships better.

No further input from the op?

Y'all just got daily mailed

i smoke weed every day pretty much, well I say smoke I actually have a vape pen with Thc oil.
@Tantruminateacup is the effect of this the same as smoking a spliff?

I and most of my friends have boomer parents and they've all done way more drugs than we ever did MDMA is amazing though.

Side note: I do think ppl completely minimise the impact of alcohol, you should probably worry more about your teens drinking excessively as this is the most likely scenario. Most ppl do grow out of it but I have known a few friends get into some bad situations through drink, plus with my DSis I think it exacerbated her depression. My DM always talked to me a lot about moderating alcohol and it's something I keep an eye on in myself as it's so easy to slide into a gradual increase.

is the effect of this the same as smoking a spliff

Vapeable thc is a different high from a spliff.

Hard to explain but to me it's the difference between being high and being stoned.

The maois that naturally exist in tobacco also effects how your receptors deal with the thc (and are also the reason that nicotine in tobacco is super addictive, whilst in gum or vape it's a pretty poor addictive chemical)

Thanks @easyandy101, that's really interesting. Does it smell like cannabis (as in, would it be obvious to those around that you were vaping it) or is it discreet?

Much more discreet than a spliff but if you were sat in a room with someone puffing away on one you'd smell it. Out and about, not so much as it only creates a tiny amount of actual vapour

That applies top cartridges rather than a dry herb vape, some of them are considerably less stealthy

*applies to cartridges

I tried weed probably around 15/16 and just didn't like it. Tried it again about 19/20 (in Amsterdam) confirmed I didn't like it.

Did coke probably around 5 times - if that. Again, didn't do much for me apart from make me talk non stop.

A lot of my friends (prestigious private school if relevant, probably not) we're doing speed and ket on a Thursday night at an awful underground club whilst in 6th form. I had an older bf out of school so I think that's how I escaped that. But I never was one for peer pressure but probably would have tried out of curiosity at the time.

I'm 28 now and only ever drink (too much).

Ironic actually that the older bf definitely did drugs but I was pretty unaware at the time.

I'm totally upfront with my teens about my drug use - why do people take drugs - because they can make you feel amazing! (also kill you!)

I grew up with a mum who (being child of the 60's) baked with pot and smoked spliffs at parties - never really liked it though as combined with drink it's always made me sick.

20's (90's!) I used to take speed and coke when out - out usually meant from 10 till 8am and it meant I could drink and dance without sleep - also took the occasional E but never liked not being in control of what I took.

30's - had kids - pretty much stopped - I have had the odd line of coke but not for a while and it wasn't as nice as I remember - also took a Ritalin tablet about 10 years ago as my friends son was prescribed it and she wanted to know if it really was like speed - it was!

I am more conscious now of the impact of cocaine etc on people's lives - especially in production and trafficking etc so I stick to the odd vodka and tonic on a Sat night!

Loads in my younger days. Weed, speed, ecstasy, acid, cocaine, MDMA, brilliant at the time and I had some great nights.
Too old and fearful of death now and don't like the thought of my kids ever doing it (hypocrite!)

Smoked lots of weed at university and probably the first year after we left (met DH at uni so had 2 years together there). I also had the odd pill 2 or 3 ,(Did'nt get on well really, but my may was a 4th year medic) had a bit of coke too. Hung round with medics quite a bit ...they are fucking outrageous and took loads if drugs and alcohol!
DH an I smoked lots of week at uni......left for real world ...realised need to wean as can't function in real world!!!!
Will be honest with our kids but would rather they didn't join the gang of pot heads !!!!!

The truth?

One drag of one spliff.
No cigarettes.
Never been drunk.

I have, however, had a drink spiked.

My cousin as a young teen took acid once or twice but smoked weed frequently with a large friendship group. Nothing for him since late teens poss early 20s. He was at 30 diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic, 2 of his friends committed suicide many years ago, one (his best friend) spent his late teens onwards in mental institutions no idea where or how he is now. One man posts the most random things online I recognise his issues he has no family to help him and its heart breaking. I watch my aunts struggle with her son and his mind and thought patterns ruined. It can't be coincidence. Some people may well be predisposed to mental illness but not full friendship groups with varying forms of psychosis. All others in his group there is no news on. No fb profiles no contact or news of children/weddings etc via mutual friends.

Cocaine is like alcohol and often in some circles go hand in hand. Users do not know thry have a problem till they're very far in. Much the same as 'just' drinkers there are many alcoholics who function and would not class themselves as such but their recycling bins and bottle a night plus more socially show otherwise.